Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism

In America, there is a predominant growth in multiple ethnicities and cultural backgrounds; leading to the usage of multiple languages in the American culture. There is a growing need for many people to learn and utilize multiple languages within the workplace and within one's own personal life. The importance of bilingualism and the knowledge of multiple languages is ever increasing, and therefore becoming more important for the younger generations. The push for knowing multiple languages and becoming bilingual has many potential negative and positive effects. Bilingualism is the ability to use two languages when communicating orally or in writing. The usage of multiple languages within the American culture is becoming very common and beneficial. It is difficult because as teacher you always have to find new and interesting methods in order to arouse learner’s interest, but at the same time it is enjoyable since teachers are given the opportunity to work with them. For myself, I enjoy working with bilingual children; I as a caregiver try to learn the students’ first language so that I will be able to communicate with them as much as possible in their native language. Currently in my classroom I have a German native. His name is Lucas and he is fifteen months old. His mother is German and his father is an American soldier. Both of his parents speak English and German. So at home they communicate with him in both languages. I talk to his mother and father on a daily basis to find out new words in German so that I can talk to him in both languages. I have discovered that some words that I do say in German he really does respond to them better, than if I would tell him to do something in English. Second language acquisition is the process of learning other languages in addition to the native language. Second language acquisition is a long process which can include many stages. For instance, a child who speaks German as the mother tongue starts learning English when he/she starts going to school. English is learned by the process of second language acquisition. Students of second language acquisition go through the same stages of learning, the period of learning varies. Some students tend to learn better by responding to visuals and pictures. There are many positive benefits in the acquisition of a second language and bilingualism. There are many positive affective factors for second language acquisition and bilingualism. Some positive factors can be listed as: the student’s attitude towards learning the new language, the teacher motivational attitude, and the proficiency in the student’s first language. Also learning a second language at an early age can have a positive effect on intellectual growth, and also enhance and enrich the child’s mental and development. Furthermore it can open the doors of opportunities to other cultures and help the children learn and appreciate other people from other countries. There are two types of bilingualism. The first type is simultaneous bilingualism. Simultaneous bilingualism is when children acquire two languages prior to the age three. Simultaneous bilingualism normally happens when the language used at home is different from language used in the community or school. The parents, caregivers or other family members might not speak the language of the school or the community, or the parents could speak two or more languages but have made a decision about which language they speak with the child. (http://www. brainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) The second type of bilingualism is successive bilingualism. Successive bilingualism refers to instances in which a child acquire their second language after the age of three† (Otto, 2010, pg. 71). Once they have reached the successive bilingualism stage some children learn their second language formally through school or through language classes. With successive bilingualism a child has the advantage of their first language as a base. They use this to both analyze and develop t he second. For example, the child knows that language is organized in a particular order. The more mature a child is they also have a better vocabulary base, acoustic perception, and comprehension. Therefore they would make fewer errors in a second language. For example, I once worked with a little boy, Julien, he spoke NO English when he entered my classroom (only Spanish) also, and his mom spoke NO English. As time passed he picked up English but when he got angry he would spout off in Spanish. ABSOLUTELY the cutest thing I ever saw! When parents to do not speak English I take that as a learning opportunity for myself and the parent. I try to communicate in that parent’s native language as best as I know how. Even if that means only knowing the basics. As the year progressed, the parent also learned how to speak English from taking classes on the army installation. When she could finally communicate with me she was very excited and so was I. Our relationship really grew. However, there is a critical period of learning a second language, â€Å"Many linguists believe there is a ‘critical period' (lasting roughly from birth until puberty) during which a child can easily acquire any language that he or she is regularly exposed to. Under this view, the structure of the brain changes at puberty, and after that it becomes harder to learn a new language. This means that it is much easier to learn a second language during childhood than as an adult. Apart from the above, children do tend to develop more native-like pronunciation when bilingualism begins before adolescence. † (http://www. brainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) With that being said children tend to learn a second language better before the age of fifteen. â€Å"Learners and their learning strategies will change over time. A five year old will have a different language learning profile and language learning strategies than a fifteen year old. † (http://www. rainy-child. com/article/bilingual. shtm) As bilingual children acquire the home and target language they have been found to mix the languages in the same communicative interaction. This is known as language interference (Otto, 2010). â€Å"Code mixing is also when the children appear to be mixing the two languages. When the children code mix this may simply reflect their parents’ use of the t wo languages. It can also reflect the attempts to maintain a conversation when knowledge of the second language is not sufficient to express the desired message. † (Otto, 2010, pg. 72). I have seen this happen on a regular basis in the preschool classroom. One incident I remember, I was joining my son for lunch and I was passing the lunch to the child next to me, when handing him the ham in the container, he replied â€Å"no bitte† which means no thank you. He said â€Å"no† in English and â€Å"thank you† in German. According to Otto, the author of Language development in Early Childhood, â€Å"Codeswitching is distinguished from code mixing and language interference by the speaker’s apparently conscious and deliberate use of two languages within the same sentence or from one sentence to another† (Otto, 2010, pg. 2) Codeswitching usually occurs when a idea label is not available in the language being used. When talking to my father he uses codeswitching all time. He would be in the middle of a conversation with me speaking to me in English and if he does not know the correct word in English he would automatically say it in Spanish . I never knew that there was a professional word for this type of language. â€Å"In the past, especially prior to 1960, bilingualism was thought to be an educational handicap† (Otto, 2010, pg. 72). It was believed that children could not learn a second language, while maintaining their first language (Otto, 2010). This is termed subtractive bilingualism. When a child encounters subtractive bilingualism this could result in the negative impact on the families. The communication between the families can become disrupted. â€Å"Prior to the 1970’s research has increased our understanding of the factors involved in second language acquisition† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). We as educators need to get involved and help children and their amilies that are bilingual. â€Å"Current approaches to bilingualism emphasize the acquisition of the second target language, with the continued development of the home language. â€Å"This approach is also referred to the as additive bilingualism because a child’s language skills are enhanced in both languages† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). Immersion programs promote additive bilingualism for majority language speakers. These are highl y valued educational programs. Although teaching is provided in the second language, the teacher knows and may use both languages. For example, the Child Development Center that I work for here in Hohenfels, Germany offers immersion programs to the military community. They offer German and Spanish immersion programs. I believe that these are great programs and that will be very helpful for our community, being that we have some many bilingual families in our community. Right know the classes are offered for children ranging from ages three years until twelve years of age. Also in the Hohenfels community there is Host Nation classes offered at the Elementary school. The host nation class teaches basic German words. This class also teaches the German customs. The class is offered twice a week in forty –five minute blocks. This class is very beneficial when you are in a different country. I went out to eat with my co-worker and her daughter is in the fifth grade, and just from her attending those classes twice a week she was able to order my food for me at the restaurant. I was impressed. Just being able to communicate basically and the read the menu, is what she has learned from her host nation class at school. As mentioned before, I believe the younger the child is, the better the time is to teach a child a second language. â€Å"Children who have acquired a level of fluency in two languages have been described as having the following increased language competencies: higher levels of metalinguistic awareness, greater and earlier awareness of language structure, wider perspectives, and more social skills† (Otto, 2010, pg. 73). This supports the claim of there being positive effects to bilingualism. Language is not taught directly, but it is acquired through ways which are clearly understood in a low anxiety environment. I am seeing this in my profession more and more each day. The amount of importance put onto second language acquisition is much higher that it has been before; at least it is more profound now. As a caregiver, I have learned that relationships and learning opportunities will allow children to strive in acquiring a second language. Children and families will continue to learn English as they come to the land of the â€Å"American Dream,† and caregivers, like myself will only slowly begin to see the effects second language acquisition has on our society. References Otto, B. (2010). Language Development In Early Childhood. (3rd Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson BRAINSKILLS.  (2011).  How does language acquisition happen? .  Retrieved from http://www.brainskills.co.uk/HowDoesLanuageAcquisitionHappen.html Brainy Child.  (2011).  The Impact of Bilingualism on Overall Language Development and Academic Success .  Retrieved from http://www.brainy-child.com/article/bilingual.shtm) Education.  (2011).  Becoming bilingual: acquiring two languages.  Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/bilingual-acquiring-two-language/ Alice Callaghan.   (2010,  July  11). English immersion.  Los Angeles Times,p.  A.33.   Retrieved March 01, 2011, from Los Angeles Times. (Document ID:  2078277161). MacLeod,  A.,  ;  Stoel-Gammon,  C..  (2010). What is the impact of age of second language acquisition on the production of consonants and vowels among childhood bilinguals?  The International Journal of Bilingualism,  14(4),  400-421,511.   Retrieved March 01, 2011, from Research Library. (Document ID:  2266735221).

AIDS Article

The article is written by a gay man, who lost his first partner to AIDS and dedicated himself to spreading information about HIV prevention and campaigning for governmental attention to the problem in order to save ‘other gay and bisexual men from losing the ones they love’ (Williams, 2006, para. 6).Clark Williams also served as the interim executive director of the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center at the moment of the article’s release and as a manager of county’s HIV prevention, counseling, and testing initiatves in 2001-2003.The article reports the LGBT community of Santa Clara County joining other concerned citizens at a meeting where the county’s Board of Supervisors Chair promised to attract additional financial resources to strengthen public health system in the face of accelerating rate of HIV transmission.The focus of the effort should be prevention and early diagnosis. The article recalls the start of HIV/AIDS epidemic that was first reg arded as a rare form of cancer endangering gay and bisexual male New Yorkers. In 2006, the number of Americans who died from AIDS reached 550,000 and continued to grow. Approximately 40,000 citizens are getting infected with HIV every year.Santa Clara County, for its part, has lost 2,000 residents to the disease. More than 2,500 were living with HIV/AIDS; this number might have been considerably higher because one in three citizens having HIV remains undiagnosed. 80 percent of new infections with the virus in Santa Clara County were among gay and bisexual males.Santa Clara County is reported as being ‘near the heart of our nation's HIV/AIDS epidemic’ (Williams, 2006, para. 5). Apart from focusing on the human tragedy of living with HIV diagnosis or loosing a friend, a family member, a colleague, or a neighbor to the disease, the article discusses the problem of HIV/AIDS through the prism of financial burden on the county’s social security system.Lifetime cost of HIV treatment is estimated to be as high as $155,000 per patient. These costs are much higher if the disease is not diagnosed at early stages, which is often the case in Santa Clara County, where patients learn about their HIV status in an emergency room.However, the author notes several positive developments in the field of public health, such as risk reduction counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS and public HIV test counseling locations. Santa Clara County is compared with San Francisco, where HIV test counseling facilities are abundant. In Santa Clara County, there is only one public testing facility, despite the fact that the number of LGBT is over 100,000 in the area.The Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center is deemed as the most appropriate place to establish another full-time test counseling facility, since it is known for its excellence in providing HIV prevention to at-risk population.One additional testing facility will not solve the problem in the county. It is not onl y LGBT population that is especially affected by the spread of HIV/AIDS. Other vulnerable groups include ethnic minorities, homeless and runaway youth, and drug addicts. Therefore, five part-time testing centers should be opened across Santa Clara County.One of the main strengths of the article is the fact that it is written from an insider’s perspective. Rapport between the author and readers is immediately established when Clark Williams shares his personal tragedy of loosing his loved once to AIDS.However, emotional pathos is not the main component of the writer’s credibility: Williams is a leader of Santa Clara County’s LGBT community, knowledgeable of the actual Status Quo with regard to HIV/AIDS prevention and counseling.

