Leadership Assumptions

Leadership entails enormous responsibility. To become an effective leader, one has to possess the right characteristics and implement only the right principles. However, an accurate description of a leader is yet to be determined. In fact, there are a number of faulty assumptions when it comes to what an outstanding leader really is. And these faulty assumptions, if applied to certain scenarios could actually be destructive.   It is then very important for a potential leader to determine these assumptions so as not to apply them in their managerial processes. The first faulty assumption is the idea that the development and use of one’s charisma is good enough trait to become an outstanding leader. While it is true that charisma alone may allow a leader’s subordinate to follow relentlessly, it is the be all and end all trait to ensure good leadership. Charismatic leadership may be responsible for a very remarkable impact that leaders have on their followers, but leaders should strive to use charisma with innate leadership and decision making skills in order to be successful in their respective fields (Bedell, et al 2006). The extraordinary gifts, vision, problem solving skills, and even the repeated success of the leader are all going to be important and are also used as a basis to determine whether or not the leader had effectively guided his group towards the right course. Charismatic leadership is all about vision. This means the greatness of a charismatic leader is based entirely on the way he percieves his members and the way his members percieves him. That principle alone is not sufficient. A leader that is equipped with a good vision for his organzation and a harmonious relationship with his members should also be able to make the right decisions and execute the proper solutions to problems as well. The mere use of charisma is not going to be enough (Bedell, et al 2006). Another false assumption when it comes to leadership is the idea that the possession of transformational characteristics is all that is required to lead. Transformational leadership corresponds to the creation of job satisfaction, as well as leader satisfaction among subordinates. It is also the principle that stimulates follower motivation that brings about superior group performance. These are all evident in transformational leaders because its principles allow all members to percieve their leaders as somebody exceptional purely due to their excellent job performace and overall effectiveness (Judge, 2004). But even if this is the case, transformational leadership alone is not the backbone of an efficient leader. It is a big part of a good leader without doubt, but it is definitely not all of it. Actually, transformational leadership is only the outcome of transactional leadership. This will further prove that transactional leadership is not a concept that works in direct opposition to transformational leadership. To differentiate the two, transactional leadership pertains to a leader’s ability to provide contingent rewards to members and manage his subordinates by being both exception-active and exception-passive. The false assumption behind transformational leadership can then be corrected by directly applying the concepts behind transactional leadership so that the two principles merge in complete harmony with each other. Transformational leadership should be practiced on the foundation of transactional leadership – for an outstanding leader possesses both the characteristics of a transformational leader and a transactional leader (Judge, 2004). But then again, both transformational and transactional leadership is not everything that a leader should be composed of. Authentic transformational and transactional leadership should be based on ethics as well (Kanungo, 2001). There should be some sort of a moral foundation as far as the views, action, and ideas of the leader are concerned. Although the morals of transactional and transformational leaders are based on values entirely different to each other, the idea applied is still the same (Harland et al, 2005). Transformational leaders tend to have moral altruistic motives and organic worldview on the matters they have at hand. On the other hand, transactional leaders have mutual altruistic motives and an atomistic worldview. Transformational leaders have their pricinples grounded on deontological perspective while transactional leaders ground theirs on teleological perspective (Kanungo, 2001). These are three examples of false leadership assumptions. Therefore, to become a good leader, one needs to know and apply the intellectual, social, and emotional requirements that come along with the job. The intellectual prerequisites of a good leader correspond to the level of education he or she attained to acquire the right amount of knowledge so as to create only the right rules that the whole organization should follow (Smith et al, 2005). A leader should be both psychologically and intellectually capable of predicting, deciding, and acting in favor for the betterment of the organization. This metal capability can be achieved primarily through proper schooling and advanced studies. Ideally, the leader should have finished at least one distinctive degree that is very much related to the organization that he heads. Without proper schooling, the intellectual competence of the leader will be doubted not only by his direct subordinates, but the rest of the people who works around him as well. The emotional prerequisite of a leader corresponds to his ability to feel what’s good for the group and all its members. A leader should be human enough to understand the every situation that his organization and subordinates are in. He should be able to use not only his mind but his heart as well when it comes to formulating and enacting decisions for his own company or group. A leader who uses purely his mind while at work is cold. The one who uses his sentiment along with his mind is a better picture of a good leader. A leader should also be socially competent. This means he or she should be able to relate and interact with all his members in a fair and equal manner at all times. Social skills should both be learned and practiced so that its principles can be applied in a very efficient manner. Most organizations fail because the leaders are painstakingly unreachable by their own members. The leader then should always be the first one to create an air of warmth and in the process, produce a healthy social relationship among members. This ensures that all the members working relations are always at optimum levels. References Harland, L., Harrison, W., Jones, J., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2005). Leadership behaviors and subordinate resilience. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 11(2), 2. Judge, T. (2004, October). Transformational and transactional leadership: A meta-analytic test of their relative validity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 755-768. Kanungo, R. (2001, December). Ethical values of transactional and transformational leaders. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 18(4), 257. Smith, B., Montagno, R., & Kuzmenko, T. (2004, Spring). Transformational and servant leadership: Content and contextual comparisons. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 10(4), 80.         

How Robert Browning Portray’s Mood in ‘the Laboratory’.

‘The Laboratory’ Essay The subtitle to Robert Browning's poem â€Å"The Laboratory†, â€Å"Ancien Regime†, tells us that it is set in France before the revolution, when the act of women poisoning love rivals was very common. The poem is a dramatic monologue. The narrator appears to be a woman, a fact which is not apparent in the opening stanza, but becomes so as the poem develops. In the first stanza, the narrator is putting on a mask and watching the person in the laboratory through a haze of smoke: ‘thro' these faint smokes curling whitely'.She shows her naivety whilst putting on the mask, as she thinks she is protecting herself, and doesn’t think it can harm her. This shows us that she doesn’t think of the consequences of her actions. The narrator refers to the laboratory as ‘this devil's-smithy', which is the first sign that something sinister is going on. The final line of this stanza leaves us in no doubt of this, as the woma n asks, ‘Which is the poison to poison her, prithee? ‘ The repetition of ‘poison' emphasises its importance.The opening phrase of the second stanza, ‘He is with her,' suggests that the narrator has asked for poison to be concocted because she is jealous. It would seem that her lover has deserted her for another woman. She says that they think she is crying and has gone to pray in ‘the drear / Empty church'. The couple, meanwhile, are making fun of her, stressed by the repetition of ‘laugh' in line 7. The stanza closes with the brief phrase ‘I am here', emphasising the setting of the laboratory which is in such sharp contrast to the church.The phrase ‘Grind away' at the start of the third stanza shows the woman's eagerness for the chemist to make the poison. Browning brings the description alive by using alliteration in the phrases ‘moisten and mash' and ‘Pound at thy powder'. The narrator is not in a hurry and says she woul d rather watch the concocting of the poison than be dancing at the King's court. In the fourth stanza the narrator comments on the ingredients of the poison.The chemist is mixing it with a pestle and mortar, and the woman describes the gum from a tree as ‘gold oozings', giving the impression that it is both beautiful and valuable. She then looks at a blue liquid in a ‘soft phial', finding the colour ‘exquisite'. She imagines that it will taste sweet because of its beautiful appearance and is surprised that it is a poison. Stanza five begins with the narrator wishing she possessed all the ingredients, which she refers to as ‘treasures'. Browning uses ersonification to describe them as ‘a wild crowd', and the woman considers them as ‘pleasures', a sinister attitude to poisonous substances. The use of the adjective ‘invisible' means that just a tiny amount would be required. The narrator delights in the thought of being able to carry ‘pur e death' in any one of a list of small accessories, such as an earring or a fan-mount. In the sixth stanza the narrator turns her thoughts to how easy it will be at court to give ‘a mere lozenge', like a sweet, that will kill a woman in just half an hour.She names two women in this stanza, Pauline and Elise, and it is not clear if one of them is the current target of her jealousy and desire to murder. She delights at the thought of Elise dying, and Browning uses enjambment to create the list ‘her head / And her breast and her arms and her hands', perhaps because she is jealous of Elise's beauty. The seventh stanza opens with the sudden exclamation ‘Quick! ‘ and the narrator is now excited as the poison is ready. She then reveals her disappointment, however, as its colour is ‘grim', unlike the blue liquid in the phial.She hoped that it would make her intended victim's drink look so appetising that she would be encouraged to drink it. In the eighth stanza she is concerned about how tiny the amount of poison is: ‘What a drop! ‘ She says that the other woman is considerably bigger than her, and thinks that she ‘ensnared' or caught the man in her trap because of her size. The narrator is not convinced that the drop of poison will be fatal: ‘this never will free / The soul from those masculine eyes'. It will not be enough to stop the victim's pulse, which the narrator describes as ‘magnificent'.In the ninth stanza the narrator recounts, in lines using enjambment, how she had gazed at the other woman the previous evening when her ex-lover was with whispering to her. She had hoped that by staring at her she ‘would fall shrivelled'. This obviously did not happen, but the narrator knows that the poison will do its work. Stanza ten has slightly shorter lines than the others, and the narrator addresses the chemist directly. She knows that the poison will act quickly, but she does not want her victim to have an easy death: ‘Not that I bid you spare her the pain'.Browning uses alliteration in a cluster of three to describe how the narrator wants the other woman to suffer the effects of the poison, in the phrase ‘Brand, burn up, bite'. The stanza ends with the narrator commenting that her ex-lover will always have the memory of the pain on the dying woman's face, and she appears to relish this thought. The narrator asks the chemist if the poison is ready at the start of the eleventh stanza. She asks him to remove her mask and not to be ‘morose', or gloomy.The poison will be lethal for her victim, and she does not want the mask to stop her having a good look at it. She describes it with the alliterative phrase ‘a delicate droplet', and alliteration appears again as she comments ‘my whole fortune's fee! ‘ meaning that it has cost her everything she owns. In the closing line of the stanza, she wonders if she herself can be harmed by the poison, considerin g the effect it will have on her victim. The twelfth and final stanza begins with the narrator once again showing how much the poison is costing her.She tells the chemist ‘Now take all my jewels, gorge gold to your fill', and the alliteration in the phrase ‘gorge gold' adds emphasis. She shows her gratitude by telling the chemist, whom she addresses as ‘old man', that he may kiss her on her lips if he would like to. She asks him, however, to ‘brush this dust off' her, referring to traces of poison, as she is afraid it will harm her too: ‘lest horror it brings'. The poem ends as she proclaims that she will ‘dance at the King's! ‘ a triumphant announcement.Whether or not her victim dies from ingesting the poison, we do not know, but she shows no remorse and is obviously determined to go through with her murderous plan. Browning has given the lines of poetry an upbeat, fast-paced rhythm that convey the woman's excitement at the idea of poisonin g her victim. Browning has created a character who is totally ruthless and eaten up by jealousy, determined to carry out an act of revenge that will prove fatal to another woman, like Lady Macbeth’s ruthless ambition to become queen, despite the fact that she has to kill people to get to it.

