Benefits of Stretching

Almost any athlete will tell you that they have had to stretch while playing for their coach; most prominently static stretching. Do these stretches help athletes perform at a higher level? Do they keep athletes from injury? Several researchers are out to prove that these stretches maybe don’t have the impact that coaches and trainers have been thinking that they do. Although upon hearing that the pre workout, pre exercise routine of millions of athletes might be for nothing is pretty hard to believe considering the impact that it has obviously made in the sport world.There have been thousands of studies on the benefits of stretching. Many people feel that stretching is a necessity. With more and more studies though it’s been hard to find evidence proving these ideas. â€Å"When a muscle is lengthening, the muscle fibers and connective tissues are elongated because of the application of external forces. † (Pornratshanee, Hume, Kolt). When these fibers are extende d it allows the muscle to experience a fuller range of motion. There are two main factors in most injuries, Lack of ROM (range of motion) and muscle stiffness.Most would think that this evidence proves that stretching indeed would help prevent injuries. Not necessarily, in the research done in the article, â€Å"STRETCHING REVIEW: A Scientific Review of the Benefits, Or Lack Thereof, Of Stretching†Ã‚  the author feels that, â€Å"just because a stiff muscle is related to a sports injury, and stretching can lessen a muscle’s stiffness, this does not mean that stretching prevents injury (STRETCHING REVIEW). † Different types of stretching include: ballistic stretching, dynamic stretching, and static stretching.Static stretching is the most commonly used type of stretching. After seeing that static stretching didn’t improve injury resistance, researchers then wonder if there are benefits in static stretching at all. Does static stretching help with performan ce levels? The research done by David G. Behn in his article, â€Å"Short Durations Of Static Stretching When Combined With Dynamic Stretching Do Not Impair Repeated Sprints And Agility. † Set out to find the answer to this question.Participants in the study were tested by level of flexibility followed by stretching and then put in Repeated-sprint Ability (RSA) and Change of Direction (COD) Tests. The results of this study showed that time length of stretching had no significant effect on the performance levels of the study group. Also the study found that there is no satisfactory evidence to prove that stretching would increase performance (Behm). While some researchers say that there isn’t any proof of stretching, others such as Peter McNair say that these researchers are missing something.Where the research gets complicated starts at the realization; maybe it’s not that stretching doesn’t have benefits but actually there are certain activities that fle xibility can be used as a benefit and others that less flexibility should be sought after. Some Researchers say that a certain level of being less flexible might actually help certain types of athletes. Whereas other activities a fuller range of motion is beneficial (McNair). In conclusion it is noticed that researchers aren’t completely sure of the benefits. Several factors are involved in the research of these benefits.The many factors make it hard to fully understand the advantage or disadvantage of stretching. People should consider the sport they are playing also, and even the position. It’s hard to think that stretching doesn’t have the impact that we once thought, but it’s a concept that might start grasping the world of sports as we know it. Works Cited Weerapong, Pornratshanee, Patria A. Hume, and Gregory S. Kolt. â€Å"Stretching: Mechanisms And Benefits For Sport Performance And Injury Prevention. â€Å"Physical Therapy Reviews  9. 4 (2004) : 189-206. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. STRETCHING REVIEW: A Scientific Review Of The Benefits, Or Lack Thereof, Of Stretching. †Ã‚  Journal Of Pure Power  4. 1 (2009): 68-70. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. David G. Behm, et al. â€Å"Short Durations Of Static Stretching When Combined With Dynamic Stretching Do Not Impair Repeated Sprints And Agility. †Ã‚  Journal Of Sports Science & Medicine  10. 2 (2011): 408-416. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. Peter McNair, et al. â€Å"Stretching And Injury Prevention: An Obscure Relationship. †Ã‚  Sports Medicine  34. 7 (2004): 443-449. Academic Search Complete. Web. 18 Nov. 2012

