WHS Management Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

WHS Management Systems - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that an efficient and effective implementation of WHS management in any type of organization is the one that is able to minimize accidents in the workplace hence reducing the compensation and medical cost which the company could bear. The WHS Act, 2012 was stipulated with the main aim of safeguarding safety and health measures and also to ensure that they are duly managed and carried out. In an organization, there are several activities which are always involving and may lead to increase in the risks in the workplace thus why section 19 of work health and safety has numerous management structures that could mainly be applied to cover all the employees who are working in a certain organization. The workplace health and safety players in Australian hardware should ensure that they have identified the safety and healthy lawful requirements which are applicable in operation of the organization. Some of these requirements are; codes of practice, legislation, and Australian standards. All the requirements should be kept up to date by reviewing them regularly. All the risks which are associated with an operation of the Australian hardware are minimized through WHS management. For the firm to ensure that workplace health and safety are adhered to, the following elements are fully considered enabling the firm to integrate WHS functions to its organization's systems. The Australian hardware has identified both physical and financial resources and all have been allocated to the relevant teams thus making it easy for the implementation of Workplace health and safety. The main objective of the provision of the resources is to ensure that there is provision of allocation of budget to both individual work units and Workplace health and safety team. The policy of WHS defines clearly and also it documents the responsibilities and accountabilities of all organization workers. In order employees to perform their dutie s competently, they should be trained on health and safety. The hardware management should determine the competencies, training, and experiences which employees should have met for them to perform their duties safely in the workplace hence reduction of risks in the workplace.

Not-For-Profit Organizations Essay Example for Free

Not-For-Profit Organizations Essay Executive Summary Not-For-Profit organizations are fundamentally different than for-profit, private sector businesses in that they do not have shareholders, their mission statements are focused on furthering a cause rather than just increasing profitability and most Not-For-Profits earn the majority of their revenue through donor contributions. As a result, Not-For-Profit Organizations operate under different reporting requirements than for-profit businesses. In order to provide proper accounting for the numerous activities undertaken by a Not-For-Profit Organization in a given year, it is imperative that one understand the two financial accounting standards that affect Not-For-Profit organizations the most: Statements of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) 116 and 117 which provide guidance on donor contributions and the presentation of the financial statements. The objective of this summary is to provide a high-level overview of the standards and the effect they have on the financial statements of a Not-For-Profit organization. The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 116 establishes the standards for accounting for contributions received and contributions made to all organizations with fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1994. Contributions are defined by SFAS No. 116 as voluntary transfers in which the donor does not receive any value in return. Donor contributions may include the following resources: Cash, Marketable securities Property and equipment Utilities and Supplies Intangible assets such as intellectual property Professional services SFAS 116 requires that all contributions and unconditional promises to donate in the future, known as pledges, are recognized as revenues at fair value in the period in which they are received. Pledges are recognized as soon as the requirements of a pledge are met and it is no longer contingent on a future event. Additionally, contributions made and received are also recognized at as expenses upon receipt at fair value. The Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 116 also requires organizations to identify those contributions that contain donor-imposed restrictions and the timeframe or requirements for meeting these donor-imposed restrictions. According to SFAS No. 116, organizations must classify contributions into one of the following categories based on the existence or absence of donor imposed stipulations: Permanently Restricted Net Assets Temporarily Restricted Net Assets Unrestricted Net Assets Those assets that are restricted by a donor imposed stipulation of time, a particular purpose or program, or the occurrence of a future event must be set aside and cannot be expended until the restriction has expired through the satisfaction of the donor stipulation. Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 117 is also important in accounting for Not-For-Profit Organizations in that it provides standards for the presentation of the financial statements for organizations with fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1994. Overall, this standard requires that the financial statements provide the necessary information for all of the users of Not-For-Profit financial statements. The standard requires that Not-For-Profit Organizations produce the following financial statements on an annual basis: A statement of financial position (balance sheet) A statement of activities (income statement) A statement of cash flows In the statement of financial position, SFAS No. 117 requires that the  Not-For-Profit organization provide amounts for the total assets, liabilities, and net assets at the end of the fiscal period. Additionally, the statement of financial position must classify the organizations net assets as temporarily restricted, permanently restricted, or unrestricted based on donor imposed stipulations. The statement of activities is required to report to the financial statement users the transactions which caused a change in net assets during the period and the statement of cash flows is must provide a reconciliation of activity between beginning and ending cash balances of the period as either operating activities, financing activities or investing activities. Additional schedules are also required by SFAS No. 117 for special organzations such a voluntary health and wellness organizations that provide unique services related to their cause. Overall, a thorough understanding and application of Statements of Financial Standards No. 116 and 117 allows Not-For-Profit organizations to properly account for their unique activities and provide their financial statement users with relevant, understandable and comparable information in order to assess the financial position of the Not-For-Profit organization over the past fiscal year and going forward into the future.

The Importance of Uniforms in Public Schools Essay -- Argumentative Pe

The Importance of Uniforms in Public Schools Abstract: For a while, dress codes have been implemented in private and parochial schools across the county. It wasn't until more recent that the issue was brought to discussion about a dress code in public schools. Uniforms serve a purpose to the schools that are adapting the change in attire. The uniform dress code has helped make private and parochial schools more prestigious for their organization and the results of it. Uniforms would be beneficial to the public school system because a lot of what the public school system is known for would be stopped because of the newly executed dress code. The Importance of Uniforms in Public Schools Imagine a world where there was no organization, and it can be related to a public school. Imagine a world with no violence and gangs and class separation, and you can relate it to a parochial or private school. This is quite possibly due to the fact that the private and parochial schools use uniforms. Public schools have recently stepped up to their 'A' game around the country by implementing a new dress code. This dress code involves the required clothing in uniforms, which for a boy may include, a blazer, a polo shirt, a tie, khaki pants and dress shoes; and for a girl, a polo shirt with a plaid skirt, white socks and dress black shoes. This type of attire in school puts students in the mindset for future life, while making them feel as if they are accomplishing a great deal. While uniforms were first used in England as a source to ostracize poor children who could not afford attire, their purpose has changed drastically over the past century to represent the complete opposite the n their origination. The use of uniforms have been par... ...ckquemore. "The Effect of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Use, and Academic Achievement." The Journal of Educational Research 13 Feb. 1998. The Parental Action Committee of Polk County, Florida. 5 Apr. 2000 <http://www.members.tripod.com/rockqu/ uniform.html>. Million, June. (1996 April). Do the Clothes Make the Student? School Uniforms May be Coming Your Way. NAESP. Retrieved 26 April 2005. From the world wide web: http://www.naesp.org/ContentLoad.do?conten tId= 266&action=print. Summers, Norman. (2001 October) ?The effects of dress on School Discipline.? Retrieved 29 April 2005. from the world wide web: (becomes Adobe Reader). Williams, Darlene. ?School Uniforms. The Raging Debate.? Retrieved 29 April 2005. From the world wide web: file:///E:/ISTC%20201/School%20Uniforms%20The% 20Raging%20Debate%20by%20Darlene%20Williams.htm

