Essentials of Managerial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essentials of Managerial Finance - Essay Example Furthermore, although there is insufficient liquid assets to fulfill present responsibilities, Functional Profits are in plenty and hence sufficient to facilitate the debt. In the airplane industry the debtors that owe Southwest airlines are among the worst with 7.75 days’ worth of unsettled earnings. This suggests that sales need to be dealt with in a more appropriate and effective manner. Last, records appear to be thriving managed as the Inventory Processing Period is characteristic for the business, at 10.08 days. According to Southwest airline’s statement of returned earnings in 2010, they had earnings of $0.74 per share on 01/20/2011. The liquidity ratio which is normally the ratio of the current assets over the current liabilities is used to determine whether Southwest airlines can meet their short term financial responsibilities. Their liquidity ratio was 1 meaning their current assets was equal to their liabilities. The asset management ratio shows whether the assets of southwestern airlines are being utilized appropriately. Their assert management ratio was 0.8 and hence meaning they were slightly below the safe level of asset management ratio. The debt management ratio which is also commonly known as financial leverage ratio will determine the probability of the firm going bankrupt or experiencing financial upheavals in the future. The debt management ratio proved to be at a good level of 58.8. The market value ratio generally looks into the performance of Southwest Airlines in the stock market. Their market value ratio was at 8.99% Financial statements are used by the major shareholders and owners of the firm to be able to make sound decisions regarding investing in corporations and also to be able to see which areas the firm need to be improved. It is also a detailed analysis of the financial health of the corporation and hence investors get a clear view of the fairing of the corporation. Financial statements are also

Great Achievements Essay Example for Free

Great Achievements Essay Every individual has a goal of achieving their own dreams. Just like them, I am an aspirant who wishes to attain success in my career. As an upcoming Entertainment design student, I always look ahead to my goal and use it as my motivator to keep moving forward. Like others, I have also undergone obstacles in my life that I successfully faced and resolved One of the obstacles that I experienced was when I prepared my admission portfolio. It was 3 months before the deadline that I got interested in going to Art Center. Since I wanted to apply immediately, I worked hard to spend the remaining three months creating my portfolio. I knew that a high quality portfolio would give me a greater opportunity to be accepted so I went beyond my limits and used all the available resources to create my best work. My determination and willingness to learn and develop my talents pushed me to produce 30 pages of high quality portfolio in 2 1/2 months. Perhaps, doing such work in a limited time is difficult but for me, any person can do it so long as there is the passion and right attitude towards work. As a person, I believe that perseverance, diligence, open-mindedness and confidence count a lot in achieving success. During the preparation, I knew that the admissions only required a few pages of work but since I wanted to create the best portfolio, I did my best to accomplish the most number of quality work. Of course, it was difficult for me but it was my faith that helped me attained my goal. Furthermore, it was my family and friends who helped me maintain high expectations. There were times when I wanted to give up but it was them who taught me never to say `I can’t` at anything. I focused myself on my work and kept in my mind that there were no limitations so long as it is for my dreams. I also learned that any individual cannot achieve anything without taking any risk. In my case, one of the biggest risks that I have taken is switching my major and transferring to another college. I was a graduating ASU student and scholar back then in my college. Despite my good academic standing, I realized that I was not happy with what I was studying. It was then that I found out about the program taught at Art Center College of Design just 3 months before the application’s deadline. My interest and passion for the career pushed me to make some big sacrifices and worked non stop for two and half months. Fortunately, my work was paid off and I got accepted in the best design school in the US. Now that my dream goal is already within my reach, the only thing that hinders me is my financial restriction. I believe that through your institution I will be able to resolve this problem and continue my journey towards my success.

Digitally Deprived: A Survival Story Essay -- Personal Narrative Techn

Digitally Deprived: A Survival Story As I sit here and recall my last nineteen long years on this planet and my various interactions with different mediums of technology, it has become very obvious to me that I, like most people where I am from, have had really no major interactions with technology compared to others in my age group. I sit in coffee joints at night and watch people become more introverted than a turtle, ducking into their little shells of technological safety. They look at you through their faux, so-call trendy DKNY knock-off glasses, dressed in their Abercrombie clothes, hiding behind nothing but the glow of a laptop or in the corner talking to someone on their cell phones which just happens to match what they are wearing that day, just like every day. It’s hard to sit here and think about what my past experiences with technology have been. For my area we were pretty well off, upper-middle class I suppose. It’s not common to see people with cell phones, pagers, or anything like that. I am the only kid from my class who left the state for college, out of the ten that actually decided to go. Most people are content running family farms or just becoming a "factory rat" as I refer to them. I shouldn’t be too harsh though, three if my family members work there and are all doing very well for themselves. I just can’t imagine watching pills pass by me all day and calling that a career. I believe there is life beyond the one factory in my town. I think the one difference between rural and urban people is that need to have the newest and biggest thing out there, to get them one foot ahead of the rat race. It seems like everyone is scrambling to find that one thing that will set him or her apart from the crowd.... ...ld agree with that as well. One day without service on their cell phones or high-speed Internet and they wouldn’t know what to do. It would be like their little technological world was collapsing. Knowing what I know now, I don’t plan on letting my children be brought up in a technology-based culture. I think it’s better for people to learn that there is life beyond computers, cells, and the Internet. I think we need to take a giant step back and just take in what little bit of real beauty is left in the world, because before you know it, everything beautiful left in the world will be destroyed, and soon there will even be a McDonald’s at the bottom the Grand Canyon, on the ocean’s bottom, or who knows, even in space. I believe that today’s society is so in love with what it could be, that it is forgetting how beautiful it is, and was, and could be if left alone.

The Possible Mechanisms of Scrapie Contraction Essay -- Biology Medica

The Possible Mechanisms of Scrapie Contraction Scrapie was first discovered in Great Britain in the late 1900’s. The first case of scrapie in the United States was found in Michigan in 1947 when the flock owner had imported sheep of British origin several years prior. Since then scientists have researched to find the cause of the scrapie agent that are classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. At the present, scientists have presented three main theories that explain why the scrapie agent holds a dangerous threat against its host and how it elicits its symptoms. Scientists are finding genetic alternatives to prevent and dampen the spread of scrapie within sheep and goat flocks. They use methods such as tatoing and genetic selection to regulate animals exposure to the pathogen. Scrapie is defined as a fatal, degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of sheep and goats. It is widely feared because of its uncertain origin and therefore its seemingly incurable status. It is closely related and often associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE; also known as â€Å"Mad Cow† disease), as well Chronic Wasting Disease (found in deer and elk) all of which are classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. (Q&A. July 2005 http://www.animalagriculture.org/scrapie/AboutScrapie/QandA.htm) Scrapie is usually transmitted from the mother to her baby sheep or goats, through the placenta or the placental fluids. Animals infected with scrapie experience the symptoms and effects of the disease after two to five years post infection. Scrapie can be transmitted to susceptible sheep and goats through contact with the placenta and placental fluids of infected animals. There has been no evidence of human trans... ...entists alike are trying to make up new procedures of prevention to dampen the further spread of scrapie throughout the population of sheep and goats. Such measures taken to prevent the spread of scrapie include the genetic-based flock clean up plan. Here, genetic selection is used as the primary means of scrapie regulation. The United State s Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service is using genetic testing to determine which exposed animals must be removed or restricted in affected flocks and which are free to move unrestricted. This genetic clean up plan calls for the removal or restriction of all exposed susceptible sheep and goats as well as a five-year cycle of strict monitoring for the breeding of all the livestock (The Genetics of Scrapie Susceptibility. July 26 2005: http://www.aphis.usda/gov/us/nahps/scrapie/scrapie_genetics.pdf).

Assignment: Fee Setting Essay

The government benefits seminar for children and families was a major success, so Advocates for Children will carry out a similar seminar in a nearby town. The executive director has decided that this second seminar should make the highest possible amount of money. For this reason, they will not offer a reduced fee schedule, and all attendees must pay the entire fee. This seminar will happen in a smaller room than the first one did, which can only leave space for 45 trainees, at most. Here is the seminar’s proposed budget: Proposed Seminar Budget 1. Conference room rental $175.00 $ 175.00 2. Audiovisual equipment Rental $75.00 3. 4 presenters @ $500 $2,000.00 4. 45 workbooks @ $15 $675.00 5. 45 lunches @ $12 $540.00 6. 45 coffees @ $3.50 $158.00 Subtotal $3,623.50 7. Indirect costs @ 25% of $3,622.50 $ 906.00 Subtotal $4,529.00 8. Profit margin @ 5% of $4,528.13 $ 227.00 Subtotal $4,756.00 You are the executive director. Following the checklist in Figure 11.1, perform all the computations necessary to set a fee. What will your fee be? What is your break-even point? What is your go/no-go decision point? Fixed Costs 1. Conference room rental $175.00 $ 175.00 2. Audiovisual equipment Rental 75.00 3. 4 presenters @ $500 2,000.00 4. Indirect costs @ 25% of $3,675.00 $ 906.00 5. Profit margin @ 5% of $4,594.00 $ 227.00 Total Fixed Costs $3,383.00 Variable Costs 6. 45 workbooks @ $15 $15.00 7. 45 lunches @ $12 12.00 8. 45 coffees @ $3.50 3.50 Total Variable Costs $30.50 Breakeven point I would put my breakeven and go/no go point at 30 attendees. I have set it lower to make up for margin or error, and when more than 30 people attend the profits will also increase. This is the revenue maximization strategy that I will use. XP= A+BX 30P= 3,383 + 30.50(30) 30P= 3,383 + 915 30P= 4,298 P= 143 *Fee will still be set within the standard bracket. Exercise 11.2 As the executive director of Advocates for Children, you have had a change of heart. You decide not to attempt to maximize revenues in this second seminar. You decide to exclude a profit margin in the fee computation, but you will include indirect costs. Additionally, the local United Way in the community hosting the seminar has guaranteed 45 participants. If fewer than 45 participants register for the seminar, the United Way will make up the difference. In exchange for this guarantee, the United Way has asked you to set the seminar fee as low as possible. Following the checklist in Figure 11.1, perform all the computations necessary to set a fee. What will your fee be? Fixed Costs 1. Conference room rental $175.00 $ 175.00 2. Audiovisual equipment Rental 75.00 3. 4 presenters @ $500 2,000.00 4. Indirect costs @ 25% of $3,675.00 $ 906.00 Total Fixed Costs $3,156.00 Variable Costs 5. 45 workbooks @ $15 $15.00 6. 45 lunches @ $12 12.00 7. 45 coffees @ $3.50 3.50 Total Variable Costs $30.50 45 participants 45P = 3156 + 30.50(45) 45P = 3,156 + 1373 (rounded-up) 45P = 4549 (rounded-up) (Divide both sides by 45) P = $101.00 (rounded-up) For 45 participants,the fee is $101.00 (100.63 if not rounded-up). * I chose to use the number 45 because the United Way has guaranteed that they will make up the difference if less than 45 people attend. Reference Martin, L. (2001). Financial management for human service administrators. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Introduction About Angiosperms

