Adoption and Race

Historically, transracial adoption began to be practiced after the Second World War. Children from war-torn countries – Korea, Vietnam, and even Europe — without families were adopted by families in the United States with Caucasian paThrough the years, as more racial ethnic minority children within the United States were without families, domestic adoption agencies began to place African American, Native American, and Hispanic children with Caucasian families who wanted children.However, in 1972 the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) became concerned about the large numbers of African American children who were being placed with Caucasian families. They condemned the practice of transracial adoption of African American children to Caucasian parents.They cited psychological maladjustment, inferior racial identity, the failure to cope with racism and discrimination, and â€Å"cultural genocide† as the likely outcomes of transracial adoptive placem ents.As an offshoot of this, legislation was introduced in the form of the Multiethnic Placement Act (MEPA) of 1994. MEPA, together with the Interethnic Adoption Provisions (IEP), has been signed into law to reduce the practice of race-matching in adoptive placements for children.These two pieces of legislation, commonly referred to as MEPA-IEP, were designed to decrease the amount of time children wait for adoptive placement, to improve and assist in the recruitment and retention of prospective foster and adoptive parents who are able to meet the distinctive needs of the children to be placed, and to eliminate discrimination in the practice of adoptive and foster care placements on the basis of race, color, or national origin.However, the passage of MEPA-IEP has not resolved the controversy over racial matching policies and transracial adoptions. Controversies still hound transracial adoption. Although the law prohibits categorical assumptions about the benefit of same-race placeme nts, child welfare workers still will have to make decisions about the importance of race in the life of an individual child.They are also tasked to identify reasons that may eventually require for the consideration of race. Those who believe that same-race placements are preferable may feel aggrieved that federal policy now contradicts their conviction and routinely calls for them to place children without giving weight to the child’s race.On the other hand, those who place little value on racial matching may have trouble identifying children whohave a specific need for a same-race placement.It is within this light that this study will take shape.   As issues continue to be raised regarding transracial adoption, it is only fitting to go beyond statistics and find out the feelings of those who are personally involved in the process. As this study will attempt to unravel the issues closest to the hearts of those involved, the approach that will be used will be generally qual itative.Statement of the ProblemWhat is the percentage of interracial adoption, and what are the controversies surrounding racial matching and transracial adoption?Objectives1) To define racial matching and transracial adoption;2) To find out the percentage of transracial adoption in America;3) To find out the various issues related to racial matching and transracial adoption;4) To find out the various legislations designed to address racial matching and transracial adoption.MethodologyThis study will use interview – which entails purposive sampling — as a method for gathering data. The interviews will be conducted with the aid of an interview guide which is an informally prepared unstructured questionnaire. Data will also be collected through numerous secondary sources.Materials and documents such as discourses in books, official publications, position papers, letters, newspapers and magazine clippings will also be utilized. The official websites of various organizati ons will also be used as necessary. Implications of the study will be derived from the analysis of the gathered data and issues raised in the interviews and the various secondary sources.Review of Related LiteraturePracticing social workers, leaders of minority group communities, and scholars have expressed concerns on the effects of transracial adoption (Hayes, 1993). In a study conducted by Kim (1995) on international adoption, he noted that â€Å"transracial adoption of black children stirred up many controversies regarding their psychological development, especially with respect to their ethnic identity, or cultural well-being† (p.141-142).In order to determine the effects of transracial adoption on adoptees, several studies were also conducted on the racial identity of transracial adoptees (Bagley, 1993).These studies conceptualized racial identity in terms of racial group preferences, objective racial self-identification, and knowledge or awareness of one’s racia l group membership. Andujo (1988) also studied racial identity by measuring levels of acculturation, and by assessing the degree of pride in one’s ethnic heritage and appearance.Johnson et al. (1987) found that transracially adopted Black children had greater awareness of their race at an earlier age than did intraracially adopted Black children. As they grow older, however, both groups of adopted children expressed analogous levels of awareness and preference.The findings of the study also indicated that transracially adopted children’s awareness and preference stayed constant over time, while that of intraracially adopted Black children’s both increased more swiftly to exceed that of transracially adopted children.In the end, the study concluded that transracially adopted children were developing differently from intraracially adopted children. This developmental difference could be the springboard of the problems in the transracial adoptees’ racial ide ntity.Shireman and Johnson (1986) likewise reported on the psychological adjustment, racial identity, and sexual identity of transracial adoptees as compared to intraracial adoptees and adoptees of single parents.All of the adoptees in the study were Black children and all of the parents were also Black except for the parents in the transracial placements all of whom were White. Parents and adoptees were interviewed separately. The findings of the study suggested that there were no differences in psychological adjustment among the three groups of adoptees as determined by objective ratings of the interviews.In the end, the controversies hounding transracial adoption, no matter how limited they are, still largely affect those who are involved in the process. Only when these issues are addressed and resolved can the matters be put to rest.BibliographyAndujo, E. (1988). Ethnic identity of transethnically adopted Hispanic adolescents. Social Work, 33, 531-535.Bagley, C. (1993a). Chinese adoptees in Britain: A twenty-year follow-up of adjustment and social identity. International Social Work, 36, 143-157.Hayes, P. (1993). Transracial adoption: Politics and ideology. Child Welfare, 72, 301-310.Johnson, P. R., Shireman, J. F., & Watson, K. W. (1987). Transracial adoption and the development of black identity at age eight. Child Welfare, 66, 45-55.Kim, W. J. (1995). International adoption: A case review of Korean children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 25, 141-154.National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (2000, August). Adoption: Numbers and trends. Available: http://www.calib.com/naic/pubs/s_number.htmProject 21. (1995, March). African-American leadership group condemns racist adoption practices. (On-line). Available: http://www.nationalcenter.inter.net/TransRacialAdopt.htmlShireman, J. F., & Johnson, P. R. (1986). A longitudinal study of Black adoptions: Single parent, transracial, and traditional. Social Work, 31, 172-176.http://www.transracialadoption .net/inform.htm#Psychological%20adjustment,%20self-esteem,%20and%20racial%20identity

Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law: A Book Review Essay

There are a number of laws in any given society. These laws seek to manage the nature of relationships and transactions in the society. The intent is for society to be orderly, stable and based on justice (Black, 1979). In an ideal world where every human being is just and acts for the benefit of all, law might not be applicable anymore, but given the complexities of society, these laws are important in maintaining order and enforcing justice. Laws are written and legislated usually by the duly elected members of the legislature of the government in any nation. These laws are based on the norms, the value system and at times, the dominant ideology in the society (Dworkin, 1986). The major aspects of the relationships and transactions between and among humans are covered by the laws of the land. There are laws that define what is considered as crime in the society and how such crimes will be punished if committed by any member of the given society. There are also laws that govern the contracts and obligations entered into by two or more people. Laws like these prescribe the ideal nature of such contracts and obligations, and also stipulate what are prohibited. In addition to this, there are laws that seek to protect citizens from the negligence of others or any acts committed that may impinge upon the rights of others (Glenn, 2000). The properties of citizens are also protected under the law. Such property laws govern the ownership of people over land and other properties that belong to them. This way, their rights to their properties are protected. On top of these laws, the Constitution is the basic law that guarantees the freedoms, rights, and duties of the citizens of a particular country. The Constitution is also supported by other laws and policies that seek to reinforce and guarantee the freedoms and rights of the citizens. This body of laws collectively seeks to make society orderly (Glenn, 2000). Legislators write and enact laws for the society, the police and other government agencies enforce such laws—those who uphold the law are rewarded, albeit subtly, and the violators are apprehended and punished accordingly. The violators are not punished immediately, however, as they are also entitled to be tried and litigated under the judicial system of the society where they belong to. This is where the judiciary steps in. Through the institution of the dispensation of justice, accused persons may argue about their innocence and the aggrieved parties may bring their cases to the judicial officials against the people who apparently wronged them. In this process, lawyers perform a significant task (Glenn, 2000). Lawyers in the Legal System Lawyers are the professionals who interpret the provisions of the laws of the society and looks at the principles in these laws and present solutions and applications regarding difficulties and interpretations of these laws. In litigations, the services of lawyers are hired by both the accused persons and the aggrieved party. This is because these laypersons do not have a nuanced understanding of the law, its applications, ambiguities and interpretations. As such, they would need the help of lawyers in sorting through their experiences and proving the merits of their case in the courts (Glenn, 2000). Consequently, they would seek redress in cases where their rights are impinged upon. This article reviews Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law, written by Lerman & Schrag (2005). It looks at the major topics covered by the authors as well as the main points they make in the book. It will also evaluate these arguments in light of several literatures written about the same subject matter. In order to review the book more effectively, the role of lawyers in the legal system and the kinds of relationships that they have with their clients should be reviewed first. This will provide a solid background about the law and the nature of the lawyers’ profession prior to the discussion of the major themes and issues discussed by Lerman & Schrag (2005) in their book. The law profession, however, is not limited to this kind of practice. There are various other ways in which lawyers use their knowledge and expertise. Several kinds of responsibilities are performed by lawyers, depending on the country in which they practice. These responsibilities include the following. For one, lawyers present legal arguments in the courts of law. In this regard, the lawyer represents his client in the court proceedings and presentation of arguments. Some countries may allow persons to present arguments in the courts without the help of lawyers. However, this may prove inefficient as individuals may not be aware of how the legal system works. Hence, lawyers make it possible for the proceedings to go as smoothly as possible (Kent, 2002). Lawyers are also engaged in the research, drafting and final writing of papers for the use of courts. Prior to the delivery of oral arguments, lawyers provide a brief of the backgrounds, facts and main points of the case. In short, lawyers are called upon to deliver both their written and oral arguments regarding the cases which they are handling. Before the actual process of litigation and court hearing, however, the lawyer would need to be in consultation with his or her clients about the provisions of the law and other matters that directly affect the case being brought to the courts. Even without litigation or court cases, lawyers still provide necessary legal advice to those who seek their services (Abel & Lewis, 1988). Part of the lawyers’ work is also the protection of intellectual property rights and the management of contracts. In relation to this, contracts are either drafted by a lawyer or the draft passes through them for review and revision in accordance with what the law allows in such cases. The transfer of deeds of real properties is also done by lawyers. The legal documents as well as the necessary processes are facilitated by the lawyer in this regard. Moreover, the wills, trusts of people who expect their demise soon; or those who have already passed away are implemented by lawyers. Lastly, lawyers prosecute or defend people who are suspected of having committed crime (Abel & Lewis, 1988). Before a person could practice law, he should have completed the prescribed course of study, and usually, he should have passed the bar examinations. The purpose of this is to ensure that those who practice law are indeed capable of doing so and that they are accountable to the government and to the society as a whole in the practice of their profession (Abel & Lewis, 1988). Lawyers and the Need for Regulation Requiring lawyers to acquire license prior to practicing law is one strategy in regulating the profession. Only those who pass the required standards would be able to practice law. Once the lawyers have their licenses, however, the necessity for regulation is still evident because of the relationship of the lawyer with its clients. The rights of the clients of lawyers should also be ensured and protected against the malpractice and abuse of lawyers. In some countries, the Department of Justice is the government agency that governs regulates lawyers. In other countries, it is the Supreme Court (Abel & Lewis, 1988). The role of lawyers in the society is important. As such, should they fail or make mistakes, they compromise the reputation of the profession. Because of the sensitivity of the relationship of lawyers with their clients, the need for regulation in the profession cannot be overemphasized. Against the backdrop of the ethical issues besieging the legal profession, the textbook on legal ethics written by Lerman and Schrag (2005) provides practical guidance together with an explanation of the foundational principles and the laws that govern the situations where issues of legal ethics may arise. Another important reason for the regulation of the practice of law is the existence of a myriad of ethical issues that should be confronted by lawyers in their profession. Lerman and Schrag’s (2005) Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law, explores the laws and other related institutions that govern and regulate lawyers and the way that they practice law. In addition to this, the authors dealt with the practical aspects of these laws as they apply to torts, contracts and obligations, the prosecution and defense of suspected criminals, real estate, family law and civil law. The authors formatted their book such that it would be easily accessible and readable. It also contains digests of important related doctrines to the topic that they are exploring. Such highlighting of related doctrines can be found throughout the book. They also presented judicial opinions in their edited versions so that the student will not need to go through every minute detail of the cases. In terms of presentation, the authors used the Socratic method of presenting questions and answers for the purpose of presenting the laws and the major issues governing such issues. Since the law profession is rife with ethical issues, the authors also found it expedient to include rules governing professional conduct. Such set of rules are important for lawyers in helping them practice their profession. This cursory examination of the book will be further expanded in the succeeding sections. A detailed review of the chapters of the book will be made. This review will also look at the language used by the authors, the level of language, the main points of their chapters and the solutions they provided to several problematic areas presented in the text. Background on the Authors The authors of Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law have had experience and authority in the subject that they have written about. They have had extensive classroom experience; they have also researched and practiced the law profession throughout their career and they have been engaged in the policy-making process. This broad range of experience make Lerman and Schrag as veritable authors in the field of legal ethics and their book is a testament to these experiences. Lisa G. Lerman Since 1987, Lisa G. Lerman has served as a law professor at the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America. She has had extensive experience in teaching contracts, exercising lawyers’ professional responsibility and the practicum on public policy. In addition to this, she has written numerous articles on law firms, the practice of law, about lawyers, and law education. Her focus used to be domestic law; however, she has focused on the relationship of lawyers and clients, together with the issue of dishonesty of lawyers occupying her attention. Prof. Lerman has long been considered an expert on ethics on the legal profession. In recognition of her advocacy, she has been named the chair of the ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility’s Planning Committee. Given these plethora of achievements and experiences, she is an authority on the subject she has co-written with Philip G. Schrag (Catholic University of America Website, 2007). Philip G. Schrag Philip G. Schrag, on the other hand, is a professor of Civil Procedure at Georgetown Law School of the Georgetown University. He is currently the Director of the Center for Applied Legal Studies. He also provides career guidance to lawyers through the Public Interest Law Scholars Program. He has also served as a civil servant by writing legislations, notable among these are New York City’s Consumer Protection Act of 1969 and his involvement with several boards and agencies of the government. He has written twelve books (Georgetown Law Website, 2007). Organization of the Book Ethical Problems in the Practice of Law has been organized thematically. It has ten (10) chapters that explore deeply and comprehensively the end-to-end practice of the legal profession from the provision of legal advice, the conduct of the representation of clients in the courts as well as the legal and ethical obligations of lawyers even after they have represented a client. The Regulation of Lawyers Chapter 1 deals with the regulation of lawyers. They explained the basis of the process of making prospective lawyers go through the bar examinations in order to get their license. They also enumerated and explained the institutions that make the regulations in the legal profession. These institutions are crucial in ensuring that lawyers are practicing their profession in accordance with the law and without impinging upon the rights of their clients. These institutions are: (1) the highest state courts; (2) bar associations; (3) lawyer disciplinary agencies; (4) the American Bar Association; (5) the American Law Institute; (6) Federal and State trial courts; and (7) the Legislatures among others. The authors also took a look at the law governing lawyers. They walked through the special provisions of this law and cited instances in which the provisions of this law could be useful and where there are ambiguities and vagueness. In addition to this, Lerman and Schrag provided cases and examples to illustrate the principles that they discussed. Lawyers and the Confidentiality of Clients Client confidences and the duties of lawyers to protect this confidential information is the subject matter of Chapter 2. The duo started out by defining the bases of confidentiality and the way that clients provide their trust to their lawyers. There are instances, however, in which this duty to protect confidentiality may be exempted and the law and national interest may even compel the lawyer to disclose some important matters confided to him by the client. In any case, however, the lawyer should never disclose confidential information from a client in the interest of personal gain or for the use of another client as this may be construed as a violation of the trust granted to the lawyer by the client. The chapter closes with several tips and suggestions on informing the clients about confidentiality and how such confidentiality may be protected.

The Music & Entertainment Manager - research project proposal

The Music & Entertainment Manager - project - Research Proposal Example In recent times, one of these issues can be said to be online music piracy. The piracy of music generally refers to the act of copying and distributing copies of music for personal gain without the consent of legitimate copyright owners of the music (Kreitz & Niemela, 2010). Online music piracy can therefore be said to be the use of the internet or other online portals for music piracy activities (Chase, Mulvenon & Hachigian, 2006). Even though the effect of online music piracy can be appreciated to be vast and widespread, the research seeks to put a very specific spotlight on the entrepreneurial investment in the music industry. In effect, the research will look specifically at the impact or effect of online music piracy on the entrepreneurship and funding of music projects in the UK. As noted by Duckworth (2005), music as an industry is a well branded business which require a lot of financial investment to succeed. But as to whether the issue of online music piracy is a disincentiv e for entrepreneurs is a question that the research will explore. The aim of the study will be to find the direct effect of online music piracy on music entrepreneurship and funding of music projects in UK. To achieve this aim, the following specific objectives will be targeted. There is a historical context to the effect of online music piracy on sales where The Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, which is part of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, published a report suggesting that online music piracy does not hurt sales (Ernesto, 2013). Since this publication, there have been several other academic and professional discourses to debate the real economic impact of online music piracy on the music industry as a whole. The proposed study there comes with the significance of contributing to the ongoing public discourse. The study will add much economic contexts to the subject by looking at how

