Monday, September 30, 2019

Abigail Adams

Adams used the rhetorical strategies of logos, ethos, and pathos to guide her son In a direction that will push him to take advantage of the world he lives in to broaden his mind and understand the importance of engaging himself in society. First, Abigail uses logos in her writing. One of her ways to push her son in the direction she wants is for him to understand that developing the things he already knows will contribute to his broadening.She wrote, â€Å"Your knowledge of the language must give you greater advantages now than you could possibly have reaped whilst ignorant of it; and as you increase in years, you will find your understanding opening and daily Adams). She wants him to realize that if he can utilize the things he already knows, then his comprehension of life will become deeper. HIS advantage Is that he Is surrounded by countless opportunities In which he can go and apply his knowledge, but he needs to see It.Another way Abigail tries to push him Is by telling him th at, â€Å"When a mind Is raised and animated by scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities, which would otherwise lie dormant, wake into Adams). Not only is she stressing the part about him needing to utilize his knowledge, but she is also pointing out, again, that he will never know what he is capable of until he wakes it up. The use of logos is strategic because it reassures the on of what could be if he would Just look into his mind. Second, she uses ethos in her letter to her son.Abigail claims to her son that she has met with an author and he compares â€Å"a Judicious traveler to a river, that increases Its stream the further it flows from Its source; or to certain springs, which, running through rich veins of minerals, Improve their qualities as they pass along. â€Å"(Unknown author). This Is the point she used to remind her son to take advantage of the world. He needs to be ‘a river' and soak up all the knowledge or ‘minerals' he can. The new knowledg e will improve him as a person because it will allow his mind to broaden, plus it is an act of engaging in society and the world.To back up her point of ethos, Abigail wrote, â€Å"All history will convince you of this, and that wisdom and penetration are the fruit of experience, not the lessons of retirement and Adams). ‘All of history is a very large statement. This furthers her want for him to go out, take advantage of his world, and experience things to expand his understanding. She reminds him that the only way to broaden one's mind and gain wisdom and knowledge is through experience or engagement. Her strategic use of ethos can get her point across to her son that participating In life and In society will allow him to gain a variety of qualities.Lastly, Ball used the strategy of pathos to further gulled her son. Since she Is a mother, she uses status to her advantage. In the beginning, she apologizes to make sure that her son lets go of any hostility towards her for mak ing him go on a voyage â€Å"It will be expected of you, my son†¦ â€Å", â€Å"†¦ Under the instructive eye of a tender parent†¦ â€Å", meet it is your lot, my son, to be an eyewitness†¦ In your own native land†¦ † , † †¦ O have a parent who has taken so large and active a share in this contest†¦ â€Å", and â€Å"†¦ Nor your country, and render your parents supremely happy, particularly your ever affectionate mother. † These small pieces that were slipped into sentences reinforce her status. She is the mother and she has the power in the end, but she hopes he will do it on his own, with the help of this letter. Her usage of pathos is the factor that has the ability to thoroughly convince him to do her wishes. Abigail Adams knew exactly what she wanted for her son and she knew what needed to happen for him to see it as well. The letter she wrote captures all the things she hoped for him to experience and learn.The use of rhetorical strategies allowed her to convey her wishes because each strategy, logos, ethos, and pathos, served a specific purpose. Logos showed her son why he should listen to her. Ethos let him know that his mother was not the only one to think these things. Finally, pathos was the side that enabled Abigail to use her mother status. After all of her words were written, she hoped that her son would understand how important it was to allow the world to give you knowledge and use said knowledge in return to broaden the mind and it's horizons.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Learning Disabilities Essay

