Employee resourcing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employee resourcing - Essay Example Recruitment is the process of attracting a pool of applicants to fill current and future vacancies. A vacancy may result if an employee quits the job, is promoted, or new vacancies due to restructuring or improvements. After recruitment, the selection process begins whereby the right candidates are selected from the pool of applicants to fill the vacancies using various methods and techniques. The recruitment and selection process is important as it ensures quality and productivity, reduces labor turnover, as well as saving time and money needed for future recruitment practices (eHow, 2011). The paper will discuss the various recruitment and selection methods as well as develop a recruitment strategy for an organization. Organizations have become very particular about recruiting candidates for employment due to recession and high unemployment in UK. Recruiting is therefore very important in ensuring success of the organization and is an overall HR planning strategy. Recruitment is the process of attracting potential candidates to fill in vacant positions or for future placements. Mathis and Jackson (2010) acknowledge the need for organizations to carry out strategic recruiting so as to achieve organizational effectiveness. This entails determining the industry where to recruit qualified individuals, being aware of competitors’ strategies so as to identify the key to success, forming relationships with the sources of prospective employees, and promoting the company brand (p.178). Due to many issues concerned with employment laws, the recruiters should also be trained on the laws. For recruitment to be successful it should be an ongoing process and the management should decide the method to use based on costs and effectiveness. There are various recruitment methods such as; promotion, job rotation, former staffs, employee referrals, job centers,

Ernest Hemmingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemmingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls Essay There is a lot of symbolism in the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. Ernest Hemmingway characterizes the inner struggle that exists in men who engage in war. The motivations and passion begin to erode, leaving desperate men in a struggle about which they no longer feel strongly. As the novel progresses, the characters of Robert Jordan and Maria grow with the love they have for each other and the progression of their ideas about war. This growth carries them through the novel and eventually through very different paths. The character of Robert Jordan is brought to new depths of character when he meets Maria. Jordan liked to remain by himself, and he had no concern about dying on the battlefield. Additionally, the character Maria is at first a meek, traumatized victim of abuse in a prison camp. When Jordan and Maria meet, they change dramatically. Jordan’s love for Maria heals her from the wounds she suffered at the hands of men back in the prison. At the same time, Jordan comes to value his life more when he has new feelings evoked by his unity with Maria. Together they make plans to make a life with one another back in the United States, and that becomes the inspiration that carries Jordan through the war. Hemmingway’s genius for metaphorical depictions is further described by the a emotionless Robert Jordan, who has entered the war after leaving his professorship back in the United States. He takes up the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War, and his genius working with explosives earns him a higher position. At the start of his service in the war, he believes in the cause very strongly, but at the novel’s beginning, he has become worn down and disillusioned with the cause. The distinction between the Republican cause and the Fascist cause have blurred and he begins to wonder if both sides aren’t actually the same. His continued service in the war is almost robotic, he is no longer impassioned to the cause on either side. At the novel’s conclusion, Robert Jordan faces death, the denouement of his internal conflict being resolved as he finally is able to identify himself – not as a man of whose function lies only in his ruminations but rather, a man who acts on his instincts. He has been involved this war for too long despite becoming disillusioned long ago. He is tormented by the things he has done, but he ultimately realizes he needs to forget the past to refrain from making mistakes in the present. He focuses on his love for Maria and at the moment before his death, he is at peace and finally feels a connection with the world around him. The first metaphor was the snowstorm that occurred in May and hampered the progress of guerillas as they set out to detonate explosives on the bridge. The character Robert Jordan watches the snow whipping around him and describes the scene: â€Å"it was like the excitement of battle except it was clean† (Hemmingway, p186). He enjoys the fact that the snow and weather in general is beyond his control – unlike the war he is currently enduring. He is also glad that the hindrance of the snow can completely disable man’s technological innovations and stratagems for taking lives. The snowstorm is a foreshadowing element used in reference to the upcoming deaths of El Sordo and his band. It is the snow that leads the fascist soldiers on their trail and eventually leads to their demise, destroying any reinforcements for Jordan’s troops. The wildness of the snowstorm is mirrors the chaotic ending in which the soldiers run around aimlessly. Another metaphor in this novel is the bullfight. Bullfighting is referenced in the novel as a direct parallel to the senseless violence in war. The bull represents the powerful force and the matadors represent the bravery of men. In these fights, death may result but it is a minor risk for the ultimate reward of honor. Joaquin long dreamed of becoming a bullfighter, and when he tells this to his fellow guerillas, he suffers much ridicule for being too afraid to go through with his dream. This condemnation is indicative of the valor that men must have, putting their fears behind them and face death without flinching. Finito was described as cowardly – a matador who was terrified, but inside the ring, he had the courage of a â€Å"lion†, looking the bull in the face and confronting it (Hemmingway, p185). For Whom the Bell Tolls is a story about the hardships of war. As Robert continues through the war, he undergoes many changes and has his entire perception of the world changed through the lens of war’s devastation. At the end, a gentle peace takes hold of him as the character matures to his height of spiritual connectedness, and this is quickly followed by his death, the ultimate p