Authentic Leadership Essay

Thus, one of the most important lessons on how to become an authentic leader is to be able to be one’s true self. It is about being uniquely yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. The fastest way to reach a point where one is comfortable in their own skin, is by searching deeply to understand and know who you truly are. Once you have discovered who you truly are, in order to be an authentic leader, you must endeavour to be that person who you know you have always been destined to be (Spence 2008). In order to give an understanding of how one becomes an authentic business leader, I have broken down the suggestions into ten components that authentic leaders must accomplish on a regular basis. This was the same approach taken by Spence (2008), and support of these action items is given from other articles. Always speak the truth An authentic leader must consistently speak the truth and this entails being clear, honest and authentic. This also means that you must have the strength of character to respond transparently to moral dilemmas because authentic leaders become ethical role models for their teams (Gardner and Schermerhorn 2004). A poll taken by Time/CNN some years ago reported that 71% of those polled felt that the typical CEO was less honest and ethical than the average person. A young leader must behave in a manner that makes them worthy of trust, reliance and belief in order to be deemed authentic. The leader must also be of the highest integrity and committed to building enduring organisations. A deep sense of purpose must guide their actions and they must always be true to their core values (George 2007). Integrity, stewardship and sound governance are essential. Human Resources Management BUSA 5059 (J. Ruwodo) Authentic Leadership Page 3 Author: Joy Ruwodo Date: Monday, May 25, 2009 Lead from the heart It is crucial that all leaders understand that they cannot run a business or organization on their own. People within the organisation are largely responsible for making the organisational clock tick. Thus, leadership is about people. In order to be an authentic leader, a leader needs to be able to make a difference to the lives of the people he serves and in so doing, make a difference to the world. You must be more interested in empowering the people you lead to make a difference than in money, power or prestige for yourself. You must be guided by qualities of the heart, passion and compassion, as well as by qualities of the mind (George 2007). A trait associated to compassion that a leader must have is empathy – the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives (Winfrey 2007). It is also vital to be willing to show vulnerability and to be open to corrective feedback which you can use to ensure continuous improvement for yourself (Geller 2007). Have a rich moral fibre Strength of character gives a leader a positive edge which can be recognised by anyone they interact with. A leader must be willing to work on their character and â€Å"walk the talk†. Such a solid character is more important than charisma. The leader’s public persona and private core must not be at odds, they must be aligned. Follow through is important. What is said in the public eye and what your corporate does must always tie up. Be courageous In order to become an authentic leader, one must be willing to do what is right always; even if it means going against the crowd.

Management stress Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management stress - Essay Example During this stage of stress response, the brain will send an emergency signal to other body parts letting them know of the dangerous situation the individual is facing. The individual can either choose a fight or flight reaction. For example, during a bank robbery, an individual may decide to ‘fight’ the robbers or run away from the scene ‘flight’. In an organizational setting, this phase does not usually affect the performance of an employee. This means that too little stress is unlikely to have an effect on the productivity of employees (Quick, Wright, Adkins, Nelson & Quick, 2013). At this stage, an employee will attempt to resist the stressor. This process is initiated so that the individual can regain balance. It is at this stage that the body puts up a fight, and the human body is likely to achieve its maximum activity levels. The body digs deep into its reserve, and an individual usually feels under pressure and is usually very anxious. According to the Yerkes-Dodson Law curve, it is at this stage that employees in an organization reach their peak performance. This goes to prove that people will usually work their best when under pressure. However, at this stage an individual’s body is usually very weak and is vulnerable to diseases due to a weakened immune system. At this stage, the human body is no longer able to cope with the stress and the body’s adaptive mechanisms collapse. At this stage, the stress is too much, and the body is usually unable to fight with the stressor. At this phase, an individual is usually tired, broken and exhausted. An individual is likely to have sleeping problems, raised blood pressure, digestive issues and is also at a higher risk of suffering from heart disease. Additionally, the individual may suffer from serious conditions like memory loss, mental illness and impaired judgment. The individual may break down due to feelings of

The Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Epic Of Gilgamesh - Essay Example Right from his birth, his adventures under the influence of Enkidu to his last days the readers find that there is always a divine connection in his actions and speeches. The relationship between Gilgamesh and gods can be compared with the relationship of Abraham and God in the Book of Genesis. In both the stories God has a sinifcant role to play in the development of the character. Epic of Gilgamesh goes on to prove that desire of God and destiny of man often comes in conflict. The clash between mortality and desired immortality heightens the tragedy of the epic poem. The prologue of the epic â€Å"Whoever you may be, governor, prince or anyone else, whom the gods may choose to exercise kingship† (George, xxxvi) comments that god has impartial view of mankind. In the poem Gilgamesh is portrayed with lot of glamor. The lines which denote his lordly appearnce and stature are: â€Å"Supreme over the kings, lordly in appearance/ he is the hero, born of Uruk, the goring wild bull†. (Kovacs, Tablet I) His appreciation is evident when it is said â€Å"Gilgamesh is awesome to perfection† His bravery and courage is reflected in the following lines: His physical greatness is complemented by his leadership abilities and his camaraderie with his fellow subjects; â€Å"He walks out in the front, the leader/ And walks at the rear, trusted by his companions/ Mighty net, protector of his people†. (Kovacs, Tablet I) The story of Epic of Gilgamesh is clasified into epsiodes namely a) the meeting of Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu, b) encouter with fickle and voluptuos goddess Shamhat, c) journey through the Cedar forest, d) death of Enkidu and e) search for immortality. The journey through the Cedar forest has high importance because Gilgamesh and Enkidu duo kills the monster Humbaba and also defeat the Bull of Heaven. Ishtar, the goddess of sex and warfare supervises their combats. Companion’s death urges him towards quest for life of eternity. Utnapishtim offers him a chance to

Written Assignment 2 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Written Assignment 2 - Term Paper Example More to this, the recruitment process does not allow for the integration of diverse skills as the organization considers employees from only two sources. Allowing managers to set their own interview questions introduces bias in the interview process, because the questions may not reflect the overall goals of the organization. The human resourced department also gets many interruptions from the other departments. The president, for example, influences the recruitment process, and managers dictate the payment terms of a number of employees. One of the major concerns in this company pertains to the recruitment of staff from two main sources. Given that one of the sources relate to the President’s former University, handling the issue may be a challenge, due to the involvement of top management in the recruitment process. Therefore, the director may be compelled to face the president intent on changing the unhealthy recruitment process. This practice inhibits diversity of the organization as it concentrates on two types of employees who have the same orientation, thus hindering creativity and innovation in the organization (Shaheen, 2010). Creativity and innovation in an organization boosts the competitiveness of an organization. Consequently, absence of such aspects in the organization may hinder the organization from reaching its potential. The second issue facing this company relates to the way employees get rewarded. Managers determine the compensation of some employees, without considering their education, experience, as well as geographic region. This results in imbalances in the reward system, which may hinder the morale of the workers when they compare their salaries with that of their peers (â€Å"Vanderbilt University†, 2014). Managers cause this problem by discriminating among employees. They favor a number of the employees at the expense of the others, which leads to internal inequity in the

