9 Weird Careers You Can Pursue in the USA

9 Weird Careers You Can Pursue in the USA 9 Weird Careers You Can Pursue in the USA Maybe you picked your major to pursue a specific career, but most of us go into our college education with an â€Å"open mind† (i.e., not having thought it through). As a result, we have a world of professional possibilities open to us. And though you might eventually opt for something conventional, it’s worth at least considering some more unusual options. Take this list of ten weird careers, for instance†¦ 1. Snake Milker Snake milkers have the peculiar job of squeezing the faces of deadly snakes, thereby extracting the venom for use in antivenoms. Although this is laudable, especially if you live in snake country, we can’t get past the fact that it involves putting your hands into the bitey bit of a venomous reptile. Not for the fainthearted. Theres nothing quite as refreshing as a cold glass of snake milk. [Photo: Barry Rogge] 2. Iceberg Wrangler Speaking of bravery, how do you fancy going toe-to-toe with an iceberg? That’s what the men and women of the International Ice Patrol do, patrolling the North Atlantic on the lookout for rogue chunks of ice! 3. Canine Surfboard Instructor While the International Ice Patrol focuses on keeping our coastal waters free from icebergs, others are working hard to fill them with surfboarding canines. Do the dogs get any say in it, though? Well leave you to judge how enthusiastic this guy feels about riding the waves. [Photo: Mike Baird] 4. Feeling Strangers’ Faces If you’re the kind of tactile person who instantly hugs strangers, why not put these skills to use as a professional â€Å"face feeler†? Otherwise known by the less-creepy term â€Å"sensory scientists,† face feelers run their highly-sensitive digits over people’s faces to test the effects of new cosmetic products. 5. Snuggling And if face feeling doesn’t satisfy your need for intimacy with strangers, you could always become a professional snuggler (don’t worry: it’s strictly platonic). 6. Dog Food Tester Maybe you think forcing dogs onto surfboards is cruel and want to do something to improve the lives of man’s best friend? How about testing their disgusting food? Yummy. The real question, of course, is why dog food manufacturers need professional testers when they cater for an animal that will happily eat its own vomit. Hungry yet? [Photo: NekoJaNekoJa] 7. Lip Reader (Sort Of) Nope, not the useful kind that interprets speech from watching lip movements alone. We’re talking about lipstick readers, who claim to tell your fortune based on the mark left by your lips. Like a palm reader, but with lips. Were sure theyre completely legit. Ahem. 8. Baby Name Consultant Picking a name for your child is a big decision, so why not get third-party advice? If you do follow this career path, please promise not to use your powers for evil by telling credulous parents-to-be that â€Å"Anusol† is a perfectly acceptable name for a girl. 9. Chicken Sexer Not quite as horrific as it sounds, but it does involve checking the sex of thousands of hatchling chicks in quick succession to divide them into males and females. So definitely a specialist interest.

