Fliptop Battle: the Modern Balagtasan Essay

Introduction: As a developing country on a contemporary period dominated with diverse influences, different sectors and government organizations as well as the non-governmental organizations anticipate on how to elevate and preserved the most powerful tool for communication – Language. Language is used to express inner thoughts and emotions, make sense of complex and abstract thought, communicate with others, as well as to establish rules and to preserved culture. It is used to inform people of what a person might feel, desire, anticipate, and communicate effectively with words, gestures, and tone of voice in a multitude of situation. Language is a special gift from God to mankind; if language doesn’t exist, human civilization would be impossible. Apart from being a means of communication, it is also a source of thinking as well as an expression. This is the reason why it is termed as â€Å"species uniform† possession of human beings.1 Language change and shifts as time passes by for a variety of reasons responding on social, economic, and political pressures. History records many examples of language changed and shifts fueled by invasions, colonization, and migration. Even without these kinds of influences, a language can change and shifts dramatically if enough users alter the way they speak.2 Media is a general form for modern channels of public information. Traditionally, they are radio, televisions, films, newspapers, and internet. These disseminate information and entertainment on a wide scale and their powers of manipulating public opinion are the subject of much discussion and research.3 Media are changing the terms of our engagement with language and social semiosis in late modernity, and with linguistic variation and dialect as part of that. Media made a great impact on language change by means of word adaptation as well as familiarization of words especially on Filipino people as shown on television, internet, radio, or even newspaper. Multimedia serves as a pathway for manifesting new ideas on preserving languages like the newl y formed Filipino rhythmical poetry debate known as â€Å"Fliptop Battle† popularized through â€Å"Youtube†, a very popular video sharing Web site that lets anyone upload short videos for private or public viewing. 4 Fliptop Battle is a rap battle league in the Philippines partake by young Filipino rappers or popularly called as battle  Ã¢â‚¬Å"emcees† considered as geniuses on a contemporary Filipino language and made to help Philippine rappers promote and train both rap skills and abilities as well as to educate the masses both on a hip-hop cultural level and on a commonsensical level. The league places these rappers in a pit against each other in a battle of lyrical creativity and innate musical rhythm.5 Balagtasan is Filipino art of publicly arguing in extemporaneous, scaled and rhymed poetry manner formed by a group of Filipino poets in April 6, 1924 to commemorate the birth of Francisco Balagtas. Similar to the Fliptop Battle of contemporary period, this were fought by two different â€Å"Makata†, has a moderator, and has jurors that will decide whether who among the two excelled. 6 Balagtasan is a prominent type of literature from the time when is was discovered in 1924 unt il the world war II started. Balagtasan brightens the popularity of lots of makata. Well-noted theatres such as Opere House, Olympic Stadium, and Teatro Zorilla as well as the different theatres in the Philippines were fulled by public. A very expressive battle of discourse on Magazines, Newspapers, and even on the Radio were labeled before the world war II started. Different versions of Balagtasan pop-up in every regions of the language, as well as adopted language like English and Spanish. Being a form of national literature, it is still part of the lives of every filipino not just the whole form balagtasan but every piece of it as a cultural expression.7 Fliptop Battle and the conventional Balagtasan are both battle of wisdom and free-flowing poetic discourse. They give entertainment through humorous approach, bullying using hard-hitting words, and proving who among them is the best. Fliptop Battle as the modern Balagtasan is the focus of this study. Analyzing and critiquing is the main purpose of this research paper. Specifically, this study sought why Fliptop Battle dubbed as Balagtasan of modern day. This study was likewise anchored on the assumption that Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan as one of the modern significant pathway on the preservation of Philippine Language and educating masses on a new breed of wordsmith and calling attention on a dying culture in the Philippines. Statement of the Problem: The study intends to investigates and analyze the benefits together with the profile of Fliptop Battle as the modern balagtasan. Specifically, this study  sought to answer to the following questions: 1. What are the characteristics of the Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan and the Conventional Balagtasan? 2. What is the common feature of the modern and the conventional balagtasan? 3. What are the existing influences of â€Å"Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan† poses along: a. Music b. Literature c. Language d. Entertainment 4. What is the significant contribution of â€Å"Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan† to the preservation of Philippine Language and Culture? Scope and Delimitation: The primary objective of the study is to know why Fliptop Battle is called as the â€Å"Modern Balagtasan† and how will it aid on the preservation of the Philippine Language and Culture. The secondary objective of this study is to know its role and to understand how Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan affects and influences the Philippine Music industry, Entertainment, Literature, and Language. As an addendum, the study will only include major information concerning Fliptop Battle. Significance of the Study: The reason why this study is significant can be explained from three aspects. First, this study investigates the nature, quality, traits, attribute, peculiarity, and distinctiveness of Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan to the conventional Balagtasan. Consequently, this research might offer an empirical awareness to the reader on a dying culture reincarnated through a modern method. Second, this study will give knowledge to the readers regarding the stand of Fliptop Battle to Philippine Music industry, Literature, Language, and Entertainment. Third, it is hoped that this study may help the readers, as well as the authorities on providing the information addressed to the contribution of Fliptop Battle to Philippine Language and Culture. The researchers believed that this study would be beneficial to the following: Literature and Language Teachers — this study will help them in demonstrating and discussing the Modern Balagtasan in  contrast to the conventional balagtasan and encourage the students to love for own culture. Other Researchers – the study will serve as their reference encouraging them to research on different issues concerning cultural problems that needs a corresponding action and a guide for their studies and related purposes. Authorities – this study will serve to different sectors, governmental and non-governmental organizations as additional reference and will call their attention not just on the preservation of Philippine language and literature but also on the conservation and promotion of Philippine culture. NOTES 1Brown, Steven & Attardo, Salvatorre â€Å"Understanding Language Structure, Interaction, and Variation: An Introduction to Applied Linguistics and Sociolinguistics for Non-specialists†, The University of Michigan Press, 2000,2005., Pp. 160 2Mulfwene, Saliko S. â€Å"Language Evolution: Contact, Competition, and Change†, Cromwell Press, Wiltshirem, Great Britain, 2009 Pp.197 3Hawksby, Lester â€Å"Philip’s Encyclopedia† Octopus Publishing Group, c2007., Pp. 505 4 http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/YouTube 5http://neillangit.wordpress.com/2010/08/09/modern-balagtasan/ (August 9, 2010) 6Zafra, Galileo S. â€Å"Balagtasan: Kasaysayan at Antolohiya† Ateneo de Manila University Press, Quezon City Philippines, c1999., Pp. 4-11 7 Ibid., 13. Chapter 2 Review of Related Literature and Studies This chapter presents the related literatures and studies gathered from various books, published and unpublished materials, internet and other references which are related to the present study. This section also consists of synthesis of the state of the art, analytical framework, analytical paradigm, definition of terms, and notes. Related Literature: This present the related literature reviewed â€Å"Fliptop Battle: The modern Balagtasan – An Analysis† is a product of research, and reading on several literatures and studies. Several books such as encyclopedias, journals, magazine, newspapers, audio-visual materials, and other standard reference were used. The Balagtasan: Kasaysayan at Antolohiya of Galileo S. Zafra is a collection of past events, origins, and literary works of popular