The Vicious Cycle of Broken Homes and Unsuccessful Marriages

Children from broken homes become disenchanted with the idea of marriage. When they grow up, they come to distrust its role as a social institution and look at it lightly. According to statistics, a high percentage of people from broken homes end up with unsuccessful marriages (Rossi, 1990, p. 246). Research on broken homes show the overwhelming negative impact of broken homes on the psychological health of children. Studies show, for example, that delinquency is related to broken families.Parental neglect plays a part in the frequency of delinquency among females, particularly when this neglect results from a broken home . Children from broken homes are also more likely to develop attention deficit disorders than children from normal families. They tend to suffer more damaging mental problems that influence them to make incorrect decisions in life (Rossi, 1990, p. 247). These children could sustain these psychological problems in their early adulthood, making them unfit to handle re sponsibilities in a marriage setting (Coleman, 1976, p. 389).Other studies show that children from broken homes are more likely to have sex before the age of 16. It’s been shown that the adolescent mind is not developed enough to make strong life decisions. If children are pushed to marry because of unwanted pregnancies, then the resulting marriage is more in danger of falling apart. As children in broken homes become more and more distrustful of marriage and sustain more psychological trauma, broken marriages unsuccessful marriages form a vicious cycle that leaves everyone a victim. Early intervention is needed to correct children’s view of marriage and themselves.However, this is not easy to do as research also shows that broken homes lead to educational difficulties in children. People from broken families must seek counseling to strengthen their marriages. Education plays a vital role in stopping this vicious cycle, but it must be done early and regularly through t he victims’ lives. References Coleman, J. C. (1976). Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life. New York: Scott, Foresman. Rossi, A. S. (1990). Of human bonding: parent-child relations across the life course. Piscataway: Aldine Transaction.

Should Atheltes Have to Go to College

This topic is widely debated among citizens across the United States. The answer that is commonly regarded as the safe choice is to finish school then go pro. If an athlete were to choose this choice the benefits would clearly outweigh the risks. The big benefits would be that you will have a fall back and you will be able to get a higher pay in the pros. The only risk of waiting is injury in the final extra season played to graduate.Athletes tend to be more prone to injury than a non athletic person. If an athlete were to compete on a professional level were the speed of the action is moving faster than a hurricane, that athlete would almost be guaranteed to suffer some sort of injury. Maybe it’s a simple pulled muscle, that athlete would be able to come back and compete again. Let’s say the athlete was not so lucky and got hit be someone so hard it appeared that he got ran over by a semi truck going 65. The athlete would not be able to return back to his or her sport. Now what will the athlete do to make a steady income? If the athlete finished school he or she will have an occupation they will be able to get right into. If the athlete did not finish college, the athlete would have a hard time finding a job with a steady income, especially in the current economy. Throughout most of a United States citizen’s life they hear the words â€Å"the higher the education, the higher you get paid. † This is true in the world of athletics as well. Before a player gets drafted to a professional sport they must take a mandatory IQ quiz.The quiz results are used by coaches to see what players will be able to remember things such as plays and formations. If an athlete knows his or hers primary position well and are able to know other positions as well, the athletes value increases significantly. A coach would rather have a player who is a little less skilled but can run plays right and have chemistry with team rather than one who is skilled but di srupts the teams flow by messing up a play. The one risk an athlete faces by waiting to finish school before going pro is injury in the last season.I personally know a person that this has happened to. His name is Ian Clark. He was a quarterback for the New Mexico Lobos who got invited to a few NFL combines. He did well enough to enter the draft that year but decided to finish school first. In the very first game of the season he gets a broken shoulder blade and ligament damage in his rotator cuff. This ruined his chances to play professionally. The good thing is that he finished school and is working on an upper-management level of a construction company with a very good income.It’s not playing in The NFL, but he’s living very comfortable right now for just getting out of college. For athletes finishing school is a very important thing to do. Sure being a professional athlete would be an amazing thing to be but if you leave school early to pursue a dream you may not g et paid as well as others and you might end up hurt. As an athlete you are only worth something until a knee blows or something worse occurs. With an education you will never be able to become worthless.Races from when I was getting my braces off. In chapter 12 of the scarlet letter a meteor appears the leaves a trail with the letter A. I feel the letter A is symbolic for acceptance. The A appears as Hester, Pearl and Dimesdale hold hands on the scaffold were Hester has to stand in public. I say this because at this point of the book Dimesdale is going crazy with guilt of his sin of adultery. God shows him here that he accepts his flaws and Hester's too. Acceptance is the new meaning of the letter A.

Analysis Of The Equality Act

Analysis Of The Equality Act Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Analysis Of The Equality Act The introduction to Equality Act 2010 Equality Act 2010 is an act of the Parliament of United Kingdom which taking effect from October 2010 prescribes an equal treatment in access to employment as well as private and public services. The act list a set of protected characteristics which are identified as follow: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. With regards to these characteristics the Act provide a distinct protection per each framing the all provisions with general indications about common characteristics of discrimination. The reason of such fragment and different protection among the protected characteristic is explained on the basis of a pre-existing anti- discrimination law which was subsequently combined by the Equality Act adding further element of protection. In fact, the Act is formed by a number of pieces of other legislation whi ch regulated the discrimination law field. In this way, were legislatively actives the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The act replace also a number of Regulations, in which the one relevant in age discrimination field was the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, which take effect starting from 2006 until the adoption of Equality act. The definition of ‘Discrimination’ differs from statute to statute and it generally consist in treating one person less favourably than another   [ 1 ]   . In this way, the Equality Act provide a guidance which aim to give a general framework of the different discriminatory situations. It distinguish among direct discrimination [Section 13(1)   [ 2 ]   ] and indirect discrimination [Section 19(1)], harassment [Section 26 (1)] and victimisation [Section (27)1]. Following the Act definitions is possible to identify direct discrimination where because of a protecte d characteristics a person is treated less favourably than someone who does not share that characteristic. According with the guidance, Indirect discrimination refer to a policy which applies in the same way for everybody providing as effect particularly disadvantages to people with a protected characteristic. It is important to underline how the Act refer to the possibility of lawful discrimination. The circumstances in which a concrete discrimination is permitted are in occupational requirements (direct discrimination is permitted when particularly characteristics are required for a job), armed forces (for the purposes of combat effectiveness of the armed forces), positive action ( positive action are intended as measures to alleviate disadvantage suffered by people who share one of the protected characteristics). The possibility of lawful discrimination are amplified in age-discrimination, in which is prescribed that an ‘objective justification’(legitimate aim) could be applies to allow indirect discrimination and direct discrimination. With regards to public bodies, a new Equality Duty has come in force on 5 April 2011 underlining the importance of public role in eliminating discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations in the course of developing policies and delivering services. In this way, the aim for public bodies is to consider the needs of all individuals in their day to day work, in developing policy, in delivering services, and in relation to their own employees   [ 3 ]   .

Total quality management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Total quality management - Term Paper Example An article in the New York Times that displays a graph will be critiqued. A top-down flow diagram, cause-and-effect and flowchart will be drawn to explain the processes and problems surrounding purchasing a vehicle. Finally, an example of a poka-yoke will be given. The first dimension of quality that Garvin proposes is performance. The advertisement gives the primary operating characteristics of the services provided. The second dimension is features. The advertisement gives the secondary aspects of performance that supplement the basic functions of the services offered. The third dimension is reliability. The services offered in the advertisement have measured to verify their reliability. This is especially important because the services offered are consumed over a specific duration of time. The fourth dimension is conformance. The testing services offered in the advertisement meet the standards that are set by Prometric. The fifth dimension is serviceability. This dimension does not have relevance to the services offered at Computech Computers Inc and as such, repair and restoring of services does not need to be considered. The seventh dimension of quality is aesthetics. The advertisement makes the services offered to look, feel and sound in teresting to the reader. However, it is not possible to please everybody and individual preference will dictate whether the advertisement had aesthetic value. The eighth and final dimension of quality is perceived quality. The advertisement infers the good quality of the services offered by use of images, assurance that the company is authorized by Prometric and the provision of full time qualified instructors (Garvin, 1988, pp. 113-174). External customers are people or businesses that purchase the services or products offered by a company. External customers are the ordinary customers who purchase the company’s products or services. Internal customers

Capital Punishment in the United Kingdom Research Paper

Capital Punishment in the United Kingdom - Research Paper Example The elimination of the death penalty in all circumstances eventually took place in 1998. Similarly, the 13th Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights in 2004 outlawed the restoration of the death penalty, provided that the United Kingdom continued to be a party to the convention. History of Capital Punishment in the United Kingdom Hanging used to be the chief mode of execution in the United Kingdom since the 5th Century; other practices included drawing, quartering, beheading, burning at the stake, shooting, drowning, and hurling from cliffs. In 1196, the first person was hanged at Tyburn as a punishment for sedition. From 1351, the capital offences that attracted the death penalty included treason, witchcraft, murder, rape, piracy, robbery, arson, embezzlement of master properties, and theft (Davies 2007, p. 107). Efforts directed at the abolition of the death penalty had been ongoing since the late 1700s. In 1770, Sir William Meredith challenged parliament to consider pr oportionate punishments rather than capital punishments. Nevertheless, the proposal failed; however, it opened up the debate. Every year, there were over thousand death sentencing, although only a sizeable number of executions took place (Levinson 2002, p.155). In 1810, Sir Samuel Romilly remarked that United Kingdom had the most offences according to law to be punished by the death penalty. At its height, the criminal law, otherwise labeled as the â€Å"Bloody Code,† had categorized 220 crimes punishable by death. Sir Samuel Romilly attempted to convince parliament to de-capitalize minor offences, especially much of the Act of King William (Block & Hostettler 1997, p.109). Execution for crimes such as murder, robbery, and burglary were frequent; however, capital punishment for minor offenders were mainly not carried out. Nevertheless, in some instances, children could be executed for crimes such as stealing. A death sentence could be commuted on the grounds of benefit of cle rgy, official pardons, or execution of military duty (Stearman 2008, p.47). Statistics indicate that, between 1770 and 1830, close to 35,000 death sentences were handed out, out of which about 7,000 executions happened. At the time, prisons comprised of small, crowded, and badly run institutions, a situation that led to incorporation of punishments like transportation of offenders to distant lands such as America and Australia. During the 1830s, the masses had started to express doubts on the punishments (Block and Hostettler 1997, p. 110). Many more prisons were built while the old ones were extended to avail a fresh mode of punishment. The overriding notion centered on making prisons unpleasant places to stay in order to discourage people from committing crimes. Reform In Europe, reforms on the subject of the death penalty, championed by academics, started around 1750. Year 1808 witnessed abolishment of capital punishment for pickpockets and lesser offenders. This set the onset fo r the reform process perpetuated over the next fifty years. Nevertheless, capital punishment remained operational even though the government occasionally commuted the death penalty. The Judgment of Death Act 1823 awarded power to judges to commute the death penalty excluding cases of treason and murder (Levinson 2002, p.156). The Punishment of Death Act 1

