A Comparison of Conflict and Labeling Theory in the...

Many have attempted to explain gang involvement in todays society. However, there is an underlying activity of youth joining gangs that does not seem to have enough media coverage or thorough explanations. As the name suggests, youth gang membership is about the juvenile population creating and joining gangs. Research indicates that youth gang membership exists in contemporary north America (Bernburg et al. 2006; aLilly et al. 2011; Maclure and Sotelo 2004; Sims 1997; Wiley et al. 2013; Yoder et al. 2003). This paper will examine the factors associated with youth gang membership using Karl Marxs conflict theory and labeling theory in comparison. Although conflict theory helps explain why a troublesome economy and coming from a†¦show more content†¦This includes the practice of stop-and-frisk that is performed by police officers on potential suspects, or anyone for that matter because they can do it unwarranted. Moreover, the result can be innocent youth being interrogated by this means of intervention. Consequently, youth may internalize this label of a potential criminal which raises a key issue of labeling theory that explains future criminality and gang membership. As mentioned in the lecture, labels can be positive that result in a higher self-esteem. In this case, a stop-and-frisk on an innocent youth is a negative label that can not only lower the persons self-esteem, but result in a forced self-realization that they are a deviant. Therefore, government intervention can explain why youth join gangs in the context of labeling theory. Bernburg et al. (2006) implement how labeling theory not only applies to an individual youth; but also to the youths social network. Again, this can be visualized by the scenario of government intervention. Essentially, when government intervention of a juvenile individual creates a negative label, the youths social network is effected and can result in a collective-realization of being a deviant. Ultimately, this has a strong impact on how youth see themselves which triggers the self-fulfilling prophecy (aLilly et al. 2011). This means that the label, regardless of its validity, is internalized and acted upon. Thus in this context, the youth and the members of theirShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Social Influences On Development2076 Words   |  9 PagesBaltes, in his typology of social influences, discusses the idea that people develop within a particular context or setting. Development can occur in the context of family, school, friends, neighborhoods and so forth. Such settings can be influenced by social, economic, political, historical, and cultural factors. Individuals, therefore, are developing and changing, as the world is evolving. Baltes explains three different influences that have an impact on development. The first includes the history-gradedRead MoreWhat Are the Major Issues That Cause Inner City Youth to Join Gangs and Become Delinquent? Discuss Whether the New Labour Governmen t’s Policies Have Been Effective in Solving These Issues?8138 Words   |  33 Pagesmajor issues that cause inner city youth to join gangs and become delinquent? Discuss whether the New Labour Government’s policies have been effective in solving these issues? 2010 Project by: Alice Mutumba Student No: 05038460 CONTENTS PAGE 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Summary The perception that gang culture in relation to youth crime is growing in the UK is intensified by the media, it is very rare to read a daily paper these days without coming across some mention of gang related crime. In order to understandRead MoreEssay on Criminological Theories13456 Words   |  54 PagesStudent Study Guide for Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers’ Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Applications Fourth Edition Prepared by Eric See Youngstown State University Roxbury Publishing Company Los Angeles, California 1 Student Study Guide by Eric See for Criminological Theories: Introduction, Evaluation, and Application , 4th Edition by Ronald L. Akers and Christine S. Sellers Copyright  © 2004 Roxbury Publishing Company, Los Angeles, CaliforniaRead MoreEssay about Gang Injunctions10585 Words   |  43 PagesEffectiveness and Constitutionality of Gang Injunctions Ryan Jacobsen* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1 GENERAL STANDARD FOR ISSUING AN INJUNCTION .................................... 3 WHAT IS A CIVIL GANG INJUNCTION? ............................................................... 4 HISTORY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF GANG INJUNCTIONS ..................Read MoreIb History Rise of the Single State Parties6245 Words   |  25 Pages-try to put 4 points just in case one of ideas is wrong quote the source or paraphrase the source in answer *make sure answer is focused and succinct *don’t spend too much time on this question 1B = 5 min (2 marks) -identify key figures, symbols, labelings on the cartoon -describe these figures you found and put into the message *don’t spend too much time, focus 2 = 15 min (6 marks) -highlight key ideas -choose to make few notes on scrap paper = similarities and differences -you can have 3 compareRead MoreDeterminants of Violence in the Greek Football League a Case Study of Paok Fc Supporters13608 Words   |  55 Pagesaggression. In this chapter I will analyze theories and theoretical schemes about violent and delinquent behaviour in an attempt to present some theoretical considerations about violence in general and in sports as well. A first distinction as far as violent behaviour is concerned can be made between theories that aim to unveil the causes of violence and those that do not accept or are not interested in them. The theories that seek for the causes of violence can be analyzedRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pagesof society †¢ Charging two young bloggers in 2005 under the Sedition Act †¢ Will not tolerate malicious acts of racial discrimination †¢ Censorship is necessary to introduce some modicum of regulation, in the hope of diverting potential conflicts Govt regulated (social): †¢ Increased accessibility of information: greater exposure of undesirable material (GOOD) †¢ Demerit goods (ECONS) †¦ In a democratic government where vox populi is the instrument which elevates a select group to theRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesManaging Personal Stress 105 Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively 167 PART II 4 5 6 7 INTERPERSONAL SKILLS 232 233 Building Relationships by Communicating Supportively Gaining Power and Influence 279 Motivating Others 323 Managing Conflict 373 PART III GROUP SKILLS 438 8 Empowering and Delegating 439 9 Building Effective Teams and Teamwork 489 10 Leading Positive Change 533 PART IV SPECIFIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS 590 591 Supplement A Making Oral and Written PresentationsRead MoreLogical Reasoning189930 Words   |  760 Pageswith the Appropriate Precision .............................................................. 88 Being Ambiguous................................................................................................................................. 89 Context and Background Knowledge ........................................................................................... 90 Disambiguation by Machine ...................................................................................................Read MoreInternational Management67196 Words   |  269 Pagesglobal balance of economic power. Many emerging markets continued to experience growth during a period in which developed countries saw their economies stagnate or decline. The global political environment remains volatile and uncertain, with ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa and continuing tensions in Iran, North Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan, especially as the U.S. role in these latter two countries evolves. On the economic front, failure to conclude important trade agreements, including