Puzzling is the term teachers use to describe students with learning disabilities.   They tell us that these students look entirely normal, seem intelligent, carry on intelligent conversations – that they don’t appear to any different than other students. Yet these students have difficulty doing certain tasks – not all- in school.   Some have difficulty reading; others perform poorly in spelling; still others make frequent mistakes in math.   Teachers in many schools tell us that these students are very hard to teach – that they simply do not learn in the same ways or as easily as others their age.   They tell us that these students have special needs and are not easy to teach in large classes in which most other students perform reasonably well.   They tell us that modifying instruction so that these students can profit from teaching is an intricate process. Because of the heterogeneous nature of this group of children, the concept of specific learning disabilities has been hard to define or describe in few sentence or by a numerical score such as an IQ or by a decibel loss. Furthermore, because the field has been of interest to educators, psychologists, psychiatrists, neurophysiologists, pediatricians, ophthalmologists, optometrists, speech pathologists, and others, the problem has been viewed in each of those disciplines from different perspectives. Hence there is really the need for several definitions for learning disabilities and thus we can conclude that its definition is defined in â€Å"case to case† basis. Definition of Learning Disabilities Historically, the following terms were used to name children with Learning disabilities: ââ€"   perceptually handicapped ââ€"   brain injured ââ€"   neurologically impaired Then, there came two broad aspects of concern in defining and or identifying those children: biological etiology- â€Å"minimal brain dysfunction†, psychoneurological learning disorders. behavior – â€Å" developmental disparity in psychological processes†, developmental imbalance† The definition of learning disabilities in an educational term has derived its heritage from: ââ€"   neurology ââ€"   psychology ââ€"   speech pathology ââ€"   ophthalmology ââ€"  Ã‚   remedial reading      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wiederholt (1984) has traced the history of Learning disability and has delineated three dimensions of disorders namely: (1) disorders of the spoken language studied primarily by neurologists and ophthalmologists such as; ââ€"   Samuel Kirk developed a test, the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, for use in describing language functioning and developing remedial programs. disorders of written language represented mostly by psychologists, speech pathologists, and educators such as; ââ€"   Grace Fernald established a clinic at UCLA where she perfected remedial reading and spelling techniques. disorders of perceptual and motor behaviors studied mostly by a number of disciplines such as; ââ€"   Goldstein, Werner and Strauss as pioneers of the field which listed the following behavioral characteristics that differentiated between those with and those without brain injuries: excessive motor activity, hyperactivity, awkwardness and consistently poor motor performance, erratic behavior, poor organization, high distractibility and faulty perceptions (like reversals) and ââ€"   Samuel Orton was a neurologist who believed that lack of cerebral dominance was a cause of language disorders. (In normal individual either the left or right side of the brain has dominance in controlling specific functions.) ââ€"  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cruickshank focused his efforts on the study of brain-injured children, specifically children with cerebral palsy. ââ€"   Getman, Marianne Frostig, Newell Kephart, and Ray Barsch focused on the correlation of perceptual disorders and developed remedial procedures ranging from optometric eye exercises, tracing and copying patterns, and differentiating figure from background in a puzzle, to making angels in the snow.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today, there are various provinces in Canada that have established programs for learning disabilities which was instituted for example by ââ€"   The Ontario Ministry of Education ââ€"   Saskatchewan Department of Education ââ€"   Halifax Board of Education and ââ€"   Quebec Ministry of Education But the most widely used definitions is the one incorporated by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada or LDAC (2002) which state that, the term â€Å"Learning Disabilities refer to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency. Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g. planning and decision-making)†. Further, LDAC mentioned that learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following: oral language (e.g. listening, speaking, understanding); reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension); written language (e.g. spelling and written expression); and mathematics (e.g. computation, problem solving). Further, the U.S. Department of Education regulation further states that a student has a specific learning disability if: the student does not achieve at the proper age and ability levels in one or more of several specific areas when provided with appropriate learning experiences; the student has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in one or more of these seven areas: (a) oral expression, (b) listening comprehension, (c) written expression, (d) basic reading skill, (e) reading comprehension, (f) mathematics calculation, and (g) mathematics reasoning. To summarize, all these definitions of learning disabilities, it includes the following major concepts: The individual has a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes.   Ã‚  Ã‚   (These processes refer to intrinsic prerequisite abilities, such as memory, auditory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   perception, visual perception, oral language, and thinking.) The individual has difficulty in learning, specifically, in speaking, listening, writing, reading (word-recognition skills and comprehension), and mathematics (calculation and reasoning.) The problem is not primarily due to other causes, such as visual or hearing impairments; motor handicaps; mental retardation; emotional disturbance; or economic, environmental, or cultural disadvantage. A severe discrepancy exists between the student’s apparent potential for learning and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   his or her low level of achievement.   In other words, there is evidence of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   underachievement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The various definitions of learning disabilities have several elements in common: neurological dysfunction uneven growth pattern difficulty in academic and learning tasks discrepancy between potential and achievement exclusion of other causes Identification of Learning Disabilities In identifying individuals with learning disabilities, the following common characteristics must be observed: ââ€"   Disorders of attention: Hyperactivity, distractibility, poor concentration ability, short attention span; ââ€"   Poor motor abilities: Poor fine and gross motor coordination, general awkwardness and clumsiness, spatial problems; ââ€"   Perceptual and information processing problems: Difficulty in discrimination of auditory and visual stimuli, auditory and visual closure, and sequencing; ââ€"   Oral language difficulties: Problems in listening, speaking, vocabulary, and linguistic competencies; ââ€"   Failure to develop and mobilize cognitive strategies for learning: Lack of organization, active learning set, metacognitive functions; ââ€"   Reading difficulties: Problems in decoding, basic reading skills, and reading comprehension; ââ€"   Written language difficulties: Problems in spelling, handwriting, and written composition; ââ€"   Mathematics difficulties: Difficulty in quantitative thinking, arithmetic, time, space, and calculation facts; and ââ€"   Inappropriate social behavior: Problems in social skills deficits, emotional problems, and establishing social relationships. There are also other practical classification schemes that are useful: (1) the academic learning disabilities ( reading, arithmetic, handwriting, spelling, and written expression) (2) the developmental learning disabilities: ( attention, memory, perceptual skills, thinking skills, and oral language skills) A somewhat more systematic way to look at characteristics of students with learning disabilities is to look at those factors referenced in screening devices.   The following outline reflects the types of difficulties often observed in learning disabled students: (1) significantly different classroom behaviors difficulty in beginning or finishing tasks difficulty in organizing inconsistent in behavior difficulty in peer relationships (2) significantly below-average performance in auditory comprehension and listening difficulty in following directions difficulty in comprehending or following class discussions inability to retain information received aurally difficulty in understanding or comprehending word meanings (3) significantly below-average performance in spoken language use of incomplete sentences or unusual number of grammatical errors use of immature or improper vocabulary or very limited vocabulary difficulty in recalling words for use in self-expression difficulty relating isolated facts, scattered ideas difficulty in relating ideas in logical sequence (4) significant academic problems difficulty in reading fluency difficulty in associating numbers with symbols incorrect ordering of letters in spelling confusion of manuscript and cursive writing avoidance of reading confusion of math concepts – addition, multiplication (5) orientation difficulties poor time concept, no grasp of meaning of time difficulty in â€Å"navigating† around building or school grounds poor understanding of relationships (big, little, far, close, under, on, near) inability to learn directions (north, south, left, right) motor disabilities or significant underdevelopment for age poor coordination very poor balance awkward, poorly developed manipulative or manual dexterity lack of rhythm in movements III. Intervention for Learning Disabilities. This knowledge of the characteristics of learning disabled students is one basis for intervention. Thus, we have seen that children with learning disabilities compose quite a diverse group.   It should be no surprise then to find that the teaching and strategies approaches designed to help those children are also quite a diverse. But it is possible to cluster the various approaches into three broad educational strategies: task training, in which the emphasis is on the sequencing and simplication of the task to be learned. ââ€"   Ysseldyke and Salvia (1984) have advanced tow theoretical models namely: (a) analyzing the child’s abilities and disabilities and (b) analyzing the task and the direct training of the terminal behavior or task. This view is supported by behavioral analysts who advocate (1) finding out what the child can and cannot do in a particular skill, (2) determining whether or not the child has the behaviors needed to succeed in the task, (3) defining the goals in observable terms, and (4) organizing a systemic remedial program using reinforcement techniques. The applied behavior analysts do not infer processes or abilities that underlie difficulties but rely solely on the child’s interactional history and the current behavior and environmental situation.   They feel that their approach, which is task oriented and observable, is the most parsimonious approach, and to some it is the only approach needed. ability or process training, in which the focus is on the remediation and simplification of the task to be learned. Quay (1983) discussed the relative efficacy of ability or process training.   He stated that three approaches to remediation have evolved: (1) remediating a disability so that learning will be facilitated at a later date, (2) training and ability or process for its own sake, and (3) direct training of the task.   He concludes that the direct instruction method (task training) should be tried first and then discarded in favor of other methods if direct instruction is not successful. ability – or process-task training, in which the first two approaches are combined and integrated into one remedial program. Raschke and Young (1986) support this approach.   They compared the behavior – analysis model with the diagnostic-prescriptive model. They state that neither approach alone has the answer and propose what they call a dialectic-teaching approach into one system. Essentially the model assesses the abilities and disabilities of the children (intraindividual diffences), makes task analyses of the skills to be learned, and prescribes remediation in the functions and skills to be developed. This dialectic system they maintain â€Å"permits the teacher to assess, program, instruct, and evaluate the child’s psycholinguistic characteristics in the same system as his skill competencies and consequential variables†. Hence, the task of developing a definition of learning disabilities proved to be a formidable challenge.   Indeed, defining this population is considered such an overwhelming task that some have likened learning disabilities to Justice Potter Stewart’s comment on pornography: impossible to define, â€Å"but I know it when I see it.† Thus, defining learning disabilities in a way acceptable to all has continued as a debatable issue since the inception of the field.   Although a number of definitions have been generated and used over the years, each has been judged by some to have some shortcomings.  Ã‚   There are many types of disabilities, each of which may require a unique diagnosis and a unique remedial method. POSITION PAPER   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The definitions of learning disabilities are numerous and so varied that it is difficult to present taxonomy or even a specific list of these different definitions.   The definition of learning disabilities is a problem in much of the nations throughout the world. This problem first came out when some parents in the United States became concerned because their children who were not learning in school were rejected from special education since they were not mentally retarded, deaf or blind, or otherwise handicapped.   Their children were called by various names such as; neurologically handicapped, brain-injured, aphasodic, dyslexic, and perceptually handicapped. In spite of its current widespread use, the term learning disability is vulnerable to misunderstanding and misuse. The condition is difficult to define operationally since the designation learning disability is an umbrella term for a variety of deviations that are not included in traditional categories of exceptional children. Also it has been confused with general learning problems that are common to some degree in most children. In addition, it has been misused to include educational retardation, which is found in slow learning children and in children who have not learned because of poor teaching or absence from school. Another vulnerability of the term comes from the difficulty in drawing an explicit line between normal and abnormal.   Some allowances must be made for biological and psychological diversity, and considerable variation in abilities is accepted as normal. So, the question now is, â€Å"If there are objections to the term learning disabilities, why use it?   Why not use some other term? Well and good, if a better term can be found.   Other terms are either too specific or too broad.   Dyslexia for example, only refers to severe reading disability and it is not the only learning disability.   Brain injury has little or no educational relevance.   Perceptual handicaps exclude children with language disorders. Hence, the label learning disability has evolved to encompass the heterogeneous group of children not fitting neatly into the traditional categories of handicapped children. And that, substantial number of children show retardation in learning to talk, do not acquire other communication skill, do not develop normal visual or auditory perception, or great difficulty in learning to read, to spell, to write, or to make arithmetic calculations. Some of them even, are not receptive to language but are not deaf, some are not able to perceive visually but are not blind, and some cannot learn by ordinary of method of instruction but are not mentally retarded. Although such children are from a heterogeneous group and fail to learn for diverse reasons, they have one thing in common: they do not perform as well in school as they could. Discussing the problem and the difficulties of names for these children, Kirk (1963) explained that sometimes classification labels block our thinking. He further stated that it is better to state that a child has not learned to read than to say the child is dyslexic. So he advised that the name should be functional.   He suggested further that since the parents were interested in service to their children, it might be preferable to use a term related to teaching or learning and that the term learning disability might be preferable over the currently used terms such as cerebral function and brain injured. The term learning disabilities were agreed by these parents and they consider it more appropriate since it implied teaching and learning and since they were interested primarily in service for their children. So, one of the major problems of definition is that a learning disability is not as obvious or homogenous as blindness or deafness. There are many types of disabilities, each of which may require a unique diagnosis and a remedial method may vary differently from another condition also termed a learning disability. It is no wonder that many students, teachers, and parents have become confused about the term learning disability and the characteristics of children so labeled. This confusion appears to be international and is illustrated by the remarks of a teacher who, in testifying to a government committee studying the subject (Learning Difficulties in Children and Adults, 1986), stated:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I find myself asking the following questions:   What does the term â€Å"learning difficulty† mean?   Does the term â€Å"learning difficulty† mean the same as â€Å"learning disability†? How about the term â€Å"dysfunction†? What does the term â€Å"minimal brain dysfunction† mean? Do they all mean the same? Certainly, all these labels are not necessary, or are they? Does labeling a child with learning problems create more problems? It all becomes a bit confusing†¦The terminology changes often, varies from state to state and from country to country. Out of these definitions, came my own definition of learning disability: Learning disability describes a result rather than the cause of the learning disability.   Therefore, the conditions we call a learning disability is defined in terms of the student’s difficulties – what he can and cannot do in school – and focuses primarily on the academic performance.   So, one cannot be labeled as learning disabled if he has not yet started formal schooling as the label learning disabled indicates that a student is having unusual learning difficulties and involves speculations to possible causes, but it specifically indicates that the primary cause cannot be a condition such as mental retardation, hearing or visual impairment, and so on. Learning disabilities should be identified in the formal school context. Thus, preschoolers should not be labeled as learning disabled as growth rates are so unpredictable at young age,   In addition, very young children who appear to have problems may be identified under a noncategorical label, such as developmentally delayed.   For many children, learning disabilities first become apparent when they enter school and fail to acquire academic skills.   The failure often occurs in reading, but also happens in mathematics, writing, or other school subjects.   Among the behaviors frequently seen in the early elementary years are inability to attend and concentrate; poor motor skills, as evidenced in the awkward handling of a pencil and in poor writing; and difficulty in learning to read.