Importance Of Diversity In Our Society Sociology Essay

Importance Of Diversity In Our Society Sociology Essay This essay will reflect the importance of diversity in the society. The definition of diversity will be given. Positive and negative aspects of diversity will be discussed. The issues of diversity like; gender, race, class, homogeneity and heterogeneity will also be discussed in this essay. Human beings have a basic difference which differentiates people into various classes in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, class and so on. These differences cause a lot of misunderstanding, discrimination and prejudice among people of different divisions. Diversity, on the other hand helps people to identify these differences, understand, respect and embrace this differences.Therefore, diversity can be defined as the ability to recognise individual differences and the ability to respect and accept these differences without discriminating it. Diversity consists of two dimensions. These are the primary and secondary dimensions. This is mostly represented with a wheel that contains the inner and outer wheel. The primary dimensions are six areas which are considered to be dimensions of diversity.These areas are; age, race, gender, ethnicity physical abilities and qualities, and sexual orientation. All these are represented by the inner wheel. These are perceived to be the most common and prevailing ways of different perception of individuals in looking at differences between people. The outer wheel contains areas that are placed under the secondary dimensions of diversity. These are things or elements that can be changed or acquired. As far as diversity is concerened,it is not only important to study diversity but it also has a major problem when dealing with the topic. According to Fry et al, one of the problem people encounter when dealing with the topic diversity, is stereotyping.(2004:156).Stereotyping is an element of p rejudice, which can be said to be placing people on the basis of one particular area of difference. We must look beyond the obvious elements of difference says stoner et al (2004:157) in other to understand each persons individuality. As they say, although the topic of diversity may be studied in discrete sections, people do not fit into easy, simplistic categories. They are quite complex (2004:157-8).Studying diversity is very important because it helps to understand various issues that causes discrimination. These issues are; race, gender, class, homogeneity and heterogeneity. These issues will be discussed individually. Firstly, the issue of homogeneity and heterogeneity. Homogeneity is when a group of people have and share similar values, similar ideas, and similar ways of living and so on. This is called a homogeneous society. All human beings are homogeneous in one way or the other. It does not matter where you come from or your skin colour. Individuals share some common behaviour no matter how culturally different people are. There are different types of homogeneous society some of which are ethnically that is the Japanese society, religiously the Arab, culturally the Indians. So many researchers concluded that the most prominent one is ethnically, where people have similar culture and complexion and facial features,(Andromida ,n.d).Homogeneity has its advantages such as, homogeneous societies do not have the problem of language barrier, which sometimes causes threats to the unity of the society. Diversity of religious and ethnic groups can take up a wrong path, thereby causing misunderstanding in the society which may result to conflict. For example, after the incident of the 911, so many Indians, Pakistanis and Arabs were maltreated in the US, reasons due to the fact that there is lack of religious homogeneity. In the case of politics, the homogeneous society has more advantage. This is because the government decision making can be more powerful because the majority people have the same point of view. (Andromida , n.d.). But then, it also has disadvantages.The main problem with homogeneous society is as history stated that the homogeneity of a country has been endangered and broken many times and it is not possible to maintain the homogeneousness of a society.For instance,during the period of 5300 and 1940 B.C,the Sumerian used to live in present day Iraq, although they were politically,socially and agriculturally more advanced,they suffered in the hands of the Akkadians because they lacked and did not even think of developing their military power. possibly, homogeneity encourages people to be unaware of the development of the rest of the world. The leaders in a homogeneous society do not like accepting changes which leads to the down fall of the whole society. Example is Japan, during the time of shogun who believed in the homogeneity of their society, (Andromida , n.d.) .Yet studying homogeneity in diversity is very important. This is because it reminds people about the basic qualities individuals share no mater your race or gender or religion.Perherps,if people are being reminded about homogeineity,the rate of discrimination may reduce and people would start embracing and accepting others differences. While heterogeneity is the exact opposite of Homogeneity. Heterogeneity is when people are dissimilar, that is, they have different backgrounds, different values, different needs and interest. When people with these features live in the same society, it is called a heterogeneous society. Todays world is becoming more of heterogeneous society. This is because people try to adopt other peoples culture and the movement of people from one place to another has increased. The advantages of a heterogeneous society is the society have the ability to move together with the rest of the world. Heterogeneous societies understand the differences in individuals more and faster. A heterogeneous society has the tendency to live longer because more countries and societies all over the world are becoming more and more heterogeneous. There are certain disadvantages that hinders heterogeneity, such as; language barrier which causes so many problems that can lead to the crashing of that society. People w ho have different languages and are of different religious background tend to see their own ethnic or religion or language as superior than the others, this may lead to conflict between the different groups. The most dominant group in a heterogeneous society may try to oppress other groups. Decision making will also be slow or even be a great problem because the leaders themselves are from different backgrounds so they may have different point of views which will make them disagree with each other there by resulting into a great misunderstanding. The issue of heterogeneity is important in diversity because people have to be aware of the differences between individuals in other to enable them accept others. So that people will know and understand that in spite of all the differences, there are also similarities that human beings share. The next issue is the issue of class. Carl Max defined class as an antagonistic relationship that is always relative to another group based on exploitation and control. Social class is a group of people that have comparable social and economic status. Classification of people based on what you have, that is economic capital the quantity of your wealth, who you know which is the social capital and what you know the cultural capital. Class does not only affect people economically but it also affects people emotionally. Class may be said to be culture.(Class Action , 2004).Class can be changed during a persons life time, that is some people are born and grew into a class but they live as adults in another, while some immigrants change their class from their original country to their new country. This shows that class operates along a range or hierarchy. The stratification of class is based on the upper class, these are the very wealthy and powerful people, The middle class who are the p rofessionals and other high earning workers then the lower class who are classified to be people who only have low income and other resources. Classism is a way of oppressing people according to their class, wages or income. There are different levels of oppression which are; macro which happens due to economic, social, political and cultural institutions.However, as bad as classifying people according to their economic status looks, it has its benefits. These benefits are; it gave rise for more fluid structures in the western society, classification of people in a society makes way for others in that society. Exploitation of people is also present. The negative effects of classifying people is that it has been misunderstood which brought about classism. This makes individuals to be oppressed in a society either directly or indirectly. This results to emotional and physical damage. It is considered important to address the issue of class in diversity. This is because when the issues are being addressed, people will be able to understand that social class does not mean classism. And individuals will be able to understand the reasons behind classifying people under social class are not to discriminate or practice classism. Furthermore, the issue of Race. Race is considered the group of people who share the same physical and biological factors. It can be skin colour facial features, religion, culture and ethnic group.Nturally; all human beings are genetically homogeneous. So many people do not view race to be a source of belonging rather, a cause to discriminate. This introduces racism which is the thought of one ethnic group or race to be superior to others, thereby making them to discriminate and oppress people who are not from their own race. It is also an institution that discriminate people against their physical and cultural groups. Race is important because it makes an individual to feel a sense of belonging to a particular group. It makes people know that they are not the only ones who look different or sound different to the rest of the world. It also has disadvantages which are; it creates a way for people to discriminate and oppress individuals who are from certain or different race from thei r own. It makes some people feel superior to others there by making those individuals fell inferior and less important in the society. The issue of racism should be addressed in diversity in other to make people understand that race does not mean any group is superior or inferior to others. It creates awareness to people that no matter the difference in individuals, humanbeings still share basic needs as nature requires them to. It will also make them understand that it is wrong to discriminate and feel threatened by other race. It may make individuals to accept people for who they are. Lastly, the issue of gender. These are the socially constructed roles, behaviour, activities and attributes that society considers male and female to attain. These roles are being fixed by the society while some by nature. This determines what role individuals should play. Gender in some society is determined physically. It is important for people to know their gender roles in other for them to know what the society requires of them to do. It is also important for people to know their gender in other to play the right role so as not confuse their children. This is because in so many cases of single mothers or and fathers, their children grow up to play the wrong role in the society. Gender also consists of disadvantages. This is because people misuse certain gender to oppress. They have the believe that a certain gender is inferior to the other. For instance, the male gender consider the female gender to be inferior to them there by oppressing them. India is a very good example to ci te gender discrimination. In India, the male gender make the female gender to the hard work that they are suppose to do. This is because they fell they are inferior to them. This issue gender is of great importance to be discussed in diversity, to let individuals know that people can choose their own gender roles. And gender does not mean one group is superior to the other. Diversity can be used to correct the how people view gender. Some societies that discriminates the female gander can be corrected through diversity. All the five issues that were discussed above in this essay revolve around diversity. They are issues that the society misunderstand their importance what they stand for thereby making them to discriminate, operess and prejudice people. These issues are important to be discussed in diversity in other to correct the ills in the society.Therefore, diversity is of great importance because it determines the future state of the society if it is ignored and not cared for. So many people suffer due to these issues but diversity can stop these sufferings. With diversity, people will learn to accept and understand individuals there by reducing the rate of misunderstanding, conflict.prejudice and discrimination. Conclusively, the definition of diversity was given in the essay; the issues of diversity were listed and explained. The positive and negative aspects or effects of these issues was given and explained. And how they are of importance to be addressed in the society. The importance of diversity in the society has also been pointed put and explained in this essay.

Epiphany in Astronomer’s Wife, When I consider how my light is spent and Everything That Rises Must :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Epiphany in Astronomer’s Wife, When I consider how my light is spent and Everything That Rises Must Converge The short story, â€Å"Astronomer’s Wife,† by Kay Boyle is one of perseverance and change. Mrs. Ames, because of neglect from her husband, becomes an emotionless and almost childlike woman. As a result, Mrs. Ames, much like John Milton in his poem, â€Å"When I consider how my light is spent† (974), is in darkness, unaware of the reality and truth of the outside world. However, the plumber who is trying to repair leaking pipes in her house, starts by repairing the leaking pipes in her heart. He helps her realize that the life she is living is not a fulfilling one. In short, to Mrs. Ames, â€Å"[†¦] life is an open sea, she sought to explain in sorrow, and to survive women cling to the floating debris on the tide† (Boyle 59). Similarly, in Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge,† the mother is also â€Å"cling[ing] to floating debris† (Boyle 59). She is trying to hold on to her old life, the one in which she is socially better than blacks and other women. But, like Milton and Mrs. Ames, she is soon forced to see the world in a new perspective. Thus, a new life is created for Mrs. Ames and the mother after their epiphanies, with the realization of a new world, one in which hard work and understanding can lead to change in one’s life and of one’s identity. Before Mrs. Ames and the mother realize the restrictions of their old lives, their worlds have been full of disillusionment and ignorance. Mrs. Ames, for example, is oppressed by her husband’s silence and the search for love and tenderness from anyone, because she lives each day alone, ignored by her scornful husband. And, as a result of being left companionless, she does not mature, rather she longs for tenderness. In other words, Boyle explains her dysfunctional relationship with her husband, â€Å"The mystery and silence of her husband’s mind lay like a chiding finger of her lips. Her eyes were gray for the light had been extinguished in them† (57). That is, Mrs. Ames’ spirit remains oppressed by her husband who treats her as a child, and, in doing so, isolates her from his world.

Agriculture and Technology Essay

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings 1) Summary of Character Traits a) School smart (Maya is smart. When she moves to San Francisco from Stamps, Arkansas, she is skipped a grade. b) Caring sister (she always talks of her devotion to Baily) c) Determined (she wants to get a Job with the streetcar company and she keeps bugging them until they finally give her a Job) d) Proud (she lives with the Junkyard kids instead of going back to her father’s; she slaps Dolores for calling her mother a whore) 2) Appearance a) African American, tall, skinny, small and squinty eyes, big feet, large ap between her front teeth, black hair 3) What The Character Wants a) Maya wants, ultimately, for her family to be happy. She wants the segregation of blacks to end (she is disgusted when young white girls call her grandmother by her first name). 4) How the Character Changes a) After being raped, Maya stops talking as much b) After spending time living in the Junkyard, Maya learns tolerance, which will help her through out her life. She matures from a young girl to a mother, as well. c) Becomes more mature once she gets her Job with the street ars 5) Key Statements About the Character a) â€Å"Ritie, dont worry Ocause you ain’t pretty. Plenty of pretty women I seen digging ditches or worse. You smart. I swear to God, I rather you have a good mind than a cute behind. † (p. 56) b) â€Å"In those moments I decided that although Baily loved me he couldn’t help. 0 1 knew that because I loved him so much I could never hurt him† (p. 73) 6) Key Actions a) Father comes to Stamps and takes them to their mother b) Moves back to Stamps, then to SF c) Drives home from Mexico d) Slaps Dolores br;  e) Stays with the Junkyard people f) Gets pregnant 7) What Others Think Of the Character a) When they are younger, Baily really looks out for Maya. As they grow up, and after she spends time with her father, they drift apart. b) Her grandmother loves Maya very much, and knows that she is a very smart girl with a lot of potential. c) Her mother seems to care much more about her than her father did. Thesis Statement: Maya Angelou faces many hardships, yet manages to overcome them all, in her autobiography, â€Å"l Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. br>Maya Angelou faces many hardships, yet manages to overcome them all, in her autobiography, â€Å"l Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Maya is a strong willed, often stubborn, outgoing, somewhat outspoken, and rather intelligent girl. She becomes very tolerant due to some of her experiences. She also matures faster mentally than many other girls her age because of her situation and experiences. From the time she was young and through adolescence, Maya considered herself ugly. She was a tall, somewhat lanky African American. She was skinny, and felt that her eyes were too small and squinty. She was also ashamed of her large feet. r; Throughout the story, Maya is discouraged by the segregation of the blacks. For a long time she is denied the Job that she wishes to have because of the color of her skin. Also, she wants her family to be together and to be happy. She is separated from her parents at a young age and lives with her grandmother and uncle for most of her childhood. When she is with her parents, she tends to feel secondary. There is always something a touch more important that she and her brother Baily. autobiography, â€Å"l Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. When the book begins, Angelou is a young child, a mere three years old. As she grows up, though somewhat sheltered by her grandmother’s position as a general store owner, her eyes are opened to the current ways of the South. Blacks are lesser people that whites, and that was the way it was for her. On several occasions she watched in horror as young girls called her grandmother by her first name, when they should have been respectful and at lease used â€Å"Miss†. Once breaking the segregation barrier for herself, she gets a Job with the Streetcar Company. Having a Job, and the responsibility that comes with it, she mentally matures faster than the other children her age. While living with her mother he first time, Maya is molested by her mother’s boyfriend. After this, she becomes almost completely silent. She avoids talking as much as possible, which is a contrast to her previous behavior. Maya spends time living with other children in a Junkyard after her father asks her to leave. He asks her to leave because she and his girlfriend, Dolores, get into a fght and Dolores hurts Maya. After spending time with those children, she learns tolerance and matures more. Also, after becoming pregnant and realizing that she is responsible for another human life, she matures even more and becomes more responsible. br>Maya and her brother Baily were very close during their childhood and most of their adolescence. Baily was always proud of Maya for her intelligence, even though at times she wished she could have forfeited it for good looks. Baily expresses his pride by saying, â€Å"[Maya], don’t worry Ocause you ain’t pretty. Plenty of pretty women I mind than cute behind. (p. 56) After being raped, Maya wishes to protect her brother. She doesn’t want anything to happen to him because, according to her, she isn’t as good of a person as she should be. Through out her life