Introduction About Angiosperms Anatomy is a study of the internal structure of organs. There are between 200 000 and 300 000 different species of angiosperms (flowering plants) known. In comparison with other organisms, only insects number more species than angiosperms. Although a wide variety of flowering plants occur on earth, all have more or less the same structure and consist of three basic organs: roots, stems and leaves.Angiosperms are divided, according to certain characteristics which you studied in std.7, into two large groups, viz. Dicotyledoneae and Monocotyledoneae. In this section I shall refer to the former group as dicotyledons and the latter group as monocotyledons. In this chapter you will learn more about the anatomyRootsThe root system of a flowering plant begins its development from the hypocotyl of the embryo of the seed which gives rise to the primary root. Roots generally grow downwards into the soil (positively geotropic) and upwards (negatively geotropic).Figure 3Roots do not bear leaves and therefore no nodes are present.Two kinds of root systems can be distinguished in flowering plants: tap root systems andadventitious root systems. Usually dicotyledons posses tap root systems and monocotyledons adventitious root systems.Tap Root System: The primary root grows vertically down into the soil in the tap root system. Later lateral or secondary roots grow from this at an acute angle outwards and downwards, and from these other branches may arise. The main or primary root is known as the tap root; together with its many branch roots it forms a tap root system e.g. the bean.Adventitious Root System: The primary root usually dies at an early stage and is replaced by numerous roots that develop from the stem. These roots, which develop from the stem, are...

International marketing Essay

International marketing Essay International marketing Essay Abstract What is Developing Country, it will be good to give you an idea in what it is: A country having a standard of living or level of industrial production well below that possible with financial or technical aid; a country that is not yet highly industrialized. It is a poor country that is trying to develop its resources by industrialization. Imports and Exports are two opposite methods of international trading. An Import is described in trade as being ‘a service or goods brought into a country from abroad for sale or trade’. An Export is described as being ‘a service or goods produced in one country that are sent to another for sale or trade’. Kenya is located in Africa, on the East; just below the "horn" that is Somalia. It's bordered by the Indian Ocean on the South East, Tanzania on the South, Uganda on the West, Sudan on the North West, Ethiopia on the North and Somalia on the North East. In Kenya is the second highest mountain in Africa after the Kilimanjaro. The product that I choose to market in Kenya is the cotton, Kenya has the most labor for textile factory, and they import 30,000 containers of clothes annually, so I think will be a good product to market, because that is the most income that Kenya have, beside the labor are not to expenses and that will help their own business man in Kenya. Kenya is sovereign republic. At independence the government was modeled around the U.S Presidency and British Legislature but later, other amendments were introduced to the structure and nature of the government. With the new constitution the Kenya government structure will change fundamentally. Kenya will adopt a fully presidential system of government, with county government, county assemblies, governors and senators. The Executive and the Legislature will be delinked, unlike in the past where Cabinet ministers were drawn from Parliament. In Kenya, the powers of government are traditionally divided into three main organs the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. The separation of powers here makes the judiciary more independent however, the legislature, which makes the laws, contains members of the executive (President and the Cabinet Ministers) who are responsible for carrying out the laws. The Kenya Revenue Authority was established in 1995 by an Act of Parliament, under Cap 469 of the Laws of Kenya. The Authority has the responsibility of assessing, collecting and accounting for the taxes. It collects revenue and administers the revenue Acts for the purpose of facilitating trade. The Authority collects four main taxes: Customs and Excise, Income Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and motor vehicle road licenses and driving licenses. It may collect any other tax assigned it by the government. The Authority is headed by a Commissioner General. There is a board of directors headed by a chairman. There are three Revenue Commissioners, the Register of Motor Vehicles and heads of various service departments. The KRA has introduced remarkable efficiency and professionalism in tax administration and operations. In the period of about eight years it has been in existence, its impact is clearly felt in the society. The headquarters, revenue and support departments are all housed at Times Tower building in Nairobi. Taxes collected in Kenya are: 1. Import duty 2. Excise duty 3. Income Tax 4. Value Added Tax (VAT) 5. Registration and transfer fee of motor vehicles and road and driving licenses. Other government revenues collected by the authority on agency basis include: 1. Petroleum Development Fund 2. Import Declaration and Fund (IDF) 3. Foreign Motor Vehicle Inspection Fee 4. Road Maintenance Levy 5. Road Transit Toll Levy 6. Aviation Revenue 7. Revenue Stamps 8. Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Levy 9. Widows, Children and Parliamentary Pension Fund, Betting Tax 10. Gaming (casino) Tax. Income Tax in Kenya income tax is almost as old as the customs duty in Kenya. Both taxes were International Marketing Essay International Marketing Essay I- INTRODUCTION: This report will help us understand four main different points between the Saudi Arabia and New Zealanders in term of culture. They have the differences between gender, and social position attitude. Each country still have different opinion about working together and do it yourself. Moreover, the upgrading their social position is hard in Saudi Arabia. The final point in the first cultural difference part will mention about the vital element that make them become unique compare with others. There is religion. And the final part of this report, some recommendation about how Australian firms should do advertising effectively in Saudi Arabia will be make. II- CULTURAL DIFFERENCES: Generally, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand can be represented for two big cultural clusters. The former can be seen as Arab culture, and over millions of people in this culture are influenced by religion, especially Islam. The latter represents for the Anglo culture that we often call Western culture in general. Therefore, they have many significant differences in their religion, decision making style, organizational structure, norms as well as special rituals. Thus, using some studies of Hofstede and Trompenaars will help to measure the cultural differences on a global basis. 2.1 Power distance: The power distance shows the degree to which the level of acceptance by a society of the unequal distribution of powering in institution. According to the chart on an Appendix A, the Saudi Arabia (95) is higher than New Zealand (22) considerably in term of Power Distance dimension. It points out that there is a gap in gender as well as the social position in this country. The men have more power for making decision in the family. The women in this culture have â€Å"no voice†, and they must follow the men’s command. In business, the organizational structure is centralized. The leaders are often man, and there is unfair in working between men and women. That is a reason why the business environment in Saudi Arabia is stressful, and the law system is extremely strict. For example, if a Saudi Arabian woman hug, shake hand or greet with the person who do not know. They will be treated by the Islamic laws. However, the men have a right to shakes hands or kiss on each cheer o f their friends as greeting. By contrast, New Zealanders consider as friendly people. They are easy to say â€Å"hello† to strangers and willing to assist someone without being asking. Moreover, they have a free thought in greeting, and gender as well. That culture make New Zealand organizational structure is low hierarchy, and the employees feel free when they give their comment or ideas with their boss. Gender is no matter in working environment. They depend on their achievement, knowledge, or talent to step up to the higher position regardless who they are, and what is their gender. As the impact of culture, the law systems is fair, and the government of the country is follow the democracy. As the evidence, New Zealand has â€Å"the case law† that depends on each situation; the court will have different verdict after deeply investigation. Otherwise, the law system of Saudi Arabia is based on the â€Å"Koran book† and Prophet Muhammad, so the breaking law will lead the offender to be punis hed by the severe rule without considering for individual circumstance. 2.2 Individualism and collectivism: This cultural dimension refers the degree to which a people in a society follow the individualism, or collectivism (Deresky, 2011, p.112). According to the chart in Appendix, the New Zealand has higher score in this dimension. Therefore, New Zealand pay more attention to the self-reliance, and â€Å"can do attitude†. It is one of the most remarkable points in New Zealand culture. In reality, New Zealander try to develop their children by let them free to discover the world around them. So, New Zealander is quite active, and creative in studying, and working as well. As regards the society, an