Modern Management – Unilever

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How effectively do you think Unilever’s mission statement establishes the Company’s direction and important values?   What changes, if any would you recommend and why? Unilever’s new mission statement was ‘Add vitality to life’.   They were considering making people feel that with their personal care products, they could look and feel good, and get more out of life.   The managers and employees which were working for Unilever could now do their work activities in wellbeing of the clients that belong to the communities the products are sold in. Through this mission statement Unilever tried to differentiate its products from its competitors in a global market.   Fitzgerald, the outgoing Chairman of Unilever, took into consideration several factors including the fast rate of urbanization, the constantly increasing age of the people and healthy living strategy adopted by people.   He decided to use this strategy for his nutrition, personal care and hygiene items.   The strategy adopted by Unilever was quite unique and was keeping in tune with the needs of the people.   The â€Å"Unilever 2010 Strategy† was appearing on the products and promotional of the company.   To some extent, the strategy adopted by Unilever was effective and good for its growth. As it was keeping in tune with the changing needs of the people, it was a step ahead of other companies such as Proctor and Gamble, Nestle and Reckitt Benckiser.   However, if this strategy could enable a high growth rate of the company was doubtful.   This was because the company had to take care of other strategies such as effective brand-building, marketing and product innovation.   Several assumptions over sales, growth, profit, cost debt, etc, were made.   The company was competing against 20 other companies and had to ensure that their new mission statement was supported by sound development in the other areas. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify one or more Unilever strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.   How might Cescau use the strengths to counteract the threats? Unilever strengths 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company was formed by a merger of two giants, namely the British Lever Bros and the Dutch Margarine Unie, and had a stronghold in both these nations. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unilever established itself as an MNC in about 150 different countries. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It had a very good human resource team (about 234, 000 employees). 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 2004, it had about 12 products which were in the $ billion-brand mark.   This was up against it 4 such brands in the year 1999, suggesting growth of the company. Unilever weaknesses 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the year 2004, the revenue growth of the company, was far below the targeted 5 to 6 % mark. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company did not apply a strategy that would thrive in the market environment of its 2000-2005 strategy.   Hence, this strategy adopted by the company did not work on past experiences and could have been risky to adopt. Unilever Opportunities 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company began to realize the changing needs of the people and the situation of the market whilst adopting its 2005 to 2010 strategy.   They realized that people were becoming more and more health consciousness and were getting older.   They also realized that the urbanized areas of the World were becoming larger and more populated. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The company was now working for the well-being of the people and the communities, which could help differentiate the company from their rivals.   This was a unique feature of their strategy. Unilever Threats 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Unilever was making assumptions of the sales, growth rate, profits, debt and costs. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They were competing against 20 other companies that had sound finances. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The other companies were adopting strategies that were based on market research As the company adopted a unique strategy that helped it to be differentiated from other companies by the people and the society, the chances of the company growing were high and realistic.   Besides, Unilever were selling their products in tune with the changing needs and ideas of the population.   Hence, there were chances of it surviving and becoming successful in the Market. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Where on the BCG matrix would you place Unilever’s 400 remaining brands?   Where would you place any newly developed products being introduced? Explain. The 400 remaining brands of Unilever were â€Å"Stars† as they had a high-growth rate and required huge amounts of investments in the long-term.   The new range of products from Unilever were â€Å"Question Marks† as they had a high-growth rate but doubts whether the management would invest in them in the future existed. References: Cresto, S. C. and Cresto, S. T. (2006). Chapter 3: Planning, Modern Management, (10th ed), New Jersey: Upper Saddle River, pp. 199-200.            

Importance in accurate bac identification-microbio Essay

Importance in accurate bac identification-microbio - Essay Example It leads us to identify whether the microorganisms are pathogenic? Which type of infection do they cause? What is the route of transmission? What pathological conditions does it cause with in the living body? These all questions can only be answered by the correct identification of microorganisms. The diseases can never be cured until the microorganism is recognized. It also enable us to prepare suitable media for the growth of specific specie there can study their characteristics easily. After identification, we can determine the mode of action of certain pathogenic microorganisms. It may also help us to design certain drugs against them. These drugs have mode of action respectfully to the pathogen for example, the pathogen causing GIT infection, the drugs used will be considered more effective if it is administered orally. It not only enables us to create preventive measures against epidemic or pandemic infections but also help us in determining the way of their administration into the body. Today the major arising problem in the world of microbiology is the mutations that are taking place in the genetic makeup of microorganism. These mutations enable the microorganisms to become resistant against certain drugs. The resistant power of infectious organisms may also arise due to the improper route of administration, which does not provide significant immunity but results in the enhancement of pathogenicity of microorganisms by the exposure of certain drugs in the amount less than the required doze. Because of the identification of certain microorganisms at specie level, today we are able to compete with them and even can defeat this little creature. We can design antibiotics, drugs antiserums, toxoids, vaccines etc. due to the identification today we are able to reduce the infectious diseases at a remarkable rate (Collier & Haburchak,

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 8

Operations Management - Essay Example Operations management is a paradigm of industry lined by means of the manufacture of products and deliverance of services, as well as engages the accountability of making sure that business processes are well-organized in areas of employing as small resource as needed, plus effectual in conditions of convincing consumer needs. It is linked by means of organizing the procedure that adapts contributions in the shapes of labor, materials also energy into production like services and goods (Spain Exchange, 2009). â€Å"Operations are collection of core actions of an organization, and engage the manufacturing, selling, and maintenance of the products and services that the organization produces† (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005). And â€Å"Operations management is acknowledged as production/operations management; design, operations, and improvement of the productions/operations systems that develops the organization’s main products or services† (Shim & Siegel, 1999). â€Å"The operations management of a company consists of the design, operation, and enhancement of the activities that produce and distributes the basic products and services of the company. From an organizational approach, operations management can also be described as the organization of the direct resources that are necessary to develop and distribute company’s products and services. Operations management is a part of an organization which deals with the development of products and services, as wel l as comprises the job of making certain that organization’s actions are well-organized and successful† (Jayalath, 2009). Operations management can exactly be well thought-out as a subject of business related with the manufacturing of commodities and services, and covers the sole accountability of making certain therefore as to business procedures are well-organized in terms of utilizing as low resource as required, and efficient in terms of fulfilling customer needs (Fisher College of Business, 2008).

How a Glorified Vision of an Ideal Family Has Been Exploited Time Term Paper

How a Glorified Vision of an Ideal Family Has Been Exploited Time - Term Paper Example Names and photographs, if possible, arranged in the shape of a tree with branches, signify nature of relationship i.e. genetic or through marriage. Family histories more often recorded in family bibles, help trace relations that may have drifted off and revived them for sentimental and occasionally practical reasons. For instance, in case of proving an inheritance, these family trees are useful in establishing and tracking down relations that may have been lost in the sands of time. At one level, family though may mean a group of individuals bound together by the genetic makeup, at another level, it also stands for national identity. The family tree, an illustration by Norman Rockwell, symbolizes the concept of an American family at a national level. His illustration for the 1959 October edition of Saturday Evening Post cover shows a family tree filled with an array of faces, illustrating the eventful phases of history. The family tree comprising Yankees, Yeomen, Buccaneers, Confederates, Spanish beauties, Puritans and Aristocrats showcases America as a melting pot of cultures. Instead of depicting pilgrims at Plymouth rock as the beginning of American history, Rockwell preferred to illustrate pirates looting European ships carrying treasures, shown by ships from both ends and the coming together of pirates and European aristocrats through marriage (at the base of the family tree). Rockwell chose to depict the Civil War through union and confederate soldiers portraying how diverse elements went into the forming of a new entity instead of using slaves to do so. The presence of mountain man and a tribal woman goes to show how various cultures and tribes were amalgamated into the history eventually giving rise to a broad and a tolerant outlook encasing the 'spirit of America'. However, it is debatable to judge the illustration as a representation of the American entity since it is marked by the absence of Mexican and Asian faces.  

Analyzing Psychological Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyzing Psychological Disorders - Essay Example They assert that all disorders stems primarily form learning or conditioning. The major debate that comes out of these two schools is called the ‘Nature v/s Nurture’ issue. In this work, however, I am going to take the stand of biopsychological perspective which attributes biological, psychological and social causes all to be responsible for disorders. In Part A, Schizophrenia will be analyzed in biopsychological perspective. The symptoms, causal factors and drug therapies for the disorder will also be discussed. In Part B, two other disorders, Anorexia and Anxiety will be analyzed again with the aid of biopsychological perspective and other discussions regarding their relevance to the nature-nurture issue and their treatments. While studying the symptoms of Schizophrenia, various researches have found significant difference in the structure of the brain affected by the disorder. Foremost, problems have been found in structural connectivity in the effected brains. The fluid-filled sacs that surround the brain called lateral ventricles were seen enlarged in brains with Schizophrenia. The volume of the brain is reduced and the cerebral cortex is smaller often times (Cazaban, 2003). The blood flow in frontal regions is lower and the temporal lobe is smaller. The hippocampus, amygdala and limbic system are also found to be smaller by certain researches (Cazaban, 2003). The major part of the brain affected by this disorder is the prefrontal cortex which is associated with memory that results in the disordered though. A major causal factor of Schizophrenia is described to be genetic. A number of recent studies have confirmed that this disorder can be genetically transferred. There is a strong association between the closeness of the blood relationship (i.e. level of gene sharing or consanguinity) and the risk for the disorder (Carson, Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2007 p.501). Several other twin-studies conducted also confirm that people are genetically