Ethics & Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Ethics & Business - Essay Example In Mexico, it has been reported that workers are offered very little wages to an extent that they are forced to send their kids to offer labor in garment factories instead of going to school (Esbenshade, 2004, pp.4). This denies the young children from achieving their rights to education and forces them into the same torturing manual professions like their parents. The word â€Å"sweatshop† was first coined in the early 1900s i.e. during the industrial revolution. It was a term used to express the kind of abusive working situation several workers in Latin America used to and are still put to go through by middlemen who make an income off their sweat. For every pay a worker receives, there is a percentage that is taken by the middlemen. This percentage is what is said to be sweated from the laborer despite the fact that, they received minimal wages for disproportionate work, under unhygienic conditions. Basically, the greatest victim of sweatshops is often women. Under these wo rking conditions, these women’s right to wages that meet basic costs of living is violated; they live and work under substandard and hazardous working condition; they receive no compensation for overtime work; and also endure sexual harassment. In many instances, the women fall victim to this inhuman habit as they are lured by recruiters who promise heaven but only offer hell. Worse still, is the fact that in most instances, they pay lots of cash in recruitment and contractual fees that tie them up to commitments that would probably last for endless years. Some even go for several years without receiving even a single penny as they try to pay off their debts. Those who attempt to escape back home without meeting their contractual commitments are in most cases blacklisted or jailed. The laborers, who often are not quite familiar with their labor rights frequently, carry on with work even when their wages delayed for weeks. Some employers even lure the women into offering them sexual favor for better opportunities and wages, something that never comes to bare fruits (Hapke, 2004, pp.3). Global Corporations’ Perspective and Ethics Ethics among global corporations is a widespread issue that impacts not only in the economies of Latin America, but also the economies of other nations as well. In a time when technology has enhanced accessibility all across the world, the global economy is continually becoming more and more vital. Labor standards of the firms targeting foreign workers must aptly take into consideration the principal form of human rights, and the persona of both the individuals targeted as well as that of the company. When discussing ethics among global corporations, some of the key areas of debate include â€Å"extortion, moral norms and human rights† (Hapke, 2004, pp.3). The behavioral traits exhibited by firms in the hosting nations normally impact negatively on the economies and persons of both the targeted nation as well as the host firms doing business. Due to this, the ethical standards under which a company ought to operate under has been a source of extensive debate for a very long time. There are two fundamental ethical issues in human rights that need to be largely taken into consideration by global business players. First and foremost, is the question of whether global business players should carry out business in nations which consistently

Comparing Unethical versus Ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparing Unethical versus Ethical - Essay Example The leaders were ethical by showing courage and standing for what was right and by deciding to offer these bonuses to the executive in these conditions. Furthermore, AIG leaders showed respect to the executive by honoring their contract, and they strived for fairness, honesty and straightforwardness for the sake of these executives. Giving bonuses to the executives is a way of encouraging and developing them; hence, it is an indication of ethical leadership. Therefore, in this situation AIG leaders can be considered ethical by possessing these attributes, portrayed through the decision of giving bonuses to the executives. According to Kellerman and Matusak (4), participative leaders commit themselves as members of the team, whereby they discuss with the team members in the decision-making process. Therefore, they seek consensus in order to make the final decision. For example, a participative leader seeks a consensus during negotiations, whereby he or she settles at a deal after consulting with the other team members. On the other hand, the authoritarian leadership is known to dictate task and timelines for completing the assignment for group in order to achieve the set objective. For example, authoritarian leadership style can be applied during a crisis, when the leader has to take control of a situation. Nevertheless, these leaders do not involve members of the team in decision-making. Servant leadership focuses on leading through virtue aimed at satisfying the needs of the team members. Therefore, this leader establishes a form of democracy among the team members. For example, democratic leaders are keen to listen to the members of the team, whereby the members are given the chance to offer their ideas to the process of decision-making. Moreover, power is achieved by these leaders through values and ideals, though there are convictions that this style of leadership is behind other leadership styles. Stewardship style of

Global marketing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Global marketing strategy - Essay Example In the current decade international marketing has emerged as a booming platform that holds significance in daily life of customers. National boundaries or local regions are not restricted only to competitive forces. Firms operating in globalized economy can only be successful if they are responsive towards local and global market conditions. International marketing process comprises of various factors and companies need to develop strategies to encompass such factors. Skills of international marketing are an important aspect of every firm whether it is involved in different activities of exporting for the company or brand. Globalized market place has witnessed a sudden drift in the recent years due to emergence of trading standards, practices and techniques. There are wide array of market entry barriers witnessed by firms who plan to go global. This study shall outline such barriers and even portray a clear picture regarding two different market segments. Poundland is a variety store chain of United Kingdom that sells majority items in its store outlets at  £1. Stephen Smith and Dave Dodd had founded the company in 1990. The firm presently operates in more than 450 locations and comprises of 3000 kitchen ware, healthcare, home ware and gift products. It deals in 16 categories majority of which are clearance products or do not hold a brand name. This study would highlight the international expansion of Poundland into Japan and China. The major aim of this analytical study is to determine the market conditions of a developing and developed country. Japan and China has been selected as two markets where Poundland will expand its business. Both these countries comprise of certain opportunities for the variety store chain. In order to establish market position in a country it is essential to analyze its marketing environment. There is wide range of external forces that changes operating environment of a country. PESTEL analysis is basically

Critical Appraisal Essay Example for Free

Critical Appraisal Essay This exclusive practical session revolves around students attachment to family doctor or general practitioner. Beforehand, a sound understanding and distinguishable comparison between these two specialty is necessary to perform this task efficiently. Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and all parts of the body. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and community, emphasizing disease prevention and health promotion. According to the World Organization of Family Doctors, the aim of family medicine is to provide personal, comprehensive and continuing care for the individual in the context of the family and community. On the other hand, general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients. The good general practitioners will treat patients both as people and as a population. In some healthcare systems general practitioners work in primary care healthcare centers where they play a central role in the healthcare team. Nevertheless, in some models of care general practitioners work as single-handed practitioners. In conjunction with this block, I visited a local puskesmas to understand more about role of a general practitioner and family physician. Physical Access , Convenience and Facilities The clinic I was designated to is Puskesmas Danurejan I. The puskesmas is located in Bausasran, Danurejan in Yogyakarta. After being renovated and improvised since December 2011, Puskesmas Danurejan possesses new physical structure and more sophisticated facilities. Now, the puskesmas has a new building, whereas the ground floor serves as an infectious and non-infectious area. The puskesmas is almost 656 meter squared in size with general consultation rooms, dental consultation rooms, emergency room, pharmacy and laboratory fitted in the ground floor. On the other hand, the first floor serves as the supporting facility . This floor contains the office, hygiene and sanitation department and prayer room. This health center is located in the midst of housing estates, and therefore very accessible to those living within close proximity. The housing area is also densely populated, with numerous shops, public amenities which makes it a rather ideal and conducive stay. The puskesmas is open daily on weekdays and Saturdays from 7. 30am to 3. 00pm. The puskesmas also has a landline which makes it reachable for any prior information before the peoples visit. One distinct setback of the setting is that of, the signboard was unclear and hidden in tree branches. The direction guiding the visitors are vague and not specified. This may be inconvenient for anyone who is about to make their very first visit without prominently knowing the location. Furthermore, there were not enough parking lots near the puskesmas. The Waiting Room The waiting room is spacious, sufficient to fit about 20 patients at an instance with appropriate number of chairs provided. The cleanliness and tidiness of the waiting room is also well maintained . There were garbage bins provided. The ventilation of the room is also well considered as there are presence windows for good air movement. Huge healthcare pamphlets and banners are also seen in the waiting room, aimed educate and enlighten patients. A staff was bserved in the waiting area as she is assigned to take vital signs of the patients and direct them to the physician as their turn comes. As we were walking pass the waiting room, I noticed surreptitious gazes from the patients who were rather clueless of our enthusiastic presence with white coats. I managed to start a conversation with a few patients even before tending to the consultation room for observation. Patient Load and Examination Room The patients who visit this puskesmas are mostly from the community living within close proximity to the center. Apparently, the densely populated housing estate are attracted to the recently renovated health center. The health center receives a generous average of 40 patients daily, most probably due to the satisfactory health care received and affordable charges. The examination room is rather small but sufficient to carry out basic physical examination, equipped with racks, table for physician and an examination bed. During my observation period, the physician received 5 patients. in which 3 of them were regular patients under controlled medications (hypertension and diabetes mellitus patients), with the other 2 having ordinary fever and viral flu. According to the doctor, most of his patients are children with acute illnesses and elderly patients facing chronic diseases. However, any serious medical complication which cannot be diagnosed or treated by the doctor is referred to the possible hospital. Physician-Patient Communication Based on my observation, the physician seemed to have mastered all crucial skills in order to provide the best for the patient. Firstly, I would like to discuss about the primary care management of the physician towards the patient. The doctor successfully connects with the patient via good communication and interpersonal skills, and subsequently put the patient at ease to express his complaints and condition. Therefore, the physician is able do deal competently with the problems presented to her. Even though the physician I observed has just completed internship, she has an amazing person centered care towards each of her patient. She understands and relates her patients as individuals and developed the ability to work in partnership. The physician encountered various different cases involving different ranging from a myriad of genders, age group and illness. However, she applies specific problem-solving skills about the context-specific aspects of general practice and successfully dealt with undifferentiated illness and skills. The duration of consultancy was about 10 minutes per patient for chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes mellitus and the interaction process took about 5 minutes. Shortly after my observation, I managed to have a word with the physician. She explained to me that the key to a good family physician is the comprehensive approach. It is about how one as a physician must be able to co-ordinate care of acute illness, chronic illness, health promotion and disease prevention in the general practice setting. Not to forget, to respect and honor the patients for an impeccable physician-patient communication. Besides she emphasized the importance to keep patients informed about their condition, listen and respect their views about their health and respond to their question. Documentation and Medical Records The medical records are stored very systematically in the center. There is an allocated room with limited accessibility to keep all of the documents safely in order to avoid breach of confidentiality of the documents. Only the administration personnel are permitted to enter. As we were informed, the documents of the medical record has been computerized using a programme called MedCis System. However, the manual means are still practiced in the physicians desk. The information is then transferred by the administration personnel. The medical record on the hysicians desk is a piece of white-colored paper with patient identity particulars such as name, age, gender, registration number, and consultation date at the top. The remainder of the page is filled up by writing by the doctor himself, which are anamnesis, medical history, drug allergies, vital sign results, physical examination results, diagnosis, treatment and prescription. By the implementation of the computerized system, loss of data due to natural disaster is prevented. Besides, the patients privacy and confidentially is recognised as the system is well secured, in the sense no changes of previous medical history is made possible. The system can only be viewed by physicians for follow-ups and patient himself upon request. Clinical Care Processes The overall process of treatment is very structured indeed. It begins with registration and recording of vital signs. Later, the patients are directed accordingly to the appropriate departments namely psychology, nutrition, general consultation and dental consultation. After receiving their treatment, they were to settle payments before collecting their prescription from the pharmacy. As per clinical care specifically, the physician has performed necessary procedures to diagnose and treat the patient. The physician accomplishes her role as a family physician very successfully. Her anamnesis was very detailed and intricate. She thoroughly skims the past medical history, medication history, and latest prescription before she proceeds further. Concerning chronic diseases of the elderly like hypertension, she initiated by asking the patient how did they feel lately and if there were any relieve or aggravation from their condition. As the temperature, height, weight, blood pressure, respiratory rate and pulse rate has been obtained earlier from the registration personnel, she proceeds with treatment and prescription. The physician prescribes simple generic medicine for the patient which was available in the pharmacy. As for the child, she performed basic physical examination as he complained of body ache. I also observed that treating an elderly person and a child requires different approach altogether. Obviously, they had to be nurtured with care and respect. The physician was seen to have given importance to personal safety by the usage of gloves, masks, and hand sanitizer. This is an undisputedly important step to prevent nosocomial infections in the health center. One setback that I observed was in terms of educating the patients. The physician only provided the patients with very minimal input and education. Payment There are several paying methods made feasible by the puskesmas to facilitate the patients, namely insurance coverage and direct payment. For instance, Jaminan Kesihatan Masyarakat, Jaminan Kesihatan Daerah, Jaminan Kesihatan Social, Jaminan Kesihatan Persendirian and Jaminana Kesihatan AKS. Patients who owns insurance coverage as mentioned need not make any payment, whereas those without pays an amount as low as RP5000. 00. However, the medications has to be purchased by the patients at their own expense. For the most part of my observation, the patients receives prescription of their medication to be purchased themselves in the pharmacies, unless generic medicines which are provided in the puskesmas. I could deduce that the charges are very affordable compared to that of private practices. Therefore, quality medical care is made accessible to everyone regardless of their economic background. This is indeed extremely favorable in reaching out to the needs of the people in an actively developing region. Discussion In the context of satisfactory health care, patients gratification is substantial. This explains why health care providers should make extraordinary efforts in providing the best achievable standards of health care. In the context of Indonesia, family medicine is developing slowly, however a clear structure and guideline for patients has not been constructed. On the other hand, due to limited number of specialist available, most specialists carry out private general practice outside their work hours. This may reduce the efficiency of the physicians due to stress and overwork. Moreover, the general practitioners training programme is not welcomed and well supported by the specialist because they are held in direct competitions with the general practitioners. Pertaining the clinical attachment, the physician tried their level best to provide appropriate health care to her patients despite the limited resources. However, there is also abundant room for improvement in terms of educating the patient about prevention of diseases and the effects of medication prescribed. Besides, the physician should have given more enlightenment when concerning lifestyle related iseases, because at all times, prevention is better than care. On the whole, the entire health care team should work on the regulations concerning controlled medication to avoid abuse and overuse. Another most crucial point in family medicine is the community orientation. Community orientation is about the physical environment of your practice population, the need to understand the interrelationship between health and social care, and the tensions that may exist between individual wants and needs and the needs of the wider community. As a conclusion, holistic approach is about your ability to understand and respect your patients’ values, culture, family beliefs and structure, and understand the ways in which these will affect the experience and management of illness and health. I am very contented to be granted an opportunity for this clinical attachment. This would, in time, help me in my future endeavors as a doctor.