The Republic by Plato Essay - 5378 Words

The Republic by Plato At the beginning of Book I, we are introduced to the narrator, Socrates, and his audience of peers. We are made aware, however, of Socrates special charm and intellectual gifts through the insistence of Polemarchus and the other men for the pleasure of his company. The tone is casual and language and modes of expression rather simple, as is commonly the case in Platos dialogues. However, Platos unaffected style serves at least two purposes. For one it belies the complexity and elevation of the ideas, thus it is in accord with Socrates characteristic irony itself, which draws the quot;foolquot; in by feigned ignorance, only so that the master can show that he does not know what he thinks he knows. And second,†¦show more content†¦Socrates response (another question) clarifies his epistemology: quot;how can anyone answer who knows, and says that he knows, just nothingquot; What Socrates knows is incommunicable other than to say that he knows nothing. His philosophical speculat ions embody a process rather than a philosophy. That is, Socrates method is in accord with the nature of inquiry and of intellectual exploration itself: he is his style. And, acutely aware of this fact, Socrates repels every temptation toward dogma, characterized by Thrasymachus complaints. The second definition of justice, obedience to the interest of the stronger, is Thrasymachus veiled justification for tyranny (might is right), and is foreshadowed in his indecorous demand for payment. He is portrayed in sharp contrast to Socrates, who suggests that the stronger may not always know his own interest; therefore, at times, it is necessary for the weaker to disobey him. Socrates then successfully upsets the definition by demonstrating that, insofar as his role is an art, a ruler acts in the best interest of his subjects, as exemplified by the physician for his patients and the captain for his crew. Still unresolved, the debate moves into a second stage, where tyranny, or perfect injustice, and benevolent rule, or perfect justice, are evaluated against one another. Again, through a series of examples, Socrates prevails--the unjust mans pride and ambition are shown to be weaknesses,Show MoreRelatedThe Republic By Plato1341 Words   |  6 PagesIn book X of The Republic, Plato uses Socrates as his voice to discuss the topic of poetry in his ideal society. While he sees music and gymnastics as vital parts of society, he sees poetry as something that’s not only unnecessary, but also harmful. Glaucon is surprised by this and questions the reasons Socrates has this way of thinking. Socrates states that â€Å"all such poetry is likely to distort the thought of anyone who hears it, unless he has the knowledge of what it is really like†. Here, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato2010 Words   |  9 Pages In The Republic, Plato presents a dialogue of Socrates, in whi ch he seeks to uncover truths about what constitutes a just society, and what kind of men would rule such a society. As such a society would require a sound government, Plato, through Socrates, presents five possible types of governments, which involve varying levels of liberty and justice. Although the arguments demonstrate that aristocracy is the ideal form of government, all forms of government have fatal flaws that lead to continualRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1412 Words   |  6 PagesIn Plato’s book, â€Å"The Republic†, there are many examples of rhetoric. In regards to the controversial topic of women and eugenics in which Plato is almost forced into mentioning because of Adeimantus and Glaucon, he uses various rhetorical statements to portray his view on the matter. His readers believe women should be equal, so Plato attempts to persuade his readers into thinking he believes the same. For example, in the passage on women and family Plato states, â€Å"we s hall assign these to each accordingly;Read MoreThe Republic by Plato1645 Words   |  7 Pages In Plato’s Republic Book 1, Thrasymachus argues that morality is the advantage of the stronger. To support his view, Thrasymachus first claims that the governments, which are the stronger parties, always pass laws based on their own interest, and then argues that subjects must always obey these laws, therefore morality is the advantage of the stronger. Socrates gives two sets of counter arguments. First, by differentiating apparent advantage and actual advantage to the stronger, SocratesRead MoreThe Republic by Plato1202 Words   |  5 Pagesupon, as explained by Socrates in Plato’s Republic. Throughout the eight books of Socratic dialogue the ideal state and ideas of justice are debated, on both individual and state levels. The guidelines for a perfect state and how it will come about are thoroughly described. Socrates covers every aspect of political life and ho w it should work stating that â€Å"until power and philosophy entirely coincide†¦ cities will have no rest form evils† . In Plato’s Republic Socrates emphasizes the superiority of theRead MoreThe Republic by Plato1411 Words   |  6 PagesAfter reading The Republic there are three main points that Plato had touched on. The first of these three points is that Plato is disheartened with democracy. It was due to Socrates’ untimely death during Athens’ democracy that led to his perception of the ideal state as referred to in The Republic. Plato perceived that the material greed was one of the many evils of politics; in Plato’s eyes greed was one of the worst evils of political life. Thus economic power must be separated from politicalRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1250 Words   |  5 Pages In his text, The Republic, Plato leads us through an elaborate thought experiment in which he creates the ideal city. Throughout The Republic Plato construc ts the laws and societal structures of what he deems will lead to a high functioning society. He names this city Kallipolis. A cornerstone of Kallipolis’ structure is Plato’s principle of specialization. The Principle of Specialization argues that each member of society must do the job in which he is best suited. Plato explains â€Å"The result,Read MoreThe Republic, By Plato1500 Words   |  6 PagesThis textual analysis will be based on the book â€Å"The Republic† by Plato, specifically the passage 475d-477a. The purpose of this essay is to analyze and evaluate the main concepts explored in the passage and their relation to the platonic political philosophy presented in â€Å"The Republic†. The essay will provide a summary of the passage, emphasizing the breakthroughs reached in the Socratic dialogue. The main points will then be singled out for a more in-depth review in order to see if the argumentsRead MoreThe Republic By Plato1385 Words   |   6 Pages In Book IV of The Republic, written by Plato, Socrates makes an argument for why an individual should strive to be just, or more importantly, why being just is more profitable than being unjust to the individual. The three parts of an individual: rational, spirited, and appetitive, must all strive to pursue truth in the just individual, but it is possible that this requirement may not be met while still profiting the individual. Through an analogy between justice in the city and justiceRead MoreThe Republic, By Plato1255 Words   |  6 Pageswas just beginning to surface as a notable substance within various societies. Athens, was perhaps, the greatest nesting ground of intellectual thought, and it hosted many great minds, such as Plato. While Plato is famous for many of his works, The Republic is the most read and circulated. In the Republic, Plato lays out two philosophical questions through a character named Socrates. Both questions re-occur as the foundation of dialogue among st other characters, such as Glaucon, Adeimantus, and Polemarchus

Did america do enought to help the jews in the hol Essay Example For Students

Did america do enought to help the jews in the hol Essay ocaustDid the Western World do enough for the Jews in thDescription of this essay : Western Civilization World War II Did the Western World do enough for the Jews in the Holocaust When they came for the gypsies, I did not speak, for I am not a gypsy. When they came for the JewDid the Western World do enough for the Jews in the HolocaustWhen they came for the gypsies, I did not speak, for I am not a gypsy. When they came for the Jews, I did not speak, because I wasn’t a Jew. When they came for the Catholics, I did not speak, for I am not a Catholic. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak.-On the Wall at the Holocaust Museum in WashingtonIt is impossible to learn about the Holocaust and the Second World War without the question of how it possibly could have happened arising, and along with that question comes another. The question of whether or not the Western World did enough to help the Jews in Europe. What was their reaction to the campaign of systematic p ersecution, robbery and murder the Third Reich inflicted upon the Jewish people? During the time leading up to the outbreak of World War II, the Western Press consistently carried numerous reports of the German’s anti-Jewish policies and their purposeful victimization of the Jews living in Nazi Germany as well as the annexed territories. The general public cannot claim that they did not know what was going on, that they were uninformed. Whether or not they chose to believe it however, is a completely different story. The public were indeed outraged in many of the cases but the governments of the major European democracies felt that it was not for them to intervene for they felt that the Jewish problem classified as an internal affair within a sovereign state. The truth behind this is simply that the governments were anxious to establish cordial relations with Germany and didn’t want to cause any hostility. Thus they stood idly by and remained silent as Hitler went from denying the Jews of their civil rights to denying them of their means of earning their daily bread. As much as they wanted to remain neutral, the countries of the Western World were finally forced to take a stand on the issue of emigration of Jews from the Reich who were seeking refuge. The United States maintained strict immigration quotas which severely limited the number of Central and Eastern Europeans admitted to the country each year. Even under such extreme circumstances, the US insisted on adhering to these policies and refused to modify them even slightly. Great Britain proved to be merciless as they blocked entry into Palestine and limited the amount of entry permits. The states that had the ability to absorb the immigrants such as Australia, Canada and most countries of South America, accepted agricultural workers but denied entry to professionals, merchants and skilled artisans. There were actually protests in the US and Britain organized against the admission of immigr ant doctors. The President of the United States initiated the Evian Conference in 1938 in an attempt to find a means that would aid emigrants from Germany and Austria and enable their absorption elsewhere. Thirty-two countries sent delegates with hopes that a solution would be found however, it quickly became clear to all that the even the great powers who had initiated the conference were not willing to take any significant steps towards accepting the refugees. Despite the speeches and the appeals, no one country was willing to commit themselves to practical measures, the smaller countries following the example of the larger ones. An international committee was set up in London for refugee affairs but it lacked funding as well as a place towards where they could direct the refugees. It is evident here that it is not a lack of knowledge that something had to be done, but rather an unwillingness that prevented the Western World from helping the Jews. Words are just that, mere words, unless they are put into action. As a result, the Evian Conference is regarded as a complete failure. Once the war began, the comprehensive information regarding the conditions in Germany that the Western World had at one time been provided with, ceased. Still, news of the Einsatzgruppen ’s activities and the mass killings in the death camps found its way to the west. Up until the middle of the year 1942, the general tendency was to regard the consistent persecution of the Jews as just one part of the complex of oppression in the occupied countries. By the mid-1942 the horribly terrifying rumors about Hitler’s Final Solution as well as the operations and atrocities being conducted were confirmed. Once again the reactions of the United States and Britain, who were the major countries of the anti-Nazi alliance, were of horror and anger. The Jews put forth plans to combat the Nazis persecution of their people such as a demand for the exchange of Germans for Jews or the la unching of retaliation strikes against the Germans until the murders ceased. Not only were these proposals refused simple consideration, but there was not even a willingness to halt the formal procedures governing the transfer of dollars abroad which may have saved the lives of many Jews. All proposals which, if out into action, could have saved thousands of children and other victims, were submitted to administrations that merely contemplated rather than decided and thus, produced no tangible results. As Jews were fighting for their lives in Warsaw Ghetto, a conference of the major allies convened in Bermuda to consider the problem of refugees. As with the Evian Conference, no practical solutions were proposed, The only thing it did accomplish was an attempt at reviving the International Committee for Refugee Affairs, which had no executive powers. Finally, the conclusion of the Allies was that rescue would only be accomplished through a final victory over the Nazis. It was decided that in the meantime, no military action should be taken which was not part of the purely military-strategic plan. This policy was strictly adhered to and therefore no operation for relief or rescue was undertaken, even if such an action did not conflict with military objectives or require the use of military power. He who preserves one life, it as if he has preserved an entire world. The Talmud. Anytime the world stands idly by and remains silent as 6 000 000 worlds are shattered, not only did they fail to come up with a solution, but they became a part of the problem. Hitler attempted to erase an entire race of people, because of him there was a generation lost. My entire grandparents family was murdered and many of their friends still bear the numbers that were etched into their skin. They have endured nightmarish atrocities not fit for the world of the awake. They have been witness to ideas, thoughts and actions one would deny human being’s capability of even imagining. Their eyes have been robbed of their innocence after seeing sights that would cause anyone to shut them in fear and disgust but this was an option they did not have. Now you look into those eyes and you tell them that the Western World did all they could to help the Jews. Chapter XI: Of Prognostification EssayBibliography:

