Preliminary Security Assessment - 1466 Words

u04a1 Preliminary Security Assessment TS5311 Enterprise Security February 3, 2013 Introduction The number one responsibility of the Information Assurance/Network Security Officer(s) is to maintain the best security posture for the network that is possible. This task also means that the confidentiality, availability and integrity of the system are maintained. One of the first steps towards this is to perform an assessment of the potential issues with all areas of the network. A preliminary security assessment will begin the task of identifying a list of vulnerabilities (weaknesses and flaws) that could possibly be exploited by a threat†¦show more content†¦These policies are required under Army Regulation 25-2 (Information, n.d.). Rules of Behavior – These guidelines are established to hold users and administrators responsible for their actions as related to information security. Incident Response Plan – Provides guidelines on the correct response based on the type of security incident. These guidelines reflect lessons learned in responding to incidents in the past Contingency Plan – Closely related to the IRP. Based on the type of incident, a plan may be devised to provide a direction to proceed. Natural disasters are usually presented in a contingency plan. Backup Procedures – Also related to the IRP. Providing a point at which all files can be recovered prevents data loss should some type of incident occur, no matter if that is a virus or a power outage. Configuration Management Plan – A CMP is designed to provide guidance and to establish a standard when changing the configuration of any item on the network. This includes adding hardware, adding software, changing configurations of network devices or changing the capability of the system in any way. All changes must be approved by the Configuration Control Board as established in the CMP. Anti-Virus – This plan will ensure all virus definitions are up to date and provide procedures for doing this. There may be other policies or plans that will be addressed in the final report.Show MoreRelatedObjectives Of National Preparedness Goals963 Words   |  4 Pageswith national incidents that affect our Nation’s homeland security. According to Gus Martin, 2015, a summary of the five mission areas and each goal are as follows: The first mission area is prevention, which involves, preventing, avoiding, or stopping a threat or a terroristic act. The main focus is to ensure all are prepared to prevent terrorist attack within the United States. Prevention Mission Area Capabilities and Preliminary Targets are as follows: Planning, Public Information and WarningRead MoreThe Importance Of IT Risk Management Training Program1161 Words   |  5 Pagesthe extent determined necessary by the Secretary to improve the efficiency of operation or security of federal information systems, and such standards prescribed include information security standards that provide minimum information security requirements and are otherwise necessary to improve the security of federal information and information systems (Jansen Grace, 2011). Additionally, other security-related publications, including interagency reports (NISTIRs) and ITL Bulletins, provide technicalRead MoreUnit 7 Technical Assessment Questions967 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿1. Why is risk mitigation and filling in critical security gaps an important next step after the security assessment is performed? During your security assessment you probably found some gaps, some of them may be critical gaps, so naturally the next step should be to fix those gaps. Once you know you are exposed you want to fix those gaps ASAP before they get exploited. 2. How do you align the results of the qualitative risk assessment to risk mitigation? You align the results by how likely eachRead MoreThe Assessment Team Administrator Should Begin The Process Of Soliciting Evaluation Team Members838 Words   |  4 PagesThe assessment team administrator should begin the process of soliciting assessment team members. Many organizations solicit members through. Their corporate newsletter, electronic mail, or a personal letter sent from the president/CEO inviting participation. Team members selections should be considered from a group of employees who have expressed an interest in better understanding homeland security and using the Baldrige Criteria as a template for improving their organization’s homeland securityRead MoreMy Results And Observations From The Four Career Profile981 Words   |  4 Pagesthe first career profile activity, Interest, I will be talking about my results from my three letter code(RIASEC) and my SDS(Self-Directed Search) assessment. For the second career profile activity, Personalities, I will be tal king about my results from my preliminary MBTI mini(Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) code, my â€Å"functional pair† in my preliminary MBTI, and information about the characteristics of my MBTI. For the third career profile activity, Values, I will be talking about my results from theRead MoreRisk Management1179 Words   |  5 Pages ABSTRACT Risk management is an activity, which integrates recognition of risk, risk assessment, developing strategies to manage it, and mitigation of risk using managerial resources. Some traditional risk managements are focused on risks stemming from physical or legal causes. (For example, natural disasters or fires, accidents, death). It may refer to numerous types of threats caused by environment, technology, humans, organizations and politics. Objective of risk management is identifying theRead Morehazard and risk1044 Words   |  5 Pageshazardous or non-hazardous equipment and materials such as use of scissors, containers and other materials being used or walking to the park. A risk assessment is a tool for conducting a formal examination of the harm or hazard to people (or an organisation) that could result from a particular activity or situation. Types if risks ; Physical risks, Security risks, Personal safety risks, emotional risks, food safety risks and fire risks. Effective management of risks should become automatic as you becomeRead MorePrivacy Policy : The Fastest Growing Crime1134 Words   |  5 Pagesstep-by-step guide helps your organization leap into action, minimize response time, and therefore mitigate the negative impact of the breach. The policy should address the following steps for responding to the breach: - Breach containment and preliminary assessment; - Evaluating the risks associated with the breach; - Determining the cause and extent of the breach; - Assessing the foreseeable harm from the breach to individuals and the company; - Notifying individuals who may be potentially harmed andRead MoreCase Study : Nexquirk 1447 Words   |  6 PagesNexquirk’s competitor. Such a loss to occur in six months will have a negative impact on the revenues of the organization. Mr. Williams chose to conceal the loss of the firm’s contract from the equity firm, and did not disclose said loss within Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings for stock registration. Additionally, Mr. Williams directed his sales team to offer special pricing to current customers to flood the market with inventory prior to the expiration of the lost contract. Read MoreEssay on System Development Life Cycle1231 Words   |  5 PagesAnderson CMGT/582 - CIS Security and Ethics June 23, 2014 Krystal Hall System Development Life Cycle â€Å"Both risk governance and regulatory requirements emphasize the need for an effective risk management plan. And to effectively manage risk, it is important that definitions of the risk management plan objectives are clear from the start, so that the plan can head in the right direction. Risk management of information assets also provides a strong basis for information security activities, such as

Victorian Era Consciousness Free Essays

How would you describe the consciousness of the Victorian Age? Think about their perception of their place in the world. The consciousness of society in the Victorian age is an interesting factor that greatly changed and evolved during the time period. The era’s beginning and end is marked by the birth and death of the reigning monarch of the time, Queen Victoria, spanning from 1837 to the early 1900s. We will write a custom essay sample on Victorian Era Consciousness or any similar topic only for you Order Now With the effects of the Industrial Revolution distinctly felt by all classes within society, it was a time of significant social reformation and drastic change in all aspects of life, and in short was a diverse and complex though tremendously exciting period for those who were living in it. As a result of such rapid growth, expansion and change, it is only natural that there was widespread excitement and perhaps apprehension at the same time. A new world was being created away from the manual driven labour of the old, and one of steam power and coal was emerging, of urbanisation and industrialisation. This constantly transforming and thriving world to the people at the time must’ve been overwhelming and thrilling, as they gained a realisation that all aspects of their lives were becoming influenced in some way or other by the increasingly advanced technologies and innovation. As a result, there was a great influx of population from the countryside to the city, with the realisation that there was a quickly approaching transition away from an agricultural-based economy towards machine-based manufacturing. However there must’ve been a great deal of anxiety and people may well have been wary towards the great changes that were happening around them. There would’ve been a growing new consciousness as society had to perceive the world in a different way than they previously had in order to ‘keep up with the times. As one tiny pebble when thrown into a pond causes consequent ripples to spread throughout the surface, the Victorian Age was like a pond where a great many pebbles were being thrown into. As a result, their way of thinking and apprehending the constantly developing world around them had to be open-minded in the sense that they had to be prepared for more surprises. They had to become receptive to things previously thought impossibl e or perhaps not even imagined at all which came to life- it was supposed to be a new Golden Age and indeed it was. However, the Victorian Age also had its dark side- the side of child labour, devastating unemployment, opium and prostitution. Nothing was certain anymore and with the modernism movement arising towards the end of the 19th century, people began to question many values and concepts that had before been unarguably taken for granted and accepted within society. With the rejection of established patterns of thought, a new consciousness arose where old traditions and customs were critically examined and people realised they had more freedom of thought than ever. How to cite Victorian Era Consciousness, Papers

Mughal vs. Ottoman free essay sample

The Mughal and the Ottoman Empires were two of the greatest and most powerful civilizations of the ancient period. Their fame and glory in the sixteenth century represented the zenith of art, architecture, and human creativity. These eminent empires were the largest and the most influential civilizations of the Muslim world, and their splendor reached as far as Europe. The two most important rulers of these empires were Akbar the Great and Suleiman the Magnificent, under whose reign the empire reached its triumphant moments.Just as the reign of Akbar and Suleiman marked the Golden age, their deaths resulted in the slow downfall of the empires. Both the Ottoman and Mughal empires were distinctive civilizations of their time due to the local culture forces and the Islamic culture that impacted them in the areas of art, government, and social structure. However, out of the two, the Mughal Empire was more successful than the Ottoman Empire, because of its consolidated rule, its hierarchy of power, and its tolerance for women. The Mughal and the Ottoman Empires were almost contemporary to each other. The Mughal Empire ruled over almost the entire subcontinent of India, from 1530-1707. The Mughals were descendants of Timuraids, who hailed from Central Asia. The Mughal dynasty was founded by Babur, the grandson of Timur and Genghiz Khan. He was succeeded by Humayun, Akbar the great, Shah Jahan, and many other rulers. Far from the Mughal Empire in India was the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire ruled over the Middle East from 1453-1908.The Ottomans were nomadic Turks, who established a capital in the Balkan Peninsula. They even captured Constantinople. The Ottoman dynasty also had great rulers such as Suleiman the magnificent, and many others. The first aspect that helped the Mughal Empire to succeed was the idea of giving women more rights. In the Mughal Empire, women were able to fight in the wars, participate in business activities, voice their opinions, inherit land, and obtain salaries. The women were respected, educated and were often asked to give their opinions for important matters.For example, Nur Jahan was the virtual ruler during the reign of Jahangir. Unlike the Mughal Empire, the Ottomans educated only the boys. Women remained at home, and did household chores such as cleaning, sewing, weaving, praying, and taking care of the children. Non-Muslim girls were taken as slaves. As women were given more rights and privileges, the Mughals could take better decisions, establish a better family life, and govern the society more effectively than the Ottomans. The second aspect that helped the Mughal Empire to succeed was their system of government.The government structure of both the civilizations was a combination of Islamic and local cultures. Nevertheless Islam had a greater influence on the kings, who controlled the government and religion. Both the empires adopted the Quranic interpretations of the law as their system of justice. However, the major difference between the governments of these two empires was their division of power. The Mughal Empire was divided in provinces; each province ruled by a landlord, who collected taxes from the people.Unlike the Mughal Empire, the Ottoman Sultan exercised absolute control over the people. He regarded himself as the â€Å"Protector of the Sacred Places,† because he ruled over Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. As the Mughals divided their empire into various provinces, it created a formal division of powers, a hierarchy among offices, and a well-defined administrative system, compared to the Ottomans. The third aspect that helped the Mughal Empire to succeed was their consolidation of the empire.The Mughal Empire extended as far to the west of Afghanistan, and as far south as the Godavari river. It covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent. Like the Mughals, The Ottomans also ruled over a huge empire. It covered much of South east Europe, west Asia, and North Africa. As the Mughal Empire covered the subcontinent, it was easier to travel in case of an enemy attack, or provide supplies in case of a flood or famine. However unlike the Mughal Empire; the Ottoman Empire was separated by the Black, and Mediterranean seas.Compared to the Mughals, the Ottomans had difficulty in ruling the empire, and trouble travelling from one place to another in case of an attack, famine or flood, because it was separated by water. One aspect that was common to both the civilization was their flourishing trade, and their glorious art and architecture. The Mughal architecture was a combination of Islamic, Persian, and Hindu architecture. These Persian and Hindu architectural ideas were brought forth in the Taj Mahal, a monument of breathtaking wonder. In Ottoman society, these ideas were also present.Some of their famous monuments are Istanbul mosque, Muhammad mosque, and Suleymaniye mosque. Both the civilizations had a flourishing trade. The Mughal Empire was famous for its diamonds, jewels, spices, cotton, and silk all over the world. They traded these commodities with empires in Europe and Asia. Likewise, the Ottoman Empire was famous for its pottery, rugs, and jewelry. Due to its location, it was the center of all trades. It was often referred to as the â€Å"middle man† due to access to water routes between Asia and Europe.Both the Mughal and Ottoman empires were products of local and Islamic influence in the areas of military, government, arts, and architecture. But because of Mughal Empire’s consolidated rule, its hierarchy of power, and its tolerance for women, the Mughal Empire was more successful than the Ottoman Empire. Although these empires are non-existent today, their legacies have still survived. Their majestic monuments and praiseworthy paintings are still admired by millions of people every day. These empires proved their supremacy to the rest of the world, and advanced their conquests to areas unknown.