buy custom HMIS Standards essay

buy custom HMIS Standards essay Each and every one of us has visited a hospital either in need of medical attention or just to visit someone admitted in the hospital. One is always given a form to fill that contains personal details like the names and address of the patient seeking for medical care. Most of us do not take the initiative to find out why these details are required to be filled and left at the hospital. On a repeat visit, a patient is asked for their name again and their file is produced to be used by the doctor for continuous treatment. These records are kept in the hospital for years and can be requested for at a later time for reference purposes when one has a medical condition that calls for the patients prior records to be assessed. During a visit to the hospital, one is sees a doctor who then diagnoses the illness if any and the patient is given medicines to make them feel better. Medicine is described by the United States National Library of Medicine as the complete science used in the diagnosis, following treatment and also prevention of diseases and other damages including mental, that damage the human body. Medicine is therefore a branch of science that deals with the treatment of diseases by the use of drugs and other nonsurgical means. An agent such as any drugs whose purpose is to treat disease is also referred to as medicine. Thus medicine refers to and encompasses both the science and the treatment of diseases. The world has become a technology hub and everyone today is looking to become technologically savvy to fit into the ever changing and ever evolving modern world. Technology has made a big significant difference in the way that things in all areas are run contributing to making work easier and more accessible due to the onset of computers that are today used in the storage and processing of data. The medical world has not been left behind and it has also embraces the modern trend. The application and incorporation of information technology into the healthcare sector is what in essence is referred to as Medical Informatics. Basically it involves the overall understanding and the use of tools and skills in an effort to use and share information and apply the same in the delivery and promotion of healthcare services to the masses (Pabrai, 9). Medical informatics reflects the substantive contribution of both patients and the medical professionals in the use of healthcare data and other re lated data. The use of medical informatics has been traced back to have started in the 1950s influenced by the continued increase in the use of computers as computation devises and was referred to them as medical computing or medical computer science and was widely used for dental projects at the National Bureau of Standards (Tan, 5) Standards refer to the commonly used guidelines, rules, and conditions that are related to a particular process, in tis case medicine, and the relevant management systems practices that regulate them. Data standards in medicine refer to a specified set of the most widely used data elements in the effective collection and storage of patient information and other relevant data to enable ease of access to more consistent and comparable data for use throughout all levels and sectors of medicine necessary to support improved doctor-patient interaction. Standards also include the collection and reporting of financial statements and statistical data from the daily operations of health organizations around the country. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Actwas enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President. The HIPPA seeks to protect health insurance coverage previously accessed by workers and their families when they transition or lose their jobs. The Administrati ve Simplification of HIPAAs provisions, requires the establishment of national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health insurance plans, and employers (Pabrai, 7) The Administration Simplification provisions also provided for the security and privacy of healthcare data and set the standards tailored at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system mainly by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in the U.S. health care system (Pabrai, 8) The Health Management Information Systems refers to a software application that is used to store all the information gathered of the people seeking for medical attention in hospitals around the United States. The HMIS stores information on the general characteristics and the individual needs of the patients as gathered and this helps the relevant doctors and other medical care givers to come up with the relevant and most effective ways and means of controlling and treating a patient and in the offering of any other required health services. When information is stored in a good and organized way that is easy to be accessed, read and understood, then it is easy for the people concerned to look at and compare the data collected then or earlier to assist a patient on a return visit in the same hospital or in a different hospital from any part of the country. It is important to have this kind of data stored in an accessible manner since many different people may at one time require the sa me data order to assist a patient like in the case of an emergency. The Hospital Management Information Systems have tailored at providing the essential standards for use in the collection, sharing and safeguarding of any stored data. A Unique Patient Identifier is a value that is permanently assigned to a particular person for the sole reason of identification purposes and is unique throughout the whole healthcare system across the country since it is not shared with anyone else. It facilitates the positive identification of an individual for prompt healthcare services delivery. A UPI has the potential to enable a patient to access prompt care through the easy healthcare information access using the UPI, hence reduce the time one needs to spend at a health facility. The UPI can also be used in the aggregation of health information for any further analysis and research necessary. Encryption and other data security methods should be used to protect the information and identity of an individual. In cases where medical tests results are being communicated, the security of an individual should be guaranteed (Beaver, 12). Only the people who are directly involved in the actual care of the individual should be allowed a ccess to the medical records, like the patient himself and their doctor only. The DICOM standards are controlled by the DICOM Standards Committee which is mandated to create and maintain high standards in the sharing of biomedical and other therapeutic diagnosis across all fields that use any form of digital imaging or any related data. In any case where one plans to adopt a major HMIS standard like this one, there is set parameters that one should have in place. These include but are not limited to a secure network and digital storage system and also current encryption software to protect personal patient data (Beaver, 34). Medicine is a very professional field and it is very important for the overall healthy existence of the human kind. It takes only trained professionals to ensure the proper running of a medical centre. As such it is important to safeguard the professional language that is only used and understood by trained professionals. As much as technology changes, it is important to protect medical records by upholding a code that can only be used and understood by the trained people because these kind of information in the wrong hands can turn out to be very dangerous. If the medical field became too lax in the language used and adopted any common language, then it would eventually lead to a breach because it would mean that any other tom, dick and harry can easily access patient records and even tamper with them. Today with the use of the standardization codes, patient and doctors records remain safe even if a layman were to access them because the person would not easily understand what the r ecords mean and if they decided to tamper with the same, then the doctor would easily realize that the records were tampered with at first glance. This would ensure that the doctor or care giver corrects the record again before commencing treatment. It is therefore justifiable beyond any reasonable doubt that the use of standardized codes for referencing of medical data should be upheld for the sole comprehension of the medical staff. Buy custom HMIS Standards essay

Marketing has developed tremendously with the evolution of technology

Marketing has developed tremendously with the evolution of technology Marketing has developed tremendously with the evolution of technology. The internet, which is continuing to grow rapidly, is one of the most important technologies that have affected marketing. It has destroyed all boundaries such as time and distance. Manufacturers can now connect with customers without any constraints. Both Ryan and Jones (2011) and Brennan and Schafer (2010) discussed how mobility affects marketing and that it is much easier to advertise now that you can reach anyone, anytime, anywhere. Day and Bens (2005) stated that it also gave an opportunity for small regional companies to access bigger markets and compete internationally. The internet exposes customers to these various markets, which gives them the chance to choose from a wider range of products so they would find exactly what they are looking for. Another positive impact of technology on marketing is that it allows companies to store information about each customer in order to understand them more thorou ghly using past behavioural data. Getting feedback from customers has another important role in marketing. Knowing the weaknesses and strengths of their product would be extremely useful if they received feedback from customers instantly. If there were any deficiencies or traits in the product which customers were complaining about, the manufacturers could find solutions or enhance their product as soon as possible so it doesn't result in a loss in sales. On the other hand receiving positive feedback and knowing the strengths of their product lets them know what to focus on in manufacturing the next product or what to focus on in advertising for this product. Besides that, it is more convenient for consumers to do their shopping online now that online stores have no closing hours. Today, with the introduction of technology the way of marketing changes. The most important technology which change the way of doing marketing is internet. Now a day's internet is everywhere. Internet eliminates all the barriers of communicating with people and also eliminates distance boundaries. Now it's easy for companies to communicate with their customers without any limitations and barriers. According to Ryan and Jones (2011) and Brennan and Schafer (2010) Advertising has grown hugely with the advancement of innovation. The web, which is proceeding to develop quickly, is a standout amongst the most essential advances that have influenced promoting. It has devastated all limits, for example, time and separation. Producers would now be able to associate with clients with no imperatives. Both Ryan and Jones (2011) and Brennan and Schafer (2010) talked about how portability influences promoting and that it is significantly less demanding to publicize now that you can achieve anybody, whenever, anyplace. Day and Bens (2005) expressed that it additionally gave an open door for little local organizations to get to greater markets and contend universally. The web opens clients to these different markets, which allows them to browse a more extensive scope of items so they would discover precisely what they are searching for. Another positive effect of innovation on promoting is that it enables organizations to store data about every client keeping in mind the end goal to comprehend them all the more completely utilizing past behavioral information. Getting input from clients has another critical part in showcasing. Knowing the shortcomings and qualities of their item would be to a great degree helpful on the off chance that they got input from clients in a split second. On the off chance that there were any insufficiencies or qualities in the item which clients were whining about, the makers could discover arrangements or improve their item at the earliest opportunity so it doesn't bring about a misfortune in deals. Then again accepting positive criticism and knowing the qualities of their item tells them what to center around in assembling the following item or what to center around in publicizing for this item. Other than that, it is more helpful for customers to do their shopping on the web now that online stores have no end hours.