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the later elementary years, as the curriculum becomes more difficult, problems may emerge in other areas, such as social studies or science.   Emotional problems also become more of an impediment after several years of repeated failure, and students become more conscious of their poor achievement in comparison with that of their peers.   For some students, social problems and inability to make and keep friends increase in importance at this age level. A radical change in schooling occurs at the secondary level, and adolescents find that learning disabilities begin to take a greater toll.   The tougher demands of the junior and senior high school curriculum and teachers, the turmoil of adolescence, and the continued academic failure may combine to intensify the learning disability.   Adolescents are also concerned about life after completing school.   They may need counseling and guidance for college, career, and vocational decisions.   To worsen the situation, a few adolescents find themselves drawn into acts of juvenile delinquency.   Because adolescents tend to be overly sensitive, some emotional, social, and self-concept problems often accompany a learning disability at his age.   Most secondary schools now have programs for adolescents with learning disabilities. Many teachers in Canada suggested that we abolish the label learning disability, and merge it with the emotionally disturbed and the educable mentally retarded and only deal with the child from an instructional point of view by defining learning tasks so that they can be taught step by step.   I strongly opposed with this suggestion.   Though maybe it is possible for the child with severe learning disability, but this approach is not sufficient to mild learning disabilities students. This is one of the greatest sources of controversy about the identification issues. The question of how much academic and learning retardation is evidenced before an individual should be identified as learning disabled.   Aside from identifying children with learning disability, it is very important to judge the extent of a child’s learning disability as either mild or severe.   Determining the level of severity is helpful in placement and in planning teaching delivery.   I strongly suggest that students with mild learning disabilities should be given different remediation from those of students who have severe learning disabilities. At this point, it is very crucial to differentiate the two cases.   Mild learning disabilities describe the problems of many students.   Students with mild learning disabilities usually have a disability in just one or two areas of learning, and although they need supportive help and special teaching, they can probably get along – at least for part of the day – in the regular classroom. So, within the regular classroom, the regular teachers should often make changes in instruction that will benefit these students. On the other hand, students with sever learning disabilities pose a very different problem and they require quite different educational services.   These students are likely to lag significantly in several areas of learning and to have concomitant social, emotional, or behavioral problems.   They need the environment of a special classroom, should contact mainly with one teacher, and should be given special services for most of the day.   Because of the intensity of their problems, the special class should be given fewer students than the regular classroom.   I suggest the 1:3 teacher to student ratio is the best to maximize and hasten the remediation process.   However, students with severe learning disabilities can gradually be mainstreamed for special subjects or activities or placed in the resource room, or even back in the regular classroom as their progress permits.   Because of these definitions; teachers, guidance councilors, and other school personnel, play the biggest role in identifying, diagnosing, remediating or treating this kind of disability within the school context.   So any teaching/service delivery should best meet the requirements needed to serve properly learning disabled students within the regular classroom.   Hence, learning disabled students should be treated or given remediation within the given school context with the greatest help of the regular classroom teacher but the guidance of the learning disabilities specialist.   So, it is implied that each school should have a learning disabilities specialist. With this, a change in the administrative arrangements for the placement for instruction of children with learning disabilities is a must.  Ã‚   It is important to take note that in the past, the rapid growth of special education was in the direction of removing atypical children from the mainstream of regular classroom and placing them into special education programs. Even the regular education supported this movement which maybe because the responsibility of educating children with a variety of learning problems is transferred to the domain of special education, and that would really lighten the work load of regular teachers.  Ã‚   But that should not be the case and I do not support that movement. The trend should be reversed and all students with learning disabilities should be brought back into the regular classroom with the regular students and in the hands of the regular teacher with the help of the learning disabilities specialist.     Ã‚  A number of movements and researches support this claim. The influential movement that supports this claim is the REI or the regular education initiative led by Madeline Will, the director of special education in the U.S. Office of Special Education in 1986.   She stated that this initiative is designed to promote collaborative efforts among regular and special educators and â€Å"shared responsibility† (Will, 1986).   In this initiative, regular and special educators were encouraged to pool their talents and coordinate their efforts in planning and teaching.  Ã‚   I greatly support this initiative as the underlying premise of this concept is that student’s learning disabilities can be more successfully taught in the regular education classroom than in special education classes or resource room. By promoting the merging of special and regular education, the regular education initiative reflects a major change in the way students with learning disabilities are identified, assessed, and educated. The approach is supported by many special educators (Lloyd, Singh, & Repp, 1991; Maheady & Algozzine, 1991; Biklen & Zollers, 1986; Greer, 1988; Reynolds, Wang & Walberg, 1997).     Ã‚  A specific example is, more than fifty years ago, Samuel Kirk, in his presidential address to special educators, emphasized that all teachers (regular and special educators) have the responsibility for teaching learning disabled children.   Kirk implored that â€Å"every teacher †¦ is a teacher of learning disabled children† (Kirk, 1941).   He further wrote the following: Actually the education of exceptional children is not wholly the responsibility of any one group of teachers †¦. It is hoped that in the future all special class teachers will not only be responsible for the education of children in their classroom, but will take on the added responsibility of contributing their knowledge and special skill to the regular classroom teacher †¦ who (has0 many learning disabled children in (the) classroom. (Kirk, 1941) In 1968, Lloyd Dunn wrote an influential article about the benefits of having special educators work with regular teachers in serving learning disabled children (Dunn, 1968). Another view to change the administrative arrangement in special education is to group children with different disabilities together for instruction.   This categorical system in special education historically evolved as the field of special education developed.   Each category of disability (such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, mental retardation, orthopedic disabilities, speech disorders, emotional disturbance, and learning disabilities) became established individually over the years when there was sufficient interest in that particular area of exceptionality.   This concept emphasizes the common characteristics among students with disabilities and the common instructional methods for teaching students with various disabilities.   In this system, students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and mental retardation are often grouped together. Some parents and special educators are concerned that children with learning disabilities might be lost in the shuffle of this kind of placement, if such classes become a dumping ground for students with a variety of unrelated problems.   The resulting diversity of learning and behavior problems would impede teachers in helping students with learning disabilities. But this view is also opposed by a number of authors and has even provoked unusual levels of confusion, emotion, and debate within the special education community (Jehkins & Pious, 2001).   Moreover, other special educators and parents, express concern regarding the regular education initiative movement and caution that more study is needed before making full-scale and far-reaching changes in procedures and policies that will affect the lives of students with learning disabilities (Lloyd et al., 1991; Journal of Learning Disabilities, 1988; Cannon, 1988; Kaufman, Gerber, & Semmel, 1998; McKinney & Hocutt, 1988, Lerner, 1997). But these opposing views have no substance and should be disregarded altogether.   Fuchs & Fuchs (2000) have conducted research on the perceptions of and attitudes toward the regular education initiative among both regular and special educators.   These studies suggest that neither regular nor special education teachers are dissatisfied with the current special education delivery system.   In fact, the teachers favored the resource room model over the consultant model.   Many of the teachers saw no improvement in the achievement levels for either special or regular education students as a result of the regular education initiative reforms.   The success of the initiative depends on the support of regular and special teachers (Semmel, Abernathy, Butera, & Lesar, 1991; Coates, 1989).   Moreover, the research prove that merely shifting the responsibility from the resource room teacher to the regular or a consultant is not enough to ensure the success of the reform. Hence, major policy changes in regular education profoundly affect students with learning disabilities.   Several recent national study commissions on the poor quality of schools serving the learning disabled students.   It is my fear that, most school’s pursuit for academic excellence standards will left behind students with learning disabilities – or they will be the losers.   Being unable to meet the educational standards set by the pursuit-of-excellence movement, some students with learning disabilities will be denied a high school diploma and thus be denied the opportunity to complete their schooling.   Further, if regular teachers are held accountable for the academic excellence of their students, they will be reluctant to accept the responsibility for hard-to-teach students.   Some special educators predict that the push for excellence may serve to widen the schism between regular and special education (Pugach & Sapon-Shevin, 1997). Hence, it is my challenge to educators and healthcare professionals to undergo another education reform movement where school curriculum requirements for the learning disabled should be added to the current curriculum standards for the regular students. So in this recommendation for curriculum changes, a greater consideration should be given for the learning disabled students.   But this should be within the context of the regular education curriculum. This approach is same with the integration of regular and special education.   Some special educators also are now urging that the integration process should be taken much further – that the current special education system should be drastically restructured and that regular and special education should be merged into a single system (Kauffman & Trent, 1991).   Such educators cite several reasons for changing the current system.   Special education, they maintain, is not effective when it occurs outside of the regular classroom.   In addition, the physical separation of students with disabilities is demeaning and degrades instruction.   These special educators maintain that integrated special education is more effective than separate programs. So the delivery options for teaching students with learning disabilities should also include regular classes and resource room classes.   This approach is concomitant to the observation that successful adults with disabilities have learned to function comfortably in society as it exists – an unrestricted environment composed of all people.   To promote experiences in the greater society, it must be ensured that, to the extent appropriate, students with disabilities should have experiences in school with regular (or non-special education) students. Since society includes the family, parents too should not be forgotten as an important element in the entire complex.   Parents are a vital component in the student’s education. These parents of children with learning disabilities need help in accepting their situation.   Mental health professionals should help make parents be aware that the problem must be faced both by the child and by other members of the family.   In addition to an honest acceptance of the disability, there must be recognition that improvement is often a slow process. So any approach concerning children with learning disability should establish healthy parental attitudes and ensure parent-teacher cooperation is of course, very necessary.   Parent support groups and family counseling are effective in assisting parents understand their children and their problems and in finding ways to help their children within the home.   In addition, parent-teacher conference can become a bridge between the home and school and can involve parents in the educational process. Learning disabilities is now at a crossroads, as it seems to have been throughout its thirty-year history.   Many innovative ideas are only in their beginning stages and will develop more fully in the years to come. The approach I suggested as discussed in this paper is one of those ideas.   It is very important for this approach that more students with learning disabilities are served through regular education.   In addition, there should be more collaboration between special and regular educators.   A consequence of all of these shifts is that the responsibilities of learning disabilities teachers will change to meet the new demands. References Bush, W., and Giles, M.(1979).   Aids to Psycholinguistic Teaching. Columbus,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ohio: Charles E. Merrill. Clements, S. (1986). Minimal Brain Dysfunction in Children.   Public Health   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Service Publications. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Washington, D.C. Dunn, L.M. nad Smith J.O. (1987). Peabody Language Development Kits. Levels   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   P, I.II.III. Circle Pines, Minn.: American Guidance Service. Fernald, G.M. and Keller, H. (1971), â€Å"The Effect of Kinesthetic Factors in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Development of Word Recognition in the Case of Non –Readers.† Journal of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Educational Research 4:355-357. Getman, G.H. (1985). â€Å"The Visuo-Motor Complex in the Acquisition of Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skills.† Learning Disorders, Volume 1. Seattle: Special Child Publications Gellingham,A. and Stillman B. (1986). Remedial Training for Children with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship, 5th ed. Cambridge,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mass: Educators Publishing Service. Hegge,T., Kirk,S. and Kirk, W.(1986). Remedial Reading Drills.   Ann Arbor,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mich.: Geroge Wahr. Hirsch,E. (1983). â€Å"Training of Visualizing Ability by the Kinesthetic Method of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Teaching Reading.† Unpublished master’s thesis. University of Illinois. Karnes,M., Zehrbach, R. and Teska, J. (1984). â€Å"The Karnes Preschool Program;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rational Curricular Offerings and Follow up Data.   Report on Longitudinal   Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Evaluations of Preschool Programs, vol. 1: 95-108. Kirk, S.A. (1963).   â€Å"Behavioral Diagnosis and Remediation of Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disabilities.† In Proceedings of the Conference on Exploration into the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Problems of the Perceptually Handicapped Child.   Chicago: Perceptually   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Handicapped Children. Kirk, S.A. and Elkins, J. (1985) â€Å"Characteristics of Children Enrolled in the Child   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Service Demonstration Centers.†Ã‚   Journal of Learning Disabilities 8: 630-637. Learning Difficulties in Children and Adults. (1986). Report of the House of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Representatives Select Committee on Specific Learning Difficulties. Lombardi, T.P., and Lombardi, E.J. (1987).   ITPA: Clinical Interpretation and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Remediation. Seattle: Special Child Publication. Minskoff, E.D., Wiseman, and Minskoff J. (1985). The MWM Program for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Developing Language Abilities. Ridgefield, N.J.: Educational Performance   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Associates. Orton, S.J. (1978). â€Å"Specific Reading Disability – Strphosymbolia.† Journal of the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   American Medical Association 90:1095-1099. Spalding, R.B.AND Spalding W.T. (1987). The Writing Road to Reading.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Morrow: New York. Strauss, A.A. and Lehtinen. (1987). Psychopathology and Education of the Brain-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Injured Child, vol. II. New York: Grune and Stratton. Weiderholt, J.L (1984).†Historical Perspectives on the Education of the Learning   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disabled.† In L. Mann and D.A. Sabitino, eds. The Third Review of Special   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Education.  Ã‚   Philadelphia: JSE Press.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Professional development Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Professional development - Coursework Example They are a benchmark for the evaluation of nursing negligence. Professional nursing standards offer a methodology of assuring clients that the services they receive are quality (Kagan, 2010, 74). The standards facilitate accountability of nurses in their career. By virtue of standards, the society holds licensed nurses and those under them accountable for their actions. The practice of nursing necessitates specialized knowledge, skills, and autonomy in decision-making. Nursing care takes typically divergent paths. In essence, practice of nursing is dependent on the environment, the patient, the disease suffered, and the level of rehabilitation. Furthermore, nurses work in a dynamic society that is a potential source of career hazards for the nurses (Kagan, 2010, 77). They, therefore, are imposed to be acclimatized with the proximate dynamics of the society that contribute to proper healthcare provision. It is the moral obligation of any state to provide its citizens with adequate health care, which forms part of professional nursing. Standards and laws set by health agencies are often in response to the government obligation to citizens on matters of healthcare (Kagan, 2010, 78). In conclusion, practicing nurses are ethically and legally obliged to be aware of the nursing standards to minimize threats to their

