Assignments paper

In which development situations would it be unnecessary or even detrimental to define requirements? Some of non-functional requirements are not necessary for some development situation. Sometimes team has to develop some small functionality, for example some update or additional function, etc. In this case follow to all non-functional requirements bring excess price and time spending. Also when the team is building a system which is pre-existing and add on to that system.When user is enhancing or updating the system What are the most frequent types of requirement errors and why are they critical for the final product? ; Usually customers do not know what they exactly want ; Requirements alter during all project lifestyle ; Customers do not understand real timeliness ; Communication problem between customers, engineers and project managers ; Development teams do not understand customer company politics. All of these problems may result of wrong requirements gathering, of course it wil l be a result of serious errors in requirements. The errors are causes of extra costs or even a project failure.What are non-functional requirements and how do they relate to functional requirements? A non-functional requirement is a requirement that specifies criteria that can be used to Judge the operation of a system, rather than specific behaviors. This should be contrasted with functional requirements that define specific behavior or functions. Also Requirements that are not The plan for implementing non-functional requirements is detailed in the system architecture. (can use the table from text book page number 12) Reliability It indicates the quality It measures the number of errors or defects per thousand lines of code Defects /

An Indian Muslim Wife Essay

Religion plays an important part in family and society in most of the Muslim societies. Muslims and Christians are spread throughout the world and the puritanical Christian and Muslim wife based in the concepts of scriptures of both religions may be a part of the books only [Rashid, 2007]. Cultural influences, economic conditions and varying influence of religion in the society means that a Muslim wife of one society is not subject to the same kind cultural practices throughout the world. An Afghan or a Saudi Arabian woman is more likely to follow the local religious practices of modesty and veils, while most Muslim women in India only have to observe a modest dress code. The very traditional families or families of religious scholars may still observe the hijab, a dress similar to that worn by Catholic nuns [Women, Islam & Hijab, 2007]. For the information given here, I contacted a few of Indian women in my locality and they happened to be of Muslim religion and agreed to share their knowledge and experiences with me [Indian Muslim Wife, 2007]. The first thing one hears in these conversations is that ‘there is no such thing as a typical Indian Muslim or Hindu Wife’. The society in many of the developing countries has vast difference between the rich and the poor, and there is also a fast developing middle class. The very rich have become largely anglicized and the English medium public education under the Cambridge/Oxford based schooling system has given them the perception of family life very similar to that of a European or American family. A few characteristics common to all Indian Muslim families are importance of family life, providing protective environment for the children, fidelity in marriage and finding spouse of Muslim faith. The Muslim wife of a rich Indian family is well provided for. She is normally well educated and even if she is not involved in her own career or business, she has to accompany her husband to social parties; she does not drink even if the Muslim husband has given up practicing the prohibition imposed by religion. A Muslim Indian wife is expected to be faithful to her husband. The pressure of the society is such that even if men were to astray, the wife risks the risk of being ostracized if she indulges in any such activities. Indian Muslim families normally have to live in an extended family. Looking after the parents is responsibility of the male children of the family. It is almost given that she any Muslim woman will have her in-laws living in the same house. Depending on their nature, it may be blessing to share a house with in-laws as a number of women can go out more freely to pursue their career or to attend the social functions while the elder members of the family can look after the children. Most rich Indian Muslim women can hire servants and only have to supervise the household responsibilities. The middle class Muslim Indian wife has many more problems. The man is the breadwinner and the woman looks after the house, brings up the children, looks after the in-laws if they are old and infirm and makes ends meet in relatively moderate income. The Indian middle class society is rather conservative and the religious restriction placed on Muslim middle class women due to conservatism restricts the freedom of movement, ability to work, choice of professions for women in the middle class Muslim families is also limited. The traditional families prefer to keep the women at home or if they have to work professions such as teaching, medicine and assisting family members in their business are preferred. The poor Indian Muslim wife probably suffers the most. They are married off at an early age by marriages arranged by their parents. Low income of the family means that Indian Muslim wife from a poor family has to work hard often in poor paid jobs as domestic servant or on farms. The full day work, however does not reduce her responsibilities at home as she has to do all the household work, cooking cleaning, looking after the husband and children and in laws too. The poverty-stricken family has to stay in huts or semi constructed houses in shantytowns and suffers all the problems of poverty. The Muslim Indian women are brought up in traditional ways and given Islamic as well as normal education. Divorce rates among Muslims are very low. This may also be a result of the problems in the society. Divorce carries some stigma, the women are allowed to re-marry and the young divorcees normally do. The pressures on families are economic, social and emotional. Break-up of family deprives the woman of financial support, women if they do not re-marry are not free to socialize or date as openly as in Europe/America.

Rationale – I have decided to study the gender-oriented issue of conjugal roles in the family