Religious Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Religious Liberty - Essay Example Justice Antonin Scalia dissented in the given case stating that the Act’s stated purpose that is â€Å"protecting academic freedom† stood to be a legitimate secular purpose. In other sense, Justice Scalia believed that the considered academic freedom also included within its ambit the students’ right to be exposed to religious views and indoctrination. The majority opinion seems more to be in consonance with the Supreme Court interpretation of the Establishment Clause in a historical context. In the light of Engel v. Vitale (1962) decision, it could be said that the inclusion of such texts, dogmas, practices and theories in the school curricula that adhered to a specific religion amounted to a violation of the Establishment Clause. However, if one takes into consideration the ruling in Zorach v. Clauson (1952), it could be said that the Supreme Court could have modified its ruling by leaving the study of creationism in Public Schools as an optional choice, subject to the opinions and considerations of the specific students. The ruling in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) also supports the Edwards ruling, as inculcation of religious courses at state expenses amounted to an entanglement between the state and the religion. Besides, in a historical context, the United States Constitution has always been averse to Fundamentalist views supportiv e of religious literalism and contrary to a liberal scientific

The 2007-2009 Financial Crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The 2007-2009 Financial Crisis - Essay Example The study by the international monetary fund (IMF) indicated that macroeconomic policies, balance sheet fragilities, and financial boom were some of other greater contributors to the crisis. The macroeconomic causes of the financial crisis were in terms of low inflation and low rates because the previous years were characterized by high degree of macroeconomic stability which was seen as unusual (Kolb, 2010). This was as a result of the opening of communist countries to world trade which leads to low labor cost to the world economy.The role of credit rating agencies in the 2007-2009 financial crisis was their failure to fully evaluate and understand the risks of introduced complex products. This is because the credit rating agencies role was to serve as gatekeepers in the global credit market. Their monitoring and issuance of debts and other securities issued by governments cooperate they were to exercise influence over access to the capital market and terms of pricing on which borro wers receive credit (Hemraj, 2015). There were contributions by government policies which lowered credit control where government policy was focused on home ownership. This led to increase in sub-prime mortgage lending which turned to be the root of crisis later. There were education and implementation of programs to encourage home ownership by low-income and minority citizens and there was an encouragement by real estate and mortgage institutions to increase rates of minorities’ homeownership.

Give an account of Jonathan Swift's citique of the'moderns' especially Essay

Give an account of Jonathan Swift's citique of the'moderns' especially as it is expressed in his'Tale of a Tub' (Sect.IX) and 'Gulliver's Travels (Bks III & IV) - Essay Example His satire has intensity and virulence which upset not only his intended targets but till today haunts critics who have at times simply ascribed it to Swift’s predisposition to misanthropy and depression. Though recent critical knowledge has moved away from this view, the perception of Swift as a misanthrope persists. Perhaps the vehemence of Swift’s satire can be attributed in part to the peculiar need felt by eighteenth century thinkers of the immense importance of their times. There is no other way to explain the huge output of satire in the eighteenth century. Daniel Defoe, Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, John Dryden, Alexander Pope were some other eighteenth century writers who utilized satire in the various genres of literature. Certainly none troubled the eighteenth century conscience more than Swift himself who uses savage polemic to subdue what was anathema to him. It would be wise to take a look at eighteenth century English history to discover where Swift stood and the causes which drew his ire. The late seventeenth century had seen the vigorous emergence in print of ideas which, to put it simply, sought to foreground humanity without any reference to divinity or society. Foremost and most influential was John Locke who in his essay titled, Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690) attributed the formation of human knowledge to the influence of external stimuli and experience. He rejected the notion that humans were born with certain innate ideas such as those concerning God, time, substance etc. He famously compared the human mind at birth to a white sheet of paper, a tabula rasa, which depended on experience and sense memory to form knowledge. Science emerged as an exciting new discipline that increasingly became a specialisation, cut off from society. Isaac Newton had published his Principia in 1687. The eighteenth century is therefore also termed as â€Å"The Age of Reason† and the â€Å"Age of Enlightenment†. However this

The film Machuca, by Andrs Wood, explores a series of social relations Coursework

The film Machuca, by Andrs Wood, explores a series of social relations in Chile in 1973, ranging from inter- personal, familial, community, political organizations, and the Chilean nation - Coursework Example While Gonzalo belongs to an upper class family, Pedro belongs to a lower class poor family. But the egalitarian enthusiasm of the school priests and fathers leads them to grant scholarship to a few lower class boys so that they can attend school. This moment marks the beginning of a deep friendship between Gonzalo and Pedro, which the director has skillfully employed to construct the later plot of the story in a way that the theme of social classes and the political conditions of Chile become apparent. Then follows an appropriately paced sequence of scenes that delves the audience into the setting of the film: the Chile of 1973. Here onwards, the story unfolds to demonstrate the social, economic, and political conditions of the 1970s Chile through the lens of these two boys. â€Å"Class antagonism†, as identified by Martin-Cabrera and Voionmaa (2007), is an evident element of the film which is established quite early. The social experiment carried out by Father McEnroe allows children from shanty towns to obtain scholarship into the private English school run by him. As a result, poor lower class students get to study with their rich upper class counterparts. Gonzalo is among those who belong to the upper class living in a rich household whereas Pedro is a poor boy who lives in the shanty towns nearby. This social experiment allows the two polar classes to attend school together thereby bringing both sides to the extremes of the life they live. In a symbolic way, the social experiment closely resembles a real experiment reflecting the socialist, egalitarian policies of the government led by Salvador Allende. In Machuca (2007), as the new development of the experiment takes place the slum boys are mixed with elite bourgeoisie boys. However, the ex periment does not initially seem to be successful as the two antagonistic classes have a hard time integrating and assimilating with the

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Marketing Plan Essay Example for Free

Accounting and Bookkeeping Services Marketing Plan Essay Marketing Vision Sorcerers Accountant will fit the needs of transitional small businesses, dealing with the growing pains of leaving an owner-operator model to hiring employees and expanding. These clients will see that Sorcerers Accountant is competitively priced, both compared with the market and with the substitute option of hiring their own bookkeepers. Clients will see that Sorcerers Accountant is extremely flexible and scalable in a way that in-house bookkeepers cannot be. To move forward with this new business line, Sorcerers Accountant will make the bookkeeping services the core of its business and a source of leads for its additional accounting services, rather than the other way around. Over time, as this transition happens, the marketing plan will be revisited to see how these clients can be better used as a source for referrals and more business. See more: The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Goals Sorcerers Accountants goals include Personal, Marketing, Business, and Client Satisfaction goals. They are: 1. Personal To reduce the time spent on the business by Max Greenwood to a more sustainable level over a few years and to achieve professional recognition 2. Marketing Generation of large numbers of leads and press mentions 3. Business Expand sales significantly over the next three years 4. Client Satisfaction To achieve a high level of very satisfied clients Purpose Sorcerers Accountant seeks to provide a full suite of tax and management accounting services for small businesses in Chicago, Illinois, allowing business owners to not only save money over in-house accounting and ensure their compliance with tax laws, but to make valuable management decisions from their numbers. Picture When clients come to Sorcerers Accountant, the frustration of dealing with in-house bookkeepers and low-quality providers will recede. Clients will be given the time to have all of their questions answered and valuable accounting and systems advice will be given even in the initial meetings. The client will quickly understand that Sorcerers Accountant will scale their services to meet the clients needs and can add to those services as the clients needs change. They will understand that they are not entering into an onerous contract and that the cost of getting started is low. The client will be delighted the first time they receive a thank you card and small gift when theyve made their budgeted numbers for the quarter. At this point it will truly sink in that Sorcerers Accountant has their bookkeeping and accounting needs covered and that they can put away any worry that this area will be a weak link in their business. Gap Dashboard Weekly measurements of key metrics will be averaged for each month and entered in the Gap Dashboard. Personal goals will be tracked by Max Greenwood directly to make sure he is moving towards both professional recognition and a sustainable work/life balance. Marketing goals will be tracked by the CRM system and business goals will be tracked by QuickBooks. Client satisfaction numbers will be derived from the survey providers database. Whether numbers are met or not, the news will be shared on a monthly basis with the entire staff, with congratulations and discussion as to what is going right as well as a look at what is going wrong and how it can be rectified. These reports will be shared in full with the bookkeeping program manager and partially with the bookkeepers. Ideal Customer The ideal customer for Sorcerers Accountant is an owner of a very small business. Having launched within the last few years, the customer has just hired his first employee. The bookkeeping work (accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, tax preparation) that the owner did for the first few years is taking more and more time and is holding him back from working on sales, marketing, and strategy for the business. The new employee has been hired to handle more of the technical work of the business, not to do bookkeeping. However, when considering the type of bookkeeping help he can afford, the customer realizes that a ten-hour-a-week employee would most likely be a student or low-skills worker who would require a great deal of training. The customer is put off by the idea of spending a great deal of time training such an individual, who may leave within a year (or even less) due to school schedule changes or finding a full-time job. He realizes that keeping the books correctly is important work, but because he understands his own value to the business, his knows his time is better spent elsewhere. He might then begin to search for professional bookkeeping options that can offer just a low-level of support by doing his own research and asking other business owners he knows. Market Description The small business accounting market consists of virtually every small business in the United States. As businesses grow larger than one person sole proprietorships, they generally require expert help with at least their tax preparation, and often with additional bookkeeping and accounting services. Even many non-employer sole proprietorships will use accounting help at some point. While some small businesses hire bookkeepers or CFOs directly, many successfully outsource these types of services. The market for Sorcerers Accountant is small businesses in the city limits of Chicago. This will represent approximately 85,000 businesses in 2010. This market can be subdivided into three groups: Non-employer firms: Without employees, these firms do not have many of the concerns of larger businesses. However, the owners must be vigilant to protect their own tax liability and sort out how their personal and business tax returns intersect. These firms are generally buyers of QuickBooks services and tax preparation services. As they grow, this group becomes ripe for outsourced bookkeeping services before they can hire a full-time in-house bookkeeper. Very small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 2-10 employees. Made up of businesses that are designed to stay small and those which are growing through a phase, these businesses require payroll services, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. They are concerned about losing control, but can generally be convinced of using outsourced accounting and bookkeeping with cost analysis. With the stakes higher, these businesses can make greater use of management accounting services, especially as most cannot afford a dedicated CFO. Many do not need a full-time bookkeeper, but can made due with part-time help, which limits their hiring options. Other small businesses: Defined for our purposes as businesses with 11 to 99 employees. Many of these businesses will have some in-house financial management and bookkeeping help. However, they may be able to save money by outsourcing these services as they are not generally core to what the business seeks to do. These businesses may be comfortable with their situation as a cash producer for their owners or intent on g rowing or positioning themselves for sale. Remarkable Difference Sorcerers Accountant offers the flexibility and low rates of an in-house bookkeeping employee, while providing all of the training, oversight, and deep knowledge of a Certified Public Accountant. Differentiators Sorcerers Accountant will achieve a competitive edge among Chicago bookkeeping services due to its combination of CPA oversight with lower-level, inexpensive labor to solve the specific problems of small business owners. Clients will receive the advantage of having a CPA review their books and propose additional advice when appropriate, while not paying much more than they would to hire their own part-time bookkeeper. This is not an inimitable competitive edge, but the market in Chicago is significantly large enough to allow for the success of Sorcerers Accountant with this strategy. Large firms ignore the small business market because they are better positioned to serve larger businesses. They are unlikely to imitate this strategy as they will find it difficult to convince small businesses that they can offer services which are affordable to them.