Friday, September 27, 2019

Significance of a Salesperson to Push Products Essay

Significance of a Salesperson to Push Products - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that salespeople cater to overt the needs the needs of the buyers. This is because they also have the personal need and want to make a sale not just for cash, but a proper ego which is improved by success whilst somewhat weakened even though motivated and not shattered by failure. Salespeople also have the capability of catering to learning and social connectedness needs, development needs, and long-term problem solving, and as a consequence enhancing consumer well being such as a salesperson showing the client how to use a mobile phone. As the study highlights Johnson and Wilson argued that consumer loyalty, especially customer satisfaction or buying usually relies on delivering wellbeing, performance differences between the salespeople with knowledge or a learning on developmental goal orientation and salespersons with a proving or performance goal orientation. It has been shown that salespersons with a learning orientation perform better. Salespeople build better relationships with their industries and consumers by going beyond their stated needs. Salesperson through good relations can secure a supply contract for their firm’s products. The relationship between management skills are crucial for selling success than closing skills implying that relationship-oriented salesperson are more likely to be better at determining underlying, non-hedonistic needs. According to Brock, salespeople assist customers to think differently about their businesses, to discover opportunities to enhance operations, quality, cust omer satisfaction and profitability, to discover new opportunities, and lastly, reduce risk.  

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Gay Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gay Marriage - Essay Example Same sex couples consider marriage to be their right owing to the fact that every being deserves liberty. It has also been identified that a person is born with the characteristics of a homosexual. Same sex couples wish to lead normal lives without any societal bias and discrimination. On the other hand, same sex marriages are opposed by religious and moral groups who consider it to be unnatural. It is also argued that it is not a normal way of leading life and they present that same sex marriages should not be permitted. The opponents of gay marriages have important points to make. They argue that same sex marriages should not be promoted and the reasons that they explain are the researches which uphold the fact that gay marriages have very high failure rates and similar drawbacks. A normal heterosexual marriage lasts for a period of approximately 20 years on an average. On the other hand, same sex marriages have a very low comparative average with the lasting period being only one and a half years. It is argued that this low success rate has nothing to do with the discrimination that gays face in the society and this fact is upheld by a research conducted in Netherlands. In this country, same sex marriages have been legalized and the research concludes that despite of this, the same sex marriages only last for one half years there on an average.