Physician Assisted Suicide Essays (2029 words) - Euthanasia

Physician Assisted Suicide Kirk Mueller Mr. Maclay 20th Century History 15 February 2001 Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide: Public Opinions Euthanasia and physician assisted suicide (PAS) have been more widely accepted in the last decade of the 1900's then any prior. In the United States, polls of citizens and medical professionals have shown an increase in support of PAS and euthanasia. Physician assisted suicide and euthanasia have been addressed by courts and state legislation. Even though most religious groups still condemn this choice, the right to die has gained support throughout the 1990's. The American Medical Association's definition of Euthanasia is the administration of a lethal agent by another person to a patient for the purpose of relieving the patient's intolerable pain and incurable suffering.# Euthanasia is a Greek word that means good death. This word was diminished in Nazi Germany. In 1939 the Nazi's were some of the first people to practice euthanasia. The Nazi's would put the mentally retarded, physically challenged and citizens that they thought were suffering, to death. They used euthanasia in their concentration camps and because of all of the mass murdering the United States opinion polls went down.# There are two types of Euthanasia, passive and active. Active euthanasia is considered by most people to be the doctor administering the drug. For instance doctors could prescribe a medication for the patient that would act like a depressant and slow the heart beat down. They could also have a lethal injection that the patient would inject into himself or herself. Passive euthanasia is thought of as withholding or with drawing treatment by request of a patient. For instance when a respirator is withdrawn by request, that is considered by most citizens to be passive euthanasia.# More then half of the requests for physician assisted suicide come from the family members.# During the latter part of the 20th century medical technology advanced in ways that allowed doctors to prolong the lives of people who in earlier times would have died. An example of the modern technology is Artificial Respirators and feeding tubes. Artificial respirators help people breath that wouldn't normally and feeding tubes give people who are unable to eat or swallow food and water.# The only state in the United States to legalize euthanasia and physician assisted suicide was Oregon. Oregon was able to pass The Death with Dignity Act. This act, which was passed in October of 1997, allowed terminally ill Oregon residents to receive a prescription from their physicians to self administer lethal medications.# These lethal medications would kill the person eventually and stop their suffering. Some of the doctors feel that by prescribing these drugs that they could be accused of murder.# The Oregon Health Division (OHD) observes the Death with Dignity Act annually. After the OHD takes down the stats of how many people who died and how many people were prescribed lethal drugs they make a public report. The OHD's first report stated that 23 people received lethal drugs and 15 of those patients took the drug and successfully died. The other eight didn't take the pill and of them six died from their illness and two were still living as of January 1, 1999. Of the 15 suicid es there were no problems.# The only problem found with the Death with Dignity Act was that there was no penalty for the doctor not reporting a prescription of a lethal drug. If just one doctor didn't report a prescription it would throw off the OHD's annual report.# Some citizens feel that another problem is that the physicians are only allowed to prescribe oral drugs and not lethal injections. Others feel that this is a good section of the Death with Dignity Act but some have problems that no physician is forced into assisting in suicide. Doctors can make the decision if they want to assist or not.# Washington and California tried to follow Oregon's example of the Death with Dignity Act but the only thing that stopped the act from passing was the majority vote by the citizens. California tried to pass the act for two years and after the first year the percent of the supporters went up by 5% but just not enough to pass the act. Washington's

Flopping Sun Essays - English-language Films, Films, Rising Sun

Flopping Sun Essays - English-language Films, Films, Rising Sun Flopping Sun Flopping Sun. How to turn a great book into a bad movie. There have been many book to movie conversions, yet Rising Sun by Michael Crichton was one that had gone horribly wrong. Rising Sun, in addition to being a gripping mystery/thriller, functioned as a scathing attack on American apathy to Japanese economic aggression. In fact, in his afterword to the novel, Crichton says, "The Japanese are not our saviors. They are our competitors. We should not forget it." Statements like these earned Rising Sun the dubious distinction of being a Japan-bashing novel. The movie version of this book tried to stay away from that type of publicity. With it came a horrible adaptation of a wonderful book. First some background information. In an empty conference room on the forty-sixth floor of Los Angeles' Nakatomo Tower, the dead body of a beautiful young call girl has been found sprawled out on a table. When Lieutenant Tom Graham (Harvey Keitel), the racist cop in charge, has trouble obtaining the full cooperation of the Nakatomo execs, Special Services liaison Lieutenant Web Smith (Wesley Snipes), who was renamed from Peter Smith in the book, is summoned for help. Along the way, Smith receives a call on the car phone telling him to pick up Captain John Connor (Sean Connery), a man known to be well-versed in Japanese traditions and, in the opinion of some, a Japanese sympathizer. Nothing about this investigation is straightforward, but as more is revealed about the details of the case, Connor and Smith find themselves "in the warzone" of a business battle in which life is a commodity easily lost. That is where the similarities between the book and movie stop. Although Crichton?s book contained mass amounts of Japanese bashing sentiments, much of the anti- Japanese sentiment has been toned down. Great pains are taken to present as many positives as negatives in the Japanese way of life, and there are as many sleazy Americans as there are Japanese in the movie. Crude Asian stereotypes and caricatures are avoided, and care is taken to give the good guys vices and the bad guys virtues. With the exception of an ill timed and confusing ending, the movie follows the general plotline of the book surprisingly well. There are changes of course. Despite altering the specifics of the killer's identity, the main culprits remain the same. A few additional action scenes have been added (Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes enter into a hand-to-hand struggle with a bunch of Japanese thugs) to keep the audience's attention, and a great deal of Crichton's detail on Japanese culture has been dropped. The most obvious book-to-movie change is the casting of black actor Wesley Snipes as a character that is white in the book. Actually, as things turn out, the race of Lieutenant Smith becomes almost irrelevant, except in one scene new to the movie where Smith uses a bunch of his ghetto buddies to help him out of a scrape. With much of the intended comedy failing in this instance, this is not one of the better alterations. It's far too silly. One of the problems with getting a rising star of Wesley Snipes' stature to play opposite Sean Connery is that Lieutenant Smith can't simply be the second man to Connor. Admittedly, there is some friction between the two in the book, but it's nothing like what's present in the movie, where the two almost come to blows (actually, Smith wants to fight while Connor looks at him like an amused parent with a misbehaving child). There is also the change of Tia Carrere?s character Jingo Asakuma, which was changed from Theresa in the book, from si! ngle woman to being Conner?s love interest. The ending is a little sloppy, with a bit too much "Hollywood" added, and a long, drawn-out scene with Snipes and Carrere that's pointless. Apparently the writers wanted to solve the one outstanding mystery of the film in the most idiotic way possible. In the final analysis, Rising Sun is yet another book-to-movie conversion that loses something in the translation. This is one adaptation that could have been done better but limitation on the audiences attention span just would not permit it. Grade Received on