Definition and Examples of Anaphora in Rhetoric

Definition and Examples of Anaphora in Rhetoric Anaphora is a rhetorical term for the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. By building toward a climax, anaphora can create a strong emotional effect. Consequently, this figure of speech is often found in polemical writings and passionate oratory, perhaps most famously in Dr. Martin Luther Kings I Have a Dream speech. Classical scholar George A. Kennedy compares anaphora to a series of hammer blows in which the repetition of the word both connects and reinforces the successive thoughts (New Testament Interpretation Through Rhetorical Criticism, 1984).  Ã‚   Examples and Observations We learned to diagram sentences with the solemn precision of scientists articulating chemical equations. We learned to read by reading aloud, and we learned to spell by spelling aloud.(Joyce Carol Oates, District School #7: Niagara County, New York. Faith of a Writer: Life, Craft, Art. HarperCollins, 2003)I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat, and a gun.(Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, 1940)It rained on his lousy tombstone, and it rained on the grass on his stomach. It rained all over the place.(Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, 1951)Anaphora will repeat an opening phrase or word;Anaphora will pour it into a mould (absurd)!Anaphora will cast each subsequent opening;Anaphora will last until its tiring.(John Hollander, Rhymes Reason: A Guide to English Verse. Yale University Press, 1989)Here comes the shadow not looking where it is going,And the whole night wi ll fall; it is time.Here comes the little wind which the hourDrags with it everywhere like an empty wagon through leaves.Here comes my ignorance shuffling after themAsking them what they are doing.(W.S. Merwin, Sire. The Second Four Books of Poems. Copper Canyon Press, 1993) Sir Walter Raleigh. Good food. Good cheer. Good times.(slogan of the Sir Walter Raleigh Inn Restaurant, Maryland)We saw the bruised children of these fathers clump onto our school bus, we saw the abandoned children huddle in the pews at church, we saw the stunned and battered mothers begging for help at our doors.(Scott Russell Sanders, Under the Influence, 1989)Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.(Rick Blaine in Casablanca)We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.(Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons, June 4, 1940)Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us. Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms, and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.Let both sides unite to heed, in all corners of the earth, the command of Isaiah - to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free.(President John Kennedy, Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961) But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so weve come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I Have a Dream, 1963)Its the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworkers son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.(Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, July 27, 2004)In school, I am a luckless goose girl, friendless and forlorn. In P.S. 71 I carry, weighty as a cloak, the ineradicable knowledge of my scandal - I am cross-eyed, dumb, an imbecile in arithmetic; in P.S. 71 I am publicly shamed in Assembly because I am caught not singing Christmas carols; in P.S. 71 I am repeatedly accused of deicide. But in the Park View Pharmacy, in the winter dusk, branches blackening in the park across the road, I am driving in rapture through the Violet Fairy Book and the Yellow Fairy Book, insubstantial chariots snatched from the box in the mud.(Cynthia Ozick, A Drugstore in Winter. Art and Ardor, 1983) Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in public and private life, have been the consequences of action without thought.(attributed to Bernard Baruch)Brylcreem, a little dabll do ya,Brylcreem, youll look so debonair!Brylcreem, the galsll all pursue ya!Theyll love to get their fingers in your hair.(Advertising jingle, 1950s)I want her to live. I want her to breathe. I want her to aerobicize.(Weird Science, 1985)Im not afraid to die. Im not afraid to live. Im not afraid to fail. Im not afraid to succeed. Im not afraid to fall in love. Im not afraid to be alone. Im just afraid I might have to stop talking about myself for five minutes.(Kinky Friedman, When the Cats Away, 1988)In Gods name, you people are the real thing. We are the illusion!So turn off your television sets. Turn them off now! Turn them off right now! Turn them off and leave them off. Turn them off right in the middle of this sentence Im speaking to you now.Turn them off!(Peter Finch as television anchorman Howard Beale in Network, 1976) Anaphora in Dr. Kings Letter From a Birmingham Jail But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick, brutalize and even kill your black brothers and sisters with impunity; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she cant go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her little eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see the depressing cloud of inferiority begin to form in her little mental sky, and see her begin to distort her little personality by unconsciously developing a bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son asking in agonizing pathos: Da ddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading white and colored; when your first name becomes nigger and your middle name becomes boy (however old you are) and your last name becomes John, and when your wife and mother are never given the respected title Mrs.; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance never quite knowing what to expect next, and plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness; then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait.(Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter From a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963. I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World, ed. by James M. Washington. HarperCollins, 1992) Anaphora in President Franklin Roosevelts Second Inaugural Address But here is the challenge to our democracy: In this nation, I see tens of millions of its citizens - a substantial part of its whole population - who at this very moment are denied the greater part of what the very lowest standards of today call the necessities of life.I see millions of families trying to live on incomes so meager that the pall of family disaster hangs over them day by day.I see millions whose daily lives in city and on farm continue under conditions labeled indecent by a so-called polite society half a century ago.I see millions denied education, recreation, and the opportunity to better their lot and the lot of their children.I see millions lacking the means to buy the products of farm and factory and by their poverty denying work and productiveness to many other millions.I see one-third of a nation ill-housed, ill-clad, ill-nourished.But it is not in despair that I paint you that picture. I paint it for you in hope - because the nation, seeing and understanding the injustice in it, proposes to paint it out.(Franklin D. Roosevelt, Second Inaugural Address, January 20, 1937) The Lighter Side of Anaphora I dont like you sucking around, bothering our citizens, Lebowski. I dont like your jerk-off name. I dont like your jerk-off face. I dont like your jerk-off behavior, and I dont like you, jerk-off.(Policeman in The Big Lebowski, 1998)

Generations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Generations - Essay Example Growing up in this present era is undoubtedly a challenge for me and my colleagues. As we are embittered by our own disappointments and struggles, we are also being plagued by the challenges presented by our immediate environment. In the political aspect, we become a part of the rapidly integrating political systems due to the pressures of globalization. As nations realize the gains earned from opening up their economies to trade and investment, countries delimited by geographical boundaries are fast developing into a single global village. This is further aided by rapid technological advancement brought about by the popularity of virtual reality and internet technology. These further eliminate borders among political entities and promote the integration of nations. The formation of free trade zones and blocs often posts challenges in life of a youth like me. The easy access to other nations exposes everyone to the threats of terrorism. The 9-11 attack serves as a grim reminder of how these political issues shatter the dreams of some youth like me to live in security. It has been a challenge for us youths to be vigilant and be involved in political issues. It opened my eyes to my role in safeguarding this nation by helping in the thrust against terrorism.

Art in post- modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Art in post- modernity - Essay Example The practice is founded on urban â€Å"operational space,† as depicted in â€Å"practice of place† as illustrated by Certeau and not the abstract space of urban planning, geometry, or the virtual space of the screen. This is a space produced by a lived experience, characterized by individuals mapping their personal movements and every day relationships to seeming centers of power through the neighborhoods, the streets and transit networks of the city. Street art offers an instinctive break from the hastened â€Å"aesthetics of disappearance†. Hence, it is an indicator cut off in an exceedingly mass-arbitrated environment, which is dominated by a regime of screen visibility that always has absence of material objects. The placement of works requires a place, demarcating locations with awareness, which is against the increasing urban â€Å"non-places† of anonymous commerce and transit. Street artists use walls as mural space, which is their useful differenti ator . In the early 1990s, the street arts had effectively used walls in Los Angeles and New York, which boasted of different graffiti styles. The Berlin Wall had miles of mural art and graffiti, which created visually striking images during the fall of wall in 1989. As a city mural art, street art spread across Europe and to South America, throughout the 1990s. There has been a gradual evolution from simple graffiti as slogan writing or name to a focused practice entailing many types of graphic and image techniques. These techniques involve hybrid genres and mixed methods., which are produced and executed both on and off the street. Figure 1 Pop, as anticipated by Dada and Duchamp, launched a new conceptual space, which introduced new arguments regarding on what art could be. Street art acquired these arguments; thus, becoming a transformative logic of Pop. Consequently, it became a redirected work of transubstantiation, which changed the unrefined and non-art-differentiated space of public streets into novel territories of visual engagement. This anti-art performative works eventually resulted in a new art category. Street art deaestheticizes â€Å"high art† as one of the various forms of source material; and on the other hand, aestheticizing sectors, which were formerly outside culturally acknowledged art space. The â€Å"extramural† sectors of non-art space and the judgment of the art container are currently turned inside out. The walls of the city reflect what was banned on the walls of art institutions, such as,