The Impact of Ideas in Pearl Harbor and the Coming of Pacific War by Essay

The Impact of Ideas in Pearl Harbor and the Coming of Pacific War by Akira Iriye - Essay Example The interment can also be seen as obvious act of racism, perhaps the most thorough and widely accepted acts against on nationality in Unites States history and was explained as a necessity to ensure the safety of the American people but it was caused more by racial discrimination than by some other factor. Since even before the war, the Japanese community encounters social and economic racism (Shaffer, 2002). They would even ask permission before making or going to places in order for them to have assurance that they will be accepted in the society. Students were not included from the social circles in schools. The serious problem faced in that time is the Anti-Asian, where Americans viewed Asian people down. After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese the common Americans became very approachable to anti-Japanese propaganda and long-time racists began their smears with transformed force. The Japanese and Japanese-Americans were referred to as "Japs" and press distributed report s that the bombing had been aided by Japanese Americans working on sugarcane fields and on fishing boats in Hawaii. The Government officials joined on the action and calling for their immediate interment and thus, claiming that Japanese Americans had penetrated strategic positions in California. Evidences were brought to the attention of the President and other officials stating that Japanese Americans were extraordinarily loyal to the United States and no evidences could presented to the contrary (Uchida, 1982). Moreover, they were still motivated to detain the Japanese. It will appear obviously to begin the internment in Hawaii where Japanese occupied up a full third of the residents and had been blamed of the conspiracy in the assault on Pearl Harbor.However, for unidentified reasons, the government officials overlooked Hawaii and focused their attention on the West Coast, invalidating their say that they were confining the Japanese Americans out of the military needs and neither . They also confined neither Germans nor Italians, though they had much greater numbers so therefore they received a huge potential threat to the nation. In these examples given the author is effective in depicting of the influence of racial discrimination. She put stressed the wrong act of the Americans against her races. According to Robert Shaffer (2000), in 1943, a Baptist minister and former missionary to Japan forecasted about the cure of Japanese Americans during World War II that future historians will record this migration, this violation of citizenship rights, as one of the blackest mark on American history as the time that democracy came the nearest of being ruined. The United States government officials have apologized for its wartime actions that, as one presidential commission on second thoughts conclude to American society and resident aliens of Japanese descendants. Furthermore, complicated political understanding of the global implications of the racialist internmen t policy informed the bonds formed of friendship, religious fellowship and acquaintances at school (Iriye, 1999). The critics of removal and internment highlighted contradictions in allies' ideological crusade against the Axis, comparing American racist actions

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Food, The Transmitter of a Cook's Emotions Research Paper - 1

Food, The Transmitter of a Cook's Emotions - Research Paper Example The cook who prepares our food understands this linkage between food and emotion. In addition to the cook’s personal passion for the job, the cook also have a deep understanding that particular foods can make us feel in certain ways; that we will always connect a certain sense of our well being with food (Anon, 2004). This explains why cooks are exerting tremendous effort when they prepare our food. They knew that foods do not only feeds and nourishes the body but also makes us â€Å"feel† in certain ways. Cooks can be considered as â€Å"food artists†. In the same way that a painter can convey emotions with his or her masterpieces, cooks can also transmit his or her emotion through food. In fact, cooks can even transmit a stronger emotion to the consumers than what a visual artist does because the experience in partaking food prepared by the cook is more personal and satisfying compared to an artist who only makes emotional impression with its audience. Ways a cook can transmit emotions through food As stated earlier, food stimulates a â€Å"web of association within us. Foods appeals to our senses and arouses certain emotions that link us to certain people, times, and other places (McDonald, 2007) and being such, is able to transmit emotions to us.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Appeal letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Appeal letter - Essay Example I have taken all the previous evaluations constructively and have dedicated my time and effort in bettering my language proficiency. However, despite my hard work, it seems that my essay was not accurately evaluated. Therefore, I appeal the committee to reconsider my score in the Writing Portfolio. The comments from reader 41 starts with the statement that the â€Å"essay does not contain any direct quotes from the authors†. However, direct quotes were not a required element in the essay although its use would have helped back up the claims in the essay. It is clearly stated in the Portfolio Reading Set prompt that the â€Å"essay must quote and/or paraphrase† implying that paraphrasing could also be used in places rather than direct quotes. The line, â€Å"Similarly, religious values and the personality of an individual also determine the factors which may contribute in carving a happy life for an individual, which may differ from one individual to another (Kesebir 9),† from my essay is an example of paraphrasing with proper citation. Throughout my essay, I have also made sufficient attempt to connect claims with the text by means of paraphrased statements followed by the appropriate citation. The sentence, â€Å"At the same time, the study conducted by Inkeles concludes that monetary factors like financial status and the job or education of an individual may or may not directly affect the happiness of an individual, however, a reversal pattern is absolutely unattainable in his model (Easterlin 13),† is another example of analysis with proper connection with the text. I have tried to articulate the connection between happiness and money seeking as theorized by the authors in their essays. The ideas have been supported by theoretical explanations as laid down by the various authors. The comment further states that the â€Å"essay lack citation completely†. At various places, effort has

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Reading Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reading Questions - Assignment Example Michael (1967) defines formative evaluation as a constructive process of evaluation where a great emphasis is laid on the inputs put in the systems that later determine the processes’ quality and the system’s outputs. For instance, in an academic institution, the administration of continuous assessment Tests (CATS) is a pertinent example that can be used to explain; in system design, it used to test each and every stage’s performance, judge whether each state is performing according to specifications. It indicates how the system is performing-the content, the teaching methods, the financing and general administration of education in schools or any other academic institutions. On the other hand, summative evaluation is an evaluation process that determines the ‘worth’ of the entire program or measure against the stated objectives at the beginning of the program or course. A good example is an exam or a series of exams administered at the end of a course or a program. These exams are meant to judge whether the program is effective and reliable, valid content, effective administration or even the pedagogical issues related to teaching processes. The paper has attempted to discuss two of the fallacies or ‘errors of interpretations’ concerning these two fundamental evaluation processes. It will examine the first and second fallacy respectively. The first fallacy states that both terms were introduced to play different roles for evaluation. This distinction between them concerns the relation of the evaluative information to its environment and use that relate to matters of client and the context. The author further notes that there is no essential difference in their properties themselves, for example, between their causal and correlational claims; measures of efficiency and measures of effectiveness. Both formative and summative are different in their functions they serve to determine the extent to which each one them goes. The author points

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Renewable Energy Essay Example for Free

Renewable Energy Essay Renewable energy is energy from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, these resources are naturally replenished. Renewable energy does not harm the environment or deplete any of our natural resources like fossil fuel. Renewable energy is not subject to sharp price changes because it comes from natural resources. Biomass is currently the largest U. S. renewable energy source with more than two hundred existing bio power plants providing energy for one point five million American homes, according to renewable energy specialist Davor Habjanec. The first time I heard the political differences about renewable energy was the last presidential debate. President Obama stated that he has and will continue to invest in renewable energy, like windmills and solar power. His opponent, Mitt Romney accused Obama of not using more fossil fuels found in America, from building a pipeline in Alaska to investing in oil and natural gas. Romney also claimed that the Obama administration was not expanding research of renewable energy. President Obama’s economic stimulus package included a number of incentives like thirty percent tax credit for renewable energy. Even though coal, oil and natural gas is limited and prices for it reflect that limitation there are still some disadvantages to renewable energy it cannot be stored like fossil fuels. Even though solar power can be stored for a short period of time and if there is no sun light for a number of days you will have no power from solar energy, same for wind energy. The research of renewable energy is very expense. With the economy being as bad as it is forcing cuts to be made in school programs and social programs some believe that we should not be investing so much in renewable energy. They do not dispute that investment in renewable energy does not create jobs. They believe that the same investment should be used on other parts of the economy and that investment will create more jobs and higher payback. According to the U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, a million dollars invested in job creation can generate nine point seventy-eight jobs.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Philosophy of the Italian American Mafia