Policy paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Policy - Research Paper Example Both of these policies, working in consort, and in spite of a polarizing political climate, did manage to turn the American economy around. However, it was because of the desperate political climate that the ARRA was made to suffer less than a full effect on the American economy. It could have done much more, but the damaging political climate refused to allow deeper systemic problems to be addressed. Introduction The UN International Labor Organization estimated that the recent global regression resulted in worldwide job losses at 50 million by the end of 2009 (Taylor and Weepapana, 2009). With demand of goods falling worldwide, global economic growth was expected to shrink by 2 percent, effecting emerging economics as far as in Eastern Europe and in mainland China. Taiwan saw its exports fall 42.9 percent. Unemployment in the United Kingdom which was 4.7 in 2000 and grew to 5.0 in 2008, reached 7.9 by December 2010. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics charted unemp loyment rates that varied between 4.1 and 5.0 percent 2000 through November 2005. These rates begin to worsen by September 2008, reaching 6.5 by October 2008 and the highest level of 10.0, 15.4 million people out of work, by November 2009. A total of 750,000 jobs was being lost per month in an economy that was contracting 6 percent annually (CEA). Clearly, economic policy had faltered worldwide and particularly in the United States. By December 2008, the National Bureau of Economic Research had finally declared the U.S. had been in a recession since December 2007. Growth in the fourth quarter of 2008 had shrunk to a negative 6.2%, the lowest since 1982. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Immediately after his election, President Barak Obama led the 111th United States Congress through a series of emergency measures. These measures capitalized to his signing into law, on February 17 2009, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, Pub.L. 111-5), referred to as the Stimulus or the Recovery Act. This $787 billion spending program consisted of $286 billion in tax cuts to stimulate the economy and expenditures for spending on infrastructure, State, revenue sharing, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and business and middle class tax cuts. Specifically the ARRA directed $88 billion for direct purchase of goods; $44 billion for infrastructure transfers to state and local governments; $215 billion for non-infrastructure transfers to state and local governments, accounting for such as public safety and education spending; $100 billion for direction transfers to persons in form of unemployment insurance benefits, and student loans; $18 billion to retirees; and tax cuts totaling $266 billion that covered business tax provisions and such as the first-time homebuyer tax credit (Berger and Gaffney, 2009). The ARRA funded many specific programs that sought to influence change in greenhouse technology, rapid transit, electronic medical health records a mong a large number of broad base initiatives. For education, the ARRA allocated $5 billion to the Department of Education to fund programs under the Race to the Top program that closed the achievement gap and improved student achievement. The DoE allowed successful programs to compete for grants from a $650 million fund that would enable them to

A Brief for a financial case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Brief for a financial case - Essay Example However, in the past few months, the market share of Teletech Corporation failed to maintain pace with general stock market and with the telecommunication business index. Security forecasters had commented on the company’s uninspiring rates of return, particularly in comparison with the strong competition in telecommunication industry as well as unsatisfactory financial performance in the product and system division (Bruner, R. F., â€Å"Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation†). The product and system division was recognized as industrial leader in the telecommunication business and maintenance of this leadership status necessitates substantial outlay in research and development. As the entry of numerous companies in the telecommunication sector improved, the technological transformation and competition had also raised considerably. Converting the mission statement of Teletech Corporation into real world performance had become a difficult task for Margaret Wetson, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Teletech Corporation in order to maintain its position in the market. Therefore, first significant requirement was to create a value of the company. In order to create value, Teletech had implemented economic profit as a measure of developing strategic decision regarding capital distribution, promotion, and incentive recompense (Bruner, R. F., â€Å"Case Studies in Finance: Managing for Corporate Value Creation†). The other method for value creation was evaluation of capital investment offers by using the hurdle rate. Hurdle rate is helpful for providing an amount of net present value (NPV) of each offer. The implementation of hurdle rate has become an issue of conflict within the senior managers of Teletech Corporation. The Vice President of telecommunication service division, Rick Phillips had depicted that without hurdle rate the threat of investment cannot be managed and telecommunication service segment will face lack of capital. He

Music informatics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music informatics - Essay Example Some of the most notable examples of music informatics include iPods, digital audio editors, music information retrieval systems, online music search engines and improvisation of musical performances among others. The essence of music informatics is not only to enable better production and consumption of music, but also to promote crucial comprehension of the nature of music, as well as its related behaviors (Miranda 45). Study of music informatics provides in-depth knowledge of current trends with regard to music. These trends include both the latest software and hardware music technologies. This essay will review two crucial music informatics, namely, mp3 and SoundHound’s Sound2Sound, addressing fundamental aspects of the informatics technologies applied. These aspects include the use of computer science in both technologies, as well as giving a concise background of both music informatics. Music informatics has become a significant area in production and consumption of musi c. Firstly, the mp3 technology, otherwise referred to as MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, is the music informatics technology that entails using digital technology to encode music files in audio format. Mp3 is a patent registered under a team of five engineers who discovered the technology. These engineers, namely, Bernhard Grill, Karl-Heinz Brandenburg, Thomas Sporer, Bernd Kurten and Ernst Eberlein initially designed the MPEG-1 standard before extending it to the MPEG-2 standard. MPEG-1 audio layers I, II and III, which made up the MPEG-1 standard, were accepted as drafts by the ISO/IEC in 1991 and concluded in 1992. Publishing of the final draft took place in 1993, thereby earning the aforementioned engineers full patent rights under ISO/IEC 11172-3:1993[5]. Later in 1995, the engineers created and received patent ISO/IEC 13818-3:1995 for backwards compatible MPEG-2, part 3, which incorporated more bit rates than the earlier certified MPEG-1. The mp3 uses a lossy compression alg orithm, which lowers the quantity of data needed to represent an audio recording, but still sounds like the actual duplication of the original uncompressed audio file (Brandenburg and Bosi 15). Most listeners are unable to pinpoint any difference between the original audio music file and the reproduced mp3 file. The technology employed in creating mp3 uses computer science to compress audio files within a CD. For instance, in a scenario where knowledge of music informatics creates an mp3 file using 128kbit/s the resulting mp3 would only be the size of one eleventh of the original CD source. In addition, computer science or music informatics can be used to reproduce audio files into digital files of either a higher or lower quality. This is typically done by constructing the mp3 file at either higher or lower bit rates respectively. The compression technology applied in the creation of mp3 files reduces the accuracy of particular parts of sound, which is beyond most people’s a uditory resolution capacity. This system of removing rather unimportant parts of a music file is called perceptual coding. The music informatics technology employed in perceptual coding entails the use of psychoacoustic methods to reduce the accuracy of music components that have lower audibility in human beings. The same models can be used to get rid of music components entirely. Once a reduction of components is done or components discarded, a recording of the remaining information is done in an efficient manner that uses the least amount of space (Miranda 87). When conduction lossy audio encoding is used to create an mp3 file, a trade-off often emerges with regard to the space used and sound quality of the reproduced music file. The music

Administration of Oxygen Therapy Research Paper

Administration of Oxygen Therapy - Research Paper Example Apparently, the said personnel have satisfied the required experience needed in the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy. The result of the administration has also been in the limelight. Nathaniel’s (2007) literature provides positive outcomes that come about with the administration of oxygen therapy. The therapeutical infusion of oxygen has provided energy, inner peace, and optimism in reviving the patients’ health. According to Velio’s literature, questionable risks have arisen from the therapy. It appraises various risks and side effects brought about to the patient requiring the emergency administration of oxygen. A final consideration is that the awful side effects of direct gas injection are not due to ozone but rather to oxygen embolization. (Velio, 2002, pg. 175) The administration of the therapy to patients with AIDS-related maladies and the like has also been addressed. According to Edward et al literature (2008), the patients diagnosed wit h AIDS and related malignancies are the ones with the emergency need of the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy among other therapies such as antiretroviral therapies. The quality of their life is also ensured but not 100% responsive due to weakened immunity of the patients. Despite our best current therapies, patients who have AIDS generally have a poor survival. (Edward et al, 2008, pg 706) ii. Qualitative research The qualitative method of research in the prescription and administration of oxygen therapy happens under-scrutinized statistical analysis. To reach subsequent conclusions, the patients needing the emergency are administered with prescribed percentages of oxygen. According to Ann et al, (2006), a number of patients were prescribed oxygen at a specific duration of time as follows 254 patients were prescribed oxygen

High Renaissance and Baroque Period Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

High Renaissance and Baroque Period Art - Essay Example Ugolino Martelli. 1535 has a background with a balcony and two other windows. The interesting point is the fact that he used the same points to draw pillars and what looks like a balcony in Portrait of Bartolomeo Panciatichi. 1540. The material used in this painting was tempera on wood which was a mixture of pigment with egg yolk.In these three paintings, other parallels can be drawn. They are all holding books. The two young boys have marble skin and exquisite black clothes showing the richness of their families. Third-dimensional background for three other paintings. Their eyes are not looking in the same direction. This artist was chosen of the Italian Renaissance as a portrait artist who could not paint exact likeness because he had to flatter his subjects. (Haughton 233) The next period in art history, the Spanish Baroque period allowed its artists to paint more realistically. Two portraits have been chosen and one large paintingDiego Velasquez, Portrait of Juan de Pareja, 1650 has far more freedom than Bronzino in his work. He was the court's principal painter and considered a diplomat as he traveled for the king. This painting was chosen to compare first to the Portrait of the Young Man. When Velasquez was in Rome to paint the Pope Innocent X, he wanted to practice, he did a life portrait from his assistant, slave, mulatto painter Juan de Pareja." (Rousseau 1) There is such realism in his facial expression, the sweat on his face, the hole in his painter's smock, the beard, the bushy hair.