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing Essay - 6

Does the rotation of auditors improve the quality of auditing - Essay Example Rotation of auditors has also been argued to facilitate business organisations in developing better transparency in their financial reports. Moreover, auditor rotation is identified as a process assisting in better flow of information. Rotation also ascertains that the financial statements of a business organisation are reviewed frequently. In this manner, auditor rotation develops an increased accountability along with independence amid auditors. However, the policy of auditor rotation is identified to affect the audit quality to a substantial extent, as auditors with time span are aware of the risks and credibility that a business organisation is attached with. It is also ascertained that there are certain business organisations adopting the policy of auditor rotation, which are seemed to increase complexities as well as cost due to rotation during important business transactions (Whitehouse, 2013). In this regard, the essay emphasizes the audit quality and the policy of rotation o f auditors. Moreover, the essay discusses about the issues that are addressed by auditors’ rotation and explains the advantages and disadvantages associated with the policy of auditors’ rotation. Discussion Defining Audit Quality In the present business scenario, financial reports of companies are deemed to be quite essential elements of identifying the performances of business organisations. In this regard, both internal as well as external auditors play effective role in the preparation of financial reports suitably (Arrunada & Paz-Ares, 1997). Contextually, audit quality has emerged as an important aspect in relation to the audited financial reports that are prepared and presented. It is therefore deemed to be the auditors’ responsibility to discover as well as identify the shortcomings in the accounting system of an organisation in order to ensure that financial reports are prepared systematically and appropriately (Velte & Stiglbauer, 2012). Correspondingly , the policy of audit quality is generally argued as based on three important factors, which include disclosure of appropriate financial statements, ascertaining that the internal control system of an organisation is efficient and provide adequate warnings in case of frauds and misrepresentations (PCAOB, 2013). The Issue that are Addressed by ‘Rotation of Auditors’ The policy of rotation of auditors is thereby adopted by business organisations with the objective of ascertaining that financial reports are prepared and disclosed appropriately ascertaining better audit quality. The policy has been adopted in order to minimise the barrier of over-familiarity that may develop amid the management of an organisation and auditors with time. In this respect, business organisations have adopted this policy in order to safeguard and protect the interests as well as confidence of investors by ensuring that quality audited financial reports are disclosed every year, representing a r eliable information reflecting the current financial position of the company. The utmost objective of rotation of auditors is accordingly, to ascertain that auditing operations are performed effectively in order to enhance audit quality (PWC, 2013). In this regard, it can be comprehended

School shooting and the media , video game violence Essay

School shooting and the media , video game violence - Essay Example This week we draw a distinction between victimisation and victimhood therea re various avenues for resisting violence: that is, violence is not a necessary outcome of being a particular type of person. For example, we will consider how teh rape scritmight be rethought so that women are not the inevitable victims and men are not the inevitable perpetrators of violence.   -Michel Foucault, "weother victorians and the repressive hypothesis,from the history of sexuality vol 1, reprinted in the Foucault reader,ed. (London:Penguin books, 1991),292-300,301-29.ISBN:9780140124866   Violence is a physical inducement of force that continues to be a controversial topic in the 21st century. Violence has many categories and has detrimental effects within society that continues to be the focal point of discussion. The use of pressure and abusing power itself is violence and is associated with psychology, retaliation, hatred and other human emotion. One cannot ignore the fact that violence is a decompression of an event that dynamically impacted an individual. This paper will discuss many aspects of violence with key insights and new details based on comprehensive research. In order to acknowledge and understand the true essence of violence, one must understand the root cause of violence. Violence is an issue that is directly associated with emotion and mental health of an individual. Behavioral violence is defined by a force of physical aggressive behavior against another person. In fact, scientist agrees that violence is embedded in humans. A prime example of this is retaliation from a particular incident that had a dramatic effect on psyche of a person. In a midst of a heated moment, violence can be exerted due to rage, anger and fury. Interestingly enough, most people at times acknowledge that they were at fault for conducting this type of behavior. As the author states, â€Å"Mr Wlasuk said: The kids who play these games know all about

Hamlet by Shakespeare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hamlet by Shakespeare - Essay Example From this study it is clear that Hamlet seems to be seduced, as well as repelled by the notion of suicid. In the gravedigger scene, in Act 5, Hamlet seems captivated by the reality of death. Although Hamlet’s fascination with death is intensely entrenched in his character, such fascination could also be a result of his grief following his father’s untimely death. In a sense, Hamlet is an extended dialogue between Hamlet and the element of death. This paper will examine how death permeates Hamlet from the opening scene to the end of the play. Death, in Hamlet, comes with a set of consequences that ultimately affect all characters and the nation, as well.As the essay stresses  death permeates Hamlet from the opening scene when Hamlet’s dead father appears to Hamlet and introduces the aspect of death and its consequences. The ghost of Hamlet’s father signifies a disruption to the conventional social order. This form of disruption emanates from the unnatural death of the country’s (Denmark) figurehead and which is soon followed by a wave of revenge, suicide and accidental deaths. Perhaps Hamlet’s most powerful reflection on death comes in Act 4. Here, Hamlet refuses to tell Claudius where he hid Polonius body. The theme of death is perhaps the main theme of Hamlet especially considering that the plot of the play is set in motion by the unnatural death of Hamlet’s father. Throughout the play, we encounter a number of deaths, either from suicide or murder.  ... Death emerges in the play once again as Hamlet arranges to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed. However, the notion of spiritual terror keeps characters such as Hamlet from committing suicide despite their despair. Such terror emerges as Hamlet finds himself in a difficult position of desiring his death, but also fearing death intensely. This form of double pressure provides the play most of its drama and thrill. However, the aspect of death that Hamlet finds most intriguing is its bodily reality as he argues that mankind is ultimately made of meat and bone, but no matter how much humans value their bodies, they are innately decomposing machines (Act 5). In the scene at the graveyard, Hamlet’s fascination with death emerges as he ponders over Yorick’s skull asking whether a piece of the skull or dead earth has any personality or connection to a being. Hamlet ponders the spiritual aftermath of death as embodied in the form of a ghost and physical aftermath embodied in physical remainders such as the decaying corpses and Yorick’s skull. Moreover, the theme of suicide serves to augment the element of death in Hamlet. Just like the theme of madness, the theme of suicide links characters such as Ophelia and Hamlet and typically shapes the concerns of the play on a larger scale. This is because Ophelia perhaps commits suicide although the act is shrouded in mystery. Hamlet, on the other hand, merely contemplates suicide but is too scared by the notion of death and the spiritual ramifications of suicide to commit it. In both Hamlet and Ophelia’s cases, the most significant outcome of suicide is its religious ramifications. Within Hamlet’s two suicide soliloquies, he reflects on religious mysteries and laws that argue that the

Background to the Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Background to the Study - Research Paper Example In a way, it is a matter of risk and all the imperative factors that define human conduct with relation to risk and loss. Current Controversy The core of the argument in this case is the fact that losses have a relatively greater impact on choices than gains. While the proponents of the ideal behind los aversion and endowment effect seem to justify its applicability, much antipathy is still realized in this discourse. They question the real fundamentals behind these critical issues. Research question In this regard, the research seeks to answer the following question: â€Å"Does loss aversion have any significant uniform effect on the economic character of people.† Literature Review The concept of loss aversion has been a subject of much research and continuous discourse regarding its nature and the effect it has on the character of people. Losses are painful to humans than gains are pleasurable. Inasmuch as loss aversion might appear as a basic characterization across the hum an conduct, it helps to regard the whole aspects as a personality trait given its subjectivity and relativity. In risk analysis, it is realized that some individuals are more risk averse than others. In this case, risk aversion appears as a personality trait embedded in the character formation of an individual. In the same way, it is realized that loss version even varies within an individual on the basis of particular attributes. For instance somebody might be loss averse for fuel consumption of their car but not for food. This translates into different behaviors in different situations within an individual realm. In its most fundamental connotation, loss aversion is a function of the process of judgment. In this respect, loss aversion is not a mere attribute nor a parameter of choice but an outcome of value judgments (Novemsky & Kahneman 139). Therefore in decision making involving buying or selling, the basic point of reference is whether the trade should be conducted or not. The endowment effect better justifies the concept of loss aversion. The endowment effect affirms that people exhibit much regard for a particular good they own than on an identical commodity they do not own. In this respect therefore, the satisfaction lost when the owned commodity is lost is much higher than the satisfaction gained when the identical commodity is gained. Several studies in the recent past have questioned the very existence of loss aversion as a psychological character in the conduct of man. In examining the effect losses have on the process of decision making under situations of risk and uncertainty, loss aversion was never detected. Several lines of though emerge from this realization. On the one hand, it is seen that loss aversion is never present in limited payoff magnitudes. On the other hand, it is felt that the previously held generality on the concept of loss aversion was a much magnified affair that never exists as supposed. In the same regard, the loss aversio n phenomenon does not exist and the whole situation can simply be explained by inertia. There is substantial evidence that people can experience loss aversion even for commodities they never owned. This occurs in case the commodities were part of the choice options that were under judgment in the process of making decisions. It is realized that endowment effect is normally reduced or increased as a function of the similarity of the endowed and un-endowed effect. In the same way, loss

School shooting and the media , video game violence Essay

School shooting and the media , video game violence - Essay Example This week we draw a distinction between victimisation and victimhood therea re various avenues for resisting violence: that is, violence is not a necessary outcome of being a particular type of person. For example, we will consider how teh rape scritmight be rethought so that women are not the inevitable victims and men are not the inevitable perpetrators of violence.   -Michel Foucault, "weother victorians and the repressive hypothesis,from the history of sexuality vol 1, reprinted in the Foucault reader,ed. (London:Penguin books, 1991),292-300,301-29.ISBN:9780140124866   Violence is a physical inducement of force that continues to be a controversial topic in the 21st century. Violence has many categories and has detrimental effects within society that continues to be the focal point of discussion. The use of pressure and abusing power itself is violence and is associated with psychology, retaliation, hatred and other human emotion. One cannot ignore the fact that violence is a decompression of an event that dynamically impacted an individual. This paper will discuss many aspects of violence with key insights and new details based on comprehensive research. In order to acknowledge and understand the true essence of violence, one must understand the root cause of violence. Violence is an issue that is directly associated with emotion and mental health of an individual. Behavioral violence is defined by a force of physical aggressive behavior against another person. In fact, scientist agrees that violence is embedded in humans. A prime example of this is retaliation from a particular incident that had a dramatic effect on psyche of a person. In a midst of a heated moment, violence can be exerted due to rage, anger and fury. Interestingly enough, most people at times acknowledge that they were at fault for conducting this type of behavior. As the author states, â€Å"Mr Wlasuk said: The kids who play these games know all about