Philosophy of the Italian American Mafia The Italian mafia came to power in America in the 1920s from Sicily, Italy (Staff). It became known as organized crime (also known as the Mob) and became centered in New York City, divided among five major crime families, which included nineteen additional family units around the country (Jrank). The five major families were the Bonnano, Columbo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese families who were organized through the efforts of Salvatore Charles (Lucky) Luciano. (Jrank). This was the beginning of the very powerful counterculture American crime syndicate. A counterculture is a subcultural practice, which is consciously intended to challenge the values of the larger society, rejecting the major values, norms, and practices of the larger society, and replaces them with a new set of cultural patterns (Thomas). From a sociological perspective, which is a look beyond commonly held beliefs to the hidden meanings behind human actions, Lucky Lucianas special contribution to the success of the mafia depended on his running the show like a legitimate business, based on profit and loss capitalism as a board of directors would be run by a CEO (Thomas 4). One major difference, however, was that Luciano, as the CEO, conducted business as an absolute dictator who saw no limitations on taking down oppositional viewpoints through violence. It was like an inner government within the larger society that had factions within (like political parties, in this case opposing families) that conducted wars against each other. Sociological Imagination as defined by C. Wright Mills is the ability to see the connection between the larger world and your personal life. It is also the capacity to range from the most impersonal and remote [topics] to the most intimate features of the human self-and to see the relations between the two (Thomas 5). Luciano started out his career in a legitimate business as a clerk for a hat company around 1914. But by 1916, he was dealing with drugs and had his major run-in with the law, which earned him six months at a reformatory for that crime (Editors). From that time on, Luciano got involved with other questionable businesses such as bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, loan sharking (charging very high interest rates), drug distribution as a natural extension of bootlegging, and labor racketeering (Jrank, 2/5). All of these enterprises had certain small levels of legitimacy but always ended up tinged with major levels of criminality, illegal operations, and various deviant l egal practices. Luciano and his fellow colleagues saw no conflicts in carrying out these controversial businesses with an iron hand and with few moral and ethical considerations. Ethnocentrism is defined by W. LaVerne Thomas as the tendency to view ones own culture and group as superior. In addition, it is the belief that the characteristics of ones group or society are right and good, helping to build group unity. (Thomas, 35). This kind of situation was a very dominant characteristic of the American mafia organization in its heyday. It was initiated from Sicilian culture in Italy, and nearly all the bosses and godfathers who led the family organizations had roots in Italian culture that came from Sicily. The New York mafia was dominated by New Yorks five major families previously mentioned, along with other more minor Italian families with names like Profaci, Gagliano, Mangano, Marazano, and Masseria. (Bio, 2/4). The only way to move up in the organization of the New York mafia was to be geographically located in the New York City area and be of Italian (preferably Sicilian) heritage. There were major exceptions to the Italian rule, however, most notably Lu cky Lucianos most trusted and important Jewish friends and allies from his youth-Meyer Lansky and Benjamin Bugsy Siegel. (Bio, 1/4). Nevertheless, neither of those two non-Italians was ever able to climb to the very top of the leadership of the mafia organization or lead one of the major or minor Sicilian crime families. There were also other ethnic communities that competed with the American Italian mafia-primarily the Irish, Russians, and Polish organizations. Thomas defines Cultural relativism as an attitude in which there is a belief that cultures should be judged by their own standards rather than by applying the standards of another culture. In other words, it is the attempt to understand cultural practices from the points of view of the members of the society being studied, (Thomas, 36), In the case of the American mafia that was based on Sicilian origins; this means that ethics and morality came from a culture that is male-dominant, sexist, and machismo. There was always a defined code: It was a mixture of ethics, friendship, family, property, and lifestyle intermixed with violence, corruption, trust, faith, and a certain sense of honor. (Gambetta). The family always came first with a strong sense of loyalty. It was run as a real true government, but a clandestine one that was better obeyed and even better understood. (Reppetto) I cannot say that I agree with the basic philosophy of the Italian American mafia as described in this paper as an example of a good countercultural philosophy. Although they seem to have an organized structure that imitates the structure of our overall American government and society working within a capitalistic for-profit basis, what it is definitely missing at its core is a reasonable moral and ethical code based on democratic principles. They are totalitarian in nature, prone to violence against the poor and less powerful, and definitely ethnocentric, sexist, and out primarily for their own good. They do not care for the needs of the common man, only themselves. This is how they basically keep themselves in control and have power over everyone else. This is how they try to be above the common laws and liberties of the land. Their very existence flies in the face of the US Constitution. Even after Lucky Luciano was in prison at the tail end of his career, he tried to offer the US help in the war effort during World War II by using his criminal connections in Italy to advance the Allies cause. (Bio) This effort, of course, was rejected by the US government, but it certainly showed how Lucianos ethics and moral base was constantly challenged and off base. Even later than that, after Lucky Luciano was deported to Italy, never to return to the US legally, he traveled to Cuba where he was also later deported back to Italy because of criminal activity, where he remained under surveillance and not allowed to leave Naples. He was still involved with drug trafficking at that time until his death at a Naples Airport in January of 1962. Ironically, he was on his way to meet with a film and television producer who was going to make a movie about his life as an infamous hero/villain of the 20th century. In my opinion, Lucky Luciano is certainly more than a footnote of history, but he and the mafia are definitely not proud examples of a morally acceptable counterculture lifestyle. Works Cited Editors, Biography.com. The biography.com website. 15 June 2015. 9 march 2017. Gambetta, D. The Sicilian Mafia. 1993. Harvard University Press. Jrank, law. law.jrank.org. 2015. 10 march 2017. Reppetto, T. American Mafia: A History of Its Rise to Power. Kindle. Staff, history.com. history.com. 2009. 9 march 2017. Thomas, W. LaVerne. Cultural Diversity. Holt, Rinehart, Winston. Holt Sociology The study of Human Relationships. Austin: A Harcourt Education Company , 2003. 39.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Power of Emotions in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- essays researc

Emotions have some control over our actions. However, there are other factors that influence what we do. In the play Othello though, emotions have way more power over the characters' actions. For example, the actions committed by characters consumed by love are greatly amplified. Another example of this is that the characters in the play that are consumed by jealousy go to far greater lengths than one normally would to quench their thirst for vengeance. The last instance that proves this is that the actions of characters overcome by despair are based solely on their hopelessness. These three points all help to show that in the play Othello, Shakespeare exaggerates how much our actions are affected by the major emotions of love, jealousy, and despair. As explained in the last paragraph, love is one of the major emotions in Othello. In the play, the actions committed by characters consumed by love are greatly amplified. Two characters that exemplify this are Othello and Desdemona. Throughout the first two acts, some of their actions are unrealistic for a couple in love. Take this quote, for example: ?Brabantio: Raise all my kindred! Are they married, think you? / Roderigo: Truly I think they are. / Brabantio: O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood!? (I:i:166-168). Othello and Desdemona are so consumed by love that they elope with no intention of telling anyone else, as evidenced by Brabantio?s reaction in the quote. They just acted according to their love without thinking of the effects of their elopement. Roderigo is also a prime example of how an emotion like love has near complete control of the characters? actions in the play. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona, and it seems that his actions are almost solely dri... ...our physician. (I:iii:305-309) After realizing how much Desdemona loved Othello, and how she didn?t love him, Roderigo became so despaired that he was prepared to commit suicide, but was talked out of it by Iago. This reaction by Roderigo is exaggerated by Shakespeare from the normal reaction of someone in the same situation. These points all show how the actions of characters consumed by despair or hopelessness were exaggerated in the play. As stated throughout the essay, Shakespeare exaggerates how much our actions are affected by major emotions in the play Othello. When consumed by love, the characters? actions are amplified, when consumed by jealousy, their actions become more extreme, and when consumed by despair, their actions are exaggerated. Although emotions do have some control over our actions, they aren?t the only factor that affects what we do.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Immigration in America Today :: Illegal Immigration, Illegal Immigrants

Immigration in America Today Every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, from around the world, come to the United States. These immigrants come because they want a chance at a better life; others are refugees, escaping persecution and civil wars in their home country. Many people believe the United States is the best place to go. There is more freedom, protection, and benefits, which seems like a good deal to immigrants. But the large number of immigration is affecting the current citizens of the United States. Taxpayers are forced to pay for the welfare and schooling for many of these immigrants, some who are illegal aliens. Some citizens believe that immigration can be hazardous to the environment. Others blame crime, poverty, and overpopulation on immigration. About sixty-eight million immigrants have been added to the United States since 1970, and it is estimated that 130 million people will be added over the next fifty years. The government has tried somewhat to restrict im migration but the laws are still too lenient. Nearly every other advanced country in the world is moving quickly towards stabilized population or has already achieved it. The United States is moving towards it very slowly. This country would have to reduce immigration down to 255,000 a year to do this (Beck 1). If nothing is done to stabilize the immigration to this country, what will become of population in the next decade? The population will continue to grow even faster - not due to births, but to massive immigration to this country. Immigration can become a serious problem to this country if the government does not produce stricter laws. The government must restrict immigration laws because of overpopulation of the United States. Immigration has been affecting America?s population for over two hundred years now. Back in the 1800?s, immigration was encouraged so that the New World could become prosperous. Today, some citizens have been worrying about how many more immigrants the United States can take in, while others do not really care because employers would rather pay lower wages to new immigrants or immigration does not seem to be affecting them in any way. It is impossible to stop all immigrants from coming to the United States, but the government can restrict the immigration laws to a certain extent (Kalla 2).

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Abortion. Sin or Not? :: essays research papers

The Bible is often time misquoted when it comes to the issue of abortion. In fact the word of God makes it clear to us that abortion is not a sin, it's quite clear that to believe otherwise is nothing short of idolatry and blasphemy and those are definitely sins. One of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible is Psalms 139. "For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; or I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works: and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." Psalms 139:13-16. It speaks of God's constant, practically caring, love for his creation. It is distressing to see this chapter used by anti-abortionists as proof that life begins at conception. If you read the chapter in its entirety it becomes clear that our existence begins in the mind of God and that God's attentions follow us all of our days, through good and bad. Clearly there is a strong argument here The condemning and supporting does not from the words of the Bible but rather from the leaders within our Christian culture who use verses out of context. Reading the second creation story Genesis brought some insight to the question of when does life actually begin. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7. First God forms Adam; he was made from dust, a flesh and blood body. Second, he "breathes into his nostrils the breath of life" and then man became a living soul. Man did not become a living soul when God first formed the idea of creating Adam. Man did not become a living soul when God created his body. It was not until God gave man his first breath he become a living soul.