Television Violence and its Impact on Society essayEssay Writing Service

Television Violence and its Impact on Society essayEssay Writing Service Television Violence and its Impact on Society essay Television Violence and its Impact on Society essayMany people believe that television violence has a negative effect on society because it promotes violence. Do you agree or disagree?Today, the impact of television on the audience is still significant that raises the public concerns about the possible negative impact of television violence on society (Machlis Forney, 2010). On the other hand, some people argue that the negative impact of television on society is insignificant because people are rational and can distinguish the real world from the imaginary one. However, the television violence does have the negative impact on society because people see violence on the regular basis. As a result, they grow accustomed to violence and take it for granted. If they see violence on television over and over again they start believing that violence is a norm and comprises an integral part of their life.In fact, people become vulnerable to the impact of television because, if they see viol ence, for instance, they may grow disturbed about cases of violence occurring in society. Steadily people may grow anxious about their own safety and start expecting violent and aggressive behavior from the part of their social environment. Eventually, they may slip to the aggressive and violent behavior as the means of self-defense and, more important, they steadily learn that the aggressive and violent behavior is a norm since they watch violence on television day after day and there is no effective counteraction to the violence in society.On the other hand, it is possible to argue that people should be reasonable and rational in the perception of the information which they receive from mass media, including television. Therefore, they should not necessarily behave in the violent way as they watch other people behave on television.In fact, people live in society and they respect existing social norms and standards (Moy, et al., 1999). Therefore, if violence is anti-social, then th ey will never behave in a violent or aggressive way, unless they are inclined to the anti-social behavior because of some reasons (Machlis Forney, 2010). Instead, they behave in the rational way and respect social norms, while the violence on television cannot change the existing social norms and values. People are just living according to rules and legal norms that are acceptable within their community.However, arguments of opponents of the belief that television violence cannot have a negative impact on society are inconsistent because they apparently underestimate the depth of the impact of television on the audience (Lawson Stowell, 2009). If people are always exposed to the violence on television, they stop perceiving it as something abnormal. In fact, the normal psychological reaction of the average viewer on violence is repulsion. However, if that viewer watch the violence on television over and over again, it becomes less shocking, until the moment, when the viewer perceiv es the violence as a norm. As the attitude of the viewer on the violence on television evolves, so does change the viewer’s attitude to violence in the real world (Lawson Stowell, 2009). The viewer just starts believing that violence is not abnormal but a routine part of social life. Therefore, the viewer starts believing that violence is a plausible means of resolution of any problems fast.In addition, viewers are vulnerable to the impact of violence from the early childhood. As a result, children are also vulnerable to the impact of violence on television (Moy, et al., 1999). At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that children perceive television in a different way compared to adults. They cannot always distinguish the real world and fiction on television. They cannot clearly say what is good and what is right because their personality and values are just forming. As a result, the exposure of children to violence leads to the development of negative behavioral pat terns, such as violence and aggression that influence their social relations and may cause deviant behavior.Thus, the violence on television is dangerous because it has a negative impact on society. Arguments of those, who believe that violence on television does not have negative impact on society, are inconsistent because people cannot always think rationally and perceive the information they receive from television critically. Moreover, they learn negative behavioral patterns and become violent and aggressive under the impact of the violence on television. In such a way, the violence on television does have a negative impact on people, their behavior and social relations.

Strategy Formulation United Way Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategy Formulation United Way - Essay Example Two possible strategies for United Ways would include an integrated marketing communication strategy and a control and monitoring mechanism in the area of corporate governance that would involve appointment of independent auditors as well as implementation of strict code of conduct. The following sections would largely show how these two strategies could be used to counter the issues faced by the organization. The issues and advantages for the two strategies would be specifically analyzed in the following sections. The recent financial crisis had a major impact on the accessibility of funds as disposable income dried up following job cuts. It was becoming difficult for United Ways to sustain itself in the market. Certain alternative strategies for the organization would include going international and seeking funds from across the world. The company could use Americans living in other nations to generate funds for the organization in nations where the effect of financial crisis is le ss severe (Norris, 2007, p.218-220). In addition to this the organization should also use an integrated marketing communication strategy based on social networking and internet to raise funds from international sources.

Critically assess the ideological differences between Old Labour and Essay

Critically assess the ideological differences between Old Labour and New Labour - Essay Example Following the internal transformations in the party’s ideology from which had already started to take place since 1979, Tony Blair in 1993 pointed out the confusing ends of the clause IV and put forward the alternative statement for the clause IV. During his first speech as the leader of the Labour Party he explained that in order to find out the solutions to the various problems being faced by the British nation, the country needs a transformation and that transformation has to first take place in the Party’s aims and objectives. Concluding his first address as the party leader he said: Let us be blunt. Our system of Government has become outdated. Our economy has been weakened. Our people have been under-educated. Our welfare state and public services have been run down and our society has been made more divided than at any time for 100 years, but our politics need not be like this. Our country need not be like this. Ours is a project of national renewal, renewing our commitment as a nation, as a community of people in order to prepare and provide for ourselves in the new world we face. We must build a nation with pride in itself. A thriving community, rich in economic prosperity, secure in social justice, confident in political change. That is our hope. Not just a promise to change – but to achieve it. Our party; New Labour – Our mission; New Britain. New Labour New Britain. Old Labour proclaimed its faithfulness with socialism but could not establish it in the true sense. The New Labour claims that it stands for a democratic socialism which can be termed as a benign capitalism, and unlike the Old Labour, New Labour stands with what it says. The problem with the Old Labour party was the fact that it believed in gradual change; it always claimed its loyalties to be with socialism, however it never succeeded to implement it, the policy of gradual change only complicated things

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 8

Final paper - Essay Example France is noted to have been the first state in Western Europe to remove the sanction placed on homosexuality, 1791. It is important to note the existence of a mental condition, which hinders one from realizing their true sexual orientation, thus leaving them thoroughly confused. This mostly occurs at the youth stage where one is most vulnerable to the influences of the world. Derald Wing Sue and David Sue (2013) describe the struggle by for individuals who realize that the expected social norms are not in line with their internal thoughts and feelings on the subject. There are groups set out in the world ill-equipped to handle the name-calling, bullying and numerous other offences that are dished out to them. Physical violence is not unheard of for anti-‘something extremists who believe the world would do better without the smaller minorities (Saewyc et al., 2006). Israelites were highly discriminated by the Nazis in the era of Hitler; the black Americans have had a long history of discrimination before they were finally accepted. These are only a minor fraction of the numerous discrimination cases that can be exemplified for the benefit of the context. However, the common factor that stands out is their devious behavior to natural norms and lack of conformity. This makes them easy targets for wrong-minded individuals who believe that they are supposed to be the predominant group. In most countries, the LGBT community has been accepted legally. However, facts on the ground indicate that there is a sort of cold war between them and extremist who refuse to accept them regardless of law. This creates a stigmatized community with little to no voice depending on the location. Despite proof of the community having existed in the society for as far back as millennia BC, the human nature seeks to root out any irregularities in the system. These are the deviants and those who seem to

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Research Paper

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners - Research Paper Example Throughout the discussion, I will integrate conceptual frameworks and relevant research to justify the strategies I have chosen. Thematic Unit: Ecosystem The thematic unit is designed to involve multiple subject areas and engage a number of teachers in instruction. Taking the form of an interdisciplinary project, the task is accommodates for different types of learning styles. This approach takes off from the tradition of â€Å"multiple intelligences† introduced by Howard Gardner. For every student to succeed, the teacher must provide different window of opportunity acknowledging the fact that different students learn in different ways (Conklin, 2006). The main objective of the unit is to create a model ecosystem which uses different principles in the physical sciences and mathematics. Different subject areas have their own respective objectives and this can be reflected in the activities that I will outline below. Day 1 – Planning. On the first day of the project, the students are divided into different groups, and asked to plan on different dimensions of creating an ecosystem. At the beginning, the class discuss their vision of the ecosystem, and then identify the different groups needed to achieve the vision. Then, they break down into groups based on their interests. They are informed that groupings may change throughout the whole term for them to experience different roles. Groups may include purchasing, â€Å"Flexible grouping is an important strategy for meeting diversity and for developing talent, particularly in elementary schools† (Arrends, 2004, p. 62). This stage also serves as a pre-assessment to identify the intelligences of particular students and the ones that need more support. Days 2-3 – Background Knowledge. On the second day, the teachers take turns in discussing the concepts behind an ecosystem. Students are given different materials including literature and videos to understand the concept behind an ecosystem an d its importance. The last day highlights the threats that ecosystems globally are faced with. During the discussion, students are invited to share the conditions in their respective communities. â€Å"The heart of working with cultural diversity is the teacher’s ability to connect the world his or her students and their cultures to the world of the school and the classroom† (Arrends, 2004, p. 71, emphasis on original). One of the major activities in these two days is for students to debate on an issue: â€Å"Can man create ecosystems or do ecosystems create men? For each stand, what are the implications of diminishing ecosystems?† On day 2, the students are given the half of the day to do research in the library or online to prepare for the debate on the following day. These two days involve teachers in Science, Math, English, Literature and Social Studies. A combination of cooperative learning, individual study and differentiated instructions are given. Ruther ford (2010) reiterates the utility of these tools to facilitate scaffolding. Days 3-4 – Project Making. Throughout the week, the students have been involved in both knowledge and practical skills. They have participated in planning and gathering the necessary materials and knowledge to create the project that is expected of them. Teachers have been continuously intervening and drawing on the students’ competencies. At these final stages, it is important that all students gain a sense of