Ancient History Essay

Queens played great roles during the period of New kingdom Egypt. They were known as the Great Royal Wife’s of the pharaohs and contributed politically, religiously and diplomatically influencing the roles of women during this period, and even future queens. Queen Tiye was an important influence on new kingdom Egypt and was the key wife of Amenhotep III and they ruled a peaceful reign. Tiye was the daughter of Yuya which was a officer in the chariotry, priest of min and Tuya (chief of harem of Amun and min) which both had Nubian royal blood origins. Married at a young age, one year after he became pharaoh and gave her the title Great royal wife. Also gave birth to arkhenaten and other children. She greatly shaped foreign relations, religion and politics at the time. She also was greatly altered depictions of the queen in art. She was well educated, competent and complementary rather than dependant on her spouse Amenhotep III impacting the role of women during the period. Historian Robins highlights that the â€Å"king could renew himself through female principle†¦ important ritual roles† proving the queen was of key importance to the pharaoh. Tiye was Represented as the same size as her husband Amenhotep III and was considered to be a traditional queen. She was a leading figure in solar theology however more untraditional inclined changes came with iconography during her time as Great Royal Wife becoming increasingly equal to that of her husband. This proposed the idea that the role of the queen was becoming progressively more important, therefore the depiction of her in equal proportions to her husband suggests that the roles were becoming split between the pharaoh and the queen. Unlike other queens she was also frequently present in his monuments. She was besides her husband amenhotep III colossal statue in the Medinet Habu temple located in Western Thebes and was also the same size representing her equality. The cobra depicted them as powerful gods. She was glorified and praised by Amenhotep III which is proven by him building her the largest man-made pleasure lake in history, erecting a beautiful palace at one end. Art also depicted her in family scenes which previously were regarded as too intimate such as being Arm in arm(statues). Through the roles of Tiye, future queens Nefertiti and Nefertari we are able to observe the changing roles of queens influenced them and clearing path for them. The kings built temples to honour them and depicted them as goddesses. Queen Tiye played a great religious role and according to Historian Nicholas Grimal she was the personification of Maat goddess of justice and truth. She was also depicted as goddess ta weret in statues representing fertility and motherhood (mother of Egyptians). A temple was also dedicated to her in Sedianga(Nubia) meaning she was worshiped as a goddess. Commemorative and marriage scarabs were made for her publicising their marriage and promoting the pharaonic cult as everyone that attended received one meaning they would be remembered. She also participated in religious festivals such as the Sed festival. She also served as a priestess within Amun-Re suggesting that her religious roles were not extensive yet they were still an increase on the contributions to that of her predecessors. A Khan Academy Documentary by Beth Harris shows a headdress worn by Tiye that included horns solar disk, referring to the religion Atenism which is monotheistic and regal promoting the god Aten. Horns and Feathers on headdress also related to the goddess Hathor. Tiye Served for 50 years as queen advocating political stability, which was widespread and when Amenhotep III was ill she also maintained this stability. She was portrayed as the Sphinx in a pharonic stance which is evident in Tefnut. Meaning similar to the Sphinx Tiye hunts and protects people Egypt. A Steven Khan academy documentary highlighted Tiye’s stable ruling and the fact that she was important and knowledgeable, therefore her son Akhenaten depended on her and respected her, having her actively participate in politics and the affairs of royal court. She was respected and depended on, and in order to have her actively participate in politics and the affairs of the royal court, he elevated her to a goddess which is shown by the headdress she wore. (Same headdress mentioned above). Armana letters show her foreign and diplomatic power and that she conversed with hittites and mittani addressing diplomatic affairs which were a integral part of Tiye’s role and contribution. Evidence has made it clear that at least one foreign ruler wrote to her personally concerning matters of state and requesting her support. â€Å"Tushratta king of Mitanni† wrote to her personally(Amarna Letters) following death of her husband and other foreign rulers also wrote to her concerning matters of state or asking for support in requests for gold. Tushratta also wrote a letter to Queen Tiye after Akhenaten came to the throne, and in a later letter to Akhenaten, a reference to his mother is made in the opening paragraph outlining her importance to him. This illustrates the realisation of foreign powers regarding the growing importance and involvement of the queen concerning decision making in relation to Egypt, it also shows the power the queen was beginning to obtain over the pharaoh. She was also the first queen in Egypt to have name on official acts and announcement of the kings marriage to a foreign princess. The achievement, contributions and influence during the New kingdom period of Tiye differed according to their respective influences. Through the roles of Tiye, we are able to observe the changing roles of queens over time. Tiye was considered to be a traditional queen who greatly influenced queens to come by the power she held mainly politically and diplomatically. Over the time we are able to see that the roles had evolved . The roles contributions of queen Tiye during the new kingdom periods were defiantly an increase on that of queens before them, as they gained vital positions and roles as the Great Royal Wife and also achieved considerable increases in power over Egypt. Another influential Queen during this period was the wife of Akhenaten Nefertiti. She had a enormous influence on religion and politics in Egypt at the time. She was also depicted in art and played a vital role in her husbands reign and was given pharonic attributes. Nefertiti was seen to be more military minded, wearing the war crown and military skirts in images of her. She had a great religious role during the time while polytheistic tradition changed to a monotheistic ones. She supported the new monotheistic religion to such an extent that she changed her name to ‘Nefertieferuaten Nefertiti’. Many also believe she was the ‘brain’ behind the religious revolution. She Fully participated in religious ceremonies as seen in relics such as the Hewet-Benben temple in East Karnak. She made offerings to Aten like her husband and prayers were even offered to her. Nefertiti was the female principle of the trinity which the Egyptians prayed to, proving she was regarded as a god alongside Akhenaten and Aten. According to historian Anna Capel, Nefertiti wasn’t only a high priestess but acted as liaison between the people and Aten. Jimmy Dunn described them as the â€Å"primeval first pair† as Aten accessed through them influencing religion. Images of her as a goddess were found on the tomb of Akhenaten to protect him in the afterlife. In art depictions Nefertiti considered age of truth in natural state. Reliefs showed her in her natural state including her imperfections and showing her age. A new form of art by her also showed her in her natural state and allowed reveals of intimacy and informality, even affection and family scenes in which other queens had never been shown before. Her pharaonic power was shown as she was seen wearing crown of pharaohs which was regarded as controversial and contributed to the developing image of women in the royal family at the time which is a new form of art as highlighted by historian Jimmy Dunn. Politically Nefertiti was very powerful and had a great pharaonic role. Akhenaten stressed regalty by making her of equal power during processions. She was also depicted wearing the royal regalia and smiting enemies which proved her pharaonic role and was usually a symbol associated with the pharaoh. This influenced the image of women and queens during the time, impacting the traditional roles of queens, giving them more power. Many Historians such as John Harris agree that she shared a co-regency with Akhenaten towards the end of his reign, as the pharaoh Neferneferuaten as his equal. This is depicted by images of her Adjacent to Akhenaten as they received gifts. Historians also have a belief that her political role was so powerful that she was the successor Smenkhare. Nefertiti also had a diplomatic influence and was involved in political issues. This was shown through the letters of Amarna displaying communication with foreign kings and queens. She also received foreign tributes and envoys. This proves that she had the political power to interact and make vital diplomatic decisions influencing Egypt. In conclusion both Queens, Tiye and Nefertiti had vital contributions and impacts to New Kingdom Egypt as they played enormous religious, political and foreign roles and enhanced the equality between pharaohs and their queens and even women during the period.

Anthro: Human Studying Essay

1. How do physical anthropologists use the scientific method? Give an example. 2. Create an appropriate question, hypothesis and test for the following observation: The right scapula (shoulder blade) tends to be larger than the left in humans. 3. Explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis. Please provide an example for each. 4. Describe the major subfields in anthropology? Describe each in terms of what they study. 5. Compare and contrast Darwin’s theory of natural selection and Lamarck’s theory of acquired characteristics. How are they similar and dissimilar? 6. Many people argue that evolution is â€Å"just a theory†. Define theory and then describe how evolution does or does not fit the definition. 7. How is natural selection related to environmental factors? How can selective pressures change? Give an example (HINT- think of the peppered moths) 8. How do RNA and DNA differ in structure and function (purpose)? 9. Describe the structure of the DNA molecule in as much detail as possible. 10. Describe the nucleus and ribosomes as they relate directly to the process of protein synthesis (HINT- you’ll need to briefly explain protein synthesis to fully answer this question). 11. Explain why it is important that the end result of meiosis is different than the end result for mitosis. 12. It is true that all organisms (humans, animals, etc) have the same structure of their DNA as humans. Please explain then why we all don’t look the same, if we all have the same A, T, C and G’s in our body. 13. Discuss some possible medical outcomes of the human genome project. 14. Explain Mendel’s Principle of segregation. 15. Explain how two parents who do NOT express a particular trait in their phenotype can nevertheless produce children who express the trait. Please give a specific example where this could occur. 16. Describe how the trait Sickle Cell Anemia demonstrates DNA mutation, inheritance principles, and the stages of evolution. The stages of evolution can be remembered using this saying: Genes Mutate, Individuals are Selected, Populations Evolve. In your answer, please describe what initially caused Sickle Cell Anemia (NOT what it does in your body†¦but what originally brought it on- HINT- THINK DNA), how one can inherit it, and why we can’t get rid of the S allele. 17. Explain how founder’s effect can lead to a descendant population that differs greatly from its parent population over a relatively short period of time. 18. Is race a valid, biologically meaningful concept? Why or why not? 19. Discuss how adaptations to local environments have likely influences the evolution of skin color in different geographic regions of the world. 20. What is the difference between Allen and Bergmann’s rules? 21. What is the difference between an acclimatization and an adaptation? In your answer, please give an example for each. 22. How is lactose intolerance a good example of an adaptation? In your answer, please explain what lactose intolerance is, and why we see it only in certain population

Other America Essay

Other America Essay Other America Essay In the book Things Fall Apart, the author, Chinua Achebe, wants the read not to judge Okonkwo and his people of the Iguedo village, he wants the reader to understand and relate to their lifestyle and beliefs. Achebe wants the reader to see the whole picture. In Okonkwo’s village he is known as a stern, warrior. But unlike most other men in his village he did not earn his wealth through his father. Okonkwo had to build his farm and hut with his own hands and his own reputation is what allowed him to do that. He is proud to have three wives all of which have their own obi, or hut. Success for men is measured by their accomplishments that actuate their manliness and wealth. Okonkwo is successful in his village because he is a warrior who took the heads of five others during battle. Also he won the previous year’s wrestling match against a seven year champion proving his strength and manliness along with his wealth and size of yams. This is the most important thing in Okonk wo’s life; to show that he is a man, unlike his father. He resents his father because his represents everything that is viewed as weak or agbala known as womanly. Okonkwo is so set on being different than his father and seen as a man by his people that it is his ultimate fall and results in him taking his own life. In Okonkwo’s village anything that is weak is a representation of a woman because to him and his people woman are weak and the property of men. That is why fathers sell their daughters for a ‘bride-price’ to a suitor they find to be strong and manly enough, for they own them and can do as they wish with them. Just as Okonkwo told his favorite daughter, Ezinma, that she was not to marry until they returned from their 7 year exile. Women are also beaten when then do something that is unpleasing to their husband. Though Okonkwo thinks that he is manly in beating his wives and children to run a strict household, the egwugwu, say that â€Å"that it is not brave when a man fights with a woman.† However, there are things that women do making them deserve punishment from there husband and establish hierarchy. Even when Okonkwo beats his wife for coming home late during the Week of Peace the priestess, who is a woman, is not upset with Okonkwo for beating his wife, she even says that his wife was wrong. The priestess was upset with Okonkwo for breaking the Weak of Peace and cursing his village. For the book, Things Fall Apart, I am going to compared and contrast some of the parts I have just highlighted about the book. I will discuss marriage and how it is viewed in the United States. I will also talk about the role of being a man, the view of women, and the role of religion. Marriage in the Umuofia clan is an agreement among men. Fathers sell their daughters to the best suitor for a ‘bride-price’ which is agreed on by both parties. This shows a sort of class structure within the community. Men of a higher class can offer more for a woman of higher class. Class is determined by the size of your farm, the number of yams you have, and your war accomplishments. There is no status for women in their society, because they have ownership of nothing. Women are judged by whether or not they are married, and whether or not they have children, and how many. Marriage in Western culture, though changing, is similar to marriage in the Iguedo village. Marriage in the Western civilization has origin in many different ancient cultures of which the Roman, Hebrew, and Germanic are the most influential. http://www2.hu-berlin.de/sexology/ATLAS_EN/html/history_of_marriage_in_western.html. As we all know, the Christian church and their policies have greatly influenced the western beliefs and traditions of marriage. Up until recently marriage in our culture was an arranged agreement between two families, such as marriage is in the Iguedo village. By families, I mean the fathers, and husband to be. Women had very little voice in the matter, and love was rarely part of the deal.