Collage Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Collage Reflection - Essay Example I chose this mixture of quotes, wise sayings, songs, poems, and book excerpts to symbolize who I am as a person. My true identity has been shaped by my childhood experiences, and my goals and dreams that I am still living out. Ever since I can remember, my fondest dream and goal in life has been to attend college. Early on I realized how much of a struggle it would be to gain entry into a top university in the United States, but that did not derail my efforts. In the words of Winston Churchill, â€Å"Never, never, never give up† (Never Give Up Quotes). This quote is in my collage because it defines my struggle to keep going and my desire to push through any obstacle that my come my way. My passion is finance. I want to be a successful leader in business so that I can help mentor others and inspire to them succeed as well. I have a passion and drive in me to do this that will not go away. The quote by Li Shing that begins â€Å"The future may be made up of many factors, but where it truly lies is in the hearts and minds of men† certainly epitomizes my belief in this area (Passion Quotes). My dedication is truly not for my own gain, but is based on a love for people and my country. The reason I chose to put this particular quote in red in because it symbolizes passion. Passion is a burning desire to do something. It is a goal and dream that I cannot rest from until it is realized. In addition, this passion was instilled in me from an early age. The quote ‘Will you join the dance?† (Carroll 1992) reflects my childhood.... I chose this mixture of quotes, wise sayings, songs, poems, and book excerpts to symbolize who I am as a person. My true identity has been shaped by my childhood experiences, and my goals and dreams that I am still living out. Ever since I can remember, my fondest dream and goal in life has been to attend college. Early on I realized how much of a struggle it would be to gain entry into a top university in the United States, but that did not derail my efforts. In the words of Winston Churchill, â€Å"Never, never, never give up† (Never Give Up Quotes). This quote is in my collage because it defines my struggle to keep going and my desire to push through any obstacle that my come my way. My passion is finance. I want to be a successful leader in business so that I can help mentor others and inspire to them succeed as well. I have a passion and drive in me to do this that will not go away. The quote by Li Shing that begins â€Å"The future may be made up of many factors, but wh ere it truly lies is in the hearts and minds of men† certainly epitomizes my belief in this area (Passion Quotes). My dedication is truly not for my own gain, but is based on a love for people and my country. The reason I chose to put this particular quote in red in because it symbolizes passion. Passion is a burning desire to do something. It is a goal and dream that I cannot rest from until it is realized. In addition, this passion was instilled in me from an early age. The quote ‘Will you join the dance?† (Carroll 1992) reflects my childhood. From an early age, I have desired to do something more with my life and I did dream about this as the days went by. I want to a positive force for change in whatever I do, so I certainly do intend

Out, Out. by Robert Frost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Out, Out. by Robert Frost - Essay Example The title of the poem, â€Å"Out, Out,† is derived from a line in William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth: â€Å"Out, out, brief candle!† (Shakespeare, 1993, 5.5.23), spoken by Macbeth upon hearing the news of his wife’s death. Frost’s use of the phrase as his title seems to be ironic. In the play, Macbeth laments his wife’s passing and reflects that life is ultimately meaningless: â€Å"it is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing† (Shakespeare, 1993, 5.5.26-28). But Frost does not agree that life has no meaning. He uses the poem as a way to record the boy’s existence, to show that even though his candle has been snuffed way too soon, his life was still significant. The poem begins just before the tragedy occurs, and sets the tone from the first line. Frost uses personification to describe the chainsaw as it â€Å"snarled and rattled in the yard† (1). This line foreshadows the upcoming accident, b ut it is important to note that Frost does not depict the tragedy as an accident—he instead frames it as a deliberate act of malice on the part of the saw.

Schizophrenia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Schizophrenia - Research Paper Example Schizophrenia in general as a disorder has a peculiar symptom, namely that the affected person may hear sounds that surrounding people don’t hear. They have a curious feeling that other people are trying to read their minds or in other words are gaining control of their thoughts. They are superstitious enough to harm themselves as well. This can frighten people with the illness and exclude them from the society because of extreme agitation. This brain disorder is considered to be costly and time consuming due to the behavior of the patient. Superstitions are common feelings of the patient which are caused by low intake of the medicine. First generation and second generation medicines are introduced for the patients who deal with certain types of the syndrome. Trust should be developed while treating a patient with schizophrenia. Introduction: Schizophrenia is basically a brain disorder which is found to be persistent, severe, and even disabling the brain and it has affected pe ople throughout history. About 1 percent of Americans have this illness. People with schizophrenia may give a feeling as if they are lost in thoughts. Such person can sit for hours without moving or talking. One cannot judge a person until he/she speaks about what they are really thinking. Depending upon the conditions and causes families and society are affected by schizophrenia too. It has been found that people suffering from schizophrenia have difficulty within their social circle, maintaining a job or even taking care of themselves, so they rely on others for help. With developing research and more effective medications, researchers are finding solutions to this brain disorder. Use of medicine and treatment helps relieve many symptoms of schizophrenia, but often people fight with symptoms throughout their lives. However, many people with schizophrenia can lead rewarding and meaningful lives in their communities. (Regier DA, 1993) Prevalence of the Disease Several factors affect the prevalence of schizophrenia, such as the recognition and reaction to treatment. The prevalence of schizophrenia can be calculated either from cases registered or field surveys. Researchers report that figures have been hypothesized that prevalence estimates would differ between lifetime, period, and point prevalence. Estimates were calculated as a proportion by dividing the total number of individuals who had the disorder by the total population at risk including those with the disorder. It is predicted that males from urban areas and migrants would have a larger proportion as compared to females. (Bhugra, 2005) Schizophrenia rarely occurs in children but affects men and women equally. It occurs regardless of religion and ethnic groups around the world. Mainly symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions usually commence between ages 16 to 30. Men are exposed more to symptoms a little earlier than women. Most of the time, people do not get schizophrenia after age 45. (SR, 2004 ) Schizophrenia in teens can be difficult to diagnose, because some of the first signs can include a change in emotional behavior, change of friends, low performance in education, sleep problems, and bad temper that are common among teens. However, a series of factors can forecast the disorder for up to 80 percent of youth who are at high risk of

Stock Market Cycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Stock Market Cycles - Essay Example Although the political world affects the stock market in the short term the market recovers quickly. What drives the stock market the most are interest rates, inflation, and corporate profits. Interest rates are set by the Federal Reserve. Federal policy is set through the raising or lowering of interest rates. Interest rates help dictate the demand for goods and services. This in turn affects corporate profits and inflation. Interest rates set by business and industry are set according to what people believe the Federal Reserve will set long term interest rates at. This forecasting of interest rates is driven by what the Federal Reserve is projected to do in the future. High interest rates alter borrowing costs. This has the effect of changing the availability of bank loans and household wealth. Lastly, interest rates affect foreign exchange rates (Federal Reserve San Francisco). Corporate profits drive the stock market either up or down depending upon whether corporations have a gain or a loss. Large corporate profits give corporations more to spend or reinvest in the corporation. The gains are passed on to investors through increase in value of the company's stocks and larger dividends. Most dividends are reinvested into the corporation thus increasing growth potential of the corporation. Corporate losses have the opposite affect. Losses are passed on to corporate stock holders in the form of decreased stock value and lower dividend payments. What also drives stock prices is corporate reporting. A corporation that has had a positive growth fiscal year tends to prompt a rise in the value of its stock. Likewise fiscal reporting that falls short of forecasts has the effect of lowering stock value. In addition to reporting results, a corporation's non-compliance with reporting requirements or late reporting has the affect of lowering its stock value. Mainly, t his is because non-compliance is most associated with problems within the organization or reports of an external investigation by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). Corporate earnings have the trickle down affect of the raising or lowering of purchasing power of its stockholders and employees. Employees often benefit from owning company stock through a corporate stock option program that awards stock to employees as retirement compensation. A company seeing losses passes that loss of value on to its employees by lowering of the stock price. This has the affect of lowering the value of the employee's retirement plan. A win-win situation would be employees working hard to assist the corporation in making profits because both the corporation and the employees benefit from higher stock values. As long as corporations and individuals have buying power they will exercise that power by purchasing more stocks. That, in affect, gives the corporation more money to spend on operations that make money for the corporation. Thus stock market values rise (Bull market). The inverse lowers stock values and reinvestment and the stock market experiences a bear market. Lastly, a war has an interesting affect on the stock market. Initially, the announcement of a conflict serves to drive the market downward. But, once war production begins and corporations begin to make money because of the conflict the stock market is driven up. Works Cited: Federal Reserve

Quantitative Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Quantitative Decision Making - Essay Example Decision analysis also makes managers know which decisions are in favor of their companies and which can go against the benefits of the companies. â€Å"An effective decision-making process reduces the possibility of wrong choices or failures† (Ilyas). Let us take an example related to my professional field. I am a sales manager at a hardware company. The company sells all types of hardware products to the customers. A few months ago, I decided to replace all old style products with latest ones in order to achieve high levels of profits and to make the company style oriented. I had in my mind that the company’s sales could be increased by presenting the customers with new and latest styles instead of old ones. However, I did not consider the ratio of high-income people to low-income people while taking the decision. Moreover, I did not make use of six steps included in the process of quantitative decision-making. Therefore, the decision did not result in favor of the co mpany and we suffered major decrease in the profits. I think I should have done a survey of the market before taking the decision. Along with that, I should have listed all possible alternatives regarding the decision. I should also have calculated the expected profit of each combination of alternatives and outcomes.