Bangladesh Liberation War: Conflict Analysis

Bangladesh Liberation War: Conflict Analysis Conflict Analysis Case Study –Bangladesh Liberation War Background and Internal Factors West Pakistan had four provinces: â€Å"Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and the North-West Frontier.† Province number 5 was East Pakistan, and it was the largest province out of all. West Pakistan had control over all the provinces, and used up most of the resources. â€Å"Between 1948 and 1960, East Pakistan made 70% of all of Pakistans exports, while it only received 25% of imported money. In 1948, East Pakistan had 11 fabric mills while the West had nine. In 1971, the number of fabric mills in the West grew to 150 while the number in the East went down to 26. About 2.6 billion dollars of resources were also shifted over time from East Pakistan to West Pakistan. Although East Pakistan had the largest population among all the provinces, it had much less political power than West Pakistan. Although the economy was an issue, there was also the issue of language that caused East Pakistan and West Pakistan to have dispute for several years.† (bdallinone) In 1948, Mohammad Ali Jinnah announced that Urdu was the official language for Pakistan. However, this was not fair because only the people in the West and the Bihari’s in the East spoke Urdu. Majority of the West Pakistanis spoke Punjabi and Sindhi, while East Pakistanis spoke Bangali. Therefore, East Pakistan was against the movement of Urdu being the official language for Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Awami League (top political party in support of East Pakistan), wanted more economic and political power, all of these political changes resulted in the war of independence. The war involved two parts of Pakistan: East Pakistan VS West Pakistan in a war for liberation and freedom from West Pakistan. The war lasted throughout March 26th – December 16th 1971. The Pakistan Army began a genocide called â€Å"Operation Searchlight† by attacking the innocent Bangaladeshi’s of Dhaka city (Dhaka is the capital city of the province Bengal). The Pakistani army massacred 40,000 Bengali people, whether they be poets, teachers, police officers, etc and ignited a brutal war against the Bengalis of East Pakistan to stop them from being independent. They also invaded homes and held families on gun point, burned down schools, destroyed sacred architecture and purposely ruined 80% of agriculture lands, which caused Bangladesh to be in a famine. They killed sons and daughters and raped women and the West Pakistani army got away with ALL these crimes, and nothing was accounted for until at least 30 years ago, when activists convinced the police department to open up old cases. East Pakistan didn’t have an army since it was not yet officially a country, so they were just a group of freedom fighters. Eventually, India joined in to support East Pakistan’s Freedom Fighters, and then they formed the Mukhti Bahini, which translates to The Liberation Army. They used the guerrilla method and just basic armed forces, which they got from the support of the Indian Army, and through a lot of gruesome war, they eventually fought until they gained their liberation, and Bangladesh was declared an independent nation. The West Pakistani government was not willing to make peace with the East Pakistani government due to political differences such as political power due to economic, language and racial issues, since West Pakistan was considered one large province, the politicians that were on the West Side did not allow East Side of Pakistan to develop their own stable government since the East Side always got outweighed. External Factors Throughout the war, there was involvement from several other countries such as India. India played an active role. Indira Gandhi (Prime minister of India) wanted to protect Bangladesh. Since India had a lot of protection (bombs, nuclear weapons, great military), they â€Å"mounted a three-pronged movement on Dhaka from the Indian province West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura. The Indian soldiers, Air Force, and Navy defeated the Pakistani army, while the Bangladeshi Navy helped India. On the ground, three groups of Mukti Bahini and Indian forces fought the Pakistanis. The Pakistanis attempted to fight back and they did not give up, but failed to resist them and ended up surrendering† (Murtala Sadeh) This surrender was the largest surrender from an army since World War 2. This was not a proxy war because the East Pakistan and West Pakistan communicated directly with each other, and did not use any other source to have the war fought for them; they fought on each other’s land. International Response: United Nations Pakistan’s plan to invade and bomb India’s land got the United Nations involved, and they stepped in and tried to force India to agree to a cease-fire. The â€Å"UN Security Council† came together on December 4 1981 to talk about the situation and find any possible way of making peace. After much convincing and long discussions, on 7 December, the United States came up with the idea for an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal of troops. Stalinist Russia rejected the resolution twice. In light of the Pakistani atrocities, Britain and France restrained and kept their distance from the situation. The Indian army quickly overran the country. Pakistani forces were unable to effectively fight the brutal attacks, since â€Å"they had been deployed in small units around the border to counter guerrilla attacks by the Muhkti Bahini. Unable to defend Dhaka, the Pakistanis surrendered on 16 December 1971, the largest surrender since the Second World War. Bangladesh gained adm ission to the UN with most voting in its favour, but China rejected this as Pakistan was its key ally, as was the United States, which was one of the last nations to accord Bangladesh recognition. United States of America â€Å"The US administration feared that an Indian invasion of West Pakistan would mean the domination of the region by Stalinist Russia. That, in turn, would seriously undermine the global position of the US and the regional position of America’s new tacit ally, China. In order to demonstrate to China the reliability of the US as an ally, and in direct violation of the US Congress-imposed sanctions on Pakistan, Nixon sent military supplies to Pakistan, shipping them through Jordan and Iran. China was encouraged to increase arms supplies to Pakistan†. (Wikipedia) The Nixon government completely uncared for the reports it received of the genocidal and brutal activities that the Pakistani Army was getting involved in (to dominant the Bengalis), including all the deaths of innocent Bangali’s and all of the rapes. However, Russia supported the Indian army and Mukti Bahini during the war because they knew that the independence of Bangladesh would make their rivals weaker. It also assured India that if the US or China tried invading India, Russia would have their back. Therefore, the Indo-Soviet friendship treaty was signed in August 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War. When Pakistan’s defeat was obvious, â€Å"Nixon sent the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, to the Bay of Bengal, a move which ratcheted up nuclear tensions in the region. USS Enterprise arrived on station on 11 December 1971. On 6 and 13 December, the Russian navy sent out two groups of ships, armed with nuclear missiles, from Vladivostok. They trailed the US task force in the Indian Ocean from 18 December until 7 January 1972. At the end of the war, the Warsaw Pact countries of Central and Eastern Europe were the first to recognise Bangladesh as an independent country.† (Wikepedia) Stalinist Russia gave credit to Bangladesh on 25 January 1972. The United States also eventually gave them credit in April. â€Å"On 2 July 1972, the Simla Accord was signed between India and Pakistan, which stated the goal to normalise relations between India and Pakistan, including the return of Pakistani prisoners of war. Pakistan officially recognised Bangladesh in 1974†. (Wikiped ia) China Since China is an ally of Pakistan, the Peoples Republic of China reacted with productively towards situation in East Pakistan and the prospect of India invading West Pakistan. They know that an Indian attack was about to happen, so Richard Nixon (President of U.S.A) encouraged China to gather together its armed forces along India’s border. The Indian Army was prepared and had deployed eight mountain divisions to the â€Å"Sino-Indian border to guard against such an eventuality.China instead threw its weight behind demands for an immediate ceasefire.† (Wikipedia) When Bangladesh wanted a place to get involved in the United Nations in 1972, China rejected their application because of two United Nations resolutions regarding the repatriation of Pakistani prisoners of war and civilians had not yet been implemented.