Human Resources Management Essay Example for Free

Human Resources Management Essay The present state of recession in the IT Industry as a Human Resource Manager how are you going to undertake Human Resource Planning at Macro Level to tide over this crisis? Human capital formation is acknowledged as one of the most potent sources in contributing directly and significantly to economic growth. As a result even the objectives of economic planning and priorities thereof, began to be shifted away from purely growth oriented development strategies to those that recognize and partly remedy the past neglect of such social sectors like population, planning, health, education, housing, social security and other social services. The objectives of HRP at macro level are to ensure that the organisation: a) Obtains and retains the quality and quantity of human resources it needs at the right time and place; and b) Makes optimal utilisation of these resources. Human resource planning is the formal process of linking organizational strategy with human resource practices. It is about perceiving organizational practices as a whole and not piecemeal. In a competitive climate, organizations need to use models and approaches that secure uniqueness of operations along with enhancing organizational capability. Today, the world is going through, a global economic turmoil. This recession affects almost all the fields especially IT field. To overcome the adverse effect of the economic slowdown, we should plan an effective human resource policy at macro level. Human resource plan is designed to pay attention to shaping the priorities of the H R function than on supporting activities relating to the organizations functioning as a whole. The economic crisis of 2008/2009 has touched every industry and profession,  radically altering the hiring landscape. Major layoffs, rising unemployment, and lowered profits have reshaped the way workers are hired and fired, and dramatically highlighted the need to rethink workforce planning. Now, the question lingering over the heads of business leaders everywhere is: What will the successful post-recession business look like? Here, we wanted to find out how what steps they are taking in response to the crisis, how their priorities and practices have changed, and what they predict the HR landscape will look like as the economy recovers. This study is focus on the following objectives: 1.How HR Processes got affected by Recession? 2. What was the Reactions of Recession? 3. What HR steps Companies are taking to prepare for Recovery from Recession? 4. What are the Envision on post-recovery staffing model? 5. What are the Roles of Temporary Workforce? 6. What are Managed Serviced Program its Benefit? First let us brief about Recession. A recession is a contraction phase of the business cycle where significant decline in economic activity lasts more than a few months, which is normally visible in real GDP real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales. The current economic recession has hardly spared any country on earth. Rich countries like USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Canada almost all the rich countries have got badly hurt from the recession. So, there is no reason to be surprised to know that Indian economy is also getting hurt from the global economic recession. As a Human resource manager planning is one of the most important sources in contributing the economic growth. To overcome from the recession in IT industry I would like to retain and obtain pure quality of human resources all ways at the right time and at the right place. I ensure that all the resources are utilized properly .I as a human resource manager responsible  for corporate plan along with organizations purpose as the top most priority. The KRA at macro level are: 1- Determine the requirement level in the organization keeping recession in mind. 2- To get the best from the resources available within the organization. 3- Assist productivity bargaining. 4- Evaluate cost of man power in any upcoming new projects coming. 5- Analyze the cost of all the overhead and value associated with it with the function 6- Need to decide whether certain activities need to be sub contracted. 7- Need to provide best training in order to retain talent. 8- Anticipate redundancies. 9- Need to forecast future requirement. 10- Serve as a basis of management development programme The human resource planning is one of the most crucial, complex and continuing managerial function. It is a multi step function with various issues. The issue which needed to cater first are 1- Deciding objective and goal.2- Estimating future organizational structure ,3- Auditing human resources,4-Planning job requirement and job description.5- development of human resource plan. In the recession time in the IT industry it is very important to relate future human resources to future enterprise need so that the return on investment on human gets maximized. The companys human resources mamager is as much an advocate for the organization as it is for the employees. The responsibility to serve the interests and needs of both can be challenging, especially during a recession when it could difficult to sustain both the company and its workforce. The HR issues during a recession demand an even greater commitment to achieving stability for the company and assuring employees that they wont endure the harsh effects of a recession. Strategy Strategic direction is an ongoing discussion between HR and companys  leadership. During a recession, HR Managers involvement in developing the companys strategy should be a priority. Workforce planning, compensation structure and employee satisfaction arent just HR goals theyre organizational goals because the workforce is companys most valuable resource. Sustaining company’s operations and its profitability largely depends on employee productivity. The communication between HR Manager and the companys leadership should be candid, frequent and must include communication with employees about the companys direction. Company Status If the company is recession-proof, meaning it provides necessary products or services, the role of HR manager is to remind employees that the company is forging ahead despite an economic meltdown. As the saying goes, the only sure things in life are death and taxes; therefore, the most recession-proof businesses are likely mortuaries and accounting firms. On the other hand, if the company will be affected by a recession, HR managers role is to assist company leaders in describing the business strategy for staying afloat and keeping employees apprised of the companys status and direction. Employee Communication The employee turnover during a recession could be minimal simply because companies that arent recession-proof are closing, which means there are fewer job market opportunities. Leaving a job with a company that is surviving the recession for another one that might not survive could be a bad decision. Therefore, HRs primary job includes communicating with employees about the companys status, what its doing to be profitable and what it needs the employees to do to ensure the companys survival. This conveys two important messages. It says you care enough about your workforce to keep them informed and you value their contributions in helping the company make it through the recession. Job Security If I am in a position where I need to hire additional staff, ensure that I am not making any cuts to current employees wages. That is likely to make employees wonder if their livelihood is a priority or if the company places more value on input from outsiders. Provide training for employees to take on new responsibilities instead of recruiting an external candidate to do the job. Effective crisis management doesnt mean eliminating training for employees, according to The Boston Consulting Group 2009 survey of HR measures. In fact, the joint survey conducted with the European Association for People Management revealed that more than 30 percent of the companies that scaled back training individual and special training was less effective and demonstrated lower commitment levels during a crisis, such as a recession. Training also conveys the important message that youre investing in your existing staff, training them to work cross-functionally and thereby preparing them for continued e mployment in case their current jobs are eliminated because of the recession. Layoffs If HR must lay off workers, establish a communication strategy that gives employees plenty of notice before the actual layoff. Consult the U.S. Department of Labor Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, WARN, to determine if you meet the criteria for complying with WARN regulations. Ease the blow of unemployment by scheduling the layoff so it doesnt coincide untimely with periods such as the year-end holiday season. HR should offer outplacement services to employees who are forced to seek employment elsewhere. Outplacement services can range from career counseling sessions with experts to resume-writing services or time off from work for interviews. Compensation and Benefits HR might not be able to guarantee that employees will get year-end bonuses or even a wage increase, but HR can help employees figure out ways to increase their take-home pay. When employees have questions about their wages, tax withholding and liability or the cost of benefits, such as health insurance premiums and retirement savings ensure the company can provide answers. An HR benefits specialist can guide employees through the decision-making process by advising them to cut back on, say, charitable contributions that are being deducted from their net pay. The benefits specialist also can  refer employees to resources for managing their finances, such as an employee-assistance program. Summary HR managers reported opting for a wide range of practices to respond to the severe pressures presented by the recession. These practices range from changes to pay and pensions, staffing and HR systems, to changes in working time arrangements. While pay freezes for some or all employees were common, pay cuts too operated in a substantial number of firms. Other pay-related measures adopted include lower pay or salary scales for new entrants, bonus cuts and changes in pension arrangements. In terms of headcount and staffing arrangements, changes were also pronounced in that most firms in the survey experienced redundancy (compulsory and voluntary) for some employees. Freezes on recruitment were also commonly instituted. The effects of the recession on a wide range of business and the subsequent pressures experienced by HR managers, was examined next in chapter four. The HR managers present at the focus groups outlined in detail the ways in which they were required to cut and control employee costs in response to deep and acute commercial pressures. Where participants had been taken up for much of the previous boom years with recruiting and retaining staff, the main hub of activity now for most of the participants was on finding ways to control and reduce pay and headcount. Relative to the difficulties of doing this, other areas of HR practice received less attention, although some firms reported continued recruitment efforts for specific positions or new skills sets. Some firms also took measures such as selective pay rises or promotions to retain valued staff. Others operated formal talent management programmes, though these generally predated the recession. Staff redeployment was presented as a routine measure in responding to the recession in non-union firms, but appeared to be more problematic in unionized firms, where it sometimes cut acros s agreements with unions or lines of demarcation between different jobs.