Science project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Science project - Essay Example To understand that, we first need to understand what makes such materials into magnets. At the atomic level, materials that exhibit strong magnetic susceptibility have unpaired electrons in their electronic shells. These unpaired electrons all have a certain spin direction associated with them. Due to this spin, and the revolution of electrons around the nucleus, electrons generate their own magnetism. As all the electrons spin in the same direction for a certain nucleus, their magnetic field directions are also the same. So these magnetic fields add up and give the whole atom a net magnetic field (Mohammad et al., 2003; Rajendran, 2004). When these atoms are subjected to a magnetic field, they align themselves with the applied magnetic field. When the magnetic field is removed, some of these atoms remain aligned with the magnetic field. These regions where the magnetic field of the atoms is aligned in the same direction are known as domains (Saleemi et al, 2002). For ferromagnetic materials, a net magnetic field is always present. The maximum magnetism that a ferromagnetic material may retain in the absence of an external magnetic field is known as its saturation magnetization. This is an important property which changes when we change the temperature of the magnetic material (Callister, 2007). There is an important factor which dictates the ease with which atoms align with each other to form domains under the effect of an external magnetic field – the thermal agitation of the atoms. Atoms vibrate and have energy associated with their vibration. This vibration increases as the temperature of the material increases. As the atomic vibration/agitation increases, it becomes harder for these atoms to be forced to be aligned in a certain direction, and vice versa. So, if we apply the same amount of external energy through a

Health Services Organization Essay Example for Free

Health Services Organization Essay Identify and evaluate at least three forces that have affected the development of the health care system in the U. S. The U.S. healthcare system has continually evolved due to the success of innovative fore-thought. These innovations have been both strategic and tactical, influenced by all segments of the health care industry. There are many key strategic and tactical innovations, I will elaborate on three forces I feel affect the development of the healthcare system in the U.S.; they are: Increasing cost of healthcare, affect of economics on the healthcare system, and labor force trends in the U.S. as it relate to healthcare. * The steadily increasing cost of healthcare in the U.S. 1. The Unites States is known as the land of plenty, but if you are a native of this great nation you might feel quite differently about that statement. Being poor here has to be much like being poor anywhere else in the world, poor is poor; what might be different is opportunity. The opportunity that we are going to discuss is that of the pursuit of receiving the best healthcare regardless of race, creed, national origi n, or station in life (being with or without money). The cost of health care in the U.S. neared 2.6 trillion dollars in 2010, this is a staggering amount of money; but what make it more astonishing is that this amount is ten times higher than the 1980’s sum of 256 billion dollars that was generated by health care system (population bulletin, 2008). The rate of funds generated by health care has slowed down in recent years, but still is expected to grow faster than the national income. Our country need to address this growing burden and not just let politician say it’s a major policy priority, really make it a priority for the overall good of our nation. Furthermore, the United States has been in a recession for most of the past decade, resulting in a high rate of unemployment and lower incomes for many Americans. These conditions have put even more attention on health spending due to its affordability. Since 2002, employer- sponsored health care coverage for employee and family premiums increased by 97%, making the pursuit of health care a burden on the workers and employers. Medicare covers disabled people as well as the elderly; while Medicaid provides medical coverage for low-income families. Medicare enrollment has grown tremendously over the years due to the aging baby boomers and Medicaid due to the recession. This has added considerably to government spending, straining both federal and state budgets. Health spending accounted for 17.9% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2010 (kaiserEDU.com, Health Policy from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Explained). * Economic affect healthcare. 2. Economics and health care is very simple to explain, especially by someone who has seen first-hand families being mentally tormented, because they could not afford dental care for their children, the check-up not covered by the company’s insurance to enable your child to be eligible to play football, or not being able to afford the prescription medication. There are many reasons families go without medical care, and far too many times it’s just because the individual is living just above the poverty line; which make them ineligible for assistance. I personally feel the affect economics have on healthcare or the lack there of, can never be explained any clearer; unless you are experiencing it yourself. * Labor force trends in the U.S. 3. In the 1960’s the U.S. labor force grow at the rate of 1.7 percent annually and continue to grow into the 70’s as the baby boomer (those born between 1946-1964 generation continued to reach adulthood and enter the workforce. During this same period women began to enter the workforce as never seen before causing the labor force to grow at a rate of 2.6 percent annually. One might not see this as a health issue, but with women joining the workforce men began to feel the pressure, causing health complication. Women on the other hand who at one time lived the life of a care free house wife, but now working in corporate America; has started to feel stress now heart attacks are the number one killer of the American female species. I know there was nothing glamorous about being a slave, but slaves lived with just about no illnesses or life threatening diseases, know blacks have the highest numbers when it comes to diabetes, HIV, and high blood pressure than any other ethnic group (but we are free), freedom should make us take life more serious and take care of ourselves as well as our children. During the 1980’s and 90’s fewer people entered the workforce, therefore the labor force growth slowed down and ranged from 1.6 to 1.1 percent. Even though we had covered on set of baby boomers we were about to see another set reach adulthood and struggle for a place in the workplace (U.S. labor force trends), in-turn means no health insurance because they are no longer their parents dependent. Healthcare is becoming a great necessity due to infectious diseases, the year of the flower children seem to have spread more than just flowers. Health Insurance Companies are not seeing their usual capital gain at this point, consequently a change in the way benefits are paid across overall is about to change. At one time people thought as long as they paid their insurance premiums the benefits would be there when or if it was needed (we learned to read the fine print). * Speculate whether or not these forces will continue to affect the health care system in the U.S. over the next decade. (Include a force that was not mentioned that you believe will impact the health care system of the nation. Unfortunately we show no immediate signs that the cost of healthcare will decline in the Unites States anytime soon. With all the bickering about healthcare, there’s one fact everyone seems to agree on: American medicine cost too much, especially considering what we’re getting for the money. As expert look toward the future, they don’t see the cost dropping dramatically anytime soon. Curbing the rise in healthcare cost depend on our ability to gain control of the many forces causing them to climb, technology has helped other industries lower costs by eliminating waste and increasing efficiencies, but its done the opposite in healthcare (Lisa Zamosky, Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2012. Without any dispute I’m sure we can all agree the economy will always affect healthcare and the people who need it, which will always be everyone. We all hope the economy will make a rapid recovery, but that’s just not how things work; just as it took decades of bad decisions to get us where we are today it’s going to take time for our nation to make a meaningful recovery. Over the next 50 years, the labor force is projected to grow even more slowly (at about 0.6 percent per year) as baby boomers retire. What will this mean as far as health care is concern; well as we grow older our need for healthcare on a regular base becomes more essential than it was when we were in our prime (population bulletin). Baby boomers, reaching senior living status promotes a different type of demand on the medical system; a tremendous demand for those employed by senior living facilities, as well as those providing home health care. * Evaluate the importance of technology in the health care system. Technology is the driving force behind the universe, if you are not a believer just think about the devices you use to get through your day; hence technology. Medical technology is constantly presenting us with new devices that make our lives more fulfilling, we have laser surgery, hip replacement, artificial limb to replace worn out or damaged ones, cataract surgery that have advanced so rapidly it’s amazing, can you believe a person can have heart surgery and be walking around the next day? This is all because of technology, it’s amazing. This is something we cannot put a price on, what is being learned and the advances being made due to research technology is saving lives as well as making lives better each and every day. References: KaiserEDU.com, Health Policy, from the Henry J. Kaiser family foundation, Explained, Cost and Spending. http://www.kaiseredu.org/en/Top ics/Costs-and-Spending Population Bulletin, Vol. 63 No. 2, June 2008, U.S. Labor Forces Trends By: Marlene A. Lee and Mark Mather (Marlene A. Lee is a senior research associate and editor of the Population Bulletin at the Population Reference Bureau. She holds degrees in public policy analysis and development sociology/demography from the University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill and Cornell University. Mark Mather is associate vice president of Domestic Programs at the Population Reference Bureau, where he coordinates several projects that communicate population research to advocacy groups, educators, the media, and the public. He holds a doctorate and a master’s degree in sociology/demography from the University of Maryland. http://www.prb.org