Promoting Courteous Classroom Behavior †Psychology Essay

Promoting Courteous Classroom Behavior – Psychology Essay Free Online Research Papers Promoting Courteous Classroom Behavior Psychology Essay From state to state, city to city, system to system, classroom to classroom, teachers are united in the struggle to promote courteous classroom behavior while creating a classroom climate that is conducive to learning. This paper focuses on three distinct classroom discipline strategies which are, controlling undesirable behavior, encouraging good behavior, and strengthening your relationship with students. These principles of effective discipline strategies will force you to transform your thinking, your personality, and your teaching style. As a teacher, it appears that students simply don’t care. Why? Is it due to lack of motivation, too many children in classes, lack of parental involvement, or insufficient funds for adequate supplies and/or materials? Whatever may be the case, many books and articles have been written on this problematic subject to teach teachers the process of using effective classroom methods to defray some of these discipline areas. Many teachers daily address these challenging behaviors in the classroom. Many have been trained and feel well prepared to teach their academics to their students. However, true learning comes inside that classroom when it is just you and those students. The first day sets the tone for the remainder of the academic school year. Your approach and methods for behavior management used on that very first day, tells the students your standards and your expectations. Controlling undesirable behavior can be done effectively and efficiently with a classroom atmosphere based on caring, kindness, dignity, and mutual respect. Our environment or the arrangement of space emits a powerful message to our students about our expectations for their behavior. The environment should be stimulating, inviting and nurturing to all students and their academic performance. It should evolve around their interests. This kind of environment would bring a sense of belonging to them especially if they are allowed to be a part of the creations and decorations. Involve the students with the plans and layout of the classroom. Get those â€Å"creative juices† flowing. Many of our students are creative beings, very artistic, and highly talented. They have unlimited resources with worthwhile skills and ideas that often times get overlooked by teachers. Teachers don’t have to do it all. Delegate some authority, with limits, to the students. Seeing their ideas valued by the teacher is a reward in itself. When they see the fruit of their labor, they will be least likely to cause damage or allow someone else to damage their efforts. According to Seymour and Seymour, â€Å"We expect so little from kids. Is it really surprising when we get so little in return?† Effective teaching is another fringe benefit for controlling undesirable behavior. Effective teachers are always exploring new ideas, reviewing, reteaching, taking risks, and always learning. They are willing to try new things with new approaches. They realize that the textbook is not the only working source available for the learning process. They use other instructional materials to amplify their lessons such as newspapers, internet sources, videos, workbooks, etc. According to Phelan and Schonour, â€Å"effective teaching is the best preventive discipline strategy. With the previously stated comments, these teachers will most likely have the least amount of disciplinary problems. Why? The reason is that they focus more on a learning environment, rather than on the problem. They have come to realize that teaching empowering skills such as language, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, higher order skills, and decision making skills, empower the students with a positive attitude for success in life. â€Å"When the underlying motivation of discipline is control and punishment rather than an opportunity for learning, little will be accomplished†, according to Positive Discipline in the Classroom by Nelsen, Lott, and Glenn. Students should be taught to be responsible for their own actions and to accept the consequences/punishment for their negative ones. Be upfront with the rules/procedures of the classroom. These rules should be set on the first day of school. There shall be no more than three rules set for the class. Those rules, along with the school wide rules, should be visible along with their consequences. Classroom rules are established not to punish the students, but rather to help with discipline problems and to improve behavior. Rules don’t have to be over burdensome for students and teachers, but executed consistently and fairly by the teacher. Students, especially the upper grades, can take part in establishing these classroom rules. Every effective teacher needs several positive discipline classroom management tools. In the book, â€Å"Positive Discipline in the Classroom, the authors point out many useful tools that could be implemented by the teacher. As the teacher, you can present your students with limited choices. These choices should be age appropriate with at least two acceptable options. â€Å"It’s not appropriate, for instance, to give students a choice about whether or not they want to learn to read, go to school, hurt someone else, be in dangerous situation such as climbing on the roof, and so on†, Glenn, Lott, and Nelsen. Students’ choices should be limited and the teacher should be willing to accept either choice that the student chooses. In other words, don’t offer a choice that you’ll not happy with and/or acceptance to you. Another tool is classroom jobs. Various jobs could be assigned to various students to give them opportunities to contribute in a meaningful way. Assigning jobs is one way to help students to feel better about themselves and a way of keeping them from misbehaving inappropriately. More on assigning jobs will be discussed under the second classroom strategy, â€Å"encouraging good behavior†. Encouraging good behavior means getting the students to perform in a positive way such as â€Å"start doing their schoolwork, lining up, paying attention, cleaning their desks and transitioning smoothly† according to Phelan and Schonour. Many strategies are useful for encouraging your students to perform in a desired manner. This method may require more time especially if you are trying to get control of your classroom by managing their obnoxious conduct. One step toward good behavior is positive reinforcement. Phelan and Schonour points out that most teachers will not stop to praise the class when they are quiet and engaged in the assignment. Why? Because when adults are happy and content themselves, they are not particularly motivated to do anything more than what they’re already doing according to Phelan and Schonour. In other words, that small window of opportunity to sit down and/or grade papers may never present itself before the end of the day. We don’t want our kids to feel that they are a pain in the neck to us; so therefore, we offer praise as often as possible. â€Å"Praise should be given early and often every day. Your praise and other positive interactions with your students should outnumber your negative comments by a ratio of about two or three to one. If you look, you shouldn’t have trouble finding something to reinforce: â€Å"Thanks for passing out the papers.† â€Å"You started your work all by yourself! Wonderful!† â€Å"Your reading buddy really likes you.† â€Å"You guys did a good job of getting along during recess today.† â€Å"I think you got ready for science in record time this morning!† â€Å"Good job on that math test, John.† â€Å"I saw you out on the soccer field. You played hard- good hustle!† â€Å"That’s terrific! I knew you could do it!† (Phelan and Schonour) Don’t just praise kids for successfully carrying out simple requests, but praise them also for cooperation, for motivating others, and for good performance. Please be sure that you tailor your praise for each child. Bobby may like been praised in front, while others may find it sickening. Therefore, know your students and know who would benefit from your motivational techniques versus those who this approach would be ineffective. Two additional self-esteem boosters are: (1) praise in front of other people and (2) unexpected praise (Phelan and Schonour). For example, Jessica comes up to you while you are talking with the assistant principal and you stop to brag on her accomplishments. Well, Jessica is glowing with excitement and pride. Unexpected praise can be rewarding to the student because generally the only time they may get called on by the teacher is for answering a question and/or the student may feel as if he/she is in trouble. For example, you may notice that Stephanie is helping Rachel with her belongings because Rachel has injured her ankle and has to use crutches. Therefore, Stephanie carries the backpack for her to the next class. You praise Stephanie for her thoughtfulness and her kind deed. You respond positively to Stephanie’s act of kindness. Stephanie may be one that always stays in trouble at school. The only words she gets are those that only deepen her anguish. Unexpe ctedly she receives positive praise from you which now encourages her to do more while giving her a sense of satisfaction. By the teacher openly praising Stephanie, this tactic would motivate others to join her. All people love to hear praise, rather than someone nagging or fussing at them. Kitchen timers can be a remarkable device for promoting good behavior in students. Timers are a useful tool for assisting you with your class. They can be useful for starting and ending group work, lining up, cleaning-up or transitioning. Use them to time the â€Å"time out† students, but be sure that the students cannot adjust the time. If an unexpected visitor is coming, using the timer to get the kids to quickly straighten the classroom. The award is getting it done before time is up. The docking system is another useful strategy for encouraging good behavior. This principle is founded on this basic idea, do the work and get paid. If you don’t do the work, you’ll pay me. This system is for children in kindergarten or above. However, some sort of token economy system must be in place so that your students will have a source of funds. A token economy can work in various ways. Groups or individual students can earn tokens. Tokens are things like stickers, plastic chips, laminated pieces of construction paper, etc. According to Phelan and Schonour, â€Å"you can make tokens an academic activity as well by using plastic or paper money or a checkbook. Students are motivated to add up their â€Å"money,† and they may not even realize that they are also practicing math skills at the same time.† The teacher decides how the tokens are distributed. Some may distribute throughout the day while others issue them at the end of the day. Kids collecting tokens is a motivator to yield positive behavior, but for some the tokens need to be connected to an artificial reinforcer the student can â€Å"buy.† In that case, the teacher will have â€Å"store time.† How often the store is open varies with the teacher. Some teachers open the store once a week, whereas, some have an auction at the end of the year. Naturally, the more tokens earned, the more the student can spend. The tokens can be used for various things like broken property, forgetting to feed the class pet, jobs not done, and not taking a time out. John forgets to feed the class hamster and the teacher has to do it. The next day, John tells you that he forgot to feed the hamster before leaving school yesterday. Now you must remind him that he owes you from his account. (Students should know in advance what the rewards/consequences are for each action) Fines should not be used for academics such as a student not doing his class work or homework. Students cannot use tokens to pay for someone else to do his assignments. However, at the high school level, they may use them to go and get their assignment out of their locker. Another approach is natural consequences wherein the world teaches the student what works and what doesn’t. For example, Timothy has to miss recess because he was in time out or the librarian doesn’t allow Nikki to check out a book because she didn’t return the last one. Charting is a visible way for the students to track the progress of their behavior. It is useful in that it motivates the students to behave. With this approach, a calendar is used for keeping track of how well a student is doing with his/her behavior. A chart would indicate if the student stayed in his seat, completed all assignments, not talking to other students, etc. For example, (for little kids) if a student stayed in his seat, you would indicate this by placing a sticker on the chart. For older kids, numbers, points or grades could be placed on the chart. A chart might look like this: Monday Tuesday Wed. Thursday Friday Worked Quietly Stayed in seat Completedassignments This student is working quietly, staying in his seat and has completed all assignments. The chart could be placed on the child’s desk, on the wall, or in a folder. Charting in itself can be a â€Å"natural reinforcer† to the student in terms of praise and satisfaction which builds up his confident and self-esteem. â€Å"If natural reinforcers are enough to elicit cooperation, stop there. The goal is to help the child develop intrinsic motivation rather than only being motivated by an extrinsic reward- what she â€Å"gets out of it.† (Phelan and Schonour) Natural reinforcers sometimes may not be enough to motivate a student to finish a task; so therefore, artificial reinforcers may be used, which mean that the child is going to earn something. In the case of Harry who doesn’t want to keep his desk clean, could earn tokens or a special time with you after he has kept his desk cleaned for a month. For older kids, the rewards should be larger and take a more time to earn. Rewards do not always have to be material, but could be earning the privilege to do a special activity. Some possible artificial reinforcers are: ? Brightly colored tokens ? Extra preferred activity time ? Stickers, happy faces ? Playing a special game ? A grab-bag surprise ? A book to take home over the weekend ? Choice of one of three reinforcers ? Playing a game with the principal ? Reading a story with a special adult ? A homework pass ? A snack Keep the chart simple. Rate only two to four behaviors at one time. Too many gets confusing. Use it only for a limited time because the positive effects will fade away. When the child receives good scores for about two weeks, do away with the chart. If the child begins to exhibit bad behavior, reinforce the chart again. Please allow time for the children to spend their tokens. Spending tokens gives them power not to mention makes them apply basic mathematical skills. Research Papers on Promoting Courteous Classroom Behavior - Psychology EssayStandardized TestingEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThe Project Managment Office SystemInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesOpen Architechture a white paperPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyDefinition of Export Quotas