Reflection on self awareness and personal growth

Reflection on self awareness and personal growth The purpose of this essay is for the trainee Counsellor to critically reflect upon, and evaluate, a recorded counselling session which took place on Thursday 2nd April 2009. Within this essay, the trainee Counsellor will evaluate their use of advanced counselling skills and assess the value and usefulness of these skills. In particular, the trainee Counsellor will critically evaluate their own way of being by closely examining their application of the six conditions which are essential to therapeutic change and will focus on: the three attitudes or conditions that a person-centred therapist needs to provide for the client are congruence, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. These attitudes are not presented as a hierarchy. Indeed they are viewed best as a trinity inseparable, essential and mutually independent. An evaluation and reflection of the trainee Counsellors performance will be enhanced by use of the person-centred rating scales. Mearns Thorne (2007) when writing about the rating scales posit that: Discussing these ratings, and the other possible responses the trainee counsellor might have made, could help to expand the trainees repertoire of ways of communicating [her] empathy. (Mearns Thorne, 2007, p.71) Another way in which the trainee Counsellor has evaluated the way they worked in this session is by closely examining the DVD with the observer who was present during the session and who asked the trainee Counsellor pertinent questions regarding the session. This procedure is known as Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) (Merry, 2006, p.146). Finally, the trainee Counsellor will refer to feedback notes from the observer order to critically evaluate their way of working with the client. The client in this session is a 36 year old married woman who has two children. This session is the trainee Counsellors second session with this client, although the trainee Counsellor is aware that the client has seen another therapist previously, nothing of these other sessions has been divulged by the client. In the first session prior to the client talking about her reasons for wanting to see a therapist, the trainee Counsellor and client worked collaboratively through the contract. This was done with sensitivity as the trainee Counsellor was very aware that he was the first male Counsellor seen by the client and she had already disclosed her anxiety and nervousness about this fact. During the first session, the client talked about a number of different issues, but continually returned to focus on her feelings about a man who had been harassing her both physically and sexually. The client also expressed doubts about her own lack of self-belief and her compulsive organisational an d controlling nature which she felt dominated her life. The trainee Counsellor considered how the client was moving along the Seven Stages Model (Merry, 2006, p.59) and that the client was positioned somewhere between stages 3 and 4, although possibly closer to stage 4 as during the first session the client demonstrated some internal confusion about her feelings and there was a tendency for her to express things in terms of black white, she was however, also able to convey some profound and more meaningful feelings. Merry (2006) describes stages 3 4 as: Clients who first seek therapy are often at this stage and need to be fully accepted as they present themselves before moving deeper into Stage 4. Stage 4 In this stage, clients begin to describe deeper feelings, usually those that happened in the past. (Merry, 2002, p60) At the beginning of the second session the trainee Counsellor checked, by working collaboratively with the client [C1, C3, C5], about the contract in order to confirm with the client that she was happy with and understood everything discussed in the first session. The client confirmed [CL6] that she was fine to continue. The trainee Counsellor then proceeded to set the boundaries [C1, C7] for the counselling session. Boundaries are an extremely important element of the therapeutic process as they make the client aware of what the trainee Counsellor is offering them. The trainee Counsellor, by being open about the type of counselling they offer, by setting time limitations and by reassuring the client, clearly sets the scene for a healthy, professional and mutually beneficial relationship. Mearns Thorne (2007) when discussing boundaries suggest that: It is important both at this early stage and as counselling proceeds that the counsellor monitors continually what [she] is prepared to offer to the client, and what lies outside the boundaries of [her] commitment. (Mearns Thorne, 2007, p.53) The trainee Counsellor, when discussing the boundaries and when checking with the client about the previous session and the clients understanding displayed a deep level of Unconditional Positive Regard (UPR) [rating 4.0] [C1, C7]. At [CL8] the client begins to talk about a man who is heavily impacting on her life at the moment. The trainee Counsellor [C9] reflects the clients words back to her, but paraphrased and in a manner which questions the clients feelings. At [CL10] the client is interrupted by a loud noise from an adjoining room and the trainee Counsellor, because of the psychological connection with the client and his level of congruence [rating 5.0] responds with a degree of immediacy [C11] which is positively acknowledged by the client. At [CL12] the client expresses anger and frustration at herself. The trainee Counsellor [C13] is at this point offering the client UPR [rating 4.0] and a deep level of empathy [rating 4.5 5.0] and acknowledges the clients anger by reflecting and challenging the clients feelings about being trapped [C15] and angry. The client [CL14] agrees with the reflection and at [CL16] questions herself about what it is that she is actually angry and frustrated about. The trainee Counsellor remembers key details about the client which were disclosed in the first session and following the clients comments at [CL16] makes some gentle and refined queries [C19, C23, C25]. These challenges are accepted by the client, positively and with real emotion. The strength of the response identifies the level of relational depth that the trainee Counsellor and client have formed. At this point [C25, C27, C29] the Counsellors empathy [rating 5.0], congruence [rating 5.0] and UPR [rating 5.0] are clearly visible to the client and such a deep level of mutuality is present that previously unrecognised feelings which were just outside of the clients consciousness become visible and the client achieves a moment of comprehension and awareness [CL30]. Rogers (2004) describes this as: the letting of material come into awareness, without any attempt to own it as part of the self, or to relate it to other material held in consciousness. (Rogers, 2004, p.78) There is a visible shift in the client at this point and the trainee Counsellor, because of the level of his empathy [rating 4.5] is aware of the internal confusion and struggle that the client is undergoing. [C29, C31] At [C33] by expressing his confusion to the client, the trainee Counsellor displayed a deep level of congruence [rating 5.0] and this openness and genuine attitude assisted the client who moved on to explore her own feelings and reactions to what she had said at [CL30, CL32]. The trainee Counsellor [C35, C37, C39] reflects some of the clients thoughts back to her. During this period of interaction, the trainee Counsellor takes the opportunity to make some gentle challenges which cause the client to question her thought process. At [CL50] the client questions the trainee Counsellor, and it appears as if she is looking for some kind of affirmation that what she is saying makes sense. The trainee Counsellor [C51] makes it clear to the client that what she has said makes perfect sense to him, and this could easily be construed as some form of collusion, however in this case it is more of a corroboration to demonstrate the trainee Counsellors empathic understanding [rating 4.5 5.0] and a s a form of encouragement to the client to continue. The interactions at [CL50, C51] clearly display the trainee Counsellor and the client sharing the same frame of reference, being in the same place at the same time. Worsley (2002) suggests that: The greater the spontaneous-type content of the frame of reference, the more proper it is to call any therapist response process-orientated, because the therapist will be engaging empathically with the whole organism who is the client, and not just the reflexive, conscious elements. (Worsley, 2002, p.40) The trainee Counsellor, at interactions [C53, C81, C92] makes use of challenges which could be construed as directive questions, however, with the use of IPR and a deeper analysis of the recorded session, it is apparent that the trainee Counsellor was not directing the client, but was using thought-provoking words to stimulate the clients process. The trainee Counsellor used his UPR [rating 5.0] and empathy [rating 4.5 5.0] to identify with the clients goals whilst at the same time valuing and respecting the client at the deepest level and at the same time being his own person, being congruent [rating 4.0 5.0] and honest with his own feelings so that the client is aware that she is valued and prized and that the trainee Counsellor is not hiding anything of himself from her. At interactions [C81, C98] the trainee Counsellor takes the opportunity to query the clients incongruence and the clients responses [CL82, CL83, CL85, CL99] clearly suggest that she was not being truly honest with herself. Rogers hypothesises that if the client: becomes more self-aware, more self-acceptant, less defensive and more open, [he] finds that [he] is at last free to change and grow in the directions natural to the human organism. (Rogers, 2004, p.64) There is a point in the counselling session [CL109] where the trainee Counsellor senses a shift and a visible change in the client. The client starts to question her own behaviour and self, and in doing so realises how important some of the issues discussed in the session are to her. Rogers (1980) suggests that: To perceive a new aspect of oneself is the first step toward changing the concept of oneself. The new element is, in an understanding atmosphere, owned and assimilated into a now altered self-concept. (Rogers, 1980, p.155) The trainee Counsellor, through several interactions [C112 to C134] briefly sums up the session so far, recapping the salient points of the session. This is done collaboratively with the client, continually checking that the client is in agreement with what the trainee Counsellor is reviewing. By working in this manner, the trainee Counsellor is adhering to the ethical principles recommended by the BACP and is ensuring that he is working in an anti-oppressive way. Within this review of the counselling session, the trainee Counsellor considered different parts of the clients self. Mearns Thorne (2007) refer to these different parts as configurations of self and suggest that: a configuration is a developed self-within-a-self that can contain a wide array of elements a set of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that together represent an important dimension of the persons existence. (Mearns Thorne, 2007, p.34) An analysis of the clients various dimensions gave the trainee Counsellor the opportunity [C124, C126, C134, C136] to sensitively challenge those different parts which in turn triggered a reflective process in the client. The relational depth between the trainee Counsellor and client at this point was extremely good with both client and trainee Counsellor aware of their own feelings and expressing the genuine and authentic person to each other. Nothing was hidden and there was a real connectedness between both people in the counselling session. If both the trainee Counsellor and the client can be genuine in the relationship, the more helpful it will be. (Rogers, 2004, p.33) The trainee Counsellor is a student member of the British Association for Counselling Psychotherapy (BACP), and as such is fully aware of the importance of adhering to the elements within the BACPs Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling Psychotherapy (BACP, 2007) which discuss the provision of maintaining a good standard of practice and care (BACP, 2007, p.5). The trainee Counsellor fully believes that: Regularly monitoring and reviewing ones work is essential to maintaining good practice. It is important to be open to, and conscientious in considering, feedback from colleagues, appraisals and assessments. (BACP, 2007, p.5) IPR of the session reinforced the trainee Counsellors original observations and feelings about the client as the session drew to a close. It was apparent that from interactions [CL150 CL156] that the client was in a deep state of process. The trainee Counsellors level of empathy [rating 5.0] and the relationship which had developed between client and trainee Counsellor was such that at interaction [C157] the trainee Counsellor made the decision to end the counselling session a couple of minutes early. This was checked with the client to ensure that she was happy to do this, and the expression on her face confirmed that the trainee Counsellors choice was the correct one. The client had, at this point, moved on and was clearly trying to figure out what was going on in her head. Rogers (2004) outlines a clients process by suggesting that: Clients seem to move toward more openly being a process, a fluidity, a changing. They are not disturbed to find that they are not the same from day to day, that they do not always hold the same feelings toward a given experience or person, that they are not always consistent. (Rogers, 2004, p.171) The clients progress in this session was, for the trainee Counsellor, quite a revelation. The trainee Counsellor by focusing, using a felt sense (Mearns Thorne, 2007, p.79) [C29] touches on the clients unknown feelings and attends with deep empathy [rating 4.5 5.0] congruence [rating 4.5] and UPR [rating 4.5 5.0] to the client. It was the trainee Counsellors first real experience of witnessing a clients self-realisation [CL30] to something that was at the edge of their awareness but which they had previously ignored or dismissed. A change came over the client [CL30] and their honesty and openness became much more expressive. At this moment the relationship between the trainee Counsellor and client became much closer. Feedback from this session was received from a third party observer, who took notes to assist the trainee Counsellor in their evaluation of this session. The comments suggested that the trainee Counsellors congruence, empathy and use of UPR were obvious and perceived by the observer to be at a deep level. The observer suggested that on occasion, in her opinion, the client / trainee Counsellor relationship seemed almost friendly. From a learning and professional perspective and having reviewed the recording several times, the trainee Counsellor can see how some of the session might have been experienced from an observational point of view, but within the counselling relationship the two participants were experiencing each other and absorbed deeply in the counselling relationship. This is characterised by their ability to share a moment of levity [CL36, C37], followed by the client moving flawlessly back into her train of thought and process. From the trainee Counsellors perspective, several key points were noticed. Firstly, there were a couple of areas [C19, C39] where the session could have gone in different directions. As a trainee, the choice of language, the correct use of handle-words and the on-the-spot decision making is difficult to practice as every client is unique and individual, and every client will bring a different range of issues to the session. Secondly, the trainee Counsellor considered their use of questions in the session. There is no doubt that there will be some criticism of the way in which the trainee Counsellor phrased some interactions to the client, but there is a firm belief that none of the questions were deliberately directive and the session flowed well, with the relationship between client and trainee Counsellor relaxed, natural and open. Finally, the trainee Counsellor was real and authentic and it is clear that the client experienced this realness in the relationship. A major learning experience taken from this session is that of experience. There were three significant moments in the session, the first at interaction [CL30] where the client achieved self-realisation about the way she had been behaving, the second was at interactions [C61, CL62] where the client acknowledges her participation in what she refers to as a game in which she chooses whether or not to play, and the third is at interaction [CL91] where the client starts to question the relationship she has with her husband with regards to her issue of control. As a learning outcome, these moments were invaluable as they provided the trainee Counsellor with experiences not previously encountered. The trainee Counsellor, in evaluating this counselling session, has already discussed and evaluated three of the conditions from the six necessary for therapeutic change: the trainee counsellors empathic understanding of the clients world; congruence on the part of the trainee Counsellor and the trainee Counsellors UPR towards the client. The remaining three conditions, although not mentioned specifically have also been present during this session. The first, that two people are in psychological contact, is demonstrated throughout the session by the dialogue that the client and trainee Counsellor maintained, thus forming a meaningful relationship. The second condition is that the client is in an anxious or vulnerable state, in other words is in a state of incongruence and this condition is openly displayed by the client throughout the session and no more so that at interaction [CL8] where the client admits to being stuck and confused. The third and final of the remaining six conditio ns is: The communication to the client of the counsellors empathic understanding and unconditional positive regard is to a minimal degree achieved. (Merry, 2006, p.49) The trainee Counsellor, in evaluating this session, has visibly exhibited his UPR [rating 4.5 5.0] and empathic understanding [rating 4.5] of the clients inner world [C61, C86] and in doing so helped to facilitate a safe and constructive environment for the client. This was a significant session for the client as the trainee Counsellor believes there has been a major movement along the seven stages of process and that the client at times during the session made the transition into stage 5. There was obviously some vacillation between stage four and five and the trainee Counsellor, although identifying the shift in the client [CL30, CL109] made no attempt to move them onto stage five, but rather left the client to find their own path, knowing that she would move forward when it was right for her to do so. The trainee Counsellor was himself, the client was herself. There were no facades, no hidden agendas, just two people experiencing a deep understanding of each other. Rogers (2004), when talking about this kind of relationship, posits: acceptance of each fluctuating aspect of this other person makes it for [him] a relationship of warmth and safety, and the safety of being liked and prized as a person seems a highly important element in a helping relationship. (Rogers, 2004, p.34) The relational depth achieved by the client and trainee Counsellor is clearly evident throughout many parts of the session. A particularly powerful moment is at interaction [CL109] where the client questions her own values and the clients body language and the timbre of her voice expose her feelings. Mearns Thorne (2007) suggest that: At times such as these, understanding between client and counsellor exists at many levels, as does acceptance. The outcome is a profound sense of sharing. (Mearns Thorne, 2007, p.191)