Aristotle Quotes

Aristotle Quotes A constitution is the arrangement of magistracies in a state. A friend to all is a friend to none. A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one. A sense is what has the power of receiving into itself the sensible forms of things without the matter, in the way in which a piece of wax takes on the impress of a signet-ring without the iron or gold. A tragedy is a representation of an action that is whole and complete and of a certain magnitude. A whole is what has a beginning and middle and end. A true friend is one soul in two bodies. A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. All men by nature desire knowledge. All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind. All virtue is summed up in dealing justly. Anybody can become angry that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way that is not within everybodys power and is not easy. At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst. Bad men are full of repentance. Bashfulness is an ornament to youth, but a reproach to old age. Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms. Bring your desires down to your present means. Increase them only when your increased means permit. Change in all things is sweet. Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion. Courage is a mean with regard to fear and confidence. Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others. Democracy arises out of the notion that those who are equal in any respect are equal in all respects; because men are equally free, they claim to be absolutely equal. Democracy is when the indigent, and not the men of property, are the rulers. Different men seek after happiness in different ways and by different means, and so make for themselves different modes of life and forms of government. Dignity does not consist in possessing honors, but in deserving them. Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity. Education is the best provision for old age. Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered. Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and choice, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. Excellence, then, is a state concerned with choice, lying in a mean, relative to us, this being determined by reason and in the way in which the man of practical wisdom would determine it. Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil. For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all. For one swallow does not make a summer, nor does one day; and so too one day, or a short time, does not make a man blessed and happy. For though we love both the truth and our friends, piety requires us to honor the truth first. Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies. Friendship is essentially a partnership. Good habits formed at youth make all the difference. Happiness depends upon ourselves. He who can be, and therefore is, anothers, and he who participates in reason enough to apprehend, but not to have, is a slave by nature. He who hath many friends hath none. He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled. He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god. Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver import than history, since its statements are rather of the nature of universals, whereas those of history are singulars. Homer has taught all other poets the art of telling lies skillfully. Hope is a waking dream. Hope is the dream of a waking man. I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self. I have gained this from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the law. If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in government to the utmost. If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is natures way. In a democracy the poor will have more power than the rich, because there are more of them, and the will of the majority is supreme. In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous. In making a speech one must study three points: first, the means of producing persuasion; second, the language; third the proper arrangement of the various parts of the speech. In nine cases out of ten, a woman had better show more affection than she feels. In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge. The young they keep out of mischief; to the old they are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds. Inferiors revolt in order that they may be equal, and equals that they may be superior. Such is the state of mind which creates revolutions. It is best to rise from life as from a banquet, neither thirsty nor drunken. It is clearly better that property should be private, but the use of it common; and the special business of the legislator is to create in men this benevolent disposition. It is Homer who has chiefly taught other poets the art of telling lies skillfully. It is just that we should be grateful, not only to those with whose views we may agree, but also to those who have expressed more superficial views; for these also contributed something, by developing before us the powers of thought. It is not once nor twice but times without number that the same ideas make their appearance in the world. It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. It is unbecoming for young men to utter maxims. Jealousy is both reasonable and belongs to reasonable men, while envy is base and belongs to the base, for the one makes himself get good things by jealousy, while the other does not allow his neighbour to have them through envy. Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. Man is by nature a political animal. Man is naturally a political animal. Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way. Men are swayed more by fear than by reverence. Men create gods after their own image, not only with regard to their form but with regard to their mode of life. Misfortune shows those who are not really friends. Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts. Most people would rather give than get affection. Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. My best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. Nature does nothing in vain. No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness. No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness. No notice is taken of a little evil, but when it increases it strikes the eye. No one loves the man whom he fears. No one would choose a friendless existence on condition of having all the other things in the world. Of all the varieties of virtues, liberalism is the most beloved. Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves. Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference. Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends. Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth. Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. Poetry is finer and more philosophical than history; for poetry expresses the universal, and history only the particular. Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness. Probable impossibilities are to be preferred to improbable possibilities. Quality is not an act, it is a habit. Republics decline into democracies and democracies degenerate into despotisms. Suffering becomes beautiful when anyone bears great calamities with cheerfulness, not through insensibility but through greatness of mind. Temperance is a mean with regard to pleasures. The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain. The beginning of reform is not so much to equalize property as to train the noble sort of natures not to desire more, and to prevent the lower from getting more. The best friend is the man who in wishing me well wishes it for my sake. The educated differ from the uneducated as much as the living from the dead. The end of labor is to gain leisure. The energy of the mind is the essence of life. The generality of men are naturally apt to be swayed by fear rather than reverence, and to refrain from evil rather because of the punishment that it brings than because of its own foulness. The gods too are fond of a joke. The greatest virtues are those which are most useful to other persons. The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances. The law is reason, free from passion. The least initial deviation from the truth is multiplied later a thousandfold. The moral virtues, then, are produced in us neither by nature nor against nature. Nature, indeed, prepares in us the ground for their reception, but their complete formation is the product of habit. The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes. The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching. The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet. The secret to humor is surprise. The soul never thinks without a picture. The state is a creation of nature and man is by nature a political animal. The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival. The virtue of justice consists in moderation, as regulated by wisdom. The whole is more than the sum of its parts. The wise man does not expose himself needlessly to danger, since there are few things for which he cares sufficiently; but he is willing, in great crises, to give even his life knowing that under certain conditions it is not worthwhile to live. The worst form of inequality is to try to make unequal things equal. The young are permanently in a state resembling intoxication. There is no great genius without a mixture of madness. There was never a genius without a tincture of madness. Therefore, the good of man must be the end of the science of politics. This is the reason why mothers are more devoted to their children than fathers: it is that they suffer more in giving them birth and are more certain that they are their own. Those that know, do. Those that understand, teach. Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well. Those who excel in virtue have the best right of all to rebel, but then they are of all men the least inclined to do so. Thou wilt find rest from vain fancies if thou doest every act in life as though it were thy last. To run away from trouble is a form of cowardice and, while it is true that the suicide braves death, he does it not for some noble object but to escape some ill. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. We become just by performing just action, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave action. We make war that we may live in peace. We must no more ask whether the soul and body are one than ask whether the wax and the figure impressed on it are one. We praise a man who feels angry on the right grounds and against the right persons and also in the right manner at the right moment and for the right length of time. Well begun is half done. What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. What it lies in our power to do, it lies in our power not to do. What the statesman is most anxious to produce is a certain moral character in his fellow citizens, namely a disposition to virtue and the performance of virtuous actions. Whosoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or a god. Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow ripening fruit. Wit is educated insolence. Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods. You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. Youth is easily deceived because it is quick to hope.

Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot :: biography biographies bio

Nicolas LÃ ©onard Sadi Carnot June 1, 1796 - August 24, 1832 Nicolas Carnot was born on June 1, 1796 in Paris, France. He was the son of Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot. When Sadi was born his father was a member of the Directory, which was the French Revolutionary government. Sadi was brought up in a rough evironment of clashing politics and sciences. His father retired from his position as napoleon's minister in order to devote his time to educating his two sons. At the age of 16 Sadi was sent to Lycee Charlemagne in Paris in order to prepare him for the testings to get into Ecole Polytechnique. At this young age of 16 he entered the Ecole Polytechnique, two years later at the age of 18 he graduated from there. After this he took a two year course in military engineering. Some years later Sadi went to visit his father since he was exiled after the defeat of Napoleon. During his visit of his father they spoke in great detail of a steam engine that had come through where his father lived. This filled Sadi with great excitement as he had plan to develop a theory for steam engines. Once he returned to Paris he began immediatley working on the mathematical theory of heat. This lead to the start of the modern theory of what we know today as thermodynamics. Sadi's first piece that he worked on was a mathematical expression for the work done by one kilogram of steam. This research done my Sadi was never published to the public. It wasn't until later that Sadi finally published something on his works. When his father died his brother, Hippolyte Carnot came to Paris in order to help his brother finish his book on steam engines that he was currently working on. Sadi's book was finally published in 1824, and in his book was the theory of the "Carnot Cycle" In 1827 he was called back into the military to work as a military engineer which he did for less than one year. He quickly retired and moved back to Paris to continue his work on the theory of heat. In 1832 Sadi Carnot became very sick with the cholera epidemic and he died one day after getting cholera, at the young age of only 36. Carnot is known as the father of thermodynamics. He was the first person to show the relationship between work and heat.

jOHN :: essays research papers

Love is the greatest gift we can ever hope to give or receive. Love is the one thing that can overcome so many of the difficult times that we are faced with in life. Love is so powerful - it can turn frowns into smiles. It can help mend the most broken heart. It can even turn all of the ugliness in the world into the most beautiful portrait we could ever have the pleasure to behold. Such a monumental task - of course... it could be. But only if we try to do it alone. Instead, if each of us, in our own small way contributed just a little - together, the task can become the reality we're reaching for. As potent as what love can be, it can only work it's magic if we choose to allow it to. For that to come to pass we must let go of the other emotions that can get in love's way. How is that - you may wonder? Consider the thought that... Anger - It's normal, but holding on to it indefinitely isn't really necessary. Let it go... Forgiveness is so much better for the soul than holding on to a grudge. Not only will the person you're angry at be happier but so will you. Harshness - Harsh words take just as much effort and energy as kind ones do. Why not consider your choice of words before you speak them and choose gentler ones to get your point across. Impatience - Aren't we all guilty of this at one time or another? Keep reminding yourself of the old saying - "Patience is a virtue" - who wouldn't want to be a little more virtuous? (Webster describes "virtuous" as being of moral quality or excellence) Envy - We all know the saying here - "The grass is not always greener on the other side". Take that to heart and concentrate on "fertilizing" and "watering" your own to get it just as "green" as your neighbors' "lawn". You may wind up being the one envied instead. Mistakes - We all make them! So when someone else does, forgive them as you hope others would do for you. Allow them to be "only human" and consider the fact that they didn't mean any harm by it. Did you, when you made one? Revenge - Someone always gets hurt by this one - and not always the one you expect to.