The Physics Field of Fluid Statics

The Physics Field of Fluid Statics Fluid statics is the field of physics that involves the study of fluids at rest. Because these fluids are not in motion, that means they have achieved a stable equilibrium state, so fluid statics is largely about understanding these fluid equilibrium conditions. When focusing on incompressible fluids (such as liquids) as opposed to compressible fluids (such as most gases), it is sometimes referred to as hydrostatics. A fluid at rest does not undergo any sheer stress, and only experiences the influence of the normal force of the surrounding fluid (and walls, if in a container), which is the pressure. (More on this below.) This form of equilibrium condition of a fluid is said to be a hydrostatic condition. Fluids that are not in a hydrostatic condition or at rest, and are therefore in some sort of motion, fall under the other field of fluid mechanics, fluid dynamics. Major Concepts of Fluid Statics Sheer stress vs. Normal stress Consider a cross-sectional slice of a fluid. It is said to experience a sheer stress if it is experiencing a stress that is coplanar, or a stress that points in a direction within the plane. Such a sheer stress, in a liquid, will cause motion within the liquid. Normal stress, on the other hand, is a push into that cross sectional area. If the area is against a wall, such as the side of a beaker, then the cross sectional area of the liquid will exert a force against the wall (perpendicular to the cross section - therefore, not coplanar to it). The liquid exerts a force against the wall and the wall exerts a force back, so there is net force and therefore no change in motion. The concept of a normal force may be familiar from early in studying physics, because it shows up a lot in working with and analyzing free-body diagrams. When something is sitting still on the ground, it pushes down toward the ground with a force equal to its weight. The ground, in turn, exerts a normal force back on the bottom of the object. It experiences the normal force, but the normal force doesnt result in any motion. A sheer force would be if someone shoved on the object from the side, which would cause the object to move so long that it can overcome the resistance of friction. A force coplanar within a liquid, though, isnt going to be subject to friction, because there isnt friction between molecules of a fluid. Thats part of what makes it a fluid rather than two solids. But, you say, wouldnt that mean that the cross section is being shoved back into the rest of the fluid? And wouldnt that mean that it moves? This is an excellent point. That cross-sectional sliver of fluid is being pushed back into the rest of the liquid, but when it does so the rest of the fluid pushes back. If the fluid is incompressible, then this pushing isnt going to move anything anywhere. The fluid is going to push back and everything will stay still. (If compressible, there are other considerations, but lets keep it simple for now.) Pressure All of these tiny cross sections of liquid pushing against each other, and against the walls of the container, represent tiny bits of force, and all of this force results in another important physical property of the fluid: the pressure. Instead of cross sectional areas, consider the fluid divided up into tiny cubes. Each side of the cube is being pushed on by the surrounding liquid (or the surface of the container, if along the edge) and all of these are normal stresses against those sides. The incompressible fluid within the tiny cube cannot compress (thats what incompressible means, after all), so there is no change of pressure within these tiny cubes. The force pressing on one of these tiny cubes will be normal forces that precisely cancel out the forces from the adjacent cube surfaces. This cancellation of forces in various directions is of the key discoveries in relation to hydrostatic pressure, known as Pascals Law after the brilliant French physicist and mathematician Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). This means that the pressure at any point is the same in all horizontal directions, and therefore that the change in pressure between two points will be proportional to the difference in height. Density Another key concept in understanding fluid statics is the density of the fluid. It figures into the Pascals Law equation, and each fluid (as well as solids and gases) have densities that can be determined experimentally. Here are a handful of common densities. Density is the mass per unit volume. Now think about various liquids, all split up into those tiny cubes I mentioned earlier. If each tiny cube is the same size, then differences in density means that tiny cubes with different densities will have different amount of mass in them. A higher-density tiny cube will have more stuff in it than a lower-density tiny cube. The higher-density cube will be heavier than the lower-density tiny cube, and will therefore sink in comparison to the lower-density tiny cube. So if you mix two fluids (or even non-fluids) together, the denser parts will sink that the less dense parts will rise. This is also evident in the principle of buoyancy, that explains how displacement of liquid results in an upward force, if you remember your Archimedes. If you pay attention to the mixing of two fluids while its happening, such as when you mix oil and water, therell be a lot of fluid motion, and that would covered by fluid dynamics. But once the fluid reaches equilibrium, youll have fluids of different densities that have settled into layers, with the highest density fluid forming the bottom layer, up until you reach the lowest density fluid on the top layer. An example of this is shown on the graphic on this page, where fluids of different types have differentiated themselves into stratified layers based on their relative densities.

Quantitative Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Quantitative Summary - Essay Example Limited literature on the area provided scaffold for the conduct of a study investigating PTSD among children and adolescent victims of motor-vehicle related injuries. There were only three studies concerning PTSD in children who sustained motor-vehicle injuries, one on Swedish children aged 5-18 years, another on same-aged British youth, and one on American children 3-18 years old. A conceptual definition of PTSD was presented in the review of literature together with the psychological and physical symptoms and the length of persistence and recurrence. The literature also traced the origins of PTSD in combat-related experiences for both adults and children. Research evidence from the literature surveyed documented PTSD in children after being exposed to a variety of traumatic events such as witnessing a murder or destruction of property, or being a victim of kidnapping, gunshot, or natural disaster. As recounted by Zink and McCain, findings of researches undertaken from 1993 onwards revealed that traumatic injury in children from various causes resulted in melancholy, mood changes, attention deficits, decreased social activity, increased behavioral problems, lower scholastic achievement, increased hyperactivity, rage outbursts, intrusion, avoidance and hyper-arousal. The study was tailored based on a longitudinal descriptive design. Criteria specified for inclusion of subjects in the research were: English speaking child and parent/guardian, residence within a 60-mile radius of Cincinnati, and subjects with head injuries should have a Glasgow comma score greater than 8 to confirm their alertness and responsiveness. Children with mental retardation or hyperactivity disorder were not enrolled as subjects. Prior to the conduct of the study, approval was secured from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Institutional Review Board. A written consent from the parents of the subjects were also obtained,

The essence of art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The essence of art - Essay Example This is the major point in the insights of Arthur Danto, an art philosophy scholar, as revealed in his conversation with Suzi Gablik. Danto’s written work on the disenfranchisement of art brought about by the customary practice of what is deemed as an ‘enfranchising maneuver’ by placing art pieces in museums and galleries to make them readily acceptable as art. Basically being able to make divine something that is utterly banal. â€Å"What disenfranchisement does is to get art to internalize the idea that it’s not supposed to do anything. It doesn’t make anything happen† (Gablik, p.247). This is a noticeably true characteristic that is perceptible in the art world. The basic premise of what art must do is an abstract idea that many have written extensively about. To name a few widely acceptable notions, art must transform, it must translate beauty, it must evoke what is real in the world, and it should even move people to action would just be naming a few. But all of these, singularly or all taken together are really more ideas within the realm of possibilities and quite a few have actually turned them to reality. This brings us forth to the issue of advocacy in art. As one raised question in the talked about Whitney Biennial in the book, â€Å"When art has a social or political agenda or takes an activist stance, is its aesthetic quality or integrity compromised?† (ibid, p.267). This taking on an activist stance is blaringly obvious in the photographs of Terri Warpinski. The photography professor at the University of Oregon primarily takes scenes depicting nature and juxtaposed evidence of conflict in a number of controversial places. The photographs of Boyhood (two narratives) shows two pictures placed side by side both depicting the irony in the title and of the scene. The most striking on the left hand photo is the poster above the door of what could very well be a mosque or any other public place. In the post er, a boy at a relatively young age is confidently holding a high-powered gun raising it so that the ammunition points up. Another poster is on the lower left side of the picture with faces of men in a collage. Though the writings are unintelligible because they are in Arabic, they suggest an atmosphere of sinister assertiveness. It is also quite intriguing trying to decipher what the pictures mean and why are they posted especially since considering the scale, it can be concluded that they are substantially large. The second picture on the right is the one where the irony is very recognizable. In here we see the body of two older men who seem to be in an exchange, again a high-powered firearm, where the man holding it looks like he is the buyer and is testing its capability. The juxtaposition is in front of the two men where toys for children are displayed for sale in what looks like an ordinary market. The vividness of the pink, red and blue balloons hanging from the top along wit h the plastic balls and other items easily suggests there is something deeply wrong in this picture. What it denotes and consequently gives a chilling effect is that the man holding the gun could very well be buying it for his son and that instead of a balloon, a ball or some other knick knack for a toy, he opted to give him a real gun instead. The suggestive tone of Warpinski’

