Research paper on diabetes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Research paper on diabetes - Essay Example A number of major findings also contributed much to the contemporary knowledge of diabetes: taking out the pancreas will result in diabetes; the pancreas generates insulin in Langerhans’s group of cells; and giving insulin to a diabetic person is effectual medication (Pompei 39). The Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1923 was given to Banting and Best for their development of insulin and provision of insulin treatment to a teenager suffering from diabetes. It is now known that diabetes mellitus can be the outcome of lack of insulin, damaged insulin production, or resistance to the effect of insulin (Bertera 33). This knowledge was supported and enhanced by advancements in the capacity to measure levels of insulin in the mid-20th century. Some individuals with diabetes mellitus lack quantifiable insulin, whereas others, in spite of sufficient secretion of insulin, either do not produce it in a way that sustains normal physiological processes, or have organs unresponsive to its impact (Bertera 33). Nowadays it is known that a number of pathogenic mechanisms can lead to diabetes and that there is a vital connection between an individual’s genetic composition and environmental forces. Diabetes mellitus is a set of metabolic illnesses typified by high amounts of blood sugar because of defects in the secretion of insulin, insulin functioning, or both. ... Since the illness could be asymptomatic for a number of years, it is approximated that numerous older people with diabetes are not aware of their disease (Pompei 40). The commonness of this illness differs with ethnicity and racial affiliation. Hispanic whites and Hispanic blacks are roughly 1.8 times more prone to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites (Pompei 40-41). In spite of an extended asymptomatic duration, diabetes is a severe illness related to reduced life expectancy and considerable morbidity. The kind of diabetes usually impinging on older adults is related to a rate of mortality almost twice that of individuals without this illness and a decade shorter life expectancy (Bertera 35). Inadequately regulated diabetes can be the source of dangerous deterioration in an older individual and is manifested by functional disability, muscle impairment, loss of weight, and fatigue. More permanent complications of this disease involve neuropathies, kidney failure, and poor eyesight. The prevalence of kidney disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease is intensified, and the possibility of complete loss of eyesight is heightened roughly by 40% in older adults with diabetes (Bertera 35-36). Diabetes is one of the major serious illnesses, and hence one of the major public health concerns nowadays, and its overwhelming estimated growth is mostly because of the aging of the population alongside industrialization, urbanization, and the obesity outbreak. In the 1970s, the National Diabetes Prevention and Control Program was formed to advance education, raise awareness, and regulate and prevent complications by circulating empirical knowledge (Pompei 42). Findings from empirical research are being analyzed and disseminated on a regular

Television violence Essay Example for Free

Television violence Essay * Children watch an average of four hours of television daily. Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of todays television programming is violent. Hundreds of studies of the effects of TV violence on children and teenagers have found that children may : * Become immune or numb to the horror of violence * Gradually accept violence as a way to solve problems * Imitate the violence they observe on television * Extensive viewing of television violence by children causes greater aggressiveness. Children who view shows in which violence is very realistic, frequently repeated or unpunished, they are more likely to imitate what they see. Children with emotional, behavioral, learning or impulse control problems may be more easily influenced by TV violence. The impact of TV violence may be immediately evident in the childs behavior or may surface years later. Young people can even be affected when the family atmosphere shows no tendency toward violence. * While TV violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, it is clearly a significant factor. Parents can protect children from excessive TV violence in the following ways: * pay attention to the programs their children are watching and watch some with them * set limits on the amount of time they spend with the television; consider removing the TV set from the childs bedroom * point out that although the actor has not actually been hurt or killed, such violence in real life results in pain or death * refuse to let the children see shows known to be violent, and change the channel or turn off the TV set when offensive material comes on, with an explanation of what is wrong with the program * disapprove of the violent episodes in front of the children, stressing the belief that such behavior is not the best way to resolve a problem * to offset peer pressure among friends and classmates, contact other parents and agree to enforce similar rules about the length of time and type of program the children may watch * Parents can also use these measures to prevent harmful effects from television in other areas such as racial or sexual stereotyping. The amount of time children watch TV, regardless of content, should be moderated because it decreases time spent on more beneficial activities such as reading, playing with friends, and developing hobbies. If parents have serious difficulties setting limits, or have ongoing concerns about their childs behavior, they should contact a child and adolescent psychiatrist for consultation and assistance.

Relationship between stories :: essays research papers

The Relationship between Stories and Their Sources   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most authors use some type of source when writing a story. The source could be religious, scientific, or something else that is inspiring to them. Even great writers such as Shakespeare had a source in which their stories came from. The source can be used for many different purposes. A certain author may use a source to show different parallels between two stories or to show similarities between events or characters. They may use the source to prove a point or to add meaning to the book. The source could also just be an ambiguous connection that helps complete the story. Whatever the authors reason for picking a certain source it seems to give the story completion and significance. In this class, we read many stories in which the source deals with religion and especially the gospels. In this paper, I will discuss these different stories and how they relate to their religous sources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first story we read in class was, ?gA Visit of Charity?h by Eudora Welty. In this story, the source that is eluded to is the Genesis story of Adam and Eve. The story begins with Marian, a young campfire girl, who is on her way to an Old Ladies?f Home. Before entering the home she stops by some prickly shrubs. The outside of the home was covered by beautiful shrubbery and the whitewash brick building reflected the sunlight. Yet, the inside of the home was in bad shape. It smelled musky and the linoleum on the floor was bulging up. The details Welty adds are significant because it shows two different worlds. The one world Marian still sees which is beautiful like the Garden of Eden and the world she is slowly stepping into where things are not beautiful and good. The story continues with Marian visiting two old ladies who fought between themselves the whole time she was there. Marian did not want to be at the home and especially dislike visiting these two ladies. Although, the one lady was friendly to Marian she was still scared of both ladies. At the end of the visit the one lady grabs Marian?fs arm and asks her for a penny or a nickel. Marian runs from the old lady without looking back. When she gets outside she grabs the apple she hid in the prickly bushes on her way into the Home. As she jumped onto the bus Marian took a big bite of the apple. This is the most significant part of the story because it shows how Marian knew what she was doing was wrong but she carelessly did it

Cervantes Motivation for Writing Don Quixote Essay -- Biography Biogr

Cervantes' Motivation for Writing Don Quixote  Ã‚   Miguel de Cervantes' greatest literary work, Don Quixote, maintains an enduring, if somewhat stereotypical image in the popular culture: the tale of the obsessed knight and his clownish squire who embark on a faith-driven, adventure-seeking quest. However, although this simple premise has survived since the novel's inception, and spawned such universally known concepts or images as quixotic idealism and charging headlong at a group of "giants" which are actually windmills, Cervantes' motivation for writing Don Quixote remains an untold story. Looking at late fifteenth- and early sixteenth-century Spain from the viewpoint of a Renaissance man, Cervantes came to dislike many aspects of the age in which he lived, and decided to satirize what he saw as its failings; however, throughout the writing of what would become his most famous work, Cervantes was torn by a philosophical conflict which pervaded the Renaissance and its intellectuals--the clash of faith and reason.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Cervantes began writing Don Quixote, the most direct target of his satirical intentions was the chivalric romance. He makes this aim clear in his own preface to the novel, stating that "..[his] sole aim in writing..is to invalidate the authority, and ridicule the absurdity of those books of chivalry, which have, as it were, fascinated the eyes and judgment of the world, and in particular of the vulgar.† Immediately after the beginning of the novel, he demonstrates some of the ridiculous and unbelievable writing of these books: as Alonso Quixano--the man who decides to become the knight Don Quixote, after going mad from reading too many of these romances--sits in his study, tirelessly poring over his belo... ...r (Magill 330). In Part II of the novel, however, Don Quixote becomes less of a sadly comic figure, and more heroic (331) after he stoically faces down a lion, leading Sancho to change his master’s previous title--†Knight of the Rueful Countenance†--to â€Å"Knight of the Lions†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although the tale told in Don Quixote, the account of an idealist who embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to rid society of injustice, â€Å"[has] assumed archetypal importance for what [it reveals] of the human mind and emotions (Person 81),† there is another story which remains hidden between the pages of the novel: what was Cervantes’ original intent in writing, and how that simple goal--a humorous parody of chivalric romances--eventually led to the literary embodiment of a tremendous philosophical debate: whether to let the perception of truth be dominated by faith, or by reason.   