â€Å"makata’s† in the Philippines since the era of Balagtasan has started and wrote about transforming the consciousness and fighting alien interests and the ills of the society concerning cultural awareness.1 In a documentary video done by Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, it was discussed that Fliptop Battle is a new tool in preserving and reviving the forgotten oral tradition of the Filipinos namely the â€Å"Balagtasan†. Traditions of every ethnicity serve as an identity who they are and where they came from. Based on the documentary, the so-called Modern Balagtasan popularly known as Fliptop Bat tle is being practiced by youths anywhere such as in school, street, and bars. On one of the video footage where CBCP’s Fr. Melvin Castro was featured, he stressed that Fliptop Battle is a very good invention of the youth and can be developed, purified, and elevate the quality.2 Saab Magalona (2010) is a writer of Philippine Star Newspaper. She featured and wrote about Aric Yuson, the founder of the Balagtasan of the modern day. Aric is the son of Alfred Yuson, a well respected Filipino writer and according to the interview done by Magalona, Aric has always been a fan of the battling aspect of hip-hop and watches different battle leagues online such as the biggest rap battle in the world Grind Time Now by America and Canada’s King of The Dot. â€Å"As for rap or emcee battles, I enjoy the spontaneity, competition, and of course, the relatively twisted humor employed in degrading your opponent† Aric shares. The facet is entertaining in itself, but ultimately he enjoys how concepts are formed and then articulated in battle verse. He wanted to apply it to Philippine culture that’s why the Fliptop Battle was born. The merit of Fliptop Battle is to educate the masses on both hip-hop and dying culture in the Philippines which is the Balagtasan especially on the promotion of social awareness.3 In the documentary film done by Motorcycle Diaries of GMA News TV, Jay Taruc presented facts about the Fliptop Battle considered as the Balagtasan of the modern day, its nature, and how Fliptop battle is being practiced. The documentary also reveals that Fliptop Battle is somewhat a pathway for  rappers to promote and educate masses about the hip—hop culture.4 â€Å"Teenagers have a playful mind that’s why it is natural for them to invent their vocabulary; in fact they can form little language. Changes in Language are normal in every existing language like Filipino†. – It is according to Virgilio Almario, a Philippine National Artist for Literature on an interview done by Television channel GMA News TV on the show Balitanghali regarding the impact of Bekimon, Jejemon, and Fliptop Battle: The Modern Balagtasan to Filipino Language.5 In the July, 2010 issue of FHM Magazine, Fliptop Battle was featured together with the founder of it namely Aric Yuson, popularly known as ANYGMA. They presented facts about Fliptop Battle, its origin, behavior, nature, concept, and other important details. The article also stressed that â€Å"Fliptop Battle is one of the Youtube sensations of 2010 because it has gone viral with several of video hits million views in just a couple months†. Related Studies: This presents the related studies, which the researchers were able to find. The development of this study was taken from published and unpublished theses. The Published Doctor in Filipino Thesis of Galileo S. Zafra entitled, The â€Å"Dalumat ng Katuwiran mulang Duplo hanggang Balagtasan† is a study were Balagtasan is being invoked. It is the continuation of his past study entitled â€Å"Kasaysayan at Retorika ng Balagtasan. This study is vital to the following mainly the Literature, History of poetry, Ethnography of Native Culture, and to the Filipino and Ancestral Philosophy. In literature, it provides unique principles to elevate the native literature particularly in rhetorical and oral traditions of regarding verbal jousts and Balagtasan. In history of poetry, distinctions between poetical joust and Balagtasan from native rituals, it can be used as a cradle to reintroduce the history of poetry in the Philippines. In ethnography of native culture, this offers vital promulg ation of fundamentals which will awaken the existence of past events and can be used as a tool for studying culture and data. In Filipino and ancestral phisophy, the study could be a reference in philosophical discourse through the use of criticism. This study is related to the present study since both dealt with Balagtasan as a nearly forgotten tradition in the Philippines. Loreviza, et.al., â€Å"Philipine seditious dramas as a tool for  social awareness† a study mainly to create social awareness on every readers and researchers about the events may happen on the environment using the most powerful tool on influencing the masses – Media. â€Å"As long as the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man objected and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last forever – Clarence Darrow†, as part of the community people are subjected to be more critical thinker. If all of these wrongs get ignored, ancestral heritages would probably be forgotten especially the new generation. This study is related to the study since both dealt with social awareness. â€Å"Social issues are inevitable†, a phrase which was stressed on the study â€Å"Social problems reflected in the selected essays from Time Asia Magazine† by Bongalon et.al.,This study focuses on several essays concerning present social issues and aimed to have an understanding on the problems found in their surroundings and its implication to the society which has been taken for granted. In relation to the present study, both aims to persuade the masses in appreciating literary works and create social awareness regarding social issues. Synthesis of the State of the Art: The related literature reviewed helped the researchers on finding necessary information relevant to the present study, including the concrete definition of Balagtasan. The evolution of it from the early period to the present as well as how Balagtasan as a literary form has contributed to the lives of every Filipinos and how it mirrors the society. Especially on the Zafra has a wide scope of Balagtasan on his study â€Å"Ang Dalumat ng Katuwiran Mulang Duplo Hanggang Balagtasan†. He included the â€Å"Duplo† or poetic jousts in his study which is said to be one of the influences of Balagtasan although, the whole dissertation talks about Balagtasan itself. This study becomes the basis of the present study on the contextual of traditional Balagtasan and he then clearly portrays the Balagtasan as a whole. He proved Balagtasan as a form of literature that has vital role in traditions which is culture to the Filipinos. The presentation of the Balagtasan is unique, original, and convincing because of his methodology and ethnography which lead to an evident of the literature and to the society where it belongs. Bongalon et.al., focused on persuading the masses in appreciating literary works of Filipino writers and to generate awareness in the social issues. They used  essays from a magazine regarding social issues which nowadays have been overlooked by many. Loveriza et.al., objective was to convince the readers as well as researchers to become more socially aware on their society and to be more patriotic in their cultural heritages which is similar to the present study. They used Philippine Seditious Drama as a tool which will aid on the witlessness of the present society and in comparison to the present study, both uses audio-visual materials. In this regard the researchers were inspired by this study because no one has yet conducted a research about the Fliptop Battle as the Modern Balagtasan considering that is new in the present society which has a great bearing and significance to the society as whole. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK This study rests on the theory of Max Horkheimer’s (1937) Critical Theory. It deals with revitalization of radical, social and cultural criticism. This theory has two core concept: first is that â€Å"critical theory should be directed at totality of society in its historical specificity, and the second is that critical theory should improve the understanding of society by integrating all the major social sciences including geography, economics, sociology, history, political science, anthropology, and psychology. 2 The first concept deals with addressing it to the society through historical approach. In society, history is part of culture; failure to preserve cultural heritages will lead to overlooking. That’s the reason why Horkheimer have come up with this concept. The second concept states that critical theory should elevate the awareness of society by invoking the components of social sciences. A broad understanding of milieu particularly on societal components will aid on the preservation of cultural heritages and social awareness of every society. This theory aims not just to determine what was wrong with the contemporary society of the present but, by identifying progressive aspects and tendencies within it to help transform society for better.