How do the cells of a growing plant know in which directions to Lab Report

How do the cells of a growing plant know in which directions to elongate - Lab Report Example For elongation to occur, the plant cells must loosen their cell walls for a short while (Wayne 2010). Auxin hormone is responsible for elongating the cells in the shoots. It triggers the pumping of hydrogen ions across the cell membrane and altering the way gene expression occurs within the cell in a way that influences plant growth. The experiment focuses on the influence of mechanical force in influencing the direction of the plant cell elongation. Plant cells transmit mechanical force among each other. The experiment was conducted after suspecting that mechanical force guides the alignment cortical microtubules (Wayne 2010). The experimented started by examining the non-elongated plant cells. The cells that lacked walls (protoplasts) were isolated from the tobacco plant, Nicotiana tabacum. The isolation was done through exposure of the plant cells to enzymes with the capability of destroying the cell wall. The result is a spherical plant cell. When the protoplasts were allowed to develop in the culture medium, they reformed their cell walls (Wymer & Cosgrove 1996). To study the effects of directional forces on plant cell elongations, the tobacco protoplasts were subjected to a unidirectional force that was produced by a centrifuge. The exposure of the force was made with previous knowledge that when the centrifugation is made in low speed, it does not distort the shape or integrity of the protoplast. The protoplasts were then immobilized ready for centrifugation. They were embedded on an agar medium that was supported by the mold. The embedded cells were spun for 15 minutes at 450 rpm in a centrifuge. After centrifugation, the already embedded cells were then cultured for 72 hours to allow the cell elongation to take place (wymer & Cosgrove 1996). After centrifugation was over, a microtubule antibody that was fluorescently tagged was added to the protoplasts. The cells were then

Empire by purchase or rental, like the acquisition of property in a Research Paper

Empire by purchase or rental, like the acquisition of property in a Monopoly board game, remains a neglected but highly su - Research Paper Example Imperialism has existence since time immemorial taking different forms. In the ancient times, imperialism was in the form of one type of civilization or ethnicity having control of all then other around it. A good example is the Roman Empire. The earliest form of modern imperialism was in the form of colonial expansion overseas in the 14th to 19th century1. Countries in Europe were fighting over territories in Asia, the new world and Africa. The main aim of this form of imperialism was to be in control of trade and raw materials from its colonies thereby monopolizing the benefits from the transactions2. In the 19th century, there was a new form of imperialism which came with free trade. In this, countries would have control over others through diplomacy and economic agreement. Most formal empires came to an end after World War II. This did not last long but have been replaced by neocolonialism. This is the situation where the economic powerful countries such as the America have a lot of influence of third world countries. This article reviews the significance of empires, the motives behind empirial expansion and finally compares Alaska and Guantanamo. Significance of Empires Imperialism has had both positive and negative impact on the countries or people who were incorporated into the powerful states or nations depending on the form of imperialism. ... This ensured that the members of the weaker nations could now have better living standards, with reduced mortality compared to their earlier lives. However, Imperialism in the form of colonialism had several devastating impacts on the colonies. This I despite the fact that the mother countries invested in the development of these countries, their main focuses was in development of those areas related to the specific raw material that eh countries were interested in and not the others4. These developments did not therefore benefit these colonies but benefitted their master. In the end, this form of relationship ended up benefitting the mother colonies booting the development of these economies at their expense. A major significance of empires is that it results in the bringing together of people from different backgrounds. As a result, wealth from the different people and land is amassed and this creates an empire which now becomes more economically powerful5. This has been the case i n American which is made up of different states. Some of these states were bough for instance Alaska was bought from Russia. Because of this union of states and use of a common currency, America is today the most economically powerful nation in the world. Other important empires whose contribution has been significance to the world today are the British Empire which introduced the parliamentary democracy to countries around the world6. The Greek empire has had a lot of legacy in the present day society in terms of academic contribution, culture and art. The Roman Empire has also contributed to the development of the contemporary society7. Other empires whose impacts are felt today are the Muslim and Christian empire which dominates two thirds of

Should drilling be permitted in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Essay

Should drilling be permitted in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Essay Example This fact proves that our present domestic sources are not sufficient to meet the demands of our country. Considering the present increase in oil prices, the clamor for increase in domestic drilling has spiked the debate on allowing drilling in the Arctic Circle. Politicians have been divided on the issue with each side putting forth valid claims worthy of consideration and perusal. This paper explores the issue of whether or not drilling should be allowed in the Arctic Circle. It shall set forth this student’s position on the issue supported by firm and viable evidence from various researches. In order to lend objectivity to this paper, counter-arguments shall also be put forth, equally backed and supported by researches and relevant evidence. â€Å"The Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ACWR) is the largest reserve and probably one of the most diverse areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System† (Burns, et.al., 2004). Oil exploration in the area started as early as the 1900s. Some parts of the Arctic Circle were declared as protected areas to safeguard the welfare of the wildlife in the arctic. Several oil explorers sought to drill oil in these protected areas, which prompted President James Carter in the 1970s to sign the Alaska National Interests Lands Conservation Act which effectively declared the area as wilderness, and therefore off limits to oil exploration. This area was designated as Area 1002. The oil drilling debate in the Arctic Circle is a typical battle between environmentalists and cost-effective minded politicians and interest groups. This student opposes oil drilling in the Arctic Circle. Research conducted at the Cornell University, revealed that drilling in the Arctic Circle would result to disastrous environmental consequences that would take years to undo and reverse. â€Å"Because a lot of the drilling would take place during the winter months,

Empire by purchase or rental, like the acquisition of property in a Research Paper

Empire by purchase or rental, like the acquisition of property in a Monopoly board game, remains a neglected but highly su - Research Paper Example Imperialism has existence since time immemorial taking different forms. In the ancient times, imperialism was in the form of one type of civilization or ethnicity having control of all then other around it. A good example is the Roman Empire. The earliest form of modern imperialism was in the form of colonial expansion overseas in the 14th to 19th century1. Countries in Europe were fighting over territories in Asia, the new world and Africa. The main aim of this form of imperialism was to be in control of trade and raw materials from its colonies thereby monopolizing the benefits from the transactions2. In the 19th century, there was a new form of imperialism which came with free trade. In this, countries would have control over others through diplomacy and economic agreement. Most formal empires came to an end after World War II. This did not last long but have been replaced by neocolonialism. This is the situation where the economic powerful countries such as the America have a lot of influence of third world countries. This article reviews the significance of empires, the motives behind empirial expansion and finally compares Alaska and Guantanamo. Significance of Empires Imperialism has had both positive and negative impact on the countries or people who were incorporated into the powerful states or nations depending on the form of imperialism. ... This ensured that the members of the weaker nations could now have better living standards, with reduced mortality compared to their earlier lives. However, Imperialism in the form of colonialism had several devastating impacts on the colonies. This I despite the fact that the mother countries invested in the development of these countries, their main focuses was in development of those areas related to the specific raw material that eh countries were interested in and not the others4. These developments did not therefore benefit these colonies but benefitted their master. In the end, this form of relationship ended up benefitting the mother colonies booting the development of these economies at their expense. A major significance of empires is that it results in the bringing together of people from different backgrounds. As a result, wealth from the different people and land is amassed and this creates an empire which now becomes more economically powerful5. This has been the case i n American which is made up of different states. Some of these states were bough for instance Alaska was bought from Russia. Because of this union of states and use of a common currency, America is today the most economically powerful nation in the world. Other important empires whose contribution has been significance to the world today are the British Empire which introduced the parliamentary democracy to countries around the world6. The Greek empire has had a lot of legacy in the present day society in terms of academic contribution, culture and art. The Roman Empire has also contributed to the development of the contemporary society7. Other empires whose impacts are felt today are the Muslim and Christian empire which dominates two thirds of

Compare and contrast at least two anthropological interpretations of Essay

Compare and contrast at least two anthropological interpretations of the term culture - Essay Example Their vision of culture influenced anthropological thinking for at least fifty years. Culture, as a guidance system, leads society to notice important differences between humans and other phenomena that get directed. Humans and their guides are often in conflict. Humans, or peculiar primates, create a peculiar guidance system, one that is praised, died for, evaded, avoided, and taught to young children. Intuitively, all we know about culture makes sense. C. Geertz represents a symbolic anthropology school which underlines a key role of symbols (thoughts) in society and its culture. Geertz develops and discusses the main ideas about culture and its meaning in The Interpretation of Culture (1973) and Local Knowledge: Further essays in Interpretive Anthropology (1983). It is important to note that this school of thoughts is also called an interpretive anthropology, paying a special attention to semiotic nature of culture. Under the leadership of Clifford Geertz, culture generates considerable excitement as a semiotic concept. Ideas and concepts used in his theories, Geertz took from the work of Gilbert Ryle and translating his philosophical ideas into notions usable by anthropologists, Geertz is revitalizing an old link with philosophy. This revitalization movement has its own vision of culture. According to Geertz, culture is no longer a map lodged in human minds; it is no longer plans, recipes, and rules. Culture, now, is traffic in things which impose meaning. More completely, and in Geertz's words, culture is traffic in anything "that is disengaged from its mere actuality and used to impose meaning upon experience" (Geertz 1973, p. 45). Within this context, human activity is well described as a "text," and a culture as an assemblage of texts. In presenting texts to interested publics and in interpreting their meanings, anthropologists assume old roles with some new labels, observers, scribes, translators, and interpreters. The documents anthropologists present must be deeply embedded in the contextual richness of social life; a text, that is, must be a "thick" description. Geertz defines culture as "a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which people communicate, perpetuate, and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life" (Geertz 1973, p. 89). The problem is, it is quite easy to write a text that is thick, but it is very difficult to write a text that is valid. The problem has not escaped Geertz. He admits that it is difficult to fathom "what our informants are up to and what it all means." Also, he settles rather cheaply for "doing the best we can" and using a lot of guessing. In his words: Cultural analysis is (or should be) guessing at meaning, assessing the guesses, and drawing explanatory conclusions from the better guesses, not discovering the Continent of Meaning and mapping out its bodiless landscape. (1973: 15) Guessing, a fundamental strategy in science, generally passes under the more prestigious name of hypothesizing. And hypothesizing, in traditional science, is but part of the opening moves. In the middle game and the end game scientists (1) build and use models and (2) utilize verification procedures. Instead of formal models, Geertz provides two general and rather strange images. Humans, for Geertz, are like spiders "suspended in webs of significance"