I have decided to study the gender-oriented issue of conjugal roles in the family. This area of sociological interest came about when we looked at family life and the symmetrical family. Another reason for my interest in this is it is still an issue despite all the changes such as sex discrimination, and even though feminists have raised the issue it seems that there is still not equality in the allocation of domestic tasks between husband and wife. The Lancaster Regionalism Group found an increase in men's participation but not in the unpopular chores, while Alan Warde suggests that the nature of household tasks varied between couples. From this evidence I derived my hypothesis â€Å"Men do help around the home but do not make an equal contribution†. Primary research will be used and will take the form of a diary. For my variables my sample size will be ten married / cohabiting couples. Both male and female will be in full time employment aged between 30 to 40, as I have access to these respondents. They will be chosen using a snowballing method. A quantitative method will be used to measure the time spent on tasks around the home, and the nature of tasks performed. CONTEXT. The issue of the domestic division of labour was raised by feminists like Ann Oakley in her study â€Å"The sociology of Housework† in which she argued that housework should be taken seriously as a type of â€Å"work†. Other feminists have developed this theme and looked at ways in which women experience inequality in the home. My first source is drawn from the Lancaster Regionalism Group's investigation into the household division of labour in Northwest England in 1988. This concept â€Å"domestic division of labour† is crucial because it relates to my aim. The â€Å"domestic division of labour† describes the way in which household tasks are allocated in the home. These researchers found that husbands tend to do a very much larger proportion of tasks concerned with the home such as car maintenance etc. However the women do the vast amount of domestic chores. The Lancaster researchers examined the popularity of different household chores. They wanted to test whether the male or female partner was likely to get the unpopular job. From their list of 20 tasks ironing, washing clothes and dishes were chosen as the most disliked chores. Although men had last washed the dishes in 23% of households, only 5% had done the ironing and 3% had last cleaned the dishes. The least pleasant of all tasks cleaning the toilet was last done in 81% of households by women. The Lancaster Regionalism Group concluded that there was some evidence that attitudes had changed but the actual pattern of behaviour remains much the same as it was in the earlier generation. The Lancaster Regionalism Groups work links in with my own hypothesis because the study found an increase in men's participation but not in the unpopular chores. Secondly there is the feminist approach to the domestic division of labour. The feminist Ann Oakley argued that the social scientists who claimed it was natural for women to take a caring role in the family e.g. perform household tasks had been tricked by their own prejudices into assuming what it meant to be a woman. Some contemporary sociologists have taken Stoller's argument and suggest that women take on more domestic responsibilities in any given household because it is seen as culturally appropriate feminine behaviour. Therefore it is difficult to discover whether the sharing (or not) of domestic tasks can be seen as a true measure of â€Å"equality†. My third source is drawn from Gershunys study on domestic division of labour. He measured changes in the domestic division of labour by looking at the use of time in the household. He investigated the dual burden hypothesis, which states that even when women take up professional work, they continue to carry on the domestic work. Gershuny found that over the period of 1974-5 to 1987 the husbands of working women continued to do less than half the total paid and unpaid work done by their spouses. However in some types of household's men did contribute equally and husbands share of work had risen. This source is relevant to my hypothesis because the source concludes there is evidence to show that men were taking on more mundane tasks as done by women, but such tasks continued to be the female's responsibility. My next source is the article † Domestic divisions of labour† by Alan Warde.The source concerns the aspect of women's two roles, their conventional responsibility for housework and paid work. According to the study where wives are involved in paid employment they spend fewer hours, on housework where men seem to be doing more. Nevertheless, women still do a greater share of domestic work. There is a strong gender division of tasks, with women doing routine household jobs. The article concludes that the traditional patterns remain very much in evidence and the rate at which men are learning to do female tasks may be slower than that at which women are learning to do male tasks like plastering etc. This source is relevant to my study because selected tasks between husband and wife remain much the same, women doing more housework and men doing painting etc. My final source is once again on the domestic division of labour by Madeleine Leonard. The article suggests that housework remains women's work. Research shows that there is a clear gender division of labour in housework tasks just like the Lancashire Regionalism group found in their study. This source is relevant to my study because it suggests that even though men are making a contribution when it comes to chores they are still not doing an equal share. These studies suggest that, despite much greater equality for women there is still an imbalance of responsibility when it comes to household chores. However my own research may suggest otherwise. Methodology Three main areas need to be covered for this research. Firstly, there needs to be a way of measuring the amount of domestic labour performed by females and males in the present day family groups. I have decided to measure who does what around the home. Secondly I will be measuring the tasks done with others and the time spent on chores. The principal research method I will use will be a diary, as I believe this is a more original method for this research. Not only will this method give me a greater validity but also an insight into the issue. I also hope it will identify trends within my sample group about the amount of housework performed. Using the diary method will also enable me to replicate Wilmott and Youngs approach, as they too used a diary method in their study of the â€Å"symmetrical family† where they asked respondents to keep a diary detailing the hours spent on paid and unpaid work. My sample will consist of 10 couple's aged between 30 to 40 who are all employed. They will be chosen using the snowballing method. Using this method offers a wide range of advantages for example it will enable me to obtain a relevant sample without having a sampling frame. The diary method will involve asking my respondents to keep a strict diary recording and detailing the amount of domestic labour they performed throughout the day, as well tasks done alone and the time spent on chores. When using these method respondents would need to keep this diary for up to a week. The diary will offer the opportunity to let the respondents record their account of the domestic labour performed without causing any bias, and so it will be a more reliable source. An example of sociological research that has used a diary method is Wilmott and Young's study of the symmetrical family where they asked respondents to keep a diary detailing the hours spent on paid and unpaid work. Another study example where a diary method has been used is Ann Oakley's study on the sociology of housework. Oakley asked respondents to keep a housework diary, revealing for the feminist debate the hard work and long hours housework demands. The advantage of using the diary method is qualitative data can discover peoples meaning and interpretations and can often also be examined systematically to identify patterns by using content analysis. This approach is favoured because it is free of values and scientific. Another advantage of using the diary method is it is a more reliable source when it comes to ethical issues, as respondents will not be influenced when recording the amount of work performed & will not reveal aspects of their lives they wish to remain hidden. One of the other reasons why I decided to use the diary method is it does not limit the resource-based area of time and money. The diary method will enable me to collect informative, relevant and original data whilst remaining within practical constraints. The diary method reflects two major methodological disadvantages selectivity and it is typical. The selectivity issue is a problem because the respondent will decide what is included not me the researcher. This could lead to irrelevance and inaccuracy & a difficulty in comparing data from different respondents. However to over come this disadvantage I will divide the diary into three categories to specify what sort of things to include. However this solution may too be a disadvantage as I am using a qualitative method this may lead to bias because I am imposing a framework on the respondent. The second disadvantage is typical because I do not know the amount of confidence I can have in the usualness of the day recorded. Most people's lives follow regular patterns but if my diary period of ten days is untypical then my picture as the researcher will be distorted. EVIDENCE. Despite the progress made by women in the twentieth century, which has brought about a substantial amount of change and has put an end to inequality and discrimination between sexes in many areas, women have still not won the battle of equality between men when it comes to domestic work in the home. When talking about work, it can be assumed that this refers to paid employment. However there is one job which is performed full time by women more than men, which is housework or domestic labour. My research concludes that domestic work done by women is hardly ever recognised. For instance respondent A had done more hours of domestic work in a week compared to her husband respondent k (refer to appendix). From my diary I can estimate women spend an average of fifty hours a week on housework which is far more than most people spend in paid employment. Men seemed to be doing less than this amount of domestic work compared to their wives, in some days doing less than half what they consider to be housework or related tasks. I have found from my diaries that housework is still seen as the main responsibility of women even though both partners are working in full time paid employment. It is still women who take on the main responsibility for housework from all the ten couples who took part in my experiment. My findings show that women still have an unequal role with men in the homestead. Much of this inequality arises because the central role of women is still seen by a male dominated society as that of housewife and mother. For instance a similarity I found in my study was that nearly all the female respondents who took part carried out similar tasks over one week such as cleaning the toilet, cooking and hovering etc. Whereas the male respondents tasks where also similar for instance gardening and painting etc. This may suggest that many jobs are still seen as men's job and women's job. This compares with the Lancaster Regionalism Group's study. This study showed that 80%of women were responsible for general domestic duties such as cleaning the toilet and only 31% of men took full responsibility for work to be done in the homestead. This tells me about my aims that many full time working women have two jobs in comparison to the men's one job. My own findings reveal that although a wide range of jobs and opportunities are available to women the main role of a woman's life is expected to be that of housewife. Although out of the 10 couples who took part in my experiment only 2% shared the responsibility of housework equally. This compares with Gershuney's study because he found that in some types of households men did contribute equally. The only difference, which was clear in my study, was that attitudes to domestic chores are changing. Respondents k and L(refer to appendix) were doing tasks such as cooking, making the tea etc all tasks done by women out of the other couples who took part in my experiment. This for instance compares to Gershuney's study because he found men were taking on more mundane tasks as done by women. The process of conducting my research went well although I would make a number of changes if I were to carry the experiment out again. For instance I decided that half an hour would be suitable and a long enough space of time for respondents to record the tasks done. I now think that this time period was not suitable, as this was too short. People may spend longer than half an hour on certain tasks such as hovering and so this may not have been recorded in the diary. I believe that forty-five minutes would have been a longer space of time. However if I had decided to choose to go with more than forty five minutes than respondents may not choose to record tasks that take them less than five minutes for example putting the rubbish out. After carrying out the experiment the ten couples who took part said they found it difficult recording what they thought was a task. Questions raised from the respondents included would walking the dog and taking the kids to school be considered a task?. To overcome this problem I could list about twenty tasks such as hovering, and other possible variations on a cover sheet and attach it to the diary and instruct respondents to record only the tasks on the cover sheet. I found that some respondents were recording gardening, and painting etc the problem with this is some people may choose to do gardening or painting as a hobby so these can not be recorded as chores. Again using a cover sheet could solve this problem. From my diaries I found that men were spending only half an hour on tasks when doing it on there own. However when they recorded tasks done with others they were spending more time on tasks of up to an hour. This shows that women obviously take more time on domestic chores whereas even though men are doing there bit the time taken is much shorter. By comparing all the diaries from males I could see that the tasks done by men were very similar such as changing a light bulb or fuse. This was also the case with women all the tasks done by them over the week was also very similar such as cooking, changing the linen etc. This shows me that there is a gender division when it comes to household tasks. The main role of a women's life is still to be that of a housewife, having dinner ready on the table, cleaning the house etc although men are doing there part in the domestic sphere but just not enough compared to men. This compares to the study of † Back to the future† by Madeline Leonard. She found that housework by large remains women's work, and this more than any other factor accounts for women's continued exploitation in the home. In her study she found that women are responsible for cooking, cleaning, washing and ironing, while men do jobs such as gardening and home maintenance. The key findings of all my primary research include that although it is true that women have made a huge progress, total equality in the home is still a myth. The battle of the sexes when it comes to domestic tasks has still not met its equilibrium although evidence from my research suggests that attitudes are changing slowly. EVALUATION & FINAL CONCLUSIONS. The sampling problems apparent in my research were that there were problems finding an equal number of working class and middle class couples. Consequently my sample was mainly working class. This problem simply reflected the facts of the type of domestic work that I the researcher was looking for. There may have been a need to adjust my hypothesis or the sample characteristics because it was too broad. My sample was reduced to ten couples because when I went round to respondent's homes they were not in. To overcome this problem I the researcher could have made the diary worth while for the respondents in order to motivate them to take part. I now believe that the sample I chose to use was not representative. This is because only ten couples took part. The couples in the survey were mainly working women and men and so may not be representative of professional men and women. There is no indication in the data that a range of different types of couples, e.g. working class, members of ethnic minorities, etc was sampled. The strengths of my research are that I focused on the comparative approach by using the snowballing method for example the way the couples were randomly sampled. The representatives of the sample, especially the equal sexes ratio. All diaries were handed out to respondents in their home because of the anonymity of the diaries. The weaknesses of my research were that the respondents might have thought the research was official and feel threatened by it, and so refuse to co-operate with it etc. Therefore the responses may not therefore reflect the truth, despite anonymity. The respondents were not supervised when they were filling in the diary and in reaction, some respondents may not have co-operated fully, experience of self reports tell us that people have a tendency to exaggerate, lie, not take surveys seriously. I did explore the issue in sufficient depth because my secondary data was appropriate to draw a suitable hypothesis. My secondary data was derived from a range of sources: social studies review, the Lancaster Regionalism Group etc. These all gave me an official picture of the domestic division of labour situation. The sources of data that I have collected are the most effective in relation to my aims. However other methods of data collection might have been possible for instance a large-scale survey of the population could be conducted of the workload shared between husband and wife in general. I could include questions on women's role as housewife which operationalise in various ways positive and negative attitudes towards them. Interviews could be conducted with husbands, which would measure their attitudes and their perception of social attitudes towards housewives. A content analysis could be carried out on newspaper coverage of the role of women in the home. My choice of method did affect my results for example by using the diary method I was able to control variables via using a snowballing sample. It is seen to have high reliability because it is easily repeated. Other sociologists can verify the data obtained by using the same standardised diary and similar samples. It is also seen as objective because the sample population is randomly rather than deliberately selected. During the diary schedule I did attempt to operationalise the concept domestic division of labour etc in such a way that it was not judgmental of the couples. I used my personal theoretical perspective and related this to my choice of method for instance the couples could have been interviewed together, although a more interesting variation that I chose was to use a diary method. This method was chosen so that they could record the amount of domestic tasks done separately. I was then able to compare data to get a gender version of the amount of tasks done. My experience of carrying out the research compares to the interpretivists. Firstly, the task of the researcher is to investigate how those taking part in the study interpret the world around them. In order to do this, the sociologist has to get inside their heads and see the world through their eyes. This is called â€Å"verstehen† and is an attempt to empathise with those being studied. Second, interpretivists emphasise validity seeing the world as it really is. Validity played a great importance in my chosen method because I was trying to find out how domestic tasks were shared so seeing the world as it really is. Third, cause and effect relationships are impossible to construct because people socially construct social situations and the interpretations people give to certain situations often vary. I found this to be the case in my research between couples. I do think my results are presented in the most effective way. As my chosen method was qualitative I was not able to produce any statistical data however my diaries were in columns with appropriate headings. To study this research further people could develop the idea of helping around the home by using Wilmot and young's assertion that the family is still symmetrical. Also people could research whether women actually want to be helped when it comes to household tasks even though feminists argue that the family is still an exploitative arrangement for women. CONCLUSION My hypothesis read†¦ † Men do help around the home but do not make an equal contribution† I can conclude that my hypothesis was correct because I found from my diaries that women are still doing more than there fair share of domestic work compared to men. This is the case because the extensions of traditional domestic roles of housewives and mothers are still in which women continue to be socialised these include serving and waiting on people, catering for them and cleaning and clearing up after others. These are all jobs women traditionally did and still do in the home. Such jobs include primary school teaching, low-grade catering work, working as shop assistants, supermarket shop fillers, secretaries' etc. For example secretaries often serve their (usually male bosses), organise the office in the workplace to make things easier for them, making tea and coffee and clearing up after their meetings. Primary school involves childminding, catering involves cooking etc. Women have limited career opportunities than males for a number of different reasons. There is the gender stereotyping at school and the wider gender role socialisation process in the home and in the work place. This is similar to the article † Back to the future† by Madeleine Leonard who found that this gender role socialisation process in the home made women continue to see housework as an important part of being a â€Å"good wife and mother† and are satisfied with the unequal domestic division of labour.