Cross Cultural perspectives

The company decided to use was Struck Corporation. Struck has been an iconic symbol in the coffee industry here in the United States. It is a place where people go to meet, work; do school work, and many other things. Struck Corporation has created an atmosphere that makes people feel okay with spending six dollars or more on a latte. Although its great success in the United States and many other countries, Struck has really struggled to thrive in Europe. Struck CEO Howard Schultz traveled to Italy in 1983 and was really inspired by their espresso bars.He saw the potential in the concept off coffee house thriving in Seattle. Schultz really took that idea and sculpted it into everything the American people were looking for. As the company grew and expanded into other countries, it eventually came full circle and ended up back in Europe, where the idea began. This would prove to be more off struggle than expected. You would think that Struck would thrive in a country that lives off cof fee and tea. The espresso and latte experience in Europe is an everyday thing; apart of the culture.Struck is having a difficult time bringing an American version of a coffee shop to Europe. Its reputation of having a fast food type atmosphere isn't doing the trick. The European people need a more intimate experience. One problem that Struck is having in Europe is the way they serve the coffee. The iconic paper cup and sleeve isn't cutting it in Europe. I feel it portrays a cheaper product. Also, Struck has a fast food type environment. When in Europe the coffee shops are sit down restaurants almost. Struck needs to learn how to adapt to the European cafe culture.Struck very modern look and dcore have not been keeping up with the elaborate dcore of the cafeg's in Europe. In 2012 the New York Times captured a picture of a beautifully decorated coffee shop. It had big comfortable velvet chairs that filled the room. Chandeliers line the ceilings and just a beautiful atmosphere. To my s urprise it was a Struck. They were successful in creating an atmosphere that holds to European tradition. In Europe you do not go to a coffee shop to be waited on. Even though they do have servers they do not work on tips.All of this is very different from an American coffee shop. Struck has really perfected coffee shops here in America. Instead of an elaborately decorated room, it's more Of a modern and sleek area for enjoying your favorite cup of coffee. Also, there are no servers coming to your table, but energetic baristas brewing amazing coffee with a smile and a small conversation. Struck may be on to something in Europe trying to adapt to their way of doing things. In order to keep turning a profit out in Europe they must continue to disguise themselves as a local coffee shop.In the New York Times article In Europe, Struck Adjusts to a Cafe Culture where they quote local coffee goers. Daphnia Monitor 19 year old Parisian said, â€Å"We see stars like Kim Sardinian in all the magazines walking around with a Struck,† and, â€Å"My friends and I come because it's hip. † What this tells me is that the American lifestyle is being mimicked. Especially when very famous influential people are going to Struck regularly. There are several viable solutions for Struck in Europe. The key would be to not spend extra money but to shift the money that is being spent.When opening new stores, Struck would have to go about the dcore in a different way. Change from paper cups and sleeves to mugs and plates, and still stay true to being environmentally friendly. Last, the training and Struck team should never change. Struck can change the dcore by going from a modern look and shift it to very elaborate looking decorations. Interior decorations in Europe don't have the same color schemes as we have here in the United States. Having big comfortable chairs of some kind of fabric instead of modern chairs and leather couches.Incorporating chandeliers and mirrors to make the rooms kick bigger and fancier. One major misconception of Struck in Europe is the iconic coffee cups and sleeves. Unfortunately this is perceived as a lesser product, even though this is not the case. This will save money in several different types of cups, sleeves, and much more. A coffee cup that can be rewashed and reused will save a lot of money and will take very minimal water to wash. Also, adding Rupee's favorite treats to accompany the drinks will be a great addition. If the ambiance was altered and the cups changed, the consumer will not know he difference.They are judging the coffee before they even get a chance to taste it. Some are lured in by the fact that it is an American company enjoyed by the stars. American celebrity endorsements and maybe invitations to store openings would help raise customer interest. Customers will continue to drink it as long as it is portrayed and interpreted as cool or hip. Lastly, the employee training is key. This is something th at must not be tainted no matter what changes around them. Customer involvement and connection has been and continues to be absolutely crucial part of Struck success.This is what separates Struck from any other coffee shop American or European. Continuing to hire fun, charismatic, and hardworking people no matter what culture and nationality is essential to the company thriving anywhere. Also, putting the Correct people in management is a key part Of the team. In conclusion, there are several WAP to lure in the European people to Struck. Adapting to European culture can and will be very beneficial. SSH fitting the image slightly but keeping the priorities in tact will be essential. Changing from paper to glass mugs will help lower costs and bring people onto the stores. Cross cultural perspectives The international market is the primp situation for all companies, even though almost every organization experiences growth as time passes. The main goal of almost every big business Is to be able to reach the largest market and enable growth; the international market. There are many different things that International markets bring to an organization, advantage wise, for Instance a bigger brand name, international market shares, Investors, or even growth that will allow the capability to be able to manufacture many products for a lot less expensive labor cost.Even though most companies want to go big or go home, there are bound to be many different obstacles and difficulties in making the bigger picture happen. Between going national and international, there are so many deferent moral and social responsibilities that must be overcome as the organization progresses through the ranks to be a worldwide international organization. The organization that I choose is the Levi Strauss compa ny, I love the Jeans and there is an over abundant amount of information available to the public about the history of their organization.Levi Strauss and Company, which Is based In San Francisco, California has actually been one of many different companies that have been able to overcome all the adversity and become an International organization and one of the largest retail sale producers In apparel. The organization has their headquarters in California, but they are able to operate and be successful with their different plants and operations in 110 different nations across the globe. Breaking down the split of what their income as a company is generally split from the United States and outside the border to a ear 50/50 split.Actually, Levi Strauss has recently been dealing with issues with foreign organizations to incorporate stockholders, media sites, investment companies, and even employees' right's unions. There were noted to be a lot of different reasons that people were getti ng upset with Levi Strauss and Company, but one of the major reasons Levi Strauss and Company incurred so much trouble was in their two plants in Bangladesh. There was mass confusion about the laws and stipulations In that country compared to the united States.What was stated Is that Levi Strauss was ring employees that were below the minimum age requirement, but in all actuality, in Bangladesh, there are different laws as to how old an individual must be to work in a similar plant as Levi Strauss and Company. The minimum age for an individual to work at a manufacturing plant comparable to Levi Strauss and Company is sixteen. When one looks at the history of Bangladesh, there is nothing out of the ordinary to see children, ages fifteen and younger to be out in the workforce and helping with their families household income.One issue in Bangladesh to be specific is their lack f producing a birth certificate to prove age, another issue that has been brought up is the lack of nutrition for the supposedly younger kids, who most likely look younger than they actually are. Even though these younger people are working In different Levi Strauss' plants, these types of situations are very evident and continuous even though the Conditions of Engagement for and from Levi Strauss and Company. Levi Strauss isn't the first one to be in the microscope from external stakeholders for child As an ethical international company, Levi Strauss seems to have the moral views of he majority of people. To ensure they stay ethical, there are a few things that the organization must follow like the encouragement of dialogs interactions, motivation of involvement in making decisions, adjusts personal as well as company goals and conducts, imposes direct responsibility for expecting and addressing ethical crises.These would be the most basic ethical requirements required by Levi Strauss along with an international anti bribery plan, a global rule of business actions, and An anti- corruption plan. During the year 2008, the organization was once again in the spotlight from many external pressures by the way they were breaking different child labor laws, like the way that Uzbekistan has been doing the same thing. Not only did Levi Straus help take care of the issue, but they have confessed that they have worried about the problem for a very long time.Following the different problems, Levi Strauss and company went through major changes including no use of any product coming from Uzbekistan. Being involved in such a critical matter, Levi Strauss and company took added measures to relieve the pressure and stress from the child labor laws by not only ruminating employees that were part of the infractions, but would continue to help assist them with full pay and benefits contingent on them going to school and completing that for themselves and their families.Laws against labor of underage is definitely a major concern for Levi Strauss, but unfortunately with having 110 differe nt countries subject to the same standards, there are always other obstacles for the organization to overcome because they are such a large international organization. One of the other obstacles that happens more often than almost anything is discrimination in the workplace. This has actually become more of a recognized problem and enforced almost worldwide, not Just in the United States.Many attempts to regulate discrimination are moral and the practices therein are sure to find their way into problems. In Vietnam, operational corruption is one of the biggest moral challenges to overcome, and it includes Levi Strauss and Company. Corruption in organizations has been noted to take away three to four percent of the world's total gross domestic products each year. In one of the latest researches, 67% of business proprietors inVietnam presume that they will have to pay for a bribe at some stage in a particular year to carry on in business operations (Inrush & Areola, 2010) These two ex amples are not even scratching the surface as to what an international organization must face on a daily basis to keep their head above water and to keep themselves profitable. The way that Levi Strauss and Company have been able to continue to be successful is the fact that they were able to instate one set of written rules and guideline to have as a basis for all of their companies and plants around the world to abide by.This type of action is Just a preventative method that instills the idea and provides a little insurance plan to help prevent allegations of wrongdoings. Levi Strauss and Company is much like all international companies in the way that they have to uphold their integrity and ensure that they are conducting business in a throughout the company, a simple memo will not suffice. There must be people all over the world at all the different plants making sure that the code of ethics provided by the company are met and are not too specific to follow by all employees.If t hese hypes of actions have been thought of years ago, there probably would never have been an issue in Bangladesh and the underage labor that was happening and they could have avoided that completely. Many, many businesses are striving for the international market in today's society. They are all wanting growth and potentially higher earnings. Social and Moral factors are often overlooked and ignored when businesses are up and coming. There will never be a way for one method or one set of rules to govern any international company from one end to another.Arrangements according to the environment and he nation are essential clues to help adjust for each little market in the bigger picture of international business. The more of the little things each international companies do to ensure moral and social obligations, the longer and more thriving their business will become and continue to prosper. References Five compliance and ethics issues to consider in Vietnam. 