The Truth about the Drug Companies By Marcia Angell Essays

The Truth about the Drug Companies By Marcia Angell Essays The Truth about the Drug Companies By Marcia Angell Paper The Truth about the Drug Companies By Marcia Angell Paper Americans every day are subjected to a bombardment of advertising by various pharmaceutical companies. The advertisement is mixed in with different pitches for a drug showing beautiful people who are enjoying in the outdoors is the main message. Coming down to the essential and this is what is said: Prescription drugs are very costly but that shows how precious they are. The Research and Development costs are huge and companies need to cover them in some way. Research based companies tend to turn out a stream of innovative medicines which enhance its quality, averts more expensive medical care and extends life. People are the beneficiaries of the achievement of the American free enterprise system so we should all be grateful, and stop whining and pay for the drug. The industry says that you get what you pay for. Prescription drugs cost are very much high and rising fast. Americans spend around $200 billion a year on prescription drugs and the figure is growing at a rate of 12% a year. The fastest growing parts of a health care bill are Drugs which are also rising at a fast rate. The increase spending on drugs show that people are taking a lot more drugs than they used to. The prices of those drugs are frequently increased sometimes several times a year. Before its copyright ran out, the price of Schering Plough’s allergy pill, Claritin was increase about twelve times in a time span of five years for a total increase of more than fifty percent. Poor people are not the only one having a problem paying for the prescription drugs. Health care is shrinking due to the struggling economy. Employers want workers to pay more for the cost themselves and many organizations are decreasing health benefits. As the costs of prescription drugs are increasing so fast, payers are eager to get out from under them and shifting the cost to the individuals. The end result is that more and more people pay a larger fraction of their drug bills out of their own pocket and that is way too costly. Many people cannot pay so much. They tend to trade of drugs against food or home heating. Some people take them less often than it is prescribed or share them with a family member. Some who are too embarrassed to admit that they cannot afford to pay leave the doctors office with prescription in their hand and not getting it filled. These patients go without the treatment needed and sometimes their doctors wrongly conclude that the drugs they were given haven’t worked prescribed by other which complicates the problem. Elderly people get hurt the most. When Medicare was ratified in 1965, people took less prescription drugs. No one thought it is important to include an out patient prescription drug advantage in the program. Senior citizens could also buy the drugs which they needed. Around two thirds of the elderly people had additional insurance which covered prescription drugs but that percentage is decreasing as insurers and employers decided that they suffer from it. A medical reform bill was passed by Congress at the end of 2003 which included a prescription drug benefit which was to begin in 2006, but its benefits are insufficient to being with and will rapidly be taken over by administrative costs and rising prices. For apparent reason elderly people need more drugs than younger one. In 2001, around one in four elderly people reported that they do not take regular does or do not fill prescription because of the costs. The frailest are least likely to have a supplementary insurance. An average cost of $1500 a year for a drug, a person without an additional insurance who take different prescription drugs would need to spend around $9000 out of his own pocket. Not many people have such deep pockets. In one of the more wicked practices of the pharmaceutical practices, prices are higher for the people who mostly need the drug and can least afford them. The pharmaceutical industry charges the Medicare recipients more than its favored customers such as Veterans affairs system or HMO’s as the latter buy the drugs in a bulk quantity and they can bargain for rebates or discounts. People who do not have insurance have any bargaining power and therefore pay the high prices. In the last two years, people have started resisting to the increasing prices and other practices of the industry. Because of this resistance, drug companies are now covering us with different public relations messages which include the magic words like innovation, research and American. While the expression is inspiring, it has little to do with reality. Research and Development is a small part of a company’s budget. Year after year for over twenty years this industry has been the most profitable in the United States. The price drug companies’ charges have a minute relationship to the cost of making drugs and can cut them with coming close to threatening Research and Development. Secondly pharmaceutical industry is not innovative. It is hard to believe only a few important drugs have been brought into the market in the past years and they were mostly based on tax payer funded research at small biotechnology companies, National institute of Health or at academic institutions. Majority of the new drugs are not new but variations of older drugs. These are known as me too drugs. The main idea is to have a share of the lucrative market by manufacturing something similar to a top selling drug. For example there are six drugs in the market, Mevacor, Zecor, Pravachol, Lipitor, Crestor and Lescol which controls cholesterol and copies of the first. Finally the industry is hardly a model of the American free enterprise. It is free to decide which drugs to produce and it is totally free to price them as high as the public can bear and are totally dependent on the government granted monopoly in the form of Food and Drug administration’s approved marketing rights. It is not particularly innovative in making new drugs but it is aggressive and highly innovative. As America is a main profit center, it is good public relations for the companies to show themselves as American they are or not. It is true that some European companies are starting their R D operation in America. They say that the main reason behind it is that United States does not regulate prices as much of the world does. Drugs which are less profitable and which fight against tuberculosis and malaria tend to receive less attention. George Bush who is friendly to the big pharmaceutical industries refused to allow the promised $15 billion in funds allotted for HIV treatment in the Third world to be spent on common drugs. Among the many tricks exposed are the huge pharmaceuticals use of contract research organizations to apply excessive influence on clinical research and its sinister seduction of doctors. Drug companies in 2001 gave doctors nearly $11 billion worth of free samples. Along with that they gave other incentives to the doctors. In the final chapter of the book, there are seven important reforms, chief of which is for the Food and Drug Administration to compare new drugs with old drugs to see if there are additional benefits. The main goal of Angell is that people can get good drugs at a reasonable price and this require pressure from the public so that the government may take necessary action against the pharmaceutical companies. She performs an important public service in focusing on the drug companies and their dishonesty. The improvement of Pharmaceutical companies start with the outcry of the public against the abuses she showed in the book. She says that doctors should stand by their patients and not their pockets. Personal Opinion There is a significant problem in the United States about the financial conflict of interest in the clinical drug trials. It tends to affect millions of people those who are subjects in drug trials and those who use the drugs. The drug companies frequently control the date which is collected in the drug trials. The university scientists even are not provided with the whole data. Big companies tend to publish data which is favorable to their product which holding back the unfavorable data. In the case of Dr James O Kahn who published a journal article in which he concluded that a vaccine for AIDS did not help the patients. Dr Kahn was not given the data he required. But still he managed to publish the study. The company started a legal action against Dr Kahn and its employer, the University of California worth $ 7 Million. If such things happen very few researchers will have the courage to stand up to the companies. Pharmaceutical companies design their own studies to make their drug look more effective than they really are. Patients tend to suffer from the studies that offer incomplete or false information including the information about the doctors financial relations to the company. There is a need for improvement with the clinical drug trial process where there must be some other party testing the drugs. Scientists outside the company should have the final say on the drug trials. All the data should be available to the project investigators and to the public, press and who ever needs it. All financial relations to the companies should be made public. People need more information and more safety. The time is right for the nation’s medical centers, medical journals, FDA (food and drug administration), universities, medical journals and National institute of Health to come together and tell lawmakers to take back the rules under which the medical products are approved and tested. Bibliography The Truth about the Drug Companies` by Marcia Angell Publisher Random House; 1 edition (August 24, 2004)

Public Relation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Public Relation - Assignment Example public relations can be done through compiling of distributed messages and their placement in the media by simply counting how many featured stories, news releases, letters, and photos are produced in a given duration of time. Another way of measuring the efforts of public relations is the measurement of changes in opinions, attitude and behavior, which can be considered as measurement of the effectiveness of public relations but requires interpretation as it can always be subjective. The efforts of public relations can also be measured through tracking of social content such as news sites, wikis, blogs and social networking sites, so as to determine the sentiments and volume of online conversations about a certain topic or brand. Advertising is not that much different from public relations but only with one major difference, advertising is paid media while public relations earned media. This means that ‘an individual or a company can choose to pay for advertisement or you can choose to market your product in the newspapers, websites or magazines and wait for the product to promote itself’ (Tymorek, 2010). With public relations, there is more credibility of the product due to verification by a third party while advertisement the credibility of a product is