Discuss the extent to which authors are successful in representing the Essay

Discuss the extent to which authors are successful in representing the child's point of view in scenes about education in 20th century literature - Essay Example Her depiction of the education system is reflective of this simplistic and disconnected with reality. Roald Dahl’s depiction is similar, his reflection helps us also identify a need for escapism and appreciation of the absurd. Phil Grange, Sue Townsend and J.D Salinger all are very realistic in their depictions of the educational systems of the time which reflects the trouble that adolescents face dealing with the social realities around them. Harry Potter deals with a world of fantasy embedded in a boarding-school life. This depiction of school life is reminiscent of books like ‘Tom Brown’s school days’. Jill Murphy’s series is along the same line but less intense and targeted towards a younger audience. Each author uses his skill to depict the educational systems as children see them and each is a fusion of the author’s own style and experience and the broader social realities in which they were writing. This paper reviews children’s literature in the 20th century by focusing on specific pieces of writing, with special references to their depiction of the educational system. It will first review the relevant piece of literature and then discuss the social and historical context in which it was written. Although the paper describes the depictions of the educational system that the works cover it also studies the broader context in which these systems exist and also the elements in the work and the authors style which influence the way the educational system is depicted. Amongst the tools used the paper looks at the narrative styles used and the depiction of adults in the work to get insight into the impact that the social and historical elements have on children’s lives. The key focus of this paper is to explain that the depiction of childhood in children’s literature is influenced by the social and historical

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Research Paper

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners - Research Paper Example Throughout the discussion, I will integrate conceptual frameworks and relevant research to justify the strategies I have chosen. Thematic Unit: Ecosystem The thematic unit is designed to involve multiple subject areas and engage a number of teachers in instruction. Taking the form of an interdisciplinary project, the task is accommodates for different types of learning styles. This approach takes off from the tradition of â€Å"multiple intelligences† introduced by Howard Gardner. For every student to succeed, the teacher must provide different window of opportunity acknowledging the fact that different students learn in different ways (Conklin, 2006). The main objective of the unit is to create a model ecosystem which uses different principles in the physical sciences and mathematics. Different subject areas have their own respective objectives and this can be reflected in the activities that I will outline below. Day 1 – Planning. On the first day of the project, the students are divided into different groups, and asked to plan on different dimensions of creating an ecosystem. At the beginning, the class discuss their vision of the ecosystem, and then identify the different groups needed to achieve the vision. Then, they break down into groups based on their interests. They are informed that groupings may change throughout the whole term for them to experience different roles. Groups may include purchasing, â€Å"Flexible grouping is an important strategy for meeting diversity and for developing talent, particularly in elementary schools† (Arrends, 2004, p. 62). This stage also serves as a pre-assessment to identify the intelligences of particular students and the ones that need more support. Days 2-3 – Background Knowledge. On the second day, the teachers take turns in discussing the concepts behind an ecosystem. Students are given different materials including literature and videos to understand the concept behind an ecosystem an d its importance. The last day highlights the threats that ecosystems globally are faced with. During the discussion, students are invited to share the conditions in their respective communities. â€Å"The heart of working with cultural diversity is the teacher’s ability to connect the world his or her students and their cultures to the world of the school and the classroom† (Arrends, 2004, p. 71, emphasis on original). One of the major activities in these two days is for students to debate on an issue: â€Å"Can man create ecosystems or do ecosystems create men? For each stand, what are the implications of diminishing ecosystems?† On day 2, the students are given the half of the day to do research in the library or online to prepare for the debate on the following day. These two days involve teachers in Science, Math, English, Literature and Social Studies. A combination of cooperative learning, individual study and differentiated instructions are given. Ruther ford (2010) reiterates the utility of these tools to facilitate scaffolding. Days 3-4 – Project Making. Throughout the week, the students have been involved in both knowledge and practical skills. They have participated in planning and gathering the necessary materials and knowledge to create the project that is expected of them. Teachers have been continuously intervening and drawing on the students’ competencies. At these final stages, it is important that all students gain a sense of

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Essay

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management, the only course of its kind in the world. Th - Essay Example The main purpose of this paper is to write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management. The event shall take place on London Metropolitan University premises in June 2006. The underlying assumption is that there will be launch of the programme in June 2006, and the main goal of promotion marketing plan is to make positive public opinion and awareness towards Programme launch by this date. The London Metropolitan University needs to implement an integrated marketing plan to achieve a level of 100% enrolment at the Course during its first year, in order to do this it need to strategically categorise the potential students into various segmented areas. Consideration also needs to be given to the large number of students who have not decided on whether they want to join the Course. The plan advises what methods need to be used along will how they need to be implemented to obtain the overall objectives of the plan. The theoretical part or this paper will analyse the plan written in terms of academic marketing theory. Following are the key terms and concepts explained; they could be found over marketing plan in order of appearance. The main distinction of this marketing plan is in its core objective – promotion and marketing of new Master’s programme. Since it is not a tangible product or service, some characteristic points will be considered further. Context Analysis determines the overall strategic direction, it must be a â€Å"comprehensive and through analysis of the background situation†1, therefore consideration must be given to the market, customer, company (internal) and general environment (external) contexts. 2 These are specific ‘goals’ that need to be achieved during the timescale of the overall plan. It is important that these ‘goals’ are clearly understood and accepted by everybody involved. All of these

Sustainable agriculture Essay Example for Free

Sustainable agriculture Essay Are Organic Foods All They Are Hyped Up To Be: An Overview Of The Organic Food Industry Today, with cancer and obesity cases increasing quickly, people are turning their attention to the foods they are consuming. Such diets as the vegan, vegetarian, lacto-vegetarian, paleo, raw, and locavore are becoming more and more popular. The one thing these diets all have in common is the belief that organic foods are better than conventional foods. Similar to conventional foods, organic foods contain chemicals and toxic bacteria, emit more greenhouse gases, and are not sustainable. The chemicals in organic foods cause harm to people and the environment. Furthermore, organic foods travel long distances, producing larger amounts of greenhouse gases and changing the nutritional content of the food. Organic foods also use more land and produces less food. Though there is much hype about eating organic produce, consumers may want to weigh out their options. Most people believe organic foods are better for you and the environment because they do not use chemicals. For instance, The USDA website states that organic foods are foods that are produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients; bioengineering; sewage sludge; or ionizing radiation (USDA). The truth is organic foods claim to be chemical-free except the organic pesticides they are allowed to use are so dangerous they have been â€Å"grandfathered† with current regulations and are not required to undergo strict modern safety tests. For example, organic farmers are allowed to use copper to treat fungal diseases on their farmland crops. Copper is not biodegradable and stays in the soil forever and is toxic in excessive amounts to the human body (Johnston). Another example is in India, who is a large manufacturer and exporter of organic foods to the United States. It has recently been estimated that 75% of India’s surface water is contaminated by human and agricultural wastes (Michael). Organic foods can be just as harmful to humans and our environment. There is also debate whether ingesting harmful chemicals, which are sprayed during conventional farming methods in order to kill other living organisms, are toxic to the human body. Because organic foods do not use fungicides and such, they are also frequently contaminated with bacteria and naturally occurring toxins that are harmful for human digestion (Miller). Studies have been performed to test the harmful effects to humans from organic chemicals. A recent study released by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of 110 people and 358 matched controls showed two organic pesticides commonly used today, rotenone and paraquat, are linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease in humans. Use of either of these pesticides makes people 2. 5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease. Rotenone prevents the mitochondria from making necessary energy within cells. Similarly, paraquat produces excessive harmful oxygen by-products that are harmful to cellular structures (NIH). Furthermore, A 2007 Study of Use of Products and Exposure-Related Behavior (SUPERB) surveyed 364 children between ages two and five in order to compare toxin consumption and cancer risk factors. Research found all children examined had excessive amounts of arsenic, dieldrin, DDE and dioxins, all known to cause cancer. In addition, over 95% of preschool children had unacceptable amounts of acrylamide; a cooking byproduct found in potato and tortilla chips, also know to cause cancer (University of California). With so many pesticides and toxins, organic or not, proving to be harmful to the human race, it is difficult to understand what the best options are. Research concludes all chemicals, natural or synthetic, are damaging to the human body and the environment. So the question remains, is it better for people to ingest organic and synthetic chemicals or harmful bacteria and toxins? Organic foods travel long distances and may be more damaging to the earth. Rich Pirog, the associate director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, states that food travels 1,500 miles on average from farm to consumer, giving birth to the term â€Å"food miles†(DeWeerdt). Priog’s team concluded that conventional food distribution systems used four to 17 times more fuel and emitted five to 17 times more CO2 than the local and regional systems. However, Priog mentions that food miles are a good measure of how far food has traveled. But they’re not a very good measure of the food’s environmental impact (DeWeerdt). For instance, heated greenhouse tomatoes in Britain use up to 100 times more energy than those produced in fields in Africa (Johnston). Another example is our country’s largest retailer for organic foods, Whole Foods. They actually purchase most of their products from China and only mention it in small fine print on the back of the products. Upon choosing your produce, it is helpful to check the label to identify the food miles accumulated. Media and advertisements lead people to believe organic produce has a greater nutritional value than conventional foods. The USDA website makes no claims that organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced food (USDA/Miller). Likewise, the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency reported that there is no proof organic food is more nutritious than conventionally grown varieties (Taverene). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates the organic food industry. Their standards have recently been scrutinized for allowing minimal amounts of approved chemicals. The EPA suggests the minimal traces of dangerous chemicals found in organic or conventional foods are not harmful to humans. However, studies report children and elderly are at the greatest risk of the damaging effects from chemicals. Charles Benbrook, previously a chief scientist for the Organic Center, states that the best benefits of organic foods are for children, pregnant women, and elderly who all tend to have weakened immune systems. Furthermore, he also reports studies that have followed pesticide levels in pregnant women’s blood and found their children to score four to seven percent lower on IQ tests compared to their classmates (Chang). Organic foods are a wise choice for certain populations. Most people choose organic products believing they are sustainable. Organic farms yield 20-50% less produce compared to conventional farms, making organic farming a less efficient use of land. For example, organic potatoes use less in terms of fertilizer production and/or energy, but require more fossil fuel for plowing. For example, a hectare of conventionally farmed land produces 2. 5 times more potatoes than an organic one. Subsequently, if only organic foods were available, half the current human population would starve to death (Taverene). Orgainc foods tend to cost more than conventional foods. Although organic food yields are less, prices are as much as triple the cost of conventional foods (Taverene). This is due to the greater amounts of labor involved with organic farming procedures. Organic farmers are also held legally responsible for cross-contamination by genetically engineered foods, which in turns raises costs of organic produce. Organic farming uses fewer chemicals, which in turn promotes greater farmland biodiversity. According to the Organic Trade Association, organic fields also require less irrigation, reduce pollutants in ground water and create richer soils that aid plant growth while reducing erosion. Organic methods also minimize pesticides that can end up in your drinking glass. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports various cities in the United States to have unsafe levels of tap water consistently for weeks at a time (DeWeerdt). Some studies show no benefit to people consuming organic foods. Although high doses of pesticide cause cancers and birth defects, there is no evidence proving the miniscule amounts of chemicals found in conventional foods are damaging to human health. Some studies released show cancer occurrences among farmers, who are often exposed to relatively high levels of these chemicals, are no more frequent than in other occupations. Furthermore, during the last fifty years, during a time when synthetic chemicals became the industry standard for food production, the average life expectancy has increased by over seven years (Chang). Organic foods claim to have more nutritional content than conventional foods. However, every fruit and vegetable has differing nutritional composition, which depends on a wide variety of factors including but not limited to growing conditions and season, fertilizer administration, and means of crop protection (i. e. , herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, etc. ) Food products from animal sources also differ in nutritional contents depending on such factors as age, breed and feeding routine of the animal. Furthermore, the nutritional compositions of raw foods increase during processing, transportation, storage, and cooking before consumption (DeWeerdt). Locally grown food decreases the transportation period, resulting in less carbon emissions to the environment and less oxidization to the produce, therefore providing better nutritional content (Chang). Furthermore, organic food usually tastes better, contains no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides, which are known to cause cancer, and are more often locally grown. Furthermore, the USDA describes organic food as, food produced by farmers who promote the use of renewable resources and the conservation of water and soil to improve the quality of the environment for future generations (USDA). Organic foods are not always better than conventional foods. It must be considered the bacteria and toxins remaining on organic produce, the environmental effects and chemical additions in order to make an adequate decision of what type of produce to purchase. After studying the USDA food pyramid logo, it is apparent that the federal government encourages consuming more fruits, vegetables, and grains without any evaluation of the current farming procedures that manufacture these foods. The food pyramid also suggests an apple is an apple and that we should be eating more apples and less processed foods, sugars and fats. (Michael).