Background to the Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Background to the Study - Research Paper Example In a way, it is a matter of risk and all the imperative factors that define human conduct with relation to risk and loss. Current Controversy The core of the argument in this case is the fact that losses have a relatively greater impact on choices than gains. While the proponents of the ideal behind los aversion and endowment effect seem to justify its applicability, much antipathy is still realized in this discourse. They question the real fundamentals behind these critical issues. Research question In this regard, the research seeks to answer the following question: â€Å"Does loss aversion have any significant uniform effect on the economic character of people.† Literature Review The concept of loss aversion has been a subject of much research and continuous discourse regarding its nature and the effect it has on the character of people. Losses are painful to humans than gains are pleasurable. Inasmuch as loss aversion might appear as a basic characterization across the hum an conduct, it helps to regard the whole aspects as a personality trait given its subjectivity and relativity. In risk analysis, it is realized that some individuals are more risk averse than others. In this case, risk aversion appears as a personality trait embedded in the character formation of an individual. In the same way, it is realized that loss version even varies within an individual on the basis of particular attributes. For instance somebody might be loss averse for fuel consumption of their car but not for food. This translates into different behaviors in different situations within an individual realm. In its most fundamental connotation, loss aversion is a function of the process of judgment. In this respect, loss aversion is not a mere attribute nor a parameter of choice but an outcome of value judgments (Novemsky & Kahneman 139). Therefore in decision making involving buying or selling, the basic point of reference is whether the trade should be conducted or not. The endowment effect better justifies the concept of loss aversion. The endowment effect affirms that people exhibit much regard for a particular good they own than on an identical commodity they do not own. In this respect therefore, the satisfaction lost when the owned commodity is lost is much higher than the satisfaction gained when the identical commodity is gained. Several studies in the recent past have questioned the very existence of loss aversion as a psychological character in the conduct of man. In examining the effect losses have on the process of decision making under situations of risk and uncertainty, loss aversion was never detected. Several lines of though emerge from this realization. On the one hand, it is seen that loss aversion is never present in limited payoff magnitudes. On the other hand, it is felt that the previously held generality on the concept of loss aversion was a much magnified affair that never exists as supposed. In the same regard, the loss aversio n phenomenon does not exist and the whole situation can simply be explained by inertia. There is substantial evidence that people can experience loss aversion even for commodities they never owned. This occurs in case the commodities were part of the choice options that were under judgment in the process of making decisions. It is realized that endowment effect is normally reduced or increased as a function of the similarity of the endowed and un-endowed effect. In the same way, loss

I Have a Dream Speech Essay Example for Free

I Have a Dream Speech Essay Everyone dreamt as a child. We dreamt to become astronauts, cowboys, and princesses, but as we got older, we realized those dreams were childish. We began to mature and set our dreams to plan more for our future. Our dreams evolved into becoming successful in the business world, to go to college and succeed, to have a relationship with a spouse, dreams we were able to achieve. I have a dream to stay strong in my relationship with God, and continuing to grow in my faith as a woman of God in His image. By following and chasing after this dream, I do believe that it will keep me on the right path toward success and even through tough times, He will always be there as my safety net. In my life there are several people whom I cherish and am blessed to have. I look up to every single one of them as a mentor and someone to model myself after. One of these people is my camp counselor Brittany. Through camp this summer, I was always comfortable talking to her about anything, and I knew she would be there to listen. Throughout our bible studies and worship time we got to spend together, she spilled her knowledge of God and her story of faith into me and the rest of our cabin. She helped us all realize that we are not alone in anything we do and we are created beautifully in His image. Another person I view as one of my mentors is my 10:24 (bible study) leader from last year Jennifer. We had four girls in our group and we all grew extremely close through the time which we were able to spend together as sisters in Christ. Like Brittany, she was and is always there for me to talk to during good times and bad, and someone who I will always have to rely on in times of struggle. My last person whom I view as a mentor to help me accomplish my goal is my close friend Alex. After knowing each other for more than eight years, we are extremely close and I have no idea what I would do without her. She is a one in a million type of person who I am thankfully blessed to have in my life. She is always there for advice and someone who I can look to model myself after. Her personality and character shine through everything she does and she has always had a positive influence on me. All three of these people will help me accomplish my dream by giving me another person to talk to, and a source of comfort as I go through life. Achieving my dream will impact my future by giving me the opportunity to live my life knowing that God has a plan for me. I will be able to live my life glorifying Him and learning from experiences. Through this dream I can have the opportunity to spill my story and experiences into the life of another person and show them that they are not alone and don’t have to worry about their future because He has it all figured out. Achieving this goal will be able to make me a happier and more successful person in the fact that I will be able to live a good life the way that God has planned for me. In conclusion, this dream makes my life more complete by giving me the knowledge and satisfaction that I am not alone in anything I do. Not only do I have God as a source, but he has blessed me with people and resources in which I can surround myself with. â€Å"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings; In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.†

Rare Earth Doped Upconverting Nanoparticles

Rare Earth Doped Upconverting Nanoparticles Rare Earth Doped Upconverting Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Application in Bio-Imaging Nidhi Malviya1, Vinita Rajput Chouhan1, Sudeshna Ray2 ABSTRACT Upconversion luminescence, a nonlinear process, which re-emits a photon at a shorter wavelength by the absorption of more than one photon, successively at longer wavelengths via long-lived intermediate energy states, is useful for important applications in various fields like fluorescence bio-imaging and lasers. This NIR-to-NIR up-conversion process provides deeper light penetration into biologicalspecimen and results in high contrast optical imaging due to absence of an auto fluorescence background and decreased light scattering. Excitation at long wavelengths also minimizes damage to biological materials. Herein, we report the different mechanisms responsible for the Upconversion process of rare-earth (Er3+, Ho3+, Tm3+) doped nanoparticle and methods that are used to synthesize and decorate up converting nanoparticle. I INTRODUCTION Upconversion is an optical process that involves the conversion of lower-energy photons into higher-energy photons. It has been extensively studied since mid-1960s and widely applied in optical devices. Over the past decade, high-quality rare earth-doped Upconversion Nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized with the rapid development of nanotechnology and are becoming more prominent in biological sciences. The main difference between Upconversion Nanoparticles and other nonmaterial’s is that they can emit visible light under near infrared irradiation. Upconversion nanoparticle (UCNPs), particularly lanthanide-doped nanocrystals, which emit high energy photons under excitation by the near-infrared (NIR) light, have found potential applications in many fields, including biomedicine and is found improved tissue penetration and higher photochemical stability as compared with traditional down-conversion fluorescence imaging. The unique Upconversion process of UCNPs may be u tilized to activate photosensitive therapeutic agents for applications in cancer treatment. Upconversion luminescence imaging in vivo is expected to be the next generation photoluminescence imaging technique since it provides high sensitivity and spatial resolution. Due to their multicolour emission, high brightness and long lifetime, lanthanide ions based luminescent nonmaterial have tremendous promise as indicators and photon sources for numerous application such as boilable, light-emitting devices, sensor technology, and low-threshold lasers. So it is very important to successfully prepare the rare-earth doped inorganic nanocrystals with good dispensability in organic solvents. The Up conversion phenomenon has been transition metals, actinides, but mainly in the rare earth elements, which contain the lanthanide (Ln) series, Yttrium, and scandium. Ln3+ ions heave special 4fn 5d0-1inner shell configurations that are well – shielded by outer shell and have unique energy level structures. These Ln3+ ions can exhibit sharp luminescence emission via intra-4f or 4f-5d transitions. Their luminescence properties, as narrow bandwidth, long-time emission, and anti-stokes emission, have been widely applied in lasers, solar cell, analytical sensors, optical imaging, and photodynamic therapy. Most fluorescent materials, including dye molecules, quantum dots, and dye-doped silica/gold nanomaterials, emit light by the down conversion process (emitting lower-energy photons under higher-energy irradiation). Although the uses of a conventional organic dye molecule or quantum dot (QD) based biomarker have achieved significant progress in real-time detection and bio imaging, they still have drawbacks. These fluorescent materials are generally excited by ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, which may induce auto fluorescence and photo damage to biological samples, resulting in low signal-to-noise ratio and limited sensitivity. These limitations prompted the development of a new type of high-quality and well-shaped nonmaterial’s known as up conversion nonmaterial’s (UCNs [1-7]. Lanthanide-doped Upconversion (UC) nanophosphors are promising optical contrast agents for biomedical applications due to their photo stability, sharp emission peaks, and long emission lifetime [8, 9]. Upon near infrared (NIR) excitation, UC nanoparticle exhibit intense visible emission via multiphoton processes involving the lanthanide ions within them [10-12]. For in vitro or in vivo imaging, the use of NIR excitation minimizes absorbance, scattering, and fluorescence from cells and tissues, allowing imaging against a dark background [13]. In contrast, commercially available labels, such as organic dyes and quantum dots, typically must be imaged against a background of Stokes-shifted tissue autofluorescence induced by UV, blue, or green excitation[14]. In addition, because of the existence of real intermediate energy levels in lanthanide ions, this Upconversion process can be much more efficient than in conventional multiphoton-absorption-induced fluorescence of organic dyes or qua ntum dots, where the intermediate levels are virtual. Bio-imaging is a term that covers the complex chain of acquiring, processing and visualizing structural or functional images of living objects or systems, including extraction and processing of image-related information. II MOTIVATION OF MY WORK Lanthanide-doped upconversion-luminescent nanoparticles (UCNPs), which can be excited by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation to emit multiplex light, have been proven to be very useful for in vitro and in vivo molecular imaging studies. In comparison with the conventionally used down-conversion fluorescence imaging strategies, the NIR light excited luminescence of UCNPs displays high photostability, low cytotoxicity, little background auto-fluorescence, which allows for deep tissue penetration, making them attractive as contrast agents for biomedical imaging applications. In this review, we will mainly focus on the latest development of a new type of lanthanide-doped UCNP material and its main applications for in vitro and in vivo molecular imaging and we will also discuss the challenges and future perspectives. New materials with high Biocompatibility and more intense emission spectra are needed to be developed so for deep tissue imaging. III CONCLUSION The past decade a large number of scientists have investigated the potential application of UCNPs in bioimaging. Lim et al. firstly reported the use of UCNPs as in vivo Caenorhabditis elegans imaging agent. Along with the fast developement of UCNPs for biological applications. UCNPs have also been applied contrasts agents in positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), X-ray computer tomography (CT) for in vitro and in vivo multimodal imaging. Futhermore, UCNPs could also be combined with anti-cancer drugs, photosensitizers or gold nanostructures for potential therapeutic application. Up to now, a variety of Upconversion nanophosphors have been developed for bioimaging, and most of them are based on rare earth doped NaYF4. Other kinds of RE doped nanoparticles, such as NaGdF4, NaLaF4, Y2O3, GdF3, CeO2, LiNaF4, Ca3(PO4)2, ZrO2 and GdOF etc. have al so been considered as excellent UCNPs in recent years due to their strong Upconversion luminescence intensity an d good photostability. REFERENCES F. Auzel, Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 139; F. Wang, X Liu, Chem. Soc. Rev. 2009, 38, 976; D. K. Chatterjee, M. K. Gnanasammandhan, Y. Zhang, Small 2010, 6, 278 M. Haase, H. Schafer, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 5808. D. K. Chatterjee, A. J. Rufaihah, Y. Zhang, Biomaterials 2008, 29, 937 J. Zhou, Y. Sun, X. Du, L. Xiong, H. Hu, F. Li, Biomaterials 2010, 31, 3287; L. Xiong, T. Yang, Y. Yang, C. Xu, F. Li, Biomate ­rials 2010, 31, 7078. Wu SW, Han G, Milliron DJ, Aloni 8 S, Altoe V, Talapin DV, et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2009; 106: 10917-21. doi:DOI 10.1073/pnas.0904792106. Mai H-X, Zhang Y-W, Si R, Yan Z-G, Sun L-d, You L-P, et al. J Am Chem Soc. 2006; 128: 6426. doi:10.1021/ja060212h. Boyer J-C, Cuccia LA, Capobianco JA. Nano Letters. 2007; 7: 847-52. doi:10.1021/nl070235 Heer S, Kà ¶mpe K, Gà ¼del HU, Haase M..Advanced Materials. 2004; 16: 2102-5. doi:10.1002/adma.200400772. Chen GY, Ohulchanskyy TY, Kumar R, Agren H, Prasad PN. ACS Nano. 2010; 4: 3163-8. doi:Doi 10.1021/Nn100457j. Nyk M, Kumar R, Ohulchanskyy TY, Bergey EJ, Prasad PN. Nano Letters. 2008; 8: 3834-8. doi:10.1021/nl802223f. Wang M, Mi CC, Wang WX, Liu CH, Wu YF, Xu ZR, et al.. ACS Nano. 2009; 3: 1580-6. doi:Doi 10.1021/Nn900491j.