13 EssentialJob InterviewTips to Help You Get Hired

13 EssentialJob InterviewTips to Help You Get Hired SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Oh, job interviews. Love them or fear them, there’s no getting around interviewsfor most working people. Luckily, interviewing’s a skill like any other, and there are lots of ways you can practice and improve your game. This guide contains the best strategies for getting ready for a job interview and making an excellent impression on the hiring manager. Read on for13 essentialtips on what you should do before, during, and after your interview to land your target job! Before the Interview†¦ There are lots of steps you can take to planfora job interview, from practicing your responses to common interview questions to picking out your outfit the night before. Preparation will not only help you rock your interview, but it will also calm your nerves by reducing all those scary unknowns. Read on for the six most important ways to get readyin the days leading up to your interview. #1: Map Your Route The last thing you want to happen on the day of your job interview is to be late. It would be pretty much the worst to end up running into the building feeling frazzled and out of breath. Getting lost and being late are disorienting and will distract you from doing a good job. To prevent this from happening, you should plan how and when to get to your interview beforehand. Map out the route and get a sense of traffic conditions or train schedule on that day. Then write down a schedule for that morning - when you need to wake up, meal prep, getting dressed - or whatever else you cando to take control of timing. A good rule of thumb is to plan to arrive near the building 25% of your total time early. If the commute takes two hours, try to be there 30 minutes early. If it takes 30 minutes, then give yourself seven to ten minutes of extra leeway. Then you can hang out and enter the building about five minutes before your interview. If you’re late on the day of your interview, you’ll get stressed outand start out on the wrong foot.If you walk in way too early, you'll probably make the other employees feel awkward as you lurkinthe entrance hall. While you’re surely preparing what to say, don’t forget to planfor a smooth, punctual arrival, too! #2: Dress the Part In addition to planning your route to get to your interview, you should also think about what you’re going to wear.Business casual clothes tend to be best, otherwiseknown as "corporate classics." You might also get a sense of what employees tend to wear on a day-to-day basis. If you know anyone that works there, that person could be a great source of intel. Of course, those employees have already been hired, so you should dress a little â€Å"up† from what they’re wearing. In general, it's better to err on the side of slightly more formal, rather than less. Pick out your outfit and do any ironing or dry cleaning in advance. By picking out your clothes, you can make your morning easier, look great, and feel more confident. Lookin' sharp. And also like a groomsman in a wedding. This outfit might err on the side of too dressy. #3: Print Your Materials Besides your fabulous self in your corporate classic outfit, what do you need to bring to the interview? Unless instructed otherwise, it’s a good idea to bring a few copies of your resume. You might print out five or so, especially if you’re interviewing with more thanone person. In addition to the interview, you could bring a list of references with contact information or perhaps recommendation letters themselves. You might also have supplemental materials, likea portfolio of work, your sales record, or even a two-month plan you drew up to show the hiring manager what steps you’d take in the new position. Print everything out a day or two beforehand; printers have a habit of breaking at the worst possible time. Gather everything in a folder or binder so that it’s organized and accessible. You wouldn’t want to go shuffling through your bag, taking out old receipts and gum wrappers, in search of your resume right after you just finished telling the interviewer how organized you are! #4: Do Your Research Before the interview is your time to dig deeply into the organization and job. Learn everything you can about the job description and company, like its mission, workplace values, and overall culture. If applicable, you might considerways thecompany could improveand how you could contribute to those positive changes. During the interview, you want to show that you’re knowledgeable about the organization and enthusiastic to join it. By doing thorough research online or by speaking to current or former employees, you can tailor everythingyou say to the new job and company. You can also use what you learned to inform any questions you have for yourinterviewer. Overall, your goal in the interview is to show that you’re qualified and that you have a clear understanding of the job. By doing your research, you can be strategic about what you say and make sure all your answers match up to the opportunity at hand. Inch your nose a little closer to that grindstone! It's time to do some research. #5: Investigate Your Interviewer Beyond learning about the new job and organization, you can also do some investigating about your interviewer. Thanks to LinkedIn, Twitter, and the internet in general, you may be able to get some intel on your interviewer before meeting her in person. Learning about your interviewercan be one more way to be strategic about your answers during the interview. You might uncover common ground, like you both went to the same college or love to play ultimate frisbee, and work it into the conversation. You might be able to spark a connection that you otherwise wouldn’t have known about. OnLinkedIn, your interviewer will likely see that you visited her page. I spoke with a fewinterviewers who said they'dlook favorably on this LinkedIn research as a sign that you're doing your due diligence. They added that they wouldn't be too pleased if you tried to add them as a connection, though. Connecting on LinkedIn should be saved for people that you know. Finally, doing some research on your interviewer is also one other way to help you feel prepared. You can gain a sense of her professional and educational background. This knowledge can help you feel less nervous than you might walking into an interview with a completely anonymous person. #6: Prepare for Questioning The main part of your interview preparation should be thinking about your responses to common interview questions. Just about any interviewer will have questions on hand to explore your background and qualifications. Your interviewer will likely also ask follow-up questions aimed todig even deeper intowhat you have to say. Some common questions include, "Tell me about yourself," "Why do you want this job?" and "What would you contribute in this role?" The hiring manager might also ask you to share specific experiences of times that you achieved something, failed, managed conflict, or demonstrated leadership. In preparing your responses, you should think of ways that you can show that you possess the core competencies that the interviewer's looking for. Once you comeup with your responses, you might also practice by doingmock interviews with a friend - or a mirror! Practice what you would say, aiming to sound natural rather thanrehearsed. You may not have a word-for-word script, but you should make sure to hit salient points. Now that you have a sense of the main steps to prepare in the weeks and days leading up to the interview, let’s go over a few interview tips that apply during the meeting. What can you do to feel confident and make a great impression? Do mock interviewswith a friend to perfectyour responsesand body language. During the Interview... Now for the main event! The interview's your chance to prove to the hiring manager that she should hire you. It's also an opportunity for you to learn more about the position and organization. There's a lot to juggle during the interview, but below are the most important job interview tips for answering prompts, asking questions, and making sure your body language communicates the right message. #7: Be Clear and Concise A lot of interview questions are open-ended (for instance, tell me about yourself), but that doesn’t mean you should tell your whole life story. You want to avoid going off on tangents, and instead produce concise answers that make an impact. Aim to speak for about one to two minutes in response to most interview questions. Try to structure and conclude your answers in a clear way. Without preparation, it’s all too easy to trail off at the end with a vague, â€Å"So, yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  You can practice this before the meeting with mock interview practice. Then, when you actually sit down with your interviewer, you'll be ready to deliver your ideas in a clear and impactful way. For more on what this looks like, check out our sample answers to common interview questions here. #8: Ace Behavioral Questions A lot of interviewers ask behavioral questions that call for specific examples. "Describe a time you demonstrated leadership," is one example. "Could you speak to a time that your behavior impacted your team?" is another. Then there’s the dreaded, "Talk about a time that you failed." These can be some of the hardest questions to answer. If you’re caught off guard, then it’s easy for your mind to go blank. Or you might have a lot of situations pop into your mind, but you’re not sure which one you should choose. Ideally, you can choose a success story that illustrates you possess one of the major qualities the hiring manager is looking for. Similarly, if you’re asked to talk about a failure, don’t mention a time you failed because you lack one of the job’s core competencies. As with all your answers, aim to be strategic. Ideally, everything you say willgo on the hiring manager’s list of reasons to hire you. When it comes to questions that deal with weaknesses or mistakes, make sure to focus on the experience as an opportunity for growth and talk about what you did to overcome your problem. Don’t evade the question, but move on from the error to focus on the positive that came from it. Again, be strategic about the examples you choose. Your stories should show that you’ve taken actions in the past that point to your successin thefuture. You might be asked to talk about a specific time you handled conflict, demonstrated leadership, or dealt with a hot air balloon burner blast valvemalfunction (the last one being most relevant for aspiringhot air balloon pilots). #9: Embrace the Culture Beyond showing that you’re qualified, you also want to show that you’d make a strong cultural fit. Here’s where all the research you did before comes in handy. Learn about the company’s values and show that you share those same commitments in your answers. The interviewer may ask you about your work style, relationships with coworkers, or professional values. These types of questions all relate backto cultural fit. Keep an eye out for these questions and realize that they'reopportunities to show why you’d makea great addition to the team. #10: Ask Questions Don’t be fooled into thinking that an interview’s a one-sided interrogation. You should feel free, even obliged, to ask your interviewer questions throughout your time together.The meeting’s not just a chance for the hiring manager to get to know you, but it’s also an opportunity for you to learn more about the job and organization and pick the brain of someone who works there. In addition to getting you more information, asking questions isone more way to show your enthusiasm and readiness to learn. It demonstrates your active interest in the organization. You should save at least two or three good questions for the end of the interview. Most hiring managers ask, â€Å"Do you have any questions for me?†Your answer should always be yes! You might use the ones you prepared or draw on new ones you thought of throughout your conversation. You might ask about a typical day in the office, the organization’s short-term and long-term goals, or what your teammates would be like. You could also do some research on what CEO’s say are their favorite questions from applicants. CEO of Likable, Dave Kerpen, for instance, loved the question, â€Å"How will the work I’ll be doing contribute to the organization’s mission?† as he thought it showed the applicant really cared abouther work and had an eye on the big picture. You can find a longer list of potential questions to ask your interview in this complete guide. As with all your interview prep, make sure to tailor your questions to the target job and organization. Make sure to ask questions to show yourinterest in the position. Good question 1 + good question 2 + good question 3 = pure enthusiasm, as this equation clearly shows. #: Show Enthusiasm Hiring managers want to invest in someone who’s dedicated to the organization and eager to contribute. Taking on a new hire is a significant investment, so enthusiasm for the job is a major factor when deciding who to choose. You can show your excitement through how prepared you are, how much you know about the job and company, and any specific plans you have for what you’d bring to the role. Avoid saying anythingthat could indicate you’re not veryinterested; for instance, don’t ask about how soon you can move up in the company or suggest that the job’s just a steppingstone for you. Instead, express your enthusiasmand show how you’ll channel that positive energyto bring value to the company. #12: Be Aware of Your Body Language Beyond what you say, your body language also communicates a greatdeal. If you’re nervous, it can feel like your hands and arms are doing their own thing independent of your body. Try to be aware of any physical tension and rein it back in. Slouching, crossing both your arms and legs, or perching on the edge of your seat could indicate discomfort, nervousness, or a sense of being closed off. Try toconsciously face your interviewerwith your whole body to show that yourattention is focused on her and what she has to say. Similarly, facing your interviewer directly can show that you're engaged and actively listening. As you do your mock interviews, consider what your body language is communicating and how you can show that you’re confident in your qualifications for the job. The interview process doesn’t actually end when you say goodbye and leavethe room. There are a few more steps that you should take after the interview if you’re serious about getting the job. Read on to learn what you can do after the meeting to solidify your good impression. This crossed arms stance says, "Go away. I'm too cool to talk to you." The moose head belt buckle, though, might undermine that last claim. After the Interview... Your final handshake on the way out the door shouldn't be your last communication with the hiring manager. Instead, you should follow up with her via a thoughtful note. Read on to see what you can say to make your note stand out from the pack. #13: Send a Thank You Note and Follow Up You may have heard that it’s a best practice to follow up with your interviewer after the meeting. But how exactly should you follow up, and what should you say? In most cases, it’s fine to send an email. Depending on the manager and company, a handwritten note might also add a creative, personalized touch. As for the content of your follow-up, you should make sure to thank the interviewer for her time. You should also restate your interest in the position. Beyond these two essentials, you should consider other ways to personalize your note. For instance, you could touch on something specific the two of you talked about or add some more thoughts in response to an interview question. Perhaps you could send a link to an articlethat came up or even news about an activity or movie you'd both discovered was a sharedfavorite. Adding these kinds of extra details is one more way to make a connection with your interviewer and make sure she remembers you. After your follow-up, you’ll likely wait to hear from the employer about next steps or, ideally, the decision to hire you! If the hiring process involves a second round of interviews, then make sure to keepprepping for the next one. Now that you've taken a look at the 13 essential tips for interview prep, let's go over the key takeaways toremember as you get ready to rock your job interview. Sending a thoughtful follow-up after your interview's a nice touch. Sending a basket of red roses is overkill. Key Takeaways for Job Interview Success Interviews can be daunting, and they become even more nerve-wracking if you don’t what to expect. To reduce the unknowns and feel more confident, you should take plenty of time to plan and prepare. Plan how to get to the interview and what to wear. Prepare what you’ll say during the interview and how you’ll follow up afterward. All of this preparation will helpyou feel more confident, especially if you have trouble thinking on your feet in unfamiliar situations. Other strategies can help you feel more bold, too. Try to get a good night’s sleep so you can be energetic and alert. Proactively reduce stress by exercising and consuming less caffeine and sugar. You might even tryâ€Å"power posing† with your hands on your hipsfor two minutes before going into the interview (ideally, where someone can’t see you). Our minds are parts of our bodies, after all, so prioritizing physical self-care can only help get your head in a good place before interviewing. Ultimately, your best bet for job interview success is to show up deeply informed about the new job and organization. Give thoughtful, tailored responses that show you have the core competencies your interviewer seeks and would excel in the new role. Know your audience. Prepare yourself.Get the job. Easy enough, right? What’s Next? You know that you should prepare your responses to common interview questions, but what exactly are those questions? Check out this comprehensive guide for the top 100 questions asked in a job interview! Are you wondering how to structure your responses? This guide has real sample answers to seven of the most common job interview questions. Are you in the midst of the job hunt? Check out this guide for six free cover letter samples, plus a step-by-step cover letter template to guide you through the writing process. Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article! Tweet Rebecca Safier About the Author Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. 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Stefko, Salem Witchcraft Trials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Stefko, Salem Witchcraft Trials - Essay Example The first to be tried were Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne. The girls attended the trials and experienced fits and convulsions as each of the accused was questioned. Tituba had been beaten by Parris for practicing the craft and confessed to being a witch. She implicated the other two women. Tituba also said that the three of them were not the only practitioners and there was a coven in Massachusetts that was lead by a tall man with white hair. This led to witch hunts and further trials. Ministers and district justices asked the girls to name more witches and they obliged. More people were falsely accused and arrested. Ann Putman Jr. and her mother accused Martha Corey of being a witch. They did not like this woman and this was what they did to vent their dislike. Later, Martha's husband, eighty- year old husband, Giles, was accused of being a wizard and a sorcerer. At the time the hysteria began, no trials could be held in the commonwealth until a new charter was in place. In May 1692, Sir William Phips, the newly appointed royal governor, arrived with a new charter. He did not want to be involved with the witchcraft problem, so he created a Court of Oyer and Terminer to try the accused witches. Lt. Governor William Stoughton served as chief justice and eight other judges presided at the trials. The men were highly respected in the colony. Some were biased because they had sent those accused witches to prison and believed that those who were in jail were, in reality, witches.The trials began in June. The girls had accused the "witches" of attacking them in the form of specters. There were tests to determine if the accused were witches. One was when the girls would collapse when the accused was told to look at Them. Another was when the girls were "cured" of their afflictions by touching the accused.The trials were swift and some of those who w ere found guilty were sentenced to death by hanging. The sentences were carried out within days after the sentence was pronounced.Giles Corey refused to acknowledge that the court had the power to try him. He was sentenced to the punishment of having a board placed on top of his body, then rocks placed on top of it. He was killed by the weight of the rocks.Eventually, Tituba was released from jail, and then sold as a slave to pay for the expenses of being imprisoned. The Salem witchcraft trials were the last major trials in the world. There had been other outbreaks of such hysteria in Europe prior to these trials. The Salem trials were "mild affairs compared to the hideous persecutions of Europe." (Cohen, 19)The largest witchcraft trials in the New World and one of the last events of the hysteria of witchcraft were in Salem, Massachusetts. Those who were the most afflicted by the alleged witches were young girls whose "'child's play'