Empirical research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Empirical - Research Paper Example The conclusion of the study is that people with strong worldviews that they implement in their everyday lives often have more reasons to live and often choose life in the long run. A study was undergone to detect patterns and relationships between culture worldview, â€Å"reasons for living,† and suicide resilience in African Americans and European Americans, as each group adheres to separate worldviews that may or may not affect suicidal factors. While there are other factors to determine the risk of suicide in individuals and cultures as a whole, the concept of â€Å"reasons for living† is an alternative index for suicide risk. The belief is that those ethnic groups with more reasons for living tend to be more resilient to suicide as well as suicidal symptoms, such as depression, hopelessness, or suicide attempts. Furthermore, those with a stronger cultural worldviews usually choose life; aspects such as religious and spiritual beliefs, spiritual immortality, and values play a role in determining the strength of one’s cultural worldview, and thus the strength of their will to live. The variables looked at in the study encompassed a variety of beliefs and dimensions that dealt a lot with cultural perception of the world, life, and death. For example, people that believe in an afterlife would be more willing to engage in a suicidal act. Someone who has grown up in a religious home with strict views on suicide would be less likely to take their life. This study aimed to determine just how effective these various worldviews really were in suicidal behavior and resilience Various questionnaires were distributed to the sample groups; the Reasons for Living Inventory (RFLI) consisted of items that proposed reasons for someone not to kill themselves if they were suicidal; the Worldview Analysis Scale (WAS) measured various culture dimensions of worldview with a range between common European and African worldviews; the Beck Hopeless Scale (BHS)

Report global citizenship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Report global citizenship - Essay Example This is necessary because the textie industry faces the biggest criticism with regard to its environmental policies. The high resource consumption and waste management are the biggest criticism against the textile industyr. Cicadania would impose environmental regulations on itself by complying with ISO regulations.The ISO 1400 series specifically deal with enviromental management (Joshi, 34). This set of regulations requires Cicadania to plan, implement, control, monitor, review and improve environmental pratices. The process moves in a loop which has been represented below: organic cotton: The amount of water involved in the production of cotton is enormous and literally drains seas like the Aral sea. On average there is 10.000 liters of water needed per kilogram of cotton or 2500 liters per shirt or 8000 liters for a jeans. Therefor Cicadania is buying its cotton from China where only 6000 liters per kilo is needed. Recycled cotton and other materials: In order to further reduce the amount of new produced cotton, Cicadania engaged itself in introducing recycled cotton from used clothes and will introduce plastic fibres recycled from other plastics. Production electricity carbon neutral: through solar power panels placed on top of the manufacturing plant. In Brazil the amount of sunshine per year is sufficient to produce enough for day and night electricity. Extra electricity during the day flows into the net and at night the net gives back to the factory. transport: The efficient transport plan introduces smart packaging reducing the amount of plastics and cardboard and smart pile up will increase the amount of clothes to be shipped in one shipment of course reducing the amount of CO2 emitted per piece of clothing. The in store saving is a combination of both a set of mentality and small easy adaptations of the the store.The company would aim at creating eco friendly stores. These would paying attenion to the