Personal Experience Of Social Cognitive Theory

Personal Experience Of Social Cognitive Theory The social cognitive theory refers to a psychological model of behavior that emerged primarily from the work of Albert Bandura. In todays psychological science, people are viewed as biological, psychological, and social organisms which entail thoughts, emotions, behaviors and social factors (Meyer, 1996). The social cognitive theory is a learning theory based on the idea that people learn by watching what others do and that thought processes are central to understanding personalities (. Since a fair amount of learned behavior that influenced our development, displayed in the environment in which one grew up, and as individuals, thoughts and feelings were just as important in determining moral development. Three main factors influencing our development is by observing others, with the environment, behavior, and cognition all as the main factors in influencing our development. These three factors dont stay the same or independent; rather, they are all reciprocal. We learn many of our b ehaviors by observing others and modeling our behavior after theirs (thats the social part). What we think about our situations affects our behavior (thats the cognitive part). One the environment refers to the factors that can affect a persons behavior. There are two types environment the social and physical environment. The social environment includes family members, friends and colleagues. The physical environment could be a room, the climate, the availability of certain foods, or the landscape, just to name a few. These factors play a part in affecting our behavior. Situations refer to the cognitive or mental representation of the environment that may affect a persons behavior. The situation is a person, perception of the time, activities or physical features. The cognitive part also deals with moral competence of an individual which is defined as the growth of cognitive sensory processes. Simply put, it is being aware of what is considered right or wrong. Behavior and people are constantly influencing each other. Behavior is not simply the result of the environment, just as the environment is not simply the result of the behavior. But the environment does provide models for behavior. Modeling sample in observational learning is when a person watches the actions of another person and imitates that action. The social cognitive theory is that we tend to model or copy what we observe. The situations we find ourselves in is processed and shaped in our minds. What the social cognitive theory focuses on how we and our environment interact. MEANINGFUL DEFINING MOMENT My defining moment was one of great significance to me. I believe that moment saved my life, because if I would have continued down the road I was going, I wouldnt be here to write this paper today. I really thank God for that defining moment day of when I decided to follow Christ and how he delivered me from alcoholism. I really I dont remember the exact date when my journey began with Christ. I had a lot of problems in my life: drinking problems, social problems, marriage problems, and many more. They didnt fall off right then and there when I accepted Christ, but they all would gradually fall off as I continued to follow Him. Being around the people in the church put me in a different environment that I started to model. The old environment was not a good one for me because the people there were getting high and drinking. But soon I was able to stand my ground even in that environment. Like I said before the corrupt things in my life started to fall off, things started getting bet ter and my wife and I started serving together in the church. We started taking our children to church every Sunday and through the week as a family. There were still some other things that needed to fall off, like the alcoholism, which still had its evil grip on me, even as I worked and served in the church. A few other corrupt things still had their paws in me too, but I stayed around the church, and kept going because I knew there was hope there in God for me. My children, my wife and I kept going to the church and growing closer together. I believe, no, I know thats what kept us together. The word of God taught me how to love and appreciate life, and the things that I had in life like my wife family and other close friends. I learned how appreciate whatever I had at the time as a blessing from God, because the church taught me that there were some less fortunate than my family and I. I had a roof over my head and there were some people who didnt even have that, those who were ho meless. Now to get back to the struggles that I had while still in the church. I began to feel that something was wrong with me and that everyone else seemed to have their life together in God with no problems. Others seemed victorious in their Christian walk and perfect. But I still had negative thoughts attacking my mind compared to the perfect people. My wife began singing in the church before I started playing the guitar there. I thought that since she had been raised in church and because her parents were pastors, that she had an edge over me with the church thing. Although that wasnt the case, I still had my problems to process. This went on for a while like a few years, but I still battled with my alcoholism and did seek help. I dont really remember how many rehabs I entered, but I know it was more than two probably three or four, but I really dont remember. My issues with rehabs were because I felt they were the same as alcoholism, bondage, but just a different type, one to meetings. They were telling me that I would have to attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) for the rest of my life. One of the last rehabs I attended asked this question: Do you know anyone that has made it without attending AA meetings or any other, drug-related meeting? He said it was possible, but very rare like only two out of every two thousand individuals. That scared me, but I stated that I would just have to be one of the two. So one evening while we were attending church service, a prayer line began and I went and asked for prayer for my alcoholism. The lady that prayed for me used to have a problem with alcohol and drinking. As she laid her hands on me and prayed for God to deliver me from the grip of alcoholism, my response to her was that I was scared and had been fighting this thing a long time. I also said that I didnt want to take another drink. She responded that everything would be all right and that God would take care of it, so not to worry because it was gone. That very same ni ght I went to buy a drink, and when I reached to pay for it, I got very sick at counter of liquor store. Afterwards, I went home and got in the bed, but was still feeling sick and very weak. I went to the bathroom and passed out. My wife convinced me to go to the hospital because I was literally bleeding from every opening, from my nose, mouth, and other places. That night at the emergency room, I remembered lying there, waiting for them to care for me and the doctors checking on me through the night asking me several questions. Finally, the next day, like five oclock in the morning they scheduled many tests. The doctor explained that he had to look inside, so he took a long tube with a camera, started down my throat and looked around and around but couldnt find anything wrong with me. I asked where the bleeding came from, but he said he didnt see anything. They asked me if I did drugs or drank to get high, and I responded yes. The doctor again said to me, I dont see anything that c ould be causing you to bleed internally. So when they discharged me, they gave me instructions not to get high or drink anymore. Why did they give me these instructions? I dont know to this day forward, but after receiving them, I never got high or took another drink. Now that one major problem that I had was eliminated, I could go forward in the things of God. Remember what I said I thought something was wrong with me. My thinking was that I had to be perfect. I soon learned that the people who were around me in that environment werent so perfect after all. I learned that God doesnt expect us to be perfect, but wants us to be willing to do right things. Afterwards, my mindset changed and I realized that I didnt have to be perfect, and I celebrated deliverance from alcoholism. I gladly played the guitar with my wife during church services, taught Sunday school, and participated in a number of other things. Theres much more to this story, but I cant share all the details, because it would take longer than I have to tell it. LIFE LESSONS LEARNED The social cognitive theory speaks about observation and modeling. Theres one part in my defining moment paper that shows an example that I would like to further clarify. Being around the people in the church put me in a different environment that I started to model. There were some things they were doing in the church that I liked, and respected. Its called observational learning when a person watches the action of another person and imitates it and learns from that observation making it a part of their behavior. There were also some cognition things going on. Like the part I wrote in my paper about how I felt that something was wrong with me. Even though it was not true, in my mind it was. I wrote that I began to feel that something was wrong with me and that everyone else seemed to have their life together in God with no problems. But having those thoughts and feelings affected my behavior toward others, which was another cognitive and behavioral factor. The main cognition was the moral thoughts. My thought processes were that I needed help. Staying at the church was good for the environmental setting of the church played a part to impact my thinking. Moral performance of the people in the church was influenced by possible rewards and incentives to act a certain way. Another cognitive process was that the people seem to have a peace of mind and that was one of my incentives. The conclusion is that people do have the ability to influence their own behavior and the environment in a purposeful, goal-directed fashion. The focus of the social cognitive theory is how we and our environment interact.