The U.S Constitution and the Bill of Rights Research Paper

The U.S Constitution and the Bill of Rights - Research Paper Example Initiatives for the Constitution In 1787, on May 14, the Federal Convention assembled in the Independence Hall in Philadelphia in order to revise the articles of confederation. Since the delegates were in a minority meeting was adjourned for a day awaiting the arrival of the rest of the states. This adjourning continued for eleven days when on May 25 seven states joined in with the delegation for the purpose of taking a mutual decision (World Digital Library, 2012). However, the debates continued between the states until mid of June that the jury reached a conclusion that the terms could not be amended rather it called for a fresh effort and a total change in the articles of confederation. Thus, the first mutual decision between the gathered delegates was to draft a new structure in order to give a direction to the government (World Digital Library, 2012). After continuous secret debates among the delegates, a constitution was proposed and submitted to the state for an approval. Alth ough the vote was sealed in some states, the constitution was finally sanctioned. A new Federal government came into existence in 1789. In accord with the constitution the government was established that exists till to date in the U.S. The Bill of Rights During the debates for the constitution the delegates constantly mentioned that there should be a law that would protect the citizens against violation of rights. The opposition party argued that if the constitution was established without considering the citizens it will become a tyrannical rule by the central government. During the revolution, the British had violated the civil rights. This was a fresh memory for the opposition party and a mitigating factor that brought the Bill of Rights into existence. In accord with the arguments of the opposition party, there should be rules that were required to be spelled out in order to protect the citizens against any violation of rights (The Charters of Freedom, 2012). Nevertheless, on Se ptember 25, 1789, the Congress of United States proposed to the State legislatures 12 amendments to the constitution. These amendments were deduced after the argument by the opposition party. Bearing in mind the argument of the opposition the Congress deduced amendments; these considered the representation of the constituents and the compensation of the congressmen. Thus, in order to guard the rights of the citizens, George Mason had composed the Declaration of Rights, which was approved by the Virginia assembly on June 12, 1776. However, on June 8, 1789, James Madison of Virginia presented amendments to the Constitution. The Federalists honored their word and on September 25, 1789, the First Federal Congress of the United States approved twelve amendments to the Constitution to be submitted to the states for ratification. Today the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights (The Charters of Freedom, 2012; The U.S. Bill of Rights, 2012).

Free topic Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Free topic - Research Paper Example According to Ferraro and Andreatta, systems of arranged marriages assist to maintain the caste system, while the fathers have a role to marry off their daughters before puberty (214). The variation of social ranks affects the stability and formation of long lasting relationships intended between the betrothed couple. Even though the couple may identify each other early enough, the social status matters and has to be considered by the brides’ family. Most women in the Indian modern society are trying to change the tradition, by involving their free choice of marriage partners based on educational influence. Despite the education level, there has been little effort made in relation to reducing early marriages after increasing education (â€Å"Dommaraju,† cairn.info). The Mahabharata teaching from Yayati story, expresses how Yayati had declined to marry Davayani, since he knew they both belonged to different ranks. Yayati found it unworthy for him to marry a high rank woma n from a Brahmin royalty. The cultural approval of men in the Indian society relates with how Yayati waited for Devayani’s father’s blessing to his marriage. ... According to Thurston, southern Indians superstitions that involve a quivering feeling in the right arm are meant to symbolize a marriage union, with a beautiful lady as some good luck (Gutenberg.org). In the event of a throb or shake of a body part, such an occurrence is identified with a happening and the individuals should be careful to know the next step to take if it was a bad or good sign. This is a body language among the people of India that has been passed from down to the modern generation. Divayani was pulled from the well by the right hand of Yayati, which may have caused a shake on her body. Indian men have to be keen when using their right hands, to avoid extending a burden of marriage on their part. While it may happen, some men and women may feel lucky for having identified a woman of their life based on their traditional cultures. You will find that there is limited shaking of hands in formal and informal gatherings at a public domain, between men and women, even if they are married (Bisht 181). This is probably one of the reasons for young individuals’ disengagement within young individuals, besides an act of showing respect. On the contrary, (Bisht 181) mentions that members of the same sex, like male to male would be free to express their friendship even if it meant walking arm in arm. Women as tempting beings: for a long time the women in the Indian society are considered to be immoral beings, with an ability to seduce men into immoral conduct that the society disassociates from. Women are therefore married at an early age so as to prevent them from engaging into dissolute behaviors. Following Ferraro and Andreatta’s statement, women in Hindu society have for centuries been viewed as lustful beings, who would do any thing to tempt