2010, Gregory Inrush & Fernando Areola. Retrieved from http://knowledgeable. Thunderbird. Dude/ research/2009/11/04/Vietnam/ Levi Strauss & Co. (Unknown) 2010. Retrieved from http://en. Wisped. Org/wick/Levi_Strauss_&_Co. Cross Cultural Perspectives For many years, Nike Inc has been known worldwide as the champion of athletic gear producers, being a global leader in business and marketing. The company experienced a tremendous growth between 1970s and 1990s, dominating the global athletic footwear and apparel market (Cartey, 2002). However, in 1990s, Nike started facing a fierce criticism for its unethical practices of conducting business in developing countries.Critics accused Nike for poor working conditions, exploitation of cheap overseas labor, and violation of minimum wage and overtime laws in countries, such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, where the company had outsourced its manufactures. Instead of using ethical means to developing a global brand, Nike used child labor and every possible cheap way to increase its profits. Like many other U. S. companies, Nike manufactures its products in third world countries. Workers in these manufactures may earn as little as 12 cents per hour, working in unsafe, even dangerou s working environments.These manufactures are called sweatshops, and have triggered many objections from human right organizations for violating the basic human rights. Victoria Carty (2002) explains that: The Internet has significantly accentuated awareness of the controversies surrounding Nike’s business culture and practices. Information regarding corporate abuses has spread quickly through cyberspace, bringing bad publicity to new levels of awareness, and has facilitated mobilization among activists.It has also provided the resources and environment essential for organized mobilization in the form of a new social movement (NSM). When the labor activists and scholars began observing Nike’s labor practices, they discovered systematic violations of workers’ rights in Nike factories. Their findings resulted on health and safety absences in the working environment, discrimination against trade unions, forced overtime, unfair wages, and increasing production quota s whenever workers met them.Since assembly line workers in developing countries could not have success against the exploitation, citizens from the international community begun advocating for them and started an anti-Nike campaign to confront these unethical issues and demand corporate social responsibility and respect for human rights. These manufactures, on the other hand have allowed developing countries to expend their exports and improve their economies. Therefore, many debates have developed about globalization and global labor practices.While critics seek regulations to restrict the use of sweatshop labor, economists think that such regulations will harm the world’s poor. Proponents, who support sweatshops, argue that free trade without labor restrictions generates future prosperity and, therefore, better working conditions for the host country, by providing developed countries with access to cheaper goods. In turn, opportunities to exploit cost advantages in export ma rkets are greater. Based on their research, even terrible jobs provide some positive outcomes to a society, by benefiting others, who are not part of this employment.Workers can also earn job-related skills and provide benefits to the society at large. Eventually, a durable economic growth will improve the economic and social conditions of these people. That is why the economist Paul Krugman supports Myerson’s economic theory that â€Å"The overwhelming mainstream view among economists is that growth of this kind of employment is tremendous good news for the world's poor† (Arnold & Hartman, 2005). Sweatshops are the optimal solution for a developing nation’s economy.According to Arnold and Hartman (2005), â€Å"†¦the argument states that, however much we may not like some of what we see in the labor conditions of developing nations, this is the market at work; and the market works to generate overall improvements in economic welfare for a society. † They consider a moral obligation to perform actions that better enhance the overall satisfaction of these societies. Therefore, they argue, as many sweatshops as possible must be created and maintained. Is their evaluation legitimate?Generally, market economies have the potential to create tremendous economic growth in poor countries; ethical responsibilities would be that businesses which seek to benefit from that growth not do so by exploiting the human and natural resources of host countries (DesJardins, 2011). Although free markets generate benefits, certain boundary conditions hold firm. The relation between workers and their employers should be such that workers are fully informed about occupational health risks and their employment is truly voluntary, not through coercion.People must be able to make rational decisions about their self-interest, and no child should be held to the terms of any contract they enter into. Critics of sweatshops argue that workers may agree to work under poor conditions, because they have no other option to earn income, and they may not have enough information, prior to being employed in those sweatshops. Once they have made such choices, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out of a labor agreement and return to the previous circumstances.That is why the fact that workers agree to work under poor conditions does not mean they agreed to the kind of conditions they face. DesJardins (p. 280) explains that â€Å"Someone who chooses to surrender her money to an armed robber is also relatively better off than she otherwise would have been, but this fact does not justify the actions of the robber. † So, there is not a well-functioning free market in these countries. In contrast, they cause a social disruption, because people leave from their villages to depend on public social services in urban areas.An increased population in urban areas worsens sanitation and housing resources. Job losses from the closed factorie s in these countries result in a higher poverty. What should Nike do to show an ethical responsibility to business in these host countries? First, it should not tolerate any discretionary exploitation in the contractors it employs—for example, when managers try to extort sexual favors from vulnerable workers. Second, it should insist that the established labor laws be obeyed and also that governments enforce those rules uniformly.This will do away with impure structural exploitation. Third, it should press for structural solutions that end the exploitability of labor and do its fair share to repair the background circumstances that make taking unfair advantage possible. Certainly it should not lobby for policies that perpetuate or strengthen the structural conditions that permit businesses to exploit workers. In 1990s Nike started facing criticism from different human right organizations for poor labor conditions of its workers in foreign countries, in particular in Asian cou ntries.Nike has violated the minimum wage and overtime laws in these countries and has used the exploitation of the poor people to gain billions of dollars. These events have triggered many critics and economists to discuss and analyze the situation from a variety of ethical frameworks. Nike has tried to take actions to curb its practices and observe these manufactures to ensure that child labor is not being used. However, there is still much to do for applying the same ethical responsibility standards inside U. S. as well as in international business. Cross Cultural Perspectives For many years, Nike Inc has been known worldwide as the champion of athletic gear producers, being a global leader in business and marketing. The company experienced a tremendous growth between 1970s and 1990s, dominating the global athletic footwear and apparel market (Cartey, 2002). However, in 1990s, Nike started facing a fierce criticism for its unethical practices of conducting business in developing countries.Critics accused Nike for poor working conditions, exploitation of cheap overseas labor, and violation of minimum wage and overtime laws in countries, such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, where the company had outsourced its manufactures. Instead of using ethical means to developing a global brand, Nike used child labor and every possible cheap way to increase its profits. Like many other U. S. companies, Nike manufactures its products in third world countries. Workers in these manufactures may earn as little as 12 cents per hour, working in unsafe, even dangerou s working environments.These manufactures are called sweatshops, and have triggered many objections from human right organizations for violating the basic human rights. Victoria Carty (2002) explains that: The Internet has significantly accentuated awareness of the controversies surrounding Nike’s business culture and practices. Information regarding corporate abuses has spread quickly through cyberspace, bringing bad publicity to new levels of awareness, and has facilitated mobilization among activists.It has also provided the resources and environment essential for organized mobilization in the form of a new social movement (NSM). When the labor activists and scholars began observing Nike’s labor practices, they discovered systematic violations of workers’ rights in Nike factories. Their findings resulted on health and safety absences in the working environment, discrimination against trade unions, forced overtime, unfair wages, and increasing production quota s whenever workers met them.Since assembly line workers in developing countries could not have success against the exploitation, citizens from the international community begun advocating for them and started an anti-Nike campaign to confront these unethical issues and demand corporate social responsibility and respect for human rights. These manufactures, on the other hand have allowed developing countries to expend their exports and improve their economies. Therefore, many debates have developed about globalization and global labor practices.While critics seek regulations to restrict the use of sweatshop labor, economists think that such regulations will harm the world’s poor. Proponents, who support sweatshops, argue that free trade without labor restrictions generates future prosperity and, therefore, better working conditions for the host country, by providing developed countries with access to cheaper goods. In turn, opportunities to exploit cost advantages in export ma rkets are greater. Based on their research, even terrible jobs provide some positive outcomes to a society, by benefiting others, who are not part of this employment.Workers can also earn job-related skills and provide benefits to the society at large. Eventually, a durable economic growth will improve the economic and social conditions of these people. That is why the economist Paul Krugman supports Myerson’s economic theory that â€Å"The overwhelming mainstream view among economists is that growth of this kind of employment is tremendous good news for the world's poor† (Arnold & Hartman, 2005). Sweatshops are the optimal solution for a developing nation’s economy.According to Arnold and Hartman (2005), â€Å"†¦the argument states that, however much we may not like some of what we see in the labor conditions of developing nations, this is the market at work; and the market works to generate overall improvements in economic welfare for a society. † They consider a moral obligation to perform actions that better enhance the overall satisfaction of these societies. Therefore, they argue, as many sweatshops as possible must be created and maintained. Is their evaluation legitimate?Generally, market economies have the potential to create tremendous economic growth in poor countries; ethical responsibilities would be that businesses which seek to benefit from that growth not do so by exploiting the human and natural resources of host countries (DesJardins, 2011). Although free markets generate benefits, certain boundary conditions hold firm. The relation between workers and their employers should be such that workers are fully informed about occupational health risks and their employment is truly voluntary, not through coercion.People must be able to make rational decisions about their self-interest, and no child should be held to the terms of any contract they enter into. Critics of sweatshops argue that workers may agree to work under poor conditions, because they have no other option to earn income, and they may not have enough information, prior to being employed in those sweatshops. Once they have made such choices, it would be extremely difficult for them to get out of a labor agreement and return to the previous circumstances.That is why the fact that workers agree to work under poor conditions does not mean they agreed to the kind of conditions they face. DesJardins (p. 280) explains that â€Å"Someone who chooses to surrender her money to an armed robber is also relatively better off than she otherwise would have been, but this fact does not justify the actions of the robber. † So, there is not a well-functioning free market in these countries. In contrast, they cause a social disruption, because people leave from their villages to depend on public social services in urban areas.An increased population in urban areas worsens sanitation and housing resources. Job losses from the closed factorie s in these countries result in a higher poverty. What should Nike do to show an ethical responsibility to business in these host countries? First, it should not tolerate any discretionary exploitation in the contractors it employs—for example, when managers try to extort sexual favors from vulnerable workers. Second, it should insist that the established labor laws be obeyed and also that governments enforce those rules uniformly.This will do away with impure structural exploitation. Third, it should press for structural solutions that end the exploitability of labor and do its fair share to repair the background circumstances that make taking unfair advantage possible. Certainly it should not lobby for policies that perpetuate or strengthen the structural conditions that permit businesses to exploit workers. In 1990s Nike started facing criticism from different human right organizations for poor labor conditions of its workers in foreign countries, in particular in Asian cou ntries.Nike has violated the minimum wage and overtime laws in these countries and has used the exploitation of the poor people to gain billions of dollars. These events have triggered many critics and economists to discuss and analyze the situation from a variety of ethical frameworks. Nike has tried to take actions to curb its practices and observe these manufactures to ensure that child labor is not being used. However, there is still much to do for applying the same ethical responsibility standards inside U. S. as well as in international business.