Eminem paper review Essay Example For Students

Eminem paper review Essay In like Eminem says, why all the fuss? featured in The Age journalist Shaun Carney defends Eminem and his lyrics. Carny stresses that Eminem winning the category should not be so controversial when Mathers is clearly depicting a role. His contention through out the article is to convince the reader to refrain from reaching to eminem, as a parody. Carny effectively seeks the neutral role during the story. He leans neither way. Carny signifies specific word choice and language devices to shock his audience and to create an underlying sense of non-prejudice, realistic view on society perhaps to open up the views of a small-minded prejudice race. Carnys headline is very striking it creates tension and almost gives a sense of obligation to the audience to read on. Carneys headline is used as a device to capture the readers immediate attention. This foreshadows the final remark made by Carny, so much for scandal, now leaving the reader with a question , a parallel between start and finish tightly constructing the article. This clever technique leaves the reader open handed and open-minded to think about the actual topic of the article. Though Carnys contention through-out the article is to suggest Eminem is Just Joking, he is not all, scared of presenting Marshall as not so nice explaining him as a 28 year old production of a peripatetic white-trash upbrining. Then contradicting himself saying Mathers all wounded and victimised by his sole-parent upbrining . Is this not a slight use of sarcasm? putting himself in the biased head of an out reaged parent. Carney conveys his opinion in a very structured way. He uses Eminem song ly rics to show that he is a role player and only joking, Im just playin ladies. You know I love you. Carney uses other examples to reassure people say the situations he raps about are just clownin. Although readers may not realise, Carney these more realistic, human-like comments as a source of evidence to back up his contention that eminem are not real, Marshall Mathers is an actor playing a role, ultimately just doing his job. Carneys clever style of writing indicates a strong point of view defending Eminem , but his style of writing has allowed the reader to make their own decision, giving a fair balance between good and bad. Eminem deals in some very sick stuff, no doubt about it, but again goes on to say, Eminem is a skillfull storyteller and role player. He also emphises that Slim Shady aka Eminem and the real person Marshall Mathers are two different people, he is the fictional character Slim Shady. Throughout the article Carney was subjected to use his own unique style of writing and word choice. The stress and harshness of some of his phrases and bitter sarcastic sentences, violent, homophobic, and misogynistic, and, his work is long, aggressive, revenge fantasy, although its not direct repition it sounds somewhat similar sounding. He shocks the audience with You dont want to f____ with shady or he will f____ you. The reader considers the songs thought provoking a decision and taking into consideration the harshness. He doesnt use language devices because its not a funny article. The tone and word choice gives us the impression that it is serious, no jokes here. Perhaps Carney relates to Eminem on a more personal level. There is modern exposure, and wide experience, he is a young writer, he is almost similar to them, he understands Eminem. This story is a collum of opinion not an editorial. Carnys use of irony makes his readers really think about Eminem and his lyrics, ..or another tune, cousin Dupree: about a man propositioning his young cousin, wins the album of the year grammy. Carney informs his audience that Eminems lyrics are not the only ones containing violent actions and language anyway Damn, how much damage can you do with a pen? Carney suggests that Eminem and his critics may be alike, Youll find the rapper, his critics and peers have a lot in common, its just that they despise him because of the way he sings is. Carney highlights that most of the music these days is the same anyway. Bibliography:

How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems Research Paper Example

How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems Paper Overpopulation Problems Others experience problems from technological change or declining neighborhoods, others are affected directly y crime and violence in their own neighborhood, and sometimes definitions of social problems are changed by society because of changes around you. Finally in order to achieve the purpose of this which is to examine and discuss different issues and situations that cause social problems such as poverty. Overpopulation and social problems go hand and hand in todays society and there are many reasons and factors as to why these problems exist. Factors that lead to overpopulation that causes social problems are the increase in the number of single mothers in poor neighborhoods opposed to the decline n birth rates in the more efficient parts of the country, how the death rate is at a steady decline because of medical advances in rich and poor countries, the effects immigrants have on an environment and the population growth that occurs, the influence parents leave on children, and what is being done to help prevent the spread of AIDS because this is a deadly disease which is lowering our population but causing many social problems. Elements of a Social Problem We will write a custom essay sample on How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There are also elements that make up a social problem. One of these elements is that they cause physical or mental damage to individuals or society (Carter Pl 6) which means that sometimes people may permanently suffer before any action is taken to solve the problem because everybody thought it was not that big of a deal until sometimes permanent or short term damage has occurred. Another element is they offend the values or standards of some powerful segment of society (Carter Pl 6) which means no matter what you do someone will always take offense against your actions because everyone has different views and values and what is important to some may not be to others. Another element is that they persist for an extended period of pop) and everyone can picture that being true because as you solve one problem another always arises. The last element of a social problem is generating competing proposed solutions because of varying evaluations from groups in different social positions within a society, which delays reaching consensus on how to attack the problem (Carter P 16). This is caused because there are many different social groups that have different ideas and solutions to the problems we may face. Sociological Perspectives on Social Problems There are also different sociological perspectives on social problems such as he functionalist, conflict, interactions, feminist, and the postmodernist orientations. The functionalist view on social problems focuses on the social structures that hold a society together over time and they also see sociology as the science Of social Order. The second conflict orientation Sees most social problems as arising from disorientation due to group differences. Another view is the interactions orientation, which concentrates on how people perceive and define the events that influence their lives. The feminist orientation gives women a voice in a world that has been dominated by male- oriented perspectives in the past. The last and final one is the postmodernist orientation which, is an emerging and still controversial approach to studying society. Postmodernist insist that the change is so great that a more complex and far less hopeful world has supplanted the modern one we thought we lied in. The Effect Of AIDS and Birth Rates are falling but population is not. Aids is a deadly disease which is hurting a large amount of our population but at the same time it is causing many conflicts and social problems within our society. This disease has made people outcasts in our society because they eave this disease that can kill or make someone ill for a long period of time which will adventurously lead to death. Woodwinds and Delaney (1996) write, It is convenient to characterize a social problem as a conflict of values and duties, a conflict of rights or social condition that leads to or is thought to lead to harmful consequences. Page 10) Staying with the topic that over population and poverty combined causes social problems such as scarce jobs and resources for people but only that overpopulation is responsible for the conditions, which contribute to the overall lowering of the quality of life of unman beings in society. Another problem is AIDS, which is both a population and social problem. People are sometimes not accepted because they have the AIDS virus. This also affects the poor people more than the wealthy because AIDS is more common among poor neighborhoods because they have less money to buy things such as condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS and other diseases. According to the Global AIDS policy Commission about 95 percent were spent in industrialized countries that have less than 25 percent of the worlds population, 18 percent of the people with AIDS and 5 percent of HIVE infections worldwide. (Tarantula and Mann, 1 995 pages 123-124) According these numbers, a very large percent of the money for AIDS prevention and treatment is spent industrialized countries. This is unfair because the industrialized countries are not the ones that should be receiving the majority of the funds to help prevent the spread of this disease and possibly a cure for this disease in the future. Since the third world countries are not receiving enough funds they are unaware of the importance and are unable to spread the message of ways of preventing oneself from getting this eases. As has already been noted, the United States has tended to follow the recent pattern towards falling birth rates that have become characterized by most of the industrialized democracies of the West. Amatol (1995) notes in regard to the trend in the US: In 1975 sixty two percent of all women aged 40-44 had given birth to three or more children over the course of their life- times. In 1988 only thirty-eight percent had done so. The percentage of those giving birth to just one child rose from 9 to 15 percent during the same time period (Pl 7). There could be several reasons why there is an increase f those giving birth to only one child. In older days it was known that women would stay home and raise the children as the men go out and make the money. Now that times have changed, you see a lot more women in the workplace. Women sometimes give birth at a later age because they are so busy with their career. In todays society, people get married at a later age because they have to keep working to obtain income that is needed to help pay for their necessities. A reason why the population is still growing and there is a decrease in birth rates could be the fact that there are more cures or diseases that at one point were either not known or deadly. Overpopulation among the poor All this might give one the impression that overpopulation is not a problem affecting the United States. However, where birth rates have failed to decrease and in some cases have actually increased, has been among the poor, and especially among the inner-city welfare poor (Woodwinds IPPP). Opposite to a widespread misinterpretation, welfare mothers do not tend to have especially large families, most having one or two children with only a small number giving birth to more. However, the number of instances of ingle motherhood has been going up even as childbearing has been declining overall in the US. Single mothers represent the bulk of the adult welfare population; such births can be compared to the condition of the poor in Third World countries. Another problem we are facing is a real population explosion among the poor. A reason sometimes the poor have more children than the young adults with money is because of their financial status. If you have less money you are not going to run out and buy a box of condoms with your last five dollars. You will probably spend it on something that you think s more important, but in reality some people do not realize how big the consequence of having a child is. If you are not able to support a child, not responsible, or mature enough for parenthood it will only hurt the child. The kid will grow up with no guidance and in an environment that is neither healthy nor safe. Young teenage girls have this feeling that the father of the child will be there to love and support both of them. Statistics show that most of them leave the mother to support the child on their own with no financial support whatsoever. Americas inner cities -Vs.- Third World Countries At first, it might appear impossible to compare conditions in Americas inner cities with those that characterize overpopulated countries of the Third World. In both instances such factors as poverty, overcrowding and lack of educational and employment opportunities promote negative social patterns. In both the United States and Third World countries poor young males in particular are frequently forced to choose between a life of crime and competition for low-paying jobs under bad conditions. In the US, such employment in which employers can take advantage of the relatively large LOL of applicants due to the higher birthrate among the poor. In developing countries these conditions are in the process of being manufactured. Aloud (1993) notes for example that workers in poor countries usually with limited educational, skill and training tend to labor in small crowded factories with old, unsafe machinery, dangerous noise levels, and unsound buildings (p. 1 17). In these situations it is hard for anyone to work long hours in an uncomfortable environment for little pay, therefore some choose to find other ways to make money which leads to most likely making money illegally. It hurts our society whether they are distributing drugs to the young children, stealing, or doing other criminal acts. One important distinction between Third World overpopulation and conditions affecting the inner-city poor in the United States comes from the fact that in the Third World population pressures create competition for basic things such as food and land. During (1992) notes that, under circumstances of Third World poverty, dispossessed peasants slash and burn their way into Latin American rain forests and hungry nomads turn their herds out onto fragile African range land, reducing it to desert (p. 10). In the US, in contrast, the inner city poor are under ordinary circumstances not likely to lack such necessities as food and housing because of the welfare system we have. (Such conditions are happening here but the number is so small that it is not reported and exposed like that of the Third World countries. In the inner cities of this country the underprivileged are more likely to be driven into violent competition for scarce social goods such as jobs and access to health care. While welfare will insure the maintenance of mothers and their dependent children on a bare subsistence level and the legal economy will provide a living for a large proportion of young males, employers will still be assured of enough applicants competing for scarce jobs to offer work at minimum wage and without benefits. Fifth inner-city youth population was to decline as a result of family planning among the poor, this source of unskilled labor would dry up and employers would have to offer more to attract a work force. Similarly, in areas such as education and health care, the increased numbers of the poor has led not to empowerment but to its opposite for irregular amounts of public and private money are spent on tenting the educational and health care needs of the more wealthy. The environment effects social problems and its population A possible reason as to why we are facing such a big population growth could be the environment the adult population grew up in or the environment we are growing up in. Thus, even though birth rates among more prosperous American have been dropping steadily, the relatively high fertility rates of poor single mothers have been responsible for the replication of Third World conditions in our inner cities. Bobsled (1991) observes this: The flight of the middle classblack and whitefrom the inner city has left a population that is overwhelmingly black and poor, devoid of healthy businesses, strong schools or other institutions that contributed to stability in the past. The concentration of poverty means that children grow up with little exposure to steadily employed adults making it easy for them to see unemployment as way of life (p. 139). According to this statement, Voyaged believes the environment you grow up in affects your future. I believe this is very true, because for example my parents work very hard for their money by working seven days a week and I am happy for them and believe everything they have they deserve because hey earned it and they treat my brother, sister and myself very well. Besides taking care of us and buying us cars, clothes, food, and shelter, they also take the time to tell us right from wrong and how to deal with things in different situations. Feel that I could tell my parents anything whether good or bad and they might get mad, but they always take the time to talk about it and show me how to deal with the problem. I have a relationship that feel none of my friends have with their parents. Getting back to the point of following your parents as role models, affecting how you turn out, I believe this is very rue. For example, everything my parents have given me I hope to be able to give my children in the future and more if possible. I hope to have a similar relationship with my children and hope my children appreciate it as much as I do. Perhaps equally important, Haven (1995) observes along the same lines, private standards have also changed for the worse. Family values, judgments about individual responsibility, perceptions of appropriate personal behavior and appearance and expectations of the good will of neighbors have all eroded (p. 147). As has already been suggested, some ay find it is difficult to accept the view that social problems such as these are a consequence of overpopulation where the united States is concerned that the fertility rates of Americans has declined to the point where as much as one-third of the relatively modest population increase this country has been experiencing annually is believed to be the result of increase immigration (Amenorrhea, 1994 p. 67). Even though overall population increases in this country have been modest a very large proportion of births happen to a relatively small part of the CSS populationthe inner-city poor. Fertility rates among this population section are approaching Third-World proportions, not because the poor necessarily have large families, although in some instances they do, but the proportion of women electing to have even one or two children is far higher among this group than among the more prosperous. Interview with Social Worker interviewed a social worker that works with foster kids. I chose to interview a social worker because she works with kids who most of the time comes from poverty and broken homes which are two important aspects of life. These kids often get used to the foster parents if they are living with them from hen they are young but if they are put into the home at a later age it is harder to adjust to the new environment. She couldnt tell me as much as wanted to she did answer some questions that interested and helped me. She told me that she makes monthly visits to the foster home and she must also spend time with the children and based upon that she decides whether or not the parents are doing a good job of raising the children and if the children are happy. I asked her how would you compare your childhood to the childhood of a foster child? Her answer was that every child sees a efferent environment and as long as the love is there, there is always a good future ahead and sometimes it is not always the parents blame. I also asked her opinion of the topic of my paper and if she thinks overpopulation is the main reason for social problems. She said that social problems are caused by many factors not just one and from her experience that in inner city areas where the population is higher there seem to be more problems that exist compared to an urban neighborhood where the population is lower. Conclusion In Conclusion social problems will always exist because social problems change as time changes. We often tend to overlook what we call necessities others call luxuries.