American Psychological Association Ethical Code Essay

A Code of Ethics can be an overly complicated document that seeks to embrace every detail of behaviors that will not be acceptable to senior company management if found out. Meanwhile employees are pressured to deliver results which will often be enhanced if they do not strictly adhere to the Code of Ethics. The contention is that ethical codes are important to the organization; there is an ethical code, so the organization must be ethical. To the employee, it defines boundaries so they know when they are crossing them. Not all ethical codes are equal. If they protect employees from breaching some unwritten code, then they are good and fair. They must also be applied rigorously to senior management. It is normal for people who make rules to think that they should apply to others more than themselves, and that’s not a healthy way to look at it. As we have all learned, rules should apply to everyone for them to be just. If rules are made for only a certain group of people within an organization, the balance of power tips to one side unfairly and it leaves the organization and its consumers open to ethical breaches. My source showing why codes of ethics are important.  Ingram, David. â€Å"Importance of Creating a Code of Ethics for a Business.† Small Business. Houston Chronicle, 2014 Codes of ethics are very important because it guides decision making. It creates a cohesive understanding boundaries within an organization and it sets standards for interacting with external people. A well written, formal code of ethics can reduce ambiguity of certain rules and can serve as a guideline for making tough, and often controversial decisions. A code of ethics also plays an important role of protecting a companies and its employee’s reputation and where it stands legally when there is a breach of ethics by an individual person. A good code of ethics helps avoid not knowing what to do when one is confronted with a big dilemma. When a code of ethics is written for businesses that operate overseas and/or in other countries, it can be vital that an organization abide by the code of ethics to avoid a very unfortunate  misunderstanding in another country that may have drastically different views than your own. As I have shown, it is critically important for an organization to have a formal, well written code of ethics to set ethical standards for individuals within the organization. That way, when an individual breaches that ethical code, the organization can fall back on that code of ethics and say that what that individual did goes against the organizations standards. So generally codes of ethics are good, and needed. They serve a critical purpose in most organizations and serve as a guideline of how to conduct business. It safeguards the company against breaches of ethics because they have their own code of ethics that are written and can show it to prove where they stand whenever their standards are calle d into question. My source showing what’s wrong with codes of ethics.  Lunday, Jason. â€Å"Codes of Conduct: Typical Weakness and How to Overcome Them This article highlights what can be wrong with codes of ethics. One of the main problems with codes of ethics is that they may not be well constructed and not specifically address the companies specific needs and characteristics. Sometimes the standards in the code of ethics don’t clearly specify what an employee should do with certain challenges, and can sometimes put an employee in a dilemma abiding by the standards and suffering the consequences, or going against the code to get the job done. Many employees have indicated that codes of ethics are written with good intentions and convey good intentions, but most of the time they do not acknowledge the realities and practicalities of the business environment. Some codes of ethics can set the wrong tone and seem too vague or even too legalistic. Employees have stated that some codes of ethics seem to be protective of top management rather than the whole company, especially those at the lower levels. What I have noticed with some codes of ethics is that they do sound too legalistic and they leave a lot of the common sense topics out. Most codes of ethics do not include advertising, but most companies advertise in some way. Some codes of ethics are created with benchmarks of other companies codes of ethics. When this happens, an organizations code of ethics might sound and look great, but it doesn’t fit their specific purpose and doesn’t address some of the most important aspects of the organization. One Strength of the Code of Ethics. Psychologists are involved in the difficult area of human behavior. On a daily basis they are dealing with people whose view of the world has often been distorted by their history. They may begin to lose their own guideposts. The Code of Ethics is a reference that can be consulted to make sure the psychologist does not stray from a moderate behavior path. If it creates conflicts for the practitioner the relevant Ethics Code can be taken up with a supervisor allowing for discussion and interpretation. One Weakness of the Code of Ethics The Council of Representatives of the APA developed the code. Anytime you have a committee design something you are likely to complicate it. Each representative has their own world view and in a committee setting feel they have to contribute more. The weakness is that adding more detail rather than making issues clearer can make them ambiguous. There are Ten Commandments in the bible and 89 ethical standards set by the APA. One thing I saw and did not expect I did not expect that the Code would exclude application to practitioners outside of work activities. While legally the Code probably cannot be enforced outside of work, if the Code is silent on that point it would imply that this should be a personal code anyway. By stating that it does not apply outside of work it implies that practitioners have to be on their best behavior at work and not the way they might behave outside of work. This weakens the practice of the code. An example of when the code might be used. Standard 3 is a key Code in this line of work. As the patient has life issues their gratitude for help and verbal intimacy with the practitioner may lead to a relationship. The Code of Ethics is a reminder to not let this happen. While the Code of Ethics is restricted to work activities this area should apply if practitioner is in a work situation or not. Explanation of why the code would be used As in all occupations. ‘Do no harm’ must be the key ethical position. As the brain is a largely unknown organ, psychologists have to be very careful about their treatment of mental issues. Their patients are at various stages of walking towards a personal precipice, the practitioner cannot afford to give an accidental push. Code 3.08 covers exploitative relationships between practitioner and patient and is the most likely violation of code which must be reported. As patients are having trouble with their own reality a suggestion from the practitioner may be seen as ‘normal’ by the patient but not by the ethical code. Works Cited American Psychological Association Code of Ethics http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx# Ingram, David. â€Å"Importance of Creating a Code of Ethics for a Business.† Small Business. Houston Chronicle, 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. . Lunday, Jason. â€Å"Codes of Conduct: Typical Weakness and How to Overcome by Jason Lunday.† Corporate Compliance Insights. 17 June 2010. Web. 28 Oct. 2014. .

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Book Report #2 for Rabbi School - Research Paper Example It is through intelligent inquiry into the nature of reality that the phenomena begin to emerge as an important part of understanding the existence of man. In a section that he calls The Disparity of Soul and Reason, Heschel (1976) begins by suggesting that we are far more aware of what is unknown at an earlier time in life than aware of what is actually known. He makes emphatic statement that â€Å"Soul and reason are not the same† (Heschel, 1976, p. 7). This sets the stage for an understanding of how the unknown is such an important part of the acceptance of faith. In addition, he makes an argument for the idea of how it is so easy to lose track of a sense of amazement, sending reason over the wonder that evokes the sense of God within the soul. As he introduces his thoughts, he has created a sense of admonishment to those who would fail to see the world through the sense of wonder that comes from the grandeur of the essence of God. The author is adamant about the problem of human beings trying to use reason instead of depending on faith. Heschel (1976) turns the tables in terms of how companionship between man and God takes place, stating that God intends for man to have a place in companionship with Him. Eventually, he wrote that ‘God is unwilling to be alone, and man cannot forever remain impervious to what He wants to show† (Heschel, 1976, p. 91). He emphasizes the originality of each relationship that individuals create with God. It is through an inability to be able to understand God that brings us closer as the inconceivable ability of the existence of God becomes the basis on which to assert that He is real. There is a point where he goes back to discussing the concept of God and how man often constructed concepts of gods that were more human than divine. Heschel (1976) quotes Xenophones who wrote â€Å"Homer and Hesiod have ascribed to the gods all the things that are shame and a disgrace among mortals,

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Plan - Assignment Example Forecasted Cash Flow 14 Conclusion 15 References 16 Overview of Fordwell Golf Club and Its Retail Pro-Shop Fordwell Golf Club is a clandestine associated club which was developed in the year of 1935. The club is located in one of the colonised areas of Midlands with excellent transportation network. The region comprises of venerable population with high passion for golf. Moreover, the brand image of ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ is quite high as compared to other competitors in the nearby area. All other competing clubs apart from ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ also offer varied Pro Shop components along with the game of golf. Thus, it facilitates in enhancing customer satisfaction and reliability which is highly essential in order to sustain in this competitive environment. However, the professionals of ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ have only provided high attentions towards advancement in the facilities of the club thereby ignoring the Pro Shop retail part of this industry. As a result, it hindered the total revenue as well as customer satisfaction thereby hampering the brand image of the club among others. Thus, it is extremely essential to augment the retailing business along with golf as it would supplement the entire prosperity and effectiveness of club (The Professional Golfers Association Limited, 2011). Apart from these, improvement of Pro Shop business would also support and improve the coaching and training sessions of golf, which would be highly beneficial for the club. The training courses include varied modern amenities such as ‘cSwing system’ and Casio camera thereby enhancing the growth and consistency of its clients. It would also help to enhance the total number of members of golf club thereby improving the position in the region of Midlands. Thus, it would also facilitate in enhancing the total revenue, corporate image and constancy of the clients of ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ among others. Therefore, in order to achieve the vision of ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ i.e. to ‘amplify its recent profit by two times’, it is essential to renovate the Pro Shop segment of the club (The Professional Golfers Association Limited, 2011). Business Case ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ is one of the renewed clubs in the region of Midlands. In order to examine the demand of retail golf outfits in the region of Midlands, it is essential to perform a market research analysis, which is one of the significant market strategies adopted at the initial stages of any business (Nagle & Hogan, 2009). The market analysis helps to attain a clear idea about the demand of the products and its target clients. Target Clients of Retail Segment Source: (McKinley, 2002). Thus, from the above provided figure, it can be evidently revealed that the demands of retail golf outfits is quite high both within male and female genders of the society. Therefore, it can be affirmed that the idea of introduction of retail segment of ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ would be extremely beneficial for its future growth and prospects (McKinley, 2002). In order to position its retail segment, ‘Fordwell Golf Club’ could target millions of golfers both male, female youth and juniors as shown above. The infrastructure and renovation cost of retail works hops would also include ?20,000 along with certain trained and qualified assistants as well. In addition, the retail Pro Shop would include varied products such as bags, cloths, trolleys, wedges, headwear, irons, putters and shoes among others according to the tastes and the preferences of the end-users which would cost around ?10,000. Moreover, the retail Pro Shop division would also include a custom fit and repair centre for the players clubs according to the demand of clients at a reasonable cost (i.e. ?150 per head) for the club