Listening And Writing In Esol Planning And Teaching Education Essay

Talking, listening, reading and composing are considered to be reciprocally mutualist upon one another in linguistic communication acquisition. Although talking coherently and clearly is by and large recognised as the most of import end for 2nd linguistic communication ( L2 ) talkers, peculiarly ESOL talkers ( Murphy 1991:52 ) , competency in reading and composing finish a scholar ‘s proficiency in L2. Speaking and hearing may be described as the major accomplishment countries of interpersonal communicating ( Murphy 1991: 52 ) . Whether through synergistic or teacher-instruction, the hearing accomplishment will find how scholars develop eloquence and competency in the linguistic communication being learnt ( Nation and Newton 2009 ; Ellis 2003 ) . Listening is cardinal in linguistic communication acquisition because it non merely aids competency in speech production, but besides in reading. Ellis ( 2003 ) has noted that research workers and instructors have their ain purposes in prosecuting hearing as a linguistic communication accomplishment. For research workers, listening provides agencies for look intoing scholars ‘ ability to treat specific lingual characteristics ( Ellis 2003: 37 ) . In position of this, he suggests that focused undertakings can be devised by ‘seeding ‘ the input with the targeted characteristic and planing the undertaking in such a manner that the merchandise result can merely be achieved if the scholars are successful in treating the targeted characteristic. Therefore, listening undertakings provide an first-class agencies for mensurating whether scholars have acquired the characteristic in inquiry. On the other manus, listening accomplishments can be devised to ease the acquisition o f the targeted characteristic ( Ellis 2003: 37 ) . This essay discusses how the four linguistic communication accomplishments of hearing, reading, speech production and composing are mutualist in assisting a scholar achieve competency in larning English as a 2nd linguistic communication. As we already know, synergistic linguistic communication larning depends a batch on listening and talking accomplishments ( Ellis 2003 ) . However, a good balanced linguistic communication class which consists of four approximately equal strands of learning/instruction in the linguistic communication schoolroom ( Nation and Newton 2009 ) , known as meaning-focused input, meaning-focused end product, language-focused acquisition, and eloquence development, conveying out the common dependence of the four linguistic communication accomplishments. The four strands methodological analysis as described by Nation and Newton ( 2009:1 ) may be summarised as follows: larning though meaning-focused input, that is, larning through hearing and reading where the learners'attention is on the thoughts and messages conveyed by the linguistic communication larning through meaning-focused end product, that is, larning through speech production and composing where the learners'attention is on conveying thoughts and messages to another individual larning through deliberate attending to linguistic communication points and linguistic communication characteristics, that is, larning through direct vocabulary survey, grammar exercisings and account, through attending discourse characteristics and consider acquisition and pattern of linguistic communication acquisition and linguistic communication usage schemes, and larning through developing fluid usage of known linguistic communication points and characteristics over the four accomplishments of hearing, speech production, reading and composing Second linguistic communication acquisition shows that suitably focussed attending to linguistic communication points can do a really positive part to acquisition ( Doughty 2003 ; Doughty & A ; Williams, 1998 ; Ellis 2005 ) . A well-planned linguistic communication class has an appropriate balance of these four strands. Through these four strands the scholars achieve the learning ends of a linguistic communication class, viz. fluid control of sounds, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and discourse characteristics of linguistic communication, so that they can be used to pass on efficaciously. A justification of the four strands is the time-on-task rule, that is, learning-to-read by reading or learning-to-write by composing ( Nation & A ; Newton 2009:2 ) . The more clip one spends making something, the better they are likely to make it. Those who read a batch, for case, are better readers ( Cunningham & A ; Stanovich 1991 ) , and those who write a batch normally become better writes. The grounds for the four strands draws on a big and turning organic structure of research into the functions of input, end product and focussed direction on L2 acquisition and on development of speech production and reading eloquence ( Nation & A ; Newton 2009:3 ) .Meaning-focused input: acquisition through hearing and readingThe meaning-focused input strand involves larning through hearing and reading, that is utilizing linguistic communication receptively. It is called ‘meaning-focused ‘ because in all the work done in this strand, the scholars ‘ chief focal point and invol vement should be on understanding, and deriving cognition or enjoyment or both from what they listen to and read. Typical activities in this strand include extended reading, shared reading, listening to narratives, watching Television or movies, and being a hearer in a conversation ( see Hinkel 2006 ) .Meaning-focused end product larningMeaning-focused end product involves the scholars bring forthing linguistic communication through speech production and composing were the scholars ‘ focal point is on others understanding the message ( Nation & A ; Newton 2009 ) . It occurs when scholars write essays, and assignments, when they write letters, dairies, direct electronic mail and text messages to each other and when they write about their experience. As spelling is peculiarly of import in authorship, holding to compose can do scholars cognizant of the spreads in their spelling cognition ( Nation 2009:18 ) . Writing activities that can assist with spelling are copying, delayed copying, read and compose from memory, command, the assorted signifiers of guided authorship, composing with the aid of a dictionary and free authorship.Language-focused acquisitionLanguage-focused acquisition has many names ; concentrate on signifier, form-focused direction, deliberate survey and consider instruction or acquisition as opposed to acquisition, or knowing acquisition ( Nation & A ; Newton 2009:7 ) . It involves calculated acquisition of linguistic communication characteristics such as pronunciation, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and discourse. A assortment of activities may be used, such as pronunciation pattern, utilizing permutation tabular arraies and drills, larning vocabulary from word cards and intensive reading. Other activities may be interlingual rendition, memorizing duologues an acquiring feedback about authorship. There are legion techniques for giving calculated attending to spelling, for illustration. . The critical factor is doing certain that there is an appropriate balance of each of the four strands so that there is some calculated attending to spelling but this attending does non go inordinate. Deliberate attending can include a figure of activities such as screen and recover, utilizing analogies, utilizing word parts, articulating the word the manner it is spelled and visualizing. There is need to look at each of these techniques:Cover and RetrieveThe scholar writes a list of hard to spell words down the left-hand side of the page ( state 2009:19 ) . The first missive or two of each word is written following to it, for illustration: yacht Y happening O The words are studied and so covered and each word is written from memory utilizing the first missive hint. The first missive is written once more so that the activity can be repeated. yacht yacht YUsing analogiesWorking with the instructor or in little groups, the scholars think of known words that portion similar spelling characteristics to words that they have trouble in spelling. For illustration, if larning to spell ‘apply ‘ , the scholars think of the known words ‘reply ‘ , ‘supply ‘ which are words with similar spelling characteristics and sound ( Nation 2009:19 ) .Using word partsWord parts may be helpful in pulling attending to word constructing units. This may be peculiarly utile with progress scholars. For illustration, the word ‘separate ‘ contains the root ‘par ‘ which is besides in ‘part ‘ . Therefore, the spelling is ‘separate ‘ non ‘seperate ‘ .Pronouncing the word the manner it is spelledTeaching spelling is one of the great challenges of linguistic communication instruction. As a guideline, Nation ( 2009 ) encourages that students may be encouraged to i ntentionally misspeak a word like ‘yacht ‘ /yaect/ as a sort of mnemonic for spelling. Learners may besides be encouraged to look at a word, close their eyes and seek to ‘see ‘ the spelling of the word in their head. This is what is called ‘visualising ‘ a word.The instance for incorporating linguistic communication acquisition accomplishmentsAlthough a big figure of traditional methods of linguistic communication larning continue to be utile, current surveies encourage incorporating linguistic communication accomplishments in the linguistic communication schoolroom. For case, learning reading can be easy tied to instruction on authorship and vocabulary, and unwritten accomplishments lend themselves to learning pronunciation, listening and cross-cultural linguistic communication interaction ( Hinkel 2001 ; Lazaraton 2001 ; McCarthy & A ; O'keeffe 2004 ) . Task-based instruction of L2 accomplishments has built-in chances for more accurate and complex utilizations of linguistic communication ( Ellis 2003 ) . For illustration, narrations and description undertakings in fluency-focused instruction, arguments and problem-solving undertakings promote increased grammatical and lexical complexness in learner linguistic communication. Through these undertakings a significant betterment in the sum of spoken discourse and in grammatical, lexical and articulative competency is enhanced. English linguistic communication has become more internationalised, and hence, instruction of accomplishments such as pronunciation has shifted from aiming native-like speech patterns to aiming intelligibility ( Tarone 2005 ) . In this respect, instruction has to turn to issues of segmental lucidity, that is, the articulation of specific sounds, word emphasis and inflection and the length and timing of intermissions. The current attack to learning pronunciation is by and large based on three principled standards. First, pronunciation and modulation are taught in context and in concurrence with specific accomplishments. Second, direction in pronunciation serves broader communicative intents, and eventually but non least, the instruction of pronunciation and modulation is based on realistic instead than idealistic linguistic communication theoretical accounts ( Chun 2002 ) . The 1980s saw a displacement from the position of L2 listening every bit preponderantly lingual to a schema-based position, and listening teaching method moved off from its focal point on the lingual to the activation of scholars ‘ top-down cognition ( Hinkel 2006:9 ) . Emphasis now, is on the incorporate instruction of listening for communicating and in concurrence with other L2 accomplishments such as speech production, socio-pragmatics, grammar and vocabulary. The lingual and schema-driven strands of learning listening have found a niche in current incorporate attacks, such as task-based or content-based direction ( Snow 2005 ) . The design of listening pattern, for case, can integrate a figure of characteristics that make the development of L2 listening abilities relevant and realistic. Listen-and-do undertakings, for illustration, stand for a flexible beginning of listening input for get downing o intermediate scholars. The content of undertakings can be easy controlled in respect to their lingual and conventional variables, such as frequent happenings of mark syntactic and lexical constructions in the context of meaning-focused undertaking ( Ellis 2003 ) . This is done in countries of grammar buildings, words and phrases or colloquial expressions.Recent research has shed a great trade O visible radiation on the procedures and acquisition of L2 reading. As in hearing, L2 reading involves both top-down and bottom-up cognitive processing. Eskey ( 1988:95 ) suggests that the strongly top-down prejudice neglected scholars weak Aress of lingual processing. the bottom-up processing of reading involves a wide array of distinguishable subskills, such as word acknowledgment, spelling and phonological processing, morpho syntactic parsing and lexical acknowledgment ( Eskey 2005 ) . The reader needs to garner ocular information from the written text, place the significance of words, and so travel frontward to the processing of the construction and significance of lager syntactic units, such as phrases or sentences. Ocular processing of words and letters represents a cognitively complex undertaking ( Koda 1999 ; Chikmatsu 1996 ; Shimron & A ; Savon 1994 ) . Readers whose L1 writing systems are markedly diffrent from the that of L2 may be slowed down in their reading procedure by the demand to achieve fluid L2 word acknowledgment before geting text-processing accomplishments. The findings of L2 reading research on the cardinal function of bottom-up processing, word acknowledgment eloquence, and the acknowledgment of the morphophonemic construct ion of words and phrases have led to substantial displacements in reading and literacy direction to immature and big L2 scholars likewise. As an illustration, in 1999, the National Literacy Strategy in the UK introduced work on phonics, word acknowledgment, and in writing cognition primo to sentence and text degrees of direction ( Hinkel 2006:13 ) . In teacher instruction, current methodological analysis text editions reflect the alteration in positions on learning L2 reading, literacy and authorship. Most influential L2 instruction and larning publications have seen the demand to include at least a chapter on the instruction of bottom-up reading accomplishments normally followed by direction in top-down and strategic reading ( Celce-Murcia 2001 ; Carter & A ; Nunan 2001 ; Mckay 1993 ; Nunan 1999, 2003 ; Wallace 1993 ) .