Schizotypal Personality Disorder Traits

Schizotypal Personality Disorder Traits To those who find themselves in contact with schizotypal individuals they often range appearing eccentric and aberrant to outright bizarre in their actions. Their behavior is clearly erratic. School and employment histories of these individuals show marked deficits and irregularities. Not only are they frequent dropouts, but they drift from one source of employment to another. If married, they are often separated or divorced. At times, their behavior appears eccentric, that is, they prefer social isolation and may engage in activities that other find curious. In more severe cases, their behavior may seem clearly bizarre. The presence of odd speech patterns is an example. Schizotypal individuals may verbally digress or become metaphorical in their expressions. According to the DSM-III, Often, speech shows marked peculiarities; concepts may be expressed unclearly or oddly or words used deviantly, but never to the point of loosening of associations or incoherence (American Psychiatric Association, 1980, p. 312) Interpersonal Conduct Interpersonally, schizotypals experience a life of isolation, with minimal personal attachment and obligations. As their lives progress it is not uncommon to find these individuals drifting into increasingly superficial and peripheral social and vocational roles. These individuals have virtually no close friends or confidants. They have great difficulty with face-to-face interaction. They commonly experience intense social anxiety at relatively minimal social challenge. For these reasons, we believe the interpersonal conduct of schizotypals may be categorized as ranging from being interpersonal detacted and secretive to inaccessible. Cognitive Style The cognitive style of schizotypal individuals may be ruminative and autistic in less severe variations to blatantly deranged in more severe forms of the disorder. The cognitive slippage and interference that characterize the thought processes of this disorder in its milder forms are simply amplified here. Schizotypals are frequently unable to orient their thoughts logically. They tend to become lost in a plethora of irrelevancies. Their thinking appears scattered and autistic as the disorder manifests itself in its more severe variations. According to the DSM-III, these individuals may report magical thinking (i.e., clairvoyance, telepathy, a sixth sense, or just extreme superstitious behavior). Similarly schizotypals may experience recurrent illusions where they report the presence of a person or force not actually there. Psychotic thought, when it does occur, is transient and not indicative of a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Affective Expression The deficient or disharmonious affect of many of these patients deprives them of the capacity to relate to people, places, or things as anything but flat and lifeless phenomena. Their affective expression ranges from being apathetic to insentient and deadened. On the other hand, some schizotypal individuals seem in a constant state of agitation. Their affective expression ranges from being apprehensive, perhaps even frantic in their affective expression. We will present more on these clinical variations later. Self-Perception Schizotypal individuals often view themselves as forlorn and lacking meaning in life or, in more severe cases, on introspection, they may see themselves as vacant. They may experience recurrent feelings of emptiness or of estrangement. Experiences of depersonalization and dissociation may also be present in these patients. In sum, schizotypals appear virtually self-less as they look inward towards self-appraisal. Primary Defense Mechanism The schizotypal personality disorder is characterized by extreme social and affective isolation as well as autistic and bizarre cognitive functioning. The defense mechanism commonly used by individuals who possess this disorder is undoing. Undoing is a self-purification mechanism in which individuals attempt to repent for some undesirable behavior or evil motive. In effect, undoing represents a form of atonement. In severly pathological forms, undoing may take the form of complex and bizarre rituals, or magical acts. These rituals, such as compulsive hand washing, are designed to cleanse or purify the individual. These compulsions not only cause these individuals discomfort, but they may also consciously recognize them as absurd. Nevertheless, individuals employing such a mechanism appear to have lost the ability to control these acts as well as the ability to see their real meaning. Differential Personality Diagnosis The schizotypal personality disorder is likely to be confused with another severe personality disorder, the borderline disorder. Both the schizotypal and the borderline patterns represent severe personality disorder. Furthermore, according to the present biosocial learning theory, they both emerge when the less severe personality variants decompensate. Yet, there are marked differences in these two disorders. The schizotypal disorder features schizophrenic-like symptoms. These symptoms reflect disturbances in cognitive processes. Thus, the schizotypal is characterized by perceptual pathology as well as social withdrawal and isolation. The most obvious feature of the borderline disorder, on the other hand, is instability of mood. The symptoms of the borderline reflect disturbances in affect rather than cognitive. Finally, the borderline individual is interpersonally dependent, unlike the socially isolated schizotypal. A final note should be made regarding the schizotypal disorder in contrast to the Axiz I schizophrenic disorders. Axis I disorders are characteristically more severe and of relatively shorter duration. The Axis II schizotypal disorder represents the operation of internal, ingrained, and more enduring defects in the patients personality. Although schizophrenic episodes often reflect a psychosocial stressor, the schizotypal disorder represents an underlying and persistent characterological pattern. CLINICAL VARIATIONS The description of the schizotypal personality disorder presented in the previous section portrays the generic aspects of this disorder. It is more common, however, to see the schizotypal pattern manifest itself in one of two major variations. The two major clinical variations of the schizotypal disorder are (1) the schizotypal-schizoid pattern and (2) the schizotypal-avoidant pattern. Schizotypal-Schizoid Variation Schizotypal-schizoid individuals are characteristically drab, sluggish, and inexpressive. They display a marked deficit in their affective expression and appear bland, untroubled, indifferent, and unmotivated by the outside world. Their cognitive processes seem obscure and vague. Such individuals seem unable to experience the subtle emotional aspects of social exchange. Interpersonal communications are often vague and confused. The speech pattern of these individuals tend to be monotonous, listless, or at times, inaudible. Most people consider these individuals as strange, curious, aloof, and lethargic. In effect, they become background people satisfied to live their lives in an isolated, secluded manner. Case 11.1 portrays such an individual. Schizotypal-Avoidant Variation Schizotypal-avoidant individuals are restrained and isolated. Similarly, they are apprehensive, guarded, and interpersonally withdrawing. As a protective device, they seek to eliminate their own desires and feeling for interpersonal affiliation, for they expect only rejection and pain from interacting with others. Thus, apathy, indifference, and impoverished thought, which we saw in the cognitive and affective insensitivity, is presented here as a result of an attempt to dampen an intrinsic oversensitivity. The case of Harold T. is a study of a schizotypal-avoidant individual. SELF-PERPETUATION OF THE SCHIZOTYPAL PERSONALITY DISORDER The prognosis for the schizotypal personality disorder is perhaps the least promising of all the personality disorder discussed in this text. Let us examine why. The self-perpetuating spiral of deterioration that occurs in the schizotypal disorder is fostered by three major factors: (1) social isolation, (2) dependency training, and (3) self-insulation. Social Isolation Individuals who possess the schizotypal disorder are often segregated from social contact. They are kept at home or hospitalized with minimal encouragement to progress on a social basic. Social isolation such as this serves not to perpetuate the difficulties these individuals have with cognitive organization and social skills, but also serves to worsen the status of both. In many instances, the social isolation seems to stimulate a regression on the part of these individuals. They will tend to lose what cognitive and social abilities they may have had before the isolation. Jane W. was clearly capable of returning to society if she had been provided adequate social support. Without such support, the only option was to keep her institutionalized. Dependency Training Often found in conjunction with social isolation is the tendency on the part of those around schizotypal individuals to be overly protective. They will tend to patronize or coddle them. Such overprotection tends to reinforce dependent behavior on the part of the schizotypal. According to Millon (1981), Prolonged guidance and shielding of this kind may lead to a progressive impoverishment of competencies and self-motivation, and result in a total helplessness. Under such ostensibly good regimens, schizotypals will be reinforced to learn dependency and apathy (p. 427). Self-Insulation Finally, not only through mismanagement and neglect will the schizotypal disorder be perpetuated, but also through the tendency of these individuals to insulate themselves from outside stimulation. As we described earlier, to protect themselves from painful humiliation, rejection, or excessive demands, schizotypals have learned to withdraw from reality and disengage themselves from social life. Even though exposed to active social opportunities, most of these individuals will participate only reluctantly. They prefer to keep to themselves-to withdraw. Without active social relationships, these individuals will simply recede further into social isolation, apathy, and dependency. Thus, the disorder is perpetuated. The case of Harold T. demonstrates a condition in which his ability to insulate himself has served as an effective barrier to rehabilitation. His apathy, lack of verbal communication, and habit of drawing strange and religiouslike pictures has effectively insulated him from other and has removed any hope of improvement for almost 10 years. So, in summary, we see that through social isolation, dependency training, and self-insulation, the schizotypal disorder is perpetuated. Although the motives for socially isolating and