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care Research Paper - 1

Argument essay on Should the government provide health care - Research Paper Example This is made worse by the fact that the country has continued to record slow economic development leading to a significant rise in the rate of unemployment, meaning that more and more people will continue to consider healthcare as a secondary necessity as compared to other needs such as food, education and shelter. This paper is a critical evaluation on whether the government should provide healthcare to its citizens. As earlier mentioned, a healthy population is a healthy nation. This means that a country which is free of diseases stands to benefit from its human resources especially in various sectors of the economy such as Agriculture, building and construction, mining, management among others. This is due to the fact that these people earn their living by the virtue of their presence and attendance to their duties and responsibilities, which can be compromised by sickness. In this context, the government should come up with a policy of ensuring that healthcare provision especially in medical check ups is paid for by the government. This would encourage people to visit health centers on regular basis to have their checkups (Halvorson 26). Diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart infections, and tuberculosis among others would then become easy to detect and control at their earliest stages of development. This principle has been applied world wide for testing and treating infections such as HIV /AIDS and it has proved to be fruitful. It is wrong to find that medical checkup among majority of citizens is perceived as a luxury since it demands for them to dig deeper into their pockets. Consequently, infections such as those of the eyes and teeth continue to affect citizens despite the fact that they can be corrected if detected early enough. It is estimated that approximately 15 million people failed to acquire eyeglasses while another 25 million could not access dental care with regard to 2005 statistics (Halvorson 45). It is sad to

Changing Families Essay Example for Free

Changing Families Essay Changing Families in Society James S. Hunter III OMM 612 Dr. David Jung April 21, 2013 By watching television one would think that the family is made up of one man, one woman, children and possibly pets. The family has changed over the years from before today we have a much more unique family life than twenty five or fifty years ago. Society has become more acceptable to change and have accepted the not so normal or traditional family way. As many things with time comes change. The family has evolved and is comprised of many mechanisms that are different from the past. There are new roles such as multiple incomes from the man and woman, families with partners that are the same gender, couples that are not married but living together, blended families and divorced parents. These are just a few of the many changes the family has gone through in the last two or five decades. Many years ago, woman would have not been the main source of income or even working. Cohabitation of couples that are not married living together and especially same sex partners raising kids. Whatever the argument may be even if there is one? Our society has embraced the new family that has been made over and changed. The definition of a family being a woman, man, children and pet have somewhat been redefined by so many alternatives to raising children. Although only a woman can conceive a child if no medical issues are a factor. They have adoption, surrogacy and other means of receiving children and raising them in our society with other means and make-ups of the family. Social change refers to the alteration in nature such as social behavior or institutions. The social change of families in America and even the world has been altered in many ways from years ago. When my parents and grandparents were coming up it was the time when the men worked and the women stayed home to take of the kids and the house. During that time divorce was frowned upon or just unthinkable. Those times have changed significantly. Many women today are thrilled to have a career and continue to do the same duties as expected of a mother and wife. The husband has evolved over time to assist with chores around the house. In some instances the women are the sole bread earners for the family and the husband is home with the kids. This could be seen as role reversal. Many women today regardless of career intensions or simply not having a choice but to work, either way women are more prominent in the workforce and this have changed the family in a huge way. Family success is better defined as the husband and wife working. â€Å"In 1950 about one in three women participated in the workforce. † Today the workforce comprise of forty eight percent women and fifty two percent men† (S. M. Heathfield, about. com, 2013). Even though, there are changes in society with the family and women working and making up almost half of the workforce. There are ongoing issues that employers and lawmakers need to address because this change of women obtaining careers is on the rise. One issue is the equality in pay between genders. Today most men in the same field are paid higher than women. In our society a high number of women find it more appealing to have a career, be a wife and mother. A significant change that accompanies women that have a career is less time with the family and a lot of times families don’t even eat together due to busy schedules. However, with time and change for some this is acceptable. Divorce is another change in society in which many years ago divorce was never an option. The family has had several makeovers and divorce is rapid and changing our society in a majority negative way. When divorce is the final verdict the children are the focus if they are involved and this makes life more complicated than normal. A comparison was done with children from divorced and non-divorced families and these are some of the findings. â€Å"The Draw-A-Family Test was administered to 108 Swedish children. Fifty four children were from divorce families (27 girls, 27 boys) and 54 (27 girls, 27 boys) from intact families. The age of the subjects was ranging between 10 and 12 years. Focus was placed on which family members were included in the drawings, the prevailing mood of the figures, and on the tendencies to make profile drawings and to omit hands and feet. The results showed that divorce boys omitted their siblings more often than did girls or non-divorce boys, suggesting more intensive sibling rivalry. However, both divorce and non-divorce children usually included the father and depicted him as being as large as or larger than the mother. It appears that in this way children express the important role that their fathers continue to play in their lives. The findings reflected a larger degree of family relationship problems in the divorce group. These problems were expressed by the omission of family members and also by the separation of one or more figures from the rest, by hidden or omitted hands and feet, and by figures drawn in profile (Spigelman, G. , Spegelman, A. , Englesson, I. L. (1992). Here in this study we are finding that with divorce comes risk when children are involved. The study shows that divorced families have more issues than families that are together. Although, the children subjects accepted the dad’s when divorced there is always the problem of having the courts favor the mom in which most cases they do and I have personal experience with that. There is also the case of alienating the kids from the father or mother. In either case the divorced families are prone to more issues which are a problem to society. However, other studies have shown that there is not a significant difference in the outcome of children with a broken home or not. This is saying to me that if both parents were friends and were involved in a child’s life the child could still am successful with divorce. Next we have the case of same gender marriage or cohabitation raising children or not. Either way this is a different look for family and society. Today, it is being accepted more and the same gender couples are taken their cases to the Supreme Court to be heard so they can be accepted and viewed as a family just like the traditional marriage of a man and women. This is truly a case of religion belief or non-belief. I can truly state that with my strong religious views and belief in God and the study and acceptance of the â€Å"word† which is found in the bible. I truly believe in marriage to be traditional of a man and a woman. Marriage was created by â€Å"GOD† and who we are as men to change what the most high has done! If one is serious about his belief in God and understands and accepts his word this would not be a discussion. However, for the nonbelievers and just straight disobedient followers this can be agreed upon. I cannot find it in myself to condone what â€Å"GOD† has condemned. This will be a fight for some time. I can say that if the same gender couples want to be together in which they are anyway. They should call their union something other than marriage. Nevertheless many have argues over the fact that kids are going to have psychological problems and even mimic there same gender parents by learning to be gay. All don’t agree. I can speak from experience and say that kids are exposed to parents and they learn what they see and what we teach them. In my experience I have nieces who have children from men and have had bad relationship experiences and somehow manage to be gay or lesbian and the children are experiencing that same fate because it is what they have seen or have been taught. This is not healthy for our kids and is a problem but in our society this new social behavior is accepted. However, I believe this is an extra psychological phenomenon for our children that add unnecessary stress. Children in same sex couples households have expressed â€Å"they are afraid of their friends finding out that the parent’s â€Å"are gay† or â€Å"if they are† can be terrifying. Nevertheless, the same gender families are here in our society and it is accepted and somewhat the norm these days. The next step is to push to the Supreme Court and fight for the same rights as marriage between a man and woman. Another unique aspect of the family is single working women who do not have a boyfriend or husband. Today many women are growing tired of waiting on Mr. Right so they are taking matters on their own and adopting children. Let’s look at the story of Lindsay Gambini 39, manager of a Manhattan performing-arts center, adopted two children, but not without a struggle. First an adoption in the Philippines fell through. She turned to the New York City foster-care system but was turned down because she planned to hire a baby-sitter during working hours. She was offered older children, but thanks to a shortage of foster homes for infants and her own persistence, she prevailed and got two baby boys, now ages 28 months and 15 months (The, A. P. , 1989, May 14). There are more single ladies and men adopting children today due to the significant social changes we have gone through. This practice is global and more acceptable than before. Many adoption agencies frown on single parents due to many studies that reflect negative impact on children in single households. This is why rigorous procedures are in place to place a child in a more favorable and suitable home that will ensure the physical and psychological safety of the child that is being placed with a foster parent. This method has been revamped as more studies have concluded single parents with a lot of family and friend support while the single mother or father is at work will do just as well in society as those with both parents at home. Many couples are deciding to cohabitate than before. Like many of the traditional family norms our society has evolved to the new times where men and women are making decisions to live together and not marry. However, in many cases they decide to have children. This has become a social norm and is on the rise and accepted. Studies have shown that many people that cohabitate have expectations for marriage and are afraid that they can’t meet the expectations of marriage. Although, not married couples that cohabitate share the same values and duties as married couples. They must support each other and the kids and in most cases they live together. Maybe it’s just a psychological mindset that registers as being okay. This type of relationship is nothing less of marriage. Couples that cohabitate is on the rise and the number of married couples are declining. This is another example of how society and the family are changing. Many people who refuse to cohabitate have strong religious ties. In a Christian and many other religions the belief of a man and woman to live together without being married is unfavorable in the eyes of â€Å"God† therefore being a sin. There are also other stigmas to cohabitating couples. One would be a couple who has a child or children living with them and the male is not the legal or birth father. This is said to have complications that are negative on children in the end. Multiple issues face cohabitating couples that are similar to divorced couples. The comparison is almost equal when children are in the equation. This reflects any negative presents in a home with children are unfavorable under all circumstances in families in society. Families today more than ever also encompass new measures of support. The family has changed in society today from many years ago. Families have learned to deal with adversities such as low income and long distance support from one parent. Low income families are almost most of the time to proud to ask for government subsidies that will in some form give them better living conditions for a certain amount of time until the benefits are depleted or until no longer required. When a family does not use the assistance that may be available this will indeed hurt the family in many ways. The children will be affected in several ways such as education and any developmental stage due to worrying about the present living condition such as lack of food or shelter. Other distractions such as a parent being absent due to a distant career. These are all contributing factors that weigh heavily on children that are our future in our society. Unlike before there are many programs put in place to educate on the living through the absence of a parent or a family in crisis to ensure the children is focused and able to learn in school and advance in all areas of development. Recognizing the need for assistance during these challenging times for children are essential and important. Many programs are in place to ensure that all children have a chance at a happy home to promote positive education while attending school. Speaking from experience in the military my co-workers and I have experienced the unhappy home for our children due to us being absent. Many kids act out due to them not being happy because of the absence of a parent. This behavior results in negative behavior and education achievement. Over the years the military has become a lot smarter and with the help of non-profit organizations provide the support to military families in assisting with helping our kids cope with us being absent so that they can be successful in their educational development. In closing the family has changed with society in many ways. The family has been altered from its original intent or original meaning. The family as we use to know it consisted of a man, and woman or husband, wife children and pet. Today our family has been redefined in our society. We have same gender families, cohabitating families, blended families, single home families and more. Fifty years ago women were not working as much or considered in the equation for a successful family. Today that has changed; women and men both are working to make a better life for the family. The woman has increased responsibility although she works her duties as a wife and mother are not different. The husbands are contributing more with chores but nevertheless women are still required to maintain certain standards at home with family. Some women are the sole provider for their families. The new role swapping is very popular these days. It’s not because men choose to not work several reasons such as not being able to find employment, furthering education and health reasons to name a few. This new area in society has been accepted by some and not at all by others. The secular society and the religious institutions are at odds with what the family is and should be. The conflict is simply the believers and nonbelievers. It is a constant battle and struggle. Although most studies are inconclusive or not published at all in regards to the welfare of children and the family. All families seem to struggle today when it comes to raising our children who are the foundation of our families. It depends on whose report you read or who publishes first and receives the most notoriety that gives a strong belief or assessment in how our children should be raised or if they will be a psychological mess due to the environment they share with parents at home. With experience and insight on the situation of the new families in our society is the only true measurement of our children and their development and contributions to society. The families struggle with our new times of the changing family. It is rare that a family sits and eats together due to a conflict in schedules. The time you sit and spend with your family is essential, that is the time the family actually get to speak to one another. Other issues such as poverty and long distance relationships are problematic with families. Especially military, when we are away the family mainly the kids suffer due to the absence of a parent causing significant problems for the family. With the new and improved resources that embrace technology the distant parent can have a real time conversation with families and also upon return education workshops on how to reaclamate to your environment is available. In covering many phases of the family from traditional to nontraditional studies have shown children have been successful either way. As we accept the new variety of families other than non-traditional as we invest in our children it is vital that we remember to make our home a happy one for our kids. In all aspects of the family the values of the family in society has not changed significantly from years ago. Either way it is viewed or made up the end result will be the outcome of our kids in society. References Harper, C. L. Leicht, K. L. (2011). Exploring social change: America and the world (6th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN:   9780205748082 Susan M. Heathfield, (2013). Women and work: Then, now and predicting the future for women in the workplace, about. comguide. Spigelman, G. , Spegelman, A. , Englesson, I. L. (1992). Analysis of family drawings: A comparison between children from divorce and non-divorce families. Journal of Divorce Remarriage, 18(1), 31-31. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/200720010? accountid=3252 Jacobs, S. (2004,Mar 07). Children of same-sex couples tell their stories. Boston Globe, retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/40406592? accountid=32521 The, A. P. (1989, May 14). More single people adopting children. Orange County Register. Retrieved from http://search. proquest. com/docview/272371838? accountid=32521