Interplanetary Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Interplanetary Logistics - Essay Example The reality is that human interaction with space was once consider a fantasy that was not remotely possibly, yet we are now perhaps only a few generations from being able to make that fantasy become reality (Bainbridge 2009). Space is largely seen as a mechanism by which we can increase our existing supply train. As such, the process by which modern civilisation conducts sustainable space exploration in the future will depend directly on an innate ability to effectively manage the supply chain, leading to a discussion centring on interplanetary logistics. The process by which this is undertaken today takes on a drastically different shape than it did during the original Apollo moon missions. During those early attempts at space exploration, required materials and tools were simply carried along for the wide. Future space exploration, however will depend on a complex network focused on the supply chain that enables sustainable colonisation based upon resources being available to people in real time, as they are needed, rather than simply relying on this on a mission by mission basis. This process will soon begin a new with scheduled missions to the moon beginning in the year 2020. The moon will literally become in a stepping off point for exploration deeper into space, and the vision is to have it become a supply command post where supplies and other associated items in terms of logistics are planned for in advance and are available as needed. No longer will astronauts be forced to rely only on what they can carry, but the objective is to have a system of logistics in place where needs are not only anticipated, but provided for in advance in order to keep the work going. This is a critical concept in terms of interplanetary travel due to the reality that lost or misplaced items can literally take months to replace, costing the crew valuable time to conduct experiments and get

Why you chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) Essay

Why you chose Psychology Major (Personal Autobiography) - Essay Example I would like to understand the thought pattern of humans and help change how they interact with fellow humans in order to have a more functional society. Therefore, I chose psychology major because apart from it being a fully fledged career on its own, whatever else career one chooses, employability is enhanced when there is a psychology background. By majoring in psychology, I will use research to learn elementary human behavior, and apply the knowledge to solve problems that affect holistic human development. Psychology will enable me to simultaneously use science and practice, stimulating my continuous development of both. I am a person who is inclined to contribute to the wellbeing and prosperity of all areas of the society. Having been brought up in an urban, low-income and marginalized neighborhood, I witnessed many kinds of social ills where school children engaged in sexual immorality, the youth got into crime and adults openly abused drugs and neglected their families. The social fabric was completely ripped apart and no neighbor could stand up to address the rampant problems. Although studies have generalized such neighborhoods to inherently have social breakdowns, to an extent of stereotyping, I believe such societies are as human as any other. They need patience, understanding and dedicated efforts towards achieving normal lives. Stereotyping, marginalizing and segregation will only aggravate the situation. Psychology, therefore, will enable me to work with other professionals in other fields including policymakers, lawyers, physicians, school personnel, computer experts and engineers towards understanding many problems. As a psychology major, my objective is to understand the cause of people being the way they are, doing the things they do and behaving the way they do. Throughout my childhood, even though living a below-average life, I have always been a hard worker and performer in school. Perhaps my forced, early association with the local church saved me from the lifestyle I witnessed and continue to witness among my peers. Through this, I believe I am ready and have the flexibility to face the various and diverse tasks and schedules associated with a psychologist’s career. I want to overcome challenges and satisfy the desire to be part of a team that will adapt technology and benefit human life; to participate in primary healthcare work; to advice disturbed youth; to set up care facilities for the aged and neglected; to encourage children to attend school; to raise awareness of the perils of crime and drug abuse; and ultimately, to be the change that marginal ized societies need. I chose a psychology major because it is also one of the most effective avenues towards understanding myself, not only others. Through psychology, I will achieve this by studying characteristics of human conduct that will help me in my daily life including my perception of the roots of psychological disorders; my capacity to deal with pressure; my memory and learning performance; and my interactions with other people. My key drive towards a psychology major is to understand why the society I grew up in is the way it is. However, I can also integrate any of the other social studies with what I will learn so as to help bring change to the society, not only understand it. For example, an insight of human conduct as

Best Orientation Practices For Nurses Term Paper

Best Orientation Practices For Nurses - Term Paper Example In the nursing profession, one of the problems facing nurses involves the retention of nurses. A methodical investigation cited by Kiel (2012) indicates that approximately thirty percent of newly registered nurses abscond from the nursing profession before the end of the first year at the job. Additional investigations showed that a quarter of newly licensed or registered nurses leave their jobs before the end of two years at the job (Kiel, 2012). This has necessitated the need for the introduction of effective orientation programs geared towards equipping these newly licensed nurses with skills and competency to remain at the job. In other words, the main challenge faced by these nurses during orientation is transitioning from being a student to a nursing professional. An article by Brown and Pillar (2014) brings out the fact that health organizations are faced with difficulties relating to how to successfully orient nurses in a bid to help them be accustomed to the daily running of the organizations. According to Robitaille (2013), "An effective orientation process is crucial to help ensure an individual's competency to perform his or her role and familiarize the oriented with an organization's culture, policies, and procedures, and unit-level protocols" (p. C7). In some cases, nurse managers assume the newly employed nurses will orient themselves in the course of their duties. Additionally, some nurse managers fail to ensure orientation of new nurses due to the high costs involved in such orientations.

Research Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Research Methods - Essay Example Every organization requires resourcefulness and ingenuity as well as pragmatic decision-making for its sustenance. There is always a balance between the benefit of the business and the benefit of the people being affected by the business, directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is not possible to set up any permanent basis by which decisions can be made—they have to be made with regard to the circumstances and according to whatever has maximum significance at that point of time in the list of priorities. However, the point is to make the required compromise without violating the ethical code of conduct in business. The very existence of an ethical code of conduct in all professions implies that it is present to create a situation in which no individual has to compromise on his basic needs or functions in life. I see myself grappling very frequently with ethical issues as a part of my involvement with clients. There might often be situations in which profit for my company does not directly translate into benefits for my client. In this case, it would be necessary to consider whether as an eth ical person I would ensure that my client has reasonable knowledge of the situation. Hence, in dealing with other individuals, especially the consumer end of the business, I consider it necessary to view ethics as a major proponent in decision-making.