Lee’s Function in East of Eden Essay Example for Free

Lee’s Function in East of Eden Essay 1. Introduction As Shimomura(1982) points out, Steinbeck’s non-teleological thinking and the Taoism, which was put forward by the ancient Chinese philosopher named Lao Tzu, share a great deal of similarity, in that both of them view human beings from a detached and holistic standpoint. It is not clearly known how Steinbeck, who is certainly a product of his time and his American milieu, came to be acquainted with and interested in Lao Tzus philosophy, but in Journal of A Novel, he appreciates Lao Tzu so highly that he places Lao Tzu beside Plato, Buddha, Christ, Paul, and the Great Hebrew prophets. It might safely be said that there must have been a seedbed in his indigenous thought where a seed of Lao Tzu was sown, germinated, and at last bloomed into a beautiful and fragrant flower so attractive for the Oriental reader. Thus, the purpose of this paper is first to focus on Lee in East of Eden, then to make clear the relationship between non-teleology and the philosophy of Lao Tzu, and finally to show how closely Lao Tzu’s philosophy is related to the idea of timshel. 2. Lee as a servant and philosopher As is well known to his reader, Steinbeck creates three Chinese characters throughout his novels from the first, Cup of Gold, to the last, The Winter of Our Discontent. To list them, they are Lee Chong, who is an owner of a grocery store, a flip-flopping old Chinaman who is not identified by name in Cannery Row, and Lee, who appears in East of Eden. Though these Chinese characters may respectively perform significant functions in their own rights in their stories, the one who particularly warrants considerable attention among these characters is Lee, who is more active and more influential in determining the fates of the major characters in the novel. Moreover, it is noteworthy that Oriental philosophy, which is a deciding factor in the outcome of this novel, is conveyed to the reader through the mouth of this Chinese character, who is actually thought to be a spokesman of Steinbeck himself. Though Lee makes his first appearance in chapter 15 of East of Eden as a faithful servant to the family of Adam Trask, it is when he first meets Samuel Hamilton by chance in the later scene that he turns out to be something more than a mere servant and also begins to carry his own significance in the novel. This scene should acquire great importance, in that Lee first clarifies his general view of life as a spokesman of the author. Even in the first conversation he has with Samuel, Lee is instinctively aware that Samuel is a person whom he can trust. Just after exchanging a few words with him, Lee quits speaking in pidgin English, as if he cast away his protective shell into which he has secretly retired until then. And in the course of the conversation, he spontaneously confides to Samuel his idea on what it is like to be a servant: I dont know where being a servant came into disrepute. It is a refuge of a philosopher, the food of the lazy, and, properly carried out, it is a position of power, even of love. I cant understand why more intelligent people dont take it as a career learn to do it well and reap its benefits. But a good servant, and I am an excellent one, can completely control his master, tell him what to think, how to act, Finally, in my circumstances I am unprotected. 1 This philosophical view on servantship which is uttered through the mouth of a Chinese character apparently reflects the authors basic view toward life, for it is easy to imagine that Steinbecks manner of describing the predominance of servantship over the mastership oozes from the idea of relativity which he attained as the outcome of his favorite non-teleological thinking. The idea tells the reader that any standard, as far as it is built around the artificially contrived system of values, loses its significant validity when seen in the light of non-teleological standpoint. According to this view, a person in a socially reputed position of power cannot avoid the possibility of losing his power when seen through another different â€Å"peep-hole. † And it is possible that in fact a low and unrespected person may gain predominating influence upon the people who are ranked far above in the so-called social status. Furthermore, another interesting point in this relation lies in the passiveness of such a low position. A person in a low position is unprotected by himself, but by becoming a servant to another person in a higher position he begins to play a role in his own right and at last controls his master. This master-servant relationship uttered by Lee reveals that once he has gotten employment by his master, even a helpless person who has little social function by himself not only begins to fulfill his own function but also gains predominance over his master. Consequently, this means that in this relationship a master is no longer a master and a servant is also no longer a servant. Eventually in this work this relationship results in the fact that Lee actually controls Adam in every situation. 3. Lee as a spokesman of Lao Tzu’s philosophy Similarly in the Lao Tzu, a collection of wise-sayings which were written by a person named Lao Tzu about in the fourth century BC(Fukunaga, Hachiya, Takahashi), the same topsy-turveydom in the sense of values can be found in one of the eighty fragmentary writings. In chapter 78 it says: In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it. This is because there is nothing that can take its place. That the weak overcomes the strong, And the submissive overcomes the hard, Everyone in the world knows yet no one can put this knowledge into practice. Therefore the sage says, One who takes on himself the humiliation of the state Is called a ruler worthy of offering sacrifices to the gods of earth and millets; Straightforward words Seems paradoxical. 2 In this passage quoted above, Lao Tzu explains the victory of the submissive and the weak over the hard and the strong, just in the same way that servantship finally achieves victory over mastership. Clearly enough, there is a great deal of similarity between Lee’s general attitude toward life and Lao Tzu’s precept of holding fast to the submissive. Needless to say, the common belief which underlies their paradoxical view stems from the idea that man-made values are nothing but relative, and this relativity is resulted from their attempt to rest their standpoint on a place which is as  free from human-centered arrangement as possible. There is no doubt about the idea that Steinbeck created Lee as a deciding factor of the outcome from this novel framed with a good and evil story, and it is not too much to say that Lee’s appearance reveals the authors strong consciousness of the relativity between good and evil. This becomes clear when Lee encourages Adam by saying, â€Å"What your wife is doing is neither good nor bad. There’s no springboard to philanthropy like a bad conscience. †3 Additionally, there is another similarity between them also in their manners of describing such relativity. Both Steinbeck and Lao Tzu clarify the interdependence between the weak and the strong by emphasizing the predominance of the former over the latter. This is because they think that the weak is more closely related to the natural processes of the universe than the strong is. That is to say, in the philosophy of Lao Tzu there is nothing like water that follows the way that the tao is and on the other hand, according to Steinbecks non-teleological thinking, Lee occupies an ideal position in life. Based on the assumption that the Lees view of life involves such relativity in itself as a main factor, it is quite convincing that the word â€Å"timshel,† which means â€Å"thou mayest† in English, is introduced through the mouth of Lee in the novel. Probably one of the most impressive scenes in the novel is where Lee, Samuel, and Adam meet together to decide on names for the twins. Located almost in the center of this long novel, this naming scene actually shows the reader a certain turning point from which East of Eden meanders between good and evil all the way to the final scene. In this scene Samuel reads a long passage from the Old Testament. This passage includes the Cain-Abel story, and they eagerly talk about the views of the original sin which Cain committed by killing Abel. Lee is so strongly struck by this story that he feels that â€Å"it is a chart of our souls. † Though he never refers to them on this scene, deep in his mind remains the Lords word to Cain after rejecting his sacrifice: â€Å"And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. † This naming scene, where Lee is exposed to the Cain-Abel story, effectively leads to the scene in chapter 24 where he puts a new interpretation on words of the above passage. 4. â€Å"Timshel† interpreted from the Oriental viewpoint Chapter 24 in East of Eden warrants the most careful attention: first because it develops the motif of the Cain-Abel story discussed in the previous scene, and also because it crucially affects the direction of this work. This chapter reveals that Lee has given his thought to the story for almost ten years since his serious discussion he had with Adam and Samuel. A certain part of the Lords words to Cain has bothered this Chinese for such a long period. It is â€Å"thou shalt over him. † In the course of these years he went to the head quarters of his family association and asked for Chinese scholars to take on the study of Hebrew, in order to find the more appropriate reading of the part. And finally in this scene he excitedly explains the importance of his finding in the presence of Samuel: Lees hand shook as he filled the delicate cups. He drank his down in one gulp. â€Å"Dont you see? † he cried. â€Å"The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in ‘Thou Shalt’, meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word the timshel – ‘Thou mayest’ that gives a choice. It might be the most important word. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’, it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not. ’ Don’t you see? †4. The above-quoted revelation made by Lee vividly reflects his idea of relativity between good and evil. To begin with, Lee, who has been bothered long by â€Å"Thou shalt,† reaches the conclusion that it never lightens the burden imposed on the shoulders of a man who suffers sense of sin. The chief reason why Lee turns his back to â€Å"Thou shalt† lies in the assumption that eventually it is not completely free from a human-centered viewpoint. When the Lord says, â€Å"Thou shalt† to Cain, the most fundamental idea that strongly supports the words on the back is that of love. But the love, though it is thought to be more universal and crucially different than human love in quality, is not entirely free from mans viewpoint as far as the Lord in Christianity is a personified god. Basically such love, like one side of a coin, is inevitably sustained by hatred on the other side. Therefore, it follows that even when â€Å"thou shalt† is thrown to man through the mouth of Lord, his conduct has been already judged evil, more or less, by the artificially contrived standard of value which unavoidably lacks in the idea of relativity. When seen from another different angle, such conduct may appear to be good, because there might be good in it. After all, â€Å"thou shalt† works the salvation of man only in the teleological manner. On the other hand, Lee’s new interpretation shows an utter indifference of the Lord to human conduct. It does not definitely order man to overcome evil nor involve any promise in it. Actually such characteristic of his interpretation may perhaps plunge man into desperation because superficially it seems to lack love and intention to guide him to emancipation from the sin that he has committed. But Lee thinks that it is such an indifferent attitude that leads him to real salvation of his soul. â€Å"Timshel,† which is evidently a product of Lee’s assiduous study of the Cain-Abel story, is based on the idea of relativity just as are non-teleological thinking and Lao Tzu’s philosophy. This is clearly exemplified by the fact that â€Å"thou mayest† is always supported by the opposite prerequisite, â€Å"thou mayest not. † In other words it means that there is neither good nor evil in every human conduct, and at the same time, what is more important, it also means that there is both good and evil involved in it. â€Å"Thou mayest† only allows man to say, â€Å"This is relatively good and that is relatively evil. † In this way Lee, as a Steinbeck’s spokesman, ‘non-teleologically’ thinks that â€Å"timshel† unites good and evil into one body. Steinbeck’s notion of good and evil shown in East of Eden begins with the idea that both of them fundamentally derive from the same state, and, no doubt, it is a product of his favorite non-teleological thinking. He never believes in a logical theory such as laws of the excluded middle where good and evil are orderly and clearly distinguished from each other. He usually places his main viewpoint in a chaotic place where there is neither good nor evil, and applies such a viewpoint to human conducts, with the ultimate result that an evil person should be saved in the same way a good person is saved. Though the optimistic attitude of his indigenous thinking has been repeatedly attacked for its lack of serious consideration toward evil, Steinbeck thinks that good and evil are relative, and, as a result, evil is nothing but a negative state which is lacking in good; it is more appropriate to say that it is merely a paradoxical state which is devoid of a strong consciousness of good. When employed as the framework of East of Eden, his non-teleological idea of good and evil crystallizes into the new interpretation of the Cain-Abel story, and the word â€Å"timshel,† on one hand, thoroughly awakens Adam, an allegorical figure of Abel, from his vain dream to sober reality, and, on the other hand, it emancipates Caleb, an allegorical figure of Cain, from the thralldom of sin. This manner of treating good and evil, needless to say, has great similarity to the philosophy of Lao Tzu, who writes â€Å"the good man is the teacher that the bad learns from; And the bad man is the material the good works on. †5 As Steinbeck views the world from the detached standpoint of â€Å"the infinite whole,† so Lao Tzu has created the notion of the tao to eradicate a human-centered view of the world out of his philosophy. This attempt has brought about the same result as Steinbeck has achieved. That is to say, they have both reached the same conception of man’s true place in the universe, and his relation to the world about him, which enables both of them to place an emphasis on the relation of individuals to the whole and treat individuals for their own sake. Such treatment of individuals is summarized by saying that â€Å"everything is an index of everything else†6 and that â€Å"The heavy is the root of the light. †7 Finally, the quintessence of Steinbeck as a novelist undoubtedly lies in the employment of non-teleological thinking as the frameworks of his novels. The adoption of this method does not allow him to achieve invariable success in his literary works, but, at least, it can be said that it enables him to view human conduct from the broadest and highest standpoint possible, which Lao Tzu paradoxically describes by adopting negative terms such as â€Å"Nothing† and â€Å"The Nameless. † Notes 1. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 190. (Penguin Books, 1976), All citations from Steinbeck are from Penguin editions and will be noted by page numbers following the citations. 2. D. C. Lau, Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching, p. 140. (Penguin Books, 1963), All citations from Steinbeck are from Penguin editions and will be noted by page numbers following the citations. 3. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 434 4. John Steinbeck, East of Eden, p. 349 5. D. C. Lau, Tao Te Ching, p. 84. 6. John Steinbeck, The Log from the Sea of Cortez, p. 259 7. D. C. Lau, Tao Te Ching, p. 83 . Works Cited Fukunaga, Mituji. Roshi (On Lao Tzu ), Tokyo: Asahishinbun-sha, 1968 Hachiya, Kunio. Ro-So wo yomu (A Study of Lao Tzu and Zhuang Tzu). Tokyo: Kodansha, 1987. John Steinbeck. The Log from the â€Å"Sea of Cortez†, Penguin Books. 1976 -. East of Eden, NewYork: Penguin Books. 1976 Lau, D. C. , trans. Lao Tzu :Tao Te Ching,New York: Penguin Books, 1963. Shimomura, Noboru. A Study of John Steinbeck: Mysticism in His Novel . Tokyo: The Hokuseido Press, 1982. Takahashi, Susumu. Roshi (On Lao Tzu ), Tokyo: Shimizu-shoin, 1970.