Green peace :: essays research papers

We interviewed Andra Zommers from Greenpeace. The questions we asked were as follows: 1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Greenpeace? 2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How is Greenpeace run/structured? 3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why did you get involved in the environment? (Your motivation) 4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Why Greenpeace? 5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In your opinion, where is the greatest concern? 6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Is there any Spiritual emphasis Greenpeace has or that you personally have? 7)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What is Greenpeace’s vision for the future? 8)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What gives you hope? Taken from www.greenpeace.ca: â€Å"Greenpeace is an independently funded organization that works to protect the environment. We challenge government and industry to halt harmful practices by negotiating solutions, conducting scientific research, introducing clean alternatives, carrying out peaceful acts of civil disobedience and educating and engaging the public. Greenpeace seeks to:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Protect biodiversity in all its forms;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prevent pollution of the earth’s oceans, land, air and fresh water;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  End all nuclear threats;  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Promote peace, global disarmament and non-violence.† It is a global campaigning organization founded in 1971 and contains offices in 27 countries worldwide. They place a high emphasis on non-violent confrontational methods in the hope to raise education and awareness. This is often the motivation behind protests. They do this through lobbying, campaigns, boycotts, discussions and interviews. Their focus audience is the consumer. They hope to inform the consumer to change economic stance to support only companies concerned with the environment. Theoretically, the change in money flow should affect large companies approaches to the environment. Greenpeace is independently run in each country. Greenpeace Canada contains 7 board of director members (Peter Bleyer, Varda Burstyn, John Doherty (chair), John Foster, Karen Wristen) that determine priorities and the annual budget. The Executive Director, Peter Tabuns, handles day-to-day management. It is run solely on public donations and does not accept company of government funding in order to stay independent. Most of the money stays local. Their head office is located at 1726 Commercial Drive in Vancouver. Andra credits her motivation towards the environment largely to the location of her upbringing. The claims that the in-your-face beauty of British Columbia, with its mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and ocean, one cannot help but be drawn and connected by it. This, accompanied by the in-your-face destruction of the environment and abuse evidently seen in British Columbia, one cannot help but also be involved with saving the thing you are so closely connected to. She also expressed much concern with the power corporation seem to have over our lives and her personal desire to educate people and see them change for the better drives her to continue in the field.

Hematologic Discussion Essay

Question 1 Anemia is a condition of the blood in which the number of healthy red blood cells is very low to meet the oxygen requirements of body tissues. It is mainly classified on the basis of erythrocyte morphology, physiology and probable etiology. The classification based on morphology of red blood cells takes into account the size of erythrocytes. Under this category microcytic anemia occurs if the red blood cells are smaller than normal. Normocytic anemia is present if the red blood cells have the normal size but lower in number whereas macrocytic anemia occurs when the red blood cells are larger than normal. Based on etiology, various conditions are considered which result in either blood loss, excessive destruction of red blood cells and decreased or impaired production of red blood cells. On the same note, the physiological classification is based on hemoglobin level and occurs in three stages. These include the mild stage in which the Hb level is 110-90g/l, moderate stage in which Hb level is 90-70g/l, and severe stage in which Hb level is Laboratory criteria (Makama, 2010). The three types of anemia are iron-deficiency anemia caused by blood loss such as in cases of heavy or prolonged menstrual periods, insufficient iron supply or underutilization of iron in the body.   Aplastic anemia is caused by inability of the bone marrow to produce enough erythrocytes, platelets and white blood cells. Sickle-cell anemia is caused by a hereditary defect which affects Hb production in which the red blood cells assume an abnormal crescent shape. It is worth noting that the most common type of anemia in the United States is iron-deficiency anemia since most women are of child bearing age and experience excessive blood loss during menses. Similarly, the signs and symptoms of this type of anemia are pale skin, fatigue, headache, dizziness, gastrointestinal disturbances, and dry mouth. Its treatment involves intake of iron rich diet including iron supplements (bodyandhealth.canada.com, 2009). Question 2 DIC is an acronym that stands for disseminated intravascular coagulation. It is a serious disorder in which proteins which control blood clotting become abnormally active resulting in formation of blood clots within blood vessels. The clogging of blood vessels cuts off blood supply to various organs such as the brain, liver and kidneys. DIC can be caused by certain types of blood cancer, blood infection by fungus or bacteria and blood transfusion reactions. Clinical manifestations include excessive hemorrhage, hypertension, and blood clots. DIC can be treated by using plasma transfusions to replace blood clotting factors. Also heparin may be used to prevent blood clotting (nlm.nih.gov, 2010).

Language and memory Essay

Limitations with the study included the sample range being too small. This means that it is difficult to make generalisations because 20 undergraduate students cannot possibly be representative of the sample population. In order to improve the experiment, a wider sample range could be used, including people from different age groups and ethnic backgrounds. Another limitation was gender bias. The driver in the vignette was male which could have meant that male participants may have been more sympathetic to him when giving an estimation. If a female character had been used, the results may have been different. This could be improved by using two sample groups, both with female characters, but again with either the ‘smashed into’ condition or ‘bumped into’ condition. The results of this and previous studies have a number of implications in today’s society. Loftus and Palmer’s work (1974), showed how changing a verb in a sentence, can alter eyewitness recall of a car accident. These findings have major implications for the Legal Justice Systems. In a study by Rattner (1988), a review of 205 cases of wrongful arrest showed that 52% of the cases were associated with mistaken eyewitness testimonies. These results highlighted the unreliability of eyewitness testimony. Other studies have demonstrated that witnesses sometimes cannot attribute memory to its appropriate sources, or that they make source attribution errors. When witnesses get information from other witnesses and from the police, then their own recollection is likely to be contaminated (Fisher, 1995). This is yet further evidence suggesting that there should be less dependence on eyewitness testimony, and with the arrival of advanced gene technology, it is now possible to use alternative sources of evidence. References Carlson, N. R., Buskist, W., Martin, G. N. (2000). Psychology The Science of Behaviour, 266-267 Loftus, E. F. and Palmer, J. E. (1974). Reconstruction of automobile destruction: an example of the interaction between language and memory. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behaviour, 13, 585-589. Fisher, R. P., (1995). Interviewing victims and witnesses of crime. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 1(4), 732-764.  Nisha Ghei Eyewitness Practical