HIV/AIDS Is No Longer a Death Sentence Essay -- Disease/Disorders

I am positive; the simplest statement suddenly carries a huge weight when the words HIV or AIDS are followed right after. In the 1980’s HIV meant AIDS and AIDS meant a rapid and awful death. Death always seemed to be the end result in a world where we did not understand the disease that seemed to come from nowhere but was killing at an expedited rate. Thirty plus years later there is still no cure but there is now hope. Having HIV or AIDS is no longer an immediate death sentence. People infected with the virus can live a long and relatively normal life (2). On November 7th, 1991, NBA star Ervin â€Å"Magic† Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV and was retiring from basketball (7). Twenty plus years later Mr. Johnson is living proof that having HIV is not an automatic death sentence. When Mr. Johnson made his announcement, he gave the taboo topic of HIV/AIDS a very real and prominent public image. With his acknowledgement of being HIV positive spoken aloud, no longer could people put this disease into categories. Indeed, a rich heterosexual male not living in a third world country could contract HIV. HIV/AIDS is not only relegated to homosexuals or poor people. However, with this faà §ade of the disease being uncovered another emerged with each year that Mr. Johnson is living and is healthy. Since the public cannot see the outward appearance of the disease a couple of myths have appeared. One, â€Å"Magic† never had HIV it was just a way to bring the disease out into the public to be discusses more openly for awareness. Two, â€Å"Magic† has magic he has been cured. This just shows that when one door closes another one opens. Information on HIV/AIDS clearly needs to be emphasized because ignorance is still very prevalent with the... ...AIDS. Mayo clinic. DS00005. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), October 20, 2011. 1998. April 11, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids./DS00005. 5) NIAID. HIV Basics. AIDS Education Global Information System. Roxanne Laboratories. 2012. 1980. April 11, 2012. http://www.aegis.org/Basics/Structure%20of%20HIV.aspx 6) NIAID, NIH. HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. April 03, 2012. February 2, 2005. April 11, 2012. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Pages/whatAreHIVAIDS.aspx 7) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Abracadabra: Magic Johnson and Anti-HIV treatments†. Harvard University, Cambridge. 11 April 2012. Reading. 8) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Debunking Biology Myths: What is AIDS?† Harvard University, Cambridge. 25 April 2012. Lecture.

An Analysis Of Cousin Kate And The Seduction Essay

The title sounds like a woman is talking about her â€Å"Cousin Kate† and not especially about herself. It’s like her side of the story in the poem. The poem is about a lady in about the 1814 (the olden times). She falls in love with a rich person who sounds like the king which says here â€Å"Why did a great lord find me out† and then he flatters and uses her to the point where she is pregnant and has a child. This part from the poem shows that a rich person or so a king found her and abused her when she thought he really truly loved her but no he did not. â€Å"He changed me like a glove†. Then she praises her cousin about her looks and her wealth too. She says â€Å"You grew more fair I:† †¦ â€Å"Because you so good and pure† She then talks bout how true her love was and Kate’s wasn’t and she wants to spit in her ex lords face because she did not like him for his money or his land just because it was true love. â€Å"O cousin Kate my love was true, And your love was writ in sand:† This tells us that the Lord probably chose her cousin Kate because she was beautiful and because she was from a wealthy family and not then narrator because she says she was not that wealthy †¦ â€Å"Call me an outcast thing, Even so I sit an howl in dust†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ At then she goes on to talking about her son which I think she had mentioned before in the poem were it says â€Å"So now I moan, an unclean thing† as if she did not want a child but now I think she is pleased with having a special gift which is her child and then she goes on to saying that her cousin Kate will never get what she has got because she never destined to get it. It says in the poem â€Å"I’ve got a gift you have not got, And seem not like to get: †¦ I’ve little doubt you fret. My fair haired son my shame, my pride† †¦ So she does not regret anything that has happened. She criticises her sister a little throughout the poem and is always saying she made a mistake but she got the best out of it like her fair headed son. Seduction means to seduce which means to lead astray and then tempt them into a sin or crime which the whole poem is based on. The poem is about a girl who gets persuaded by a handsome boy that he is the one for her and she can trust him fully. In the poem it says â€Å"She had nodded, quite enchanted† †¦ â€Å"so she fell in love† so she thinks that he has chosen her or she is the one for him. Later in this poem she finds out that she is 3 months gone in other terms three months pregnant with her x boyfriend’s baby. â€Å"When she discovered she was three months gone† She is frightened and very scared and the poem tells â€Å"And realised, for once, that she was truly truly frightened† She hates her life so much that she would rather take drugs than live in this hell that she has made by herself trusting some boy she had met at the party. She tells us that she wants to take drugs by â€Å"But then again better to be smoking scented drugs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From that moment on her life lead her into a totally different path. She talks about her bright and colourful past which she can remember very clearly and wants to go back where she was with her friends in different places lie Blackpool by saying â€Å"Where were the glossy photographs of summer, Day trips to Blackpool, jumping all the rides?† so that’s why she wants to go back into her lively past. This poem shows how life can be sometimes and that you can never trust it. It shows her experiences with a lovely, gorgeous boy (what she thinks of him) and after how she is completely shattered. â€Å"With fingers that stroked her neck and thighs†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to â€Å"she cried that she had missed all her innocence around her† so that shows you what the narrator felt and was like from her past to her present. This poem might make boys seem bad and horrible but all boys are normally not like that and that girls always fall into a trap but sometimes they don’t from what it says in the poem like â€Å"All the parties where you’d meet the boy next door, Where you walk hand in hand, in an acne’d wonderland,†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ This shows that she remembers the past and its like she cusses it and that she doesn’t want it to happen again like its going to happen again.