Machiavelli’s The Prince :: Machiavelli The Prince Essays

Niccolo Machiavelli lived in Florence, Italy in the 1400’s. The country of Italy was divided into city-states that had their own leaders, but all pledged alliance to their king. In time in which great leaders were needed in order to help the development of a city-state and country, Machiavelli had a theory that man needed a leader to control them. In his book The Prince, he speaks of the perfect leader. I believe that man, by nature, is neither good nor evil. When a child comes out of its mother, one cannot tell whether or not that child will be a serial killer or win the Nobel Peace prize. A child’s environment is what forms it to be the adult that it will be one day. I believe that it also what one believes that makes him or her what that person will be one day. Machiavelli believed however that man was naturally an evil being, one that needed control (Prince). The idea of man being an evil being, by nature, is expressed in Machiavelli’s book The Prince. He has written that a Prince should break his promises to his subjects because man is evil and will break their promises to their prince (Prince). I do not agree with this theory because I think that man will make his own decision based on whether or not he is good in character. I believe that a leader should tell the truth and win the support of the public by being known as doing this. Machiavelli seems to have the idea of preparing for the worst and thinking in terms of the worst. This is a preventative measure that will benefit anybody who has evil intentions. Only a person who thinks that man is evil would think of such ways to run a government in the way that Machiavelli thought a government should be operated. Machiavelli felt that â€Å"crafty and deceitful princes have historically defeated the faithful princes†(Prince). What happened to the idea of a caring leader, one who could be trusted to make decisions that the majority of the people agreed with? I do not agree with Machiavelli that a leader should be deceitful in order to for his country to succeed or grow. I think that what a leader is depends on what type of man you are good or evil. The leader that Machiavelli describes as being the ideal one is evil.

Essay --

Short Tandem Repeats are nucleic acid sequences in short strings, usually1-7 bases long, (ex. AGAT) which repeat over and over (ex. AGATAGATAGAT†¦). STRs can be subject to duplication, inversion or deletion, which may alter their sequence, if only by one base pair. They can be typed by PCR. The small size of STRs makes them easy and efficient to amplify, and allows testing to be done even on small pieces of DNA. This means STR typing can be performed on lower quality samples, more quickly (24 – 48 hours), and with smaller sample sizes (1 ug – 10 ng). Accordingly, STR typing is a great method for both forensic and paternity testing. The FBI developed the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a database of DNA profiles, using 13 STR markers. Similar to databases in other countries, CODIS catalogs DNA from repeat criminals, allowing agencies to search for a match between crime scene DNA and profiles in their catalog, in an attempt to identify a perpetrator. STR alleles are distinguished from each other by how many times their base sequence repeats (ex. how many times AGAT is repeated). PCR distinguishes how many base sequences are present in an allele by attaching a fluorescent marker to each base sequence (ex. AGAT), making it possible to count the number of repeats in a product. The process is typical of PCR. In the initial amplification step, sample is incubated with primers, polymerase, and buffer. This procedure is concurrently performed on control DNA from a standard. Next, the DNA is added to electrophoretic gel, along with formamide, allelic ladders (various alleles of the locus being sought), and internal size standards (markers of molecular weight). Once the gel has run, computers analyze the products. Analytic software det... ...ng with the APC itself). MHC Class I cells can be any nucleated cell within the body. If the MHC is Class II, it binds with extracellular antigens, such as parasites, bacteria and toxins. These extracellular antigens need to be inside the APCs, before they can bind with MHC. This requires APCs with MHC Class II to be phagocytic cells that swallow up the antigenic material. MHC Class II bearing APCs can be B-cells, dendritic cells, langerhans cells, or macrophages. Lysosomes inside these cells contain enzymes that break the antigens down into peptides. Once presented, the MHCs communicate with CD4+ receptors on T-cells. T-cells with these receptors are destined to become helper T-cells, once they are activated. At this point, the helper T-cells can release cytokines and coordinate the immune response by activating cytotoxic T-cells, other helper T-cells and B-cells.