Educating Youth in Developing Countries

Educating Youth in Developing Countries John W. Gardner, former United States Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare stated: Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants (http://thinkexist.com/quotes/john_w._gardner/). Gardners statement expresses the necessity to educate children thoroughly by providing them with skills to harvest their own self-improvement. These skills include leadership, teamwork, confidence and responsibility. Many worldwide organizations focus on youth development through education. Children are the generation most capable of carrying out positive changes such as peace, development, and equity, due to time and materials being in their favor. When youth are given the means to educate themselves and acquire leadership skills, they are provided with an opportunity to make a positive contribution to their global society. Programs that focus on youth education and development through organized activity are popular in developed and developing countries. Organizations range from summer camps to after school programs to international teaching initiatives. I work for an organization called Youth Leadership Camps Canada that specializes in working with children ages 5-18 in an outdoor recreational environment to aid in their leadership development. Our staff is trained in various recreation techniques including games facilitation, high ropes and waterfront activities, teamwork initiative tasks, and reflection in order to effectively convey important leadership and self-improvement techniques to children and teens. Through working at YLCC, I have discovered that play is an effective way to teach leadership skills in a practical and engaging manner. Children absorb concepts quickly through experience, and active learning helps them gain the confidence to lead among their peers when given the opportunity. I have seen positive results and growth in children and teens that are vision impaired, children with mental development issues, children who are labeled at risk and children who are labeled average and above average in their development. My experience working at YLCC has fueled my curiosity to discover similar programs and research their methods and levels of success. This research paper will explore factors influencing the need for development among third-world youth; recreational education as a proven method of equipping youth with essential skills; programs that educate youth through activity, and criticisms of such programs. Factors Influencing the Need for Youth Development When discussing the importance of rehabilitating and teaching youth, it is necessary to evaluate their living conditions and the factors that influence their need for development. Many children in developing countries live in undesirable conditions, suffering poverty and starvation, low success in school, and negligence from parents. Michael Justesen and Dorte Verners book titled Factors Impacting Youth Development in Haiti discusses the state of matters among Haitian youth: A series of factors predisposes a large proportion of youth to poverty, school dropout, 3 unemployment, early sexual initiation, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, sexual and physical abuse, crime and violence, substance abuse and drug dealing, and social exclusion (Justesen, M; Verner, D. 2007:3). Determining the factors that propel youth to unhealthy and unfulfilling conditions allows one to begin to develop a solution to the problem. According to Justesen and Verner, the sources of youth development hindrances are rooted in several aspects: In many households absence of the father or both parents, drug abuse, pressure for female adolescents to bear children, and domestic violence contribute to the challenges young people face on a daily basis (2007:3). Addressing and understanding these factors and their sources is necessary if one has the intention to work with youth and help them to work toward self-improvement. The World Banks Country Study titled Caribbean Youth Development discusses three factors contributing to the need for youth development: individual characteristics, microenvironment, and macro environment. (The World Bank. 2003: 28-42) Individual characteristics refer to the character and qualities of the person in question. For example, the study refers to the levels of self-esteem and feelings of rage among youth in the Caribbean (2003: 28). Youth who experience rage are more likely to engage in crime and violence, or use drugs, alcohol and tobacco. (2003: 28) More than half of children who display rage-like behavior in the Caribbean have been either sexually or physically abused (2003: 29). Microenvironment and macro environment refer to factors such as parental and 4 community influence, and economic situations and position in society, respectively. (2003: 30, 37) Institutions and individuals with whom youth make contact are very powerful influences in their lives (2003: 35). Direct connection with members of their microenvironment can play a role in a youths development, and the individual demeanor they will adopt. Macro environment concerns itself with factors that determine a persons circumstance, such as gender or economic situation (2003: 37). The three aforementioned factors cover varying aspects of a youths life, addressing elements both within and beyond an individuals control. Despite records that certain factors lead to disagreeable living conditions, hope remains that Haitian youth, and others to follow, will rise above their troubles and work as leaders, if given the proper direction: Haitis history, combined with the countrys social and poverty indicators, show that youth should be seen not as a problem, but as a product of the family and community environment and therefore should be treated as a potential solution to Haitis development challenges (2007: 3), This statement advocates the idea of developing youth through education and leadership, allowing them to be agents of change in their own lives and in their communities. Recreation and Youth: Connections and Results People have participated in sport and recreation for hundreds of years, from simple game play in the schoolyard, to worldwide Olympic events. According to Martha Ewings article, The Role of Sports in Youth Development, Children learn 5 moral behaviour from engaging with others, watching the behaviour of others, and/or being taught ethical behaviour (Ewing, M.E et al. 2002:37). In this sense, ethical behaviour can be acquired through active learning in an interactive team environment. Ewings article suggests that youth can learn moral behaviour and build character through participation in sport. Specifically, Ewing mentions that in studying children and their participation in physical education, it has been proposed that children (a) develop physical skillsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(b) improve fitness; (c) learn social and emotional skills; (d) develop moral values; and (e) acquire a better sense of self through increased perceived competence, self-esteem and self-confidence (2002: 31). The essential skills gained from participation in sport work as an agent toward youth development and provide a solution from troublesome conditions. Through sports and team activities, children learn self-sufficiency, co-operation, and begin t o believe that they are capable of being leaders. Recreational programs are sometimes government funded and provided within schools, while others are non-governmental and extra-curricular, such as summer camp. Camp is often presented in the media as simply a place for children to have fun in the outdoors. However, summer camp provides youth with an opportunity to extend their personal boundaries, be active, make connections, and gain confidence through learning new skills and interacting with others. Christopher Thurbers study Youth Development Outcomes of the Camp Experience: Evidence for 6 Multidimensional Growth discusses the technique for youth development used by summer camps: Promoting the healthy development of young people adheres to two complementary theoretical orientations. Prevention Science (e.g., Greenberg et al., 2003; Nation et al., 2003) aims to identify at-risk populations and alter individual characteristics that are precursors to unhealthy behaviors, such as school failure, drug use, and violence. Positive Youth Development (e.g., Catalano, Berglund, Ryan, Lonczak, and Hawkins, 2002; Larson, 2000) also seeks to reduce unhealthy behaviors, but by fostering the individual, social, and environmental characteristics-such as positive identity, social competence, and independence-that promote healthy development. Viewing young people as assets rather than liabilities also reflects the trend toward studying positive psychology and resiliency (e.g., Seligman, 2003; Werner and Smith, 2001), rather than focusing narrowly on pathology and risk (Thurber, C.A, et al. 2006: 241). According to this study, summer camps break their education methods down into two categories. They evaluate not only the factors contributing to the need for development, but focus on methods of fostering healthy development in a positive manner. The harmony of discovering the origins of the problem with the process of intently working toward improvement and learning has proven to be successful: (Researchers have) focused on children with identified problems, including emotional disturbances (Byers, 1979; Durkin, 1988, 1993), learning disabilities and social skills deficits 7 (see Mishna, Michalski, and Cummings, 2001, for a review), family dysfunction (Lewicki, Goyett, and Marr, 1996), chronic medical conditions (e.g., Zimmerman, Carter, Sears, and Lawson, 1987), delinquency (e.g., Castellano and Soderstrom, 1992), and gang involvement (Harris, Fried, and Arana, 1995). Results of these studies all support the conclusion that camp promotes childrens health and development and reduces the recurrence of referral problems. Summer camps and physical education are proven methods of guidance for youth in an active environment. The techniques used to increase a childs mental and physical health through activity can be used effectively to aid youth in developing countries to gain confidence and leadership skills. Programs Specializing in Recreational Education in Developing Countries Many organizations have taken notice of the positive results that come from youth participation in organized activity. Programs such a Right to Play and OA Projects focus on providing children with essential skills through engagement in team sports such as soccer. UNICEFs Peace Education program facilitates various workshops for school-aged youth, intending to teach qualities such as empathy, tolerance, communication, and co-operation (Fountain, S. 1999: 17). Susan Fountains article discussing training methods by UNICEF describes peace education among the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to live and work in dignity (1999:1). Specifically, sport and physical education have been used in Rwandan schools as a vehicle for developing skills and attitudes of peace 8 (1999:17). Training youth to work together as members of a team is a common goal among activity based NGOs like Right to Play and OA Projects. Right to Play is based on the guiding principle of inclusion, hoping to promote the involvement and acceptance of youth who are marginalized for various reasons, including gender, disability, and background (At a Glance, 2009: 1). Right to Play also focuses on reintegrating youth affected by conflict into society; health promotion and disease prevention education; basic cognitive development and partnership with local community leaders and coaches to ensure individual as well as community development (At a Glance, 2009: 1) Similarly, OA Projects partners with local programs focused on promoting peace and rebuilding communities (www.oaprojects.org. About.) Interaction with the project country contributes to the organizations authenticity. The Outcome: Results and Critiques Nearly every effort to aid in developing countries provokes critiques questioning its integrity and authenticity. One might question whether a child can actually grow and receive essential skills from play. While leadership skills are important, do these programs provide youth with the opportunities to exercise them fully, and enough to make changes in their lives and in their communities? Cora Burnetts Sports-for-Development Approaches in the South African Context: A Case Study Analysis looks at sports in the school, community clubs, and South Africas Youth Development through Football (YDF) program. In her conclusion she suggests, the emphasis of 9 traditional male sports such as rugby, cricket and football, inevitably limited the opportunities for equitable gender participation (YEAR: 38). While Burnetts critique states that inclusion of members of the community created mass participation at the school level and afforded many rural learners the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports (year: 39), focus lacked in addressing contextual priorities and appropriate needs-based education and training toà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ creat(e) career pathways or enhanc(e) the employability status (with reference to the school sport assistants and contract workers) of vulnerable populations (year: 39). Burnetts critiques address concerns that many inevitably share, questioning whether the outcome of activity-based programs is worth the means to present them. Conclusion It goes without saying that every child deserves to enjoy life and feel the joy that comes with playing and being active. Programs that offer children an opportunity to grow through activity not only intend to expose war-affected youth to an experience of fun, but through the fun experience, show children how to work together, lead and take initiative. Whether in Canada or in the third-world, physical activity is proven to increase fitness, confidence, and teamwork and communication skills. It is questionable whether sports and activity-based programs have a consistently favorable outcome as providers of better opportunities for youth. However, it is undeniable that the end result of joy and confidence for a child is worthwhile. Children in developing countries deserve a childhood just as much as children in 10 developed countries do. Through organized activity and sport, children are given the opportunity to play and laugh, while learning valuable team and leadership skills. Sports-based programs are not designed to pave the pathway of a better future for third-world youth, but rather to provide them with the confidence and skills to consider their pathways, and equip themselves to think critically about the pathways they are on.