OxyContin essays

OxyContin essays OxyContin has recently skyrocketed to being one of the most popular drugs ever. Why is it that this particular drug has sparked so much interest in so many people? What exactly is this substance, OxyContin, and why has it turned into the latest media craze? OxyContin is indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain when a continuous, around-the-clock pain-killer is needed for an extended period of time.1 Oxycodone, the main ingredient in OxyContin is an opioid agonist, which means it targets certain parts of the brain, called opiate receptors, which causes the effects of the drug.1 It is also a Schedule II controlled substance with an abuse potential similar to that of morphine, a similar narcotic painkiller.2 OxyContin tablets are supplied in 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg, and 160mg of time-released Oxycodone.3 Oxycodone is a white, odorless crystalline powder derived from the opium alkaloid, thebaine.1 Oxycodone principal therapeutic action is analgesia, or pain removal.3 Other effects include anxiolysis, or reduction of anxiety, euphoria, or intense happiness, feelings of relaxation, respiratory depression, constipation, miosis, and cough suppression, as well as analgesia.1 The most frequent side-effects of OxyContin include constipation, nausea, somnolence, dizziness, vomiting, pruritus, headache, dry mouth, sweating, and asthenia.1 Drug interactions include enhancement of the action of skeletal muscle relaxants and produce an increased degree of respiratory depression. Oxycodone is metabolized via a specific enzyme in the liver, and other drugs that use this same enzyme interact with Oxycodone. While this enzyme in used by Oxycodone, a variety of drugs such as certain cardiovascular drugs including amiodarone and quinidine as well as polycyclic antidepressants.2 However, OxyContin is not the only drug on the market that contains Oxycodone, so why is it that OxyContin is criticized than any of the others? The ...

My Trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

My Trip - Essay Example When I was 16 years old and in the summer session of (year) I went on a world tour and the regions that I visited includes: Malaysia, Egypt, Thailand and United Arab Emirates. This paper will focus on one best place that I recommend everybody to visit if the visit any of these places in their lives. The best tourist attraction of Malaysia for me was Langkawi, this place happened to amuse me the most in Malaysia because it consisted of lush white beaches along with hills that were covered with jungles and being a 16 year old I loved swimming in these beaches and exploring the hills (TripAdvisor, 2013). The most exciting place for me in Egypt was the Dreamland park of Egypt, the park excited me the most because it was an open air park and it had rides for people of all ages and as a kid who was 16 years old, I was stunned by its bumper boats and rollercoaster which were scary as hell (Dreampark, 2013). If someone really wants to know what living like a lively person is like, then he/she should visit the Bazaar of Chiang Mai located in Thailand (Lonely Planet Travel Guides and Travel Information, 2013). I was a great experience to visit this bazaar as the bazaar had a lot to offer. Huge number of people and goods to purchase is the main reason I recommend a visit to this bazaar. UAE which is well-known for being the heaven of petroleum was one of the most adventurous places to visit. If you want to really experience adventure, then an experience of the desert safari of Dubai is a must.