The Cure for Death by Lightning

Gail Anderson-Dargatz’s masterpiece, The Cure for Death by Lightning, recounts the story of Beth Weeks, a fifteen-year-old living on a farm near a reserve. Throughout the story, Beth has to endure different kinds of ill-treatment as well as an invisible predator who seems to be following her. Through her struggle, the author reveals that a character, despite being abused, and having to live in difficult conditions can evolve into a mature and responsible young woman. Beth’s encounters, as well as her choices throughout the novel, help her overcome her difficult situation and put a stop to the abuse she’s going through. Firstly, some encounters Beth has in the story help her surmount the difficult conditions she lives in. Specifically, her encounter with Nora makes her more determined and more inclined to stand up for what she wants. The following extract illustrates that rather clearly: â€Å"I’m going to see Nora tomorrow,† I said. â€Å"While Dad’s out in the field. He doesn’t have to know. † â€Å"You’ll stay here,† she [her mother] said. â€Å"I need your help. † â€Å"I’ll do the work and then I’ll go. You can tell him or not. I’ll leave after he’s gone out for lunch and come back before supper. † â€Å"You will not leave this house. † â€Å"What are you going to do to stop me? (Page 162) It is important to note that Beth is informing her mother of her plans and not seeking out her permission. Following their encounter, Beth and Nora’s relationship evolved into a very intimate friendship that means a lot to Beth. As a result, Beth is more determined to stand up to her parents to maintain that friendship. She decides to fight for what she wants rather than bow her head and obey without protest. That builds up her strength of character and make her stronger when faced with other conflicts. By the same token, Beth’s encounter with Nora make her less of a follower and more of a participant. Indeed, Beth, who is someone who doesn’t mingle much, is brought out of her shell thanks to Nora. In the following extract, Beth’s eagerness to participate to the winter house project Nora proposes is obvious; ‘â€Å"We could decorate it,† I [Beth] said. â€Å"Hang some things up the wall. †Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Page 131) In brief, following her encounter with Nora, Beth has become a much more determined and much less secluded character. That change helps her stand up to her fears more and make some difficult choices that she may not have been able to make without that input. Secondly, some choices Beth make throughout the novel help her evolve into the mature and responsible young woman she becomes in the end. For instance, her decision to quit school after her classmates bully her helps her detach from that disheartening environment. She can roam around freely in calming and peaceful places such as the one described in the following extract: â€Å"At first, the forest was quiet. Then I began hearing the noises that made up the quiet: trees aching, birds whistling, someone chopping wood way off. (Page 106) Quitting school turns out to be a rather therapeutic experience for Beth who can finally escape to a place a few hours a day to unload the stress her difficult situation is giving her. That enables her to be less stressed and pessimistic when faced with other conflicts. Similarly, Beth’s choice to stay home and not accompany Nora to Vancouver is a major decision that helped her resolve many conflicts. It is underlined in the following extract: â€Å"You going to come with me? † [asked Nora] I shook my head and looked at the carpetbag she carried. â€Å"What’re you staying here for? she said. â€Å"Your father’s coming back. You know he is. † â€Å"It’s home,† I said. â€Å"I don’t know anything else. † â€Å"You’re never going to if you don’t step out. † â€Å"I got things to do here first,† I said. â€Å"I’ll go when I’m ready. Anyway, Mum needs me now. † In this extract, it is uncovered that Beth is choosing to stay and face her father, whom she has great conflicts with, and her problems head-on, rather than escape and avoid them forever. She chooses the right way instead of the easy way out. It unveils how much Beth has grown and how mature and brave she has become. Finally, it is obvious that Beth’s encounters, as well as her choices throughout the novel, help her overcome her difficult situation and put a stop to the abuse she’s going through. These two factors are obviously very essential to Beth’s growth. Although I think that Beth’s development is due to her great bravery and strength of character, I don’t think that she would have achieved such maturity if she hadn’t been faced with the encounters she’s been faced with, or the choices she had to make. The turn the events took definitely helped Beth become the mature and responsible young woman she has evolved in.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Coming of Age in New Jersey by Michael Moffat Essay

Michael Moffat studied the life of college students in a co-ed dormitory living environment at Rutgers University in the late 1970’s and mid 1980’s. His book, Coming of Age in New Jersey: College and American Culture draw on writings of actual students and provide detailed accounts of the sexual histories and activities of both male and female students living in the dorm. He writes what he learned as an actual resident living with the students who understood that he was researching their habits and experiences. He lived with them and studies them as an anthropologist would. The book focuses largely on sexual life of students but also touches upon race, work ethic, gender and community living. It seems that all of these issues are related and Moffat is able to tie much of the actions and attitudes together. A common theme throughout the book is that the life of college students is not quite as wild and sex filled as society in general might assume. In fact, the experience may be less wild that the prospective students themselves expected. This was likely a relief to many of them and in fact, is likely that the family values and morals that they brought to college with them were responsible for the reality of life in the dorms. It seems that new college students do not leave all of their past experiences of knowledge at home when the come to college. They apparently have learned and formed opinions and come with a set of expectation for acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. The book also discusses the difference between expectations of general college living and the actual experience. The societal expectation or assumptions of student life, and what actually occurs is discussed. Relating the sexual activity and romantic relationship to student’s morals and prior learning is interesting. While some of the stories are disturbing, many of them lead one to believe that children actually do listen to and learn from their parents. The morals and beliefs of home follow these students to the college dorm.   Moffat notes the difference between living in a dormitory like environment such as an apartment or even boarding home, and living in a college dorm. In the college dorm there is an expected sense of community and commradery and the university does much to encourage the friendships and support that this living arrangement offers. Adolescents are transitioning from home to the life of an independent adult and the community living is meant to offer a degree of supervision and support. The effects of this arrangement on the actual experiences of students in interesting to the reader. Chapters 5 & 6 are titled â€Å"Sex† and â€Å"Sex in College† respectively. These chapters provide the details on the relationships and sexual experiences and habits of the students. Moffat found that students fell into several groups including those who were involved with more conservative and traditional monogamous, heterosexual relationships that involved love and affection. This was the largest group. Others fell in to the groups of experiments and those having some casual relationships that involved sex. This group, for the most part included those who arrived at college more experienced sexually.   Moffat grouped the students into several distinct types in terms of sexual activity. These included; neotraditional, romantic, experimental, radical, liberal and the nonheterosexual population. He was clear to note however, that every student or pair of students involved with a relationship were different, with their own set of idiosyncrasies. Most however, were interested in committed, consensual, heterosexual relationships. Orgies, no matter what the movies and pop culture may imply, were not at all the norm on the college campus. E also found that for most students, their schedule was o busy and the conflicting schedules of their partner or potential partners made sex a rarity for many. Roommates and social issues of community issue further hampered the free love environment one might have expected. The students that reported experimenting with locations such as outside or in classrooms, the library or on the bus seemed driven as much by the lack of privacy as by the desire to be an exhibitionist. The book note that the 1980’s came with the ability to easily prevent pregnancy with the availability of birth control so sex could be enjoyed more freely than in the past. Still, traditional values and the need for committed relationships held out. The fact that the college dorm was set up like a pseudo family, seems to have resulted in some degree of modesty and restraint. Moffat talks about how students would surely not walk around naked or provocatively in front of each other on the floor openly. Students or dorm mates related to each other to at least some degree, as they would act around siblings and family members in general. Those who did dare to walk to the shower wearing only a towel, for example were made fun of and the comments made were much like the comments one would make to a sibling. These relationship similarity likely resulted n some curbing of the sexual behavior at least among floor mates. Moffat’s book reports the facts and shows data and bell curves and comparisons from the 1970’s to the 1980’s. He does not draw a lot of conclusions or cause and effect relationships. That is left for the reader to do if he wishes. The book does seem to indicate that college students are more focused and serious than movies such as Animal House would have one believe. Unfortunately, this book does not address at all the realities of the effects of drugs and alcohol use on college campuses. Living with the students, Moffat did not want to report on issues of substance abuse as he was concerned about the openness of his subjects if they felt that he was potentially a â€Å"narc†. This dimension however is so important to the living experiences of college students that a glaring hole is the result. Anyone familiar with college living will notice the missing piece of information, particularly for those who lived in college dorms during the 19070’s and 1980’s when drug and alcohol use was so much less regulated than it is today The relationship between substance use and sexual activity would have been interesting to note. The issue of traumatic sexual experiences and events linked to alcohol use would likely have been linked. A study today of sexuality on campus, looking at he issue of substance abuse as well as the increased awareness of sexually transmitted diseases would be very interesting to compare to Moffat’s original study.   One would expect that the outcome would be similar to the original study in terms of understanding the relationships between values, morals, family environments and sexuality.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Sales Management Plan