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Housing Act - Essay Example The cost of these empty properties proves to be exorbitant for both the property owners and their neighbors in that it results in degradation of the entire neighborhood and decreased property values. 1 The scope of empty residential dwellings expands beyond the direct costs associated with vandalism and the decreased property values. It is also evident in the increased premiums incurred by homeowners within the neighborhood as well as related expenses. If one were to quantify the complete annual cost of leaving a residential property unoccupied for the period of one year, one can clearly ascertain an approximate cost of 8,000. This coupled with the fact that within England, there is has been a systematic rise in the number of homeless families has effectively prompted governmental involvement. This involvement came in the form of the Empty Dwelling Management Order (EDMO).2 Instituted on July 6, 2006 the EDMO gives the Local Housing Authority (LHA) the right to possession of property that has been unoccupied for more than six months. EDMO embodies the commitment of the English Government with regards to finding a permanent solution to a problem that is dyadic in nature and involves both the presence of empty private dwellings and the rising number of homeless families. ... These voluntary initiates have proved to be very ineffective thus necessitating compulsory action. It has been argued that these compulsory initiatives often favored the LHAs as the owners are view to be negligent in their responsibilities in maintaining their properties. In fact, many LHAs have been endowed with the right to purchase these properties at ridiculously low rates. Despite this, many LHAs view the procedure of acquiring empty dwellings as one that is cumbersome, time consuming, extremely bureaucratic in nature and complicated especially if their attempts to take over the properties are greeted with hostility.3 EDMOs operate with the intention of establishing a common ground between voluntary and compulsory purchasing ability. Essentially the LHA has the power to decide whether to actively pursue the purchase of an empty dwelling. Endowed with this power, it is the goal of EMDOs to compel the property owner to communicate with the LHA wherein an agreement may be reached with regards to returning the property to a condition whereby it is fit for human habitation. This agreement may entail active compromise between the LHA and the property owner. In principal and fact, it would be mutually beneficial for the LHA and the property owner to reach an agreement as it circumvents a great deal of bureaucratic red tape. This is especially important when one takes into consideration the fact that EMDOs are not intended to be utilized as an enforcement alternative but one that is necessary when the LHA has determined that its ownership of the property proves to be contraindicated. Additionally, EMDOs a re not meant to be stand-alone measures. They are intended to work in concert with the existing remedies such as

Personal statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Personal statement - Essay Example To be specific, my father is the president of a local bank in China. My father and mother have always been interested in their jobs, and they frequently used to discuss financial problems and solutions. In addition, when I was a high school student, I used to look through books beyond my textbooks. For instance, I used to read my parents’ books related to management and business law. Obviously, these books were useful to them as bank employees, and they were stimulating to me as a person developing an increasingly deeper interest in economics. Gradually, I came to realize that learning economics could help me to have a secure life in the future. My work experience and internship include some basic work in a local bank in China. For example, during last summer vacation, I worked as a teller. This helped me to have practical experience in dealing with customers. Moreover, this internship helped me to acquire the basic skills that are essential to a bank employee. Now, I realize that work experience and internship are most helpful for an individual who is aiming to be a bank employee. So, I gained the basic skills in customer care, especially the skill to deal with short-tempered customers. My core courses at City College have included macro-economics, micro-economics, Statistics, Calculus- Biology, Social Science and Business. These courses have helped to develop my interest in the major. For instance, all these courses, except Social Science, are related to the theoretical area of banking. On the other side, Social Science relates to the practical matter of customer relations. The course subjects like macro-economics, micro-economics, Statistics, Calculus at City College and major requirements at the University of California are same. Besides, I am particularly interested in macro-economics and micro-economics, especially the theories like Classical Economics and New Classical Economics and theory of Demand. The classes at City College sparked my curiosit y in the subject in part because macro-economics was familiar to me. Later, I discussed this matter with my parents and they encouraged me in my habit of reading books. The lecture classes at City College have also helped me to grasp new concepts and even to develop some ability to predict the ups and downs in the banking sector. Prompt #2 In China, one’s family is the most influential factor in one’s individual growth and development. As far as I am concerned, my family is clearly the most important motivation behind my personal growth. However, when I immigrated to the United States of America, I discovered the amalgamative power of American culture. For instance, it would seem that an individual who is so close to his or her family might face a number of problems on his own in a different culture. In America, however, I did not feel any difficulties because it is a multicultural society. Larry L Naylor opined that â€Å"In fact, many Americans believe that culture does come from their families where they learned their family traditions and their heritage† (1). I was aware of the fact that I needed to let myself be absorbed into the core of the American society. To be specific, personal qualities like receptiveness and open-mindedness can be helpful for an individual to accept a different culture. As an open minded individual, I was able to gain a number of friends at the College. Besides, the multicultural atmosphere of the College campus helped me to be open-minded and receptive towards others who are from

Opportunity cost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Opportunity cost - Essay Example The word cost in the context of economic production is defined as the opportunity cost of producing any good or service. It is considered to be the value that the factors of production or the resources could have generated if they were utilized for the next best use. In other words the opportunity cost is the sacrifice of the next best alternative that is made by consumption or production of a good or service. Thus when the resources are limited an individual has to make choices between the different alternatives. Accordingly by choosing one alternative he gives up the opportunity for enjoying the other remaining alternatives that he has not opted for. This is known as the opportunity cost of consumption or production. Hence it is the most important element in the context of economic that helps in the determination of the choice between the scare resource and the efficient allocation of the resources. Hence the opportunity cost is not only the money value that is given up for one par ticular choice but also the time costs and the psychological costs that are paid for the non-consumption of a product or service. This can be explained with the following example. A person having $10 may decide either to buy a book or an ice cream. If the person buys a book he would have to give up his opportunity to buy the ice cream and enjoy it. On the other hand if he buys an ice cream he gives up the opportunity to read the book. In both the cases the person has to pay an opportunity cost for choosing one option over the other (Samuelson 17). The concept of opportunity cost is used mostly in the context of production decisions. The main factors of production include capital and labor. Suppose a person works in a factory and he earns $10 per day. On the other hand he could have worked in his own farm and could have earned $ 7 a day and could have enjoyed labor for a longer time. Therefore by