Leading and managing Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Leading and managing Change - Essay Example Throughout the history, leadership remains an important point for interest for the social scientists, theorists and experts (Boal and Hooijberg, 2000, p515). The leadership theories and philosophies evolved from the beginning of the twentieth century and up to present day the experts have identifies several important characteristics that are supposed to be essential parts of the leaders’ personalities. The organizations usually encounter wide range of changes in their operations either in form of change in working structure or induction of new technology within the business and it is their core responsibility to create readiness for change in the organization (Boeker, 1992, p400). Changes are inevitable for the organizations in today’s rapidly changing and highly competitive business environment. However, only well planned and well manages changes could provide desired benefits to the firms by fostering efficiency, productivity and performance of the organization. In ca se of implementing any type of change the organizations have to encounter resistance from the employees due to the threats they foresee in case of change implementation. Their resistance strongly affect the organizational readiness for change implementation hence the leadership has to strategically work for retaining the employees’ trust and confidence upon the organization so that they can take the change positive and beneficial for them (Singh et al, 1986, p611). The success of change implementation depends upon number of critically important factors. Among these factors the readiness for change in an important one that any organization could not afford to ignore while planning a change. The readiness for change is reflected through the beliefs of the members of the organization, their attitude and intention for making the change successful. The members either respond favourable towards the change by supporting it or they respond elsewise by resisting the change and change effort. In such case, the leadership has to perform key role in changing the members' perceptions so that they can develop favourable response and belief towards the change and could support it rather resisting against the change. The essay discusses the leadership theories in the context of change management and discusses how different leadership attributes and qualities help in managing change and preparing readiness in the organization for change. The essay discusses the importance of organizations’ readiness for change and analyses the role of leadership in creating readiness in the organization for change by all the stakeholders the continuation or positive change in the vision and working patterns of the firms. In this regard, the paper reviews the literature exist around the topic and strives to explore the issue with the help of the reference of the relevant literature. Readiness for Change The management of change management is very crucial and challenging activity a nd important concept within the discipline of management that basically refers to the implementation of change in controlled method using predefined framework. There are certain important principles that are supposed to be followed for successful change management. It is important to get the support from the environment and system to make change successfully implemented in to the organization. The importance of leadership in the context of change management has been recognized and explained by the theorists from time to time and it has been widely accepted

The Balance of Freedom of Expression and Sedition Essay

The Balance of Freedom of Expression and Sedition - Essay Example The paper tells that many people have lived and died expressing what they believed was a truth. Such freedom of expression may have been enjoyed and curtailed over history.   If the truth impinged on sensitive issues such as exposing ugly truths about the government and its actions against its people, then there are ways to curtail it. The First Amendment to the first US Constitution, which was known as the Articles of Confederation, included freedom of expression in the bill of rights. Such freedom has been interpreted in a multitude of ways. Some have used it to their advantage and interpreted it as the right to discuss the government, the right to criticize the government, the right to oppose the government, the right to advocate the change of the government, etc., which puts the government in a bad light and induce fear and doubt in the citizenry. Thus, government efforts to control such acts prompted the creation of more laws to protect its own image and prevent mass hysteria. During the war, the Espionage Act was enacted into law on June 15, 1917. Title I, section 3 limited the freedom of expression during wartime by declaring it unlawful to â€Å"make false statements that interfered with the military; to attempt to cause "insubordination, disloyalty, mutiny, or refusal of duty" in the military; or to obstruct the military recruiting or enlistment services†. Relevant to the press in this act is Title XII which gives permission to the postmaster general to declare unmailable any printed material which is deemed violating the law. One way to curb press freedom was the rule for newspapers and periodicals to appear at regularly stated intervals to qualify for a second-class mailing permit, which is generally cheaper. If the postmaster general withheld just one issue from the mail, a second-class permit could be revoked indefinitely, resulting in the publication to come out irregularly. Revocation of the second-class permit makes it unprofitable to p ublish because the alternatives of first-class and third-class postal rates were much higher.

Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages

Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages This paper examines the perspective of working across boundaries from the lens of Hunan Resource Management. The paper is split into four main parts. The Introduction which provides the background to working across boundaries as it applies in HRM today. A definition section that examines the different aspects of working across boundaries i.e. social, physical, knowledge and mental. Further examination of some theoretical perspectives including the work of Heracleous. The reason that modern organisations need to work across boundaries together with consideration of strategy and leveraging capabilities. A section that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working across boundaries with a focus on the public sector including healthcare organisations and local authorities. The conclusions summarise the key points. DEFINING WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES During the last decade, the concept of working across boundaries has become a popular concept. The basic premise is that individuals and organisation need to traverse boundaries if they are to achieve their goals. Essentially earlier concepts of fixed organisational demarcation lines no longer apply in modern day business concepts. Within the organisational framework the concept of boundaries can become a reasonably complex issue. There still remains an active debate as to whether the definitions of boundaries are realistic, objective or imagined. The concept has become more complex with the use of outsourcing and Public/Private partnerships in terms of lines of demarcation and authority. (Bishop, 2003) The concept of boundaries within organisations takes on different shapes and forms. Much of this has to do with social and knowledge boundaries. The explosion in technological and communication advances has simplified the concept of working across boundaries. Despite the fact that organizations still are challenged to collaborate and share information, nevertheless individuals seem much more liberated in this regard with advancement in social media. Russ Linden is one author who has investigated this, with particular focus on Public sector organisations. (Linden, 2003). The old fashioned concept of organizational design was the creation of silos or departments where functions, roles and responsibilities would be clearly defined within the context of a hierarchical matrix. For example Sales, Finance, Production would each be self-contained units within the organisation and clearly defined lines of demarcation within the business. The Heads of these Departments would be Senior Managers and expected to collaborate with one another but not trespass into the other domains. The holistic business strategy relied upon each unit to fulfil its role within the overall strategic plan. As organisations involved in size and complexity this model posed serious shortcomings and new thought processes were required. This required improved leadership thinking and more collaboration across boundaries. (Stevens, 2006). Working across boundaries remains an important part of Public Sector relationships and impose significant challenges to business operations but they create distinctive value sets and improved goals in the business relationships (Sullivan, 2007) Concepts of working across boundaries In management terms boundaries are often classified as lines of demarcation that often impose constraints. Those items that determine managerial effectiveness. For example: how a business works within the confines of a specific environment; the concept of specific leadership styles and the influence on organizational behaviour. It was Heracleous  [1]  who pointed out in 2004 that both organisations and the environments they function in are inter-related. They create structures and social orders that assist in the definition of the business and its purpose. (Heracleous, 2008) Understanding social boundaries This essentially relates to the relationships that are formed between groups of individuals within an organization. Heracleous maintained that boundaries have remained central to the thinking of social scientists in the establishment of social boundaries between groups and individuals. Particular reference made to that of transactions costs and how modern technology like sophisticated communications and the internet have had a profound impact here. It has directed whether the boundaries have either diminished or enlarged and the effect on production costs has influenced important decisions like that of outsourcing or internalisation of specific tasks. (Heracleous, 2004). Understanding social change can be studied by the adoption of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. There are numerous models that you can adopt to examine the impact of Change to the Organization. One common method approach is that of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. Fig 1 provides an example of the model. Figure Force field Analysis exampleThis enables you to examine both the driving and restraining forces that emerge as a result of the proposed changes. The model is particularly good for identifying forces that are considered to be polarized i.e. a change in one condition creates an equal and opposite effect in the other. The model was designed by Lewin to assist the Process Analyst to guide people through the unfreeze, move and refreeze stages of business process analysis. It is also an excellent means of demonstrating the dynamics that are in play. So by completion of the Force field Model you have acquired the data in order to complete Lewins Three Step Model. In the Unfreeze you examine the status quo and those driving forces for change. You can decrease the resisting forces against change. The move element involves taking actions and moving people. The freeze means make the changes permanent and establish new ways of doing things. Introduce concept of rewards for achieving the d esired outcomes. Understanding knowledge boundaries The sharing of knowledge has both an internal and external boundary. For example in the internal model it is desirous for information to be shared between the Sales and Marketing departments. This empowers both department to do a better job. Externally, there is the sharing and collaboration of knowledge and information between allies. For example a UK based company and its overseas subsidiary. In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. (Bixler, 2002) Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. (Mohammed). If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Knowledge Managers have criticised IT as being lacking in areas like tacit knowledge. Hence there is a need to incorporate items of behavioural consideration and cognitive function. (Bixler, 2002) There is an increasing demand and challenge being placed upon the CIOs of business organizations and as such Managers need to become more vocal about their expectations and use the four pillars as a framework in order to further improve the integration of knowledge in the organization. Understanding physical boundaries The concepts of boundaries are important because it is these that represent challenges which organisations must overcome. Although organisations are essentially construed as open systems and these providing a continued interface with their environment. Many academics still believe that it is management that defines the physical boundaries and how you differentiate between internal and external items. (Schnieder, 1987). In reality it is difficult for management to define these boundaries as organisations have multiple stakeholders; such only by the integration of the combined needs can you truly obtain an understanding of the organisational identity. AS such those members of the organisation are of a precarious nature and there are many different ways in which they may be depicted as being inside or outside of the organisational composition. (Lane, 2000). Understanding Mental boundaries Mental boundaries essentially relate to individual perception of what is considered to be internal or external to the organisation. This being what is considered to be acceptable and that which goes beyond this to the realm of external control. It is this form of cognitive schema that helps individuals to create and understand the different social boundaries within an organisation. These differentiations often create perceptions of attitudes related to us and them and the formation of symbolic boundaries that enable distinctions to be drawn. (Heracleous, 2004). The need to work across boundaries Essentially the need to work across boundaries relates to that of collaboration with other entities in order to help the development and growth of the organisation. This may range from that of strategic business alliances, creation of partnership arrangements, developing business networks and other forms of collaboration and communication in order to benefit the business. Further, the concept of business transformation and organisational change can promote the need to work across boundaries. Hence regardless of the barriers created, being real or imaginary, we are almost compelled to work across them. Advantages and Disadvantages of working across boundaries Advantages of working across boundaries There are numerous advantages to working across boundaries, particularly within the Public Sector environment. Briefly, these may be enumerated as follows: Increase in working collaboration Integration of partnerships with the Private Sector Reduction of costs and process improvements Expanding networks and building knowledge Response to complex public policies Leveraging strategy and operational capabilities Aligning organisations and cultures Improvement of leadership capabilities balancing risk and reward (Blackman, 2010). Increase in working collaboration Historically the concept of collaborative working was rarely recognised as having any strategic importance. Silos were created in both Public and Private sector organisations and many of these departments functioned self-autonomously. In modern day context this has all changed and it is recognised that collaborative working both inter and intra the organization has significant benefits. In particular the organisation is better equipped for: Dealing with business transformation and change Ability to provide better service levels and customer support Optimization of resources and cost reduction strategies Ability to innovate and create by improved knowledge acquisition Easier to transition to new change requirements Increased flexibility and ability to share successes and failures The concept of collaboration is an enabling function that allows you to bring people together with different views and opinions. This concept of diversity enriches the decision making process and improve the dynamics in business working relationships. This has been successfully introduced in the Health Sector in Wales. Here different local authorities were required to formulate med-long term strategic plans. Direct collaboration between the authorities enabled the sharing of knowledge and ideas which facilitated rationalization and a more improved overarching holistic result. (Sullivan, 2007). Another example of collaboration is the ability to bring key stakeholders together in a collaborative environment. This has been effective in both local and central government projects. Bringing the stakeholders together creates greater synergy and improved policy implementation with the organisational setting. Collaboration has extended into areas of joint policy making, as opposed to just sharing information. Geoff Delamare from Surrey County Council states there are some distinct learning points from collaborative working i.e. Creating the level of trust between partners, ensuring transparency in communications and sharing knowledge; admitting mistakes, creating a collaborative environment and not imposing a ruling regime. (McCann, 2012). Integration of partnerships with the private sector Partnership approaches have increased in popularity over the last decade. In the public sector they have obtained wide political support. This has been seen as a means of making process improvements whilst optimizing cost expenditures in order to provide improved value for money. The UK Audit Commission is an example of where they have crossed boundaries to embrace working relationships with counterparts in the European Union (EU). This has been effective in collaboration to help improve inter-governmental policy implementation. (McQuaid, 2000). Reduction of costs and process improvements In these difficult financial times both Central Government public sector bodies and local authorities have been faced with managing tight budgetary programmes and reducing costs. The latter meaning resource and cost optimization in order to show the best returns on investment for monies expended. This has focused attention on streamlining processes in order to create improved efficiencies and eliminate redundancies. In addition, concepts of outsourcing to reduce resource costs and capital expenditure. Local Authorities in the UK have been very active in this area. Barnet Council is implementing an outsourcing plan in order to save  £120m . Others like Cornwall Council have been examining strategic partnerships to outsource both front and back office functions. IT departments remain particularly vulnerable because they are capital intensive and expensive to both operate and maintain. (Terry, 2013). Expanding networks and building knowledge In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Disadvantages of working across boundaries The main disadvantages of working across boundaries are enumerated as follows: Complexity and Commonality People, Culture and Leadership Power and Politics Performance Accountability and Budgets Complexity and commonality The success to working across boundaries is where sufficient empathy exists to recognise shared goals and values in order to predicate a desired outcome. Where there is a lack of sufficient commonality this can be a serious barrier towards attaining a successful outcome. The importance of shared or common goals is therefore of paramount importance in any collaborative venture. Trying to force collaboration in the wrong environmental setting will most likely incur resistance and ultimately force of costs and resource effort providing little return on investment. One particular example in the Public sector relates to the large failure of IT projects that have often lacked sufficient commonality. In 2003 in the UK a poll stated that only one third of all IT projects were successful. Nearly 70% of all projects being severely challenged or failing in their entirety. (Post Report 200, 2003). People culture and leadership The people issue is extremely important when working across boundaries as it requires a structured but flexible work group that are able to collaborate over both hard and soft structure. In the public sector the staff need to develop cross-boundary skills in order to facilitate inter agency co-operation. These however can be highly influenced by both policy and political agenda. It has been argued that within the public sector the influence of Human Resource Management (HRM) groups have created significant barriers to cross-party working relationships. Lack of good leadership skills in the public sector provided the inability for many senior leaders to work across boundaries and manage complex business transformation programmes. This prevented optimum leveraging of resources between different organisations. Good leaders are important enablers as they are important for leveraging resources, motivating people and ensuring that the work gets done. As such poor leadership constitutes a serious barrier in order to enable working across boundaries. This results in what has often been referred to as silo management style, the inability to progress beyond your own defined domain. Power and Politics The concept of working across boundaries may have a serious influence on the reshaping of power and politics within an organisation. This can be particularly potent where an area is perceived to be under threat. In this sense both politics and power are intertwined and political endorsements have the ability to create tremendous barriers. Ministers set the signals for civil servants to work across boundaries but this is often towards the attainment of specific political agendas. These can be very fickle and subject to change, hence the civil service has to be articulate in how this is both managed and interpreted. Performance in accountability and budgets Improved performance targets have been very popular in recent years. This has meant working across boundaries to optimise business processes and resource effort. Failure in the reconfiguration of performance systems can create significant barriers and a great deal of disruption in provision of remedial action. Budget attainment has equally been criticised in terms of holding Managers responsible for achieving budget figures, despite the fact that cross border relationships have provided them with only limited control and influence over the finances. (Parton, 1998). CONCLUSION The concept of working across boundaries is not a new concept but one that has been with us for many decades. Technology has created more enablers in terms of making this more operationally efficient and the ability to share information and knowledge. The reality of globalisation, struggling financial markets, the need for cost cutting and austerity measures have increased the need for more collaborative working. The use of sharing information in a collaborative environment often results in better outcomes and an improved managed risk portfolio. Leadership skills have become of paramount importance and in particular the skills required to motivate and influence others in a collaborative teamwork environment. Local authorities have been particularly successful in working with private sector relationships in order to enhance service provision, increased efficiencies and implementation of cost reduction programmes.

Comparing The Charge of the Light Brigade and Dulce ET Decorum EST Essa

Comparing The Charge of the Light Brigade and Dulce ET Decorum EST  Ã‚  Ã‚   The poems â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade† and â€Å"Dulce ET Decorum EST† are war poems. They reflect on two different but equally harrowing events, however the poets portray these events using their own style and the and result is two entirely different views of war. Alfred Tennyson wrote the â€Å"Charge of the Light Brigade† in 1854 and it is about the battle of Balaclava in the Crimean war. Although this battle had no real influence on the outcome of the war it showed the bravery of six hundred British soldiers who charged into almost certain death. The poem itself is a patriotic ballad keeping up with the tradition of the time. The poem is heroic and romantic. â€Å"Dulce ET Decorum EST† was written by Wilfred Owen. It is based on World War 1 in which   Owen himself fought. He tells of the terror of trench warfare and the frantic activity when a gas shell lands. In some ways the two poems are similar for example both poets are obviously writing about war. They use rhyme to get across their point this also makes the poems easier to remember and say. They also use alliteration in â€Å"The Charge of the light brigade† Tennyson tells Cannon to the right of them. Cannon to the left of them. Cannon in front of them Also in Dulce ET decorum EST Owen uses alliteration â€Å"Knock-knead, coughing like hags† and â€Å"Gas! Gas! Quick boys† The poets each use punctuation to emphasise points they deem to be important. Tennyson varies his use of exclamation marks whereas Owen uses more full stops and commas so that when your reading you have slow down and take in what is being said. For example in â€Å"The Charge of the Light Brigade†Ã‚   â€Å"When can their gl... ...rge, this evidently does not concern him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally Owen juxtaposes the idea of war as devastating and the idea of war as heroic when he says â€Å"My friend, you would not tell with such high zest, to children ardent for some desperate glory,† to illustrate the poems ultimate irony –â€Å"Dulce ET Decorum est pro patria mori.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion I would suggest that although these poems show completely different views we must also remember that they were written in two completely different eras. Tennyson’s view of war was of glory and honour reflecting the views of the population at the time. The great historical tradition of Britain as a military power ruling her empire. Owen writes about World War 1, which was the most devastating war the world had seen at that time, it lasted much longer than any war before it and generally was much more horrific.