† (Wikipedia) China was one of the last countries to recognise the liberation of Bangladesh and denied to until 31 August 1975. Effect of Temperature on Plant Physiology | Experiment Effect of Temperature on Plant Physiology | Experiment Abstract The physiological processes of many organisms are sensitive to temperature. In order to see this effect of temperature, we examined the heart rate of a Daphnia magna over a range of different temperatures. Being an ectothermic animal, the Daphnias body temperature is dependent on water temperature. It was hypothesized that since most physiological processes are faster at higher temperatures, the Daphnias heart rate will be faster at higher temperatures and slower at low temperatures. This was, in fact, true and a pattern was evident which showed that heart rate increased as temperature increased. The Q10 was high at higher temperatures which show elevated sensitivity at higher temperatures. Clearly, Daphnia have an optimal temperature range outside which they do not function to their full potential. A Daphnias heart rate, then, was proved to be dependent on temperature. Introduction Daphnia magna is a widespread freshwater zooplankton. Since Daphnia are ectothermic animals, their body temperature fluctuates with environmental temperature. Hence, these animals are ideal to study the effects of temperature. Most such animals function well at certain specific temperatures. They have an optimal temperature range, outside which they are unable to perform physiological processes effectively (Lamkemeyer et al. 2003). It is believed that most physiological processes take place more rapidly at higher temperatures and that changes in temperature can influence physiological rates (Ziarek et al. 2010). In order to investigate this, we questioned whether the heart rate of a Daphnia is different at different temperatures. Q10, which is the temperature sensitivity of a reaction, was a useful tool. We hypothesized that the Daphnia will have different heart rates at different temperatures and hence that temperature will affect heart rate. It was also hypothesized that Q10 will d iffer at different temperatures. This hypothesis was tested by exposing the Daphnia to different water temperatures, letting it equilibrate to the water temperature and counting its heart beat in a systematic way. Since most physiological processes increase at higher temperatures, we predicted that if the temperature is higher (close to 35 °C) then the heart rate of the Daphnia will be faster and if the temperature is low (close to 5 °C) then it would be slower. In addition, we predicted that Q10 will be higher at low temperatures and lower at high temperatures. In view of the fact that Daphnia had an optimal temperature range, it would be understandable if the Daphnia was more sensitive to temperatures outside this range and consequently reacted by altering its heart rate. Methods A Daphnia was placed on a small smear of Vaseline on the bottom of a culture dish (Olaveson and Rush 2011). Aged water at room temperature was added to the dish. Five minutes were allowed for the Daphnia to adjust to the water temperature and the temperature of the water was measured and recorded. Under a dissecting microscope, the Daphnia was placed and the 4X lens were used to locate the heart and count the heartbeats. The number of beats was counted over a 10 second period which was followed by a 10 second pause in counting and then 10 seconds of counting again. In order to get 9 measurements of the heart rate, this pattern was repeated for 3 minutes. Then, ice and water were mixed in a beaker to make a water mixture between 5 °C to 10 °C. To replace the tap water in the culture dish with chilled water, a Pasteur pipette was used. Five minutes were allowed for the Daphnia to reach equilibrium and then the heart beat was counted to obtain 9 measures of heart rate (heartbeats/ 1 0 seconds). The values were recorded. The temperature was then increased in 5 °C increments till 35 °C and heart rate was measured at each point. Small amounts of the colder water were replaced with the warmer water (obtained from a water bath) till the desired temperature had been reached. Five minutes were always allowed for equilibration and using the same method, 9 measures of heart rate were recorded. The 9 estimates of heart rate taken at each temperature were used to find the average heart rate at each temperature. These values were entered into an excel document by all students and later used for analysis. Results Statistical analysis and data processing shed light upon the effect of temperature on the heart rate of a Daphnia. The Statistical t test analysis proved that the Ho could be rejected for all the three tests proving that temperature does have a significant effect on the heart rate of a Daphnia. The Q10 as well as the average heart rates at different temperatures provided evidence that supported the hypothesis that temperature would affect Daphnia heart rate too. At the temperature interval of 4 °C to 14 °C, the Q10 was found to be 1.31 (Table 1). Although this was not the highest Q10 value and hence not the most sensitive temperature interval, a decrease in heart rate was evident at the lower temperature of 4 °C compared to other higher temperatures (figure 1). The heart rate at 4 °C was found to be 106.74 beats per minute where as the heart rate at 14 °C was 140.10 beats per minute. The significant decrease in heart rate at 4 °C compared to heart rate at the ambient temperature (24 °C) was supported by the t test analysis (sample t statistic: 14.3938; critical t statistic:1.978; df:136; p = 0.05). The temperature interval from 14 °C to 24 °C showed increased sensitivity (Q10:1.40). This indicated the increase in heart rate at 24 °C compared to lower temperatures (figure 1) and was supported by the t test analysis as the Ho (hypothesis that no change in heart rate would be evident) was rejected (t statistic: 8.6519; criti cal t statistic:1.978; df:136; p = 0.05). During the temperature interval from 24 °C to 34 °C, the highest Q10 was noted (table 1). This sensitivity to high temperatures was obvious when heart rates at the two temperatures were compared (heart rate at 24 °C: 196.32 beats/min; at 34 °C: 277.92 beats/ min). The H0 was hence rejected (t statistic: 9.7792; critical t statistic: 1.978; df: 136; p = 0.05). All the three tests provided evidence that suggested that temperature had an effect on the Daphnias heart rate. At higher temperatures, the heart rate was faster and at lower temperatures, it was slower. Generally, as temperature increased so did the Daphnias heart rate (figure 1). Discussion All organisms have an optimum temperature range over which they function best. Consequently, at certain temperatures, the physiological processes of a Daphnia magna are at its utmost potential. Some hypothesized that Daphnia optimize their fitness by allocating the time spent in the different habitats depending on the temperature gradient (Kessler Lampert, 2004). Hence, evidently temperature has an effect on the performance of a Daphnia. Specifically, as hypothesized, temperature affected the heart rate of Daphnia. It was noticed that the Daphnias heart rate increased at higher temperatures (close to 34 °C) and decreased at lower temperatures (close to 5 °C). Since Daphnia are ectothermic, their body temperature varies with environmental temperature. Since Daphnia cannot thermoregulate, their body temperature experiences variance following à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uctuations in the environment (Ziarek et al. 2010). Hence as the temperature of the water increased, so did the Daphnias heart rate. The data supported this prediction. This is simply because most physiological processes take place more rapidly at higher temperatures. In addition, research has shown that increases of heart rate by significant values were measured in D. Magna as a function of temperature (Paul et al. 2004). One reason why the heart rate of Daphnia increases with temperature would be because less oxygen is present in the warmer water. Consequently, lack of oxygen could result in insufficient amount of oxygenated blood and hence the heart would have to work harder to pump blood around the body. For this purpose, it makes sense that the heart rate would increase. Very little research has been done about oxygen levels at different temperatures and Daphnia heart rates and perhaps more such research will provide more clarity on this topic. The little research that has been done, though, suggests that a reduced aerobic scope allows only time-limited survival at temperatures outside the optimal ran ge (Lamkemeyer et al. 2003) in organism such as Daphnias. Other research has also shown that high temperatures increase a Daphnias metabolic rates by increasing their heartbeat rates (MacArthur Baittie, 1929), and consequently their oxygen demands (Ziarek et al. 2010). It is also important to note that although it was predicted that Q10 would be higher at low temperatures and lower at high temperatures, the data did not support this prediction. The opposite, in fact, was evident. At higher temperatures the Q10 was higher and at lower temperatures it was lower. This could be possible merely because the Daphnia was more sensitive to changes in temperature at higher temperatures. It could also be possible that Q10 was higher at higher temperatures because of other errors. For instance, when the ice was added to the water in order to obtain low water temperatures (5 °C), it was difficult to obtain the exact temperatures. Although the temperature obtained (about 8 °C) was lower than room temperature (or ambient temperature), it is possible that it wasnt low enough to trigger major physiological changes. A significant fact to keep in mind is that since temperatures are increasing due to global warming, water temperatures are going to increase as well . This could lead to problems for organisms such as Daphnia which cannot function well outside of their optimal temperature range. It has been suggested that rising temperatures associated with global warming present a challenge to the fate of many aquatic organisms (Doorslaer et al. 2009) In conclusion, Daphnia heart rate is affected by temperature and tends to increase at high temperatures and decrease at low temperatures.