Blondes and Brunettes Essay Example for Free

Blondes and Brunettes Essay Glorious and beautiful, Blondes and Brunettes have been in rival for the precious rigors of magnificence. Fancying into the limelight, subdue one into conspiracy against exquisiteness, musing at the same time to the countless difference that had been nurtured. Blondes propel themselves in to the height of success and perfection. Brunettes on the other hand, articulates striking uphold on developing holistically. Blondes and Brunettes adversary with one another goes beyond just beauty it is more to the glorious point of the perfection. The parties deem appropriate to necessitate mediation, to further analyze their conflict. â€Å"Mediation is a fair and efficient process to help you resolve your employment disputes and reach an agreement. A neutral mediator assists you in reaching a voluntary, negotiated agreement. † The Mediator A goddess was the preferred mediator for this practice. This Goddess is in any form fine-looking and wonderful. The Goddess made known: Parties, today between any trials and travails that might be encountered we mediate a difference of opinion and vision. Kindly put into mind that in no way I will provide a proposal and formulate obligatory actions to the issue at hand. Benevolently, there are rules to carry out: First, under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators, Rule 10. 330(c) I shall not in any manner, neither receive nor accept a gift, favor, loan, or other item of value in this process. Any favorable fad that might be offered shall rule this course of action be brought into a halt. Second, under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators, Rule 10. 340(b) obliges me to disclose any potential conflict of interests. Since I am the goddess, I assume an equal position on the subject for I am the Beauty and Power in all structure itself. It is in my significance to procure this arbitration to carry on with my existence. And to satisfy the conditions set by this rules, I will allow the two parties to progress toward a resolution as justified by Rule 10. 310(b) and in no means shall I have the right to interfere with such since my sole responsibility is to reduce obstacles to communication, assist in the identification of issues and exploration of alternatives as specified in Rule 10. 220. With all this, as the Goddess of Beauty and Power I will in all diligence bestow my uncompromising integrity and impassioned advocacy in this mediation. The convention was set and so if parties are acquiescent to the rules we will now ensue the mediation. Parties will be having the opportunity to take the floor. With this, each shall speak before this process their position, what would they like to achieve, and any other issues presumably measurable with the subject matter. Humanely, let us maintain proper demeanor. Listening would be the key to understanding. Problems Blondes I am the true enigma of beauty, with my hair that shines with the finniest strand of wellness. That is the reason why even before when the TV was invented, in the 15th and 16th Century in Italy, women were dying their hair blond. Womens desire to resemble the pronounce aptness of having flaxen hair was a vogue. And so Barbie became the superstar doll in the planet. A miniature copy of blondes with small waist, large breasts, and blue eyes—is an unswerving, pragmatic, and rational response why the Blondes symbolize beauty. Well, Brunettes may say that brunette dolls were also created on the latter part of time, but then it only shows that Brunettes is a second rater, to think that manufacturers took time before realizing what’s with Brunettes’ beauty. Principally, I don’t like Brunettes’ beauty being leveled with mine, Brunette has now invaded the Television, Print Ads and Magazine which I don’t think is right since I’ve already assumed the top position of exquisiteness, Brunette doesn’t consider that I may feel harmed because of her immense move that threaten reputation. Basically, I want Brunettes not competing with my attractiveness, Brunettes’ intelligence surely has opted me to deal with the matter as Brunette’s Incursion made me look bad at times. Brunettes I have not invaded Blondes’ position, since I was made to be on top by people who believed that my Brunettes hair matched by my exotic beauty is a masterpiece. It might be true that she was first made to be a doll, truly darling, charismatic beauty that she might possess. But people evolve and so the standards of Beauty. Since she was dethroned from the position she initially had I don’t put it in the way that I overran Blondes’ spot in the society. Blondes might as well consider that my beauty is universal since I won a lot of Ms. Universe titles with my crowning glory put into place with elegance. Blondes’ Bluntness, at times impairs my feelings as well, especially when Blondes’ Confidence overflows against mine. With this, I covet for Blondes to face the reality that she is not anymore in the throne of beauty. Just let Blondes leave the position to me, since Blondes beauty has been there long enough it is time for Blondes beauty rest. Discussion The following are only some of the issues perceptible on the matter: 1. ) Since Blondes and Brunettes fancy for the same affair it is apparent that an objective based solution can not be put into practice. This is for the reason that pursuing what they want which is the same, triggers that it would likely end up on having one winner and that is not the purpose of this mediation. 2. ) Brunette pushing Blondes on the Beauty Scale and Blondes doing the same thing to Brunette, establish a particular and concrete issue which on the hand, the parties see coming about in a different way. 3. ) There are some issues of little factors (Bluntness Moves, etc. ) that add big to the problem which needs to be solved. Primarily, the subsequent step is to letting the parties become conscious that there both of them should feel successful in this mediation not leaving anyone behind. Mediator: Well, I see a continuous conflict between the two of you which transpires everyday as you live your life on earth. My deep concern is for us to find out why this is palpable to take place. I think we need to look at the collective cause of all this†¦ Blondes: As the world continues to evolve, I’ve noticed Brunettes coming through Hollywood and making arrangements on doing movies, print and TV advertisements the same things that I craft, which is just fine at first but when I read in the gossip magazine that she plans to make every Blondes feel that she owns it all, that pushed my alarm. Brunettes: That is not so true; I worked my way hard enough to get into that position and did not in any way pilfer prior arrangements of yours. I am just getting my piece of cake. It just so happen that when I stumble into a gossip magazine, I read that you find Brunettes doesn’t have the talent as Blonde possesses. Blondes: Think again! I’m just doing my job because people find my beauty very suitable for them to be entertained and informed as well. I just accepted the offer for Blondes which they discover to very pleasing to their eyes. Brunettes: You did not say in an interview that I am not talented? Blondes: No I did not. I heard you were the one backstabbing me by saying that Brunettes just got it all unlike Blondes. Brunettes: So why don’t we get rid of that gossip magazine? So you can work your stuff and I’ll do mine without any ridiculous side comments from a gossip magazine? Blondes: That can’t be! They make and break us, why just we do more nasty sayings against each other for us to be more popular? The mediator is extremely crucial at this point since the parties ascertained a core issue initially not taken into account. This may bring further variance later on. Mediator: The arguments were by far very interesting, but let us not generate auxiliary problems. To be definite that I get your point let me reaffirm your statements: Blondes, you stipulated that Brunette tries to push you away from the limelight because of the gossip you’ve read in the Magazine that Brunettes would take over your entire career. Brunettes, you sense it not good that Blondes find Brunettes not as talented as they like what you’ve read in the gossip magazine. This made you realize that all along the two of you may not have any problem with one another’s existence. Let us continue on what Blondes’ work is all about. This is the time to make compromising into action, finding some common ground for both parties in which they would understand that the origin of their problem is not removable but can be settled by letting them to come into conclusion. Caucus is significant at this point of mediation. Its main purpose is to know whether the parties have qualms not wanting to be addressed to the other party. Also, this is the time they can they create special consideration they are willing to fulfill. Caucus with Blondes Mediator: I truly understand how you feel Blondes. To be recognized in the scene of stardom is very essential. Do you have any matter you are akin to unveil between the two of us only? Blondes: Probably, I just felt that Brunettes might one day take all the glory in the limelight and not even a single shed will be bound to Blondes. Brunettes: Well, I just want to clear things that I never pushed the Blondes away, not even try to challenge their position in the industry; I know they’ve been there and I respect their beginnings. I just work hard and do my best all the time. As it seems both of the parties are now kind of released their disputes, it is apparent though that they find the other party to have been the one who started the conflict. Third Parties Importance of third parties in mediation is highly significant. It is a unique method to let the parties recognize what effect they bring on third parties. On this process the third party present was 37 year old Lina Casimiro, a bald cancer patient, who is undergoing chemotherapy sessions. Some benefits of having a second mediator for the Parties/Participants are: a. The mediation team can represent disputants diverse characteristics (e. g. male/female, Anglo/Hispanic, older/younger, etc. ) b. A disputant has a better chance of feeling a sense of trust with at least one of the two mediators. c. The disputants have the advantage of the combined skills of two mediators, whose skills usually enhance and complement each other. d. Co-mediators can model co-operative problem-solving and direct-as in as a director or speaking directly to disputants. e. There is a better check on mediators biases or shortcomings. And for the Mediator: a. Having a partner eases the load and tension of mediation, especially in difficult cases and multi-party situations b. Tasks can be comfortably divided when mediators are intentionally paired (e. g. a person skilled at handling emotions matched with a person skilled at practical problem solving). c. A team is less likely to be co-opted by a party . d. Co-mediators can learn new techniques from each other in the process. e. Sessions can be debriefed and strategies planned with a Co-mediator. f. A less experienced mediator can work with a more experienced mediator. The concept of bring a bald woman with cancer divulges the neglect of what a hair she wears literally but how she lives her life as a person without any representation of being any of the parties. Moreover, co-mediation, â€Å"it is a recognized fact in the construction industry that if a mediator has technical knowledge of the major issues involved in the dispute, there is a greater chance that the mediator will be able to bring the parties together to reach an amicable settlement. † Lina can bring a new light into the dispute since she manages a different lifestyle as compared to the parties. Mediator I would like to bring in my co-mediator, Lina Casimiro, she is a cancer patient, and is now undergoing some chemotherapy session which is noticeable due to the baldness. I hope that she can make possible a more successful mediation process by providing some insights on some of the issues we are discussing. Blonde, you may now continue†¦ Blondes: Well, somehow I still think that Brunettes would like to assume the position of being the best beauty in the world. Since, when I look into different medium of exposures, she is always there, and though she would not totally eradicate us, she imposes to lessen our limelight. Brunettes: I am doing my work because it is my passion not because I want to harm Blondes! Moderator: May I know Blondes, if you ever wonder why Brunette entered the scenario in one way or another as you feel, taken away something from you? Lina: In my situation, where I must not think when will I die, the best possible way to somehow lessen that burden is to entertain myself by watching TV or reading magazines, its good to see variety of beautiful people as I may not see them again in the near future. Blondes: That’s really touching to know. Do you still find Blondes beautiful? Lina: Of course, all the time and even Brunettes too. Brunettes: I told you Blondes, the standard of beauty is fast evolving and so the thinking and appreciation of people. So may I ask how do you find the difference between Brunettes and Blondes? Lina: Hair color is not really important chiefly when you have nothing to spare with like me. But those who have like you Brunettes and Blondes, your crowning glory don’t define you as a person, but how you live as a person of either a light-colored or dark colored hair. A healthy competition indeed, is what makes the world exciting and worth living. One can’t live without the other. As for me, that time is the essence; all is beautiful all is fine, as long as we breathe and we appreciate. We may have difficult times because we are different, but we settle on one thing, that we are here to take life’s challenges. Blondes: I’m happy that we, in our own little way become life support for others. Brunettes: I honestly feel that too. The mediation process now has the prowess of a positive outlook. The parties are now on the process of re-evaluating their roles in this conflict and openly received answers from a third party for the issue they initially unlocked. With this, they were able to find more about themselves, and how important a life is to another. The Parties come to the stage of comprehending that life on Earth has sought to address the needs of man as man and not merely of man in so far as to be more than them. Mediation will still proceed until the Blondes and Brunettes relate that beauty is not about who has more and who possesses less but instead it is to mettle with rigorous challenges that may come your way. Both parties accept the friendly and healthy competitions that relatively occur in a more positive manner. Conclusion: This case is about the generality of people that perceive Brunettes and Blondes as different human beings. Perhaps, it may also be a crate with regards to racism. What was brought out here is the fact that in our lives and as our culture dictates, subject with consideration to higher forms of beauty or any other things become a national and even universal debate on belief and points of view. Third parties in mediation process shed a different light in the matter concerned and being discussed in mediation. There presence in the process voluntarily widens the perception of the parties as they bring in their own. Problems have solutions as well as their causes. For some reason, the cause is not initially perceived by the parties involved. With that affair on the table, comes Mediation which in so many ways would incur the initial issue that must have been first resolved.