overprotecting these individuals are usually good, that is, with best interests of the patient in mind, the tactics are actually counterproductive for they deprive the patients of the opportunity to develop social skills while reinforcing dependency. The schizotypals own tendency to insulate himself/herself from social contact serves to exacerbate the disorder even further. Such self-insulation serves to foster and further perpetuate the spiral of cognitive and social deterioration that typifies the schizotypal disorder. Schizotypal Personality Disorder DSM-IV Criteria A pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and accentricities of behavior, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following: Ideas of reference (excluding delusions of reference) Odd beliefs or magical thinking that influences behavior and is inconsistent with subcultural norms (e.g., superstitiousness, belief in clairvoyance, telepathy, or sixth sense; in children and adolescents, bizarre fantasies or preoccupations) Unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions Odd thinking and speech (e.g., vague, circumstantial, metaphorical, overelaborate, or stereotyped) Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation Inappropriate or constricted affect Behavior or appearance that is odd, eccentric, or peculiar Lack of close friends or confidants other than first-degree relatives Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with familiarity and tends to be associated with paranoid fears rather than negative judgments about self Reproduced with permission from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Copyright 1994 American Psychiatric Association. Therapy The schizotypal is perhaps one of the easiest personality disorders to identify but one of the most difficult to treat with psychotherapy. The thought disorder and accompanying paranoid ideation work to distort communication between therapist and client and inhibit the formation of a trusting therapeutic alliance. Moreover, because schizotypals are inherently isolative and nonrelational, the therapist may sometimes be experienced as an intrusive presence. Because the alliance is the very foundation of therapy, medication is often needed before lasting progress can be made, especially with subjects who express the disorder severely. THERAPEUTIC TRAPS The expectations of the therapist and their influence on therapy are particularly important and may require careful monitoring. Most schizotypals initially see the therapist as attacking or humiliating (Benjamin, 1996). As anxiety increases, they may retreat further behind a curtain of disordered communication as a means of shielding themselves and confusing the intruder. Occasional retreats are universal. Therapists who become vexed when greeted with silence and emotional distancing only create an atmosphere that justifies such a reaction. Instead, the need for distance must be respected, without conveying feelings of disapproval or inducing guilt, to which many subjects are especially sensitive. Not pushing too hard or too fast can prevent severe anxiety and paranoid reactions. Extraordinary patience may be required because schizotypals repeatedly misperceive aspects of the therapeutic relationship and then act on these misperceptions. Subjects who believe they have privileged access to information beyond the five senses sometimes apply their extrasensory powers to therapy and the therapist, believing that they can read the therapists mind or arrive at conclusions about what the therapist secretly desires on the basic of tangential or irrelevant cues. Accordingly, communication should be simple, straightforward, shorn of psychological jargon, and require a minimm of inference. Schizotypals find it difficult enough to bring order to their own thoughts, much less penetrate ambiguities and double messages carelessly introduced by others. The concrete is to be preferred over the poetic because the latter is naturally rich in connotations, which play havoc with schizotypal cognition. Special attention to the countertransference is in order, for unconscious feelings emitted by the therapist bring an unknown complexity to communication and are especially likely to be misconstrued by subjects. STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES What can be done in therapy often depends on the extent to which the thought disorder intrinsic to the syndrome can be controlled. Otherwise, every aspect of therapy becomes more complicated. Further, the appropriate goals and strategies for any particular subject depend on whether his or her symptoms most resemble an exaggerated schizoid pattern, an exaggerated avoidant pattern, or a mixture of the two. Strategies and techniques appropriate for the dominant underlying personality disorder can be used to supplement the primary goals of treating the schizotypal pattern (refer to the appropriate chapter). Establishing a more normal pattern of interpersonal relationships is a primary goal of therapy. Social isolation intensifies cognitive deficits and allows social skills to atrophy. Contatc with a therapist can prevent further deterioration. Because patterns of disordered family communication typify the early developmental environment of these subjects, therapy offers the chance for a novel, corrective interpersonal relationship through steady support and euthenticity. Accordingly, as emphasized by Benjamin (1996), the basic skills of humanistic therapy, including accurate empathy, mirroring, and unconditional positive regard, become particularly important. Benjamin states that the therapeutic alliance may represent a chance to experience a nonexploitive protectiveness, one that eventually permits the schizotypal to give up management of the universe by magical means (p. 360). After an alliance has been established, subject can be encouraged to voice distortions of reality as they occur, and these can be discussed in the context of the therapeutic relationship. Benjamin (1996) further stresses that many schizotypals are likely to belive that harm may come to the therapist through their association. As such ideas are voiced, they can be tested realistically and tactfully refuted. In general, interpersonal therapy should enhance subjects sense of self-worth and encourage the realization of positive attributes, an important step in defeating detachment, rebuilding motivation, and providing confidence necessary to take the first steps toward constructive social encounters outside therapy. Because schizotypals have difficulty sorting the relevant and irrelevant in interpersonal relationships, therapists may find that much of their time is spent helping the schizotypal test interpersonal reality and gain perspective on which behaviors might be appropriate in whatever situations are current in the subjects life. Repeated discussions of essentially similar situations may be necessary, as many schizotypals fail to realize that these are but variatio ns on a theme. Basic social skills training are often helpful. Modeling behaviors provides an example that even concrete subjects can imitate. The ability to appraise interpersonal realities appropriately is an important step in decreasing social anxiety and accompanying paranoid symptoms while creating a capacity for appropriate affect and a sense of reward. From a cognitive perspective, psychotherapy must adapt to the schizotypals limited attentional resources and tendency to intrude tangential factors. Because many schizotypals are either overly concrete or overly abstract, learning may be generalized to other settings and situations only with great difficulty. Simplicity and structure help prevent the lessons of therapy from being obscured by the discombobulating effects of thought disorder. Furthermore, cognitive techniques allow the content of thought to be identified and eventually modified. This suggests that the combination of medication and cognitive therapy should be particularly effective. Writing in Beck et al. (1990), Ottaviani indicates that the first step is to identity characteristic automatic thoughts, such as, I am a nonbeing, as well as patterns of emotional reasoning and personalization, reviewed previously. Moreover, she suggests that assumptions underlying social interaction present an especially profitable avenue for change, as schizotypals usually believe that other dislike them. Subjects must be taught to act as naÃÆ'Â ¯ve scientists and test their thoughts against the evidence. Feelings do not make facts; instead, each cognition is a hypothesis and should be disregarded if found inconsistent with the objective evidence. Even bizarre thoughts can be dealt with in this way. The thought, I am leaving my body, for example, can be countered with prepared countercognitions: There I go again. Even though Im thinking this thought, it doesnt mean that its true (p. 141) Because an effective grasp of objective reality is the Catch-22 of the cognitive approach, Ottaviani further suggests that schizotypals also be taught methods for gathering contrary evidence. Subjects can list evidence inconsistent with their predictions, for example. Going beyond content, cognitive style interventions can also be made. Rambling can be countered by requests for summary statements, and global statements can be countered by asking for elaboration. Finally, where subjects are not too paranoid or bizarre, group settings can be used to practice social functioning and provide feedback about distorted cognitions. Because classical psychodynamic therapy is inherently unstructured, its use is probably not advised. As noted by Stone (1985), the purpose of psychodynamic therapy should be to internalize the therapeutic alliance. Because the early home environment of most schizotypals is likely to feature fragmented and chaotic communications, the ego boundaries of the schizotypal subject are only poorly developed. The interpretation of conflict not only disregards their desire for distance but also plays into their fear of engulfment. Accordingly, silence should be accepted as a legitimate part of the personality (Gabbard, 1994). Once this acceptance is felt, the subject may then begin to reveal hidden aspects of the self that can be adaptively integrated. Analytic procedures such as free association, the neutral attitude of the therapist, and the focus on dreams may foster an increase in autistic reveries and social withdrawal. Probably the most useful analytic suggestion comes from Rado (1959), who suggests that identifying and capitalizing on some source of pleasure, however small, is a superordinate therapeutic goal. Motivation develops from the capacity for pleasure, and ultimately, only this can balance the painful emotions, attach the schizotypal to the real world, and prevent the dissolution of the self and cognitive disintegration that results from autistic withdrawal.