A Good Neighbor Essay -- Public Relations Essays

A Good Neighbor When it came time to write a Presentation paper for my Comm 235 course on a company's public relations program, I was able to write on the one I've played a key role in developing for my company. Needless to say, I liked the opportunity to brag a little. U.S. Group, Inc. is a general contractor managing residential, commercial, and road construction projects across South Carolina. In a field not known for having good community relations, U.S. Group has developed a public relations program to keep the public informed about its five multi-million dollar road construction projects: State Route 802 in Beaufort, the interchange of U.S. Route 378 and I-26 in Columbia, College Park Road in Ladson, State Route 219 in Newberry, and the interchange of U.S. Route 17-A and I-26 in Summerville. The company’s public relations program centers around three approaches: direct public communications, media communications, and the use of the Internet to supplement its public and media communications, and is overseen by an on-staff public relations specialist working out of the company’s Lowcountry regional office in Summerville. With a background in advertising, political, and Internet communication, Earl Capps, the company’s public relations specialist, manages the company’s public and media communications program. Greg Cook, the company’s Lowcountry Regional Manager, describes the program as part of the company’s â€Å"Good Neighbor† philosophy towards community relations, whose objective at to â€Å"keep the public more informed, reduce conflicts by being more pro-active in the release of information, and improve the image of U.S. Group (Cook).† Direct public communications ... ...ys Austin (Austin). While U.S. Group’s approach to public relations may not yet be the norm in the road construction industry, the motoring public can rest assured the company remains committed to its public relations program as part of its â€Å"Good Neighbor† philosophy. SOURCES CITED Austin, Robin. South Carolina Department of Transportation, Traffic Engineering office. Email interview on 20 June 2003. Capps, Earl. Media Coordinator, U.S. Group, Inc. Personal narrative. Cook, Greg, P.E. Regional Manager, U.S. Group, Inc. Email interviews on 19 June 2003, and follow-up in-person interview on 20 June 2003. Hicks, Jim. Chairman, Beaufort County Planning Commission. Email interview on 17 June 2003. RCIO: Road Construction Information Online. http://www.collegeparkroad.com, http://www.sc802.com, and other project websites. U.S. Group, Inc. A Good Neighbor Essay -- Public Relations Essays A Good Neighbor When it came time to write a Presentation paper for my Comm 235 course on a company's public relations program, I was able to write on the one I've played a key role in developing for my company. Needless to say, I liked the opportunity to brag a little. U.S. Group, Inc. is a general contractor managing residential, commercial, and road construction projects across South Carolina. In a field not known for having good community relations, U.S. Group has developed a public relations program to keep the public informed about its five multi-million dollar road construction projects: State Route 802 in Beaufort, the interchange of U.S. Route 378 and I-26 in Columbia, College Park Road in Ladson, State Route 219 in Newberry, and the interchange of U.S. Route 17-A and I-26 in Summerville. The company’s public relations program centers around three approaches: direct public communications, media communications, and the use of the Internet to supplement its public and media communications, and is overseen by an on-staff public relations specialist working out of the company’s Lowcountry regional office in Summerville. With a background in advertising, political, and Internet communication, Earl Capps, the company’s public relations specialist, manages the company’s public and media communications program. Greg Cook, the company’s Lowcountry Regional Manager, describes the program as part of the company’s â€Å"Good Neighbor† philosophy towards community relations, whose objective at to â€Å"keep the public more informed, reduce conflicts by being more pro-active in the release of information, and improve the image of U.S. Group (Cook).† Direct public communications ... ...ys Austin (Austin). While U.S. Group’s approach to public relations may not yet be the norm in the road construction industry, the motoring public can rest assured the company remains committed to its public relations program as part of its â€Å"Good Neighbor† philosophy. SOURCES CITED Austin, Robin. South Carolina Department of Transportation, Traffic Engineering office. Email interview on 20 June 2003. Capps, Earl. Media Coordinator, U.S. Group, Inc. Personal narrative. Cook, Greg, P.E. Regional Manager, U.S. Group, Inc. Email interviews on 19 June 2003, and follow-up in-person interview on 20 June 2003. Hicks, Jim. Chairman, Beaufort County Planning Commission. Email interview on 17 June 2003. RCIO: Road Construction Information Online. http://www.collegeparkroad.com, http://www.sc802.com, and other project websites. U.S. Group, Inc.

School Uniforms Are an Important Tool To Allow Students To Learn Withou

The before school arguments over what to wear, and the ridiculous pricing of fashionable brand clothing, have become a harsh reality to many parents and their children. Because children feel a deep need to fit in with their peers, they face the never ending contest of comparison and stereotypes. On the other hand, many students do not have families that can provide them with the newest, sought after clothing and struggle to do so even when getting clothes from thrift stores and hand me downs. At the same time, in some schools gang signs and gang related clothing can be an issue, as well as fights and violence. Studies have shown that school uniforms are a solution to these problems that affect student interaction and productiveness in school. Therefore, school uniforms allow students to learn without distractions and should be readily available to all. To begin with, school uniforms are an economical choice for all school districts. Often, school uniforms are seen as an inexpensive alternative and better option for families to provide school appropriate clothing. In addition, most parents prefer purchasing uniforms than having to buy the latest expensive retail fashions for their children (Walmsley). Also, utilizing school uniforms have proven to lower costs of clothing. For example, a paper presented by Michael Firmin, Suzanne Smith, and Lynsey Perry during the 16th Annual Ethnographic and Qualitative Research in Education Conference, shows that many parents of students think that school uniforms would lessen overall clothing expenses over time (Konheim-Kalkstein). In other words, this proves that apparel expenses will likely decrease greatly over time, saving families’ from an other expenditure. In conclusion, school uniforms he... .... Imagine a learning environment where violence is never a threat and all students feel equal and empowered to succeed. This is possible with the simple addition of school uniforms, which can change a struggling school from the inside out. Works Cited Konheim-Kalkstein, Yasmine L. "A Uniform Look." American School Board Journal Vol. 193, No. 8. Aug. 2006: 24-27. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Oct 2012. Viadero, Debra. "Uniform Effects?." Education Week Vol. 24, No. 18. Jan. 12 2005: 27-29. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Oct 2012. Walmsley, Angela. "What the United Kingdom Can Teach the United States About School..." Phi Delta Kappan. Mar 2011: 63-66. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Oct 2012. Wilder , Larry, and Scott Key. "Pros and Cons of School Dress Code." Fresno Pacific University. Fresno Pacific University School of Education. , 11 2007. Web. 29 Oct 2012.

What Governments Are Not Essay -- essays research papers

;What Governments Are "Not" In this essay I will be comparing the three economic systems: Communism, Capitalism and Socialism and will explain differences and similarities along with illustrations of each system. Communism is an economic system where the government owns and operates the means of production and distribution. It is also known as a command system because individuals cannot succeed others, the government controls all. Capitalism is an economic system where private individuals own and operate the means of production and distribution. People have the freedom to own, choose, compete and earn a living but with little or no government help. They have the freedom to own, choose, compete and earn a living. Socialism is a mixed market economic system. The basic means of production is managed and owned by the government, with the public owning and operating many businesses. Cooperation is stressed over competition, goals are high standard of living and economic security and high taxes provide free health care and education. In communism the government controls the market while in capitalism private individuals own and control the market. Socialism is a mix of the two because the government owns and controls production but with public owning and operating many businesses. In all three systems the lack of competition hurts the quality of goods and profits go down. So...