Hoosiers Essay

‘Hoosiers’ was a film released in 1986 and is one of very rare hits in the series of sports films. The film is set in the year 1952 in a small town in Indiana and this was the time when in Indiana each high school has the goal of winning one or the other states championship. It is based on a true story but with strong characterization, a story with its own logic and aspects of motivation and inspirational scenes as well along with characters having specific and distinguished qualities. 1. On his first night in Hickory, Coach Dale was provided with lots of suggestions by the town’s men but he was very sure that all these suggestions were not going to work. He had his goals and decisions firm and assertive and on the very first day of practice, he tells the temporary coach that his days of coaching were over and also dismisses Buddy. 2. Jimmy Chipwood is considered as the star player with experience and the team members too needed him but Coach Dale tried to ignore him initially and focused on the whole team because he believed that the team that plays collectively preventing selfish play, only has a chance to succeed. But he unintentionally convinces Jimmy to play and it seemed he persuaded him to play for him alone, which encourages the team and they finally win the state championship. 3. At the first prep rally, Coach Dale exhibits the authoritative style of leadership and dismisses a player because he doesn’t follow his instructions word by word. He believes that games when played on fundamentals could win and the most important thing was discipline. 4. During the first game, Coach Dale felt that his team was not able to make a shoot and he decided to make a speech in half time and tried to calm down his players as also give them hints so that they play accordingly after half time. He also makes Ray stay out of the game. 5.â€Å"Shooter† in the movie, ‘Hoosiers’ has the real passion for the game, basketball and of course knows about the game very well. The only thing lacking in him is self-esteem because he had missed an important shot during his playing days and is also the victim of ostracism. Treating these kind of people in the way Coach Dale does is very important because the real thing is how important one is for the purpose i.e., the basketball game here. Promoting the Shooter reveals that personal drawback can be overcome by the knowledge. 6. During sectionals, Coach Dale keeps himself cool and firm and applies the authoritative style of leadership because the team still believed that they could not do without Jimmy. Coach Dale wanted each and every player to perform their best and remember the fundamentals of the game. 7. Coach Dale tries to moderate the pressure of the game of the State Championship among the players but he himself is under pressure because winning this championship meant a lot for him. The pressure is because he was put out of this game for more than a  decade and that guilt stayed in his mind and had made his soul cover with a thick skin of wisdom. The reminder of this incident every now and then makes Coach Dale cynical and of course his arrogance can also be related to the same thing. At the back of the mind he is nervous and wants his players to not to face any such kind of situation, which would make them have regrets throughout their lives. This is what is made clear by Ronald Heffeitz when his work depicts that leading with an open heart needs a lot of courage and writes that it is first and foremost important for ones own identity and spirit. And this Coach dale does during the state championship game and encourages each player to perform his best.

rumblefish essays

rumblefish essays Rumble Fish, by S.E. Hinton is the sequel to The Outsiders. The characters names are different, but it is still taken place in the same time period. In the story Rumble Fish, Rusty James is a greaser who has a lot of fights in and out of school. He meets up with the Motorcycle Boy and whenever Rusty is in a big situation or fight, the Motorcycle Boy always helps him out. Rusty isnt a great kid. He has a police record and has been suspended for possession of a knife. Bad things can happen to you if you dont have a knife in certain situations. For example, Rusty was in a fight and it was going to be fought with knives. Nobody in his group had one, so Rusty lost. Then he met the Motorcycle Boy and everything was back to normal until the big fight. Rusty got hit, stabbed, and knocked out. Usually the Motorcycle Boy would help him out, but instead he wasnt there, nowhere to be seen. Rusty was put in the hospital. The main conflict in the story is Rusty James, and his fighting all of the time. It isnt good for him or his reputation. Rusty usually wins and someone always is looking to beat him at his own game, which is fighting, Rustys specialty! The conflict is resolved when Rusty James is in a fight against another greaser and the Motorcycle Boy isnt there to save Rusty. After all of this happens, everyone starts making fun of Rusty. The mysterious thing is that the Motorcycle Boy is never seen again. Now Rusty has no friends what so ever! Read Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton, Its worth the read! ...

Reedsys writing tool to change the way authors create books

Reedsys writing tool to change the way authors create books Today, Reedsy changes the way millions of authors will create books We are incredibly proud. After months of work, we are releasing the first version of the Reedsy Book Editor, a writing tool that will transform the way millions of authors create their books. It took thousands of hours, and countless iterations on design and code to create what we believe will disrupt the process of writing and producing books.Okay we’ve said enough. Now, showtime.The simplest yet most innovative way to create booksThe first thing we wanted to do was to create a great environment to write in. We didn’t want to replicate Microsoft Word’s awful interface and were inspired by the work the team at Medium did. We saw it as the way forward and designed a product that appears minimalistic but is in fact extremely powerful.To format a book, authors will only be using our style-guide toolbar. Here is what it looks like:– Matt (designer) and Emmanuel (visionary) of the Reedsy Book Editor, founders at Reedsy.A press release is available here.

Correlational Methods (SLP) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Correlational Methods (SLP) - Essay Example The Glasgow Coma Scale, a model used by medics analyses the eye opening reactions to stimuli, the post traumatic amnesia and the loss of consciousness (Silver et, al, 2011).Patients for this study are taken through imaging tests to diagnose a brain injury. X-Rays and rehabilitation are dependent upon the severity of the brain injury (Murdoch and Theodoros, 2001). Data is an invaluable asset when dealing with health care improvement. It is collected in the process of ongoing patient care or clinical trials programs. The study’s focus is on evaluation of internet based intervention that looks into behavioral therapy and promoting mental health among veterans of combat. It concludes that stating online based models can offer early treatments as well as preventive programs (Van & Fugal, 2012).Qualitative research method which focuses on quality and quantity of data will be instrumental in this research (Flick, 2014). Descriptive statistical techniques will be used to summarize the numerical information gathered in the study. Critical analysis will be conducted and determine the testability of the hypothesis to descriptive statistics. In measures of central tendencies, Voorhees and colleagues used the mean of two to explain the participants’ completion of internet based lessons. Voorhees and his colleagues also used data range scores to compare the elements in the research. For example, they differentiated between score scales by comparing depression findings from the center of epidemiologic studies to PTSD checklist military. The brain trauma studies seem to yield weaker results as compared to others. The researcher fails to include a representative sample of brain injuries occurrences. The procedures are also dependent on clinical trials that present ethical challenges. The data collection mode of study is one of the strongest as it gives adequate information about the study

Paternalism - article by Dworkin Gerald Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Paternalism - by Dworkin Gerald - Article Example Regardless of the society’s best interests at heart any form of legislation has no right to exert its authority over an individual because it is a threat to the person’s independence. By making a set of rules and putting restrictions the system tries to confine and form a community which it deems correct rather than letting the individuals’ form a society they think is an ideal one. Although paternalism claims to have best of intensions for a person yet it is not necessary that the individual also sees it as means for a better life. For Mill such interference is not only offensive but also an abuse of his autonomy. Paternalistic interference can be categorized into pure and impure types of interventions. Pure paternalism deals with restrictions which ensure the benefit of an individual. While impure paternalism tries to protect an individual by putting restrictions on one’s independence. Mill asserts that majority of the individuals are rational adults who are aware of the fact that most of the paternalistic laws are made in order to remedy their safety. Yet it should be left for an individual to decide whether he wants to follow them or not i.e. freedom of choice should be granted because one learns best through ones mistakes. He is not ignorant of the fact that not all individuals have same level of intelligence and for children specifically paternalistic restrictions are necessary though he says that some modicum of restraint should be observed. He also realizes in certain cases practice of restraint is necessary so an outside force is required for the implementation of such restrictions. Hence although in order to form law and order paternalistic restrictions are necessary yet some leniency should be granted in their practice so that it would not threaten an individual’s liberty and at the same time precautionary measures are also

Leadership Skills Personal Development Plan Essay

Leadership Skills Personal Development Plan - Essay Example a detailed analysis of my leadership style on the grounds of strength, weakness, opportunity, threats, along with discussion on improving them in order to be a more effective leader. I have also discussed the SMART(ER) goal setting technique to set the goals for my followers and for myself. All the discussions made in this study are backed up by relevant theories. According to my perception, the concept of leadership is based on the idea of how one individual can guide a group of people to follow his instruction so that they can be driven towards a common goal. At often times the term â€Å"leader† is used synonymous with the term â€Å"manager†. I think that a leader and a manager possess quite a different set of characters (Davis 8). A leader develops a new trend or a set of rules to follow, whereas a manager makes sure that the rules are properly being followed. Most importantly a manager controls his subordinates by relying on his power of authority, but a leader influences his followers by establishing a strong trust (The Wall Street Journal, â€Å"What is the Difference Between Management and Leadership?†). This makes me believe that a leader is a person who takes the right decisions and sets goals for himself and for his followers as well. I have followed a leadership style which binds my team in with strict rules and regulation. I thought that setting up straight forward rules are necessary in order to make sure that there is deviation from the goal. I laid down a series of strict rules for my team and instructed them to follow those rules down to every word. In order to avoid confusion in decision making, I took the responsibility of making all the major decisions myself. I commanded my team to abide by my decisions at all times, so it can be ensured that the progress is directed in the desired way. This style of leadership can be termed as the Autocratic leadership style (Johnson, â€Å"5 Different Types of Leadership Styles†). Strength: The autocratic