The Making of the Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

The Making of the Middle Ages Essay Personally, when thinking of the middle Ages, I tend to have the misconception that it is a period of darkness with no progress. However, R.W. Southern’s book, ‘The Making of the Middle Ages’, offers an in depth study of the development of history in the world today. Observing that this book was published during the 1950s, Mr. Southern’s interpretation of the ‘Middle Ages’ was very distinctive in comparison to other historians of his time. He explores the significance of the Middle Ages as a separate sector in the study of history by which the audience will notice that previous categories of studied history is set aside, as we are no longer focusing on the usual ‘Classical Greece’ and ‘Rome’ in shaping the modern world, but the ‘Middle Ages’ as an entity on its own. The ‘Middle Ages’ are regarded as of equal importance in the understanding of making the modern world since the Enlightenment. Setting this book in the 1950s when traditionalist views are still the core study of history, he attempts to justify the study of the Middle Ages as important to understanding. I find myself puzzled by his misleading use of the book’s title as it does not describe the actual ‘making’ of the middle ages which is suggests, but the actual ‘formation of western Europe from the late tenth to the early thirteenth century’. It is clear that Mr. Southern acknowledges the problems during the Middle Ages and examines them in two sections. He states that these divisions in Latin Christendom and its neighbors arose from the lack of communication and the tension caused from social disorder. Another trigger of tension was the division of the two main languages in Europe. He also emphasizes that those were the main factors and that areas of authority and political divisions were too artificial and ‘too fluid to count for much’ which also suggests that ‘political boundaries didn’t survive’. Opposed to the traditional view of history, he insinuates that the middle ages have been hindered as a ‘secret revolution’. This implies that Southern’s argument tries to reaffirm the status of the middle ages as a legitimate topic of academic discourse. Of course in his attempt to convince his academic peers, he seems to be very selective in his choice of sources. When examining the index, it clearly shows that there is little written about other themes. Southern conveys a very Eurocentric attitude towards the topics that are discussed in his book, as he mentions very little of the developments in Africa, the role of women and children and when compared to people of the upper classes and serfdoms, the ratio seems bizarre. There is a large list of various Saints that Southern mentions, as well as many powerful men with high social statuses that claim more pages and notice about serfdom which concludes to my point of Southern’s poor demographic as there isn’t a chapter on women. Southern’s ‘Making of the Middle Ages’ is a history of men and powerful political men. Southern also uses imperial terms that show that his book was written for the upper classes if placed in the wider context with the books published at the same time. Mr. Southern uses five main headings for each of his discussions and it is obvious that his main interest lies within the role of religion. ‘dark ages’ no progress? Regression he argues that there are things and events that happened which form Europe as it is today †¦ Not just shaped by classical rome in shaping modern Europe. About the book in the wider context about the books in the same time about the same topic because books are not published isolated- When the book was published and then how does it compare to the books published now- outdated? Why? Compared to modern literature and then the books published at the time. Index: always a noun but mentions none in themes, another flaw in the writer as the impression it gives shows that there aren’t any interests in wider themes. Eurocentric attitude to history isn’t as important- maybe ignores development in Africa? Role of women, children or slaves (under classes) but does have ‘serfdom’ only one chapter? Imperial terms; Sort of model of Thucydidean history (which is history of political leaders) military generals none of underdogs. (power politics) theme of Enlightenment-inspired medievalism and protonationalism with a study of legendary heroes Guy of Warwick and Bevis of Hampton in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century literary circles, while articles by Helen Phillips, John Marshall, and David Mills examine gender in Chaucer’s writings, Robin Hood’s embodiment of pageantry, and the Chester Plays, respectively. Andrew Wawn expands on his earlier work by examining Victorian makers of the Viking Middle Ages active in Merseyside and Edward Morris surveys early nineteenth-century Liverpool collectors of illuminated manuscripts, devoting considerable attention to restituting the scholarly reputation of Sir John Tobin, a retired seaman, former slave trader, and pioneer in the acquisition of medieval manuscripts whose collection, amassed between 1823 and 1835, was â€Å"perhaps the most important small group of late medieval illuminated manuscripts ever assembled by a private individual† (166). Revival of secular Gothic aesthetics, a must-read for anyone interested in appreciating the urban development of one of England’s most important cities during industrialization. serves as a useful reminder that medievalism can hold historical implications as interesting and important as the Middle Ages themselves.