Is the Importance of Being Earnest a Satirical Play? Essay

With the definition of a satire being, ‘the use of humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity’, it is ludicrous to even propose that The Importance of Being Earnest is anything other than a satirical play, as the characters relishing in the upper class of the Victorian period unknowingly mock their own habits acquired to them due to the luxury they are spoilt with. Despite this, it is evident that the use of satire is feckless and lacks a moral point of view, in contrast with the moral point expressed through satire in other Victorian plays such as Mrs Warren’s Profession, which ‘exposes the corruption and hypocrisy of the ‘‘genteel’’ class’. Ergo, we acknowledge that the play is an ‘invention of a truly serious work of triviality has neither ancestors nor descendants’ and was unique to its genre at that period of time, yet the frivolousness of the plot results in à ¢â‚¬Ëœthe audience freely and genuinely laughs without quite being sure what it is laughing at’ – hence The Importance of Being Earnest is indisputably satirical, but a satire that has lost its sting. Lady Bracknell’s view of marriage is expressed through her account of visiting Lady Harbury, ‘I hadn’t been there since her poor husband’s death. I never saw a woman so altered; she looks quite twenty years younger’; she implies marriage is a burden and that life is only regained once freedom from marriage is embraced. Such opinions are heavily satirical and ironic as Lady Bracknell is herself married, and so by praising the widower she mocks herself. It is evident from this that Wilde is ridiculing the epitomes of the upper class and their absurd attitudes to marriage, however the ‘ridiculousness of portrayed by Wilde in the play, especially when the arranged marriage idea is summed up by Lady Bracknell, ‘An engagement should come on a young girl as a surprise, pleasant or unpleasant as the case may be’’ illustrates how deficit the satire is of a moral point of view, as Lady Bracknell continues to protest that Gwendolen will proceed with an arranged marriage despite the cruelness of her intentions. ‘The women are portrayed as sheltered, uneducated, and some as dominating figures over the men in their lives’ Jamie Crawford’s interpretation of the role of women in The Importance of Being Earnest alludes that the behaviour of the female characters is exceedingly antipodal to what would be expected in the Victorian era, ‘A wife’s duties to tend to her husband were considered crucial cornerstones of social stability by the Victorians’. There is strength to this argument as conveyed by Cecily’s language when addressing Algernon, ‘‘Oh don’t cough Earnest. When one is dictating one should speak fluently and not cough. Besides, I don’t know how to spell a cough†. The juxtaposition of Cecily instructing Algernon in order to appear domineering â€Å"Oh don’t cough Earnest† and her rebellion against receiving an education â€Å"I don’t know how to spell a cough† elaborates the unortho dox nature of the female characters Wilde has incorporated. Thereupon, Wilde’s portrayal of the relationships between men and women in The Importance of Being Earnest is majorly satirical of the conventional, as by reversing the roles of authority it derides the power men traditionally uphold over women. On the contrary, Robert J. Jordan implies Wilde’s use of satire when illustrating social differences between men and women has ‘lost it’s sting’ as the question suggests, by reason of ‘even if this satiric device is structural in the play it can hardly be a satire of great power, as the attitudes to women were modernising significantly at the period the play was written’. Consequently we observe Wilde’s failing in presenting a satirical view of women’s role in Victorian society – he was simply delineating the changes he perceived around him, thus supporting Eduoard Roditi’s interpretation and questioning whet her The Importance of Being Earnest belongs to a different genre of comedy. Previous to Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, Victorian comedies consisted mostly of high and low comedy and of ‘dirty or vulgar jokes, dirty gestures, and sex’. Hence, it is possible to suggest that contradictory to Edouard Roditi’s interpretation, the Importance of Being Earnest carries a moral point of view in the fact it does not exploit sex or sexual preferences to effectuate drollery; Wilde provokes laughter through mistaken identities and the consequences of ‘bunburying’ perhaps to allude that his opinions it that sexuality is not a laughing matter. Providing this interpretation is true, it is acceptable to assume that the reasoning behind the negative criticisms the drama received when first written were due to the fact critics felt appalled that a piece of writing could prove successful without it consisting of any sexual nature and hence deemed The Imp ortance of Being Earnest as, ‘dull in comparison to other plays read over the years’. Howbeit, some critics state that ‘the word â€Å"earnest† became a code-word for homosexual, as in: â€Å"Is he earnest?†, in the same way that â€Å"Is he so?† and â€Å"Is he musical?† were also employed’, suggesting that The Importance of Being Earnest is an expression of Wilde’s hatred for marriage and his fondness of homosexuality as he praises the idea of being Earnest’. This undoubtedly contradicts the idea that the drama is unique from other plays of it’s time in the fact it lacks sexual content, and indicates that whilst The Importance of Being Earnest may carry the ‘tone of satire’ as Roditi’s argument suggests, it incontrovertibly is a form of Blue Comedy, as the moral tone traditionally associated with satirical comedy is not present, Wilde is forcing his opinions on the reader without a sufficient moral behind his beliefs. The fact the Importance of Being Earnest consists of 3 acts implies a significant beginning, middle and ending where previous feuds have been resolved and each character is content. If we are to consider the drama as conforming to a ‘traditional’ Victorian play which ‘tended to be of an improving nature with a central moral lesson at heart’, what is evidently untraditional of The Importance of Being Earnest is the rewarding of characters that have committed wrong doings –supporting Edouard Roditi’s interpretation that the drama ‘lacks a moral point of view’. If we analogize The Importance of Being Earnest with An Ideal Husband, we note the significance of the final act of An Ideal Husband in delivering the moral that that the principles of Mabel and Goring’s relationship demand that they defy society and revolt against what is traditionally expected of a marriage in order to achieve happiness, a final act which The Importance of Being Earnest lacks. Accordingly, it was perhaps Wilde’ s intention to ensure that The Importance of Being Earnest was unique by refusing to incorporate morality in order to suggest that ‘true virtue is either dead, or is confined to the lower classes’, as supported by Algernon’s satirical comment, â€Å"They seem, as a class, to have absolutely no sense of moral responsibility†. The relationship between Algernon and his servant Lane is a further example of Wilde dismantling social norms by ridiculing potent characters in their own domiciles. Lane ignorantly mimics Algernon when they are discussing marriage, as despite Algernon’s evident refusal to discuss the matter Lane continues to revive the conversation, â€Å"Is marriage so demoralizing?†¦I have only been married once†¦ I don’t know that I’m interested in your family life.. No, Sir. It is not a very interesting subject†, a witty satire of the traditional relationship of servant and master. Nevertheless the idea that satire throughout The Importance of Being Earnest has effectively ‘lost it’s sting’ is still prevalent in the persiflage of Algernon and Lane, as Algernon is a character that severely lacks depth; he is regularly mentioned as eating in the drama, â€Å"Eating as usual I see, Algy!† which infers that he yearns for something to fill a chimerical emptiness, possibly the lack of permanent company in his life as supported by Adam Ruhland’s interpretation, ‘Algernon’s readiness to lie about his food consumption reveals that he is well aware that he eats other people’s food when he feels cornered, stressed, or sad’. The fact Algernon is ‘well aware’ of his reliance on food to provide comfort delineates his ignorant attitude towards love and marriage. It is Lane’s willingness to provide Algernon with food that brings about the lack of a moral point of view to their satirical relationship and supports Edouard Roditi’s interpretation, as he is perceptive and observes Algernon’s piteous behaviour yet refuses to encourage a change in him. ‘The Importance of Being Earnest is above all an exercise in wit. There is nothing to be learned from it, no moral, no message’ defines Wilde’s play perfectly; it is a pointless facade that attempts to provide a satirical view of Victorian society, yet due to the willingness of characters to obey the restrictions accompanied with belonging to the upper class, fails miserably. Characters such as Miss Prism and Chasuble suggest the existence of another life beneath Victorian correctness through their flirtatious mannerisms, â€Å"I shall see you both no doubt at Evensong?† yet their refusal to further the ir relationship due to evident class differences, â€Å"I think, dear Doctor† depicts how Wilde’s satirical element has most definitely ‘lost its sting due to lack of moral point of view’; as the characters adhere to the conventions mocked by the satire, diminishing its efficacity. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Oxford University Press Definitions – http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/satire [ 2 ]. http://www.enotes.com/mrs-warrens-profession [ 3 ]. Roger Sale – The Hudson Review, Vol.56, No.3– Being Earnest. Published Autumn 2003 [ 4 ]. Roger Sale – The Hudson Review, Vol.56, No.3– Being Earnest. Published Autumn 2003 [ 5 ]. Satire & Wit in Oscar Wilde – by Danielle N.Baxley, published 28th March 2010 [ 6 ]. Point, Counterpoint, Thrust: Wilde’s Pun Burying in The Importance of Being Earnest by Jamie Crawford. [ 7 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era [ 8 ]. Satire and Fantasy in Wilde’s ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ by Robert J. Jordan [ 9 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatre_in_the_Victorian_era – Theatre in the Victorian era published 18th February 2013. [ 10 ]. Samantha (Bookworms and Tea) – published March 29th 2011. [ 11 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest – Theo Aronson, Published 23rd Feb 2013. [ 12 ]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_literature – [ 13 ]. http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/earnest/background.htm – The Norton Anthology of English Literature: The Victorian Age, 2008. [ 14 ]. Adam Ruhland – The Role of Food in The Importance of Being Earnest [ 15 ]. The Importance of Being Earnest Review- Roger Ebert, May 24th 2002

How Do I Love They

A readers’s first guess at Elizabeth Barret Browning’s poem. â€Å"How I love thee† would be that it is a love poem. This assumption is correct as a love poem is a lyric, i. e. an expression of feelings, and thoughts by a speaker in a personal and subjective fashion. In this poem literary devices and language strongly used to assist the reader is the correct comprehension of the theme of the work. In this poem the theme is love. This theme is approached with a question, â€Å"How do I love thee? † This abrupt question is rhetorical. Let me count the ways,† The author is not going to literally count the number of ways that she loved this person, but she is attempting to define love, and her love for the other for the other person. The next few lines are descriptive. The author attempts and seemingly effectively explains the love that she feels. From the authors words readers can see that this love is real, and not an infactuation. Through out the poem Elizabeth uses examples to explain her love, she tries to symbolize her love with life happenings. I love they with the passion put to use In my old griefs. † At the conclusion of the poem Browning says â€Å"I shall love thee even better after death. † From the tone of this line it sounds as though she thinks that some how she has failed in her demonstration of love and promises to exhibition of her emotion greater after their death. Two of the literary devices used in this poem are point of view, and description. In this poem the point of view used is first person. This allows the reader to hear and feel the passion poem as directly and originally intended by the author. Through out the entire poem Browning is directly is directly telling her inner most feeling for another. It is not an observer telling how they think that she individual feels. The effective use of this literary device better helps reader’s relation to and interpretation of the poem. Another literary device used is description. This device is strongly used in the poem from line two onwards. Though the lady is seemingly unsuccessful in describing the love, description is still a major factor. † I love thee freely. As men strive for right. This description reveals that she loves him as strong as a person would struggle or push for his or her beliefs. In essense she is a martyr of her love for him. Language is another important element in the poem. Elizabeth’s skill with punctuation is this is evident though out her work. She has effectively used punctuation through out her poem to greatly aid the reader in their comprehending, â€Å"I love thee to the depth and breath and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being an ideal grace. The pause after reach is pertinent to the true meaning of the quote, a use of a period at that same spot would change the meaning of the poem to be the limits that her soul can reach at anytime due to any emotion. Whereas with the pause it reads the limits of her soul when she feels useless. Another example of punctuation is in the first line of the poem â€Å"How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. † The use of the question marks slightly throws the reader off. At this point the reader cannot know whether this is a rhetorical question. The opening line might seem to be and impossible or stupid attempt to define the concept of love, but the next sentences settles the mind, as readers see it’s an out loud thought which she answers. Conclusively Elizabeth Barrett Browning,s poem is an effective use of the literary devices point of view and theme, and also her language. These elements in the poem helps the reader to understand what could have easily became a complex piece of work.