where the red fern grows :: essays research papers

In the story, Billy was walking home one day when there was a dog fight in the ally and he went to investigate to see what was going on and there was a bunch of dog’s beating up on one dog so he decided to get involved and break it up. They all scattered away when they saw him coming. The dog that was getting beat up and was lying on the ground and it was hurt. He went to the dog and saw it was a beautiful hound dog. He also noticed that the dog wasn’t hurt that bad, just scared.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Billy was a boy he always wanted a pair of hound dogs. However, as much as he wanted a pair of hounds he did not receive them. Every now and then he would hear the neighboring dogs calling treed to their masters, and their masters whooping back to them to tell the hound that they were on the way. This encouraged Billy to want a hound even more. His dad told him one day that his grandpa wanted to see him soon. Once he got to his grandfather, his grandfather told him that he had seen an ad in the newspaper for some hound dog pups. So he went and got an old tin can and started putting money in it that he made from working in the fields. Over the next year he had saved up enough money to buy his hound dog. He hiked over the mountains to the nearest town post office because that’s where his dogs where going to be until he picked them up. He got to the post office and put them in a potato sack bag and headed for home. His grandpa had given him a coon trap so he could train his dogs. He named his dogs Little Anne and Old Dan. By the time hunting season had come he had his dogs trained and ready to go. The first night they treed their first ringtail coon. He skinned the coon and took it to his grandfather for money. He gave the money to his father. After about a year his dogs had become very good at hunting. The neighboring kids thought that their dogs were the best dogs. He told them that his dogs could catch any coon. So they challenged him thinking that they were going to get five dollars out of him.

Descriptive Language and The Lady of Shallot Essay -- The Lady of Shall

Descriptive Language and The Lady of Shallot In any piece of lyrical poetry, authors must masterfully use the language of the poem to covey the intended meaning. In order to ensure the meaning is not lost, it is imperative that the author incorporates various aspects of the narrative to escalate the poem past its face value. Alfred Tennyson’s poem â€Å"The Lady of Shallot† is no exception to the rule. From lines like â€Å"blue unclouded weather† and â€Å"the gemmy bridle glitter’d free†, one can draw that descriptive language is Tennyson’s tool to revealing the underlying meaning (Griffith 334). In each of the four parts of â€Å"The Lady of Shallot†, Tennyson uses descriptive language to convey his intended meaning to the audience. Tennyson uses Part I to show the setting of the poem, and introduces the Lady of Shallot to the audience. Part I starts off with a description of â€Å"Long fields of barley and†¦rye that clothe the wold (hilly, open country)† (Griffith 332). From this line in the opening stanza, the reader already gets a sense of where the poem takes place, a gently rolling countryside of utmost beauty. In the second stanza, lines like â€Å"Willows whiten, aspens quiver, little breezes dusk and shiver† further our mental picture of the setting (Griffith 332). Later in the stanza, we learn of â€Å"four gray walls, and four gray towers† and that â€Å"the silent isle imbowers the Lady of Shallot† (Griffith 332). Tennyson’s description in the last couple of lines of this stanza introduces the Lady of Shallot and gives a feeling of her isolation (which is quite important toward the poem’s meaning, and will be built on later in the piece). The final stanza in Part I tells how early morning workers â€Å"hear a song that echoes cheerly ... ...tiful and powerful. As soon as the Lady of Shallot decides to leave the tower, she knows her fate. And after she dies, the people of Camelot finally learn of the â€Å"fairy Lady of Shallot† (Griffith 332). Tennyson’s descriptive language in â€Å"The Lady of Shallot† is beautiful, and drastically enhances the meaning of the poem. The description of everything in the outside world is so vivid that it brings the Lady of Shallot to loose everything she has ever known. She is willing to give up her life to experience the brilliant things seen in her mirror†¦even if it is only for a few moments. Without Tennyson’s eloquent descriptiveness, â€Å"The Lady of Shallot† is much more than mere words. Bibliography: Work Cited Griffith, Kelley. â€Å"The Lady of Shallot† Narrative Fiction. Ed. Ted Buchholz. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace College Publishers. 1994. 332-336.