Imperatives for Developing My Transformational Leadership Potential: Some Plans Essay

The word â€Å"leader† first appeared in the English language in the 1300s; it stems from the root â€Å"leden† meaning â€Å"to travel† or â€Å"show the way.†   The term â€Å"leadership†, however, followed only some five centuries later.   One can sift through many definitions of the term â€Å"leadership† and fail to find a single ‘common denominator’ that will unite all of them. This may be because there are so numerous, varying usages of the term in equally numerous and complicated situations.   However, for purposes of this paper, the following definitions used in many leadership studies were adopted: Leadership was broadly defined by Yukl (1989) as â€Å"influencing task objectives and strategies, influencing commitment and compliance in task behavior to achieve these objectives, influencing the culture of an organization.†Ã‚   In simpler terms, leaders influence the actions and behaviours of their followers to obtain a shared vision or aim.   According to Deming (1992), leadership must come from top management and leaders must possess profound knowledge. By profound knowledge, Deming meant that one must have knowledge of systems, variations (statistical thinking), theory, and psychology. Leadership is quite different from management; leaders grow from mastering their own conflict which arises during their developing years using internal strength to survive. On the other hand, managers tend to perceive issues as positive progressions of events which must be planned, organized, scheduled, and controlled.   In order to create the proper thinking perspective, leaders must aggressively investigate and act on the current market to create opportunities.   Effective leaders are those that are capable of assisting their organization/country manage change and steer it towards success. Past Work Experience I have had the opportunity to work with a local company; at peak work periods, I am tasked to manage a small team of 4 staff. Some of the responsibilities involved in this role are delegation of work; prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance; reporting regularly to my superior for updates and new directives; and updating my superior at the end of the day for concerns and accomplishments. Moreover, it requires me to plan and manage my own time. Effective people skills are as critical as the management of tasks in a team leader’s role. It is necessary for me to create and manage smooth working relationships with line managers, colleagues, and team members. I am also expected to manage their performance by clearly explaining to them standards of work and behavior. An Assessment of My Leadership Style I personally want to develop a transformational leadership style that is more dynamic, innovative and accepting of change than that espoused by a management role. Tichy and Devanna (1986) assert that managers engage in very little change but manage what is present and leave things much as they found them when they depart. Transformational leadership, they declared, focuses on change, innovation, and entrepreneurship. They assumed that transformational leaders begin with a social fabric, disrupt that environment, and then recreate the social fabric to better reflect the overall business climate (Bass, 1990). They argue that there are four suggested personal characteristics of a transformational leader: (a) dominance, (b) self-confidence, (c) need for influence, and (d) conviction of moral righteousness. These are the traits that I have to focus on in undertaking my development plan. Transformational leaders are expected to deal with the paradox of predicting the unknown and sometimes the unknowable.   These leaders change and transform the organization according to a vision of a preferred status. Leaders then are change makers and transformers, guiding the organization to a new and more compelling vision, a demanding role expectation. Studies have been carried out in many different countries, and research in this area also shows that transformational leadership is closer to perceptions of ideal leadership than transactional leadership.   As Hartog et al (1999) note, being perceived as a leader is a prerequisite for being able to go beyond a formal role in influencing others.   They hold that leadership perceptions can be based on two alternative processes.   First, leadership can be inferred from outcomes of salient events, and attribution is crucial in these inference-based processes. For example, a successful business ‘turnaround’ is often quickly attributed to the high quality ‘leadership’ of top executives or the CEO.   Leadership can also be recognized based on the fit between an observed person’s characteristics with the perceivers’ implicit ideas of what ‘leaders’ are (Hartog et al., 1999). This again points to the fact that an effective manager is not only focused on delivering tasks, but on handling his people well. This is especially true among people in the organization who put high premium on a manager’s interpersonal skills. The first step I will consider in my developmental plan is to maintain my enthusiasm and motivation of my team towards their work. Concurrently, I will also aim to develop my leadership potential. I will concretely undertake this by developing a strong mentoring relationship with my superior. Empirical research from both educational and industrial settings suggests that students and employees both have increased probability of success if they have had a mentor. While mentors are effective for everyone, sometimes organizations implement mentoring programs to support particular parts of their populations, often newer employees. And while mentoring programs are always established with the best of intentions, their results are often mixed (Werner, 2004). To make the most of my work exposure, I hope to establish a strong mentoring relationship with my superior or with an expert in my field to develop my competence further. Coaching and mentoring is a very effective way of developing my leadership potential because it does not only develop me in terms of technical expertise, but it will also allow me to actually experience how these experts undergo the coaching and mentoring exercise. Skills Acquisition Skill acquisition acknowledges that proficiency and expertise are a function of the exposure to a variety of situations. These circumstances become experiences for the learner to elicit apt responses. Bandura (1977) emphasized that most learning transpires by observing and modeling behaviors. Information is then stored and coded cognitively and utilized as guide for action. He further noted that the development of a realistic learning setting incorporating environment, behavior, and thought promotes the acquisition of complex skills. Moreover, simulation can help in providing this realistic exposure for neophyte professionals (Bandura, 1977). Because I have gone past beyond being a novice, now is the perfect time for developing strategic leadership skills. I will also be able to add on to my networks by attending conferences related to my field to be able to build and establish peer contacts. I will also endeavor to build relationships with members and managers of other teams within the organization. The following soft competencies have been recommended areas for leadership development by the Development Dimensions International website (2005): master at managing through ambiguity; inspires confidence and belief in the future; have a passion for results; are marked by unwavering integrity; set others up for success; have strong rather than big egos; and have the courage to make big decisions. Mastery at managing through ambiguity. Build a culture that embraces change; constantly set clear goals and expectations; are able to manage across boundaries (and lead others to do the same); show connections between individual accountabilities, team goals, and organizational vision and strategies; sets out a clear course even though it may change frequently. Inspires confidence and belief in the future. Are able to articulate a vision depicting what they want their organization; exudes calm and projects optimism in the face of uncertainty; can engage and inspire employees in their work connecting their needs and values with those of the institution. Passion for results. Set clear accountabilities and high expectations for themselves and for others; hire, promote and reward high performers; keep themselves and their employees focused on the top two or three customer-driven priorities; take action on those who do not fit or who are consistently not performing; establish critical measures of success and make sure they are visible to others. Marked by unwavering integrity. Serve as a â€Å"moral compass† for others; keeps promises and commitments; â€Å"walks the talk†; gives straight, honest feedback; leads through values; acts promptly when their own or the integrity of their organization is compromised.    Set others up for success. Coaches others to succeed before they have the opportunity to fail; truly enjoys seeing people learn and grow; rewards and recognizes success; views failures as learning opportunities; shares (rather than hordes) talent for the good of the organization. Have strong rather than big egos. Humbly shares credit with others; never shoots the messenger – they encourage the sharing of bad news; are always asking â€Å"how can we do things better?†; blame themselves before pointing a finger at others; knows themselves and are guided by strong personal values; listens to understand; recognizes that they, more often than not, are not the ones with the right answers.    Have the courage to make big decisions. Addresses issues or problems quickly; takes actions that are right, even when they are unpopular – they act on conviction; stands by their decisions once they make them – even if circumstances cause them to change course later; takes a longer term view consistent with a future vision (www.ddiworld.com, 2005). Soft skills are as equally if not more important than technical skills, in the development of leadership potential. These competencies must also be integrated into my success competency profile and adequately addressed through formal classroom or on-the-job training. Naturally, to be able to identify which leadership areas I need to focus on, I need to use reflection. The main approach is to develop fully into a transformational leadership role. With transformational leadership, the followers feel trust, admiration, loyalty and respect towards the leader and they are motivated to do more then they originally expected to do. Leaders transform and motivate followers by: (1) making them more aware of the importance of task outcomes, and (2) inducing them to transcend their own self-interest for the sake of the organization or team and activating their higher order needs. In contrast, transactional leadership involves an exchange process that may result in follower compliance with leader requests but is not likely to generate enthusiasm and commitment to task objectives. Therefore, my staff need to feel that I can empathize with them, are able to give them feedback while maintaining their self-esteem, and also solicit their ideas on important issues. Transformational and transactional leadership are distinct but not mutually exclusive processes. Transformational leadership increases follower motivation and performance more than transactional leadership, but effective leaders use a combination of both types of leadership.   Such is the argument of   Gary Yukl (1989).   He defined transformational behavior as idealized influence, individualized consideration, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Yukl theorized that transformational leadership probably involves internationalization because inspirational motivation includes the articulation of an appealing vision that relates task objectives to follower values and ideals, it therefore also involves personal identification.   Yukl (1989) described transformational leadership as a process of micro-level and macro-level influence. At the macro-level, transformational leaders must take charge of the social systems and reform the organization by creating an appropriate power situation. At the micro-level, transformational leaders must attend to the personalities in the organization to facilitate change at an interpersonal level. One other way of developing my leadership potential is by regularly reflecting on areas for improvement. In this area, the feedback of my superior would serve as critical input. There is now broad agreement on four key attributes, therefore, known as the four i’s of Transformational Leadership (Avolio et al., 1991; Bass & Avolio, 1994b). Inspirational leadership means ‘the arousal and heightening of motivation among followers that occurs primarily from charismatic leadership’ and individualized consideration is evident when subordinates are treated individually according to their needs. Intellectual stimulation refers to the leader’s influence on followers’ thinking and imagination (Bass, 1985, pp. 62,82 and 99). And, finally, idealized influence is the identification with and emulation of the leader’s mission and vision. Apart from focusing on my own leadership needs, I would also like to assist in the drafting of Career Management plans of the members of my team. I would also like to ensure that I continuously serve as a model and inspiration for them in terms of giving support, praise and encouragement to all team members. Moreover, I will work for the implementation of retention strategies among the team members I work with through career development,   flexible work, induction, partnership and staff involvement, and pay and rewards. Some Comments on the Transformational Leadership Framework / Theory In contrast with leader emergence which deals with the likelihood that a person will become a leader, leader performance involves the idea that excellent leaders possess certain characteristics that certain leaders do not. For example, an excellent leader might be intelligent, assertive, friendly, and independent, whereas a poor leader might be shy, aloof, and calm. Research on the relationship between personal characteristics and leader performance has concentrated on three areas: traits, needs and orientation. In relation to