Use of Minor Characters in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay -- To Kill a Moc

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a range of both major and minor characters which are portrayed with varying personalities. These character's interactions help to explain the issues that this text is concerned with. In the novel, the protagonist, Atticus Finch, is a defence lawyer who is appointed to represent a black man, Tom Robinson, who is charged with raping a white woman. The novel is set during the 1930s in America, which was when segregation of blacks and whites was well manifested into the society of those days. A black person had no right to defend himself if accused of a crime by white men. The author depicted several minor characters which helped to build up and expose the personality of the text's protagonist, Atticus Finch. Tom Robinson is a minor character who is black and accused of raping a white woman, Mayella Ewell. Tom Robinson symbolizes a mockingbird which does not harm any people but is accused of an uncommitted crime. Atticus Finch is appointed to defend Tom Robinson. The portrayal of Tom Robinson in the text helped me understand the char...

Educational Research Methods Essay

It is the research method conducted by subject teachers, course teachers and other schools staff side by side with their teaching. It is becoming increasingly popular as it encouragers to evaluate new methods in their work and study which is highly acceptable by all. It is the methods by which change can be noted and helps in understand the reaction of at one time, with action and critical reflection taking place. It is special type of research in education which mostly emphasize on continuous improvement in the field of teaching. There are three main goals of action research such as improvement of practice through continuous learning and problem solving, deep understanding of practice and development of action, improvement in the community through research. This research helps to gather detail information about the organization, vision and insight, a quest of new knowledge, a desired of improved performance, a self- reflective activity and willingness of effect change. It is basically conducted to discover plan for innovation and their successful implementation. It provides practical way of looking at owns work to check its efficiency of work. The Action Research is used to determine efficiency of study material, teaching techniques, classroom response and with their interest. There are numbers of outcomes of implementation of action research. Such as: †¢ Greater risk taking among the students and teachers helps them to identify new ways in their system. †¢ Comfort with inquiry and exploration creates increase comfort among the students. †¢ Greater direction in exploration helps to draw innovative techniques. Improved and broader questioning increases interest in the study of their subjects. †¢ Evidence of student self- evaluation can be immediately ascertained with the teaching in the class. †¢ Improved and extended science writing is the result of action research which helps tom explores their writing skills. †¢ Greater and broader interest in science is possible with the initiative of action research. The research results in increase in student interest, risk taking, questioning ability and comfort with teaching. For e. g.  If the teacher or researcher is worried or not satisfied with the current mind status of students or they are not doing well in class then the first question which arise in the mind of researcher is how to satisfy the need of all the students. So numbers of steps of action research can be adopted by the teacher to outcome result. Especial emphasis is made on listening to students and to better understand their needs. Then consideration should be given to set up community circle to listen to students describing learning experiences in classroom and helps to redesign strategies. During the course of listening researcher can discover information that focus on satisfaction of different user at a time. In other e. g. In an organization where peoples of diverse field are working requires more coordination. With the help of action research current problem â€Å"poor coordination† si ascertained. So after deep research and enquiry the researcher evolve new solution to problem such as creating database for storing and sharing and documents. They main Question which lies with the researcher is how to create healthy and fruitful relationship to increase coordination among them. The next step which is adopted by researcher is what kind of tactic to be employed to get the desired result. After integrating with all the employees at various stages and their suggestion which action is to be taken to increase coordination? Action Research helps in better understanding the situation being studied and also of participants directly involved in the process. This is considered vital in all the sphere as it generate collective action as well as develops participants skills through â€Å"learning by doing† to promote their self reliance. So, it can be said that action research provides opportunity for professional growth of researchers, to improve their practice, to examine findings in their own context. Action Research creates a sense of responsibility, development and improvement on the teacher and classroom. Builds up morale, and encourages collegial interactions.