Brand Awareness Essay

Extent to which a brand is recognized by potential customers, and is correctly associated with a particular product Expressed usually as a percentage of target market, brand awareness is the primary goal of advertising in the early months or years of a product’s introduction.( Noel. K, Francoise. R. 1995), Brand awareness, In general, means the extent to which a brand associated with a particular product is documented by potential and existing customers either positively or negatively. Creation of brand awareness is the primary goal of advertising at the beginning of any product’s life cycle in target markets. In fact, brand awareness has influence on buying behavior of a buyer. (Noel. K, Francoise. R. 1995), Brand awareness can be measured by showing a consumer the brand and asking whether or not they knew of it beforehand. However, in common market research practice a variety of recognition and recall measures of brand awareness are employed all of which test the brand name’s association to a product category cue, this came about because most market research in the 20th Century was conducted by post or telephone, actually showing the brand to consumers usually required more expensive face-to-face interviews (until web-based interviews became possible). (Noel. K, Francoise. R. 1995), this has led many textbooks to conceptualize brand awareness simply as its measures, that is, knowledge that the brand is a member of a particular product category, e.g. soft-drinks. Examples of such measures include: Brand recognition – Either the brand name or both the brand name and category name are presented to respondents. Brand recall – the product category name is given to respondents who are asked to recall as many brands as possible that are members of the category. ï‚ §Top of mind awareness – as above, but only the first brand recalled is recorded (also known as spontaneous brand recall). There has been discussion in industry and practice about the meaning and value of various brand awareness metrics. Recently, an empirical study appeared to put this debate to rest by suggesting that all awareness metrics were systematically related, simply reflecting their difficulty, in the same way that certain questions are more difficult in academic exams (Robert W. P. 1971), Brand recall Brand Recall is the extent to which a brand name is recalled as a member of a brand, product or service class, as distinct from brand recognition. Common market research usage is that pure brand recall requires â€Å"unaided recall†. For example a respondent may be asked to recall the names of any cars he may know, or any whisky brands he may know. Some researchers divide recall into both â€Å"unaided† and â€Å"aided† recall. â€Å"Aided recall† measures the extent to which a brand name is remembered when the actual brand name is prompted. An example of such a question is â€Å"Do you know of the â€Å"Honda† brand?† In terms of brand exposure, companies want to look for high levels of unaided recall in relation to their competitors. The first recalled brand name (often called â€Å"top of mind†) has a distinct competitive advantage in brand space, as it has the first chance of evaluation for purchase. (Jonathan, 1982) Brand Recognition Brand Recognition is the extent to which a brand is recognized for stated brand attributes or communications In some cases brand recognition is defined as aided recall – and as a subset of brand recall. In the case, brand recognition is the extent to which a brand name is recognized when prompted with the actual name. A broader view of brand recognition is the extent to which a brand is recognized within a product class for certain attributes. Logo and tagline testing can be seen as a form of brand recognition testing. For example, if a product name can be associated with a certain tagline, logo or attribute (safety and Volvo; â€Å"Just do it† – Nike) a certain level of brand recognition is present. (Jonathan, 1982) What Does Brand Awareness Mean? The likelihood that consumers recognize the existence and availability of a company’s product or service Creating brand awareness is one of the key steps in promoting a product. Investopedia explains Brand Awareness Brand awareness is an important way of promoting commodity-related products. This is because for these products, there are very few factors that differentiate one product from its competitors. Therefore, the product that maintains the highest brand awareness compared to its competitors will usually get the most sales. For example, in the soft drink industry, very little separates a generic soda from a brand-name soda, in terms of taste. However, consumers are very aware of the brands Pepsi and Coca Cola, in terms of their images and names. This higher rate of brand awareness equates to higher sales and also serves as an economic moat that prevents competitors from gaining more market share. Definition: A gauge of marketing effectiveness measured by the ability of a customer to recognize and/or recall a name, image or other mark associated with a particular brand. Examples: In today’s most competitive atmosphere, it is critical for retailers to maintain and build on their brand awareness, as well as reinforce the value proposition of their market. (Barnard. N, 1997) 7 Ways to Build Brand Awareness To some, branding might not feel like a tangible aspect of running a business. It can’t be seen like a product on the shelf, or counted like a cash drawer at the end of the night. But, branding is the reason people pay three times more for a product at one store over another. (Houston 1992), Good branding is the product of a clear vision, and nobody knows more about vision than small business owners. But, with limited resources, creating a brand identity can be tricky. Fortunately, building brand awareness on the Internet doesn’t need to take a lot of money or resources. Here are seven strategies to build your business brand: Define the vision. Before moving ahead with the web site, create a brand positioning statement. â€Å"This isn’t just, ‘What kind of web site do we want to be?’ This is ‘Who are we?’† says Harley Manning, vice president at Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., a technology and market research firm that advises on the effects technology has on consumers and businesses. Good brand statements typically include the company’s mission, vision and values. â€Å"It’s succinct. It’s typically something that will fit on a page easily,† he says. Build a brand worth believing in. â€Å"Do you so believe in what you’re creating that you would trademark it?† says Andrea Fitch, (president and CEO of Red Carpet Creations, Inc., and national president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services, both based out of Alexandria), Va. Really consider what kind of brand could represent the business through the next d ecade. â€Å"Don’t have a logo that in five years you’re going to be tired of and discard for another,† she says. Remember, the web site is the brand. â€Å"A web site is not just a communication medium,† Manning says. â€Å"It is actually a channel that must deliver on the promise.† Essentially, a web site should embody the promise that it makes to customers. If, for instance, a business claims to be innovative, the web site should look fresh and modern. Create a cohesive experience between all mediums. Before she launched her company’s new web site, Fitch made sure it would be an event that her potential clients would never forget. Red Carpet Creations mailed 4,000 silver tubes containing scrolls that looked like rolled-up carpet. Inside the scrolls was an announcement about the web site’s launch. Once online, the web site was an extension of the invitations because it followed through on the themes of red carpet imagery and references to visitors being treated like a VIP. Customers should easily be able to recognize the company’s brand, whether it is print, online or some other form of media, Manning says. Don’t sacrifice creativity. Once the brand’s guidelines are established, creative choices must bring those attributes to life, Manning says. Don’t let the company’s brand become so dominating that there is no room for new thoughts and ideas. Brand should be the jumping-off point for interesting ideas, not the place where every new idea dead-ends. Fitch stresses that a sense of fun and whimsy will only enhance the likelihood that people will take an interest in the web site. Don’t communicate brand at the expense of delivering. While a web site can be a significant tool for building brand awareness, clarity and functionality are paramount. â€Å"Just be careful not to let the communication about your brand get in the way of delivering your message,† Manning says. People should be able to understand how to navigate the site without knowing a thing about the company’s catch phrases. â€Å"You can’t frustrate and annoy people into liking your brand (Houston, 1992), Listen to the customers: They determine a brand’s true value. Pay attention to customer feedback about the site because, ultimately, it’s the customers’ opinion that counts. When it comes to building a brand, a company can incorporate everything from signature colors to catch phrases, but at the end of the day, it’s the consumer who decides what a brand is really worth. â€Å"It’s not what you say [about] yourself, it’s what others say of you, How do consumers make decisions? This question is at the core of much of marketing examination over the past 60 or 70 years. As marketers manipulate the various principles of marketing, so do the consumers they seek to reach-choosing which products and services to buy, and which not to buy, choosing which brands to use, and which brands to ignore. The focus of this paper is to examine the major decision-making mo dels, strategies, and theories that underlie the decision processes used by consumers and to provide some clarity for marketing executives attempting to find the right mix of variables for their products and services. Three Decision-Making Models Early economists, led by Nicholas Bernoulli, John von Neumann, and Oskar Morgenstern, puzzled over this question. Beginning about 300 years ago, Bernoulli developed the first formal explanation of consumer decision making. It was later extended by von Neumann and Morgenstern and called the Utility Theory. This theory proposed that consumers make decisions based on the expected outcomes of their decisions. In this model consumers were viewed as rational actors who were able to estimate the probabilistic outcomes of uncertain decisions and select the outcome which maximized their well-being. However, as one might expect, consumers are typically not completely rational, or consistent, or even aware of the various elements that enter into their decision making. In addition, though consumers are good at estimating relative frequencies of events, they typically have difficulty translating these frequencies into probabilities. This Utility model, even though it had been viewed as the domina nt decision-making paradigm, had serious shortcomings that could not be explained by the model. (Herbert S, 1950) proposed an alternative, simpler model. This model was called Satisficing, in which consumers got approximately where they wanted to go and then stopped the decision-making process. An example of this would be in the search for a new apartment. Under the Utility theory, consumers would evaluate every apartment in a market, form a linear equation based on all the pertinent variables, and then select the apartment that had the highest overall utility score. With Satisficing, however, consumers might just evaluate apartments within a certain distance to their desired location, stopping when they found one that was â€Å"good enough.† This theory, though robust enough to encompass many of the shortcomings of Utility Theory, still left significant room for improvement in the area of prediction. After all, if a marketing executive can’t predict consumer behavior, then what use is a decision-making paradigm? Simon and others have extended this area in the investigation of the field of bounded rationality. Following Simon, additional efforts were made to develop better understandings of consumer decision making, extending beyond the mathematical optimization of Utility Theory and the somewhat unsatisfying Satisficing Theory. In the late 1970s, two leading psychologists, Daniel. K and Amos. T, developed Prospect Theory, which expanded upon both Utility Theory and Satisficing Theory to develop a new theory that encompassed the best aspects of each, while solving many of the problems that each presented. Two major elements that were added by Kahneman and Tversky were the concepts of value (replacing the utility found in Utility Theory) and endowment, in which an item is more precious if one owns it than if someone else, owns it. Value provided a reference point and evaluated both gains and losses from that reference point. Additionally, gains and losses have a marginally decreasing increase from the reference point. For example, there is a much greater value for the first incremental gain from the reference point than for subsequent gains.

Effects of the Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange had a profound influence on the vast spread of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and many infectious and contagious diseases through trade in both North America and Western Europe. The Columbian Exchange began in 1492, when Christopher Columbus set sail on his voyage to the Americas. Although it created an enormous increase in food supply and productivity, and human population, it also damaged the ecological stability of many large areas. In North America, the Columbian Exchange had a positive influence as well as negative.North America received many domesticated animals from the Old World, including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and fowl. Although the animals provided valuable food, clothing, and energy sources, they caused mixed emotions in the Indians because the animals severely damaged important croplands. Not only did North America receive animals, but new plants too; America received plants such as black pepper, barley, wheat, rice, lettuce, su garcane, and rhubarb. They received domestic plants, animals and other goods from Africa, Asia and India as well.The Old World also exposed North America to numerous infectious and contagious diseases: including bubonic plague, chicken pox, cholera, influenza, leprosy, malaria, measles, scarlet fever, smallpox, typhoid, typhus, yellow fever, and yaws. Since the indigenous peoples had no immunity to these diseases, they took a major toll on the Indian population, causing a significant demographic decline. The indigenous people also suffered from the brutality and the expropriation of farmland from the Europeans.Aside from the negative, the Columbian Exchange allowed North America to grow and develop into a functional and effective civilization. Through the Columbian Exchange, Western Europe had the opportunity to expand their trade routes across the Atlantic basin, linking with Asian and Indian markets. In addition, Columbus’ voyage to the New World (America) inspired many Eur opeans to migrate there. Transoceanic migration to the Americas by the Western Europeans, gave Europe much more power in multiple places than they had previously had.As the Indian population declined due to disease and such, Europeans continued to pour into the Americas. Like North America, Western Europe received many domesticated plants because of the Columbian Exchange such as potato, corn, cotton, vanilla, and tobacco. In Ireland specifically, potatoes became a staple food for society. Crops such as sugarcane and tobacco were in high demand at this time in Western Europe; they were â€Å"cash crops† which increasingly improved agricultural prosperity and economy.An improving economy lead to growing cities; this is all attributed to the Columbian Exchange. The Columbian Exchange had a profound influence on the vast spread of plants, animals, culture, human populations, and many infectious and contagious diseases through trade in both North America and Western Europe. The e ffects of the Columbian Exchange on Western Europe differ from that of North America in many ways; yet, there are also many similarities. It increased prosperity in both regions.