transformational leadership framework, I do agree that the leader must possess certain characteristics to transform the organization. But this is not all – there must also be ample consideration of other factors such as subordinates’ ability and organizational climate. Traits. The idea that certain traits are associated with effective leadership is appealing, but in 1964, a review by Heslin and Dunphy indicated that only two traits – intelligence and interpersonal adjustment – have consistently been related to leadership performance. More recently, it has been proposed that good leaders need to possess only one stable trait – adaptability or self-monitoring (Cohen & Bradford, 1990). Thus, good leaders will constantly change their behaviors to meet the demands of the situation or person with whom they are dealing. Support from this theory comes from a study by Caldwell & O’Reilly (1982), who found that field representatives who dealt with many different types of people were more effective if they were high self-monitors. Similar results were found with Zaccaro, Foti & Kenny (1991). The concept of self-monitoring focuses on what leaders do as opposed to what they are. For example, a high self-monitoring leader may possess the trait of shyness and not truly want to communicate with other people. He know, however, that talking to others is an important part of his job, so he says hello to his employees when he arrives at work, and at least once a day stops and talks to each employee. Thus, the leader has the trait of shyness but adapts his outward behavior to appear to be outgoing and confident. An interesting extension of the trait theory of leader performance suggests that certain traits are necessary requirements for leadership excellence but that they do not guarantee it (Simonton, 1979). Instead, leadership excellence is a function of the right person being in the right place at the right time. The fact that one person with certain traits becomes an excellent leader while another with the same trait flounders may be no more than the result of timing and chance. Needs. A personal characteristic that has received some support to a leader’s need for power, need for achievement, and need for affiliation. Research by McClelland and Burnham (1976) and McClelland and Boyatzis (1982) have demonstrated that high-performance managers have a leadership motive pattern, which is a high need for power and a low need for affiliation. The need is not for personal power but for organizational power. This pattern of needs is thought to be important because it implies that an effective leader should be more concerned with results than with being liked. Leaders who need to be liked by their subordinates will have a tough time making decisions. A decision to make an employee work overtime, for example, may be necessary for the organization’s survival, but it will probably be unpopular with employees. Leaders with high affiliation needs may decide that being liked is more important than being successful, causing conflict with their decision. Needs for power, achievement and affiliation can be measured through various psychological tests. The most commonly used is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT). The TAT is a projective test in which a person is shown a series of pictures and is asked to tell a story about what is happening in each picture. The stories are then analyzed by a trained psychologist who identifies the needs themes that are contained in the stories. Obviously, this technique is time consuming and requires a great deal of training. Task vs. person orientation. Over the last 45 years, three major schools of thought – Ohio State studies (Fleishman, Harris & Burtt, 1955), Theory X (McGregor, 1960) and managerial grid (Blake & Mouton, 1984) – have postulated that differences in leader performance can be attributed to differences in the extent to which leaders are task versus person oriented. Person-oriented leaders (country club leaders, theory Y leaders, leaders in high consideration) act in a warm and supportive manner and show concern for their subordinates. Person-oriented leaders believe that employees are intrinsically motivated, seek responsibility, are self-controlled, and do not necessarily dislike work, Because of these assumptions, person-oriented leaders consult their subordinates before making decisions, praise their work, ask about their families, look over their shoulders, and use a more â€Å"hands-off† approach to leadership. Under pressure, person-oriented leaders tend to become socially withdrawn (Bond, 1995). Task –oriented leaders (task-centered leaders, theory X leaders, leaders high in initiating structure) define and structure their own roles and those of their subordinates to attain the group’s formal goals. Task-oriented leaders see their employees as lazy, extrinsically motivated, wanting security, undisciplined, and shirking responsibility. Because of these assumptions, task-oriented leaders tend to manage or lead by giving directives, setting goals, and making decisions without consulting their subordinates. Under pressure, task-oriented leaders tend to produce humor (e.g. tell jokes and stories) whereas person-oriented leaders tend to appreciate humor (e.g. listen to others’ jokes) (Philbrick, 1989). I feel that the best leader who may undertake transformation in the organization ought to be both person and task-oriented. In effect, in being a transformational leader, I should put premium on both person and task orientations, exhibiting each one with equal strength or emphasis. Interaction between the Leader and the Situation Apart from just focusing on the leader, I feel it is equally important for him to consider the complexities of his situation so that he may have a better grasp of how it is to transform the organization. In line with this, I should also be able to focus not only on developing myself but also consider the characteristics of the situation which I find myself in. One of the more recent research on this area is the situational theory of Geier, Downey and Johnson (1980) who believed that the leader has one of six behavioral styles, namely, informational, magnetic, position, affiliation, coercive or tactical. Each type is only effective in a particular situation, or in what researchers call an organizational climate. These researchers further say that based on the organizational climate, a leader with an informational style is best fit in ac climate of ignorance; those with magnetic style in a climate of despair; those with a position style in a climate of instability; affiliation style in a climate of anxiety; coercive style in a climate of crisis; tactical style in a climate of disorganization. This suggests that as a transformational leader, I should be able to adjust myself on the basis of my assessment of my organization’s climate. Relationship with Subordinates One other facet of transformational leadership which I intend to integrate into my personal development plan is my relationship with subordinates. This is consistent with the vertical dyad linkage theory. Vertical dyad linkage (VDL) theory was developed by Dansereau, Graen, and Haga (1974) and is a unique situational theory that makes good intuitive sense. Some situational theories concentrate on interactions between leaders and situations and between leaders and employees with differing levels of ability. VDL theory, however, concentrates on the interactions between leaders and subordinates. These interactions are called leader-member exchanges (LMXs). The theory takes its name from the relationship between two people (a dyad), the position of the leader above the subordinate (vertical), and their interrelated behavior (linkage). VDL theory states that leaders develop different roles with different subordinates and thus act differently with different subordinates. Dansereau et al (1974) believe that subordinates fall in one of two groups, the in-group or the outgroup. In-group subordinates are those who have developed trusting, friendly relationships with the leader. As a result, the leader deals with in-group members by allowing them to participate in decisions and by rarely disciplining them. Thus, in-group membership is thought to increase performance. Out-group subordinates are treated differently from those in the in-group and are more likely to be given direct orders and to have less say about how affairs are conducted. In general, research on VDL theory has been supportive (Grestner & Day, 1997). There are, however, relationships between leaders and subordinates that probably can be categorized into types other than in-group and out-group. In relation to transformational leadership, I should increase my self-awareness in treating my subordinates such that there is no rigid classification of whether they are members of the in-group or the out-group. Under the transformational leadership framework, all subordinates are encouraged to participate in decision making. As such, I should try my best to gather input from all of my staff to be able to come up with the most optimal solution to a problem or an issue. Subordinate Ability Apart from self-development, the transformational leader must also be wary of his subordinates’ abilities in carrying out his plan for change or transformation. According to House’s (1971) path goal theory, a leader can adopt one of four behavioral leadership styles to handle each situation: instrumental, supportive, participative and achievement-oriented. The instrumental style calls for planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of employees. The supportive style leader shows concern for employees, the participative style leader shares information with employees and lets them participate in decision making, and the leader who uses the achievement oriented style sets challenging goals and rewards increases in performance. Each style will only work in certain situations and depends on subordinates’ abilities and the extent to which the task is structured. In general, the higher the level of subordinate ability, the less directive the leader should be. Likewise, the more structured the situation, the more directive the leader should be (Schriesheim & DeNisi, 1981). In conclusion, I feel that the transformational leadership framework is wanting of some considerations. Apart from just focusing on the leader himself, the plan should include a grave consideration of other important factors, such as his subordinates’ ability and the organizational climate in which the leader operates. My transformational leadership development plan, in summary, will equip me with the necessary technical and leadership competencies towards effectively taking on a management role, whilst seriously considering my subordinates’ abilities and the culture of the company I am working for. Ultimately, this will reflect in being able to lead and motivate a team – who in themselves are competent, goal-driven and are able to contribute to the organization’s bottomline. References Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavior change. Psych Rev . 1977;84:191–215. Bass, B. (1990). Bass & Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: theory, research and managerial   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   applications. New York: The Free Press. Blake, R. R., & Mouton, J. S. (1984). The managerial grid III. Houston: Gulf. Bond, G. E. (1995). Leadership behavior: How personality, stress, and gender affect leader behavior. University of Washington. Caldwell, D. F., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1982). Boundary spanning and individual performance: The impact of self-monitoring. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 124-127. Cohen, A R., & Bradford, D. L. (1990). Influence without authority. New York: John Wiley. Dansereau, F., Graen, G., & Haga, W. J. (1975). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within the formal organization. Unpublished report, State University of New York, Buffalo. Deming, W. E. , (1992) Leadership, Four Day Seminar – Charlotte, NC, October 27 – 30. Development Dimensions International. (2005). DDI’s leadership beliefs. Retrieved on December 17, 2006 from www.ddiworld.com. Fleishman, E. A., Harris, E. F., & Burtt, H. E. (1955). Leadership and supervision in industry. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. Geier, J. G., Downey, D. E., & Johnson, J. B. (1980). Climate impact profile. Minneapolis, MN: Performax Systems International. Gerstner, C. R, & Day, D. V. (1997). Meta-analytic review of leader-member exchange theory: Correlates and construct issues. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82(6), 827-844. Hartog, D. N., House, R.. J., Hanges, P. J., et al. (1999). Culture specific and cross-culturally generalizable implicit leadership theories: Are attributes of charismatic/ transformational leadership universally endorsed? Leadership Quarterly, 10(2), 219-256. House, R. J. (1971). A path-goal theory of leader effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, 9, 321-332. McClelland, D. & Boyatzis, R. E. (1982). Leadership motive pattern and long-term success in management. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 737-743. McClelland, D. & Burnham, D. H. (1976). Power is the great motivator. Harvard Business Review, 54(2), 102-104. McGregor, D. (1960). The human side of enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill. Philbrick, K. D. (1989). The use of humor and effective leadership styles. University of Florida. Schriesheim, C. A., & DeNisi, A. S. (1981). Task dimensions as moderators of the effects of instrumental leadership: A two-sample replicated test of path-goal leadership theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 589-597. Tichy, Noel and M.A. Devanna (1986). The Transformational Leader, John Wiley and Sons. Werner, W. (2004). The importance of mentoring. Law Practice Today. Retrieved on December 17, 2006 from http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/mgt07041.html Yukl, G. (1989). Managerial leadership: A review of theory and research. Journal of Management, 15(2), 251 – 289. Zaccaro, S. J., Foti, R. J., & Kenny, D. A (1991). Self-monitoring and trait-based variance in leadership: An investigation of leader flexibility across multiple group situations. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(2), 308-315.