The beverage product that will be developed in the market will be made from ginger. This product aims to help the customers avoid digestive problems, arthritis, and blood circulation. Aside from that, it will give the market a new taste of beverage that is definitely unique from ordinary juices that they can purchase from the supermarkets. The brand will be introduced to its target market as a bottled beverage with different variants to choose from. While many love the aromatic smell of ginger, there are still some who do not like its taste; therefore, the product will be produced with different flavors like what the prominent manufacturers had done to their tea products. General Market Analysis The target markets for this product are the young professionals, sports active individuals, and adults with the age of 35 years old and up. This segment was chosen because of their lifestyle and their need for a product with proper vitamins and benefits to keep away from diseases. Furthermore, this is the cluster of the society that is highly conscious about their health. Any person may drink the ginger product because of the health benefits that it may provide to the consumers; however, in order to make the promotion consistent and to easily gain a strong position in the marketplace, all the advertising campaigns and promotional tools for this product will be intended for the segment that is being targeted for this item (Beri, 2006). Industry Analysis. Unlike other consumer goods in the market, this product will have lesser direct competitors because only a few companies offering this type of good to the customers are currently trying to penetrate the market. However, the biggest challenge that the company needs to face upon market penetration is to have a competitive and persuasive approach that would make the target consumers buy the product. Today, Buderim Ginger is recognized as the leading manufacturer of ginger products (Buderim, 2002). Apparently, beverage products of this company will be the direct competitor of the ginger brand that will be introduced in the marketplace. Product Attributes Even though some people are already aware that ginger can be an alternative to other tea products, the product may appear totally new in the market. With the existence of prominent beverage products in the market, the company will highlight the following attributes in promoting the ginger product in the emerging market: ? With a unique combination of ginger and fruit flavors to choose from. ? Aromatic smell of ginger in liquid form. ? Contains vitamins and minerals to avoid diseases. ? For body resistance and health maintenance. Handy packaging for customer’s convenience. ? Different flavors and bottle sizes in affordable prices. Financial Analysis and Sales Forecast The budget allocation for ginger beverage will include marketing research, production, machinery and factory expenses, promotion, and distribution expenses. Prior to the release of the product, the company is expected to spend the 60% of the budget for the development of the marketing plan and t he mass production of ginger beverage, and the other 40% will be allotted for the advertisement and distribution of goods to the target market. On its first six months in the market, the company expects to generate a profit of at least 30% of the entire production budget. Sales Objectives Basically, the objective of the company before and after the production of goods in the market is to make the product salable in the market in order to gain profit; however, the product that is new in the market has a greater challenge than those that already exist in the store shelves. The sales objectives of the company are: To reach at least 30% of the expected profit in the first six months after the release of the product in the marketplace. ? To persuade at least three-fourths (?) of the entire target market to buy the product. Sales Personnel Needs The sales personnel will undergo trainings and seminars before finally selling the product. At the end of the training period, the sales team should have enough knowledge about the product that the company will offer to the customers. Ginger product could be new to the target consumers. Therefore, the sales personnel should possess the will and determination to persuade the consumers that the product that they are going to sell to the public possesses the exact attributes that they portray on the promotional tools. Sales Territory Design The product will be introduced and distributed to selected states in the United States. The limited production and pull strategy in terms of distribution will help the company to evade early decline stage. The states that have the highest population and percentage of target market will be the pioneering market for the ginger product. Sales Compensation Program The compensation of the sales team will depend on the quota set by the company. The company will set a quota for a sales team and give bonuses for every excess amount or work that the sales personnel will accomplish to promote and sell the product. Sales Personnel Qualifications The product that will be sold in the market may capture the attention of the market because of the idea that it is new in the market. However, this fact may also be the reason why the target customers may overlook the item. In this manner, the company needs to hire people who have enough knowledge and information about the product that is being sold in the market and capability to persuade the customers regardless of the uniqueness of the ginger product. Performance Measurement The number of sales done and percentage of the target market that the sales team has acquired will be the basis of performance of the sales personnel. The number of deal closed will be taken into consideration, and the profit that the company gained will be evaluated to measure the effectiveness of the sales strategies.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Essay

Having culture as a field of psychology makes sense because culture plays a significant role in everyday life. Culture allows someone to define who they are how they survive. Expressions of who one is can be done in many ways, by behavior, appearance, and language. Without culture, one’s human nature would rely on instinct to remain alive. Culture is a product of one’s environment. How important culture is and how culture influences oneself and others will be discussed in this paper. Examining various types of relationships as it pertains to culture and cross cultural psychology will also be deliberated. Critical thinking and the role it plays in cross cultural psychology and the use of scientific method will also be covered. Definition of Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology There are many avenues when looking at what culture stands for, but for most there is an agreement that culture is passed down from one generation to the next, there is a strong influence of molding one’s behavior, and that culture is learned. One’s environment is based on the culture that he or she is subjected to. Culture influences humans in many ways that is what makes humans human. Culture separates individuals from any other species and affords one the opportunity to use instinct and cultural knowledge to survive. Culture is woven into one’s fabric of daily life, and aids in how one interacts with others. By definition psychology is the study of performance and human behavior, so when tying to define one’s actions, it is imperative that incorporating one’s culture into the equation. See more: how to start an essay The behaviors of a person can be directly related to the environment or various biological factors, but, behavior can not be solely answered by just those two things without examining the social cultural conditions which impact that person’s behavior. Cultural psychology looks for the connection between psychology and one’s culture. By looking at this link the correlation between culture and behavior is recognized. Acknowledging this permits that cognitive operations are the variable in culture and oneself based on the environment that he or she is surrounded by (Segal, Dasen, Berry & Poortinga, 1999). Culture can bring people together as well as separate others. Cross-cultural psychology is a newer specialty in the field. This field does not just focus on one specific culture when attempting to clarify the actions of someone’s behavior. Rather it views many different cultures that could be affected a person. It is imperative to know not to confuse race, ethnicity and society with culture. They do offer a look at a person’s individualism but it is different than one’s culture. A society consists of people where a culture is a common interest shared by persons with in a group that lead to a given behavior. To understand human behavior, viewing other approaches like sociological, cultural mixtures, integrative approach, eco-cultural and evolutionary all help in understanding how a human’s behavior could fluctuate based on. For example, when looking at the evolutionary approach views the biological factors contributing to the behavior over the eco-cultural approach views the environment (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). The Relationship between Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology There are two different disciplines, anthropology and philosophy, that overlap in cultural psychology. Then reviewing other disciplines there is a wider viewpoint when researching various actions that others do. The purpose of cultural psychology is to unearth how someone’s culture affects behavior as well as how the connection is generated. Human energy cannot be the only factory determining one’s predisposition. Cultural psychology interprets that one’s mind should not be viewed as separate when explaining behavior. However, cross culture psychology relates to not only history and anthropology but also similarities and differences between histories. Regardless, both disciplines take into account culture so their foundations are close. The difference occurs because cultural psychology is interested in the relationship with culture someone has versus cross-cultural being interested in comparison on cultures (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). The Role of Critical Thinking in Cross-Cultural Psychology Using critical thinking the right way, there are many ways that critical thinking that be a benefit. Life can be complex and complicated to understand. Critical thinking provides someone the ability to steer through life with a certainty. This being said, critical thinking is learned, not n inherited trait. Being able to think hypothetically, decrypt puzzles, synchronizing thoughts and communicating all require critical thinking. Using critical thinking means that one asks questions that will ultimately solve problems. If someone is unqualified or unskilled, it is possible they will not develop to full potential. By developing the critical thinking skill, this means that one could grow and learn. The use of language, patience when making important decisions, and ability to organize (Hunter, 2009). All of those that were mentioned are influences in cross-cultural psychology. Language can lead to discrimination for example. The way words are translated can be confused because of the way that it is understood. Translating word for word could lead to an incorrect translation. Understanding that any language can be translated into other meanings causing traumatization or inspiring depending on the interpretation. The research is another part of cross-cultural psychology that is attached to critical thinking. Research that is conducted without bias, emotion, choosing right from wrong, and accepting validity and reliability of that research is a form of critical thinking. It is normal for there to be comparisons made when linking groups or cultures. Here are a few instances how critical thinking and cross-cultural psychology are intertwined. Without a critical thinking understanding how culture affects behavior could form the wrong impression (Segal, Dasen, Berry & Poortinga, 1999). Methodology Associated with Cross-Cultural Research Research is a critical part of cross cultural psychology. Without having research the only information about cross-cultural psychology would be assumptions. Psychologists who focus their studies on cross cultural psychologists are intrigued with the commonalities between cultures. As psychologists explain, foretell and manage various behaviors of those they observe they do so because humans are consumed with the interactions he or she has with others resulting in behaviors. Generating research is done by scientific investigation. Cross cultural psychology research is subdivided into quantitative and qualitative research. Quantitative research is done through observation by mode, median and mean. Qualitative research is nconditioned settings or a natural setting. This method is picked when the variables are impossible to gather because the tools are not available. There are two different strategies that are also available to use; the application orientated and comparativist strategy. The data collected by these strategies can be done through systematic or random sampling (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). â€Å"Observation (naturalistic and laboratory), survey (direct and indirect), experimental studies (independent and dependent variables), content-analysis, psychobiography, meta-analysis, focus-group method† (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, pp. 5-40) are all available to psychologists who are interested in cross cultural insestigations. When using cross cultural psychology hindrances could occur. Language could create problems when completing research consequently ensuring correct translation is of the utmost importance. Investigators should be able to decipher a specific method as realistically as possible. Attention should also be paid when associating two phenomena and also avoid biases at all times (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Conclusion Since culture plays a vital role in one’s life, it is critical to recognize that it is what causes one’s behavior. Culture is manmade and appears all of the time without much thought. It is important for one to be a successful psychologist that there is a clear understanding of both cultural and cross cultural psychology and how it effects the individual as well as his or her environment. Because of cultural psychology one can trace the connection between culture and psychology and eventually behavior. Viewing various parallels in cultural psychology can help see the differences as well as similarities between cultures and how it impacts one’s actions. Without it, there will always be a mystery surrounding humanity.