Unforgettable day Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unforgettable day - Essay Example Together with my family in the silence, I understood for a moment the deadness that people feel in the primeval desert. It was very difficult to imagine and see a place without human existence. I almost believed that the primitive land will be grateful after the departure and absence of the tourist as the desert, and its creations will return to their ancient states undisturbed by the anxious and brooding men. I stood on the open, out of the underworld. A thousand feet below me were a curving ridge of sandstone that was existing to the eye, a tiny feature that was lost in the vastness of the canyon systems. Far in the east was an isolated storm that was boiling over the desert as a mass of clouds that was bordering the earth surface with trailing curtains of rain and lightning. A land where there is few signs of life and were rivers flow unseen through the trenches in the rock. Other scenery consisted of golden dunes, desert lakes, alluvial fans, plateaus, playas and desert animals i .e. snakes, camels and birds. Strolling on with my family, it seemed that the strangeness and wonder existence of the desert was really emphasized here by the comparative scarcity of the fauna and flora. Desert life is not overcrowded place but plants here are scattered abroad in simplicity and sparseness. The living organism stood out bold and brave with a generous gift of space defined between each tree, bush or stem of grass existing vividly against the lifeless rocks and sand. In the desert, there is no any shortage of water. Rather, water in the desert is extremely in the appropriate amount creating a perfect ratio between water and rock insuring the generous space between plants and animals, cities and town. Really the desert is quiet a very different place from other parts of the nation. As a family, we were to spend the night in two tents in the desert. I was afraid but the presence of my brothers who were elder than me mad me stronger. We played soccer in the evening

Feasibility Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Feasibility Proposal - Essay Example In a study conducted by Display Search, it was revealed that tablets purchase worldwide will hit 416 million, 23 million more than regular laptop’s 393 millions by the year 2017. This trend is supported by the increasing demand of the tablets from the emerging markets around the world. In the study, many people revealed their preference to tablets to be based on its user-friendly nature, classiness and convenience. According to Richard Shim, an analyst and a member of the team who conducted the research, consumers continuously shift towards mobile computing against the traditional notebook, a trend that has picked up well in mature markets around the world. For example, tablet PCs are expected to grow by annual average of 28% in the next 5 years within the mature markets of United States, Japan, and West Europe. The challenge for HP is to ensure it manufacture tablets that are sleek and trendy, which will resonate with the increasingly trendy consumer. In a market where intern et business giants such as Google and Microsoft have taken by storm through their flagship tablets in the market, it is logical to note that any failure by the HP to embrace the tablet market will deal a big blow to its market share. The strategy is to ensure the company maintains or improve its 16% market share around the global consumption of PC usage. Problem statement While many tablet manufacturers have concentrated their tablet market share within the established or rather mature markets, HP has not involved itself in the manufacturing of tablets despite the growing trend in the tablet PC usage around the world. Companies such as Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Google have consolidated their market share in the tablet PC manufacturing, leaving HP still struggling with its notebook PCs. A point to note, however, is that many of these companies only focus their products towards mature markets. This trend leaves the gap in the emerging markets, which are expected to grow in equal measure in the projected years. HP can take a leap into the emerging markets, which seem to be catching up with the established markets in the tablet PC usage on a daily basis. However, this should not mean that HP needs to ignore the mature markets, which sets trends for the emerging markets. The company, however, can develop cheap but classy tablets to match the buying trends in emerging markets. A proper study, however, will be needed to ensure a pricing criteria, design and consumption trend is established. The goal of this study is to establish the consumption trend, both in the mature as well as emerging markets. Methodology The research will largely be an internet based, and phone calls. This study will involve web searches on what customers of competitors say on online forums, design online questionnaires, as well as feedback forms for HP notebook users. This strategy will ensure that information about the established and emerging markets are defined, the customers’ b ehaviours, and the future business prospects of both markets. This research will include acquiring of products information, analysis of the existing brands, profiling of the users psychology, and geographical information. Document Specification In about 3000 words report, the study is expected to give a comprehensive result of the strategies HP should use to enter the tablet PC market. The report is expected to outline the following key areas: 1. Project description: indentifying and exploring

Finance,measurement.procurement in construction Coursework

Finance,measurement.procurement in construction - Coursework Example on boards on the listed contractors, which will indicate the projects they have accomplished, and the experience in terms of duration of engagement in similar projects. During the invitation to bid, contractors are provided with the questionnaires to fill in information relating to business details, technical competence and ability, financial ability to accomplish the project depending on the value, environmental issues, insurance cover and previous work experience to accomplish similar scope of work. The potential contractors will fill in these details and provide information from their perspective and records as to the expected potential to accomplish the project. As the consultant for the client, I will be able to verify the information provided by the contractors after reading through their respective questionnaires. Financial position of the contracting firm will be revealed from the bank statements while the existence of the business can be found from the list of registration of such companies. Technical ability of the contracting firm is revealed by inspection of their equipment and machinery for the intended work. Representatives do the inspection from the consultants firm visiting the premises of the bidders while listed assets of the contractor can also provide such information. UEL project for L & H is to provide procurement services require high technical ability as well as financial strength. Based on these requirements, the most effective tendering procedure would be restricted tender. Capable contractors can be identified then invited to bid for the works (Amos 2004). Through this process, they will be able to find bids only from contractors with the technical ability, financial backing and previous work experience to successfully accomplish and deliver the works according to the scope of work. The construction of the subway requires technical knowledge and the necessary machine for excavation and setting of the three rail lines required as well

Describe in detail the realist perspective of world politics, and Essay

Describe in detail the realist perspective of world politics, and contrast its assumptions with the perspectives of liberalism a - Essay Example Nevertheless, there are political theories that naturally whither away because of trivial foundation, formulation or simply not supported by strong evidence. On the other hand, there are political theories that were able to withstand time and develop itself in the course of history. These theories were proven and tested as accurate and viable and in the process were enriched by different theoreticians and philosophers, thus subsequently branched out and influenced vast ideologies, policies and programs. Among these theories include the realist perspective, liberalism and perhaps the newest inclusion is the world- systems analysis. This paper will lay out the basic principle of these political theories in comparison to each other. However, this document will principally establish the dominance of the concept of political realism in the process of discussing its historical development. This will also present the significant aspects of political realism that influence the different fiel d of political science and world history. Three Major Political Perspectives The liberal perspective Liberalism is a political theory that banks on the significance of equal rights and liberty. Liberal ideology popularized the concepts of constitutionalism, right to suffrage, and human rights. It was born out from the repressive rules of the monarchy and the Divine Right of the Kings. Liberalism used the concept of natural rights and the social contract to confront authoritarianism and absolutism. Liberalists stand by the rule of law and the responsibility of the leaders to subject themselves to the majority of the people and the assertion of the fundamental rights to life, liberty and property of every individual for the full emancipation of humanity. The world-analysis systems perspective The world-analysis system asserts that the capitalist-world economy is a particular historical system. This theory believes that the best possible means to ascertain the mode of function of the c apitalist-world economy is to look at the profound historical evolution of the said system (Wallerstein, World-Systems Analysis An Introduction). The development of the capitalist-world economy in Europe was explained by the world system analysis theory by looking at the continent in tandem with the incorporation of regions through power and colonization and the conclusion in an international division of labor and an interstate system was derived (Wallerstein, Unthinking Social Science, Second Edition). The world-analysis system is a knowledge movement that search to surpass the structures of knowledge from the 19th century. The realist perspective Understanding and grasping the objective laws governing the society in the only way that it can be improve. This is what political realism asserts. Realism considers the objectivity of the laws in the process that in politics, truth and opinion is being distinguished, and truth can only be ascertained through supporting evidence and clari fied by reason. One-sided judgment must be eliminated from the facts so that the society can clearly drive out the laws objectively and rationally. For the realists, discovering truth from the facts by providing meaning through reason is what theory is all about. For example, realism presumes that a foreign policy’s character can only be distinguished through exhaustive examination of the combined effort of the performed political acts and the

Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Obesity - Essay Example cal and social economic aspects have been termed as contributing factors to obesity in adults, more so in developed countries such as the U.S and the U.K (Friedman 633). Several psychological factors lead to obesity. Among the factors, include the increased food variety. According to research carried out by the American Psychological Association (APA), when individuals get more assortment in their food selections, they have a tendency to eat more (Wyatt et al. 168). One probable reason could be that the first few food bites tend to be the sweetest, but as one get used to the taste, less pleasure is gotten out of it (Wyatt et al. 168). This prompts the individual to move to the next food choice. The other psychological aspect causing obesity is the increased marketing approaches from Big Food. Similar to the strategies utilized in advertising tobacco, food industries have become well versed in psychological research regarding how to influence the choice of individuals. Further, one’s attitude towards managing his own emotions is another aspect that has led to the increase in obesity among adults (Wyatt et al. 171). For instance, when individua ls feel a sense of stigmatization due to their weight, they are inclined to get involved in more unhealthy habits of eating. Additionally, food addiction is also a major psychological aspect causing obesity. It is possible for an individual to become addicted to food, as people get addicted to alcohol and drugs. While this remains controversial, more evidence in emerging to support it. Similar to the psychological impacts causing obesity, there are also numerous socioeconomic aspects, which have led to a drastic increment of obesity, in both the U.S and the U.K. Firstly, the socioeconomic status (SES) of an individual impact his or her eating habits (Ogden 11). On that note, people with a high socioeconomic status are less likely to be obese since tend to practice healthy eating, as well as regular exercise. However, those

The legality of downloading mp3 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The legality of downloading mp3 - Research Paper Example There are many contradictory opinions on this subject, and the fact that day by day the number of illegal mp3 downloads grows just makes the matter more and more actual and painful for the people whose work is being stolen. Transmitting mp3 files over the Internet has become by far the most popular method of distribution, generating in this way controversial and intense debates. This subject has been chosen for the research paper not only due to the indisputable popularity of the illegal actions, but also because of the fact that most of us have at least once downloaded the music we like by using these illegal sites, even if we are aware that it was wrong. Nevertheless, â€Å"the law enforcement community in the twenty-first century seems to have finally awakened to the fact that ...computers are here to stay†1 and something must be done in order to solve this problem as efficiently as possible. The term paper will be focused on revealing the essence of the growing popularity of illegal mp3 downloads, the legal matters that arise from these actions and come up with some recommendations on combating this phenomenon. The author will focus both on the national Canadian context, as well as on the international one, pointing out the main differences and similarities and analyzing them. The paper will be finished with the conclusions, where the personal opinion of the author is expressed, as well as some recommendations, which, in the author’s opinion, could improve the statistics. It is not possible to talk about illegal mp3 downloads in Canada, where downloading music from peer-to-peer networks is legal, uploading it being against the law. â€Å"Canada has a private copying levy, which grants the right to make personal, non-commercial copies of sound recordings. Canada has imposed levies (fees) on recording mediums like blank CDs and similar items. These levies are used to fund musicians and