Through the Looking Glass

Through the Looking Glass Summary of the Class Readings The first article â€Å"Through the Looking Glass† supports the use of effective communication after a crisis. The SCCT model offers useful guidelines that can manage the manner in which different organizations respond to crises. According to this article, the diminish strategy can minimize an organization’s association with different crises.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on â€Å"Through the Looking Glass† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The findings indicate how Red Cross fails to assume responsibility for different crises. The second article â€Å"Compassion without Blame† examines how ValuJet responded after one of its planes crashed. ValuJet decided to use several mortification strategies after Flight 592 crashed. The company â€Å"also used new strategies such as nonexistence, suffering, ingratiation, and distance† (Englehardt, Sallot, Springston, 2004, p. 149). This approach resulted in detrimental results. The targeted accident was human-induced thus resulting in many deaths. The article explains why it was appropriate for the company to use mortification strategies in order to maximize its concern for the community. The approach would have repaired the firm’s image. The article recommends the use of â€Å"Compassion Without Blame† strategy in order to produce the best image. ValuJet should have also established the best PR strategies in order to restore its image.  The article â€Å"Crisis Communication, Image Restoration, and Battling Stereotypes of Terror and Wars† explores the issues facing many countries in the Middle East. The region â€Å"experiences constant coverage of terror attacks, conflicts, and wars† (Avraham, 2013, p. 1354). According to the author, the multi-step model can alter place image. Many countries in the Middle East use â€Å"three strategies (message, sou rce, and audience) to deal with wars, crises, and stereotypes of terrorism† (Avraham, 2013, p. 1354). This discussion explains why the Middle East should adopt a powerful branding tool. The fourth article â€Å"Blowout!: Firestone’s Image Restoration Campaign† explores how concealment of incriminating evidence and denial occur after every wrongful event.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Firestone used such responses after producing defective tires. Such tires caused numerous injuries and deaths. The company was driven by corporate greed. This case study explains why a corrective action could have produced the best results. The authors also examine how mixed strategies such as corrective action and mortification could have produced the best results. Significance and Implication to Strategic Communication The first article supports the use of the diminish strategy in order to ameliorate the targeted crisis. This strategy can therefore help many organizations to deal with every crisis. An â€Å"informed approach should therefore depend on the best public relations (PR) theory† (Sisco, Collins, Zoch, 2010, p. 27). The Role of Apologia can also produce the best results instead of avoiding responsibility. The second article recommends the use of â€Å"Compassion Without Blame† strategy in order to produce the best image after a crisis. This approach can also bolster a company’s communication approach whenever there is a crisis. These two articles encourage entrepreneurs and organizations to respond to different crises.  The third article supports the use of appropriate marketing initiatives, campaigns, and PR strategies. Such approaches can restore the image of the targeted region.   New media campaigns and appropriate marketing officials can also promote the best PR practices. This approach can deal with negative situations and events characterizing a specific region. The article supports the use of a corrective action in order to produce the best communication outcomes (Blaney, Benoit, Brazeal, 2002). Companies can therefore use the above models in order to support their strategic communication approaches. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles The first article begins by examining the aspects of the SCCT model. This understanding makes it easier for the reader to identify the effectiveness of the diminish strategy. The authors have also used the best research approach. The authors have used three approaches to explore the models used by the American Red Cross. However, the article lacks sufficient examples and quality sources to support the arguments. The second article combines different models that can support a firm’s public image. The authors present a powerful model to explore how different organizations can deal with certain crises.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on â€Å"Through the Looking Glass† specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These ideas can support the goals of different companies. The â€Å"Compassion Without Blame† approach is also applicable in other industries. The study approach presents quality ideas to the reader (Englehardt et al., 2004).  The third article identifies unique branding strategies that have supported the image of the Middle East. The article examines how the multi-step model can deal with such challenges (Avraham, 2013). However, the article fails to offer a powerful PR approach that can produce the best outcomes. The article on Firestone identifies the major mistakes committed by different companies. The article uses an appropriate methodology and discussions to discourage companies from shifting blames. A corrective approach can produce better results. A combined strategy will also improve the image of ever y company. The main weakness associated with the article is the absence of quality or recent sources. Agreements and Disagreements These articles present powerful arguments that can make different firms successful. The authors of the articles also support the importance of crisis communication and management in every organization. This approach â€Å"can support the goals of both for profit and not for profit organizations† (Sisco et al., 2010, p. 25). Most of the concepts presented in these articles can transform many companies. The articles support the importance of Public Relations (PR) in every firm. Societies and companies should use the best models to address every crisis. Reference List Avraham, E. (2013). Crisis Communication, Image Restoration, and Battling Stereotypes of Terror and Wars: Media Strategies for Attracting Tourism to Middle Eastern Countries. American Behavioral Scientist, 57(9), 1350-1367. Blaney, J., Benoit, W., Brazeal, L. (2002). Blowout!: Fireston e’s Image Restoration Campaign. Public Relations Review, 28(1), 379-392.Advertising Looking for critical writing on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Englehardt, K., Sallot, L., Springston, J. (2004). Compassion Without Blame: Testing the Accident Decision Flow Chart With the Crash of ValuJet Flight 592. Journal of Public Relations Research, 16(2), 127-156. Sisco, H., Collins, E., Zoch, L. (2010). Through the looking glass: A decade of Red Cross crisis response a situational crisis communication theory. Public Relations Review, 36(1), 21-27.

Free Essays on Where The Wild Roses Grow ~ NickCave

and symbolicall... Free Essays on Where The Wild Roses Grow ~ NickCave Free Essays on Where The Wild Roses Grow ~ NickCave â€Å"Where the Wild Roses Grow† by Nick Cave is a tragic tale of ill-fated love. Nick Cave uses a variety of literary elements such as foreshadowing, symbols and mood to strengthen and deepen the effect of his poem. The tale of Elisa Day’s first and her last love takes place over a period of three days. From the moment he walked in her door she was captured by his charm and trustworthy personality: â€Å"When he knocked on my door and entered the room/ My trembling subsided in his sure embrace/ He would be my first man.† The man appears to be drawn to her at first sight: â€Å"From the first day I saw her I knew she was the one/ As she stared into my eyes and smiled.† On the second day their feelings toward each other become more apparent. â€Å"On the second day I brought her a flower/She was more beautiful than any woman I’d seen.† The man notices Elisa’s exceptional beauty and seems to desire it, but it is still unclear what his intentions are. Elisa on the other hand sees the man with adoring eyes and wants to be with him and to be comforted by his tender embrace: â€Å"I nodded my head as I lay on the bed.† On the third and final day after E lisa accepts her love’s offer to take away all of her pain he takes her to where the wild roses grow. There on the banks where the wild roses grow the man murders Elisa merely muttering â€Å"All beauty must die.† Elisa is referred to as â€Å"the Wild Rose† throughout the poem, symbolizing that she is willful and not refined. The man often connects Elisa to a rose especially in beauty: â€Å"For her lips were the colour of the roses.† The final connection he makes is placing a rose between her teeth after killing her down by the river where the wild roses grow. At first the man is charming and seems very reliable and in love with Elisa: â€Å"Do you know where the wild roses grow/ So sweet and scarlet and free?† The use of the word scarlet deepens the meaning of his words and symbolicall...