Presences of Others Essay

It is shown that people have the tendency to perform better when in a group this is called social facilitation. There have been other studies done contradicting this and with more difficult experiments it actually hurts a person’s performance in a group. As Zajonc stated; a state of arousal is linked to performance without the presence of others. When an individuals is faced with a more difficult task it may lower that persons self esteem and then lead to that person not performing at his or her best. Most people are afraid of being judged and this will affect all of our normal everyday behaviors due to a low self esteem issues. Now with simple tasks a person’s performance can be a positive and a stimulating experience allowing a person to perform better and set higher goals for themselves and have higher self esteem. I am a person who can identify with these, in starting school a few years back I was very intimidated and self conscious about being in a class room with people I did not know. I watched everything I said or did and did not want to even raise my hand because I did not want to be embarrassed if I answered incorrectly or sounded stupid. At first in my class I did not perform very well with the group, but as I got to know everyone my positivity started coming out and I was able to benefit with being in a group and excelled. The article I read in the Journal of Social Psychology was about a widely accepted finding that in social psychology, that the mere presence of others reduces anxiety. Based on Wrightsman’s widely accepted findings, that his study which he originally demonstrated that the reduction of anxiety is less in the presence of others (at least firstborns). Though Epley raised some questions on the methodology of Wrightsman’s study and about the real reason there was an anxiety reduction, Epley stated that it was probably due to the distractions or social comparison and not just the  presence of others. I believe that depending on the situation the group may be in. I also found that also it depends on the situation and task at hand that a group is in and if the conditions are peaceful or hectic. The next article I read stated that the presence and type of situation and the connection between the two with the presence of an audience and how they react to the performance. Partic ipants were performing various tasks both in group settings and alone. In group settings word association was better performed compared to problem solving tasks which were more successful while performed alone. It all depends on the task at hand and in what situation the task is being performed in and under what conditions. Reference Journal of Social Psychology. Aug1978, Vol. 105 Issue 2, p301. 2p.

Understanding the Key Events of World War II

Understanding the Key Events of World War II World War II, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, was a war fought primarily between the Axis Powers (Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and the United States). Although World War II was started by Nazi Germany in their attempt to conquer Europe,it turned into  the largest and the bloodiest war in world history, responsible for the deaths of an estimated 40 to 70 million people, many of whom were civilians. World War II included the attempted genocide of the Jewish people during the Holocaust and the first use of an atomic weapon during a war. Dates: 1939 - 1945 Also Known As: WWII, Second World War Appeasement Following World War I After the devastation and destruction caused by World War I, the world was tired of war and was willing to do almost anything to prevent another from starting. Thus, when Nazi Germany annexed Austria (called the Anschluss) in March 1938, the world did not react. When Nazi leader Adolf Hitler demanded the Sudeten area of Czechoslovakia in September 1938, the world powers handed it to him. Confident that these appeasements had averted a total war from occurring, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stated, I believe it is peace in our time. Hitler, on the other hand, had different plans. Completely disregarding the Versailles Treaty, Hitler was ramping up for war. In preparation for an attack on Poland, Nazi Germany made a deal with the Soviet Union on August 23, 1939, called the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact. In exchange for land, the Soviet Union agreed to not attack Germany. Germany was ready for war. The Start of World War II At 4:45 a.m. on September 1, 1939, Germany attacked Poland. Hitler sent in 1,300 planes of his Luftwaffe (German air force) as well as more than 2,000 tanks and 1.5 million well-trained, ground troops. The Polish military, on the other hand, consisted mostly of foot soldiers with old weapons (even some using lances) and cavalry.   Needless to say, the odds were not in Poland’s favor. Great Britain and France, who had treaties with Poland, both declared war on Germany two days later, on September 3, 1939. However, these countries could not gather troops and equipment fast enough to help save Poland. After Germany had waged a successful attack on Poland from the west, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east on September 17, per the pact they had with Germany. On September 27, 1939, Poland surrendered. For the next six months, there was little actual fighting as the British and French built up their defenses along France’s Maginot Line and the Germans readied themselves for a major invasion. There was so little actual fighting that some journalists termed this â€Å"the Phoney War.† The Nazis Seem Unstoppable On April 9, 1940, the quiet interlude of the war ended as Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. Having met very little resistance, the Germans were soon able to launch Case Yellow (Fall Gelb), an offensive against France and the Low Countries. On May 10, 1940, Nazi Germany invaded Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Germans were heading through Belgium to enter France, bypassing France’s defenses along the Maginot Line. The Allies were completely unprepared to defend France from a northern attack. The French and British armies, along with the rest of Europe, were quickly overpowered by Germany’s new, swift blitzkrieg (â€Å"lightning war†) tactics. Blitzkrieg was a fast, coordinated, highly-mobile attack that combined air power and well-armored ground troops along a narrow front in order to quickly breach an enemy’s line. (This tactic was meant to avoid the stalemate that caused trench warfare in WWI.) The Germans attacked with deadly force and precision, seeming unstoppable. In a bid to escape total slaughter, 338,000 British and other Allied troops were evacuated, starting on May 27, 1940, from the coast of France to Great Britain as part of Operation Dynamo (often called the Miracle of Dunkirk). On June 22, 1940, France officially surrendered. It had taken less than three months for the Germans to conquer Western Europe. With France defeated, Hitler turned his sights to Great Britain, intending to conquer it as well in Operation Sea Lion (Unternehmen Seelowe). Before a ground assault was to begin, Hitler ordered the bombing of Great Britain, beginning the Battle of Britain on July 10, 1940. The British, emboldened by Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s morale-building speeches and aided by radar, successfully countered the German air attacks. Hoping to destroy British morale, Germany began bombing not just military targets but also civilian ones as well, including populated cities. These attacks, which began in August 1940, often occurred at night and were known as â€Å"the Blitz.† The Blitz strengthened the British resolve. By the fall of 1940, Hitler canceled Operation Sea Lion but continued the Blitz well into 1941. The British had stopped the seemingly unstoppable German advance. But, without help, the British could not hold them off for long. Thus, the British asked U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt for help. Although the United States was unwilling to fully enter World War II, Roosevelt agreed to send Great Britain weapons, ammunition, artillery, and other much-needed supplies. The Germans also got help. On September 27, 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, joining these three countries into the Axis Powers. Germany Invades the Soviet Union While the British prepared and waited for an invasion, Germany began to look east. Despite signing the Nazi-Soviet Pact with Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, Hitler had always planned to invade the Soviet Union as part of his plan to gain Lebensraum (â€Å"living room†) for the German people. Hitler’s decision to open a second front in World War II is often considered one of his worst. On June 22, 1941, the German army invaded the Soviet Union, in what was called Case Barbarossa (Fall Barbarossa). The Soviets were taken completely by surprise. The German army’s blitzkrieg tactics worked well in the Soviet Union, allowing the Germans to advance quickly. After his initial shock, Stalin rallied his people and ordered a â€Å"scorched earth† policy in which Soviet citizens burned their fields and killed their livestock as they fled from the invaders. The scorched-earth policy slowed the Germans for it forced them to rely solely on their supply lines. The Germans had underestimated the vastness of the land and the absoluteness of the Soviet winter. Cold and wet, the German soldiers could barely move and their tanks became stuck in mud and snow. The entire invasion stalled. The Holocaust Hitler sent more than just his army into the Soviet Union; he sent mobile killing squads called Einsatzgruppen. These squads were to search out and kill Jews and other â€Å"undesirables† en masse. This killing started out as large groups of Jews being shot and then dumped into pits, such as at Babi Yar. It soon evolved into mobile gas vans. However, these were determined to be too slow at killing, so the Nazis built death camps, created to kill thousands of people a day, such as at Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibor. During World War II, the Nazis created an elaborate, secretive, systematic plan to eradicate Jews from Europe in what is now called the Holocaust. The Nazis also targeted Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah Witnesses, the disabled, and all Slavic peoples for slaughter. By the end of the war, the Nazis had killed 11 million people solely based on Nazi racial policies. The Attack on Pearl Harbor Germany was not the only country looking to expand. Japan, newly industrialized, was poised for conquest, hoping to take over vast areas in Southeast Asia. Worried that the United States might try to stop them, Japan decided to launch a surprise attack against the United States’ Pacific Fleet in the hopes of keeping the U.S. out of war in the Pacific. On December 7, 1941, Japanese airplanes wreaked havoc on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In just two hours, 21 U.S. ships had either been sunk or badly damaged. Shocked and outraged at the unprovoked attack, the United States declared war on Japan the following day. Three days after that, the United States declared war on Germany. The Japanese, aware that the U.S. would probably retaliate for the bombing of Pearl Harbor, preemptively attacked the U.S. naval base in the Philippines on December 8, 1941, destroying many of the U.S. bombers stationed there. Following their air attack with a ground invasion, the battle ended with U.S. surrendering and the deadly Bataan Death March. Without the air strip in the Philippines, the U.S. needed to find a different way to retaliate; they decided upon a bombing raid right into the heart of Japan. On April 18, 1942, 16 B-25 bombers took off from a U.S. aircraft carrier, dropping bombs on Tokyo, Yokohama, and Nagoya. Although the damage inflicted was light, the Doolittle Raid, as it was called, caught the Japanese off guard. However, despite the Doolittle Raid’s limited success, the Japanese were dominating the Pacific War. The Pacific War Just like the Germans seemed impossible to stop in Europe, the Japanese won victory after victory in the early part of the Pacific War, successfully taking the Philippines, Wake Island, Guam, the Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Burma. However, things began to change at the Battle of Coral Sea (May 7-8, 1942), when there was a stalemate. Then there was the Battle of Midway (June 4-7, 1942), a major turning point in the Pacific War. According to Japanese war plans, the Battle of Midway was to be a secret attack on the U.S. air base on Midway, ending in a decisive victory for Japan. What Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto did not know was that the U.S. had successfully broken several Japanese codes, allowing them to decipher secret, coded Japanese messages. Learning ahead of time about the Japanese attack on Midway, the U.S. prepared an ambush. The Japanese lost the battle, losing four of their aircraft carriers and many of their well-trained pilots. No longer did Japan have naval superiority in the Pacific. A number of major battles followed, at Guadalcanal, Saipan, Guam, Leyte Gulf, and then the Philippines. The U.S. won all of these and continued to push the Japanese back to their homeland. Iwo Jima (February 19 to March 26, 1945) was a particularly bloody battle as the Japanese had created underground fortifications that were well camouflaged. The last Japanese-occupied island was Okinawa and Japanese Lieutenant General Mitsuru Ushijima was determined to kill as many Americans as possible before being defeated. The U.S. landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945, but for five days, the Japanese did not attack. Once the U.S. forces spread out across the island, the Japanese attacked from their hidden, underground fortifications in the southern half of Okinawa. The U.S. fleet was also bombarded by over 1,500 kamikaze pilots, who caused major damage as they flew their planes directly into U.S. ships. After three months of bloody fighting, the U.S. captured Okinawa. Okinawa was the last battle of World War II. D-Day and the German Retreat In Eastern Europe, it was the Battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 to February 2, 1943) that changed the tide of war. After the German defeat at Stalingrad, the Germans were on the defensive, being pushed back toward Germany by the Soviet army. With the Germans being pushed back in the east, it was time for the British and U.S. forces to attack from the west. In a plan that took a year to organize, the Allied forces launched a surprise, amphibious landing on the beaches of Normandy in northern France on June 6, 1944. The first day of the battle, known as D-Day, was extremely important. If the Allies could not break through the German defenses on the beaches this first day, the Germans would have time to bring in reinforcements, making the invasion at utter failure.   Despite many things going awry and an especially bloody fight on the beach codenamed Omaha, the Allies did break through that first day. With the beaches secured, the Allies then brought in two Mulberries, artificial harbors, which allowed them to unload both supplies and additional soldiers for a major offensive on Germany from the west. As the Germans were on the retreat, a number of top German officials wanted to kill Hitler and end the war. Ultimately, the July Plot failed when the bomb that exploded on July 20, 1944 only injured Hitler. Those involved in the assassination attempt were rounded up and killed. Although many in Germany were ready to end World War II, Hitler was not ready to admit defeat. In one, last offensive, the Germans tried to break the Allied line. Using blitzkrieg tactics, the Germans pushed through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium on December 16, 1944. The Allied forces were totally taken by surprise and desperately tried to keep the Germans from breaking through. In so doing, the Allied line began to have a bulge in it, hence the name Battle of the Bulge. Despite this being the bloodiest battle ever fought by American troops, the Allies ultimately won. The Allies wanted to end the war as soon as possible and so they strategically bombed any remaining factories or oil depots left within Germany. However, in February 1944, the Allies began a massive and deadly bombing attack on the German city of Dresden, nearly demolishing the once-beautiful city. The civilian casualty rate was extremely high and many have questioned the reasoning for the firebombing since the city was not a strategic target. By the spring of 1945, the Germans had been pushed back into their own borders on both the east and west. The Germans, who had been fighting for six years, were low on fuel, had barely any food left, and were severely low on ammunition. They were also very low on trained soldiers. Those that were left to defend Germany were the young, old, and wounded. On April 25, 1945, the Soviet army had Berlin, Germany’s capital, completely surrounded. Finally realizing that the end was near, Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945. The fighting in Europe officially ended at 11:01 p.m. on May 8, 1945, a day known as V-E Day (Victory in Europe). Ending the War With Japan Despite the victory in Europe, World War II was still not over for the Japanese were still fighting. The death toll in the Pacific was high, especially since Japanese culture forbade surrender. Knowing that the Japanese planned to fight to the death, the United States was extremely concerned about how many U.S. soldiers would die if they invaded Japan. President Harry Truman, who had become president when Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945 (less than a month before the end of WWII in Europe), had a fateful decision to make. Should the U.S. use its new, deadly weapon against Japan in the hopes that it would force Japan to surrender without an actual invasion? Truman decided to try to save U.S. lives. On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima and then three days later, dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The devastation was shocking. Japan surrendered on August 16, 1945, known as V-J Day (Victory over Japan). After the War World War II left the world a different place. It had taken an estimated 40 to 70 million lives and destroyed much of Europe. It brought about the splitting of Germany into East and West and created two major superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union. These two superpowers, who had tenuously worked together to fight back Nazi Germany, became pitted against each other in what became known as the Cold War. Hoping to prevent a total war from ever happening again, representatives from 50 countries met together in San Francisco and founded the United Nations, officially created on October 24, 1945.