Gendered Toys And The Perceptions Children And Young People Essay

Gendered Toys And The Perceptions Children And Young People Essay The focus of this research was gendered toys and the perceptions children and their parents hold about these types of toys, it aimed to investigate childrens reasoning about gendered toys and looked to establish if a link exists between the perceptions of parents and the toy preferences of children. Gendered toys can be described as being toys which are generally thought of as being suitable for one gender over the other, for example wheeled toys for males and dolls for females (Pleil and Williams, 2008; Francis, 2010). Throughout this research the term gender typical toys will be used to describe toys which are traditionally considered most appropriate for the sex choosing them, the term gender atypical is used to describe toys traditionally thought of as being suitable for a child of the opposite gender to the sex of the child selecting them. This subject is especially significant today, as it appears that the manufacturing and marketing of toys is more gender stereotyped now than previously; with the vast majority of toy stores having aisles, or even entire floors dedicated to a specific gender (Francis, 2010). Therefore, todays children are being exposed to gender stereotyped toys to a greater degree than their counterparts would have been in the past (Francis, 2010). Looking at research which sought parents experiences of what toys their children preferred has demonstrated that young children vary vastly when it comes to their choice of toys and that they have very clear opinions of what toys are most suited to each gender (Pleil and Williams, 2008). Furthermore, research has demonstrated that children develop mental schemas of objects, which are gender stereotyped from a very young age (Ruble, Martin and Berenbaum, 2006). The gender stereotypes and gender stereotypical behaviour that forms during early childhood are an interesting and important issue, as it has been established that these gender notions can influence a childs career choices as adults (Cherney and Dempsey, 2010; Francis, 2010). Furthermore, toy choice in itself is an important issue research has shown that toys teach children vital life skills, however, these skills vary depending on which gender the toy is stereotypically aimed at (Fagot and Leinbach, 1983; Francis, 2010). It ha s been argued that the toys stereotypically aimed each gender foster totally different social and cognitive skills, with boys toys developing problem-solving skills whilst girls toys develop nurturing and caring skills (Cherney and London, 2006; Francis, 2010). Therefore, the toys children play with, along with childrens gender stereotypical views of them are important and valid issues to research as the impact is long term and has implications in adulthood. There are several theoretical perspectives on how children come to acquire gender stereotypes and gendered behaviours. The social cognitive theory of gender development postulates that children learn gender norms and gendered behaviours through observing their environment and the people within it; children observe the behaviours of people in their environment and replicate them. Gendered behaviours are reinforced through the reward and punishment of behaviour, considered appropriate or inappropriate by others that the child experiences (Bussey and Bandura, 1999). Therefore, according to this standpoint the concept of gender and the acquisition of gendered behaviour is a socially constructed phenomenon. However, research conducted on Verve and Rhesus monkeys has established that young primates display the same gendered behaviours observed in their human counterparts (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen 2008). This research suggests that gender stereotypical toy pref erences may be a reflection of the biological differences between males and females rather than being a direct result of socialisation (Pleil and Williams, 2008). Therefore, according to this standpoint gendered behaviour is as a result of biological differences between the sexes. Despite this evidence, suggesting that children may be biologically predisposed to being gender stereotypical in their toy preferences, this paper is underpinned by the hypothesis that childrens social interactions, especially with their parents, are influential on their perception and choice when it comes to toys. The overarching approach of this research was a case study, employing document analysis, questionnaire and interview techniques of data collection. The central research question for this study was How do children and their parents perceive and reason about gendered toys and what, if any, connection exists between these perceptions in relation to childrens toy preferences. Four aims were identified and addressed by formulating four research questions, in order to answer the central research question. These research questions were: What are childrens toy preferences and how, if at all, are these preferences interrelated to the gender of the child? How do children reason about their toy choice when deciding which toys they wish to play with? What are parental perceptions of the suitability of gendered toys? How, if at all, are parental perceptions of toys interlinked with toy choice and the reasoning behind toy choice, of children? Chapter 2: Review of the Literature Introduction This review will examine issues relating to the perspectives held by children and parents on gendered toys. Firstly it will examine childrens toy preferences, exploring the gender dimorphic nature, which research has uncovered regarding childrens toy choices. Then the review will then explore the reasoning behind childrens toy choices, parental perspectives on the suitability of toys in relation to gender and finally the influence of parents on childrens perspective and choice. 2.1: Childrens Toy Preferences and Gender It has been put forward that the vast majority of experiments designed to assess childrens toy preferences were not true reflections of what children would choose in real life (Down, 1983). Down (1983) argues that prior experiments were too restrictive, only offering a very limited choice between small selections of typically male or female toys, which rarely offered a gender neutral choice. In his own research Down assessed elementary school aged childrens toy preferences by utilising childrens letters to Santa Claus, allowing for an unrestricted, ecologically valid method of ascertaining childrens preferences in a real life, naturalistic way. Down found that many of the toys selected by the children were not traditionally gendered toys, rather they were toys which could be considered gender neutral; girls were found to be especially likely to request gender neutral toys whilst boys requested gender typical and gender neutral toys in equal measure. Nevertheless, Downs research also demonstrated that boys and girls both prefer gender typical toys over gender atypical toys, a notion which has been supported through the findings of subsequence research (Carter and Levy, 1988; Martin, Eisenbud and Rose, 1995; Cherney et al, 2003). Recent research which, like Downs work offered a holistic insight into childrens toy preferences, was conducted by Cherney and London (2006). The child participants in this study were asked to list their favourite toys, the participants were free to choose whatever toys they wished. Considerable differences were found in the favourite toys that were chosen based on the childs gender, replicating the previous finding of Down; both boys and girls preferred gender typical over gender atypical toys. They also discovered that whilst boys preferences became slightly more masculine as the child aged, that in contrast girls toy preference became less feminine with age. More recently it has been discovered that even the youngest children, infants aged between 3 and 8 months, appear to show a preference for gender typical toys. Alexander, Wilcox and Woods (2009) investigated whether infants display a preference for gender typical toys, this was ascertained using eye-tracking technology to measure the time the infants spent focused on either a truck or a doll. It was found that girl infants showed a preference for the doll, whilst the boy infants spent more time focused on the truck. The research of Alexander, Wilcox and Woods, supports the notion of a biological foundation for gendered preferences of toys. The notion of a biological underpinning for childrens gender-based preferences has been highlighted through research conducted with infant monkeys (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen 2008), as these preferences are being observed at an age before it is commonly accepted that children have established gender identity and gender t ypical behaviour. However, it cannot be ignored that some of the research discussed above (Alexander and Hines, 2002; Hassett, Siebert and Wallen, 2008 and Alexander, Wilcox and Wood, 2009), is guilty of the very criticism put forward by Down (1983). These studies only offered the participants a choice between limited arrays of gendered toys with none offering participants a gender neutral option. Therefore, it could be argued that these studies do not demonstrate well-rounded picture of childrens toy preferences and therefore the validity of these findings could be called into question. Nevertheless, the findings of these studies, when considered alongside the more well-rounded research discussed above (Down, 1983; Cherney and London, 2006) clearly show that children, of both the human and primate variety, demonstrate a marked preference for gender typical over gender atypical toys, therefore providing a valid and important insight into childrens toy preference and the difference between the preferen ces of girls and boys. 2.2: Childrens Reasoning Regarding Toy Preference and Suitability Through previous research, several key factors have emerged that influence a childs reasoning about whom toys are suitable for. Several studies have found that childrens reasoning about who else would enjoy playing with a particular toy is often egocentric. It has been found that when a child likes a particular toy they often reason that other children of their own gender would also like the toy and conversely children of the opposite gender would not like it (Carter and Levy, 1988; Martin, Eisenbud and Rose, 1995; Cherney, Harper and Winter, 2006). These studies show that young children often used egocentric reasoning when thinking about what other children would like, they conclude that what they enjoy others of their own sex would also enjoy and those of the opposite sex would not. However, Martin, Eisenbud and Rose (1995) established that when toys are labelled as being for a certain gender, it is highly influential on childrens reasoning about who would enjoy that toy. They presented children with attractive, but unfamiliar toys and asked them to rate the toys appeal to themselves and other children, the results were concurrent with the previous research of Carter and Levy (1988), the childrens reasoning was egocentric; they concluded that what they liked other children of their gender would like. However, when they presented the children with another set of toys, applying gender labelling to them, they uncovered a very different reaction. The children used the gender labels to reason about their own and others preference for that toy, even with a very attractive toy, if it was labelled for the opposite gender the children were less favourable towards that toy and reasoned that other children of their own gender wouldnt like it either. Therefore, this researc h clearly demonstrates the power of gender labels to influence childrens reasoning and preferences when choosing what toys they themselves would enjoy as well as when considering what other children would enjoy. Another common influence on childrens gender-based reasoning uncovered by recent research conducted by Cherney and Dempsey (2010) is gender association; children would habitually reason that a toy was most suitable for a particular gender based on the gender of the toy itself. An example of this was when a swimming pool, a toy deemed to be gender neutral, was classified as being a girls toy because it featured Dora the Explorer whom is herself a girl. Furthermore, this research has also identified toy colour as being another factor which influences childrens reasoning and toy preferences. Using gender ambiguous and neutral toys, this research aimed to establish how young children classify toys with less notable gender typical features, finding that colour was commonly cited as a reason for the classification of toys by gender (Cherney and Dempsey, 2010). This finding could be due to the increasing trend seen in recent years for toy manufacturers to commonly market the same toy, which is often a gender neutral toy such as a camera, in gender typical colours. With the pink option being marketed at girls and the blue version marketed at boys. The studies outlined above demonstrate that childrens reasoning about toy preferences and suitability is influenced by a number of factors and is often egocentric. However the common thread running throughout all these studies is that outside influences, such a gender labels and colour greatly influences the toys children like. The personal, egocentric reasoning employed by children in the absence of outside influences, coupled with the change in childrens reasoning that comes with outside influences clearly shows that children are highly aware of societal and cultural norms and it would appear that, on the whole, children tend to conform to these gender norms when it comes to the toys they considered to be most appealing. 