The Influence Of Money In Philippine Elections

The Influence Of Money In Philippine Elections Election campaigns are now on the roll. Politicians are getting busy thinking of many ways to ensure their victory in the coming elections. Different strategies and techniques are being used by these candidates in order to win the votes of the people. Aside from the techniques and strategies, money plays a huge role in every Philippine elections. The ability to win of the candidate lies on how much money he or she is going to spend for this coming election. The aspiring candidates will definitely spend a large amount of money to catch the hearts of the voters even if it means performing an illegal act. A single vote is very precious and essential for the win a candidate. And in order to possess this single sure vote, candidates resort to buying the votes of the people. Vote buying is overt in the Philippines. It is a disease that continuously rots our political and electoral system. It has already become institutionalized in our system and remains constant despite the condemnation of many Filipinos. Before, vote buying is usually the last recourse of a rich but unpopular candidate to hold a position in office. But today, even popular ones are engaging themselves to this kind of activity because popularity per se is not enough to assure the vote of the electorate especially in local politics. Vote buying reflects a powerful image of graft and corruption. It is just the stepping stone for doing a more fraudulent act. The vicious cycle of vote buying and vote selling in the Philippines is becoming more and more alarming. This paper aims to answer the nature of vote buying, strategies of vote buying in the Philippines, the reasons for doing vote buying and vote selling and to trace the history of vote buying in the Philippines. WHAT IS VOTE BUYING? Vote buying, according to Hicken (2006), includes the individual, immediate and private exchange of goods, services or cash for electoral support, usually in violation of legal norms. It simply means giving out or handing out money to leaders and voters. It also means getting the vote of the people to ensure winning. Vote buying is also a form of economic exchange (Schaffer, 2002) because there is money involve. TYPES OF VOTE BUYING Vote buying can be categorized into two types: direct vote buying and indirect vote buying. Both types are widely used in the case of the Philippines although the idea of direct vote buying serves as the more popular act. DIRECT VOTE BUYING It is the most common type of vote buying where direct payments, in many forms, are given to the voter. It may be in the form of cash donations, shares of stock or a promise of a particular plan of action or payment in exchange for a promise of vote (Dekel, E., et. al., 2004). INDIRECT VOTE BUYING It is a kind of vote buying done in a non obvious and straightforward approach. This type of vote buying uses campaign strategies that target the weaknesses of the electorate. Here in the Philippines, the strategy of the candidates is to use and take advantage of the different Filipino traits. Example of these traits are our values of utang na loob, pakikisama, our close family and kinship ties, our religiousness, and other social values like loyalty, support and trust. They effectively use the various traits to influence and temp us to follow their selfish plans. Bava (1998) gave a concrete example on how this character capitalization happens. Different parties and candidates hire poll watchers and workers who are tasked to distribute sample ballots for their party. Each poll watchers and ballot distributors are given 1500 pesos and 500 pesos respectively, per day of work from 7 am to 3 pm. A poll watcher only needs 4 things in order to land the job: 1) a ball pen 2) a tally sheet 3) at least 18 years of age and 4) a registered vote (Bava, 1998). The last requirement is the most important and advantageous in the part of the candidates. If the hired person is a registered voter, the employer will be sure that the employers vote will go to him or her. A person offered with this kind of job will definitely take the opportunity given all the privileges and comfort that it can give. They can earn almost 1500 pesos a day by just distributing pamphlets and sample ballots. Adding to the convenience is the free meals given to them by their employer. A nd if the candidate won in the elections, most of them are given permanent jobs in various government offices. This is where indirect vote buying takes place. This act, according to Bava (1998), displays the Filipino trait of utang na loob. If a person has done something good to us, we would do anything and everything to return that goodness. In this case, the poll watchers and other employees will feel obligated to vote the candidate/employer because of the job that was given to them. FORMS OF VOTE BUYING Money is the common type of material that the candidates use in order to buy votes. But vote buying not only takes the form of money. It can be other forms of material offers. Schedler (2002) and Schaffer (2002) made a list that summarizes the different kinds of offers into three categories. The first and the most common form is payment. A payment is an amount of money paid. Schedler (2002, p.4) described it as a commercial relationship in which partners trade equivalent values. The citizen trades his vote in exchange of money. The act of accepting money denotes that there is an indirect agreement between the giver and the receiver of the payment. The second kind of material offer takes the form of gifts. A gift is something that is given out of free will without paying something in return. In the context of vote buying, accepting a gift does not give you the responsibility and obligation of voting the giver. The last kind is in the form of wage. A wage is an amount of money paid in exchange of services rendered. Like gifts, it does not require any obligation to the candidate. FACTORS AFFECTING VOTE BUYING According to Schaffer (2002), there are three factors that affect the strategies of the candidates and the perception of the voters toward vote buying. These are socioeconomic, institutional and political factors. The first factor both affects the candidates strategies and the voters perception while the last two factors affect mainly the strategies of the candidates. SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS One of the socioeconomic factors is the social class (Hicken, 2006). The formulation of the different strategies is influenced by social classes existing in society. The candidate must make a strategy that can produce strong and favorable impressions on people from different walks of life. It should cater to the needs of the entire high, middle and low class population. But it is impossible to come up with such strategies given that there is a massive gap and conflicting interests present among these social classes. Different social classes connote different needs and expectations. A strategy that might work to the lower class might be ineffective to the middle and higher class or a strategy that may be good to the higher class might harm those belonging in the lower class. Adding to the problem is the unequal number of population belonging to a certain social class. In the Philippines, the population of the lower class is greater than the population of the middle and higher class co mbined. The solution to these is to focus the strategy to those who constitute the majority. The easiest and most effective strategy to garner votes is to buy the votes of those who are included in this majority (which is the lower class). It will be very effective since those who belong in this class are financially unable who need money to sustain their everyday living. This scenario is very prevalent in the Philippines since many are members of the lower class. Almost all politicians who are running in office are focusing their campaign on the less fortunate because to them, greater number of voters means more number of votes and more number of votes means greater chances of winning. The second socioeconomic factor is education (Hicken, 2006) which affects the voters view about vote buying. For the high and some middle class voters, vote buying is a deviant and somehow an immoral behavior. Those in the higher and middle class are strong attackers of this practice. They are advocates of different anti-vote buying campaigns and they are known for organizing movements that educate the people about this kind of campaign strategies. They have this kind of opinion because education teaches them about these kinds of things. But for some middle class and most in the lower class (who cannot afford to have a higher education), they accepted vote buying because they perceive it as the time when they can receive free money that they can use to buy their necessities. INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS Hicken (2006, p. 48), stated that the rules and institutions under which candidates must operate can influence their incentives to purchase electoral support. Different institutional factors may encourage or discourage the use of vote buying. One institutional factor is the electoral system itself (Hicken, 2006). Under this factor is the district magnitude. It affects the strategy of the candidate because large constituency means larger amount of money needed to buy votes. Large district also has influence on the manner of distribution of the money. The strategy will be more expensive and costly since the distribution of money will take much longer and there should be an increase in the number of employees to properly accomplish the strategy. As a result, candidates will lessen the amount of money to be distributed to the people in order to prioritize other campaign strategies. POLITICAL FACTORS Political factors are different conditions and circumstances in society that affect the creation of various policies political choices. One of the variables under this factor is the election laws, particularly the anti-vote buying laws (Hicken, 2006). The degree of execution of different anti-vote buying laws affect how candidates device their strategy and distribution plans. In the Philippines, vote buying is illegal yet it continues to occur probably because of inefficiency of the laws and the law enforcers and the light punishments that will be given to the law breaker. There is no strict regulation of such laws in our country that is why the practice of vote buying is still a widespread act. More often than not, the law enforcers themselves are the protector of this scheme. BUDGET SOURCES The first thing that comes into our minds when we talk about vote buying is money. Money is the vital element of vote buying. It is the foundation of any vote buying scheme. We usually think that all vote buying funds are coming from the pockets of the candidates since most of them are members of the elite. But I think that the candidates are smart enough not to make use of their own wealth and to think of other alternative ways of budget sources. Some candidates most likely get their vote buying budget from their own political parties. Others accept donations from different business sectors given the condition that if they win the elections, they will repay them by giving them economic benefits and government protection. For example, the candidate accepted the donation from a construction company. If the candidate won the elections and plans to carry out road projects, he or she will be obliged to make the company the contractor of the said projects. Other candidates resort in getting illegal funds. Candidates who seek re-election have the advantage when it comes to money resources because they can easily tap pork barrel and other government funds. Some ask the help of drug syndicates, smugglers, kidnappers, gamblers and robbers to provide them with untraceable funds. It is true because we can observe that many crimes and illegal acts are happening during the election season. In return, the candidates give them financial support and protection. DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OF VOTE BUYING A carefully devised plan of action is needed to successfully carry out acts, especially if it is illegal. Candidates and politicians are wise in strategizing the effective way to buy the votes of the people. Usually, they even hire experts and professionals who are knowledgeable in fields concerning illegal campaign scheming. One specific strategy to ensure that the money given was translated into vote is what Bionat (1998) called Lanzadera system. In this strategy, the watchers give the voters an already completed ballot which will be dropped by the voters in the ballot box. After dropping the already completed ballot, the voter, then, takes with him or her the blank ballot and give it to the watcher. The watcher will complete that ballot and give it to the next paid voter. In this system, the money is given only if the voter returns with a blank ballot. I interviewed people from our barangay in Bulakan, Bulacan about the chronic vote buying in our place. They had first hand experiences on how vote buying takes place in our town. Based from that interview, I was able to learn other strategies and series of actions on how the scheme of vote buying happens. According to them, vote buying is usually conducted a night or two before the election day, usually around eight in the evening until midnight. Each politician has their own leader per community who is responsible for the identification of supporters and potential vote buying targets. They are also responsible in delivering the money to the house of the identified voters, at times in the appearance of paying the watcher. The intense vote buying is very evident and common in our place that the people are the ones coming and lining up in front of the politicians headquarters to ask for the money. Another strategy done by the candidates is getting the trust of barangay officials and other community leaders. In this way, the candidate can almost assume his or her hold in the community. The local leaders, then, are given large amount of money in exchange of buying the votes of their constituencies on behalf of the politician or the candidate. One more strategy that was mentioned by my neighbors is buying non-supporters. Candidates will offer those non-supporters with huge amount money. If they accept it, they