Analysis Essay for A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

Analysis for A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example The young waiter represents a person at youth. He is the embodiment of the young person who has the promise of his entire life before him. He demonstrates the impatience of youth with the slowness and infirmities of age. His attitude is seen in his emphatic declaration, â€Å"I have confidence. I am all confidence† (Hemingway, ). He cannot conceive of any shortcoming or sorrow in life except the lack of money. He has no sympathy with the deaf old man’s despair, and ruthlessly tells him, â€Å"You should have killed yourself last week† (Hemingway, ). In the flush of youth and vigor, he is repulsed by the ravages of age: â€Å"An old man is a nasty thing† he says (Hemingway, ). His character is the depiction of youth in all its materialism and callowness. The senior waiter represents the maturity of middle age. As he progresses in age, he is acutely conscious that he is on the way to becoming an old man, like the deaf customer. He exhibits a deep empathy for the old man and says, â€Å"I am of those who like to stay late at the cafà ©, with all those who do not want to go to bed. With all those who need a light for the night† (Hemingway, ). He shares the loneliness of the old man and sympathizes with his despair. He refutes the young waiter’s criticism by asserting that the old man is clean. At the same time, he understands the impatience of the young waiter to get home to his wife. The old customer is poised on the threshold of death. Loneliness, despair, and conflict of the soul torment him. He craves the small comfort of a well-lighted and clean cafà © for a temporary period of security. He represents old age and the coming encounter with death. He is the personification of the transience of human life: â€Å"It was all nothing and a man was nothing too† (Hemingway, ), the senior waiter says. The old man is a symbol of

Rewrite Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Rewrite Response - Essay Example established, for example, â€Å"†¦A common assumption in the United States is that women are innately more nurturing than men, and men more aggressive than women†(3). This assumption broadens people’s way of thinking in relation to their environment. In addition, Ore is successful in making me understnad the intensity of ethnocentrism among different cultures. It is indeed true that the society plays a role in establishing these social constructs, which in turn shapes or view and thinking, by selecting what we believe is right and wrong. In my opinion, I agree with Ore on the issue of institution’s influence on sex and gender. For instance, the belief that men should work and women should be homemakers. However, I disagree with this belief as it undermines women in work place, especially when women CEOs don’t receive the same amount as men CEOs. My favorite part was in reading â€Å"Doing Gender,† by West and Zimmerman. It is fascinating to see how they give an example of a child looking at a photo of a man in a suit with a â€Å"pee-pee.† I believe this explains why private parts should not be displayed to the public. However, I did not clearly understand the connection between dressing and gender, because in the contemporary society, sexual orientation is based on what one puts on. Although, I feel that the society is not at liberty to criticize anyone who dresses in reverse with their gender

Eating Disorder Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Eating Disorder Research Paper Essay Media and society are often looked at as a source of daily entertainment, gossip and news. Every day, people are constantly exposed to thousands of images of glamour, beauty, celebrities, and much more. The media is so compelling that it has the power to change what people believe in. The images that are shown repeatedly make a way into teenagers mind and they want to be a part of what the media shows. Teens feel the need to change their body to look a certain way and be like someone else. But a fact unknown to teenagers is that even celebrities’ body are not perfect. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People with anorexia have a huge fear of gaining weight and a change in their body shape and size (â€Å"Eating Disorders†). Anorexia has been characterized as a â€Å"rich white girl† disorder because most anorectics are white and about three-quarters of them come from households at the middle income level or above (Davidson and Fundukian). Bulimia on the other hand is when a person eats large amount of food over a short period of time then later performs activities to try to burn the calories off. Binging is the most common symptom of bulimia and it is often done when trying to get rid of the food eaten. Bulimia is thought to affect around 1% to 5% of teenage American girls and up to 3% will be bulimic at some point in their life (Arnold and Walsh 30). Studies show that â€Å"media exposure has a direct impact on disorder symptoms and indirect effects through gender role endorsement, ideal-body stereotype internalization and body satisfaction. † The covers of magazines display pictures of both men and women whose images are offered as near perfection in society. â€Å"Research has shown that even brief exposure to ads showing highly attractive models results in decreased satisfaction with ones own appearance† (McMurray). Teenagers should know that celebrities are not magically beautiful and thin, they are made to look that way. â€Å"Today’s culture is unique in that the media is a far more powerful presence than ever before† (Derenne and Bersin). The media has been named as a causative factor for body dissatisfaction, which promotes unrealistic standards of female beauty and show images that create and reinforce cultural definitions of attractiveness. (Qtd. in Wexler). The media opens the door of eating disorders to teenagers and brainwashes them into thinking that being thin is important and necessary. The media needs to be very careful in the messages that they give to teenagers regarding body image. Dr. Bond says how â€Å"the media should be more responsible in not publishing pictures of very thin models and celebrities because young people wish to emulate them. Eating disorders are not going away, if anything they are becoming more common (Thinspiration? ). Advertisements everywhere continually expose the notion that losing weight will make people happier. Advertisements that show thin celebrities reach out to individuals telling them what they can be or become if they were thin. By looking at these advertisements, women start to feel insecure about the way they look. The NEDA reports that â€Å"women’s magazines contained 10. 5 times more advertisements and articles promoting diet and weight loss then were found in men’s magazines. It also reports that a study of 4,294 network television commercials revealed that one out of every 3. 8 commercials conveyed some sort of attractiveness message of what is or is not attractive† (Qtd. In Wexler). Many women frequently compare their bodies to those around them and the body images on advertisements lowers their self-esteem. The advertisements of celebrities affects the stereotypical idea of an ideal body which leads to eating disorders (Stice et al 5). Online, there are websites that promote anorexia. Teens with anorexia can then put up pictures of their skinny bodies for other anorectics to see and feel encouraged by. They feature pictures of celebrities such Keira Knightley and Victoria Beckham that promote 400-500 calories a day diet. In a year alone more than 500,000 people visited the sites and a 2011 EU survey found more than one in five six-to 11-year olds had been exposed to one or more sites with these â€Å"harmful content† (Thinspiration? . Teens who are anorexic feel that having an eating disorder is not a bad thing. They look upon each other for support, telling each other secrets of losing weight. The quote â€Å"Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels† by Kate Moss is popular among these pro-anorexia websites (Wardrop). TV shows also send the message to be thin to whoever watches them. Disney Channel, which attracts millions of viewers, especially the young, made fun of eating disorder and actually promoted the idea of being thin. In the show Shake It Up, someone stated â€Å"I could just eat you guys up, you know, if I ate† (â€Å"Party It Up†). In another Disney show, So Random, a conversation goes on where one character tells another â€Å"Angus only eats one full meal a day† to which Angus replies â€Å"My agent’s always on me about looking my best (Colbie Caillat). Disney thinks about eating disorders as a joke which is not dangerous. For many kids, the people on Disney are their role models, and if kids see their role models not eating, they are going to think that it is okay to not eat. Also if Disney encourages the idea of not eating that kids will do the same thing. Demi Lovato who battled an eating disorder attacked Disney about these risky messages that they send to kids. Experts say that Lovato opened the Pandora’s Box about the dangerous effects television shows can have on the negative body image of young women (â€Å"Disney Pop Star†). Even in other TV shows, the overweight characters are most likely portrayed as lazy and the one with no friends, while thin characters are successful and popular. This also sends a message that in order to be successful in life a person has to be thin. Teenagers feel pressured into looking the way society wants them to look like. Everywhere they go, they see posters of celebrities enhanced to look â€Å"perfect. Society thinks that if someone does not look a certain way then it is not acceptable and that they should change how their body looks. From a young age, women are given the message that in order to be happy, they must be thin. Thousands of teenage girl starve themselves to attain what the fashion industry considers to be the â€Å"ideal† figure (Thompson). Society has become obsessive and prejudiced when it comes to body image. Society and media work together to get that one message across to teens today; to be thin. New diets come out every month and media spends money trying to advertise them and get celebrity endorsements. In stores, the front pages of magazines show that one celebrity that everyone looks up too. How they talk about that one diet that â€Å"changed their life† and made them â€Å"happy† again. Teens think that if these celebrities can be skinny, then why can’t they? Teens spend their times looking at websites and magazines that tell them how to be skinny. By constantly portraying â€Å"perfect† bodies in the media, it promotes unhealthy eating that can sometimes lead to death (â€Å"Disney Pop Star†). Even today, dolls like Barbie send that message to young girl to be thin. The Barbie doll is a stereotype of a woman with no flaws and a perfect body who gets to be whatever she wants. Girls who play with Barbie feel the need to look and act like her. The traditional Barbie is known for her 40-18-32 measurements (Young) which would be unproportional on human bodies (Grey). If Barbie were real, she would be 59 tall and weigh 110 pounds, about 35 pounds below the minimum healthy weight for a woman of that size (McMurray). Barbie helps to perpetuate an ideal of materialism, beauty, and being thin is happiness and since a young age, the desire to be thin is recognized by girls everywhere. But eating disorders doesn’t just affect women, it affects men also. In a study by Harvard researchers, 25% of 3,000 adults had anorexia or bulimia and 40% of binge eaters were men (Boodman). Just like women, men also feel pressured into looking a certain way. In school, boys are told to be healthy if they want to keep playing a sport. But that habit can become something more dangerous. â€Å"Studies show that gay males particularly place a higher calculation on thinness than heterosexual males, with a level of concern for thinness almost equal to that of the typical heterosexual female† (Anderson, Cohn, and Holbrook 41). Because of this many men might be afraid about coming out to the world about their eating disorder. Some people think of an eating disorder as more of a woman thing and â€Å"psychological tests for eating disorders are biased towards diagnosing women† (Anderson, Cohn, and Holbrook 41). Eating disorders are also common in the entertainment business. Celebrities and models are also under pressure to look their best. The average model weighs 23% less than the average woman and fit the category of being anorexic (Thompson). Models go through plastic surgery and photos are air-brushed before going to print. The body type and images are unobtainable to the average individual and the constant force of these images on society makes teens believe that they should be. Many celebrities and models who feel that an eating disorder is something more dangerous than what everyone else seems have come out and talked about that issues. Even celebrities who once had an eating disorder spend time educating others and telling them that it is okay to get help. In 1992 after the news about Princess Diana being bulimic was released, there was a significant increase in the number of bulimia diagnoses. This effect then came known as the â€Å"Diana Effect† (Celebrities Who Battled Eating Disorders). Just like how Lucy Grealy states in her memoir Autobiography of a Face, Beauty, as defined by society at large, seemed to be only about who was best at looking like everyone else (187) it looks like that concept has not changed since that time. In today’s society everything is about being thin and trying to look like a model or a celebrity. Teenagers try to do everything to make themselves how society wants it but in the end they just destroy themselves. Society and media think of an eating disorder as a joke but it is a disease; a disease that has the power to take the lives of both women and men. For anybody out there who thinks that an eating disorder is not a big deal then they are wrong. People, especially the media, should know that the message they send out to teens is wrong; everything is not just about being thin. Simply by the media bringing out the concept that being beautiful and thin is necessary for a successful life is wrong. Having to look like a model to be accepted in society is wrong. All these messages have a huge negative effect on teenagers and they think down of themselves just because they do not think they are â€Å"right† for society. The fake advertisements that are shown is just another step for teens to developing a dangerous and deadly addiction that is called an eating disorder. â€Å"I think we look at society and we look at every ad that out there and everything that tells us how we’re supposed to look, and how we’re supposed to live, and how we’re supposed to be instead of saying ‘Is that how really I feel? ’, ‘Is that really what I want to do? ’, and ‘Is that really how I want to live? ’† (Ellen DeGeneres).