2.3: Parental Perceptions of Gendered Toys and Their Suitability During the late 1970s an observational study was conducted, which investigated how parents praise and punish childrens behaviour, it was found that the types of behaviours parents praise or punish differ for boys and girls. The study discovered that boys were punished when they played with gender atypical toys and praised when they played with gender typical toys, it also found that girls were punished for rough and tumble play (Fagot, 1978). Therefore, it would seem from this research that parents have clear views on what toys and play styles are suitable for either sex and that they actively discourage their children from engaging in play or using toys traditionally stereotyped as belonging to the opposite sex. This finding was supported by later research, investigating parental participation in childrens play (Roopnarine, 1986), which discovered parents most often participated when their children were playing with toys traditionally considered appropriate for their gender. Therefo re, these studies (Fagot, 1978; Roopnarine, 1986) suggest that parents, either directly through punishment or indirectly through their lack of participation, encourage their children to prefer gender typical toys and reject gender atypical ones. However, more recently a study conducted by Wood et al (2002) investigating parental views of gender stereotyped toys found that traditional gender categorisation of toys did not reflect the parents views on toy suitability. This study found that many toys traditionally considered to be either male or female, were categorised as being gender neutral by the parents. The physical features of the toys used in this study were controlled to limit factors, such as colour, from influencing gender categorisation. Therefore, the parents must have made their decision based on something outside of the physical features of the toys; the researchers believed this could be due to a shift in recent times of the typical gender role stereotypes (Wood et al, 2002). Nevertheless, this study discovered that parents believed gendered toys to be most desirable to the gender the toy is traditionally assigned to. This research also observed parents and children at play to ascertain which toys were utilised most often by each gender. While observing boys and parents typically masculine toys were played with the most, a finding consistent with previous studies however, when observing girls and parents there was more flexibility, playing with feminine and neutral toys equally which deviates from previous studies. Therefore the shift in how parents categorised toys uncovered by this research did not reflect in their real life play situations with their children (Wood et al, 2002). The findings of these studies (Fagot, 1978; Roopnarine, 1986) suggest that parents have differing views on what toys and activities are suitable for children based on their gender, and that they reinforce these views through their behaviour when interacting with their child. However, more recent findings (Wood et al, 2002) suggest that parents view of traditionally gender stereotyped toys is evolving and that modern parents are reinterpreting the traditional roles of gendered toys. Nevertheless, despite this shift in how parents are categorising childrens toys, Wood et al (2002) still found that parents believed stereotypically gendered toys to be most desirable to the gender typically associated to them, showing that there is still a gender division in children toys. 2.4: Parental Influence on Childrens Toy Choices and Reasoning It has been argued by Mischel (1966) that children learn gendered behaviours prior to realising that they belong to a particular gender, this occurs through a process of modelling and reinforcement by adults. Furthermore, as previously discussed the praise and punishment delivered by parents differs depending on the sex of the child, with girls and boys both being praised for gender typical behaviour and punished for gender atypical behaviour (Fagot, 1978). These two pieces of literature suggest that children learn gender labelling and gendered behaviours through the social interactions they experience in their early lives. This standpoint on childrens acquisition of gender labels and gendered behaviour is called social learning theory and opposes the cognitive-developmental theory of children acquisition of gendered behaviours as proposed by Kohlberg (1966). The cognitive-developmental theory argues that children develop an awareness of their own gender before developing an understa nding of the typical behaviour associated with each gender (Kohlberg, 1966). Through the lens of the social learning theorist gendered behaviours are viewed as being a precursor of the gender development process, whereas cognitive-developmental theorists sees gender development as being a causal factor in children acquiring gendered behaviours (Weinraub et al, 1984). Therefore from a social learning perspective parents, as young childrens primary socialiser, have a massive potential to influence the existence of gender behaviour in their child and therefore may influence the types of toys children choose to play with. Research conducted investigating young childrens gender identity, toy choices and family characteristics has found that parents do hold an influence over their childs toy choice (Weinraub et al, 1984). However, this influence was not universal for mothers and fathers. The study found that in the case of mothers it is their occupation, not their sex-typed personality traits, which affect childrens development of gender labelling and therefore their toy choices. On the other hand, the study found that in the case of fathers, sex-typed personality traits strongly influenced the development of gender labels in children, and their toy preferences, especially in the case of boys (Weinraub et al, 1984). However, another study conducted shortly after found that contrary to previous research suggesting fathers as being the primary force supporting the development of children learning gender labels, that mothers and fathers were equally involved (Roopnarine, 1986). The results of these studies (Weinraub et al, 1984; Roopnarine, 1986) demonstrate that parents, especially fathers of boys, can influence the gender labels that children develop, and in turn the choices children make about toys and support the hypothesis proposed by social-learning theorists. Chapter Three: Methodology 3.1: Research Methods The overarching research design of this research was that of the case study. This design was chosen as it enables real life participants to be examined in a real life situation, allowing for an in-depth insight into the phenomenon being investigated (Cohen et al, 2011). The phenomenon this research project examined was gendered toys; it investigated how children and their parents perceive and reason about such toys and aimed to establish whether there is a link between the perceptions of parents and the preferences of children. A further benefit of the case study approach is that it allows findings to be presented in a clear and concise manner, enabling the reader to have a clearer understanding of the ideas being presented (Cohen et al, 2011). Case studies have been defined as being the study of a single instance within a bounded system, for example a school, class, community (Adelman et al, 1980; Creswell, 1994 cited in Cohen et al, 2011). However, it has been put forward that such a tight definition is not an appropriate definition of the case study approach. Yin (2009) argues that the line between the phenomenon being investigated and the context where it is being investigating is not clear-cut; therefore it is important contextualise case studies by employing strategies such as rich descriptions and details. Nevertheless, this case study did investigate a phenomenon within a bounded system, focusing on families from within a community whose children all attend the same school. The case study approach was chosen for this research as the approach is particularly useful in establishing cause and effect, and the aim of this research was to establish if parental perceptions influence children choices. In addition, case stud ies allow the effects of a phenomenon to be observed within a real life perspective, allowing for a better understanding of how the context of a situation influences both cause and effect (Cohen et al, 2011). Case studies are excellent for providing both the researcher and the reader with an in-depth and rich understanding of the phenomenon being investigated. Nevertheless, as a case study is usually focused upon a fairly narrow line of inquiry, focused on a specific phenomenon or a single setting, it does have its limitations. A major, often cited limitation is the lack of generality; finding and conclusion drawn by a case study cannot be applied to a wider context than that within which it was conducted (Robert-Holmes, 2011). It is therefore of upmost importance that researchers conducting case studies do not attempt to make claims applying the knowledge obtained through a case study universally. This research employed three data collection methods within its case study research design, these were, questionnaires, documentary research and an interview. Three methods of data collection were employed in order to provide the study with triangulation. Triangulation is the process of employing two or more methods of data collection when researching an aspect of human behaviour, allowing the researcher to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the behaviour they are investigating (Cohen et al, 2011; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Triangulation is important as it provides the research with validity, which in turn makes the conclusions drawn by research more believable to the reader (Mukherji Albon, 2009). An overview of these methods and their benefits and limitations, will follow. Questionnaires can be a useful tool for gathering data for research as they quickly collect large quantities of data, and due to the standardised nature of the questionnaire the data collected is easily comparable (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). However, it must be noted that questionnaire data lacks the depth and breadth of interview data, which offers a more in-depth insight of peoples thoughts, beliefs and attitudes (Robert-Holmes, 2011). Whilst questionnaires can be very useful, being easy to distribute and a comparatively cheap and quick method of collecting large quantities of data, they can prove problematic as getting responses back can often be challenging (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Furthermore, the formulation of a questionnaire can be difficult to get right requiring careful consideration; it is especially easy for questionnaires to lack clarity, be ambiguous and to be leading to its participants (Willan, 2010). Therefore, special consideration needs to be t aken to ensure the questions are formulated in a way to ensure the necessary data is collected, whilst making sure that the questionnaire itself is not overly long or complicated. An overly long or complex questionnaire can put off potential participants, which in turn may result in a low response rate which then effects the breadth of the data collected (Oppenheim, 1992; Foody, 1993). For this reason, the questions for this projects questionnaire were designed to be clear and concise furthermore, unnecessary questions were omitted from the questionnaire in an attempt to maximise participation. Documentary research can provide an insight into human social activity, briefly speaking a document can be describes as being a record of an event or a process, which is produced by an individual or group (Cohen et al, 2011). Documentary research can help researchers understand current practices; however through analysing historical documentation researchers can use this method to investigate how historical perceptions have influenced current thinking (Willan, 2010; Cohen et al, 2011). Documentary evidence can come in many different formats and is not merely the analysis of written documents, such as policy documents and letters; documentary evidence can be obtained from various multimedia sources such as radio, films and emails (Willan, 2010; Cohen et al, 2011). The documents analysed by this research were collages of favourite toys produced autonomously by the child participants; it was used to provide a current picture of the childrens toy preferences obtained with minimal adult i nfluence. However, documents do not provide information automatically, they require careful analysis and interpretation to reveal the information contained within them. Therefore, the worth of data obtained through documentary analysis is highly variable, depending on how able the person analysing it is to fully understanding its meaning (Cohen et al, 2011). The final method of data collection employed by this study was the semi-structured interview, employing the use of an interview guide which, while listing areas to be discussed was not a fixed, premeditated interview schedule as would be used in a structured interview (Robert-Holmes, 2011). The semi-structured technique was selected over the structured technique as it provides a good degree exploration whilst minimising the potential to wander from the intended area of discussion (Willan, 2010; Robert-Holmes, 2011). Semi-structured interviews centre firmly on the participant and their beliefs and opinions, rather than the researcher, which is the case in a structured interview; there is far more scope for the participant to influence the course the interview takes. When conducting a semi-structured interview the researcher acts as a facilitator encouraging the participants to vocalise their opinions about the matter being discussed (Robert-Holmes, 2011). The interviews for this study were conducted as a group in the childrens school environment, additionally the researcher was known to these children from their role as a volunteer in the class. These measures were taken to ensure that the children felt as comfortable as possible, as feeling intimidated or uncomfortable by the situation could potentially affect the success of the interview (Robert-Holmes, 2011). Furthermore, it was felt that building a good rapport with the children, through volunteering in their classroom before commencing the data collection was imperative. This was because children are generally not used to unfamiliar adults asking them about their thoughts, feelings or experiences, therefore good researcher-child relationships are fundamental for successfully interviewing children (Folque, 2010). 3.2: Ethical Considerations Before data collection commenced a letter explaining the aims and data collection methods of this research was presented to both the school and the parents of the children participating in the research. This was to ensure that all parties involved were aware of how and why the research was being conducted; a Criminal Records Bureau enhanced disclosure certificate was also shown to the school and made available for the parents to view to demonstrate that the research was being conducted by a suitable adult. Through giving participants transparent information on the aims and data collection methods of the research allowed the adult participants to give their informed consent to participate on the research. Parents were asked for their permission for the children to participate, additionally the children were briefed on their part in the research and it was made clear to all parties that their participation was in no way compulsory and that they were free to withdraw at any point. Copies of the letters sent to the school and parents, along with the ethical approval form for this research can be found in the appendices (See Appendix 2 and 3). Chapter Four: Results 4.1 Analysing Childrens Toy Collages Introduction In order to collect information about the toy preferences of the children participating the document analysis method of data collection was used, the documentary evidenced analysed was collages created by the children of their favourite toys. Full details of this method can be found in the methodology chapter of this research project (See 3.1). Aims The aim of using document analysis was to ascertain the childrens toy preferences in a naturalistic and unbiased way. It allowed the children to complete a collage of their favourite toys autonomously, with minimal outside influences. This information was required to determine to what extent, if at all, children prefer gender stereotypical toys. Procedures In total 31 families of Year 2 children at a West Midlands primary school were contacted with details the research and asked if they would be interested in participating. In total 10 families expressed an interest in taking part, giving a response rate of 32.2 %, 4 families were then selected to participate. The families selected were of white British background and from intact family units. These families were chosen because of the commonality of their backgrounds, in order to minimise variables due to ethnicity, culture and family dynamics. The sample group consisted of four children; 2 boys and 2 girls aged between 6 and 7years old. The children were provided with a toy catalogue, featuring a wide range of different types of toys. The children were also provided with a choice of coloured paper, scissors and glue. Adults were on hand to assist the children with cutting out and sticking if this was needed. The activity was child led but supervised by adults, this was to minimise adult influence on the childrens choices whilst ensuring the activity was safe. The activity was conducted in the childrens school environment, to ensure the children felt comfortable in order to minimise any negative effect on either the participants or the data collected (see 3.1). The children were told that they could browse through the catalogue, cut out the toys which they favoured and use them to make their collage. The children were also informed that if they could not find a toy they l