will not be allowed to come out of their houses on the day of the election. There will be someone who will serve as a watchman that will ensure that the voter will abide to the agreement. Some politicians, in order to be extra sure, hire a bus that will take all the paid non-supporters to an out-of-town trip on the election day. Another strategy is the taking advantage of the politicians on our deep family and kinship ties. Some politicians use a relative or an influential member of a clan to convince members of the family and close friends to accept the money and to vote for that politician. Vote buying also happens during the election day itself as said by the interviewees. Buying may take the form of 100 pesos attached to the sample ballot. There are also ways in order to ensure that the paid voter will comply with the agreement. Before giving the money, they are required to give proofs that they voted that candidate. Usually, they bring with them a carbon paper or they are asked to take a picture of the ballot with a cell phone camera. Others asked the voters to make an agreed mark (a particular fold for example) on the ballot to serve as identification in the course of the counting of the votes. REASON WHY POLITICIANS BUY VOTES The primary reason why politicians buy votes is the hunger for power. Vote buying is a form of desperation to remain in power. Many politicians fight for the privilege of power because it implies influence and control over other individuals. They see power as the easiest way to achieve fame and fortune. Candidates want to purchase the vote of the people to obtain domination on different public organizations and mechanisms. They are not afraid to spend a big amount of money because once they are elected in office; they can easily recover the money that was used to pay those individuals. REASONS WHY PEOPLE SELL THEIR VOTES According to the April 2007 of the Social Weather Station (SWS), one in two of the registered voters think that there is nothing bad in accepting the money offers from the candidates (refer to Figure 1). Others may not see this from of money-giving as an attempt to buy their votes. They accept the money but it does not necessarily mean that they will vote for that candidate. Another reason is the offer seems as an opportunity to get the money, which was stolen by the politicians, back to the people. They might as well accept the offered money since it came from the taxes of the people. The April 2007 SWS survey also found that those in the rural areas were more probable in accepting money compared to those who live in urban areas (refer to Table 1). This shows that the primary reason for the selling of votes is poverty. Those who live in or below the poverty line mostly are unemployed individuals. They take the money because they needed it. For the poor, payment for a vote can mean a week without hunger. They just accept the offer because for them, dignity and pride cannot create food and money. Some may see elections as the only chance to obtain something from the government. They have this view that it is an obligation of a candidate to give money and other material things to their supporters. There are some reasons that we can consider negative in the part of the voters. People accept payments because they are being threatened. Most of the times, material offers are accompanied with terror, making them very difficult to refuse. Figure 1. In an election, it is not bad to accept money provided one votes according to ones conscience. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm Table 1. Rural areas approved accepting money compared to those in the urban areas. Source: http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070503.htm IS REFORM POSSIBLE? For the past few years, many have attempted to stop and eliminate the practice of vote buying in the Philippines. They even formed different organizations that promote the values of an honest election. But none of them actually succeeded. The effectiveness of efforts depends on how organizers or developers predicted the intensity of vote buying strategies as well as the various reasons why people accept the offers. A reform aims to change the behavior of the candidates and the voters. Reforms for givers usually take the form of strengthened laws. Example includes strengthened vote secrecy, tightened campaign finance rules and many others that aim to prevent anyone from buying votes. But these reforms led only to a limited success. Vote buyers, instead of stopping, have adapt themselves to the new environment. To escape punishments, they devised new ways on how to carry out vote buying like increasing the instances of indirect vote buying rather than direct vote buying. It became more uncontrollable even though new laws strained it to become more subtle. On the other hand, reform has always taken the form of voter education. Probably the most successful technique that was done to eradicate vote buying is the campaign against vote buying through different public service posters (see Illustration 1, Illustration 2 and Illustration 3). Successful in the sense that it enables the public to gain information about the wrongness of vote buying. But it did not really help in the removal of this unacceptable practice. None of the attempts to completely stop vote buying became successful. Law enforcers and reformists continue to devise stricter policies and laws against vote buying despite the fact that none of these actually really worked. Instead of wasting the time in just making stricter policies, they should consider focusing their attention on real roots of this act. Government should focus their attention more on improving economic development and education. By doing so, people will not have the reason to accept money in exchange of their votes. At this point in time, I can say that reform is really impossible. Reform will only be possible once our political and economic system become stable. Illustration 2: 3M public service ad, May 2001. blinded by money. Vote with your conscience. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 1: Namfrel Public Service Ad, May 2001. Your vote is valuable, it doesnt have a price. Your character is priceless. So, in this election, dont sell your character, dont sell you vote. Source: Schaffer, 2005 Illustration 3: Red Horse Beer public service ad, May 2001. A little pocket change wont put you ahead. Dont ask for a bribe. Vote for a good candidate. Source: Schaffer, 2005 HISTORY OF VOTE BUYING IN THE PHILIPPINES Vote buying is not just a recent development in Philippine elections. Its existence started with the coming of foreign colonizers and continued to flourish and evolve with the advancement of new technologies and the development of new ideas. Pre-colonial elections in the Philippines did not have vote buying because the leadership was assumed not through election but through succession. The same thing goes probably with the elections during the early Spanish period (17th to 18th century). I did not find any account stating that there was vote buying but I assume that there was none because there was no elections and the leaders were only appointed by the Spaniards. In the late Spanish period (19th century), Spanish colonial control in the Philippines declined as the Philippine revolution started. The revolution led to the development of a government established by Aguinaldo. Under this government, most officials were selected individuals from the principalia class and elections were only held for higher positions. There was no large scale elections during that time so vote buying was not an option. The coming of the American period started vote buying in the Philippines. The Americans gave all Filipinos the right to rule and the right to vote. Act No. 60, which became the organic law for all municipal governments, started the elite rule in the Philippines (Tangcangco, 1988). The Act provided a requirement that only allowed the elites to vote and participate in elections. The elites became powerful and they may have realized the advantage that the position can give them. They became accustomed to the power that was once denied by the Spaniards. From then on, in order to sustain this power, they did whatever means and costs to be elected in office. Here are some of the documented instances of vote buying from the American period until the present period. In the 1929 Elections (during the American period), money was very essential in the campaign period. Money was used to pay-off rivals to withdraw their candidacy, to buy the votes of the people, to threaten the people, and to bribe campaign leaders of the rival candidate. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). In 1940 Local elections (Commonwealth period), Money was again a very important tool. Specific example for this one is the case of Pedro Abad Santos of the Socialist Party. He was predicted as the winner of the gubernatorial race in the province of Pampanga because of his massive popularity to his constituents but his wealthy opponent won the election by almost 7000 votes. There was no evidence of the strategies his opponent had used but the Abad Santos camp was really sure that his opponent used his money to buy the votes of the people. Another example was the electoral protest of Dr. Hilario Moncado against Tomas Cabili. They were fighting for a congressional seat in Lanoa province. Moncado accused Cabili of unlawful campaign by promising free legal services and employment for those who will vote for him. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) In the 1949 National Elections (during the post-independence period), all forms of fraud and manipulation were reportedly done by President Elpidio Quirino to ensure his position as president. Quirino and his other candidates used massive and whole-sale vote-buying in forms of money, jobs and pork barrel. It was reported that Quirino had used almost four million pesos during his election campaign. The three provinces where the massive vote buying occurred include Negros Occidental, Nueva Ecija and Lanao. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996) The 1969 Presidential and Congressional Elections was between The Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party. This was considered as the bloodiest and dirtiest election (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996, p.111) prior to the Martial law period. Both parties reportedly used different techniques to ensure their victory. These included cheating, ballot stuffing and massive vote buying. It was stated in the reports that the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party spent around 700 million pesos and 300 million pesos respectively. That money came from the pork-barrel funds and was used as media fees and in buying votes. (Banlaoi Carlos, 1996). During the Martial law period, all kinds of wholesale fraud were committed including vote buying. In order to capture the loyalty of the rural people, Marcos personally distributed 4000 pesos to every barrio captain during his campaign. The barrio captains were tasked to divide the money among the inhabitants of the barrio. (Abueva, 1970). In the 1992 elections, there was a ban on media advertisements so the candidates had more cash to spend on their campaigns. Feliciano Belmonte, Quezon City congressional candidate at that time, was reported to have given cash and free tickets to Hongkong during his campaign. (Bionat, 1998) The media advertisement was also banned in the 1995 elections. According to Bionat (1998), mayors in Cebu received a bonus of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos for campaigning the 12 senatorial bets of the administration. Like what Marcos did, candidates also bought the votes of the grassroots leader. The difference is that the value of their support was more expensive. Barangay captains accepted a minimum of 500 pesos and a maximum of 20,000 pesos from the candidates. (Bionat, 1998) In the 2004 Presidential elections, Arroyo committed almost all kinds of fraud according to Tuazon (2006). One example is the Oplan Mercury that was exposed by Rudy Galang (one of the brains of this idea). The goals of this plan are to use public funds to the campaign, to provide money to local officials and to buy the support of those in the opposition. (Tuazon, 2006). Elections in the Philippines from pre-colonial era to the present show how we incorporate influences of colonial rule into our political system. The good and bad effects of these interventions became part of the changes in Philippine elections. History tells us that the face of Philippine elections has never really changed. We still continue to perform the practices of the past. The difference now is that it just assumes new shape and form. CONCLUSION In a poor country like ours, it is impossible to have a power because our politicians know our vulnerability to pressure and our hardships in life. Majority of our electorate are poor and have no means of livelihood, no education to back them up and they just resign themselves to taking alms and relief. The poorer the country the more prevalent vote buying is. They take advantage of our weaknesses but we cannot blame those who sell their votes. Filipinos minds are set for any answers that are immediate. That is why even when the act is illegal and unlawful, like selling votes, they instantly resort to it to easily come up with a solution to their problem, like poverty. People are quite fixated on short term solutions instead of long term ones. A 500 peso bill can buy you, lets say, a two days decent meal, but it cannot assure you economic stability in the future. For me, vote buying can be associated with surrendering ones right to vote and selling ones principle. I will definitely not sell my vote. Vote buying is based on morality. Money is good by itself but the act is evil because it violates my freedom, my dignity and my right as an individual. Vote buying is not a native Filipino idea. It was only a reflection of our colonial experience. But this experience manifest in us that it became a constant scenario in elections. History has an indirect effect on the start of vote buying in the Philippines. The desire for self-rule that was forbidden to the Filipinos for almost 300 years was suddenly bestowed to us that it might have created the idea of doing whatever it takes (may it be good or bad) to preserve and uphold this right.