Understanding The Act Of Heroism Philosophy Essay

Understanding The Act Of Heroism Philosophy Essay Heroism consists of actions that must help others, even if it is a possibility and risk of the helpers injury or even death. Some people consider heroism to be very close to altruism, but it is different. Where altruism emphasizes self-denying acts that help others, heroism means a personal sacrifice. The kernel of heroism rotates around of the obligation of the person to a noble goal and readiness to accept a consequence of fighting for this goal. Heroism is old as humanity itself. The human bent fort commemorating heroes is a universal quality of human culture. Heroes are honored in ancient paintings, folklore and myth. Societies dispatched such stories in oral traditions and legends, and myths into epic poems and eddas. Modern societies uphold the tradition of honoring heroes not only in literally masterpieces but also in movies and journalism. Some of heroic ideas are becoming lost or changed by general culture. Being a hero is not just being an outstanding figure. We believe it has become needful to revise the historical senses of the word, and to force it to arrive in modern timeframes. Historically, heroism has been closely connected with military service, although social heroism also deserves close research. For instance, Achilles is the archetypal war hero, whose values were so strong, that Socrates willingness to die for it was also a heroic exploit. Heroism that consist a notable idea is usually not so dramatic like heroism that entails direct physical risk. These different ways of exhorting with the heroic ideal mean a deeper, more tangled definition of heroism. Actions considered as heroic are ordinarily made voluntarily in the sense that they are not compelled by external pressures or at least go out the bounds of the behavior ordinarily prompted by external pressures. By understanding of heroism as a universal characteristic of human nature, not as an unusual feature, heroism becomes something that stands in the line of possibilities for everyone , possibly inspiring us to answer that call.  The thought about the banality of heroism disrobes the myth of the heroic elect. It is a myth that strengthens two fundamental human tendencies: to attribute very rare personal feature to special people who do special feats to see them as superhuman, comparing to the rest of us and the trap of inertial some people call it as the bystander effect. Investigation has shown that this effect is often motivated by scattering of responsibility. In their article The Banality of Heroism, Zeno Franco and Philip Zimbardo tell that heroism is made up of four autonomous measurements at least (based on authors analysis of many acts that they consider heroic).  First, heroism involves some type of quest, which may range from the preservation of life to the preservation of an ideal (Franco, Zimbardo). Second, heroism should have some form of sacrifice (risk). This can be some form of physical danger or a strong social sacrifice. The physical risks in this case are clearly heroic in nature. For instance, Tom Cahill, a researcher from the University of California, called a press conference where defined the EPAs findings that in the after-grass of the September 11 events the air nearby Ground Zero was safe for breathing. With this action he risked his confidence as a scientist. Third, the heroic feat may be active or passive. Often we think of heroism as a courageous activity, something that is clearly perceptible. But some forms of heroism involve passive opposition or reluctance to be moved. And finally, heroism may be an unexpected, one time action, or something that continues over a longer time period. This may have a meaning that heroism may be a nearly immediate reaction to a situation. Or it may be a well considered series of actions endure over days, months, or a lifetime. Franco and Zimbardo give such an example: in 1940, a Japanese consul official in Lithuania, Chiune Sugihara, signed more than 2,000 visas for Jews hoping to escape the Nazi invasion, despite his governments direct orders not to do so. Every morning when Sugihara got up and made the same decision to help, every time he signed a visa, he acted heroically and increased the likelihood of dire consequences for himself and his family. At the end of the war he was unceremoniously fired from the Japanese civil service (Franco and Zimbardo). The scientists stress that even people who have led less than remarkable lives can be heroic in a sing le moment. For instance, during Hurricane Katrina, a man whose name is Jabar Gibson, who was previously arrested in the past, took a bus, freighted it with citizens of his poor New Orleans environs, and delivered them to safety Houston. This feat people of Louisiana considered as heroism, because is that concrete situation Jabar helped desperate people simply to survive. The really interesting investigation which called The heroism of women and men was done by Selwyn W. Becker (University of Chicago) and Alice H. Eagly (Northwestern University). They research heroism of both sexes in dangerous settings. Their study allows examining the ideas that heroism is performed by women as well as men. It is well-known that mostly men were portrayed as heroes in legends, poems and eddas. It is understandable, because of their strength, greater size and physical skills. It is also well-known that since pristine times men considered to be hunters. But we should not forget that women in their tur n always considered to be clever, somewhat cunning and undoubtedly, very skilful. The women may find the right decision more often because of their well-known sixth sense, so it is quite probably that they may take a risk with the same responsibility as men. Moreover, the women more often trust their feelings and inner senses, their intuition and sometimes it helps in those situations when it needs to sacrifice. Then, who says that women are more afraid of sacrificing? There are a lot of examples in the world literature when they made such really brave decisions showing in such a way their true feelings. Becker and Eagly write: Womens risk takingà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is assumed to derive at least in part from their traditional family role as main nurturer (Becker and Eagly). The authors are sure that nonetheless, it is possible that womens psychological answers to stress prime their helpful acts. Besides, many of womens heroic actions are hidden. But we forgot about another important ques tion: What makes a hero? Franco and Zimbardo convinced that  actually, the first answer of many people who are called heroes is to disown their originality. They say: I just did what I had to do or I am not a hero! Anyone in the same position would have done what I did (Franco and Zimbardo). Sudden life and death situations are distinct examples of situations that excite people into heroic act. The investigators were convinced that these positions create a bright-line ethical inspection that drives some individuals to act in an attempt to stop the evil. Many people in common positions identify the ethical problems connected with the situation and are deeply upset, but decide to ignore it. Franco and Zimbardo believe that a significant factor that may cheer heroic act is the incentive of heroic kind of imagination. It is the capacity to imagine facing risky situations, to fight the hypothetical problems these situations cause, and to consider ones actions and the results. By this, the individual becomes more prepared to act if a moment that calls for heroism comes. Seeing oneself capable of heroism may be the first step towards a heroic consequence.  There are several steps we can take to nurture the heroic type of imagination. We can start by remaining aware; critically evaluating each situation we meet so that we do not gloss over an emergency demanding our action. We must withstand the impulse to improve inaction and to develop exculpations that recast evil acts.   Also we must try to exceed anticipating negative result connected with some forms of heroism, being socially ostracized as an example. We must trust that others will identify the value of our heroic feats.  We should try to develop a capacity of things that do not fit, or do not make sense in a current situation. This means that we must ask questions to get the proper information for us to take action.  Besides, it is important not to fear conflict, and to develop the personal courage ne cessary to stand firm for principles we value. Actually, we should not think of hard conflicts but rather as attempts to force the other people to support their own ideology and principles.  We should be engaged in the current position, to imagine alternative future scenarios. But outside of these fundamental points, our society needs to encourage heroic imagination in all of its citizens, especially in young ones. The ancient Greeks and Anglo Saxon tribes revered their poem heroes in Beowulf and Iliad. These stories are antiquated, but their descriptions of the hero still make sense.  In these tales, the protagonist often meets a mystical figure who attempts to tempt the hero away from his track. We must also avoid the temptation of evil in our life, and we must recognize that perhaps the temptation will be quite ordinary: for example, an unethical friend, neighbor or coworker. By passing a series of smaller examinations of our stamina, we can refine a personal habit of heroism.  Very often epic poems tell about the hero visiting the underworld. This metaphorical facing death depicts transcendence an acceptance of mortality. Arthur Margon in his work Urbanization in fiction. Changing models of heroism in popular American novels 1880-1920 writes that i n a wide line of popular literature works written between the end of Reconstruction and The First World War, prominent American novelists depicted the decline of usual heroism in an urbanized society. In an urban society, goodness and social responsibility could be guaranteed only through the institutions peculiarity of that society. Individualism did not lead to heroism in the materialistic cities. Urban writers dismissed the individualistic hero to either boundary of the junk heap. Some of the authors replaced him with an institutional structure which nurtured self-identification in the community. But American novelists increasingly reflected, through the demise of the hero, the understanding that in the urban age individualism was incompatible with public welfare (Margon) underlines Margon. Till this day, some types of heroism demand paying the final price. But we can also realize this as a heros desire to face any of the results of heroic action whether the sacrifices are social of physical.  The hero often follows a set of rules. It is obviously, that if we will stop imagining ourselves as real heroes, and to realize the real sense of heroism, our society will be more indignant. But if we can rejoin these ancient ideals, refresh them again; we can create a union with the hero in our souls. It is this urgent, internal connection between the modern world and the ancient world that can show to a simple person how to become an everyday hero. As about my opinion. It seems to me, that we often afraid to make such actions, because we live in a world where everyone cares about himself. But if each of us will make one good feat everyday, our life may change completely. Now to my mind comes a movie that is called Pay it forward where the teacher gave pupils the task to think how to change this world. The slogan was Think of an idea how to change this world and put it into action!. And one boy named Trevor found the way: each person should make three good actions and then those people whom he helped must do the same in their turn. Well, is not is a heroism I would like to ask? In such a special and very remarkable way this boy forced us to believe in goodness. Exactly such kind of actions may teach everyone to become a hero. We just have to learn how to be more patient, kinder, thankful, attentively, and more helpful but what is most important to help others not by words but by real actions. I think everyone must watch this film and think about his actions and thoughts. It would be great if we will find a possibility and place for good feats in our life. And it does not matter what it will be saving a cat from the transport movement or helping our friend with his tasks. All these details draw one colorful portrait of the modern hero! Work citied Becker W, Selwyn, Eagly H, Alice The Heroizm of Women and Men. Zero, Franco, Zimbardo, Philip The Banality of Heroism. Greater Good Megazine. 2006-2007. Margon, Artur Changing models of heroism in popular American novels 1880-1920.