Investment and Portfolio Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Investment and Portfolio Management - Essay Example The political turmoil in Libya is one of the most crucial among them. Asian markets were one of the most performing ones in the year 2010. The political unrest in Libya has casted a significant impact on the performance of Asian markets. â€Å"Asian currencies completed a weekly decline, led by the Taiwan dollar and South Korea’s won, as an uprising in Libya pushed up oil prices and sapped demand for emerging-market assets.† (Teso, 2011) Due to the serious political unrest in Libya crude oil climbed at a higher rate to $103.41 a barrel. This lead to fall of many Asian stocks as investors withdrew much higher than before. The situation impacted the currency market more than the stocks. It is very much evident that crude oil prices are one of the most important elements of market movement. Many developing nations’ market, especially in Asia is highly depended on the crude oil prices. Therefore, the future of Libya crisis is one of the most important concerns for in vestors across the world. Environmental issues: One of the greatest environmental factors that had affected the market recently is the earthquake in Japan. The fact that Japan is the world’s third largest economy will make the impact even worse. â€Å"The most direct impact is likely to be seen in Japanese exporters, like Honda, Toyota and Sony, whose production facilities will face disruption in the coming days.† (Schlesinger, 2011) Apart from the impact on major Japanese Automakers, the earthquake will impact the liquidity of many insurance companies. All largest insurance companies in Japan will be impacted heavily as they will now have to fund the insurers. As Japan is one of the largest economies in the world, big companies from across the world... This essay stresses that based on the analysis the above three are some of the alternative strategies for Philip Capital. All the three portfolios have their own unique nature. The first strategy is moderate as it has equal distribution of equity and other instruments. The second strategy is aggressive in which the percentage of equity is higher. The third strategy is mainly aimed at risk reduction. On a growth perspective, alternatives 1 and 2 are the best for Philip Capital. Philip Capital should still make a decision about where they should make and active investment and where they should make a passive investment. Generally speaking a passive strategy is useful when the broader market is expected to perform well compared to performance of individual stocks or sectors. The report has given a deep insight into the current issues in investment environment. Investment environment will always be prone to some challenges. The winners are those who come out of such challenges successfully. In terms of Philip Capital, the challenge is a volatile and unpredictable market situation. Based on the analysis of the market conditions, Philip Capital can adopt the two strategies that are mentioned in the previous section. The existing portfolio of Philip Capital has more than 50% of exposure towards UK equities and debts. This percentage is reduced in the two recommended portfolios because the UK market is not expected to perform well in 2011. Philip Capital will thus have a better return on investment from the new portfolio.

Tort Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort 2 - Assignment Example y have different types of compensation schemes and laws for injured employees, but they are all intended to guard against the negative consequences of inability to earn an income caused by injury. Most industrialised states are exhibiting a renewed interest in their systems of personal injury litigation, which can be viewed as an inclination towards responding to personal injury through legal redress. For example, in the United Kingdom, there is the Workers Compensation Act, of which the entire Part 3 and several provisions of Part 1 are applicable to occupational safety and health (IIDB, 2014). Sections of Part 4 are applicable to safety and health decisions appeals. Therefore, workers’ compensation is a scheme where employers must either pay or provide insurance that will pay medical expenses and lost wages of workers who get injured while performing their jobs. This paper will show that Tom, Dick and Harry have different rights and compensation levels from a dry cleaner the y worked for before being retired on health grounds after developing different diseases caused by a chemical they used at work. Under the Workers’ Compensation Act, an employer is defined as anyone with one or more workers who work for them in an industry by either a hiring or apprenticeship contract which is implied, expressed, oral or written. On the other hand, a worker is defined from multiple perspectives, but the most suitable in the case of Tom, Dick and Harry would be anyone under apprenticeship or contract of service whether implied, expressed, oral or written. Tort law defines a duty of care as a legal obligation owed by an individual to others, whereby a reasonable standard of care must be exercised while performing acts that are potentially harmful (Bagshaw & McBride, 2008). It also requires that the harm must be foreseeable. In the case of Squeakyclean, the company had known for 10 years that Blastoff, a chemical fluid used in the process of dry cleaning, causes a

Btec Business Essay Example for Free

Btec Business Essay Im not sure about this figure, with th0d Returned on capital employed Net profit (after appropriations) X 100 = 44160 = 29. 61% Capital employed 149160 This figure shows you how much money will be returned back into the business depending on how much they have invested. Not investing money into the business means you will not be making profit. I am not sure if 29. 61% is a good figure but it must be a good figure if the capital employed is ? 149,160. Maybe if the percentage is higher they employ more capital and they can re-invest more. Liquidity ratios-Current ratio Current assets: 1 = 70160 = 4. 53:1 Current liabilities 15500 Every ? 1 that they owe they own ? 4. 53 worth of assets. For SIGNature ltd the ratio is good, meaning not too much stock or owing too much to debtors. Acid test ratio Current assets assets: 1 = 70160 1200 = 4. 4:1 Current liabilities 15500 Every ? 1 they owe to suppliers or banks they will have ? 4. 41 of current assets. This means they have enough money to pay for costs like heating, lighting, telephone, courier charges and insurance. Average stock Kept over the year X 365 = 6000 = 9. 3 days Cost of goods sold 521700 Efficiency Ratios-Rate of stock turnover Every 9 to8 days they make a sale; this figure is not good because when running a business like SIGNature ltd you would like to be making sales more often. Debtors X 365 = 41000 = 28. 69 days Credit sales 521700 Debtor’s payment period A debtor’s payment is just about monthly meaning credit customers pay them every 28. 69 days, SIGNature should monitor their debtors and check how much they buy, when they pay back the full amount and which debtors are not paying in the 30 day period. Creditors X 365 = 15500 = 24. 11 days Credit purchases 234675 Creditor’s payment period 24 days is how long SIGNature takes to pay for credit purchases and they do pay their credit in good time. If you dont to your credit suppliers respond you may be charged additional interest, penalties and surcharges. Your debt may be referred to a private debt collection agency. Conclusion In this task I have performed ratio analysis and measured the profitability and efficiency of SIGNature and analysed the performance of a business using suitable ratios.