Civic Engagement

Civic Engagement and Political Awareness in the Youth of America Change is inevitable and the popular one hit wonder, Video Killed the Radio Star, echoes a nostalgic desire to appreciate the past. The simple, yet meaningful verse, â€Å"we can’t rewind we’ve gone too far,† drives home the notion that the past is in the past, and one can only move forward. The song directly relates to technological changes in music at that time period.The lyrics give the impression radio will be replaced by visually stimulating music videos; however, the future has proved that radio has not been replaced; music has merely been enhanced by the continuous change of technological advancements. Political scientist and professor, Robert Putnam illustrates in his book, Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital, how one of the primary culprits in the decline of political awareness and civic engagement is the new media, for example, the Internet. Further studies suggest thi s is not necessarily the case.Video Killed the Radio Star mirrors the relentless argument of whether the mass media has hindered or assisted in political awareness and civic activity in adolescents and young adults. The radio made people famous, and even after music videos became popular, music was still streamed through a radio and continues to be used to this day. Studies have shown that civic engagement and political awareness has declined, at all age levels, and yet there is evidence that the mass media can have a positive effect on cultivating social capital, especially in the interest of young voters in America.The issue at hand is not mass media, but how mass media can be used as a means to stay informed on community issues and how it can create a sense of community. In the article, America’s Youth and Community Engagement: How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds, the authors begin by providing troubling evidenc e, â€Å"Voter turnout in congressional and presidential elections has dropped since 1960†¦ Americans are less involved in political activities ranging from signing petitions to attending rallies† (Pasek, Kenski, Romer, and Jamieson 115).Putnam compares the decline in civic engagement to the massive decline of bowling leagues; however, as bowling memberships are declining, the number of people bowling has increased. He explains the concept of a bonding capital and a bridging capital within the social capital as a whole. The theory of bonding and bridging can also be described in terms of strong ties and weak ties of networking.Professors Homero Gil de Zuniga and Sebastian Valenzuela explored Putnam’s research further in their article, The Mediating Path to a Stronger Citizenship: Online and Offline Networks, Weak Ties and Civic Engagement, finding it inclusive that bridging, or associating with weak ties provide one with a greater networking base, and therefore mo re information and resources. Bridging and weak ties are when an individual socializes with people who are different from themselves. Bonding and strong ties are individuals who are linked to each other on varying levels of intimacy; for example, one’s inner circle of friends and family.Putnam additionally points out that bonding and bridging strengthen each other. Because of the decline of bonding, there is a decline in bridging, which he links to the drop of organizational forms of capital due to the mass media. Like Putnam, authors Zuniga and Valenzuela agree that â€Å"larger networks foster civic participation so long as they provide access to weak ties,† yet they take into consideration that the internet is vast with diversity and is not â€Å"geographically bounded,† and therefore â€Å"argue that the online context should be more strongly associated with weak-tie communication than the offline context† (405).According to Zuniga and Valenzuela, thi s connection shows that internet based networks and weak ties will be more effective than the relationship between personal, offline networking and weak ties. The authors mentioned earlier, Josh Pasek, Kate Kenski, Daniel Romer, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson conducted a telephone survey to assess â€Å"12 different uses of mass media as well as awareness of current national politics and time spent in civic activities† in respect to the youth and how mass media is related to political awareness and civic activity (115).If the conclusion made by Zuniga and Valenzuela is accurate, then the new media will have a positive effect on the younger population’s role in developing social capital. Historically, when print media flourished, it served as a way to stay in touch with the community of readers with no face-to-face interaction and â€Å"made possible the development of the modern nation state† (117). Internet is just another mechanism to build social networks, in whi ch interpersonal communication is absent, like the newspaper.However, unlike the newspaper, internet provides individuals with an extensive opportunity to network with people who are not in their inner circle, thus weak ties are created. Furthermore, Pasek, Kenski, Romer, and Jamieson examine how some forms of media are more effective than others, and explain how media that solely exists to entertain adolescents and young adults can aid in promoting group activities with individuals that can share their experiences and develop a sense of community.They are still experiencing social participation, even if the activity is not directly associated with civic activities. The authors evaluated the 12 different uses of mass media and assessed each media variable based on if it improved political awareness or civic engagement, or both. The researchers also included demographic predictors that would correspond with the study: age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status. It is apparent that a dults would have a higher amount of political knowledge. â€Å"The average education level in our sample was 10. years of schooling†¦ Of respondents, 78. 9 percent were currently students,† which would give them the edge since there are more opportunities to become involved in community service activities and clubs the schools have to offer. Some schools require community service to graduate. Socioeconomic status also plays a role in political awareness and civic engagement. This correlates directly to the fact that individuals who are wealthier have the resources and means to educate their children and are probably highly educated as well.Race and gender is yet another factor in evaluating political knowledge and civic engagement, whereas â€Å"whites appear more politically aware than Blacks, Hispanics, and other non-Whites†¦ however, race has not been as strongly related in one direction or the other [in regards to civic engagement, and]†¦ women, on average , belong to more associations and organizations than men but tend to exhibit less political knowledge† (123).The results of How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22- Year-Olds, revealed that if media usage increased in frequency, it had a negative impact on political awareness and civic engagement, which is to be expected. Although reading remained positive, the results showed individuals took longer to develop a well-rounded political knowledge base if their reading increased. This is the cause of a decrease in active engagement with others. The authors could not predict if newspapers increased civic activity, however, it was evident that it increased political awareness.Civic activity was strongly related to political awareness, and the findings also concluded that the Internet increased civic engagement, along with listening to news on the radio, following shows on television, and reading magazines. Not only were civic activiti es found to be directly related to political awareness, but the media had an overall positive effect on civic engagement and political knowledge. In his research, Putnam fails to assess new ways to approach civic engagement and political awareness, and instead looks to the old.Relating civic engagement to the decline of bowling leagues seems futile to the reader, especially to a young adult. As society changes, activities change; people change. The youth of today are more interested in modern technology, which is why more candidates should reevaluate how they approach the younger generation in regards to the elections and make use of the Internet during elections. Because young voters are growing up in a time when technology is usually readily available to them, they look mostly to the web for political information.Youth turnout for the 2004 elections showed â€Å"marked increases. † Most likely prompted by the war in Iraq, intense efforts were made to ensure younger generati ons were actively engaged throughout the campaigns. New media tools were also used, with websites put up that focused on attracting the younger population to politics; â€Å"an estimated 28 percent of 18- 29-year-olds received most of their information about the campaigns via the Internet in 2004, making them the age group most reliant on new media for political information about the election† (Xenos and Bennett 444).However, in the article The Disconnection in Online Politics, Michael Xenos and W. Lance Bennett stress the fact that although younger voters are participating online, they are less likely to visit a site that is sponsored by a specific party or electoral candidate. Unfortunately, politicians are very slow when adapting to the modern world of technology, and do not make use of the web to attract young voters. On sites like Rock the Vote, they give young voters access to interactive features, and yet links to websites with related political information and resourc es are not easily accessible.Young voters only attain a morsel of information from youth engagement websites. Between 2002 and 2004, Xenos and Bennett conducted an extensive analysis of political sites that focused on youth involvement, as well as electoral sites, and they found the â€Å"overall pattern is one of overlap† (456). The candidates’ websites were not designed to attract young voters. They merely addressed the same issues on their sites as seen on the youth sites; however, on the electoral sites they clearly were not reaching out to the younger population of voters.Professional consultants correlate politicians’ indifference to youth voters because senior citizens have a higher voting rate. Xenos and Bennett express their disappointment, â€Å"younger voters who ignore politicians largely do so because politicians largely ignore them† (457). It is ironic because voters are less involved in politics due to politicians’ lack of interest i n their appeals, and politicians show disregard for the youth because of their low voting turnout and vice versa.If politicians, our leaders, are putting the youth aside, who is going to devote the time to inform the younger generation of the importance on civic activities and political awareness? In correlation with the decline of adult involvement in social participation and volunteering, people simply do not have the time or energy to devote to their own needs, let alone join a civic organization. In today’s society, both parents work to make ends meet.There are usually a higher percentage of female volunteers to male volunteers, but now that women are taking on raising children, housework, and working an additional 15 hours per week than men, the idea of becoming involved in community activities is overwhelming. The economy is in a stale state, and since the 1970s, the percentage of single mothers has increased dramatically (Freedman 246). Children are being isolated more often than not, which can also result in the disregard for community and civic engagement.Mentoring programs are unreliable, and many adolescents and young adults are left in the dark without an adult role model: â€Å"In his essay â€Å"Building Community, John Gardner [Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professor at Stanford Business School] offers both consolation and wisdom about the historical process of community erosion and renewal†¦ â€Å"disintegration of human communities is as old as human history†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"We can’t know all the forms community will take, but we know the values and the kinds of supporting structures we want to preserve. We are a community building species.We might become remarkably ingenious at creating new forms of community for a swiftly changing world. †Ã¢â‚¬  (Freedman 248) Robert Putnam insists on looking to the old, and if he must, he should look at the potential of civic renewal in the volunteering of senior citizens . Over the past thirty years, the population of Americans over the age of 65 has doubled and will continue to increase. Marc Freedman, the author of the article, Towards Civic Renewal, Journal of Gerontological Social Work, expresses his faith in the nation’s retirees to change the deterioration of volunteerism in the U.S. , where children are in need of the most help. If children at an earlier age gained better insight into what it means to have a sense of community and belonging, they would have a better awareness of civic engagement and a broader knowledge base of politics on the state, local, and national level. Senior citizens also have the time, and there is evidence that implies older adults are looking to stay active in their communities; â€Å"As one recent U. S Administration on Aging-sponsored survey reveals, a full 37. percent of older Americans say they would volunteer if asked, while an additional 25. 6 percent already volunteering indicate that they would like to devote more time to service,† and they prefer to work with the younger generation (Freedman 249). Not only will it help the children, but it will also help the senior citizens. 55 percent of seniors feel a sense of uselessness when they retire†¦ a 25-yr National Institute of Mental Health study finds, for example, that â€Å"highly organized activity is the single strongest predictor, other than not smoking, of longevity and vitality† (Freedman 250).The local and federal government is known for lost proposals. Perhaps some of them would have been successfully planned out and put into action if accepted, and Freedman makes the idea of senior involvement seem feasible. Freedman provides the reader with examples of effective programs in community involvement created by the older population; one example is a â€Å"union-sponsored initiative that helps nonviolent juvenile offenders find and keep blue-collar jobs. Freedman goes onto explain to doubtful readers that are thinking, where is this money going to come from? America’s budget is steadily falling into a rabbit hole, and yet the author is confident in the â€Å"†talent, experience and commitment† of older adults,† and their ability to organize well and get tasks completed quickly and effectively (252). Civic engagement and political awareness is declining because of the absence of an inspiring role model in the youth of today, and this program shows romise of creating a healthier sense of community for the older and the younger generations. Reiterating authors’, Homero Gil de Zuniga and SebastianValenzuela’s earlier consensus, the decline in civic engagement is not the consequence of the mass media and modern age of technology. The importance of weak ties through the Internet is actually seen through the web of networking that people from all over the world create, which ignites a stronger relationship in civic participation than networking face-t o-face with weak ties.This finding was reinforced by the study on various media uses in the article; How Use of Mass Media is Related to Civic Activity and Political Awareness in 14- to 22- Year-Olds, where the end result is conclusive with Zuniga and Valenzuela’s evidence. The media can enhance civic engagement and political awareness if used sparingly and in the right context. â€Å"The mind is a double edged sword. It has immense power and it is capable of accomplishing both useful and destructive feats. † (Atharva Veda http://thinkexist. com/quotes/atharva_veda/). It is not the media that is destructive.The minds of the populace are ignoring the real issue at hand. The mind could be used more effectively in developing new ideas to encourage civic engagement and political awareness in the younger population. The media actually promotes civic participation and therefore is directly related to political awareness; overall the media has a positive effect on social capi tal. It is the communities’ job to instill these values on the children so they can grow into informed adults and have their own opinions and ideas, passing those values onto their children and so on.Bibliography Freedom, Mark. â€Å"Towards Civic Renewal. † Journal of Gerontological Social Work 28. 3 (1997): 243-63. EBSCOhost. The Haworth Press, Inc. , 11 Oct. 2008. Web. 1 Oct. 2011. . Pasek, Josh, Kate Kenski, Daniel Romer, and Kathleen H. Jamieson. â€Å"America's Youth andCommunity Engagement: How Use of Mass Media Is Related to Civic Activity andPolitical Awareness in 14- to 22-Year-Olds | DeepDyve. † DeepDyve – Millions ofArticles At Your Fingertips. Sage, 27