The Death Penalty: Justifiable Essay -- essays research papers

The Death Penalty: Justifiable -Preface: Let it be noted now that this speech is very opinionated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I strongly believe that the Death Penalty is a form of punishment to be used when needed. Which opens up the question, when should it be used? That may be the breaking point in a lot of arguments, deciding when to use the death penalty is a very touchy subject. I believe that only murderers deserve the death penalty, but I do not believe that all murderers should receive it as punishment. In cases where someone was killed in self defense, the 'murderer' should not receive the death penalty. But when someone is killed in cold blood then there should be a consideration. Again, not all cold blooded murderers should receive it. Premeditated and sometimes on the spot murders are also candidates, but that depends on how the victim was treated before the murder. Was he/she abused or tormented in a severe way? Or was the victim raped? I would also take into account, the number of people killed by the murderer. Those are not the only things to take into account, but I will stop here.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was August 3, the year was 1986. A man named Esquel Banda had just raped, stabbed and strangled a 74 year old widow by the name of Merle Laird in her own house. Banda then sucked the blood from the woman's mouth.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Does that describe a kind, gentle man, who is not a threat to society? A ma...

Tommy Hilfiger Versus Ralph Waldo Emerson in the Battle of Conformity :: essays research papers

I turn my head and see a streak of blouse and miniskirt flouncing by, its wearer dark and supple with the tan of a Pittsburgh January and luxuriously blonde from the bottle of her favorite stylist. Her male companion wears a sweater that cost him more than the herd of sheep from whence its essential material came, with baggy blue jeans marked with the name of a certain Hilfiger fellow, and shoes pioneered by one Dr. Martin, likely a prominent podiatrist somewhere in the world. The girl giggles airily and shoves her companion playfully with a hand accented by newly (and plastically) long, manicured, French-tipped nails. A small wonder it is indeed that she did not lose her balance in so doing, for her towering shoes elevate her feet to such an alarming angle that I am scarce able to understand exactly how she is able to walk.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They continue sauntering along together, linking arms and looking reminiscent of a modeling photo shot for that certain Abero-something-or-other clothing store, only in color and live action. I conjecture the communal price of their clothing and fashionable accessories. On second thought, I do not even want to conjecture; I have quite enough of an idea. â€Å"’The virtue in most request is conformity,’† I think to myself, repeating the adage mentioned by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay on Self-Reliance, â€Å"and from that standpoint, this is a very ‘virtuous’ couple indeed.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Emerson precedes himself in wisdom. I heartily agree with his standpoint on conformity. Society today encourages many different aspects of compliance, but perhaps the most prominent one is conformity of appearance. There are societal standards for males, females, young and old that make them either ideal or outlying, and most of these standards are dependent upon cosmetic appearance. Ours is a superficial society, a manufactured American view of perfect people and perfect beauty thrives almost universally unbounded by resistance, whether passive or powerful. The manners in which people conform to the society’s image of beauty are many, including cosmetics, fashions of clothing and shoes, hair styles, modish colors; everything down to the size of purse a woman carries is first spotted in a magazine and then purchased and used once deemed to be worthy of public sight. Outlandish fashions become the mode primarily because they are advertised as being â€Å"th e things you simply cannot live without!† It is a universal truth that fashion is a form of ugliness so hideous that it must be changed every four months; but the public is content to stay within the confines of the current trend in order to conform, and not necessarily because the fashion is attractive.

Sequel to The Cask Of Amontillado :: essays research papers

At precisely 10:30 A.M. I got a call from a Mr. Machiano saying while renovating a palazzo his men found the bones of a human. When I got to the scene one of his employees showed me to the bones. The clothes were still on the carcass. I asked Mr. Machiano how the body was discovered, "My men were knocking down the walls and one of them found a skeleton with its clothes on, and that’s when I called you." I asked whom he bought the palace from. "A man I would say in his early eighties, named Montresor." I then left to learn about this person.. I found out that he is living with a cousin right near his old home. I decided to stop by and ask him a few questions hoping he will remember or know something. After about an hour of getting "I do not know. What are you talking about? Please leave." I realized this was a waste of time and decided to go. Later that night while eating dinner I decided the next morning I would go back to the crime scene to check for clues. The next morning I called Mr. Machiano and asked him to meet me at the palazzo. As I approached the body I began to feel a little queasy from last night’s dinner but luckily I brought some herbal tea to help soothe my stomach. Anyway, I began to search the ground around the body hoping to find some clues. I noticed a gold bracelet on the ground near the body, and it read Montrsor. I decided to do a little more research on this man. I went to the station and asked the secretary to show me the file on any person missing for more than 20 years. The list only had about five people on it with a brief description. There was a man by the name of Fortunato on it who has been missing for about 50 years. He was last seen wearing a motley. I then put two and two together and after some investigation, I found out that the carcass was indeed Fortunato. Later that afternoon I decided to visit Mrs. Fortunato. She took the news pretty well, but I guess she had a feeling he was dead She said "The last time I saw him was fifty years ago during carnival season." I went back to Montresor’s house and told him that "Next to Fortunato’s body was a gold bracelet with your name on it." He still claimed to