Discrimination And Empowerment In Mental Health Social Work Essay

Discrimination And Empowerment In Mental Health Social Work Essay This essay will firstly define what discrimination is and what it means to discriminate against something. It will then explain what it means to discriminate against someone or a group in social work practice. This will be a very broad definition that encompasses a variety of different service user groups. Examples will be used to demonstrate what discrimination may look like in social work practice and everyday life. To gain a better understand the essay will critically explore theory and ideas around power and how power manifests between groups. This part of the essay will touch on the idea of othering. The essay will use social constructionism theory to analyse this concept of power. The essay will then focus in on mental health. This part of the essay will firstly look at what a mental health problem is and explore the stigma of being labelled with a mental health problem. The essay will then go deeper to focus on how the western medical model can discriminate against Black and Ethnic Minority groups (BME), even if indirectly. The essay will then critically explore why BME adults, particularly men, are overrepresented in the mental health service. Links will be made to institutional racism and the fact that BME children are underrepresented in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). In in broadest definition, to discriminate means to differentiate or to recognise a distinction (Oxford Dictionaries 2012). In this broad sense it is a part of daily life to discriminate. For example, an adult may discriminate between lanes on a motorway and a baby will often discriminate between a stranger and their caregiver. Discrimination becomes a problem when the difference or recognised distinction is used for the basis of unfair treatment. This is the discrimination that social workers need to be vigilant for. Discrimination is not always intentional (Thompson 2009) and there are various types of discrimination (EHRC 2012). Discrimination can be direct, indirect, based on the perception that someone has a protected characteristic or discriminate against someone who is associated with a person who has a protected characteristic (EHRC 2012). The Equality Act (2010) also aims to protect people with a protective characteristic(s) from victimisation, harassment and failure to make reasonable adjustments (Home Office 2012). Thompsons (1997) PCS model demonstrates that discrimination is not always on a personal level and it is not just solely down to the individual. I will return to the PCS model later on in the essay. Social workers act as mediators between service users and the state. Social workers are in a role that can potentially empower or oppress (Thompson 1997). For this reason Thompson (1997: 11) argues that good practice must be anti-discriminatory practice. All other areas of practice could be brilliant and the social worker could have very good intentions but if the social worker cannot recognise the marginalised position of some of the people they are working with their interventions could potentially further oppress (Thompson 1997). Thompson (1997) reminds the reader many times throughout the book that If youre not part of the solution you are part of the problem. I choose to include this because it reinforces that social workers need to challenge discrimination and take action against it. To accept it and to not swim against the tide does indeed make us part of the problem. Where does discrimination come from and why do people, institutions and systems discriminate against people? This part of the essay will critically explore the concept of power and social constructionism in relation to discrimination and social work. Power is defined by Haralambos and Holborn 2000: 540) very loosely as the ability to get your own way even when others are opposed to your wishes. This is of course a very simple definition of a complex concept. There are many models and theories around power. Thompson (1998: 42) identified a common theme of the ability to influence or control people, events, processes or resources. These common themes of power all have the potential to be used destructively in social work. Social workers have the ability and power to influence and control, whether this is on an individual personal level or as a gate keeper of services or agent of control. Social workers need to be aware of power as they work with people who are marginalised and powerles s in comparison; people who social workers could potentially oppress and even worse, abuse. Giddens (1993) makes close links between power and inequality. EHRC Equality and human rights commission., 2012. [Viewed 2012.11.10] What is discrimination? [online]. Available from http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/education-providers-schools-guidance/key-concepts/what-is-discrimination/ Giddens, A., 1993. Sociology (2nd ed). Cambridge: Polity Haralambos, M, Holborn, M., 2000. Sociology themes and perspectives. London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd Home Office., 2012. [viewed 2012.11.11] Equality Act 2010 [online]. Available from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/equality-act/ Oxford Dictionaries., 2012. [Viewed 2012.10.19] Discriminate [Online]. Available from http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/discriminate?q=discriminate Thompson, N., 1997. Anti-Discriminatory practice (2nd ed). Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Thompson,N., 1998. Promoting Equality challenging discrimination and oppression in human services. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd Thompson, N., 2009. Practising social work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan

Educational Philosophy :: Education Teaching Teachers Essays

Educational Philosophy â€Å"Let’s play school?† So many times when I was growing up would I pose this question to my younger brother. I would always play the role of the teacher and he would be my somewhat enthused student. Of course, childhood never lasts forever and the unforgiving world of adolescence greets us. I was a miserable thirteen year old, wishing for those days of pretending, while I suffered the torments of a bully and had the feeling that I would never be accepted or fit in. I wondered, would my peers ever treat me equally? Would I ever be able to be what society says a young woman should be? It was during this trying time that I realized my childhood game, coupled with my desire to make kids feel good about themselves, was my destined career choice. I was destined to be an educator. As time passed and I entered college I realized that with the ideas of Progressivism and Social Reconstructionism that I was meant to be a teacher who would teach kids facts and formulas and teach them self worth in the process. To me, school is much more than a place to learn about history and math and reading, it’s a place to grow socially and emotionally. I believe it is vitally important to teach character development and self worth at an early age. This way, by the time a child hits puberty, they have a sense of self-pride, they feel they have a special gift or talent that makes them unique and important in society. Perhaps if I had had an elementary school teacher who taught me these things, then middle school wouldn’t have been such a difficult struggle for me. Many future teachers I speak with say that they want to teach out of West Virginia. They say they want to teach in a big city where they can get a high paying teachers job. But you can’t put a price tag on education; children here in the mountain state need young, dynamic teachers with fresh ways of thinking, as current teachers reach retirement age. This is why I want to teacher in West Virginia.

A Rose for Emily By William Faulkner :: Free Essay Writer

A Rose for Emily Characterization refers to the techniques a writer uses to develop characters. In the story A Rose for Emily William Faulkner uses characterization to reveal the character of Miss Emily. He expresses the content of her character through physical description, through her actions, words, and feelings, through a narrator's direct comments about the character's nature, and through the actions, words, and feelings, of other characters. Faulkner best uses characterization to examine the theme of the story, too much pride can end in homicidal madness. Miss Emily, the main character of this story, lives for many years as a recluse, someone who has withdrawn from a community to live in seclusion. "No visitor had passed since she ceased giving china-painting lessons eight or ten years earlier" (253-254). Faulkner characterizes Miss Emily's attempt to remove herself from society through her actions. "After her father's death she went out very little; after her sweetheart went away, people hardly saw her at all" (254). The death of her father and the shattered relationship with her sweetheart contributed to her seclusion. Though her father was responsible for her becoming a recluse, her pride also contributed to her seclusion. "None of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily and such" (225). Faulkner uses the feelings of other characters to show Miss Emily's pride. Her pride has kept her from socializing with other members of the community thus reinforcing her solitary. But Miss Emily's father is still responsible for her being a hermit. Her father's over-protection is evident in this passage, "We remembered all the young men her father had driven away, and we knew that with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her, as people will" (256). Her father robs her from many of life's necessities. She misses out on having friends, being a normal "woman," and her ability to be happy. Emily is so used to having her father be there for her, she figures that by keeping his body he can still be part of her life. If he had not refuse the men who wanted to go out with Miss Emily, she may have not gone crazy. Miss Emily may have wanted seclusion, but her heart lingered for companionship. Her desire for love and companionship drove her to murder Homer Baron. She knew her intentions when she bought the arsenic poison.

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a Disaster :: Business Management Studies

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been a Disaster Not long ago, the global economy didn’t matter much to the average American. But the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Most Favored Nation status (MFN) with China taught millions of Americans that economic forces beyond our borders can powerfully affect us, helping determine whether our jobs will be moved away, or whether our wages and benefits will be lowered. One of the great crises facing American workers is â€Å"the race to the bottom† within the global economy. As a result of increased capital flow, various â€Å"free trade† agreements, and the role of international financial organizations like the International Monetary Fund, workers in the United States are increasingly being put in the position of having to â€Å"compete† with desperate Third World workers in Mexico, China, Vietnam and other countries who are forced to work for wages as low as 20 cents an hour. Clearly, Congress must make radical changes in our trade policies an d our relationship to such international financial organizations as the IMF and the World Bank. The goal of U.S. policy must be to improve the standard of living of workers in both the United States and the developing world and not simply protect the interests of multinational corporations. We must support â€Å"fair trade† and not â€Å"free trade,† and demand that corporate America start reinvesting in the United States. NAFTA, MAI & the WTO Not long ago, the global economy didn’t matter much to the average American. But the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and Most Favored Nation status (MFN) with China taught millions of Americans that economic forces beyond our borders can powerfully affect us, helping determine whether our jobs will be moved away, or whether our wages and benefits will be lowered. One of the great crises facing American workers is â€Å"the race to the bottom† within the global economy. As a result of increased capital flow, various â€Å"free trade† agreements, and the role of international financial organizations like the International Monetary Fund, workers in the United States are increasingly being put in the position of having to â€Å"compete† with desperate Third World workers in Mexico, China, Vietnam and other countries who are forced to work for wages as low as 20 cents an hour. Clearly, Congress must make radical changes in our trade policies an d our relationship to such international financial organizations as the IMF and the World Bank.