Organizational Design Behavior

If the organizational structure is meant to reflect it's situation, the Limora Hospital and the Community Health Centre's (LCHC) structures do not do this. The current structure does not reflect the complexity, dynamics, or the environment. There appears to be little consideration given to parameters of design. Organizational design is used to maneuver a series of criterion that determine the division of labor and coordination. The Limora Hospital and the LCHC have weaknesses in their design concerning the decision making system, the lateral connections between the superstructure, the format of the subunits and the individual job positions. These are integral parts of the structure and seem to be a weakness at both facilities. I would describe the structure of the LCHC as almost non-existent. Although the case study doesn't provide a lot of information about the actual parts of the for Limora Hospital or the LCHC, it does appear to be somewhat better at the Hospital then at the LCHC. As an initial step, it would help to combine some areas of the two facilities and better utilize its technostructure, support staff and operating core. The strategic apex is weak with no consistent, committed leadership or administration. There is confusion about the Bishop's power of authority. He appears to have given his power away, yet some employees indicate otherwise. In fact, there doesn't appear to be any real management to apply managerial leadership and direction. This kind of confusion and conflict demoralizes the apex and the middle line entirely. A common vision, mission, and active interest in the future must be demonstrated by the Executives if they are to flow down into the core of the organization. This is lacking and is sorely felt by Dr. Macdonald who cannot pass down anything more than he is capable of, or more, than he is receiving from his superiors. There is a small technostructure in high demand, a large support staff, and an operating core that is clearly not well managed. Most evident is the lack of linkages between management and the operating core. Although not as evident are the weak linkages between the core and the supporting staff. A limited horizontal decentralization might work where the strategic apex shares some power with the technostruture that standardizes everyone's work and some of these linkages. A well organized management team and employee links to them are necessary. A strong theoretical point is made in The Classical School of organizational theory by Henry Fayol, a French industrialist. He, and other theorists like Urwick, Gulick, Mooney and Reiley, emphasized the universality of the management function in all kinds of different organizations. Fayol's theory worked from the board of directors and chief executives down through the organization. He stressed the importance of planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling the administration of an organization from the top down. The weakness in Limora Hospital and the LCHC can be found in the management of the Apex and he middle line, and the operating core. No serious attention has been given to these areas so they can achieve the leadership and administrative control they need. The parts of the organization do not support the coordinating mechanisms required, and neglect to meet the needs of either facility. They should reflect the configuration for a professional organization that relies on the trained professionals who have a high level of control over their work. It is safe to assume that the Doctors and nurses have all been trained and have standardized their professional skills before working at the either facility. Coordination is achieved by the virtue of doctors and nurses having learned what to expect from one another. So they do have this basic mechanism of coordination. What is lacking, is the necessary organizational glue to hold it together. Perhaps the standardization of norms as another coordinating mechanism. The nurses don't seem to be able to coordinate their activities based on their common goal of caring for the sick and standardizing norms would be helpful. There has been an attempt at coordination by Dr. Macdonald, but the organization has been without strong consistent control for too long. Although there doesn't appear to be a middle line, Dr. Macdonald has been left to promote coordination and proper design on his own. His leadership attempt is valiant but he needs the help of qualified middle line managers. The missing parameters of design are Behaviour formalization, Training, and Unit grouping. Behaviour formalization would provide work processes and job descriptions to reduce confusion about what work people should be doing and how they should be doing it. On the surface, one may question whether a group of professionals need stringent rules and regulations.Although these professionals know the essence of their roles, and have a lot of control over what they do, they lack a framework within which to work and make decisions. Behaviour formalization could outline the framework within which they can take control and, identify the boundary where they need the assistance and cooperation of others. Also very important, is to identify the communication linkages to others inside and outside this framework. This would eliminate much confusion, instill confidence into the operating core, and bring cooperation among managers and workers. It seems to me that when you are dealing with the life, death, and the health of others, the last thing you want is dissension and confusion among those who are caring for you. Aside from the professional skills applied by the doctors and nurses, the simplest procedures in administration of core workers could be a disastrous for the patient. As an example, how is a specific report completed, when is it completed, who are the critical receivers of the report, when must they receive it, and what must be included in it, all involve linkages and cooperation among professionals, staff and management. If these are broken in some way or done incorrectly, outside of the prescribed framework, they can impact a life. Chester Bernard's book, The Functions of Executives, from the human relations school of thought, emphasized the need for clarity and cooperation among managers and workers to further the interests of everyone. Bernard said that organizations by their very nature are cooperative systems and cannot survive otherwise. He listed three forces to achieve this cooperation; executive leadership, subordinate acceptance of organizational goals, and the power of informal work groups. Clearly in a hospital there is room for strict rules and processes outlined by the leaders, but because there are also large areas of independent decision making, you must have a cooperation and a balance of both. Training, another parameter of design, can teach the professionals what the standards, processes, and procedures are, and clearly define the level of performance for each. The Limora Hospital must had some training on the hospitals procedures but when the nurses came over to work at the LCHC, they complained that they were not oriented to these properly. Training at LCHC is lacking in this area. The essence of the work done by the professionals is no different in either the Limora Hospital or the LCHC. What is different is the purpose for each facility and the level of output. One is a hospital that cares for the people who are already ill, and the LCHC is a community program that focuses on preventative health to try to keep people from ending up in the hospital. The hospital doctors and nurses would likely be prescriptive in their care for very ill patients over a shorter period. The LCHC would also prescribe but would likely be more descriptive in their care over longer periods of time in the community. Teaching these fundamentally different objectives to everyone, and what work is wrapped around them, would facilitate a clear direction for exactly what the jobs are in each facility. The Scientific Management theory advocates a systematic approach to job design, performance, and training. Not necessarily all of the theory components are applicable the systematic approach to training does apply to a health organization. There is a systematic way of applying medical tests to ensure there are no mistakes. Speed and efficiency are critical. There may be a departure from this theory as it relates to division of work and task specialization, but the scientific selection of training remains useful to our health care situation. Adam Winslow Taylor and Henry Gantt emphasized the need for systematic training of workers. Taylor particularly advocated that the role of management was to know their employees and to train them to do well. If this was done, it would produce maximum efficiency. Finally, both the LCHC and the hospital are dependent on the same resources. They both need analysts such as accounting and personnel, they both use the same nurses and doctors in their operating core, and both need the use of land rovers in their work. Conflicts have surfaced because the organizational structure does not leverage these like needs well. For example: Clear and accurate financial accounting for both areas They both need highly qualified doctors and nurses Their primary and supporting staff need similar training They are dependent on each other but the structure does not promote interdependency They both require processes and procedures to perform their jobs well Unit grouping would be the design parameter most required to help facilitate the mutual needs of each unit. Grouping these under the same supervision would encourage cooperation and help to promote a more efficient and cooperative working environment. Once the needs of each area are clear, you need to establish liaison positions, or roles that can coordinate the work of two units. These liaison positions are missing in the hospital and LCHC structure. Task forces are also missing. Task forces can plan meetings, bring the members of each unit together, and integrate mangers to coordinate what is important to the units. These initiatives would eliminate competition for the best nurses and doctors, and provide a fair an accurate financial accounting for both facilities. It is difficult to tell how much impact the support staff for either the Limora hospital, or the LCHC have on the operating core and the quality of care. I'm sure the support staff could also be optimized by unit groupings. Unlike the scientific management theory that did not provide a theory of general organizational design, the classical school of organizational theory did. Henry Fayol, from this theory, suggested that all jobs should be regrouped on some common basis to achieve coordination or unity of direction. Henry Fayol also saw the importance of working from the board of directors down into the organization, different from the scientific management school of thought which worked from the bottom up. Both are useful for our purposes. This regrouping theory and focus on the top levels of the organization are very applicable to the Limora Hospital and the LCHC. There are also some situational factors such as age, size, technical systems, power, and environment that need consideration. Understanding the impact of situational factors can help identify the weaknesses in the structure and how to improve them. For example, the hospital and the LCHC are only 10 years old and there are only 280 beds. This means they are relatively young and small and that their behaviours aren't yet formalized. The fact is there is a lack of organizational maturity. As the organization ages and grows in size, the behaviours will become formalized and the more homogeneous. Because the environment in a hospital is complex and decisions cannot be made by one person, one might decentralize the structure and push the decision making down. However, with the problems at the Limora Hospital and the LCHC, it would be wise to centralize some of its structure temporarily. Taking this action in the right areas would eliminate the current hostile environment. As the organization matures, selective vertical and horizontal decentralization can be applied where the power over different decisions is spread over different parts of the organization more readily. Finally we have the operating core, the key part of the organization that is composed of professionals. Although the basic coordinating mechanism of standardization of skills exists, standardization of processes, and outputs are weak. These together with the lack of leadership, have politicized the organization and the people are in conflict. Consequently, the structure of Limora Hospital and LCHC has become a professional bureaucracy, not uncommon in Hospitals. A view of Professionals is that they are attached to the organization, but still have extensive autonomy and freedom. This gives them the best of both worlds. From an organizational perspective, however, this environment is very difficult to control and measure. The hospital and the LCHC need to discover then prescribe, when and how the attachment to the organization is essential, and when autonomy is necessary. As stated earlier, as the organization matures, professionals will perfect their own skills and repeat what works for the overall success of their jobs. For right now, framework and guidance are required. Guidance, communication and leadership would maximize the professional's output, efficiency and morale. Another item that may be an issue for the hospital and the LCHC is professional incompetence in its core operations. Although incompetence is not indicated in the case study, it may be an undiscovered issue because it is difficult to identify it in a professional organization that has lots of autonomy. Hence one measure of control is to ensure you hire competent professionals, and you continue to upgrade and train them. The standardization of skills and norms will help, but does not address incompetence. In summary, the weakness in the organizational structure of the Limora Hospital and the LCHC are challenging, but fixable. It is important to step back and look at what parameters of control or freedom a health care organization requires. It seems a portion of a hospital operations needs a very stringent scientific approach to its organization, yet another portion demands that the professional skilled people to have the authority and power to assert their knowledge independently. Theoretically, I would apply Max Weber's Bureaucracy theory as an approach. This structure would ensure that there are clear lines of power, orderly procedures and rules that would remove any randomness and unpredictability from the hospital system. The interactions are based on standards Vs the personal feelings of peers and managers. It would add fairness and equity of evaluation. It is a rational and formal-structural response to organizational problems. The immaturity must be aided by making some structural changes. The superstructure appears to need the least amount of work. There is an existing Apex (which needs some focus), a middle line (which needs to grow), a small technostructure (which should be combined for both facilities to use), and an ill managed operating core. I hesitate to say too much about the support staff. Unfortunately, the case does not provide enough information about this unit for comment.. I must assume there is a support staff functioning at the hospital since they could not possibly continue without the support of a support staff. Most of the organizational changes need to be done in the essential design parameters of the subunits. Standardization of skills has already been achieved and the remaining would include: Behaviour formalization to help standardize work processes and procedures Training to teach the standards and procedures and achieve standardization Unit groupings to group jobs under one supervision for maximum efficiency and cooperation The structural changes will also facilitate more effective communications, enhance the ability of the leaders to lead, and increase intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The complexities of organizational structure and organizational behaviour are huge. Because of these complexities, generally one theory, one behavioural model, or one method of structure does not always meet all the needs of the organization. There is no doubt, however, that guiding principles and basic fundamental models work and would work for Limora Hospital and the LCHC. What are the effects on motivation, leadership and communication because of the weaknesses identified in your answer to Question #1 at the Limora Communication Health Centre? The weakness in the organizational structure at LCHC hampers leadership, communication, and motivation. In reverse, the lack of leadership, communication and motivation have impacted the organizational structure. The definition of each of these explains the importance of their interrelationship to one another. Leadership is based on the ability to influence others to achieve organizational goals. Formal leaders hold a high rank in the hierarchy and informal leaders are recognized for outstanding skills and abilities. Managing is sometimes mistaken for leadership. The difference is that a manager brings order to the employees, and a leader makes useful changes in the organization. Communication is the process of two or more people exchanging information. The sender is the initiator of the message and the receiver is the one that the message is direct to. Effective communication is achieved when the message from the sender is received as it was intended. Motivation can be understood as a force within us that is triggered by various needs. This force then drives us to satisfy an unsatisfied need. There are basically two different categories of motivation. One is intrinsic and the other extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside ourselves and extrinsic from outside ourselves. All three of these are lacking at the LCHC. Some of them are highly impacted by the weaknesses in the organizational structure, and some are lacking in the individuals' as skills. Motivation, leadership and communication are dependent on one another and cannot function very well in an organization on their own. Leadership generally deals with the complexities of humans and human behaviour. There are many approaches to leadership, each with theories and models. The Traits theories would look at leaders and explore their traits or characteristics. Behavioural leadership theories centre around the behaviours demonstrated by effective leaders. Lastly, the contingency approach puts forward the notion that â€Å"it depends† on both behaviour and traits. Situations can effect what traits and behviours are most useful.. The most suitable leadership approach for the LCHC would be the contingency approach since it offers ways to look at behaviour and traits. It also lends itself to approaches for leading tasks and people. There are task issues and relationship issues at LCHC that need leadership. Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard's situation leadership model offers different behaviours suited to either a task situation or a relationship situation. Some of the leadership weakness at LCHC are: The lines of authority for the division of labor between the apex and the middle line are not clear. This makes leadership difficult. The Bishop is not motivated to take on this leadership, or he does not have the leadership expertise to lead. It is the Bishop that should set forth the proper leadership characteristics, and develop the triggers that will motivate his organization. There seems to be no communication from him about the mission, strategy, or goals of either facility. If this is missing at the top, it cascades down throughout the organization very quickly. It is evident that the professionals in the operating core are confused, and don't have clear goals to follow. These goals would help pull all of them in the same direction. The middle line, where Dr. Macdonald is managing, needs qualified managers. When there are no qualified managers, and management systems are in chaos, leadership is compromised for the strongest of leaders. The above points in the structural weaknesses involve task and volatile relationships issues. The application of the Hersey Blanchard model of leadership will help both the task and relationship concerns. . Regarding communications, the LCHC does not adequately provide the network for good communications among all its employees. Unit groupings are weak and management does not seem to have a lot of integrity in their communications. Its important to have a place that can determine what communications vehicle should be used to gain the highest impact for any given message. Rich communication demands face to face interaction, next is the telephone, and the poorest is via memo or letter. There are no liaison positions in place at the LCHC. These positions could determine communication vehicles, disseminate information and improve upward, downward and horizontal communications. A very large part of good communications is also about listening and knowing how to communicate. Communication involves giving and receiving feedback. These skills are generally part of a good training program. The LCHC does not have a good training program in place that could help them increase harmony, efficiency and mutual understanding. When good communications are in place, feedback is at an optimum, therefore, managers and employees could actively participate in formal and informal evaluations processes. If the managers and employees are involved in the evaluation process, they are most apt to be fair and equitable in their assessment of each other. The employees at LCHC are not motivated. The lack of motivation is a direct result of the lack of leadership and effective communications. It can also be linked to the organization of the subunits. Grouping different jobs under common supervision can pull them together to achieve similar goals thus triggering motivation.. Employees also need, and are more likely driven by intrinsic motivators. These can come from reaching personal career goals, making enough money to buy a new house, or simply feeling good when a patient gets well as a direct result of their care. Putting a Human Resources management in place could provide rewards programs in the form of money, recognition, and promotion. These are all triggers for employees to set themselves goals to reach these rewards. Locke's goal setting theory says setting clear, challenging, realistic and acceptable goals raises performance. Goals invoke motivations since our thoughts and actions are directed by our goals. It is much easier for the LCHC employees to set their personal work related goals if they have been given short term departmental goals or milestones and long term organizational goals. Each department would work in a cooperative setting to reach these goals. When employees don't see or feel a sense of purpose, there is often conflict, competition, and behaviour is based on the fear of not knowing where they are headed. Consequently, this leads to low morale and demotivated employees. The LCHC should consistently communicate the rewards and results of effort and hard work. This will encourage employees to expect a reward for their work. Vroom's expectancy theory supports this idea. He says that if you put effort in, you will get a positive outcome. Individuals will look at a given situation in this way†¦.increased effort will lead to good performance, good performance will lead to certain outcomes, and then†¦ are the outcomes worthwhile. If they are, the effort will be put forth. In summary, leadership, communication, and motivation are a must for an organization's success. If the structure is aligned to support all three, there is increased productivity, high level of efficiency and high morale among the employees.