Counter-terrorism

What is counterterrorism? Why is it important to understand the motivations behind terrorism efforts? What kind of general motives might you find among terrorists in this country and abroad? Counter-terrorism is a combination of practices, strategies, techniques and practices that the various governments, police departments and the military service units use to stop terrorism acts with both the response to completed acts and the detection of potential terror acts included in counter-terrorism.The techniques and practices used in counter-terrorism aim at preventing or stopping certain terrorism acts, with the strategies usually offensive in operation. One major reason why the motivations behind terrorism efforts need to be understood is its great role in the development and implementation of effective counter-terrorism strategies. Since counter-terrorism measures depend on the nature of the terrorism act being mitigated, it is vital to identify how and why certain terrorism act is und ertaken in order to also combat it successfully.Understanding the motivation behind terrorism efforts forms the base for the development of an effective countering action where lack of a clear understanding of all the issues surrounding a terror act, makes the possibility of curbing the act properly and effectively almost impossible (Bolz. F et al. 2001). In addition, understanding the motive behind terrorism efforts allows the appropriate government organizations to select amongst the many, an effective action to counter a terrorism act that seems like an isolated event.This kind of understanding promotes good intelligence which forms a very vital component of preparing an effective counter-terrorism strategy. Another reason why identification of terrorist motives is vital is the huge role it plays in hunting down hard-core terrorist. It is through proper knowledge of a terrorist’s motives, that a government can isolate the hard-core terrorists and cut them off from external supplies. This makes it possible for the terrorists to be referred to as criminals, making it easy to hunt terrorists according to the law and with popular support.When a government or an organization plans and implements a counter-terrorism strategy, there is need to understand how terrorism efforts violate the human rights. This in turn enables the governments to develop effective measures that ensure that severe and appropriate actions are taken against the terrorists who are viewed as human rights violators, a situation that may repel others from participating in terrorists’ activities.Counter-terrorism experts are able to eradicate any terrorist organization if they correctly and accurately understand the terrorists’ motives, where one is able to understand the terrorists’ thoughts so that one can anticipate their next move correctly to stop it on time. In the USA and other countries, terrorist’s motives are many and they vary (Crank, J. et al.. 200 5). In the USA, Some of the general motives that might be found in terrorists include, political motives, fighting for the injustice of a given group of people, economic superiority as well as the creation of fear and a sense of insecurity in the American citizens.When they view themselves as the underserved underdogs on a mission, the terrorists use the strategy of using the weak to weaken the strong and to strengthen the weak. Question 2 Is counterterrorism a tactic of warfare or crime-fighting? What role does due process play in either context? What are the implications when terrorists can be characterized as the â€Å"enemy† rather than mere criminals? Counterterrorism can be used as both a warfare tactic or as a crime fighting tactic. However, in the United States counterterrorism is usually used as a crime- fighting tactic.For instance, the computer and the Internet are used to undertake warfare actions through the cyber space. Counter terrorism as a warfare tactic is t hen used and can be used to stop people from using terrorism tactics against a given nation or organization. In such a case, comprehensive tools can be used to deal with possible terrorist incidents and can further be used to repulse attacks that have been directed against a nation. As a crime fighting tactic, counter terrorism is used by the law enforcement authorities to hunt down terrorists who have been labeled as criminals.The authorities normally cut off hard-core terrorists from external sources of supply so as to label terrorists as criminals, and then use the law to easily hunt the terrorists down (Combs. 2005). When terrorists are referred to as â€Å"enemy† instead of â€Å"criminal,† it encourages more terrorist’s attacks or strengthening of terrorist organizations. For example, it leads to the recruitment of more followers in the terrorist organizations because those who are recruited have developed great desire to become fighters against their enem y.The labeling of terrorists as an enemy serves as a motivation for every group to strengthen itself to attack another group they view as â€Å"enemy†. It further encourages terrorism behavior of solidarity, loyalty and self protection even when the group faces difficult times. The members get convinced that they need to protect themselves from a group that views them as an â€Å"enemy’. Finally, referring to terrorists as ‘enemy’ instead of criminals makes it very hard for the concerned organization or government to hunt down the terrorist according to the law.In addition, the organization lacks the popular support to hunt down the terrorists (Crank. J et al.. 2005) because they are seen as just revenging against other people with an unjustified reason. The terrorists cannot be tracked down in pursuit of justice which makes it difficult to use force against hard-core terrorists with the use of brutal force generating more terrorism and terrorists. Questi on 3 How has surveillance changed from the â€Å"traditional† to â€Å"new surveillance†? Are these changes potentially problematic for civil liberties in any way in the United States?Should law enforcement be permitted to use all technological resources available to accomplish its mission including in the fight against terror? Are there limits? Traditionally, counterterrorism strategies and techniques against terror acts were hugely the responsibility of the military force, and the level of surveillance not as intensive as it is in the new strategies of surveillance. The major reason for this is that in the past, terrorism acts were not as many as they are in the modern world.Traditional institutions approved surveillance only when it was seriously necessary to do so, as compared to new surveillance which has been blamed for overstepping the bounders. The ever increasing terrorist attacks against certain states in the world have demanded the development of many and ef fect counter terrorism measures through surveillance, in comparison to the traditional surveillance. In new surveillance, building of the counterterrorism plans has integrated all the segments of the society or government agencies (Mahan, S and Griset, P. 2007).New surveillance has seen the development of counterterrorism strategies that have increased both the standard of the police as well as domestic intelligence. While traditional surveillance involved the interception of communication and tracing of the suspected terrorists, new surveillance has expanded its ways of operation due to the advancement in technology. For instance, new surveillance has managed to expand the range of both the law and the military enforcement operations. The direction of domestic intelligence at specific groups that is based on origin and religion is a feature of the new surveillance.Mass surveillance is also done in new surveillance where an entire population is investigated. In the United States, ch anges in the surveillance have raised concerns based on the civil liberties. One good example is the mass surveillance which involves the surveillance of an entire population, an issue that has been objected since it is considered to defy civil liberty of the citizens (http://www. usatoday. com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa-x. htm). The surveillance defies the citizen’s liberty in that mass surveillance is done whether or not there is the consent of those being surveyed.Furthermore, surveillance is done whether it serves or it does not serve the citizen’s interest. For instance, use of a network of secret police informers is considered a new surveillance abuse. In the United States, the government has been accused of illegally cooperating with the National Security Agency to monitor the US citizens’ phone records. Further allegations that the government has conducted electronic surveillances of domestic phone calls without warrants are an issue that has been sa id to go against the civil liberty.However, the law enforcement organizations should not be fully allowed to use technological resources to fight terror. This is because uncontrolled use consequently may result to severe negative effects. For instance, there have been some instances where technological measures against terror have resulted to the abuse and violation of the human rights. The return and extradition of people within countries and restriction of freedom of citizens are some of the examples that violate human rights during the process of counterterrorism.Invasion of people’s private lives through technology-advanced tools need to be stopped by limiting how far the law enforcement bodies should go to fight terror. Lack of a boundary within which technology can be used poses a great risk, where the authorities may undertake counterterrorism practices while they violate the human rights at the same time. Question 4 What is the FISA court? Explain how it works. What a uthorities can it grant law enforcement? How is it different from traditional courts? What concerns exist about expanding the use of FISA?A FISA court refers to a secret court in the USA that has the responsibility of approving the wiretaps that target the terrorists. It was established and has been working since 1979 to ensure that terrorists and foreign agents are monitored. The FISA court was established under the 1978 US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The court has approved domestic wiretaps and has continued to handle very sensitive domestic wiretaps in the US national security investigations| (media filter. org/CAQ/cqq53. court. html). The FISA court operates through a process that is based on probable cause.An application to a FISA court judge is normally made by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) if it believes that it can show probable cause that the target of the surveillance is either a suspected terrorist or a foreign agent. The application should contain 4 documents; a request for a wiretap, FBI directors’ or executive branch official’s certification that information cannot be acquired through the normal investigative tactics, and an FBI supervisory affidavit with a statement of fact about the target of surveillance.This is then followed by the submission of the documents to the Justice Department for the Justice Department attorneys’ review. The application is then forwarded to the FISA court and presented to a federal judge. There are 10 federal judges in the FISA court who sit on the court on a rotating basis. The FISA court grants authority to the law enforcement authorities based on the probable cause presented to them. It gives warrant to the authorities to conduct surveillance on a suspected target, if enough evidence is provided in the court to justify why a suspect should be surveyed.It receives an application if the FBI director certifies that there is need to obtain information above the normal invest igative tactics. Clear indication of facts about the target of surveillance is also demanded by the FISA court before they give the authority and the judges often demand for more details about the targeted communication to authorize or approve a wiretap. It maintains a high rate of secrecy where a judge can make an ultimate decision to approve a wiretap (FISA orders 1979-2004)The FISA court is different from the traditional court in its secret nature of operation where the court makes approval of the applications in secret. Furthermore, the FISA court is considered to have acquired expanded authority than a traditional court to approve surveillance applications made, after President’s Clinton signing of the Executive Order 12949. Unlike in the traditional courts, the FISA court evidence can be used in criminal trials after the 1995 expansion as compared to the traditional courts where the evidence could only be collected and stockpiled only for intelligence purposes.The FISA court has expanded powers and it has the authority to allow both the electronic and physical searches due to its expanded powers. The expansion of using the FISA court in the USA has raised great concern. One concern of the FISA court expansion is the possibility of government’s extreme intrusion into people’s private lives. Because the court operates secretly, government measures that may intrude into people’ lives unnecessarily may result. Another great concern is the fact that, it promotes surveillance that defies people of their liberty.For instance, the expansion of the FISA court has made it able to give legal authority to approve black-bag operations, that authorize the Department of Justice to conduct both electronic and physical searches without an open court warrant. Furthermore, the subjects are not notified and an inventory of seized items not provided. Sometimes the surveillance allowed by the FISA court is considered to be unconstitutional. The Civ il liberty lawyers in the United States have stated that some searches that have been conducted are unconstitutional.It is a great worry that under the FISA court cover of secrecy, the court is likely to exceed its own broad legal mandate. The expansion of the court has been argued to have been motivated by the governments need to conduct searches they would not have been allowed to undertake under the nation’s national provisions. For instance, the US government may attempt and fail under the traditional constitutional argument to secure a search warrant, but it would go to FISA court and secure approval for a search by converting the case into a national security investigation. Question 5 How has aviation security changed since 9111?What were the provision of the Aviation and Transportation Act? Did this Act change Aviation security in a dramatic way? What role does racial and religious profiling play in securing the aviation industry and its consumers? What role should it play? Before the 9/11 terrorist attack, the aviation security in the USA was the responsibility of the Federal Aviation Administration within the Department of transportation. However after the 9/11 attack there was great urgency in securing the US nation’s entire transportation systems. The federal agencies concerned with transport security were transferred to the Department of Homeland security (www.encyclopedia. com/doc/iG2-34033000149. html). The need to increase aviation security after the 9/11 led to the enactment of the Aviation and Transportation Act on Nov 19, 2001. This saw the creation of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) within the DOT (Department of Transportation). The Act permits the existing authorities to permit the TSA to flexibly manage and deploy the workforce to carry out important security work where the national security is concerned. The act mandates the increase in the number of federal air marshals and has placed the US airport securit y screeners under federal control.All the screeners were required to be US citizens, though the provision was later changed by American Civil Liberties Union. It was the Act’s provision that all the bags in the airports to be first screened and then matched to the passengers. Another provision of the Act was the $1. 5 billion award to the airports and private contractors so that the direct costs of meeting new security requirements were met. Checks for baggage in the airports was made necessary with screening recommended by use of explosive detection machinery or manual methods.The Act allowed the Transportation Secretary to authorize airports to use all the necessary equipment for the chemical and biological weapons detection. The Act did change the aviation security dramatically. For instance, before the 9/11 attack, the civil aviation security was handled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After the creation of the Act, the civil aviation security was put under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). There were also changes in the federal statutes that covered aviation security (contained in title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations Chapter XII).The provisions that were made by the Act changed security practices in the airports with the airports implementing changes in the checking and screening procedures, where tight security procedures were and are still being developed. The placement of the airport security screeners under federal control made changes when all screeners were required to be US citizens and the matching of bags to passengers was made necessary with new security requirements adopted in airports. Racial and religious profiling in the US Aviation Security practices has been seen by some as illegal and inconsistent with American values (travelsecurity.blogspot. com/2007/09lantos-warns-tsa-against-religious. html). Furthermore, this profiling is detrimental to the national security. Civil liberties of some religio us groups have claimed that TSA employees conduct secondary screening for passengers wearing ‘religious’ clothing. For instance, TSA employees have discriminated the Sikh by ordering Sikh Americans to remove their turbans, which defies their faith. There have been an estimated 50 incidents of religious discrimination since the institution of the new policy. Racial and religious profiling has led to discrimination and humiliation of people including the ordinary Americans.The practice leads to stereotyping of some citizens as terrorists and provokes a sense of fear against innocent citizens. The racial and religious profiling should instead promote changes that will prevent discrimination and humiliation of travelers. The profiling should not be used as a means of abuse but instead should be used with respect for the civilians. Exposing people to extra screening procedures simply because they belong to a certain race or religion should be done away with, but instead ever yone subjected to the procedures to promote equality. References Bolz, F. , Dudonis, K. and Schulz, D.(2001). The Counterterrorism Handbook: Tactics, Procedures and Techniques. Second Edition. CRC Publishers Crank, J. P. , & Gregor, P. E. 2005. Counter-Terrorism After 9/11: Justice, Security and Ethics Reconsidered. Cincinatti: Anderson Publishing Colangelo, P. The secret FISA court: Rubber Stamping on Rights. Covert Action Quarterly. Online at: media filter. org/CAQ/cqq53. court. html. Retrieved on June 26, 2008 Combs, (2005). Terrorism in the 21st Century, 4th Edition. Prentice Hall. FISA orders 1979-2004 Judson, K. Civil Aviation Security United States. Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence andSecurity. 2004. Available at: www. encyclopedia. com/doc/iG2-34033000149. html. Retrieved on June 26, 2008 Lantos, T. US representative from California. Lantons Warns TSA Against Religious Profiling Insensitivity Sept 7, 2007. Online at: travelsecurity. blogspot. com/2007/09lantos-warns-t sa-against-religious. html. Retrieved on June 26, 2008 Mahan, S and Griset, P. 2007. Terrorism in Perspective. Sage Publications, Inc USA TODAY Com – NSA has Massive database of American’s phone calls http://www. usatoday. com/news/washington/2006-05-10-nsa-x. htm. Retrieved on June 26, 2008