Eymp 4 1.1

1. 1: Health and Safety Factors. Factors; Within early years settings, there are various factors to consider for both indoor and outdoor activities. Things that need to be considered with indoor activities are; Safety: Safety gates are needed within any setting with children to keep them safe and secure. The safety gates are used prevent children causing any harm to themselves. Also, safety equipment is needed such as safety scissors to prevent the children randomly cutting themselves. High tables and chairs cannot be used within any setting where there are children.Low tables are needed as it prevents children running into them and causing themselves harm and prevents them giving themselves concussion. Low chairs are used because they can’t cause any harm to the child whereas if they were high chairs, the children could reach for something and fall off the chair. High door handles are very often used early years settings as it prevents the children from attempting to open the door and often there are two handles, a low and a high one so even if the children opened the low door handle, they’d need the high one open to be able to leave.Risk assessments are also needed for anyone Security: Early years settings can have a mass amount of security such as buzzers and identity cards. Buzzers are used so only the staff members can leave and enter the setting at any time they can and need to. This also prevents strangers wandering into the setting. Staff members should also have ID cards, CRB checks all that they are fully qualified to work within that setting.Also, if any other person is to collect a child from the nursery, the parents would need to ring up in advance to alert the staff otherwise if the carer comes into the setting to collect a child, the receptionist would need to ring the parents first to see if it was okay for that person to collect the child, otherwise the parent would normally have to collect that child. Health: Within the early yea rs setting, the children’s health is a big thing. To keep them healthy, they’d need to maintain a balanced diet and have regular exercise.For the child to keep regular exercise, the setting usually has both indoor and outdoor play areas that help to stimulate the children’s learning environment. An outdoor activity gives the child the freedom they need and also gives them more room to move around. The children tend to exercise without acknowledging it. Various activities such as bikes and running around generally helps keep them in a healthy form and active. The cafeteria provides a balanced diet so the child can get all the nutrients they need.

Practitioner Model versus Practitioner-Model and its Impact on My Professional Development

Scholar-Practitioner Model versus Practitioner-Model and its Impact on My Professional Development Abstract The practitioners-scholar approach is the model I plan to follow to pursue my long-term professional goals of working as a consultant. Understanding the distinction between scholar, practitioner, scholar-practitioner and practitioner-scholar all are instrumental in my ability to create a plan to becoming a practitioner-scholar. Focusing on the history of psychology, becoming an effective researcher and forming invaluable communication skills laid the groundwork for having a successful career as a practitioner-scholar. Although, I do not feel I am either a scholar practitioner or practitioner scholar yet, my course work at Capella University will prepare me for the journey. Keywords: scholar, practitioner, practitioner-scholar, scholar-practitioner, research ? Scholar-Practitioner Model versus Practitioner-Model and its Impact on My Professional Development Reflecting on how I might become a practitioner-scholar, I realize the importance of understanding the distinction between scholar, practitioner, scholar-practitioner and practitioner-scholar, first. Scholars are wise master in their discipline, and distinguished leaders in their field. In the field of psychology, I view scholars primarily as one that works in the academic setting. Practitioners are professionals who work within the community or corporate setting. Practitioners work within a particular career, driven by the needs of their clients (Peterson, 2006). Scholar-practitioners and practitioner-scholars differ in how they view the application of knowledge acquired. According to Wasserman and Kram (2009), scholar-practitioners bonded by theory, seek to generate knowledge first as the way to apply knowledge to the world. Practitioners-scholars first guide themselves by the needs of the client, and then on the knowledge drawn from research-based theories to improve clients well being (Peterson, 2006). Wasserman and Kram (2009) view the concept scholar-practitioner and practitioner-scholar as a continuum. The continuum reflects the view that as psychologist we all hold the doctrine of studying the mind, its affects on behavior and ways through research and practice, we can improve humankind (Wasserman and Kram, 2009). Reflecting on the models, I realized neither describes where I am now. I currently view myself as a learner, a student with goals of becoming a successful practitioner-scholar. My success as a practitioner-scholar lies in acquiring knowledge of the history of psychology, becoming an analytical researcher and applying these skills to produce invaluable forms of communication. In order to become a successful practitioner-scholar, acquiring knowledge of the history of psychology is quintessential in my long-term plans to becoming a practitioner-scholar. The history of psychology in America and its role in the education setting and community at large dates back to after World War II (Peterson 2006). Intellectually gifted scientists who were brilliant researchers became the scholars of psychology. As scholars, they taught from a scientist, research perceptive. Therefore, when psychologists begin to leave the academic setting of universities and enter professional careers, they did so as science or scholar practitioners (Peterson 2006). According to Peterson (2006), education by scientists, training as scholars, with little to no professional preparation, sparked the great debate between the two models. The old saying, â€Å"you don’t know where you are going until you know where you’ve been†, holds true here. Embracing the foundation of psychology provides me with a greater sense of respect for those who oppose the practitioner-scholar model. However, embarking on a journey to refute the opposition is exciting, and becoming an analytical researcher along the way, will support my plan in becoming a distinguish leader in the psychology community as a practitioner-scholar. Understanding the history of psychology laid the groundwork in my plans to becoming a practitioner-scholar. Effective research will sharpen critical thinking skills, deepen analytical skills and overall continue to increase my knowledge of the study of psychology bringing me closer to becoming a practitioner-scholar. The ability to systematically identify and implement the necessary change is critical to a practitioner-scholar (Peterson 2006). Research is necessary as a practitioner-scholar because I need to think as a researcher in the context of my environment, to effectively and critical analyze the needs of my client. Although, research would not be a key element in my daily work as a practitioner-scholar, my ability to master research as a graduate student will lay the groundwork for how well I can effectively communicate my theories or notions learned from research and client assessments. The rigors process of graduate school, learning the principle behind theories and applying research to support my writing will create invaluable forms of communication. Drawing from my previous work experience as a real estate broker, owner of a staffing agency and currently as an advocate for children with autism, I know communication is the ultimate key to success. Simply put, you are only as good as you can sell yourself in this day and time. As grounded, as a psychologist should be in theory, practitioners have to be flexible within the world that they work in. The earlier issues faced by psychologist after World War II, according to Peterson (2006), was their inability to relate to their clients without communicating in the form of science, which is how they learned. This issue, open the initial search for practitioner-scholars (Peterson). Words have meaning and leave a lasting impression on the world at large. Producing quality, effective and valuable forms of communication as it relates to the context of your environment, provides for a successful career as a practitioner-scholar. Ultimately, acquisition of all these skills will bring me closer to becoming a practitioner-scholar. The history of psychology helps me understand why the models are debated and thought of as mutually exclusive. Although, I currently identify as a learner, the goals I have planned for myself directly align with the skills needed to become a practitioner-scholar. The intense process of graduate school including the massive amounts of work, papers, research and discussion questions answer will all help me become a practitioner-scholar. My understanding of the history of psychology, analytical research skills and becoming an invaluable communicator will all be skills needed to maintain beyond graduate level studies. As a learner of this model at Capella University, I fully expect to find myself starring back at a practitioner-scholar soon, when I look in the mirror. References Peterson, D. R. (1991). Connection and disconnection of research and practice in the education of professional.. American Psychologist, 46(4), 422. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. library. capella. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=aph&AN=9104223512&site=ehost-live&scope=site Wasserman, I. C. , & Kram, K. E. (2009). Enacting the scholar-practitioner role: An exploration of narratives. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 45(1), 12-38. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. library. capella. edu/login? url=http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=bth&AN=36658601&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Mental Workload Assessment