The Different Roles Of The Registered Nurse

The Different Roles Of The Registered Nurse Registered Nurses (RNs) provide many different services to health care consumers in a variety of settings. Some things nurses do on a daily basis offer a unique contribution to health care, whereas others can be done by other health team members. Professional nursing offers a specialized service to society. Professional nurses use a broad approach when considering holistic health need of the people they serve. Because of the broad nature of the discipline, nurses assume multiple roles while meeting health care needs of clients. For this reason, this paper would be discussing the role of the registered nurse in health care delivery. We would also discuss the professional standard and expectations for registered nurse. The quality assurance and confidentiality issues would then be discussed. In addition, this paper would explore the responsibility of the employers in hiring new health care staff. This would then include the employers expectation regarding competencies. Finally, a conclusion would be provided in order to highlight important details discussed in the paper. Different Roles of the Registered Nurse Primary Caregiver As a caregiver, the nurse practices nursing as a science. The nurse provides intervention to meet physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and environmental needs of patients and families using the nursing process and critical thinking skills. The nurse as a caregiver is skilled and empathetic, knowledgeable and caring. RNs provide direct, hands on care to patients in all health care agencies and settings. They also take an active role in illness prevention and health promotion and maintenance (Chitty, 2005; Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2006; Masters, 2009). Nurse Leader/Coordinator The Nurse Coordinator role is unique. It is a vital part of the multidisciplinary care team for patients and contributes to improved patient outcomes. The core functions of the Nurse Coordinator role centre around the patients physical and psychosocial assessment, care coordination, education and support, from coordinating the patients diagnostic work-up tests to assisting them to navigate the hospital system, and referring them to allied health professionals. The Coordinator is an important resource for the patient and family and acts as a focal point of contact throughout their time in the hospital (ANMC, 2006; Hood Leddy, 2006). Incorporated in this advanced practice role, the Nurse Coordinator is responsible for maintaining clinical competencies and participating in those activities that contribute to the ongoing development of self and other health care professionals. The Nurse Coordinator contributes to the educational needs of clinical nurses and participates in both informal and formal education programs at a national and international level (ANMC, 2006; Hood Leddy, 2006). Patient Advocate The purpose of this role is to respect patient decisions and boost patient autonomy. Patient advocacy includes a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship to secure self-determination, protections of patients right and acting as an intermediary between patients and their significant others and healthcare providers (Blais et al., cited in Masters, 2009). A patient advocate is mainly concerned with empowering the patient through the nurse-patient relationship. The nurse represents the interests of the patient who has needs that are unmet and are likely to remain unmet without the nurses special intervention. The professional nurse speaks for the patients interest as if the patients interests were the nurses own (Chitty, 2005; ANMC, 2006; MacDonald, 2006: Masters, 2009). Nurse Educator Nurse educators teach patients and families, the community, other health care team members, students and businesses. In hospital settings as patient and family educators, nurses provide information about illnesses and teach about medications, treatments and rehabilitation needs. They also help patients understand how to deal with the life changes necessitated by chronic illnesses and teach how to adapt care to the home setting when that is required (Chitty, 2005; ANMC, 2006). Nurse as Collaborator Collaboration is important in professional nursing practice as a way to improve patient outcomes. Multidisciplinary teams require collaborative practice, and nurses play a key role as both team members and team leaders. To fulfill a collaborative role, nurses need to assume accountability and increased authority in practice areas. Collaboration requires that nurses understand and appreciate what other health professionals have to offer. They must also be able to interpret to others the nursing needs of patients. Collaboration with patients and families is also essential. Involving patients and their families in the plan of care from the beginning is the best way to ensure their cooperation, enthusiasm and willingness to work toward the best patient outcome (Chitty, 2005; ANMC, 2006). Nurse Practitioner A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse educated and authorized to function autonomously and collaboratively in an advanced and extended clinical role. The nurse practitioner role includes assessment and management of clients using nursing knowledge and skills and may include but is not limited to, the direct referral of patients to other health care professionals, prescribing medications and ordering diagnostic investigations. The nurse practitioner role is grounded in the nursing professions values, knowledge, theories and practice and provides innovative and flexible health care delivery that complements other health care providers. The scope of practice of the nurse practitioner is determined by the context in which the nurse practitioner is authorized to practice. (ANMC, 2006; Carryer, Gardner, G., Dunn, Gardner, A., 2007). Professional Standards and Expectations for Registered Nurses Standards within a professional practice are known as statements of an authoritative nature through which the profession to which they relate to provide a unique description of the responsibilities of all practitioners within that profession (Campbell Mackay, 2001). Further, the standards and expectations are in place to ensure that all practitioners are also accountable for the work and duties they perform. When it comes to nursing, this is done in order to create boundaries and to provide a level of care that is equitable for all patients. Further, the priorities and values of nurses must be common to each nurse within the profession, and the standards and expectations outlines this as such (Campbell Mackay, 2001; Pearson, Fitzgerald, Wash, Borbasi, 2002; American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2003; ANMC, 2006, 2008; Schiemann, 2007; Furaker, 2008). While standards will vary in specifics across nursing specializations, and across countries, there is a general mindset as to what is expected of nurses in terms of expectations and standards. They are intended to provide daily guidance to nurses as they practice. Accountability, ethics, competence, knowledge, and the practical application of knowledge are key elements that are common to all nursing standards and expectations (Campbell Mackay, 2001; Pearson, et al., 2002; AACN, 2003; ANMC, 2006, 2008; Schiemann, 2007; Furaker, 2008 ). Nurses are required to be held accountable for every action that they take on a daily basis. This requires constant documentation of every element of their daily job, and following a chain of command within their select position. They are also required to maintain ethical standards within their practice, and to follow all ethical guidelines as set forth by their governing body of nursing. Furthermore, nurses are expected to have a set amount of knowledge before they enter the field of practitioner work, and with that knowledge set come an expectation of competence and practical application. Nurses are expected to be competent in their knowledge base such that they know and understand what they are supposed to in the medical field, and also, are supposed to know how to apply that knowledge in a practical manner (Campbell Mackay, 2001; Pearson, et al., 2002; AACN, 2003; ANMC, 2006, 2008). Quality Assurance Quality Assurance is another issue that is common across all standards and expectations for nurses. Through this, quality assurance standards ensure that nurses are practicing with quality efforts which in itself promote their competence and practical applications. This will require continuous education on the part of the individual nurse, as quality assurance standards across many medical centers, cities, and countries are in a constant state of evolution. It is the responsibility of the nurse practitioner to understand their quality assurance expectations at all times (Ellis Hartley, 2004; Hood Leddy, 2006). Confidentiality Confidentiality is another element of most standards and expectations for nurses. This is a requirement that nurses do not have an option to practice or not. Legislation and privacy concerns are in effect all across the globe, and nurses have the expectation that they will maintain confidential and private information for their patients within the patient doctor realm. Patients use medical services under the understanding that their information and medical records are not being seen by the wrong person, or found in the wrong hands, and because nurses have the most contact between patient and doctor, these are standards of paramount significance to the nursing profession (Deshefy-Longhi, Dixon, Olsen, Grey, 2004, Ellis Hartley, 2004; Chitty, 2005; ANMC, 2006, 2008; Masters, 2009). Employers Responsibility in Hiring New Health Care Staff The employer of an organization has an inherent duty to employ competent staff. This is not only cost-effective on the part of the employer but also guarantee in some ways that the products and services provided by the organization are competently given to the end-users. In the context of health care employees, such as the RNs there is an accreditation scheme to ensure the capacity of the RNs to carry out his/her job. In this manner, the employers responsibility to screen the professional capacity of the RN is significantly simplified. Seeking only the certification of the newly hired RN will guarantee that he/she has satisfied the minimum requirements of training, licensure, and communication proficiency to carry out his/her role as health professional. Having the employer check the credentials of the newly hired RN as well as his/her certification with authorities will allow the employer to measure the RN capability to perform his/her jobs in the organization (Ellis Hartley, 2004; Hart, Olson Fredrickson, McGovern, 2006). Â   Employers Expectations Regarding Competencies Registered nurses should appraise their strengths, weaknesses and preferences. The RNs must ensure that there is a good match between their abilities and employers expectations. Ellis and Hartley (as cited in Chitty, 2005) suggest that RNs examine themselves in seven areas in which employers have expectations. Theoretical knowledge should be adequate to provide basic patient care and to make clinical judgments. Employers expect RN to be able to recognize the early signs and symptoms of patient problems, such as an allergic reaction to a blood transfusion, and take the appropriate nursing action, that is, discontinue the transfusion. They are expected to know potential problems related to various patients conditions. (p. 212) The ability to use the nursing process systematically as a means of planning care is important. Employers evaluate nurses understanding of the phases of the process: assessment, analysis, nursing diagnosis/outcome identification, planning, intervention and evaluation. They expect nurses to ensure that all elements of a nursing care plan are used in delivering nursing care and that there is documentation in the patients record to that effect. (p. 213) Self-awareness is critically important. Employers ask prospective employees to identify their own strengths and weaknesses. They need to know that new nurses are willing to ask for help and recognize their limitations. New graduates who are unable or unwilling to request for help pose a risk to patients-a risk that employers are unwilling to accept. (p. 213) Documentation ability is an increasingly important skill that employers value. Employers expect RN to recognize what patient data should be charted and to know that all nursing care should be entered in patient records. (p. 213) Work ethic is another area in which employers are vitally interested. Work ethic means that prospective RN employees understand what is expected of them and are committed to providing it. Employers expect new graduates to recognize that the most desirable positions and work hours do not usually go to entry-level workers in any field. In the nursing profession, a nurse cannot leave work until patient care responsibilities have been turned over to a qualified replacement; therefore, being late to work or calling in sick when not genuinely incapacitated are luxuries professional nurses cannot afford. (p. 213) Skill proficiency of new graduates varies widely, and employers are aware of this. Most large facilities now provide fairly lengthy orientation periods, during which each nurses skills are appraised and opportunities are provided to practice new procedures. In general, smaller and rural facilities have less formalized orientation programs, and earlier independent functioning is expected. (p. 213) Speed of functioning is another area in which new nurses vary widely. By the end of a well-planned orientation period, the new graduate should be able to manage the average patient load without too much difficulty. Time management is a skill that is closely related to speed of functioning. The ability to organize and prioritize nursing care for a group of patients is the key to good time management. (p. 214) Conclusion Through time nurses have advanced their roles into various spheres of practice, and this progression seems set to continue as healthcare continues to evolve. Whatever the reason, central to role extension should be the delivery of safe care to all patients, with the support of the multi- disciplinary team to ensure good standards of patient care. Nurses should ensure that each activity performed when advancing a role should complement the current job, one which they are competent in. Nurses should guard themselves against litigation and carefully consider what they really want to do, as each practitioner is accountable for their actions and should be aware of the legal implications of practice within the process of advancing professional practice.

The Race to Understanding and Manipulating DNA :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Early 1953. Three labs, two in England and one in California, raced to discover the structure of deoxyribose nucleic acid. At Cal Tech in Pasadena, California, Linus Pauling had recently discovered the alpha-helix. Now he was turning his attention to DNA. At King's College in the University of London, Maurice Wilkins and Rosalind Franklin, although hampered by their inability to get along with one another, had taken actual pictures of DNA using x-rays and were hot on the trail. The most unlikely pair in the race, a 24-year-old American biologist and a 36-year-old English physicist, were also close to identifying the elusive molecule, although they were forbidden from directly working on it. And so the race intensified for the secret of life itself. Get Ready, Get Set... Mendel and Pea Plants The events leading up to this race actually began with an Austrian monk named Johann Gregor Mendel. Although in reality Mendel wanted to be a high school teacher, he failed the mandatory examination three times and decided to become a monk to pursue his studies in the peace of a monastery (Asimov, Genes 11). Interested in the inheritance of characteristics, he began working with pea plants in 1857. He crossed true-bred plants and then their offspring and recorded the results. From these results he established general rules or laws for inheritance. He worked for eight years and with over ten thousand different plants (Arnold 20). Looking for a sponsor for his work, Mendel sent his paper to noted botanist Wilhelm von Nageli. Nageli sent it back after barely glancing at it (Nageli died in 1891 and would be remembered, not for his own vast scientific work, but for his failure to pay attention to Mendel) (Asimov, Genes 19-20). Mendel finally did publish his results in the magazine of the National History Society of Brunn in 1866 (Arnold 7). Other botanists paid little or no attention to his work, and his ideas about inheritance became lost for thirty-four years. Mendel became the abbot of his monastery in 1868 and was too busy and discouraged to continue his experiments. He died in 1884, never knowing that he would be touted as the "father of modern genetics." The Early Work on DNA In 1869, just after Mendel had quit working with plants, a 25-year-old Swiss chemist, Johann Friedrich Miescher, discovered a substance called nuclein inside cells. This substance was later found to be attached to a protein which was named "histone" from the Greek word meaning "cell.