Morality and Responsibility - Moral Development in Mary Shelleys Frank

Moral Development in Shelley's Frankenstein   Ã‚   Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a commentary on the natural disposition of man. By personifying her vision of a natural everyman character in the form of Victor Frankenstein's creation, The Creature, Shelley explores the natural state as well as the moral development of man, and develops conclusions regarding both. But before Shelley could create her commentary on man's natural dispositions, she was in need of a character to represent her "natural everyman." The character she needed had to possess the same qualities as that of a man in his most natural state. The most common character to represent man in his most natural state is that of a newborn. A newborn is, of course, a new human being in every respect, and a newborn has no past experiences that would taint his role as a natural everyman. However, a newborn is subject to the elements of the outside world without the ability to freely interact with those elements. A newborn cannot defend itself from alien environments that bring in new ideas, new friends, new enemies, and new challenges. Shelley's character must be able to always act upon his own free will (or be "freely" influenced by deterministic processes, depending on one's school or thought). However, a newborn is not able to accomplish this; there is too much ambiguity in what determines and develops a newborn's state of mind. Shelley needed something "better" than a newborn. Victor Frankenstein's creation is the answer to his dilemma. The Creature does not possess any of the shortcomings discussed above. He is brought into this world as a fully mobile human, able to act, as he chooses, not dependant upon other human beings to survive. In The Creature, Shelley ... .... Chapter 15. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Chapter 16. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Letter 2. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Chapter 21. Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Garber, Frederick. The Autonomy of the Self from Richardson to Huysmans. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. Marder, Daniel. Exiles at Home: A Story of Literature in Nineteenth Century America. Lanham: University Press of America, Inc., 1984. Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html Smith, Christopher. Frankenstein as Prometheus. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankCS.html Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelly. New York: Dutton, 1987. Williams, Bill. On Shelley's Use of Nature Imagery. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankWJW.html Morality and Responsibility - Moral Development in Mary Shelley's Frank Moral Development in Shelley's Frankenstein   Ã‚   Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a commentary on the natural disposition of man. By personifying her vision of a natural everyman character in the form of Victor Frankenstein's creation, The Creature, Shelley explores the natural state as well as the moral development of man, and develops conclusions regarding both. But before Shelley could create her commentary on man's natural dispositions, she was in need of a character to represent her "natural everyman." The character she needed had to possess the same qualities as that of a man in his most natural state. The most common character to represent man in his most natural state is that of a newborn. A newborn is, of course, a new human being in every respect, and a newborn has no past experiences that would taint his role as a natural everyman. However, a newborn is subject to the elements of the outside world without the ability to freely interact with those elements. A newborn cannot defend itself from alien environments that bring in new ideas, new friends, new enemies, and new challenges. Shelley's character must be able to always act upon his own free will (or be "freely" influenced by deterministic processes, depending on one's school or thought). However, a newborn is not able to accomplish this; there is too much ambiguity in what determines and develops a newborn's state of mind. Shelley needed something "better" than a newborn. Victor Frankenstein's creation is the answer to his dilemma. The Creature does not possess any of the shortcomings discussed above. He is brought into this world as a fully mobile human, able to act, as he chooses, not dependant upon other human beings to survive. In The Creature, Shelley ... .... Chapter 15. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Chapter 16. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Letter 2. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Shelley. Chapter 21. Works Cited and Consulted Bloom, Harold. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Garber, Frederick. The Autonomy of the Self from Richardson to Huysmans. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1982. Marder, Daniel. Exiles at Home: A Story of Literature in Nineteenth Century America. Lanham: University Press of America, Inc., 1984. Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html Smith, Christopher. Frankenstein as Prometheus. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankCS.html Spark, Muriel. Mary Shelly. New York: Dutton, 1987. Williams, Bill. On Shelley's Use of Nature Imagery. http://www.umich.edu/~umfandsf/class/sf/books/frank/papers/FrankWJW.html

One Must Search for Beauty in All Things :: Law College Admissions Essays

One Must Search for Beauty in All Things    I never had the benefit of a spiritual guide. No one ever counseled me to â€Å"search for beauty in all things†. Perhaps it is most beneficial to learn some things through experience.    I ran away from an abusive stepfather and an alcoholic mother when I was thirteen and it was the best decision I ever made. I slept on rooftops and hallways for a year before the state took custody of me and placed me in a group home. Over the next four years I would live in several different homes ranging from a hundred children to less than ten and attend four different high schools. Ultimately though, I finished high school on time and with honors.    Group homes are a strange place to grow up in. There is a structure. Dinner is eaten at a certain time and after eleven o'clock everyone goes upstairs. There are case reviews and mandatory meetings with social workers. We would take turns doing the dishes and preparing meals. Some of the group homes I was in are locked facilities where the children only go out for specific activities. But group homes are also lawless. They are crowded. The majority of the children are on some sort of probation. Violence is rampant. Upstairs there are gang meetings, freehand tattoos, and games of dice. Liquor and hard drugs are common. While we were required to leave in the morning, we were not required to attend school, and as such, most kids did not finish high school.    In many ways, the group homes defined who I am, much the way a person's family and upbringing would define them. The core of my value system was formed during the formative years of fourteen to eighteen. In the group I learned to be discerning without being judgmental. With my friends I was able to go into the neighborhoods where they grew up, neighborhoods I would never have been able to go into otherwise. For a while I lived in a home across from the Robert Taylor Projects, the largest housing projects in the world. In these group homes I met the people who still constitute my family.    For me the group homes were a positive experience, for most they are not. I was fortunate in that I was a little more driven, and maybe a little more intelligent than the average kid in my circumstances. One Must Search for Beauty in All Things :: Law College Admissions Essays One Must Search for Beauty in All Things    I never had the benefit of a spiritual guide. No one ever counseled me to â€Å"search for beauty in all things†. Perhaps it is most beneficial to learn some things through experience.    I ran away from an abusive stepfather and an alcoholic mother when I was thirteen and it was the best decision I ever made. I slept on rooftops and hallways for a year before the state took custody of me and placed me in a group home. Over the next four years I would live in several different homes ranging from a hundred children to less than ten and attend four different high schools. Ultimately though, I finished high school on time and with honors.    Group homes are a strange place to grow up in. There is a structure. Dinner is eaten at a certain time and after eleven o'clock everyone goes upstairs. There are case reviews and mandatory meetings with social workers. We would take turns doing the dishes and preparing meals. Some of the group homes I was in are locked facilities where the children only go out for specific activities. But group homes are also lawless. They are crowded. The majority of the children are on some sort of probation. Violence is rampant. Upstairs there are gang meetings, freehand tattoos, and games of dice. Liquor and hard drugs are common. While we were required to leave in the morning, we were not required to attend school, and as such, most kids did not finish high school.    In many ways, the group homes defined who I am, much the way a person's family and upbringing would define them. The core of my value system was formed during the formative years of fourteen to eighteen. In the group I learned to be discerning without being judgmental. With my friends I was able to go into the neighborhoods where they grew up, neighborhoods I would never have been able to go into otherwise. For a while I lived in a home across from the Robert Taylor Projects, the largest housing projects in the world. In these group homes I met the people who still constitute my family.    For me the group homes were a positive experience, for most they are not. I was fortunate in that I was a little more driven, and maybe a little more intelligent than the average kid in my circumstances.