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay

Are Video Games Good For Children Children And Young People Essay For that matter, are video games good for adults. Has anyone ever seen the effects of prolonged exposure to video games and the effects it has on someones family or the community? As a father, I have dealt with negative effects of video games first hand. There have been numerous studies and debates on the subject of video games and the effects, whether positive or negative, they have on children. Video games are not good for children because of the negative effects to a childs behavior and overall health. Violent tendencies Children that play violent orientated video games have displayed violent tendencies toward others. There have been numerous studies and research conducted, on violent video games played by children, which suggest that children may become more aggressive after playing (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010) those types of games and the conclusion behind this reasoning, are three traits of the personality, which are high neuroticism, disagreeableness, and low levels of conscientiousness (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). Playing violent orientated video games cause children to act and think aggressively (Harvard Mental Health Letter, 2010). These conditions may cause children to commit violent acts or behavior. Violent Behavior In addition to increased aggression, children who play violent video games are associated with increased violent behavior (Souccar, 2012). Because of this behavior, there have been multiple despicable acts such as the Virginia Tech shootings where a gunman killed over thirty people in 2007(Lee, Finley, 2011). In 1999, another devastating act in Columbine, Colorado, two teenage gunmen entered a school with weapons, killed twelve students and a teacher, before taking their own lives (Belanger, Wagner, 2011). Eric Harris and Dylan Kiebold were frequent players and program contributors to a violent video game called Doom (Lee, Finley, 2011). Children or teens, that do not commit violent acts, may still display pathologic behavior. Pathologic Behavior Children that play video games exhibit pathologic behavior. There are many warning signs of pathologic behavior, such as lying about or hiding how much time is spent playing or disobeying parental limits; losing interest in sports and hobbies; choosing the game over time with friends; and continuing to play despite plummeting grades(Wagner, 2008). This is a very touchy subject in my household. My thirteen year old step-son has exhibited pathologic behavior because of video games. When the neighbors kids come to ask him to play outside, he refuses and has continued playing his games. His grades at school have suffered because he does not concentrate on doing his homework and worries more about playing video games. He has told a few lies, thrown tantrums, kicked walls and our washing machine, and is constantly disrespectful to his siblings, my wife and myself. My step-son has also exhibits signs of video game addiction. Video Game Addictions Children with video game addictions, if left untreated, could have disastrous effects as adults. There are millions of people all over the world who love to play video games, either on game systems or online social media, but that love for the video games turns into tragedy for those with video game addictions. According to Lee and Finley (2011), a couple in Korea went to a local establishment to feed their video game addiction, only to return home over five hours later to find their four month old baby girl dead because she was left alone. Also according to Lee and Finley (2011), parents in Reno, Nevada were arrested after their obsession with video games caused them to neglect to feed their two young children. Increase of Video Game Addictions The increase of video games addictions has prompted the opening of clinics in countries such as the Netherlands, United States, China, and other countries around the world, to help combat the effects of video game addiction (Belanger, Wagner, 2011). Also stated, by Belanger and Wagner (2011), the Council on Science and Public Health recently proposed adding video gaming addiction to a list of formal disorders, such as drug addiction. Video game addictions and its symptoms mirror other addictions so closely, that it was almost classified as an official psychiatric disorder (Lee, Finley, 2011) by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2007. With all of the negative effects of video games, such as addictions, there are good video games children can play. Good Video Games There are many video games that are good for children. Over the past few years, there have been many advances in good video games and game systems, such as the Wii from Nintendo and the EyeToy Kinetic from Sony, which engage the players with the game (Barros, et al, 2012). I and my family have played games on both systems, The Wii system controller is held by the player which controls the actions of the avatar on the screen. The Kinetic system is similar, but the player controls the movement of the avatar with his/her body movements through the use of a camera. One game that is used to induce physical activity, with both gaming systems, is a game called Dance, Dance, Dance (Barros, et al, 2012). The players are actively involved in the games that they are playing and are increasing their heart rate and physical activity. These Exergames (Barros, et al, 2012) are promoting exercise and physical fitness. Even though there are good video games, there are still other negative effects, su ch as inactivity from playing non-active games, which may induce childhood obesity. Childhood Obesity For children that do not have access to those types of games, cant afford the games, or just dont care to play them, often play the games that they have, for long periods of time, which leads to the lack of physical activity, and the onset of childhood obesity (Childhood Obesity, n.d.). A report, issued by the U.S. Department of Health Human Services, mentions a few reasons children may play video games for long periods of time. It may be the lack of parental control, being left alone by their parents for hours at a time, or just having to stay inside because of safety concerns (Childhood Obesity, n.d.). There is a growing concern, from parents such as myself, that children are becoming lazy from the lack of exercise because of video games. This lack of exercise contributes to weight gain and obesity. I have a personal connection with this subject because a member of my family was constantly playing video games, not getting any physical exercise, became a social outcast, and over a short period of time became obese. Video Games Are Not Good Video games are not good for children because some children exhibit too many pathologic behaviors and display violent tendencies because of video games. Children become addicted to video games which may carry over into their adulthood; they may lose all sense of reality, and their addiction to video games may become so severe, that tragedies happen because of that addiction. For other children, they may become obese because of the lack of physical activity. There are an abundance of good video games for children to play, but as a parent, I have been a witness to most of these negative effects for over 10 years and I am not going to let my step-son or any of my children play video games excessively. I will control how much time is spent playing video games; make sure that they take extended periods away from video games to get their homework completed and to get daily exercise.