Basic Information About Adult Education

Basic Information About Adult Education With so  many adults  returning to the classroom, the term adult education has taken on new meanings. Adult education, in the broadest sense, is any form of learning adults engage in beyond traditional schooling that ends in their 20s. In the narrowest sense, adult education is about literacy- adults learning to read the most basic materials. Thus, adult education encompasses everything from basic literacy to personal fulfillment as a lifelong learner and the attainment of advanced degrees. Andragogy and Pedagogy Andragogy is defined as the art and science of helping adults learn. Its distinguished from pedagogy,  the school-based education  traditionally used for children. Education for adults has a different focus, based on the fact that adults are: More self-directed and require less guidanceMature and bring more experience to the task of learningReady to learn and primed to learn what they need to knowMore oriented to learning that is problem-centered rather than subject-centeredMore internally motivated to learn Functional Literacy One of the primary goals of adult education is functional literacy. Organizations like the U.S. Department of Education and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) work tirelessly to measure, understand, and address adult illiteracy in the U.S. and around the world. Only through adult education can we address the real problems of society- like power sharing, wealth creation, gender and health issues. said Adama Ouane, director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. The programs of the Division of Adult Education and Literacy (part of the U.S. Department of Education) focus on addressing basic skills such as reading, writing, math, English language competency, and problem-solving. The goal is for American adults get the basic skills they need to be productive workers, family members, and citizens. Adult Basic Education In the U.S., each state is responsible for addressing the basic education of their citizens. Official state websites direct people to classes, programs, and organizations designed to teach adults how to read prose, documents like maps and catalogs, and how to make simple computations. Getting a GED Adults who complete basic adult education have the opportunity to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma by taking the General Educational Development, or GED, test. The test, available to citizens who have not graduated from high school, gives them the chance to demonstrate the level of achievement normally achieved by completing a course of study in high school. GED prep resources abound online and in classrooms around the country, designed to help students prepare for the five-part exam. The GED comprehensive exams cover writing, science, social studies, math, arts and interpreting literature. Adult Education and Continuing Education Adult education is synonymous with continuing education. The world of lifelong learning is wide open and covers a variety of circumstances including: Going to college for the first time after age 25Returning to college to finish a degreeWorking toward a graduate degreeLearning a technical skillEarning CEUs for professional certificationTaking classes at your local community center for the sheer fun of it