Religion and Belief within Life of Pi Essay

Throughout the novel Life of Pi the reader is faced with many recurring symbols and motifs to enhance the themes of religion and belief within the novel. It is most evident when analysing the main character Pi. He is faced with many challenges and has a great challenging uphill journey placed in front of him, but through his beliefs he is able to push through using many techniques along the way. Hunger and thirst, as well as the struggle for dominance and survival play a part in allowing his religious beliefs to clearly be illustrated to the reader. Furthermore, it indirectly allows the reader to better understand his views on life. Lastly, in the novel, the author uses certain religious analogies to enhance the understanding of the novel to the audience by describing a series of daily rituals that help sustain Pi during hard times. Rituals are used as an alternate form of storytelling, that use Pi’s beliefs to spread the teachings and illustrate the power of faith, by showing how a simple act of faith can save a life. Imagine spending almost a year on a boat; on an island; away from home; without any family, friends, only your thoughts, hopes and faith to help keep you alive physically and mentally. Pi’s story is a tale in which â€Å"will make you believe in god† or just make you believe in humanity, because life even without god is still believing. Throughout the novel, each day Pi spends on the island or life boat, he prays and becomes another day wiser in each of his religions: Hinduism, Christianity, and Islamism. Even Pi acknowledged the falter of religion, â€Å"I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.† This is quite ironic considering he is trapped on a boat with a tiger that would not be able to be free even if he was not on this boat. Moreover, religion to some seems unbearable, but to Pi religion and schedules is the only thing that seems to keep him sane. Storytelling is an art which can save lives by giving hope or even false hope, by creating white lies in a time of need. For Pi storytelling is his way of showing others the true miracles and powers of life, even if they are not true stories at all. It’s a way of helping people to modify their beliefs or create new ones. â€Å"Without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be alive today to tell you my story.† This quote is very direct, because he uses the reference ‘you’ to speak to the reader because he wants to show them his faith and how it doesn’t have to be ‘real’ to make it â€Å"the better story†. Lastly, throughout this novel rituals are directly related to storytelling because they give structure and relate ability to abstract ideas and emotions, which allow Pi to stay in his imagination longer, and as a result saves his life, because no boy is able to see the horror and go insane. Pi’s beliefs are perhaps the main reason he was able to survive this tragedy. However one must wonder, was it god, or just a simple prayer and belief in fate? Pi is faced with unbelievable odds of survival with no food, water that is undrinkable, and on top of that must battle off the four hundred and fifty pound animal the he shares this life raft with. When Pi is saved and is asked all the questions, he remains calm and begins with the first story in which will allow people the opportunity to see the power of faith come alive. Even though it is not entirely ‘real’ Pi still considers it the â€Å"better story† because he is able to help more people, because animals are able to stand for something different, and allows the unbelievable part to re start the imaginations of people which seem to be buried very deep down. â€Å"The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar,† isn’t just an idea, but a concept in which each of us live by but do not realize. In the two hundred and twenty seven days Pi must rise to that challenge by allowing himself to save not just his own life, but the ‘tiger’ who also was saving his. Pi needed to scavenge for his food as well as create drinkable water, a task in which only god could conceive, but even Pi was able to feed the man he calls Richard Parker, because in his opinion no life is worth not saving. By allowing Richard Parker onto that life raft he showed his faith towards god, and also by him surviving and allowing Richard Parker to survive, god shined and showed his praise for having faith right back at him. There are many life lessons portrayed in the novel that the reader should be able to take away, one of the most prevalent was the idea of taking a leap of faith. After all who really knows what life might bring, one can only jump into water with both feet, unknowing how cold it actually may be. In closing, in the novel the author uses certain religious analogies to enhance the understanding of the novel to the audience by describing a series of daily rituals that help sustain Pi during hard times. Rituals are used as an alternate form of storytelling, that use Pi’s beliefs to spread the teachings and illustrate the power of faith, by showing how a simple act of faith can save a life. Through this, Pi is able to manipulate his imagination and religion to save his life, in which it would change it after his terrible journey in where he was forced to look death in the eye and continue fighting. After the reader learns that there were no animals, they still take a message, even though it is not the â€Å"better story†. Life is a journey in which we all take part on, and after we read this heroic journey, we are able to look forward and re think the steps we take in order to create a â€Å"better story† for ourselves.