Preventing Childhood Obesity as a Parent

In today's society, childhood obesity is considered a serious public health issue and can be classified as an epidemic. In the United States alone, one in seven children ages 6-17 are considered to be obese. In the last 40 years in the United States the rate of childhood obesity has tripled. The main reason why childhood obesity has become such a serious issue is because children now days live more sedentary lifestyles. Children now days are bombarded with television advertisements urging them to eat foods high in fat and calories while staying inside and playing video games or watching television. Childhood obesity does not only affect children in childhood but can cause a list of health issues in their adult lives also. When it comes to education regarding childhood obesity, the responsibility needs to be addressed by the parents, schools and the media. In the following paper, I am going to explain how childhood obesity can be controlled at home by the parents. Everything can be learned at home and applied to everyday life. I am going to give a brief overview of what the problems associated with childhood obesity are and what are the main contributing factors. I will show also show the long term effects of the issue and how it can also be addressed by the parents. Childhood obesity is costing the United States millions of dollars I health care expenses. In my opinion, I feel that this can be diverted by simple education from the parents. According to the article Facts about Childhood Obesity and Over-weightiness, obese children are statistically not active and consume diets that are high in fat. Most physicians use what they call a Body Mass Index Scale (BMI) to calculate how overweight a child is. Children who are over a 30 when it omes to BMI are considered obese. In order to calculate a person including a child’s BMI, you would have to divide their weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters (Mokdad,). When it comes to weight gain among children, you have to factor in many things such poor dietary habits, genetic makeup, family lifestyle, socioeconomic status and a child's ethnicity. Obesity is more prevalent amon g Hispanic, African-American and American Indian children, particularly girls (Mayohealth. org). When it comes to children who suffer from obesity most are not overeaters. The main cause of their weight gain is that the majority of the foods they consume contain high amounts of calories. When it comes to consuming excess calories, just an additional 200 calories a day can cause excess weight gain in children and add up to half a pound of fat a week. Although foods high in calories are partially to blame, soft drinks and fruit flavored beverages with high levels of sugar content also are a main cause of weight gain in children. In a recent study, it shows the average teenager in the United States today consumes an average of 65 gallons of sugary soft drinks annually. The number is doubled in elementary school age children and the number in general has tripled in the past two decades. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, diet is not the only factor contributing to the problem. Many physicians and child psychologist also blame the increase television viewing and a child’s more sedentary lifestyle. When it comes to watching television it does not require a large expenditure of energy and is usually accompanied by high-calorie foods. The American Heart Association reports that on average, a child watches a total of 17 hours of television a week. This report does not include the time spent playing both video and computer games. In one study performed by the American Heart Association, they found that a child who watches more than five hours of television a day have a greater risk of weight gain than children who watched less than two. (Mayohealth. org) Along with sedentary lifestyles, the addition of fast food can lead to obesity in children. As you drive in any town and city located in the United States, the one thing you will notice is that there is a fast food chain on almost every corner. Along with a fast food chain on every street corner, children watch television that are filled with commercial and advertisement showing their newest food selections. Many of these commercials have been geared toward children and can be associated with the rise of childhood obesity. In a recent study, researchers have found out that families that choose fast food as a meal three or more times a week do run a higher risk of obesity and larger BMI’s. When it comes to all fast food chains, the one thing they all have in common is that every kid’s meal comes with a choice of a boys or girls toy. The other thing they have in common is the absence of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grain. The absence of these healthy choices can make the effects of the burgers and fries that much more severe. In order to solve the problem of fast food, parents can balance a burger with regular exercise. With this combination, you can balance fast food with healthy choices. In a 1996 U. S. Surgeon General’s Report regarding fitness, nearly half of young people ages 12 to 21 years of age are not psychically active. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that, due to financial constraints, only one-third of schools now offer physical education classes and many children today finds team sports too competitive or costly to join. (Mayohealth. org) Physical education and organized sports not only provide children with an active lifestyle, but it also teaches them discipline. Although it is important for schools to provide young children with sports and physical education, the main responsibility lies at home with the parents. The effects of childhood obesity does not just end when the child grows into an adult but can cause further health issues in the future. Childhood obesity has been linked to hypertension, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Being extremely overweight and not active as child causes the buildup of excess fat which circulates the blood and eventually turns into plaque. The plaque caused by this excess fat begins to slowly accumulate in arteries which causes a strain on the veins. The accumulation of this plaque can occur early in childhood and could lead to heart disease or a eart attack as an adult. The distribution of fat in the body has an important effect on one's blood pressure. Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the systemic arterial blood pressure is elevated. Young overweight adults between the ages 20-45; are six times more likely to have hypertension then normal weight peers the same age. This number is increased if an adult grew up as an obese child. An accumulation of fat results in the release of fatty acids into veins which causes an excess of hepatic synthesis of triglycerides, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume. #282) Along with heart disease, diabetes is another health issue associated with early childhood obesity. Obesity increases the risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes and causes two different forms of the disease. One form of diabetes is the increased demand for insulin the other form is the resistance of insulin in an obese individual. Obesity causes a resistance to insulin that increases the insulin production to compensate the excess of glucose circulating in the blood. This excess causes damage to beta cells in the pancreas, producing insulin. (The Journal of the American Medical Association Volume. #282) Along with physical and health issues, psychological issues are also associated with childhood obesity. In today’s society a lot of emphasis has been placed on physical appearance. This is made evident in the media which portrays what they consider the ideal image of a person. These images make overweight people feel unattractive and unwanted. Many people in today’s society assume that obese people are lazy, fat, gluttonous and unattractive. It is because of these prejudices that cause children to feel rejected, shame and depression. Like health issues, psychological issues can also be carried over from childhood to adulthood. When it came to the treatment of childhood obesity, many thought it could be achieved through strict dieting and exercise. This was found to be unsuccessful in most cases due to the fact children did not have the support in order to accomplish this goal. A new treatment involving a family-based approach is now being introduced as possible treatment for childhood obesity. These programs are more successful because they maintain or slowly help a child lose weight as he/she grows (Mellin). These programs focus on the entire family, promoting physical and emotional well being and not diet. In order to perform this type of treatment, medical professionals have to first do a bio-psychosocial assessment to see if there are any medical or psychosocial problems. (Mellin) Once this is established, they can then address the symptoms of obesity and the causes of the weight gain. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, it is important to involve the entire family in treating this problem. Children need motivation and support from their family prior to the involvement of dieting or exercise. With a strong support structure, it allows children to feel they can accomplish anything. In my opinion childhood obesity is a serious problem because it affects all areas of today’s society. Childhood obesity affects a person’s health, psychological well-being, the medical field and the family. I feel that in today’s society they many consider exercise, dieting and medication a quick fix in solving the problem. I feel that the problem of childhood obesity can be resolved at home with proper education and support. All health problems in children that can be prevented starts with the parents prior to the involvement of anyone else. As a parent of an overweight child, the first thing you must do is set attainable goals. The most important thing is you have to learn how to walk before you can run. The benefits of setting attainable goals are that when an overweight child accomplishes the goals you have set it provides them with the motivation to accomplish more. If you set the goal to high and the child does not accomplish them, it makes them discouraged and will make it harder for them to achieve more. I feel along with support and motivation, an overweight child needs proper education regarding proper diet. I feel that many parents today feed their children what they want because they feel it is making them happy. What parents have to understand is just because it makes them happy doesn’t mean it is good for them. When feeding children full meals, a healthy diet containing less than 30% fat calories is considered sufficient in raising healthy child. Moran) Parents should also only offer snacks when the child is hungry. The most important rule when offering a child a snack is to make the snack healthy. Parents should offer their children fresh fruit, raw vegetables and water rather than sugary soft drinks. I feel that now days many parents use food as a reward rather than for nutritional purposes. In my opinion children should be pra ised verbally and not given snacks like dogs when they do something well. Verbal praise I feel works well especially when a child makes a healthy choice options. Another way a parent could help children maintain a healthy body weight is to encourage the child to participate in sports for at least a half an hour a day (Levine). Parents should encourage children to be active and go outside to play. Parents should also participate and encourage their children to play organized sports. When parents are involved in their child’s active lifestyle, children tend to see it all the way through. Parents should also limit children watching television and playing video games. Television and video should be used as a reward rather than a parenting tool. When it comes to childhood obesity and many other childhood diseases, parents now days are more anxious to throw medication at it or go for the quick fix. In my opinion, before a child can even talk they learn from everything you teach them as a parent. The issue of childhood obesity is never going to go away but it can be curved with a simple lifestyle change. All the learning starts at home and all habits whether good or bad starts at home too. When it comes to the issue of childhood obesity, parents have to learn that they are the key to their child living a healthy lifestyle and growing into healthy adults.