The Truth Behind the Alien Reptile Hoax

The Truth Behind the Alien Reptile Hoax In 1990, a former British soccer player named David Icke began sharing his psychic visions with the world. According to Icke, our planet is secretly being controlled by a race of humanoid reptiles from the Alpha Draconis star system, 300 light years away. Not only do these reptoids or reptilians live underground beneath the earths major cities, Icke contends, but they drink human blood and have the ability to shape-shift. Sadly, most of the worlds leaders have already been co-opted by these evil reptiles; Icke and his followers believe that former president George W. Bush and Queen Elizabeth II are both reptoids in disguise. Of course, Icke isnt the first person in history to ascribe supernatural powers to reptiles. Snake- and crocodile-like gods are common in ancient mythology, and there were some notable pop-culture reptilian references that preceded Icke (and may, in fact, have directly influenced his philosophy). In 1983, the hugely successful TV miniseries V featured an invasion by conniving alien reptiles disguised as humanoids. After Icke appeared on the scene, the most famous fictional reptilian is arguably the snake-like Voldemort from the Harry Potter books; however, theres no evidence that J.K. Rowling even knows who David Icke is. Are Reptoids Really Intelligent Dinosaurs? Its unclear whether or not Icke believes that his alien reptoids descended from, or were somehow responsible for, the dinosaurs that roamed the earth until 65 million years ago. However, bizarre conspiracy theories have a way of rapidly mutating, and the Icke cult has spawned a subset of enthusiasts who believe that dinosaurs didnt, in fact, go extinct, but evolved into super-intelligent reptoids- so super-intelligent, in fact, that theyve managed to evade detection to this day, except (perhaps) by ex-footballers prone to psychic visions. These conspiracy theorists have received an unintentional boost from North Carolina State paleontologist Dale Russell, who in 1982 published a paper speculating about what might have become of the dinosaur Troodon had the K/T Extinction not happened. Since Troodon was an uncommonly intelligent dinosaur, Russell surmised, its uninterrupted evolutionary arc might have resulted, tens of millions of years later, in a race of super-intelligent, humanoid reptilians. One common attribute of conspiracy theorists (not to mention religious fundamentalists and disbelievers in the theory of evolution) is to take the speculations of reputable scientists as established, carved-in-stone fact. Today, most adherents of the reptoid cult cite Russells paper as proving the existence of humanoid reptiles, and many uninformed readers have helped spread the word. Russell himself, of course, meant no such thing, and is doubtless embarrassed by the cult he unintentionally fueled with his research. Are Humanoid Reptiles a Scientific Possibility? Despite what Icke and other conspiracy theorists claim, theres absolutely no proof that a race of super-intelligent reptoids (or Martians, or swamp monsters) lurk beneath the sewers of Paris, New York, and Beijing. There is also no evidence that the earth has ever been visited by flying saucers or that reptilian aliens have tinkered with human DNA, or that Queen Elizabeth II is a lizard in disguise (though some Icke cultists claim to have seen a second eyelid flickering across her pupils, if you look really closely at slowed-down news footage). But is it possible that an isolated population of meat-eating dinosaurs (Troodon, or some other genus) managed to survive the K/T Extinction, and persist to this day on some remote island or in the middle of a dense rain forest? The odds are vanishingly small, but not zero. However, the chances are even more remote for a scenario in which these dinosaurs have evolved into super-intelligent beings, which would require (among other things) a huge increase in their population, making detection by (and competition with) contemporary human beings a certainty. The fact is that reptoids, reptilians, or whatever you want to call them simply dont exist, despite what David Icke and his followers claim.

What are the specific laws concerning Property Rights and Car Parking Essay

What are the specific laws concerning Property Rights and Car Parking in the UK - Essay Example All those who share common interests in the shared property should be aware there are three different types of 'free hold titles'. The first being a "fee simple free-hold title" simply stating what the complete interest in regards to the specific real estate can be. If said clients have a fee-simple free-hold title' then it entitles them to "unrestricted enjoyment of the property (subject to any relevant laws) including the right to dispose of property in any manner they see fit. This is also known as fee-simple absolution" http://www.consumerbuild.org. If residents possess a 'free-title life estate' then their rights will be limited in regards to the proposed property due to the understanding that they would not be the sole owner but considered a beneficiary instead. Finally, we come to the final type of 'free-hold title' which is "free-hold title stratum estate". It would seem that the developers of Rural Retreats and the investors deeds are similarly related in some respects to th is lease amend even though they have actual titles of ownership. What makes them similar is the fact that stratum estate, "records ownership of common property. The owners, (being the realtors and investors) s hare ownership of the common property. The owners become shareholders in the main property holding company that manages common areas such as; a garden, pool, garage, parking space, lifts and laundries." http://www.consumerbuild.org. For Rural Retreats and the purchaser's of the development, their common property shared would be, "Easy Access". They have the right to even sell or lease out their percentage in the parking area otherwise known as, "Easy Access". Although the homeowners and Rural Retreats have individually acquired these titles, they will not protect them from any problems arising out of "Easy Access", due to the fact that the register didn't implement any statute of ownership in the title for the parking area itself. There are ways around this though and they are legal and very easily taken care of. If Rural Retreats and the owners where to leave the present situation this way they would have no protection for themselves, in other words there is no proof of ownership in reality. Title insurance is available for any said property not disclosed in the title registry. Having the insurance will offer the protection needed to insure the owner's interests in the property from being encroached upon under differing and abnormal circumstances "The coverage is for as long as you own the land and it's a 'no fault' insurance so it is not necessary to prove intent or negligence by another party" http://www.consumer.org . Furthermore, after researching this problem more thoroughly for Rural Estates' and the various purchaser's involved, they all need to be completely clear to the fact that although they each share a free title to their share of said property; it is in a restricted way. The title restriction they all face is a "covenant" type one. This is due to the fact they all share sections of the same property and in regards to that there might be instances w here they cross over on one another's private sections of property. Also, the "covenant" seems to be a restrictive one in the fact that at the initial drawing up of the titles' it was implemented that "a prohibition against using the land for commercial purposes or further building" would not be tolerated. The property would remain exactly as it claims to be, 'a parking area for the residents of Rural Retreats' titled, "Easy Access". http://www.propertyworldme.com. Another detail that Rural Estate realtors and investors need to recognize

Superannuation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Superannuation - Assignment Example Adam can use this option to increase his superannuation with $90,000 more dollars so as to make the total amount of his superannuation funds to be $540,000. This option is only allowed for persons who are below fifty five years of age and Adam is eligible as he is fifty three years old. Employers are required to contribute 9.5% of their workers earnings to their superannuation funds. Adam’s is earning $35,000 and thus his employer is required to pay $3,325 towards Adam’ superannuation fund. The Low Income Superannuation Contribution refund is applicable to Adam because he earns less than $37,000. This scheme is applicable to people who whose superannuation contribution is made by their employers and those that earn less thus $37,000. Adam meet these two requirements thus he is eligible for the scheme. The amount in dollars that will actually be invested in Adam’s superannuation fund is $3,325. This is because the Low Income Superannuation Contribution refund is a refund of the concessional tax levied on employer’s contribution. Thus considering this scheme, the total amount of employer’s contribution will be invested in Adam’s superannuation fund. Benjamin should consider making personal contributions of $180,000 to his superannuation fund. Then if he is employed his employer will pay for his contributions where he will be eligible for the Low Income Superannuation refund thus the total employer’s contribution will be invested in his fund. The requirements in a SMSF investments strategy are; considering business risks, the investment must give adequate gains to the fund members, the investments must be diversified sufficiently, the needs, employment and income needs of the members must be met by the investment and finally the fund has to be able to sustain the investment as well as pay member benefits. The considerations that have to be made while making an SMSF investment are majorly

Taxation essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Taxation - Essay Example In recent time different type of taxation function differently and it explain their reason for resource allocation, income distribution and aggregate demand in the economy. According to Modern Monetary Theory, taxation is a necessary tool used in controlling the amount of money in the economy. Taxation ensured that government spending is done while checking on the increase in inflation. Government spending increases the supply of money and boosts the countries spending in the short run. Taxations of the spending ensure that it reduces the supply of money and thus reduces inflations in the long run. Through taxation the governments ‘does eat the cake and have it.’ Public expenditure ensures people are provided the necessary services and at the same time government collect revenue out of money paid in completion of its projects. All forms of taxations are believed to have an impact on the allocation of resources with except of poll tax. Taxation changes the relative prices of goods and services making both producers and consumers adjust accordingly whenever there are changes in taxations (The principles of Taxation). Therefore, government taxes producers in specific economic sectors to discourage the inefficiency. For example, the increase in alcohol beverages taxation is ensured to discourage on the consumption of alcohol in the economy. According to the U.K government, the consumption of alcohol reduces the productivity of the people which in turn reduces the countries incomes. In an economy, there are public and private goods. Moreover, the production of these goods results to production of externalities as byproducts. The production process can produce negative and positive externality, and it is the function of government to control on the production of the negative externality. This reason gives the government power to use the power of taxation to minimize or remedies the

BABSMD Medicine Program Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BABSMD Medicine Program - Personal Statement Example And I will be cheating myself, if I prefer to choose some simpler programs, thus depriving myself from taking up the challenge. Finally, another good reason for me to opt for this program is my belief in my capabilities. It won't be an exaggeration if I say that I am talented enough to succeed in this profession. For example, my SAT's will help in proving my assertions. I received a 2210 on my SAT. On my SAT-II I received a 750 in Chemistry, 750 in Biology, 760 in Physics, 800 in Math II and 800 in foreign language. I have taken 5 AP exams and 3 other APs this school year. My GPA was 4.0, with a top 10% ranking in the most competitive school in New York City. I have been named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship as well. I had a dream to be a doctor since I was very young. When I was about four years old, I often insisted on accompanying my mother to her ward-round during the weekends or holidays, who was an attending oncologist in one of the best cancer centers in China. I was curious about why there were so many cancer patients over there. I was told that many types of cancers could be prevented if we quit smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and stop eating unhealthy food, etc.