Utilitarianism and Abortion

Utilitarianism and Abortion Free Online Research Papers The debate over abortion usually focuses on politics and law and the most frequently asked question tends to be whether or not abortion should be outlawed or continue to be allowed at the discretion of each individual. Behind these debates are the most basic of ethical questions which do not always receive the attention they may deserve. There are many opinions on this topic, however, a good place to start is whether or not law has the authority to rule over morality and whether the laws that we have now bring enough attention to the moral value of abortion. Along with these concepts abortion can also be viewed through the eyes of the utilitarian approach to ethics which focuses on both pleasure and pain and the ability to maximize pleasure over pain. To do so we must first know exactly what abortion is and then must also have a broad definition of what the utilitarian theory encompasses. Abortion by definition is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of a fetus or embryo from the uterus resulting in its death. The utilitarian theory by definition focuses on the rightness or wrongness of the act in question and its effects on a community as a whole (Katz, 2004). Viewing abortion through the utilitarian approach, theorists would want to distinguish between the possibility of pleasure and pain instances of abortion over the amounts of pleasure and pain when abortion is not the option. Most would think that the best place to begin this discussion would be from the prospects of the fetus itself however, that is not always the case. The first thing to consider is that through abortion and the stopping of the fetus’s life the fetus can be said to have any possible pleasure taken away from it. Secondly, no one knows for sure what level of pain is inflicted through the procedure, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. Unfortunately, this focus seems to be unjustified because many say that the abortion could have been done earlier and with less invasive techniques. The problem with both of these possibilities is that who determines the amount of pain inflicted? Usually adults in experimental settings so then the question that follows must be how can adults know how an unborn fetus itself will feel? Another consideration would have to be that the life of the unborn fetus would promote a much greater amount of happiness over pain. Again no one knows exactly what the future may hold, but it is very likely that these individuals, who are essentially put to death against their will, have a very happy life. This, however, cannot happen once an abortion has taken place because any chance for the fetus to experience happiness in any form has been removed. The possibilities of pleasure over pain for an unborn fetus later in life must be thoroughly considered when applying the utilitarian method to the process of abortion. The third group that must be accounted for are the parents and extended family of the unborn child. Those who intend on having a child are doing so under careful consideration and thus happiness should prevail. To the opposite of this are those who are pregnant with an unwanted child that may feel grief and are more than likely to become unhappy and even depressed from the birth of this child. This may result from financial issues or just the general unpreparedness to having a child that is not wanted. The parents and extended family are also a component of abortion that must be considered under the utilitarian method of ethics. Since the utilitarian theory focuses much of its strength on the effects individual’s acts play amongst the community rather than on the individual, much of the issue of abortion lies on its effects on a population. This is important because if a population would have to consist of a â€Å"perfect† size then it is abundantly clear that the possibility of new population (births) will be hindered in an area of consistent population while areas with underdeveloped population will be allowed to reproduce. In this way those overdeveloped areas will require abortion as a way to control the population while the underdeveloped areas will be strictly against abortion so that their population can flourish. To take this method even farther there are two very different rules that are provided by this method those being Rule and Act utilitarian. Rule utilitarian’s are more formula oriented and superficial and focus on behavioral codes or rules that are based on societal practices and institutions (Waller, 2008). This principle can be said to be a test for the morality of a moral rule and does not pertain to the action itself. An example of this is the concept â€Å"stealing is wrong†. This rule will allow for more positive then negativities to come from all of those who follow it. Rule utilitarianism then becomes a method for judging various behaviors. Rule utilitarianism allows abortion to be labeled according to moral rules thus allowing each individual a chance at a more favorable outcome over an unfavorable one. Act utilitarianism, in contrast, maintains that the morality of each action is determined in relation to the favorable and unfavorable consequences that come from the act (Waller, 2008)). This aspect seems the best fit when speaking of abortion as it focuses on the act of abortion and not just the consequences of the act or moral code. The Act portion of utilitarianism is a more moral based utilitarianism as it focuses on the act itself and the consequences that come from doing that specific act. Now that we have a broad prospective on how the utilitarian theory works in accordance to the topic of abortion we must further this discussion and apply the fundamental aspects of a variety of different theorists to the topic of abortion. The first of these coming from Peter Singer (1993) who claims â€Å"there is a clear cut answer to the question of the moral permissibility of abortion and those who think there is not ‘are simply mistaken’ (P. 135). This is an important concept to hold and brings a much heated debate on abortion that will surely require much attention in the future. Singer starts his debate on this issue at the very beginning of the life cycle and never looks back. He says as stated by Crome (2008): â€Å"One of the primary issues is that the development form from the fertilized egg to child is continuous. Consequently, it is difficult for those who want to defend abortion to establish a morally significant dividing line between the earliest stages of life when abortion would be permissible and the point at which that life turns into a properly human life, and when it would not† (pg. 2). Along the way he emphasizes that this process may hit many detours in the determining when a fetus can actually be able to live viably. This is just one of the ways Singer brings mention to the life cycle and its ability to determine when or when not an abortion is a just fact. To the opposite of this there are many instances where Singer seems to be a proponent for abortion, but at the same time shows signs that he is actually against it. He even goes to the extent of giving vivid details in the case of those who may be over the gestational age to have an abortion, but choose to go to another country to have the abortion done illegally. Peter Singer, in my opinion, gives a thorough representation of the utilitarian method of ethics. He denotes the good points and the bad points of this type of ethical judgement while giving examples to prove or disprove his methods. Another utilitarian philosopher by the name of J. S. Mill also gave great contribution to the concept of abortion and the utilitarian way. However, before we talk about how he contributed to abortion, we must get a generalization about the role he played in utilitarian ethics and morality in general by visiting an excerpt from his famous piece Utilitarian in which Mill (1998) states: â€Å"there is, I am aware, a disposition to believe that a person who sees in moral obligation a transdental fact, an objective reality belonging to the province of things in themselves; is likely to be more obedient to it than one who believes it to be entirely subjective, having its seat only in human consciousness† (P. 75). This sentiment goes the distance in explaining the type of utilitarianism Mill promoted. Unlike others he seemed to use a lighter version of utilitarianism allowing for things others would have never dreamed of. Mill went great lengths in trying to determine a more effective way to approach utilitarianism as he felt there were deeper components then just what is left to the consciousness. Mill would approach this issue through a variation of questions ending with the notion of overall pleasure. One of Mill’s (2002) firm beliefs was that â€Å"the only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of a subject is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion† (p. 259). This is intrinsic to the discussion of abortion as there are so many points of view that range from lack of opinion to utter disgust. He does however feel that individuals should be rational enough to realize whether an event will have favorable or unfavorable outcomes (Qizilbash, 2006). This being said, the pleasure or the pain behind the act becomes the justification of the act. For instance, let us consider the case of parents that are faced with having a baby that would become a disadvantage over a period of time. In this case the greater good in Mill’s view would be to abort the baby, thus forgoing the possibilit ies of grief and stress in the future. In the end the event will bring more pain then pleasure and becomes a vehicle to attain a desired pleasure and in that respect is considered a moral act. Interestingly enough Mill encountered the topic of abortion through another careful observation. If carrying and raising a baby may potentially bring pain of any sort (not being able to nurture the child properly) then the baby may be better off being aborted. This can be said because the inability to function as a good parent is a painful thing and thus the abortion becomes the appropriate thing to do. This again under Mills and the utilitarian theory becomes a moral act for those reasons. The one great distinction between Mill and others is the allowance for a calculation of pain and pleasure (Riley, 2009). These calculations were to be done on an individual basis which now allowed for each person to hold some accountability for their own pleasures and pain. Mill held many views on abortion and morality but more importantly he set into motion the fact that pleasure and pain is not necessarily a set factor and can be calculated by each individual. When viewing abortion in accordance of the utilitarian theory it is imperative that the views of Jeremy Bentham be discussed as he gives an interesting stance to the topic of abortion. His focus is on the greatest good for the overall greatest number of people and also includes the Hedonistic Calculus Theory which was extremely helpful in representing his position on abortion. He used the Hedonistic Calculus Theory as a way to determine which pleasures are of the greatest good and should be pursued by others (Nussbaum, 2004). This theory contained several different categories which were used under Bentham as a way to view each situation separately. In this way there were times when abortion would be permitted and other times when abortion would be strictly prohibited. For example, if a woman was raped and subsequently became pregnant then abortion would be justifiable because the baby could possibly bring more pain to the mother, the family, and even the baby itself. T he problem that comes about under this approach is that many times the issues surrounding abortion never really come to a final conclusion, but instead multiple conclusions may be reached depending on the variation of circumstances that arise. Bentham and his utilitarian approach definitely addresses the topic of abortion, however, leaves many opportunities for a final conclusion to never be determined. In conclusion, we have to understand that the application of the utilitarian principle of ethics seeks to set a general rule to apply to all moral decisions. In the case of abortion, the utilitarian states that all unwanted pregnancies that represent a physical, mental, emotional, and financial hardship should be terminated via abortion. Furthermore, the utilitarian does not look at the unborn fetus as in a way which happiness is to be gained or lost, but rather as a piece of society as a whole. This becomes a disadvantage because the fetus is not allowed any rights nor is it granted happiness because at this stage it does not experience a cognitive rational thought process. The limitations that the utilitarian theory adds to the discussions must also be addressed as many times there is not enough information provided to come to a final and ever so important conclusion. The utilitarian method is a straight forward way to determine the best possibilities of pleasure over pa in for all involved. References Crome, K. (2008). Is Peter Singer’s Utilitarian Argument about Abortion Tenable? Richmond Journal of Philosophy. 17, 1-9. Katz, D. (Nov. 8, 2004). Political, Public Health and Morality. New Haven Register. New Haven, Con. Mill, J. S. (2002). On Liberty. Classics of Political and Moral Philosophy. Ed. New York: Oxford. Mill, J. S. (1998). Utilitarianism. Ed. Roger Crisp. New York: Oxford University Press. 75. Nussbaum, M. (2004). Mill between Aristotle and Bentham. Daedalus. 133(2), 60-69. Qizibash, M. (2006). Capability, Happiness, and Adaptation in Sen and J. S. Mill. Utilitas, 18(1), 20-33. Riley, J. (2008). The Interpretation of Maximizing Utilitarianism. Social Philosophy and Policy, 26(1), 286-326. Singer, P. (1993). Taking Life: The Embryo and the Fetus. Practical Ethics, Cambridge: Cambridge UP. 135. Waller, B. N. (2008). 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Intercultural film analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercultural film analysis - Assignment Example In disappointment, Akeem leaves for America to look for a woman who â€Å"arouses my intellect as well as my loins.† The other part of the film is about the sojourn and the task of finding a suitable wife in a culturally different land. The use of verbal communication to shape individual perceptions and ultimately cultural views is notably portrayed in the film. For instance, Daryl, Akeem’s romantic rival, at one point disapproves of the prince’s African upbringing saying, â€Å"Wearing clothes must be a new experience for you.† (Wikipedia, 2013). In so saying, Daryl confirms what many Americans think of Africans. In the film, Akeem speaks fluent English thus defying the notion that foreigners can be recognized by how they speak. Further, the fact that he speaks with remarkably standard grammar and enunciation says a lot about the African American English as not being an African language. Akeem’s personality portrays the cultural distance between the United States and Africa without allowing for the expression of that distance as a contrast between the advanced West and the poor Africa. The film does not depict any language barriers resulting from the interplay of the interaction of cultures. In fact, all the characters in the film are portrayed as speaking the same language and communication is effective. However, despite this ‘standardization’ of language, the film is not free of stereotyping as shown in the treatment Akeem get from Daryl. Furthermore, the fact that Daryl is American makes him feel that his thoughts and ideas are much better than Akeem’s, who pretends to be a poor foreign student while in America. The use of language is particularly important as evidenced in the manner in which Akeem and his aide make new friends and acquire jobs at McDowell’s. The fact that Akeem could speak the American language did not necessarily incorporate him