Choice theory

The term choice theory has originated from the work of Dr. William Glasser, MD, an American psychiatrist from Cleveland, Ohio; and which was popularized through his book of the same title released in 1998. Choice theory is the culmination of Glasser’s research work on psychology and counseling spanning 50 years. It used to called control theory, and is the foundation of Glasser’s Reality Therapy, a particular approach used in psychotherapy and counseling which was developed in the 1960’s. This approach focuses on the present emotional status of a person and the possible ways on creating a better future, instead of concentrating on his past.Reality therapy establishes a person’s ability in making decisions, taking actions in his life, and being able to control his life. This approach allows a person in discovering what they really want in their lives, and learns whether their current activities are actually leading them to their actual goals. Reality therap y has gained a decent following in the United States and is now widely used in the field of education. Choice theory considers that behavior is the center of human existence. Human existence is further determined by the five genetically driven needs, which includes survival, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.According to Maslow, survival includes man’s basic biological needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The remaining four are the fundamental psychological needs. This theory considers that among the five, the most important need is love, or belonging, due to the fact that a person’s closeness to the people he love and care about is an essential factor in satisfying all the five needs. Choice theory also includes the â€Å"seven caring habits†: supporting, encouraging, listening, accepting, trusting, respecting, and negotiating differences.Against these habits are the â€Å"seven deadly habits†: criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threateni ng, punishing, and bribing or rewarding in order to control. Choice theory and the seven caring habits are aimed to replace and counteract the so-called external control psychology and the seven deadly habits, which is believed to be the present state of mind of most people in the world. The seven deadly habits are believed to be destroying relationships because it ruins a person’s ability to find satisfaction in his relationship.This further results to people getting disconnected from the people they care about, and which would prove to be the cause of most problems in the society at present: illnesses, depression, substance abuse, and uncontrolled violence, and rising crime rates. Choice theory then presents ten axioms, and these are: 1. The only person whose behavior we can control is our own. 2. All we can give another person is information. 3. All long-lasting psychological problems are relationship problems. 4. The problem relationship is always part of our present life . 5.What happened in the past has everything to do with what we are today, but we can only satisfy our basic needs right now and plan to continue satisfying them in the future. 6. We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the pictures in our Quality World. 7. All we do is behave. 8. All behavior is Total Behavior and is made up of four components: acting, thinking, feeling and physiology. 9. All Total Behavior is chosen, but we only have direct control over the acting and thinking components. We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly through how we choose to act and think. 10.All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and named by the part that is the most recognizable. The idea of the existence of a â€Å"quality world† is presented by choice theory, which states that a person, beginning at birth and throughout his life, places everything important to him, including people, his beliefs, materials things, and other valuables into this world. The person then b ehaves throughout his life to achieve a real world based on his quality world. Related to the ideas of a person’s real and quality worlds is the â€Å"comparing place† where the real world is compared to the quality world.With the idea of â€Å"total behavior†, Glasser believes that among the four components, a person can only exert control over two, which are acting and thinking; and have limited capacity to influence the other two, feeling and physiology. As these four are interconnected, the manner by which a person acts and thinks has tremendous impact on his feelings and physiology. Glasser’s choice theory is one that is based psychology. The theory further states that most mental illnesses being experienced by most people in the world are caused by unhappiness.Mental illness is actually brought about by a person’s unhappiness and dissatisfaction in life. Although contested by most mainstream psychiatrists, Glasser’s theory is now used in a wider range of social issues including education, family, management, and mental health. His theories have gained popularity not only in the United States where they are most commonly used in education, but also in the global arena. Glasser’s choice theory is all about being able to choose how to live happily, how to make better decisions that satisfy a person’s need, how to responsibly take action, and how to take control of one’s life.This theory is all about living satisfactorily in order to lessen unhappiness, promote better relationships among people, and therefore eliminate mental illness in the world today. Sources: Furr, Lee W. and W. Hugh Furr. (2006, March 14). Choice Theory Psychology. [Electronic Document]. http://www. choicetheory. com/ The William Glasser Institute. (2006, May 11). Choice Theory. [Electronic Document]. http://www. wglasser. com/whatisct. htm Schneller, Peter L. (2005, August 30). Choice Theory. [Electronic Document]. http://ra ider. muc. edu/~schnelpl/Control Theory – Overhead. html

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Grandmother Is the Central Character

A Good Man is Hard to Find The grandmother is the central character in the short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† by Flannery O’Connor. She is also a very well rounded and dynamic character. She shows various characteristics and reveals various remarks as they story progresses. Some of her qualities include selfish and a pushy person. She is also kind of manipulator in a way that she insists her family to change the plan. At the beginning of the story when we first realize her desire to visit her childhood house, she is being a very selfish person. Examining her conversation with her son Bailey, the grandmother is moreover a pushy person. She is convincing Bailey to change the trip plan according to her need only and which will benefit her only. She is trying to manipulate her family to do what she thinks is best. She is also a bit of criticizer at points in the story. Her characteristics remain same throughout the story that is even when her desire was ignored, she still kept praising it. The story opens up with a conversation between the grandmother and her son Bailey about their trip to Florida. Instead of going to Florida with her entire family, she insists on visiting her relatives up in Tennessee. In spite of everyone’s choice, she just wants to go where her mind is set. It is very obvious that she is only concerned about her gaining and nobody else’s. Her selfishness occurs when she says â€Å"The children have been to Florida before† (O’Connor 345). It sounds like the grandmother is being stubborn and childish, and trying to change their mind about going to Tennessee. She is persuading the family to change their vacation destination to Tennessee. â€Å"Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose from the Federal Pen and headed toward the Florida and you read here what it says he did to these people. Just you read it. I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it. I couldn’t answer to my conscience if I did† (O’Connor 345). She is trying to scare Bailey and also saying that going there could also be dangerous. She lies after she seems to not get any reaction from previous attempts by trying to say out that it’s not about her, but in fact it’s about the children. â€Å"The children have been to Florida before,† the old lady said. â€Å"You all ought to take them somewhere else for a change so they would see different parts of the world and be broad. They never have been to east Tennessee† (O’Connor 345). She is critical of the children’s mother and persuades Bailey by telling him that it can be an educational experience for his children. Truthfully, she wants to go to Tennessee for the benefit of her own only and fulfill her needs. One of major selfishness occurs when she first tries making her son Bailey change the whole vacation plans including the destination. She had always treated her son Bailey as if he was child still and expects him not to make his own decision for himself. After the family ignores the grandmother’s attempts of persuasion and her desire, they decide to go on their own way. She is urged to travel with her family. Subsequently the grandmother shows characteristics as if she were a follower. â€Å"The next morning the grandmother was the first one in the car, ready to go† (O’ Connor 345). At this moment in the story, her movement shows that she has been ignored and becomes the first one to get ready as if she has been forced to do so. In spite of knowing that her son Bailey doesn’t like taking cat onto their trips, she hides her cat, Pitty Sing, into the basket. †¦ and underneath it she was hiding a basket with Pitty Sing, the cat, in it† (O’Connor 345). She is avoiding her son and doesn’t want to leave the cat home alone. At the end of the story, the grandmother shows a very obvious selfishness act where is only concerned about her life only and shows zero concern about the rest of the family. When the family encounters the Misfit and his gang, the grandmother recognizes him as the Misfit. â€Å"I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! I know you come from nice people! Pray! Jesus, you ought not to shoot a lady. I’ll give you all the money I’ve got! † (O’Connor 355). She is pleading the Misfit for her life only by saying the word lady repeatedly and offering him the money. She is also praising the Misfit by calling him a good man and trying to save her life. She was also careless about her family. When her family is taken down into the woods, she continues to talk to Misfit. She ignores the sound of when her son and rest of the family were being shot. She is apparently oblivious to many things. She was ignoring everything but the Misfit. â€Å"The shirt came flying at him and landed on his shoulders and he put it on. The grandmother couldn’t name what the shirt reminded her of† (O’Connor 354). The grandmother doesn’t even realize that shirt was her son Baileys. She had no interest in knowing where that shirt came from and what happened to my family. For the concern of her life only, she tries to persuade the Misfit the same way she tried with her family. â€Å"I know you’re a good man. You don’t look a bit like you have common blood. I know you must come from nice people! † (O’Connor 352). She is trying to manipulate the Misfit and hopes that he will bear her. She is thinking about no one else but the sake for herself. However she fails once again to influence the Misfit. One of her characteristics in the story is being a very pushy person. Even when she is not heard by her family, she continues to praise her homeland hoping that Bailey would change his mind still. After they had left The Tower, â€Å"a part-stucco and part-wood filling station and dance hall†¦ † (O’ Connor 348), the grandmother recapitulates â€Å"an old plantation that she had visited in this neighborhood once when was a young lady† (O’Connor 349). Regardless of the consequences, the grandmother finds an alternative way to manipulate Bailey for changing his route to the old house she wanted to see. She knew that Bailey would not be willing to lose anytime looking at an old house, but the more she talked about it, the more she wanted to see it once again† (O’Connor 349). She is being a very pushy person here trying to convince Bailey and makes it sound even interesting telling the children. â€Å"There was a secret panel in this house,â €  she said craftily, not telling the truth but wishing that she were, â€Å"and the story went that all family silver was hidden in it when Sherman came through but it was never found†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (O’Connor 349). The father concedes to visit the house after his kids start to yell and scream that they wanted to see the house with secret panels (350). She persuades the children about telling them a secret panel in the house which makes them grows their excitement even more in seeing it. However she is not telling the truth about the house but just making the children want to see it right away and would compel their father to take them there. She is not only being pushy to Bailey but also to the children. She seeks a way to gain Bailey’s attention. â€Å"It’s not far from here, I know,† the grandmother said. â€Å"It wouldn’t take over twenty minutes† (O’Connor 350). The grandmother later realizes that the house with secret panels she told the children is in Tennessee not in Georgia. Her desire to visit the old house from childhood results in an accident when her cat Pitty Sing sprang onto Bailey’s shoulder (350) losing the control of the car and resulting into an accident. If the grandmother had not pushed her son to detour to see the old house, which she later realized was in Tennessee not in Georgia, they wouldn’t have met with an accident. She is the cause of her entire family when they encounter the Misfit and his gang who shot everyone at the end of the story including the grandmother. Throughout the story, her various remarks reveal that she wants to achieve only for the benefit of her own and won’t let anything come in her way. At the end, during her conversation with the Misfit, the grandmother says that she knows him from good people trying to save her own life. She carried out herself as a very selfish person especially at the end of the story. In my opinion she remained a static character as her characteristics didn’t transform. She remains egocentric throughout the story and seeks to gain everything that will benefit her only. The grandmother shows various personality traits that brings families down fall at the end of the story. Her act of selfishness shows when she tells her son Bailey the benefit of taking their children to Tennessee. She wants the children to visit different part of world and be broad. But truthfully, only she will gain everything by going on vacation in Tennessee. She persuades her family by stating that this trip could be an educational experience for the children. As the story ends, she faces a death as her punishment for self-serving doings. Along with her, the entire family faces with death. Works Cited Updike, John. â€Å"Pygmalion. † Literature for Composition. 8th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. Print.