100 Fantastic Personal Essay Topics for Winning Essays

100 Fantastic Personal Essay Topics for Winning Essays 100 Great Personal Essay Topics: Write Killer Essays! High school and college students are frequently given personal essays to write. Regardless of whether these essays are for admission purposes or for a specific class, they are usually challenging since they need to be written in both a descriptive and narrative style and in the correct tense. These essays are not just a case of telling a particular story or describing a particular person or event. The writer needs to connect a situation or event to a bigger idea. Below is a list 100 wonderful personal essay topics to get your writing project off to a smooth start. All these topics are interesting and have the potential to create the most captivating essays. Let us get started!The thing that motivates you the most. What animal would you like to be if you had the choice? What you do to relax. A time you had to make a difficult choice and how you did it. How your parents chose your name. The television show you liked most when you were young. The period in history you most like. What cartoon do you most like? How you got through a very difficult period of your life. A very daring thing you did. The karaoke song you like best. What historical figure do you admire most? Describe a stressful event or situation you recently experienced. Explain what money means to you in terms of where you are presently at in your life. Which story from your familys history do you find most interesting? A massive change that happened in yours or your familys life. The most significant conflict that has ever occurred between you and one of your siblings or cousins. The most perilous situation you have ever found yourself in. Describe something of great value you accidently found. The work or item of art you like most. An occasion when an important decision you made turned out to be the wrong one. An item in your classroom you find distracting. The place in the world you find most pleasant and beautiful. Try comparing yourself to a close member of your family i.e. your mother or father. What you do to find inner tranquility. What public personality would you ask to give a talk at your school or college if you had the chance? The time you entered a competition. The thing that annoys you most. An item of technology you could not imagine being without. The home you dream of having. The time you chose to leave your comfort zone. The most recent good cause you supported. The local place you most like to hang out in. An occasion where you did not think before you acted or reacted. Your most interesting adventure ever. Which celebrity would you most like to hold an interview with? The thing you fear most. A time you needed a very big hug. What would be the job of your dreams? The thing you find most irresistible. How you have chosen to decorate your bedroom. A heroic thing you did. Your last social media post. Behavior you find annoying. How the life you now live might be different if you were born a century ago. The poem that stands out most in your memory. The individual who has given you the most help with your school assignments. What you would be most likely to buy if someone gave you a million dollars. The approach you take to writing an essay. A memorable exploration of the outdoors. The place in your home you like best. Your most disappointing school experience ever. The time you told a well-intentioned lie. A band or artist from whom you derive the most inspiration. The last time you did a kind act. Describe how you overcome an almost-impossible obstacle to achieve something you really wanted. A local place you do your best to stay away from. A particular song that evokes happy memories for you. The reactions of your parents when they see your report cards. A special event that served to bring you and your parents closer together. How a teacher or college professor gave you the motivation to do much better. An occasion where you reacted before thinking. A movie or book character that has many of the same characteristics as you. A tradition your family continues to uphold. What celebrity would you like to come to your graduation? An occasion when you felt really good about being alone. A building that you are really impressed by. The proudest moment of your life. The most expensive item you have ever bought. An occasion when a failure taught you a valuable lesson. Do you have a special technique that helps you learn new languages? What mobile application do you use most frequently? A character from a television show you would very much like to form a friendship with. An occasion when you felt betrayed by someone close to you. An item from your childhood that you have always kept. Someone you would like to send a message of thanks to. An occasion when you were extremely angry. If you could have a superpower, what would you choose? The best moment in the history of movies. What would you invent if you had the opportunity? The best trip you ever had from school. The best neighbor you have known. How you contribute to teamwork. Which book has had the most impact on you thus far in your life? An occasion when a friend really helped you. A fake news item you found online. Which item of modern technology most excites you? Someone you cannot envisage your life without. The member of your family who most influences you. The most recent online conversation you deleted. An occasion when you were left disappointed by a friend. A real fun occasion. An event from history you would like to have taken part in or witnessed. An occasion when you felt life running away but did not. The most recent important subject you and a friend discussed. If you could become President for just one day, what is it you would most like to do? The most recent online video you saw. A kid from a previous school or class whom you thought was really cool. What thing or event has made the greatest impression on you today? An occasion when the decision you made turned out to be the wrong one.