Jesus and Mohammed paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Jesus and Mohammed paper - Essay Example a number of different ways such as their respective lives, the impact of each other’s death on their own religion, how each individual was worshipped, and the way in which their messages are being displayed throughout the world today. Jesus was a Jew and was born approximately two-thousand years ago in a town called Bethlehem. At that time, the Romans had occupation of the lands of Israel. As such, the Jews were expecting a savior to come along and defeat the Romans. Before Jesus was born, a prophecy was given that he would be the Messiah: â€Å"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel† (Isaiah 7:14 New International Version). However, what the Jews considered the Messiah to be was not how Jesus lived. The woman who gave birth to Jesus was a virgin called Mary. At that time, Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph. Because of this, Mary faced many calls of being an adulterer. During Jesus’ childhood, he was taught how to be a carpenter because this was his father’s profession. Once Jesus had reached the age of thirty, he left his hometown and set out on his ministry around the lands of Israel. In con trast to Jesus, Mohammad was born in 570 A.D. and was called Muhummad Ibn Adullah (Slick). (There are a number of variations in the spelling of Mohammad’s name, but for consistency, I will refer to him as Mohammad from here on.) Mohammad grew up in Mecca, the cultural religious center in what is now known as Saudi Arabia. In the early part of his life, Mohammad experienced tragedy as his father died before he was even born and his mother passed away when he was only six years old. Because of this, his uncle Abu Talib took the responsibility of raising him. Later on in life, Mohammad had developed the habit of going up to Mt. Hira to meditate (Slick). During one of his trips, Mohammad claimed that the angel Gabriel appeared to him. This angel instructed him to write the