Re-Examining the ‘Step-and-Slide’: Sex Differences in Pedestrian Collision Avoidance

Abstract Previous literature has reported sex differences in collision avoidance behaviour by pedestrians. The current study sough to establish whether these sex differences are still valid now by observing an opportunity sample of male and female pedestrians in a busy location. A chi-square test found a significant (p 01) relationship between sex and collision avoidance behaviour. In particular, women were significantly more likely to engage in closed passes and men were significantly more likely to engage in open passes. This finding is in keeping with the pattern previously reported by Collett and Marsh (1981). Future research is needed to understand why these sex differences may exist. Introduction Despite often busy and overcrowded public areas, pedestrians can be observed navigating and avoiding collisions with remarkable ease. Previous literature appears to be relatively unanimous in its observations and conclusions about how pedestrians are able to avoid collisions. In an early study, Goffman (1972) made a number of observations including that people tend to form two lanes whilst walking upon the pavement, with one group walking on the inside, away from the road and the other group walking on the outside and close to the road. Many years later, Collett and Marsh (1981) observed the same phenomenon and coined the term ‘pedestrian streaming.’ It was also discovered that individuals will use others’ movements and monitor their intentions, known as â€Å"externalisation,† to ensure a smoother passage. These movements may be unconscious or conscious and may as be discrete as a slight turn of the shoulders. Again, this phenomenon was also observed by Wo lff (1973), who named it â€Å"behaviour monitoring.† Wolff (1973) observed that many pedestrians engage in what he coined the ‘step-and-slide’ pass, which involved a slight angling of the shoulders alongside a discrete side step. After videotaping the passing behaviour of individuals using a pedestrian crossing, Collett and Marsh (1981) noted significant sex differences in the strategies used whilst engaging in this type of pass. Males were far more likely to use an open pass strategy by orienting toward the person they were trying to avoid whereas females were more likely to use a closed pass strategy by orienting themselves away from the person they were attempting to avoid. Interestingly, the types of pass used could not adequately be explained by the natural position of the leg during passing and even when it was more difficult, women were still more likely to use a closed pass. The researchers concluded that the use of a closed pass strategy by women was an example of self-protective behaviour. In particular, the auth ors concluded that women were attempting to protect their breasts after observing that they often drew their arms across their bodies during the pass. The result of Collett and Marsh’s (1981) study may now be outdated. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate whether sex differences in collision avoidance behaviour still exist today and whether the pattern still reflects that seen by Collett and Marsh (1981). Based on previous literature it is hypothesised that females will make more closed passes than males and that males will use more open passes than females. MethodParticipants2,910 participants (1,376 females, 1,534 males) were observed using an opportunity sample. As this was a observation study it was not feasible to collect demographic data such as age.MaterialsObservations were recorded on a data collection grid. The data collection grid was used to record the sex of the pedestrian and whether a open pass, closed pass or neutral pass was observed. Design This was a between-subjects design with male participants being compared with female participants. The predictor variable was the sex of the pedestrian and the criterion variable was the type of passing behaviour exhibited.ProcedureBefore collecting data for the study a pilot study was carried out to ensure that the observers could correctly identify whether a pedestrian was exhibiting an open pass, closed pass or neutral behaviour. Data was collected on an opportunity sample of ten pedestrians for the pilot study. For the main study, data was collected by observing pedestrians at various train stations during peak times. Two researchers collected the data with one acting as observer and the other acting as recorder. Observations were based on an opportunity sample and a mix of male-male, female-female and female-male interactions were recorded.ResultsA total of 1,376 females and 1,534 males were observed. Of the 1,376 females, 561 engaged in an open pass, whereas 815 engaged in a closed pass. Of the 1,534 males observed, 1,070 engaged in an open pass, whereas 464 engaged in a closed pass. A chi-square test was performed and a significant relationship was found between sex and type of collision avoidance behaviour X2 (1, N = 2910) = 247.32, p < 0.01. [Insert graph here] Discussion The aim of the current study was to investigate whether current sex differences in pedestrian collision avoidance behaviour support previous literature that has found females are more likely to use closed passes, whereas males are more likely to use open passes when avoiding each other in busy pedestrian areas. It was found that more women engaged in closed passes than men and that more men engaged in open passes than women. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between sex and type of collision avoidance behaviour. This means that women are significantly more likely to engage in closed passes, whereas men are significantly more likely to engage in open passes. This finding is in support of previous literature (Collett and Marsh, 1981) and the data supports the researchers’ hypothesis. Collett and Marsh (1981) argued that females engage in closed passes in an attempt to protect their breasts because they observed that women often drew their arms across their chests during the pass. However, more recent research has demonstrated that even in non-confrontational, everyday situations, females tend to sit in closed positions whilst keeping their arms close to their bodies (Cashdan, 1998; Vrugt and Luyerink, 2000). This suggests that Collett and Marsh’s (1981) initial interpretation may be flawed. Women may naturally adopt closed body language, which they are also likely to use during pedestrian collision avoidance scenarios. The finding that men are more likely to use open passes is in keeping with previous literature on male body language and non-verbal communication. For example, Mehrabian (1968) found that men tend to show more alertness than women by directing their shoulder orientation toward the other person. This could explain why men adopt an open positi on and direct their shoulders toward the other individual whilst passing them. Luxen (2005) found that men tend to exhibit behavioural dominance in situations involving women. Turning their body toward a woman, whilst she turns away, may reflect this dominance. Therefore, the current findings can be interpreted in the context of sex differences in both body language and non-verbal communication. It is difficult to draw any strong conclusions from an observational study and only inferences can be made. However, based on the results and what is known about body language, it appears as though the sex differences in the way that individuals avoid pedestrian collisions still exist today as they did in the 1980s. The results also seem to support Collett and Marsh’s (1981) conclusion that women are more likely to adopt a protective stance when making passes in a collision avoidance situation. The current study had a notable number of strengths. Primarily, this study utilised a large sample, which is highly likely to be representative of the population as a whole. Generalisability was also strengthened by using different train station locations for observations. Furthermore, having taken place in a natural environment rather than a lab setting, the results have good ecological validity. However, the observation method has a number of limitations, which should be noted. Firstly, although a pilot study was carried out in order to familiarise the observer with different types of passes, the data would have been more reliable if two observers had been used at any one time. An alternative method of improving the study would have to been to video record the observation area so that a second observer could interpret an identical scenario of pedestrian collision avoidance. This would have provided a measure of inter-observer reliability, which would have strengthened the results o f the study. It is also possible that the observer was biased because they were aware of the study hypothesis. In other words, the observer may have interpreted females to have carried out more closed passes because this is what was expected based on the previous literature. In future studies, keeping the observer blind to the hypothesis of the study will reduce this risk. There are also some ethical concerns with large scale observation studies such as this. For example, some individuals may object to being watched and to their behaviour being recorded. However, with such a large scale study, it would have been impossible to have sought the informed consent of each participant. Data was also completely anonymised, which keeps the study within ethical boundaries. Although the study has good generalisability, this is somewhat weakened by collecting results from only the UK. Future research may wish to focus on whether the same patterns are found internationally. Based on the findings of the current study, future studies may also wish to focus on exploring in more detail why these sex differences exist. For example, a sample of individuals exhibiting these behaviours could be administered a questionnaire to explore whether the behaviour is unconscious or conscious and if it is conscious, why they engage in either open or closed passes. References Cashdan, E. (1998). Smiles, speech, and body posture: How women and men display sociometric status and power. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 22(4), 209-228. Collett, P.R. & Marsh, P.E. (1981). Patterns of public behaviour: Collision avoidance on a pedestri an crossing. In A. Kendon (Ed.), Nonverbal communication, interaction and gesture (pp. 199-217). The Hague: Mouton Press. Goffman, E. (1972). Relations in public. Harmondsworth: Pelican. Luxen, M. (2005). Gender differences in dominance and affiliation during a demanding interaction. Journal of Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied, 139(4), 331- 347. Mehrabian, A. (1968). Relationship of attitude to seated posture, orientation, and distance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(1), 26-30. Vrugt, A., & Luyerink, M. (2000). The contribution of bodily posture to gender stereotypical im pressions. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 28(1), 91. Wolff, M. (1973) Notes on the behaviour of pedestrians. In A. Birenbaum and E. Sagar (Eds.), Peo ple in places: The sociology of the familiar (pp. 35-48). New York: Praeger.