How (knowledge workers) influences HRM in organizations today Assignment

How (knowledge workers) influences HRM in organizations today - Assignment Example Knowledge workers have been identified with speeding up and influencing the creation and transfer of knowledge leading to the good performance of the organizations. These individuals extensively employ their intellectual abilities and skills; have high degrees of creativity as well as problem solving capabilities as a result of their strong experience and wide knowledge base. As such they are very important organizational assets given that organizations rely heavily on strong knowledge and skills to gain a competitive edge. Knowledge workers contribute to the organizations’ innovation; the information product and service innovation. Those businesses with competent knowledge workers posses a competitive edge in terms of ability to manage knowledge and management has to do everything to improve and retain these knowledge workers (Rasoli, Mooghali, Mousavi and Rashidi, 2013). Knowledge workers present the human resource management in today’s organizations with a number of dilemmas. Organizations have to consider their employability and retention, focus on their development and ensure their personal identification with the business. Their demand is high in the particular industry because of their wealth of knowledge valuable to organizational success. Human resource teams can deal with dilemmas presented by knowledge workers through specific strategic HR practices. These include continued development and training of these workers as well as remunerating at rates commensurate with the responsibilities assigned to the workers. Human resource professionals can also manage these workers effectively by recognizing, rewarding and compensating for their extensive application of knowledge to organizational success. In conclusion therefore knowledge workers are influencing human resource management in today’s organizations in very significant manner. Knowledge, talent, experience and skills

BABSMD Medicine Program Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BABSMD Medicine Program - Personal Statement Example And I will be cheating myself, if I prefer to choose some simpler programs, thus depriving myself from taking up the challenge. Finally, another good reason for me to opt for this program is my belief in my capabilities. It won't be an exaggeration if I say that I am talented enough to succeed in this profession. For example, my SAT's will help in proving my assertions. I received a 2210 on my SAT. On my SAT-II I received a 750 in Chemistry, 750 in Biology, 760 in Physics, 800 in Math II and 800 in foreign language. I have taken 5 AP exams and 3 other APs this school year. My GPA was 4.0, with a top 10% ranking in the most competitive school in New York City. I have been named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship as well. I had a dream to be a doctor since I was very young. When I was about four years old, I often insisted on accompanying my mother to her ward-round during the weekends or holidays, who was an attending oncologist in one of the best cancer centers in China. I was curious about why there were so many cancer patients over there. I was told that many types of cancers could be prevented if we quit smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and stop eating unhealthy food, etc.

The Concept of Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization Essay - 1

The Concept of Bureaucracy as an Effective System of Organization - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that various descriptions and concepts have been developed regarding bureaucracy. From the definition, bureaucracy can be described as a management system intended to handle the affairs of the state and organize the relationship between the state and the citizens. Max Weber, a sociologist, described bureaucracy extensively, and his ideas are more or less acceptable. Some of his works include the Rational Efficient Organization. While political scientists describe bureaucracy as state administration, the economists use the term in describing the non-market organizations. Â  To some extent, most organizations have been bureaucratized. Our mechanistic thinking mode has shaped the basic concepts of what entails a good organization. Such thinking has played a major role in defining how an organization defines its responsibilities and accountability involved. According to theorists, institutions, and organizations, bureaucracy can adversely affe ct strategies regarding the way through which they want to achieve their objectives. However, at times, those organizations and institutions may tend to disagree on how to shape and reshape their interests and goals. From an organizational perspective, institutions and organizations can easily endow the individual actors with interests and goals on condition that some specific features of an organization remain in place. Bureaucracy gives bosses control over their subordinates and subordinates should, in turn, follow the instructions. As a result, subordination and control form the major section of a bureaucratic system to form the organizing principles guiding decisions, directing actions and determining the outcomes. Each employee should follow the instructions given to them by their seniors. Research shows that bureaucratic practices create in peoples’ mind lack of curiosity, making them function only within some limits based on set rules and regulations. The bureaucratic mind will, therefore, being in control, use the authority to control reformation ability of the system. In such a system, no person has the power of initiating any changes or proposing drastic changes that can disrupt prevailing peace and order.

Treatment of People with Developmental Disabilities Essay Example for Free

Treatment of People with Developmental Disabilities Essay Throughout history people with developmental disabilities were treated as defective or somewhat less than human.   They were placed in institutions and often forgotten, drugged or tortured simply because they were misunderstood.   Jean-Marc Itard began working with people in France in the early eighteen hundreds in a first attempt to train developmentally disabled people.   He later moved to the United States and continued his studies and practice.   The first asylum to treat people with disabilities was opened in 1851. (History 6) The purpose of the asylum was to protect the people from the harshness of society and to educate the people with disabilities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The beginning of the 1900’s consisted of a change to an attempt to protect society from the disabled people by putting them all in institutions.   In the first half of the nineteen hundreds the number of institutions and the number of people in them grew significantly.   The general public treated disabled people as deviants and people that should not be allowed to live among other people (Minnesota, part D).   In 1924 a law was passed that allowed sterilization of people deemed as â€Å"feebleminded†.   This population included epileptics and alcoholics (Longmore 1). By passing this law, the nation demonstrated it was not yet ready to fully accept people with developmental disabilities. Between 1925 and 1950, people began to realize again that the developmentally disabled were harmless to society and were best if they were trained.   This did not keep people from placing their disabled children in institutions or keep doctors from recommending that parents place their children in institutions.   Once a child was diagnosed with a disability, the child was often placed in an already over crowded institution where he was essentially forgotten.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Towards the end of the 1950’s and early 1960’s the views towards disabled people changed again.   When John Kennedy became president he and his sister chose to spend time helping people with disabilities live more productive lives (National 1).   During this time the trend began to change to respecting them and keeping people at home if possible.   From that time, research has gradually increased to study the causes of developmental disabilities to greatly reduce the number of people born with them and when possible reduce the severity of the effects. Because of this the number of yearly cases of people born with severe disabilities has been greatly reduced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the later half of the nineteen hundreds to the present, the trend has moved towards encouraging people to keep their disabled children at home when possible and to educate the children along with average children.   This method helps average children be more respectful of children with disabilities and helps the children with disabilities develop skills more quickly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For many years people with disabilities were treated as less than human and often became the subjects of traveling shows carnival attractions.   When not in shows, they were kept in institutions, where people could pretend they did not exist.   Fortunately in the last fifty years, the public no longer fears disability and are not only more accepting, but willing to assist them.   Society has come a long way towards accepting those who are different, but progress continues and needs to continue to be made. Works Cited: â€Å"A Short History of treatment for People with Mental Retardation†. 11 February 2008 http://www.ahrcnyc.org/pdf/chapter1_history.PDF Longmore, Paul. â€Å"Disability History Timeline† 2002. Rehabilitation Research and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training Center on Independent Living Management. 11 February 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://isc.temple.edu/neighbor/ds/disabilityrightstimeline.htm National Institute of Child Health and Development. 8 September 2007.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   11 February 2008 Establishment and history â€Å"Parallels in Time† 2007. Minnesota’s Governor’s Council. 11 February 2008 Parallels In Time: A History of Developmental Disabilities