Public health policy analysis Essay

Public health policy analysis Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Legalization of marijuana has been a heated issue and is featured both in local and national media. The use of marijuana by adults and youth in United States is on the increase. Marijuana use remains a medical problem concern since marijuana users are more susceptible to disorders associated to marijuana use. In the last decades state policies aimed marijuana use for medical purposes, while recent policies are advocating for legalization of marijuana to adults. Public relations campaigns fully advocate for the legalization of marijuana. The main reason being that prohibition of marijuana cause more harm than good and also fuel violence in the markets. The increased use of marijuana amongst the youth is enough evidence of failed control measures against marijuana. These opinions come together to enhance promotion of marijuana legalization (Gerber et al, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The recent opinions to legalize marijuana raised concerns to (ASAM) American Society of Addiction Medicine. In April 2012, they had to form committee to develop the reaction due to the proposal of marijuana legalization. The committee aims at informing the public about marijuana legalization of marijuana and their judgment to the public policymakers. The ASAM recommends that the chemicals in marijuana that deem an effective treatment against some illnesses should be legalized as characterized and standardized products; permitted by the Food and Drug and be dispensed by professional pharmacies just like any other medicine. ASAM’s greatest concern is due to the opinion that marijuana is the most common abused illegal drug in America. Clear distinction between decriminalization and legalization is necessary in explanation of objectives and negative impact of marijuana legalization. Legalization deals with the commercialization of produ ction, use and sale of marijuana. On the other hand, decriminalization removes penalties to personal use while sale and production of marijuana is prohibited. However, ASAM does not support legalization of marijuana since their research findings reveal that marijuana smoking is not a medicine. Background and relevance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marijuana use has several dreadful health effects which raise concern to public health sector. Marijuana can lead to addiction as well as effects of (THC) delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Research reveals that 9% of marijuana becomes addicted. Marijuana smokers who try to quit suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia, irritability, and appetite disturbance. In 1993, the National Institute on Drug Abuse carried a study that found that marijuana led to an estimate of 7% of treatment admissions funded by the government. The number increased to 18% in 2009. In Central and Western Europe marijuana use is a critical public health issue. Marijuana is said to be the basic drug being abused in 21% of the incidents in addiction reform services in Central and Western Europe, and 14% of incidents in addiction reforms services in Southeast and Eastern Europe. Research found that of all drug treatment teenage patients, 83% were undergoing treatment for ba sic marijuana use. Retrieved from http://www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Young adults are more prevalent to marijuana addiction. Research from U.S. treatment centers shows that if drug use is started at tender age there is greater risk of dependence. Early use of marijuana might be one of the causes of increased admissions for marijuana addiction treatment. In Europe, the number of patients seeking treatment due to marijuana addiction increased from 200% from 1999 till 2006, and recently stands at 30% of overall admission cases. There are other many health hazards associated to marijuana use apart from addiction. ASAM great concern put a lot of weight to the following major areas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The brain: substances from marijuana results to short-term impact on the brain in relation to attention, verbal fluency, sensory perception, learning, memory, and perception of time. The greatest concern is marijuana consumption during teenage where brain development is in progress. This results to decreased neurocognitive activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mental health: NIDA found that marijuana use is associated to increased anxiety, schizophrenia and depression. Research studies brought out age factor as a significant risk factor. Research shows that there is correlation between early marijuana consumption and worsening and development of symptoms of schizophrenia. High usage of marijuana can cause acute psychotic reaction as well as initiating the beginning or degeneration of schizophrenia in susceptible persons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Prenatal or perinatal: some research findings have suggested that marijuana causes retarded fetal growth including length, gestational age, birth weight, and head circumference. Other long-term effects vary with age. They include depression, decreased wit, and addiction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respiratory or pulmonary: research reveals that marijuana contains more tar, carcinogen and carbon monoxide as compared to tobacco. Marijuana is likely to deposit tar four times as compared to tobacco. Chronic smoking has detrimental effects to the lungs. Marijuana smokers inhale greater volumes of smoke and hold it for longer periods. Research reveals that marijuana smokers are more susceptible to bullous disease as compared to cigarette teen smokers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Addiction among other health hazards associated to marijuana outlines that marijuana use affects both the user and their family members. ASAM is concerned since they see that the current discussion is only concerned with reforms to the ongoing marijuana policy and less concerned with detrimental impact of marijuana consumption. Harmful health and safety impacts of marijuana will be of great importance in the decision making in the development a marijuana policy with an aim of improving public health. Objectives of marijuana legalization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Legalization of marijuana is considered as a public and safety measure aimed at reducing drug-associated crimes and as a remedy to harm caused by marijuana control such as incarceration among others. Advocators of marijuana believe that legalization of marijuana will reduce illegal marijuana trade and violent crimes associated with the illegal trade. They also believe that it will be a source of revenue as well as reduce cost of law enforcement. There is an ongoing research to investigate the impact of marijuana legalization in United States. Prohibition of drugs such as marijuana increases costs of businesses operations due to violence involved to the illegal drug trafficking. The price of marijuana is expected to reduce to 80% since the social price depend on regulation and taxes. Retrieved from http://www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   RAND research reveals that marijuana legalization I California would not reduce drug trafficking as well as violence associated with illegal drug trafficking. Research reveals that diverted marijuana from legalized production in a given country affects all the others since it would lead to reduction of marijuana across that country. Price elasticity of marijuana under legalized plan is complicated since addictive substances behave differently from non-addictive substances. Marijuana legalization will change it from being luxury for first time users to basic necessity to the marijuana addicted persons. Legalization of marijuana is likely to be accompanied by legal advertisement of commercial use marijuana this is likely to increase marijuana consumption. Although most research were carried to investigate effect of marijuana legalization in California, the findings might also apply in another state. Legalization of marijuana might cause effe cts to the taxes, prices, markets as well as spilling over their effects to the neighboring countries. Legalizing marijuana might be a right step since it will substantiate impact of violent related to illegal drug trafficking. It is also believed that public health problems of criminal justice interventions exceed their benefits. This leads to the question as to whether legalization proposals should be passed and amended. Lessening toughness to marijuana use might not be so much fruitful since there can be little or no reduction in the level of substantial costs and incarceration rates (Morgan, 2011). Negative impact of legalizing marijuana   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Any state considering altering legal condition of marijuana should consider the health hazard involved as well as the profit of coping up with criminalization of marijuana use and sale. Legal drug use provides evidence that it is national public health issue. Legal drugs recently cause a havoc on public health sector since it results to substantial health and financial burden. Legalizing marijuana is likely to lead to an increase in the social costs due to taxes imposed due to the sale of the drugs. The cost of coming up with a regulatory plan for legal marijuana is also unknown. Although legalization of marijuana might be aimed at increasing funding for prevention, addiction and treatment of commercial activities linked to legal marijuana. Health effects of gradual increase use of marijuana would rise sharply. It is also likely that legalization of marijuana will be accompanied by increase in number of marijuana related issues such as dri ving under marijuana influence, violations in act regulating age limits as well as public use violations. Research reveals that marijuana is the most famous drug associated to drugged driving. Fatal injuries, crashes and even deaths are commonly linked to habitual marijuana use. Drugged driving will raise the cost of injuries, loss of lives and crashes. Decreased highway safety is a major negative impact of marijuana legalization (Gerber et al, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American Academy of Pediatrics predicted that legalizing marijuana will result to increased use of marijuana amongst the youth. The fact is that there is a positive relationship between drug use and availability. Advocators of the policy should consider detrimental effects of marijuana availability to the society if the law was passed and amended. There will be an increased incidents of marijuana related cases, addiction as well as the regulatory cost that will be passed to the public in form of taxes. International context   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advocators of marijuana legalization policy usually come from experience from nations with less strict policies on drug use. It should not be understood that no country has ever legalized marijuana. Most countries use decriminalization policies where they have a specific limit of marijuana or a given drug use for personal purposes while drug use for commercial services remains illegal. In a country like Netherlands, commercial drug businesses are illegal and are constrained with criminal sanctions. Other than being arrested, drug users are put in check by the Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Abuse (CDT). This commission dispenses the appropriate punitive measures to the drug user where some are withdrawn if they obtain treatment against addiction. A country may be penalized for imposing such a policy to the citizens. For example, recently there was a proposal that Uruguay government would sell marijuana for personal use to the pub lic. However, the fate of this proposed law is not clear. In addition, if the law was to be passed Uruguay would be fined by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board for going against the United Nations Single Convention of 1961. ASAM encourage exhaustive study and evaluation of distinct drug laws and programs both local and international which will enlighten the public on future strategies that aim at enhancing public health. Retrieved from http://www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana 2012 State-Level proposals on marijuana legalization   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Several states such as Oregon, Colorado and Washington brought up proposals to legalize marijuana. For instance, Colorado Amendment 64 also known as Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, if passed the policy would legalize possession, purchase, use, transport and display certain amount of marijuana by people aged 21 years and above. The state will be responsible for regulation of marijuana sector via licensure of manufacturing, cultivation and retail stores and testing facilities. The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act if passed would bring up Oregon Cannabis Commission to regulate cultivation and sale of marijuana to people aged 21 years and above. The Washington State Initiative Measure No. 502, if passed it would regulate and license marijuana distribution, possession and production to people aged 21 years and above. Washington policy would also withdraw civil and criminal activities authorized by the policy. Upon passing these policies, would chan ge everything for example, it would change marijuana from being luxury to first time users to personal use, it will also accelerate tax collection, and commercial use and sale of marijuana. The full impact of effect of legalizing marijuana are unknown (Morgan, 2011). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is great need of considering public health consequences of a policy before proposing to make changes. There are more negative consequences linked to marijuana legalization as compared to the benefits that advocators think of. People are called upon to study various polices and programs so that they can be able to make appropriate policies that aim at improving the public health of citizens. The legalization policy will make marijuana more accessible thus increasing the risk to the youths who might fall in the trap of consuming the drugs. Marijuana legalization will also lead to an increased activities associated to marijuana such as drugged driving which leads to loss of lives, injuries and crashes. Recommendations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I oppose proposals to legalize use of marijuana in any of the states in America. There is more harm than good of implementing this policy. The predicted public health costs associated to marijuana legalization are high and hurt the citizens and the public policymakers. Health professionals and physicians should enlighten people on the probable effects of implementing such a policy. Marijuana is associated to a lot of negative effects and thus should not be legalized. The following should be recommended: The public should be enlightened that addiction to marijuana is a public health concern and marijuana is not safe to consume. The physicians should lead the war against legalization of marijuana. The parents should be enlightened on the dangers of making marijuana accessible to their teenage children through legalization of such a policy References Gerber, R. J. (2004). Legalizing marijuana: drug policy reform and prohibition politics. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. Morgan, K. (2011). Legalizing marijuana. Edina, MN: ABDO Pub. Co.. State-Level Proposals to Legalize Marijuana. (n.d.). State-Level Proposals to Legalize Marijuana. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from http://www.asam.org/policies/state-level-proposals-to-legalize-marijuana Source document