School Shootings: Causes and Warning Signs

School Shootings: Causes and Warning Signs The Virginia Tech Massacre, the Sandy Hook shooting, and the Columbine High School Massacre are events that people will never forget. School shootings are a rare occurrence but for the people experiencing these events time stands still, and they will never forget. This paper will look at the reasons why these events take place, and the warning signs displayed by the shooters before the event happens. This paper will also explore what the media’s role in covering the shooting events, and the preventive measures that have been made over time to combat this issue that faces schools around the world. The number one issue that faces children today is bullying in school. It is not just the face to face type of bullying that is thought of when a person thinks of bullying. Today’s youth have to face cyber bullying along with the face to face bullying at school. Roland defines bullying as â€Å"continuing, negative behavior directed toward a victim by an individual or group† (2002). Another study calls the act of bullying marginalization. They define this as the act of pushing individuals outside the realm of social significance (Mongan, Hatcher and Maschi 2009). Yet another word associated with bullying that came from Mongan, Hatcher, and Maschi’s study is what is called masculinity attacks (2009). There study was conducted on the Columbine shooting. This is a statement from a survivor of that shooting describing what was said to the two young men that committed the shooting. â€Å"Sure we teased them. But what do you expect with kids who come to school with weird hairdos and horns on their hats? It’s not just jocks; the whole school’s disgusted with them. They’re a bunch of homos†¦..If you want to get rid of someone; usually you tease ‘em. So the whole school would call them homos† (Gibbs Roche, 1996, p.48). Bullying would be a form of peer rejection. When a person is rejected by one group that they see as a positive, they may be pushed to another group that will have a negative influence or even resort to social isolation. Studies show that if a person has a strong attachment to family, peers, and school they are less likely to be an offender of delinquent acts (Curran and Renzetti 2001). They will see themselves as outcasts from the mainstream groups, and he or she will grow a large amount of animosity toward the group that bullied them. There has been some research conducted on the effects of bullying on school shooters, but bulling may be just a catalyst and not the main reason. Hann and Mays conducted a study and found that two thirds of all the offenders were bullied prior to the shooting incident (2013). Hann’s and Mays’s study does show a connection between bullying and school shooting, but also shows that the bully or bullies may not be the specific targets. They s uggest that the stats show that bullies are the targets, but then go on to say that the shooters randomly target students in the school forgetting about the bullies (Hanns and Mays 2013). They may give more weight to the theory that bullying is more of a catalyst to the shooting than a main reason. Being bullied at school can lead to indicators or warning signs that a child may be going in the wrong direction. If the child becomes very isolated from social interactions this may be a warning sign that he or she may be having problems. Mongan, Hatcher, and Maschi show the stages that a person goes through before the final act of violence. They have come up with a model called the Stages of Change Model. This informative model shows people what to look for in regards to a child’s behavior. The table on the next page shows the different stages that a child may go through before committing the school shooting. This chart is to show school administrators and parents the warning sig ns to look for. TABLE 1 Applying the Stages-of-Change Model to Youth At Risk of Committing a School Shooting Stages of change        Ã‚  Identifying signs: Thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of at-risk youth Stage 1         Precontemplation _ Has thoughts about planning or engaging in a school shooting Stage 2        Ã‚  Contemplation _ Feels unfairly treated Has ‘‘grandiose’’ ideas of getting back at the school or others Stage 3        Ã‚  Preparation _ Weighs the pros and cons of attempting a school shooting Has morbid fantasies of death Develops a plan of attack Stage 4        Ã‚  Action _ Commits to follow through on plan_ Withdraws from others_ Obtains weapons for attack Stage 5        Ã‚  Maintenance _ Establishes a plan and sets a date for the attack_ Spends time rehearsing plans (i.e., thinking about it or practicing) Stage 6        Ã‚  Termination _ Feels attack is justified_ Completes the attack (murder and/or suicide) (p.639) These warning signs are used to help prevent a possible shooting. Other issues that may also push a child to delinquency or other crimes may include abuse in the home. If a child is already having a tough time at school, and then he or she goes to an abusive home life this will have a negative effect on the child. He or she may also have a personality disorders that have an effect on the delinquency, and this can often lead to suicide (Hann and Mays 2013). Violent movies and music have also been linked to violent behavior along with interest in firearms and bombs. Other psychological problems including depression, impulse control, or sadistic tendencies have been linked to school shooters (Hann and Mays 2013). Another argument that is being made is the accessibility of guns in the United States. Hann and Mays study points out that this is a major factor in the person’s ability to commit the act of a school shooting (2013). However, Mongan, Hatcher, and Maschi (2009) point out about the availability of guns in America that, â€Å"school shoo tings have also occurred in countries that employ strict gun control laws, and school shootings did not begin in America until 1966 even though there was a pro gun culture† (p637). When these types of events take place people want to place the blame on someone or something to achieve closure. This is when the blame game starts and blame is pushed from one person or thing to another. According to Hann and Mays parents are often at least partially to blame for the shooting then followed by teachers and school administrators (2013). However, there is another source that many people place at least some blame too and that is the media. The media coverage of school shooting is very highly scrutinized among the victims and researchers alike. Some researchers put a lot of blame on the media for their coverage of these events. The people who make these claims seem to believe that the media’s coverage of these events cause â€Å"copy cat† school shooters. Hann and Mays point out that school shootings did not attract the media attention before 1997 as they do now (2013). The first major event that got the media coverage that Hann and Mays are speaking of is the Columbine shooting in 2001. It was the worst high school shooting of the time killing 12 students and one teacher and is believed by some to inspire others to commit similar crimes in different parts of the United States (Hann Mays 2013). A study was conducted by Haravuori, Suomalainen, Berg, Kivirousu, and Marttunen to see what impact the media coverage had on adolescents traumatized in a school shooting. This study was conducted on 231 students aged 13-19 years in Finland. A similar study was conducted on students at Virginia Tech after that shooting. There were three types of journalistic behavior experienced during the media coverage of both events. These behaviors included behaving badly, media mod, and displaying compassion. Both studies concluded that that being approached by the media and being interviewed had a negative effect on posttraumatic distress (2011). Most media outlets would say that they were doing what the people want them to do and that is to report the news, and something as big as a school shooting would need to have extended coverage to get all that needs to be reported. They would also argue that they show great sympathy for the victims and their families. Where the issue lies for the researchers is when the extended coverage becomes too extended. Hann and Mays suggest that the media coverage prolongs the grief found in the communities that experience these tragedies (2013). What is meant by that statement is that the media prolongs the grieving process in that the people have to relive the event every time they step out their door or turn on the television. The researchers say that media needs to stick to just the facts of the situation and not over do the coverage with needless information. The entire how, why, and the target selected may spark another school shooting at another location according to the researchers. The prevention of these types of crimes has to be combated early before the crime even happens. Parents, teachers, and school administrators need to see the warning signs early to prevent these types of crimes in their communities. The majority of the effort should be placed on prevention. According to Hann and Mays (2013), â€Å"In almost all shootings there were signs that the shooter or shooters might be preparing for this violent act. Over 90% of the shootings studied were planned at least 2 days ahead, and most of these shootings were discussed by the perpetrators via social media shortly before they occurred† (p.52). They also say that the media needs to tone back on the coverage of school shootings to help prevent other possible shootings (2013). Another possible prevention is schools suspension practices. If a child is suspended from school then that child may not have the proper supervision at home. If a child is already displaying warning signs of a possible delinque nt then this type of punishment will only aggravate his or her already fragile condition (Hann Mays 2013). Hann and Mann state that some school districts have created crisis management teams to deal with possible school shootings. Mongan, Hatcher, and Maschi conducted a nationwide survey in 2007 that concluded that, â€Å"6% of students had carried a weapon on school property† (p. 635). They suggest that the policies that schools have in place that deal with carrying weapon on their campus is not enough and that better measure need to be in place to help prevent and combat the issue of school violence. Schools need to provide workshops to educate on the stages of change model (Table 1) and how it applies to school violence, and instituting and formal referral process in the schools (Mongan, Hatcher, Maschi 2009). Almost all of the authors of articles that deal with school shooting do say that more steps need to be taken to prevent these acts of violence from happening. These authors contend that due to the violent nature of these crimes and the negative effect that it has on our society that stronger measures need to be implemented in our schools. School administrators and parents need to look for the warning signs that the child displays, and they need to have a reporting system in place that will handle the problem before it escalates. They also say that the media needs to scale its coverage back to limit the amount of time it takes for the community to heal. Media outlets need to be aware that they may inadvertently spark a copycat school shooting at another location with the extended coverage that is given to these types of events. A group that has studied school shootings has produced a chart that shows the different stages of progression that a possible school shooter may go through bef ore committing the act. They suggest that schools have workshops for parents and teachers to help with seeing the warning signs before they get out of hand. References Curran, D.J., Renzetti, C.M. (2001) Theories of Crime (2nd ed). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn Bacon. Center for the Prevention of School Violence (2002, May). Just what is school violence: New brief. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://www.ncdjjdp.org/ cpsv/index.html Center for Disease Control. (2008). Understanding school violence. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/YVP/SV_FactSheet.pdf Gibbs, N., Roche, T. (1999, December 20). The Columbine tapes: In five secret videos they recorded before the massacre, the killers reveal their hatreds-and their lust for fame. Time, 154(25), 40- 51. Haan, P., Mays, L. (2013). Children Killing Children: School Shootings in the United States. Social Work Review / Revista De Asistenta Sociala, (4), 49-55. Mongan, P., Hatcher, S., Maschi, T. (2009). Etiology of School Shootings: Utilizing a Purposive, Non-Impulsive Model for Social Work Practice. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 19(5), 635-645. doi:10.1080/10911350902910583 Reddy, M., Borum, R., Berglund, J., Vossekuil, B., Fein, R., Modzeleski, W. (2011) Evaluating risk for targeted violence in schools: Comparing risk assessment, threat assessment, and other approaches. Psychology in the Schools, 38, 2, 157‑172. Roland, E. (2002) Bullying, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. Educational Research, 44, 55‑67.