We all feel stressed out and strained when we have work to do. Not only that, we experience situations like this even if we are just studying. More often, we feel pressured just by thinking the amount of exams to be prepared for, or for that next project that is necessary for a good promotion in the company. Mental workload is the right term for the stress and strain we experience, especially with regards to studying and working.   The Hanover College defines mental workload as â€Å"the feeling of mental effort or the level of use of the human operators limited resources† (n.d.).   In short, mental workload is a demand placed upon humans (Xiaoli, n.d.). When there is too much mental workload, it might lead to errors. Preventing this makes mental workload important to be understood. However, due to the many factors that must be considered in discussing mental workload, defining it becomes difficult. Mental workload is important in driving and aviation and design. In fact, most of the studies conducted about mental workload were about driving and aviation and task demands. This is perhaps due to the fact that a driver is required to do not just one but many tasks. Moreover, even though a driver is experienced, accidents still occur. De Waard (1996) conducted a study on mental workload among drivers. He said that driving a car looks like a pretty simple task for everyone. Driving schools provide comprehensive lessons and manuals on how to drive safely. But no matter how good a driver can be, accidents cannot be avoided. Moreover, these accidents are attributed to human failure. Human failure is still increased due to several factors. First is the increasing number of vehicles on the road. There is a demand on the human information processing system, and also increase in the likelihood of vehicles colliding. Second, people drive well into old age. However, older people tend to suffer from problems in terms of divided attention performance. It all started with the car radio, and then car phones and other technological devices. The driver must divide his attention to all these systems besides controlling the vehicle. Lastly, those drivers in a diminished state may endanger him. Most of the time, drivers set out at night for the longer journeys to avoid traffic. Driving at night can cause him sleepiness and fatigue. Aside from this, the driver can also be intoxicated (de Waard, 1996). Xiaoli (n.d.) presented the factors which affect driver workload, including the following: fatigue, monotony, sedative drugs and alcohol. Environmental factors also affect drivers, such as traffic demands, automation and road environment demands. There are different techniques in assessing mental workload, including the following: performance measures, physiological measures, and subjective task measures (or self-report measures) (Luximon & Goonetilleke, 2001). Primary and secondary task measures comprise the performance, or system output measures. An overview of each assessment technique will be discussed in the context of traffic research (driving or aviation). Performance Measures In Xiaoli’s (n.d.) slide presentation, he said that the measures usually belonging to this category are speed of performance, number of errors made and reaction time measures. Outside the laboratory, these become task-specific. De Waard (1996) said that most of primary-task measures include speed or accuracy measures. Aside from this, De Waard (1996) explained that primary-task performance establishes the efficiency of man-machine interaction. Not just the primary-task performance but also other workload measures must work together so that valid conclusions can be drawn about man-machine interaction. There are several approaches in the measurement of performance measures. First is the analytical approach (Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi and Dawes, 1995). According to Welford (1978, cited in Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi and Dawes, 1995), the analytical approach considers the detail at the actual performance of the task that will be assessed. Not only the overall achievement is examined but also the manner in which it is achieved. Another assessment technique is the synthetic methods. These start with a task analysis of the system. Task analytic procedures are then used to identify the specific performance demands placed on the operator. The third approach is the multiple measurement of primary task performance. This approach is very useful when individual measures of primary task performance do not show enough sensitivity to operator workload. On the other hand, Xiaoli (n.d.) indicated that secondary-task performance are about factors such as time estimation or time-interval production and memory-search tasks. The assumption associated with secondary task measure says that an upper limit exists on the ability of a human operator to gather and process information (Meshkati, Hancock, Rahimi & Dawes, 1995). The way to measure secondary-task performance is through another task included to the primary one. De Waard (1996) mentioned about the multiple-resource theory. The theory says that â€Å"the largest sensitivity in secondary-task measures can be achieved if the overlap in resources is high† (De Waard, 1996). According to Hancock, Vercruyssen and Rodenburg (1992), a person must have the ability to synchronize their actions with the dynamics of differing environmental demands so that he can survive and prosper in uncertain conditions. This means that the person must have some degree of autonomy with respect to space and time. However, secondary-task measures have disadvantages to consider. According to De Waard (1996), time sharing is not very efficient if the same resources are utilized. Moreover, additional instrumentation is required in secondary-task measures. Not only that, but there is lack of operator acceptance. There are also possible compromises to system safety. Subjective Task Measures There is much talk about the self-report measures, which is also called subjective measures. In fact, for De Waard (1996), self-report measures are advantageous because they can better show the real meaning of mental workload. These measures’ subjectivity is what makes self-report measures strong. Muckler and Seven (1992, as cited in De Waard, 1996) explained that self-report measures are strong because the awareness of the operator about the increasing effort used must give subjective measures an important role to play. Moreover, performance and effort are incorporated in self-report measures. Additionally, individual differences, operator state and attitude are also considered. Xiaoli (n.d.) said that the primary advantages of subjective task measures are high face validity, ease of application and low costs. However, there are also limitations in these measures. First is that there might be confusion of mental and physical load in rating. There might also be an exhibition of the operator’s inability to differentiate between external demands and actual effort or workload experienced. Second, limitations can be seen in the operator’s ability to introspect and rate expenditure correctly. Hancock, Brill, Mouloua and Gilson (2002) added that another disadvantage of self-report measures is that they cannot be used for online workload assessment. Physiological Measures According to De Waard (1996), physiological measures showed sensitivity to global arousal or activation level and in some stages in information processing. One advantage of this is that physiological responses do not need an obvious response by the operator. Additionally, most cognitive tasks do not need overt behavior. Moreover, some of the measures can be collected continuously. Kramer (1991, cited in De Waard, 1996) showed some of the disadvantages of these measures. First is that there must be specialized equipment and technical expertise to be able to utilize these measures. Second is the presence of signal-to-noise ratios. Kramer furthered that in operator-system performance, the operator’s physiology is not directly involved, unlike in primary-task performance. Other physiological measures involved in driving are pupil diameter, endogenous eye blinks, blood pressure, respiration, electrodermal activity, hormone levels, event related potentials, and electromyogram. De Waard (1996) furthered that not all measures are sensitive to workload when it comes to performance. There are instances when dissociation between these measures of different categories was reported. He said that dissociation occurs between measures when they do not correspond to changes in the workload, or if there is an increase in one measure and a decrease in another. Performance is thus affected by the amount of resources invested and the demands on working memory. Hancock, Brill, Mouloua and Gilson (2002) said that although physiological measures present global assessments of workload, they do little to balance the demands of tasks on sensory systems. In addition, physiological measures provide little or no information about what sensory systems are most taxed. To measure mental workload, two groups must be considered (Gopher & Donchin, 1986, cited in De Waard, 1996). Self-report measures, physiological measures and performance measures are included in the first group. This group supposes that it is probable to achieve a global measure of mental workload. The second group includes secondary-task measures and some of the physiological measures. This group is concerned about those diagnostic procedures and has something to do with the theories of multiple resources. References De Waard, Dick. (1996). The measurement of drivers’ mental workload. The Netherlands: The Traffic Research Center VSC. Hancock, P.A., Brill, J.C., Mouloua, M., & Gilson, R.D. (2002). M-SWAP: On-line workload assessment in aviation. Paper presented at the 12th International Symposium on Aviation Psychology. Dayton, OH. Hancock, P.A., Vercruyssen, M., & Rodenburg, G.J. (1992). The effect of gender and time-of-day on time perception and mental workload. Current Psychology: Research and Review,. 11, 203-225. Hanover College. (n.d.). Mental Workload. Retrieved October 27, 2007 from http://psych.hanover.edu/classes/hfnotes3/tsld022.html Luximon, A. & Goonetilleke, R. (2001). Simplified subjective workload assessment technique. Ergonometrics, 44, 229-243. Meshkati, N., Hancock, P.A., Rahimi, M., & Dawes, S.M. (1995). Techniques of mental workload assessment. In J. Wilson and E.N. Corlett, (Eds.). Evaluation of human work: A practical ergonomics methodology. (Second Edition), London: Taylor and Francis. Xiaoli, Yi. (n.d.). Measurements of mental workload. [Slide presentation]. Available on http://www.slideshare.net/ESS/measurement-of-mental-workload/            

How to Analyze That Problem.

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