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy Essay

Abstract This is a case conceptualization of a client referred to a Residential Treatment Facility by Family Court for treatment and evaluation of intellectual, academic, and behavioral performance. The client presents with several issues. In the client interview, the counselor hypothesizes that client has difficulty with anger, aggression, and low frustration tolerance. The client’s current behaviors are affecting his home and educational environments. The client’s early experiences will be explored only as it relates to current behavior and beliefs. During the therapeutic process, the client and the counselor will explore his inability to respond appropriately when frustrations occur. Exploration would include disputing irrational thoughts and beliefs, and exercising more appropriate positive replacement behaviors. This case conceptualization will create a hypothesis of the client’s aggressive behavior. Using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy framework, the counselor will explore the client’s issues and create a treatment plan with goals that pertain to the client’s presenting issues. This conceptualization will also include support that will show the benefits the client should gain with application of this theory. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Case Conceptualization of Michael Michael is a 14-year-old African American male. He has been referred to a Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) for an evaluation of intellectual, academic, and behavioral assessment. While in the treatment facility, Michael must undergo therapy to address his presenting problems. Michael presents himself as a very well dressed and engaged young man. Despite the fact that he is court-ordered to be in a treatment facility for an undetermined length of time, he was cooperative during the interview. During the interview, the counselor speaks with Michael and his adoptive family about the details of the court documents, the responsibility of the client (Michael) and the facility. The counselor, Michael, and the adoptive parents have completed the intake process and the time was scheduled for his first session. Biological and Environmental Factors Michael’s biological parents are reported to have been heavily addicted to drugs and alcohol. His mother reportedly abused multiple prescription drugs and cocaine during her pregnancies. It is also reported that the mother was Schizophrenic. Both parents have lengthy criminal records. Michael did not experience a nurturing environment. At age four, Michael and his younger brother were removed from the biological parents by child protective services. The brothers were placed in separate foster homes. Michael has had four foster care placements in two years prior to going to his adoptive parents. During his placements, it is suspected that Michael experienced neglect and sexual abuse. His maternal aunt and her husband adopted Michael. They also adopted his younger brother. They have two biological children. Michael did not adjust well to the new environment. He became more aggressive and exhibited hoarding behaviors. By age seven, he had been placed in a psychiatric hospital and other RTFs to receive treatment. Michael and his adoptive parents have sought counseling services through their church and local mental health agencies. Michael had been diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder, ADHD, and ODD. He has poor sleep patterns and is on several medications that have little effect. Michael has self-harmed for attention, but denied suicidal thoughts. Michael has a history of violent and aggressive behaviors in school and home. Michael has very weak and superficial relationships with peers. Case Conceptualization Michael’s presenting issues and previous history is suitable for Rational Emotive Behavior (REBT). REBT focuses on environmental and biological factors that affect rational thought and emotional behavior (Murdock, 2009). Michael’s early history will offer insight in evaluating his current behavior, but otherwise have no relevant bearing on Michael’s treatment plan. Michael often experiences events that cause him to react in a negative manner toward his peers and relatives. The counselor theorizes that Michael’s early exposure to violence, unstable home environment, and inconsistent relationships may have contributed to his inability to rationalize his experiences. These outbursts have increasingly become more violent. One incident resulted in Michael choking another resident at a previous RTF placement. Michael states that he often felt agitated prior to his outburst. Later, he would be confused, sad, and even angrier that he lost control (secondary disturbance). In session, the counselor listens for the ABCs of the REBT therapy framework. Michael rehearses several events that occur prior to his outbursts and violent attacks (Consequence) (2009), the counselor notes that Michael often feels that â€Å"people are trying to get over on him† or â€Å"messin’ with him† (Antecedent behavior, irrational thought, faulty thinking) (2009). Michael voiced that people should just leave him alone† (faulty belief) (2009). Michael perceives his peers think he is â€Å"stupid† (irrational thought) (2009). When asked why he thinks this, Michael responds, â€Å"Maybe I am. I always get the questions wrong in class when the teacher calls on me† (faulty belief) (2009). Michael’s demands: self-demandingness, others demandingness and world demandingness (2009) are not being met, therefore creating a psychological and emotional disturbance for Michael (2010). The counselor also hypothesizes that Michael has low frust ration tolerance (LFT) (2010) with peers who he perceives do not treat him fairly or give in to his demands (other demandingness) (2009). Michael rehearsed that in the classroom the teacher never listens to him. She always tries to embarrass him in front of the class. Michael often stated that the teacher frequently called on him to prove he was â€Å"dumb† (awfulizing) (2009). Michael perceived the classroom environment was unfair and intolerable and hated going to school (maladaptive thought) (2009) because all the teachers hate him. Michael felt that he should be left alone, especially when he was not â€Å"bothering† anyone (world demandingness) (2009). The result was to defend himself through acting out, aggression, or defiance. Michael believed that he needed to be aggressive to prove his peers, teachers, and family members wrong, which led to further frustration. Michael explained that behavior made him feel like he was not â€Å"good enough† for people (self-demandingness) (2009). The counselor hypothesized that Michael is relying on irrational thinking to draw irrational conclusions (2009) which lead to irrational behavior. Michael’s negative thinking and behaviors influenced his home life. Michael describes that he upsets his adoptive mother when he fights (antecedent) (2009) and that he will never be able to make her happy (irrational thinking) (2009). Michael believes this makes him a bad person on the inside (faulty belief) (2009). This belief makes him angry and irritated (secondary disturbance) (2009), which causes him to become violent toward his younger siblings (consequence) (2009). Treatment Goals and Plan Michael’s goals toward survival and happiness (2009) are thwarted by his irrational thoughts and absolutions (Harrington, 2007) that life should be easy and painless (2007). Michael becomes frustrated with events at school and home frequently when he does not get what he wants. The counselor understands that frustration with particular events in itself is not the cause of the violent outburst, but is the result of wrong views of the event (2007). Michael has an additional belief: his reality must conform to his wishes. When this fails to occur, intolaration results (faulty belief). Hence, this creates the violent outburst (consequence). In other words, frustration intolerance arises, because the wish for a different reality collided with the demand for it (Harrington, 2011). Michael’s therapeutic goals will include teaching him the three unconditionals of acceptance (Barry, 2009): 1. Unconditional self-acceptance-I am not a bad person. I can make good choices, even if it does not always turn out right. 2. Unconditional acceptance of others- Everyone does not have to like my ideas or me, they can have each have our own opinion. People will not always treat me the way I want to be treated. This does not mean they want to harm me or do not care for me. 3. Unconditional life acceptance-Life is not fair. I can take the good with the bad. I can choose to enjoy the moment. I cannot control every circumstance, but I can control my reaction and thoughts toward it. Michael will also be taught to do a behavioral assessment (2009) of his thoughts and beliefs during the course of his treatment. This will include the use of a journal (between session homework) (2009) to track antecedent events, his emotional state prior to the event (calm, engaged) and immediately following (irritated, angry, and sad), and his beliefs toward the given circumstance. The counselor will actively model appropriate behaviors when frustrating moments occur in counseling. The counselor will use exaggerated behavior (2009) to demonstrate Michael’s behavior (sudden outbursts/aggression) when frustrating events occur. It is the hope of the counselor that Michael will see that his behavior can be considered extreme. Michael may even see some humor in the extremity of his outbursts in minor occurrences. The counselor will be direct with Michael in modeling (2009), an â€Å"it’s-not-about-you/me† stance in session. Michael will be consistently confronted during sessions with questions that will challenge him to consider when this attitude begins to surface (Shanahan, et. al. 2010). The counselor will model humor (2009) when appropriate to demonstrate when Michael’s irrational thoughts grow beyond reason. The use of coping skills can dispute irrational thoughts (self-talk, humor, relaxation techniques) (Harrington, 2011) and create a self-monitoring tool for Michael between sessions. The counselor will actively dispute irrational thoughts during the session using philosophical interpretation—demonstrating this is interrupting his goal to be happy, empirical evidence—asking for evidence that supports his belief or offering evidence that counteracts his belief, logic, and functional—helping him evaluate â€Å"always and never† statement (2009) relationships between the perceived disturbance and the reality of the unconditional. Behavior strategies can also be implemented. Michael should learn behavior (violence and outbursts) management through: 1. Reward (engaging in a pleasurable activity after enduring an uncomfortable/frustrating circumstance), and penalty (restriction of pleasurable activity) (2009). 2. The use of imagery of frustrating or uncomfortable situations, and unhealthy negative emotions (and behaviors) to reframe and rehearse rational beliefs and responses (Harrington, 2011). The counselor will use multiple resources (music, TV, and movies) and actual events for scenarios (Harrington, 2011). 3. Coping mechanisms (2011) will also be implemented when frustration arises. This will include relaxation techniques (2009) and removing Michael from the frustrating situation until he is able to respond appropriately. Eventually, Michael should be able to endure an uncomfortable circumstance (2011) without having to leave to regain composure. In summation, throughout the course of Michael’s sessions, he should be able to recognize irrational thoughts and dispute them immediately. Even when challenged with frustration, Michael should be able to evaluate the reality (reframing) (2009) of the circumstance and respond appropriately. Conclusion The counselor concluded that REBT is appropriate to use in this counseling scenario. REBT addresses thoughts and beliefs of an individual. These thoughts and beliefs create the behavior response. When an individual has irrational thoughts motivated by faulty beliefs, it is typically followed by a negative response. The counselor’s goal is to teach the client to evaluate irrational thoughts and faulty beliefs concerning the antecedent event in order to create a more appropriate consequence (response). Michael’s core faulty beliefs are found in the three unconditionals. Michael feels he is entitled (Fives, et al. 2010) to fair treatment and getting his way. Michael believed that when this entitlement was not fulfilled, it was appropriate to respond with aggression (2010). This response (consequence) created a cyclical event: antecedent event (fight/defiance)—irrational thought (my teacher is trying to embarrass me or he’s trying to intimidate me) — faulty belief (that teacher should leave me alone/ I will not be intimidated). After the fight/defiance, Michael often feels guilty, sad, or more frustrated (secondary disturbance) because he is a failure and cannot get it right (which disappoints his adoptive mother). As a result, Michael experiences more frustration and anger. Using REBT, the counselor hopes to effectively teach Michael to dispute his negative/irrational thoughts and faulty beliefs. Therefore, this will reduce frustration intolerance and create a more appropriate consequence to the antecedent event. REBT is logical, workable, and teaches the client realistic skills to cope with life’s circumstances (Minor, 2007). In cases like Michael’s, REBT is effective with including the family in the framework of the therapy (Bernard and DiGiuseppe, 2006). Michael’s adoptive parents will be taught to identify his (and even their own) irrational thoughts and faulty beliefs and the behavioral relationship. This equips them with knowledge needed to address the behavior. Most importantly, it helps with the long-term success of the child client in identification and appropriate response of frustrating circumstances (Fives, et al., 2010). REBT does not focus on the person, but the behaviors the person demonstrates (Levinson, 2006). This approach will be beneficial to Michael because his faulty thinking and irrational thoughts have been attached to his personhood. He perceives himself as â€Å"bad† and â€Å"inadequate† (Jones, et al, 2011). REBT should teach Michael it is not he or â€Å"the event, but the thoughts about the event† (Ellis) that cause his issues. This should encourage Michael to evaluate his thought and belief patterns frequently. REBT utilizes psychology, examining how thoughts cause emotional disturbance. Philosophically, REBT suggests that life views influence emotions. Lastly, REBT incorporates education that should provide Michael with the necessary tools to manage his thoughts, beliefs, and responses to frustrating events (Banks and Zionts, 2008). This will be an on-going process for Michael. Michael will experience success and failure throughout the application of REBT. The counselor will be diligent in explaining this reality to Michael. The counselor will reiterate this is a part of the three unconditionals. Michael will experience the reward of recognizing the ABCDE’s of REBT. Michael should understand the final stage of REBT is effectively (the â€Å"E†) (2010) disputing (the â€Å"D†) irrational thoughts toward the event, therefore, causing an appropriate response. Michael will learn when he is not successful, he can accept it and the consequences without becoming aggressive. References Banks, T., & Zionts, P. (2009). REBT Used with Children and Adolescents who have Emotional and Behavioral Disorders in Educational Settings: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Rational Emotive Cognitive-Behavior Therapy , 51-65. Bernard, M. E., & Diguiseppe, R. (2006). REBT assesstment and treatment with children. Rational Emotive Behaviors approaches to childhood disorders, theory, and practice , 85-113. Fives, C. J., Kong, G., Fuller, J. R., & DiGuiseppe, R. (2010). Anger, Aggression, and Irrational Beliefs in Adolescents. Cognitive Theory Research , 199-208. Harrington, ,. N. (2007). Frustration intolerance as a multidimentional concept. Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy , 191-211. Levinson, M. (2006). Anger management and violence prevention: A holistic solution. et Cetera 187-199. Minor, J. (2007). Why I use REBT in my private practice and personal life. et Cetera , 320-323. Murdock, N. (2009). Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Shanahan, S., Jones, J., & Thomas-Peter, B. (2010). Are you looking at me, or am I? Anger, aggression, shame and self-worth in violent individuals. Journal of Rational Emotive Cognitive Behavior Therapy , 77-91.