Psychosocial development of children

Psychosocial development of children 1.1 Introduction The influence of the media on the psychosocial development of children is profound. Thus, it is important for physicians to discuss with parents their childs exposure to media and to provide guidance on age-appropriate use of all media, including television, radio, music, video games and the Internet. In a matter of seconds, most children can mimic a movie or TV character, sing an advertising jingle, or give other examples of what they have learned from media. Sadly, these examples may include naming a popular brand of beer, striking a sexy pose, or play fighting. Children only have to put a movie into the VCR, open a magazine, click on a Web site, or watch TV to experience all kinds of messages. It really is that easy. Media offer entertainment, culture, news, sports, and education. They are an important part of our lives and have much to teach. But some of what they teach may not be what we want children to learn. This report gives an overview of some of the messages media send young people that could be negative or harmful to their health. You will learn how you can teach your children to better understand the media messages they see and hear in print, over airwaves, on networks, and on-line. The objectives of this study are to explore the beneficial and harmful effects of media on childrens mental and physical health, and to identify how physicians can counsel patients and their families and promote the healthy use of the media in their communities. Effects of media is categorise as 1)internet 2)music video 3)video games 4)television 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM What would be the possible impact of media on youth due to the increasing trend of violence, sexual abuses, nutritional disorders, less reading habits and useless long hours television viewing? 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The objective of the study was to measure the impact of media on children and youth in Peshawar region in year 2008. In this report I try to find out that how television is affecting our young generation and what are the pros and cons of watching the television. 1.4 LITERATURE SURVEY The literature survey has been structured as follow: First impact of different media on youth and children were discussed. Then the impact of television on youth and children were discussed. 1.4.1. Impact of Different Media on Youth According to Canadian pediatric society (PP 2003-01). â€Å"The impact of media use on children and youth has a severe impact on children lives. In a research carried out by media awareness network (USA) Media exert a significant displacement effect 2 to 3hours per day spent watching television or playing video games means less physical activity, reading, and interaction with friends but such data do not speak to cause-and-effect concerns. Likewise, content analyses can only demonstrate what the average child or adolescent will view. Even so, such analyses are disturbing when they reveal what the average American child or teenager is exposed to annually. Now how can you guide youre childs television viewing? The government, in cooperation with the television industry, has implemented a rating system for television programming. This system is to help guide parents and assist them in establishing guidelines for their childrens TV viewing. However, the American Psychological Association Help Center reminds us that television networks rate their own programs, unlike the motion picture association. In 1996, the Telecommunications Act was passed in an attempt to help parents restrict the viewing habits of their children. The Act specifies that all television sets sold in the United States must contain a programmable v-chip. Mark Nadel, an attorney specializing in communication law and policy, explains that this will allow parents to block undesirable programming. Even with the rating system and the v-chip in place, parents still need to take an active interest in what their children are watching on television. Here are some suggestions from the Department of Education Set Limits. Know how much TV your child is watching. Set some basic rules such as no television before homework or chores are done or during meals. Participate. Watch TV with your child and discuss the program. Ask them questions and express your views. This will also let you know what your children are watching. Monitor. Avoid shows, movies, or video games that have violent or sexual content. Encourage children to watch programs about characters who show cooperation and caring. Analyze Commercials. Help children to critically evaluate advertisements. Be a Good Role Model. This suggestion comes from the Parents as Teachers National Center. Because children model behavior, set a good example with your own television viewing habits. Avoid watching programs containing adult content when your child is in the room or nearby. The power of media messages Sometimes you can see the impact of media right away, such as when your child watches superheroes fighting and then copies their moves during play. But most of the time the impact is not so immediate or obvious. It occurs slowly as children see and hear certain messages over and over, such as the following: Fighting and other violence used as a way to handle conflict Cigarettes and alcohol shown as cool and attractive, not unhealthy and deadly Sexual action with no negative results, such as disease or unintended pregnancy Further the power of the media and its effects can be seen as: Music Videos Music videos may have a significant behavioral impact by desensitizing viewers to violence and making teenagers more likely to approve of premarital sex (American academy of pediatrics community of music and videos). Up to 75% of videos contains sexually explicit material (American academy of pediatrics community of music and videos), and more than half contains violence that is often committed against women. Women are portrayed frequently in a condescending manner that affects childrens attitudes about sex roles. Attractive role models are the aggressors in more than 80% of music video violence. Males are more than three times as likely to be the aggressors; blacks were overrepresented and whites underrepresented. Music videos may reinforce false stereotypes. A detailed analysis of music videos raised concerns about its effects on adolescents normative expectations about conflict resolution; race and male-female relationships (Rich M). Music lyrics have become increasingly explicit, particularly with references to sex, drugs and violence. Research linking a cause-and-effect relationship between explicit lyrics and adverse behavioral effects is still in progress at this time. Meanwhile, the potential negative impact of explicit music lyrics should put parents and pediatricians on guard pediatricians should bring this up in anticipatory guidance discussions with teenagers and their parents. At the very least, parents should take an active role in monitoring the music their children are exposed Video Games Some video games may help the development of fine motor skills and coordination, but many of the concerns about the negative effects of television (e.g., inactivity, asocial behavior and violence) also apply to excessive exposure to video games. Violent video games should be discouraged because they have harmful effects on childrens mental development (Thompson KM). Parents should be advised to familiarize themselves with various rating systems for video games and use this knowledge to make their decisions. The effect of violent video games on children has been a public health concern for many years. No quantitative analysis of video game contents for games rated as suitable for all audiences were made until 2001 (Thompson KM). The study concluded that many video games rated as suitable for all audiences contained significant amounts of violence (64% contained intentional violence and 60% rewarded players for injuring a character). Therefore, current ratings of video games leave much room for improvement (Walls D) Internet Parents may feel outsmarted or overwhelmed by their childrens computer and Internet abilities, or they may not appreciate that the ‘new medium is an essential component of the new literacy, something in which their children need to be fluent. These feelings of inadequacy or confusion should not prevent them from discovering the Internets benefits. The dangers inherent in this relatively uncontrolled ‘wired world are many and varied, but often hidden. These dangers must be unmasked and a wise parent will learn how to protect their children by immersing themselves in the medium and taking advice from the many resources aimed at protecting children while allowing them to reap the rich benefits in a safe environment. The physician is in a good position to encourage parents and children to discover the Internet and to use it wisely. The Internet has a significant potential for providing children and youth with access to educational information, and can be compared with a huge home library. However, the lack of editorial standards limits the Internets credibility as a source of information. There are other concerns as well. The amount of time spent watching television and sitting in front of computers can affect a childs postural development (Salter RB). Excessive amounts of time at a computer can contribute to obesity, undeveloped social skills and a form of addictive behavior (Canadian Pediatrics society). Although rare, some children with seizure disorders are more prone to attacks brought on by a flickering television or computer screen. No data suggest that television viewing cause weakness of the eyes. It may be different when a child is closely exposed to a computer screen for long periods, although there are no definitive references to support this. Other concerns include pedophiles that use the Internet to lure young people into relationships. There is also the potential for children to be exposed to pornographic material. Parents can use technology that blocks access to pornography and sex talk on the Internet, but must be aware that this technology does not replace their supervision or guidance. 1.5 IMPACT OF TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT Television has the potential to generate both positive and negative effects, and many studies have looked at the impact of television on society, particularly on children and adolescents (Johnson JG). An individual childs developmental level is a critical factor in determining whether the medium will have positive or negative effects. Not all television programs are bad, but data showing the negative effects of exposure to violence, inappropriate sexuality and offensive language are convincing (American academy of pediatrics). Still, physicians need to advocate continued research into the negative and positive effects of media on children and adolescents Televisions Impact on Kids Television is one of the most prevalent media influences in kids lives. According to Kids Take on Media, a survey conducted in 2003 by the Canadian Teachers Federation, watching TV is a daily pastime for 75 percent of Canadian children, both boys and girls from Grade 3 to Grade 10. How much impact TV has on children depends on many factors: how much they watch, their age and personality, whether they watch alone or with adults, and whether their parents talk with them about what they see on TV. To minimize the potential negative effects of television, its important to understand what the impact of television can be on children. Below you will find information on some areas of concern. Family is the most important influence in a childs life, but television is not far behind. Television can inform, entertain and teach us. However, some of what TV teaches may not be what you want your child to learn. TV programs and commercials often show violence, alcohol or drug use and sexual content that are not suitable for children or teenagers. Studies show that TV viewing may lead to more aggressive behavior, less physical activity, altered body image, and increased use of drugs and alcohol. By knowing how television affects your children and by setting limits, you can help make your childs TV-watching experience less harmful, but still enjoyable. You may not realize it, but there are many ways that television affects your childs life. When your child sits down to watch TV, consider the following: Learning Television can be a powerful teacher (Wright JC). Watching Sesame Street is an example of how toddlers can learn valuable lessons about racial harmony, cooperation, kindness, simple arithmetic and the alphabet through an educational television format. Some public television programs stimulate visits to the zoo, libraries, bookstores, museums and other active recreational settings, and educational videos can certainly serve as powerful prosocial teaching devices. The educational value of Sesame Street has been shown to improve the reading and learning skills of its viewers (Huston AC). In some disadvantaged settings, healthy television habits may actually be a beneficial teaching tool (Wright JC). Still, watching television takes time away from reading and schoolwork. More recent and well-controlled studies show that even 1 h to 2 h of daily-unsupervised television viewing by school-aged children has a significant deleterious effect on academic performance, especially reading. Television affects how your child learns. High quality, nonviolent childrens shows can have a positive effect on learning. Studies show that preschool children who watch educational TV programs do better on reading and math tests than children who do not watch those programs. When used carefully, television can be a positive tool to help your child learn. For older children, high-quality TV programs can have benefits. However, for younger children its a very different story. The first two years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your childs brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults to develop good language and social skills. Learning to talk and play with others is far more important than watching television. Until more research is done about the effects of TV on very young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children younger than two years of age. For older children, the AAP recommends no more than one to two hours per day of quality screen time. Nutrition Studies show that children who watch too much television are more likely to be overweight. They do not spend as much time running, jumping and getting the exercise they need. They often snack while watching TV. They also see many commercials for unhealthy foods, such as candy, snacks, sugary cereals and drinks. Commercials almost never give information about the foods children should eat to keep healthy. As a result, children may persuade their parents to buy unhealthy foods. Because television takes time away from play and exercise activities, children who watch a lot of television are less physically fit and more likely to eat high fat and high energy snack foods (CPC). Television viewing makes a substantial contribution to obesity because prime time commercials promote unhealthy dietary practices (J.C). The fat content of advertised products exceeds the current average Canadian diet and nutritional recommendations, and most food advertising is for high calorie foods such as fast f oods, candy and presweetened cereals (J.C). Commercials for healthy food make up only 4% of the food advertisements shown during childrens viewing time (ditz WH). The number of hours of television viewing also corresponds with an increased relative risk of higher cholesterol levels in children (ditz WH). Television can also contribute to eating disorders in teenage girls, who may emulate the thin role models seen on television (ditz WH). Eating meals while watching television should be discouraged because it may lead to less meaningful communication and, arguably, poorer eating habits (Briggs). Sexuality Today, television has become a leading sex educator in Canada. Between 1976 and 1996, there has been a 270% increase in sexual interactions during the family hour of 2000 hours to 2100 hours (crespo CJ). Television exposes children to adult sexual behaviors in ways that portray these actions as normal and risk-free, sending the message that because these behaviors are frequent, ‘everybody does it. Sex between unmarried partners is shown 24 times more often than sex between spouses (AAP), while sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy are rarely mentioned. Teens rank the media as the leading source of information about sex, second only to school sex education programs. Numerous studies document adolescents susceptibility to the medias influence on their sexual attitudes, values and beliefs (brown JD). A detailed guide to responsible sexual content on television and in films and music can be found in other peer-reviewed publications (brown JD).  ­Some people believe that the media can influence sexual responsibility by promoting birth control, such as condom use. No current empirical evidence supports this concept; it is expected that the debate will continue. Alcohol and smoking Messages about tobacco and alcohol are everywhere in media. Kids see characters on screen smoking and drinking. They see signs for tobacco and alcohol products at concerts and sporting events. Advertising and movies send kids the message that smoking and drinking make a person sexy or cool and that everyone does it. Advertising also sways teens to smoke and drink. Teens who see a lot of ads for beer, wine, liquor, and cigarettes admit that it influences them to want to drink and smoke. It is not by chance that the three most advertised cigarette brands are also the most popular ones smoked by teens. Advertisers of tobacco and alcohol purposely leave out the negative information about their products. As a result, young people often do not know what the health risks are when they use these products. Sometimes TV broadcasts and print articles do the same thing. For example, a magazine might do a story about the common causes of cancer but not mention smoking as a top cause. Does your child know why? The answer may be that the magazine publisher takes money to publish tobacco ads or even owns another company that makes cigarettes. Canadas two largest breweries spend $200 million on advertising each year (McKenzie). On an annual basis, teenagers see between 1000 and 2000 beer commercials carrying the message that ‘real men drink beer. Convincing data suggest that advertising increases beer consumption (brown JD), and in countries such as Sweden, a ban on alcohol advertising has led to a decline in alcohol consumption (romelsjo). Tobacco products are not advertised directly on television in Canada. However, passive promotion occurs when, for example, a soap opera star light a cigarette in a ‘macho act, a Formula One race car has cigarette advertising on it or sporting events carry the names of tobacco companies. There is evidence that passive advertising, which glamorizes smoking has increased over the past few years. Television is not the only way that children learn about tobacco and alcohol use; the concern is that the consequences of these behaviors are not accurately depicted on television. One-half of the G-rated animated feature films available on videocassette, as well as many music videos, show alcohol and tobacco use as normative behaviors without conveying the long-term consequences of this use (Thomas K). Viewing habit Its easy to let your child fall into the TV trap. First you let him unwind with a cartoon after school. Then you let him keep the television on while you make dinner. Before you know it, he like the average American kid is watching four hours a day, well above the two-hour maximum limit recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. TV has a powerful hold on most school-age kids. It provides the effortless entertainment they crave. By this age, children can also have a measure of control over what they watch: Theyve mastered the remote, and their reading and time-telling skills help them figure out when their favorite programs are scheduled. Theyre also intensely curious, and TV is one way they learn about the world, says Jane Healy, PhD, author of Your Childs Growing Mind. But its imperative that parents set limits on both content and the amount of screen time. Heres why: Early grade-schoolers lack the ability to regulate their own viewing habits. And a child whos constantly glued to the set is missing out on the chance to exercise, socialize, study, and play. Numerous studies have shown that young kids who watch too much TV struggle with schoolwork and are more likely to behave aggressively and become overweight than those who dont. Want to curb your childs viewing habits? Here are seven strategies you may not have tried yet. Advertising Advertising can have positive effects on childrens behavior. For example, some alcohol manufacturers spend 10% of their budget on advertisements warning about the dangers of drinking and driving. In addition, although some health care professionals disagree about the health benefits of appropriate milk use, milk consumption has increased as a result of print and broadcast advertisements. The developmental stage of a child plays a role in the effect of commercials. Young children do not understand the concept of a sales pitch. They tend to believe what they are told and may even assume that they are deprived if they do not have advertised products. Most preschool children do not understand the difference between a program designed to entertain and a commercial designed to sell. A number of studies have documented that children under the age of eight years are developmentally unable to understand the difference between advertising and regular programming (Michael). The average child sees more than 20,000 commercials each year (AAP). More than 60% of commercials promote sugared cereals candy fatty foods and toys (AAP). Cartoon programs based on toy products are especially attractive. Advertisements targeting adolescents are profoundly influential, particularly on cigarette use (Strasburg VC). The question of whether children are more resilient to the influence of television is debated frequently. Most studies show that the more time children spend watching television, the more they are influenced by it (Strasburg VC). Earlier studies have shown that boys may be more susceptible than girls to television violence (Gould MS). Time Children in the United States watch about four hours of TV every day. Watching movies on tape or DVD and playing video games only adds to time spent in front of the TV screen. It may be tempting to use television, movies and video games to keep your child busy, but your child needs to spend as much time exploring and learning as possible. Playing, reading and spending time with friends and families is much healthier than sitting in front of a TV screen. Professional Wrestling In recent years, the entertainment industry saw the booming and revitalization of professional wrestling. Professional wrestling is so popular today that ABCs Monday Night Football and the NBA Playoffs were dominated in terms of ratings (Fennelly). Professional wrestling continuously tops the charts among cable programming. In spite of all this, what is happening to Americas youth? Vince McMahon, the chairman and owner of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), reports that 15% of his audience are 11 years old and under. Another 15% are between 12 and 17 years old. Adults from 18 years and older comprise the other 70% of the total viewers. McMahon notes his television shows are rated TV14 (McMahon). However, what happens to the 15%, or one million viewers of his audience who are 11 years old and under? Some people blame professional wrestling as the cause for an increase in violence among children. The two top organizations today are the WWF and its rival, World Championship Wrestling (WCW). WCW is a little more toned down than the WWF. In either case, violence is available to children across America every Monday night. In one episode of WCW, Macho Man Randy Savage attacked an opponent and his valets, Miss Madness and Gorgeous George, jumped off a turnbuckle onto his opponent and choked him out with a heel (Fennelly). Todays version of professional wrestling, WWF in particular, is more violent, sexual, and vulgar than ever before (Fennelly). Many pediatricians and parents argue that wrestling is teaching children at a young age everything that is bad in society. Is it acceptable to make racial stereotypes? Is it acceptable to make crude remarks? Is it acceptable to have children say, Kiss my ass or Suck it (Rosellini)? In a shocking study of 50 episodes done by an Indiana University-Inside Edition, there were 1,658 instances of grabbing or pointing to ones crotch, 157 instances of an obscene finger gesture, 128 episodes of simulated sexual activity, and 21 references to urination (Rosellini). In other episodes of the controversial wrestling shows, a mock crucifixion, SM scenes, wrestlers mooning others and a woman sucking on an Italian sausage was shown (Rosellini). Some of the characters depicted on WWF television advertise a type of message not meant for children. The character Val Venis, portrays a former film star that gyrates over opponents in the ring. (WWF Val Venis) Then, there is the Undertaker who portrays every bit of evil as a messenger of death. (WWF Undertaker) Val Venis friend is the Godfather who portrays a pimp. Before every match, a few hos (whores) accompany him to the ring. (WWF Godfather) Finally, there is Debra, who uses sex by stripping to her underwear on television to distract an opponent. Even more shocking is the way her breasts have come to be known as puppies (WWF Debra). Therefore, besides violence, kids are exposed to sex and death on television. In fact, Rena Mero, a former WWF employee, recently filed suit claiming that the WWF had become obscene and violent (USA Today Violence The amount of violence on television is on the rise . The average child sees 12,000 violent acts on television annually, including many depictions of murder and rape. More than 1000 studies confirm that exposure to heavy doses of television violence increases aggressive behavior, particularly in boys (AAP). Other studies link television or newspaper publicity of suicides to an increased suicide risk. The following groups of children may be more vulnerable to violence on television: Children from minority and immigrant groups; Emotionally disturbed children; Children with learning disabilities; Children who are abused by their parents; and Children in families in distress. Physicians who see a child with a history of aggressive behavior should inquire about the childs exposure to violence portrayed on television. Children learn their attitudes about violence at a very young age and these attitudes tend to last. Although TV violence has been studied the most, researchers are finding that violence in other media impacts children and teens in many of the same harmful ways. From media violence children learn to behave aggressively toward others. They are taught to use violence instead of self-control to take care of problems or conflicts. Violence in the media world may make children more accepting of real-world violence and less caring toward others. Children who see a lot of violence from movies, TV shows, or video games may become more fearful and look at the real world as a mean and scary place. Although the effects of media on children might not be apparent right away, children are being negatively affected. Sometimes children may not act out violently until their teen or young-adult year. Over the past two decades, hundreds of studies have examined how violent programming on TV affects children and young people. While a direct cause and effect link is difficult to establish, there is a growing consensus that some children may be vulnerable to violent images and messages. Researchers have identified three potential responses to media violence in children: Increased fear—also known as the mean and scary world syndrome Children, particularly girls, are much more likely than adults to be portrayed as victims of violence on TV, and this can make them more afraid of the world around them. Desensitization to real-life violence Some of the most violent TV shows are childrens cartoons, in which violence is portrayed as humorous—and realistic consequences of violence are seldom shown. This can be especially true of young children, who are more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior after viewing violent TV shows or movies. Parents should also pay close attention to what their children see in the news since studies have shown that kids are more afraid of violence in news coverage than in any other media content. Fear based on real news events increases as children get older and is better able to distinguish fantasy from reality The Research Center for Families and Children indicates that moderate television watching with discretion in program viewing can be somewhat beneficial for school age children. Van Evra is in agreement. Both indicate that those children who watched a moderate amount of TV performed better academically than those children who excessively watched television or those children who did not watch television at all. Research on media violence is often misunderstood by the general public. One reason has to do with research methodology. We cant randomly assign children early in their lives to watch different doses of violence on television and then 15 years later see which children committed violent crimes. But the same type of limitation also exists for medical research: We cant randomly assign groups of people to smoke differing amounts of cigarettes for 15 years, and then count the number of people who developed cancer. Tobacco researchers conduct correlational studies in which they look at the amount people have smoked during their lives and then chart the rate at which they have succumbed to cancer. They control statistically for other factors, of courseother healthy and unhealthy behaviors that either reduce or promote the tendency to develop cancer. Then they can find out whether smoking contributed to cancer, over and above these other influences. And since they cant do cancer experiments on people, they use animal studies. These are artificial, but they tell us something about the short-term effects of tobac