Song of Solomon Essay: Devotion and Protection -- Song Solomon essays

Devotion and Protection in Song of Solomon   Song of Solomon is a novel written by Toni Morrison. As research is done further, into the bible, the title refers to a book from the Old Testament. A major theme of the book in the bible is love. It is about honor and loyalty. This is similar to the theme of love and protection in the book by Toni Morrison. Three female characters that portray this best are: Pilate, Ruth, and Magdalene called Lena. In the book, they are women that try to protect the people they love from men in their family. In the bible, they hold similar roles of devotion to those that they love. In Song of Solomon, Pilate is a strong-willed and independent woman. The reason that Ruth goes to her, is to protect her child. The first time that Ruth needs help is because of the way that Macon maltreats her (125-6). She is scared of Pilate because of her abnormalities and what Macon has said about her(138). Ruth ignores h... ...chased from her body, she is seen as good by being faithful to Jesus and loving him to the end ( Mark 16:9). Through out Song of Solomon and the bible, these three characters hold similar roles and personalities to their counterparts. Pilate, Ruth, and Magdalene are characters that are devoted to those that they love and try to help and protect them from harm. As the Song of Solomon book in the bible, the women of the novel love and care for their family members.   

Voltaires Candide Essay -- Voltaire Candide Essays

Voltaire's Candide Throughout the novel, Candide, Voltaire repeatedly exploits the nature of humans to consider other's situations and lifestyles to be better than that of their own. Voltaire uses Candide's journeys to portray the human assumption that the grass is always greener on the other side. This theme is shown in Candide's strife for companionship, his experience with wealth, and his interaction with other characters. The situations that develop the theme do so in such a way that the reader is able to understand and relate to the aspirations of Candide. The first element used to convey the fact that Candide looks at others situations sees what he would like to have is in his journey to find the ideal companion. Throughout his adventures, Candide comes upon many different men with many different companionship situations. For example, during Candide's time with Count Pococurant, Voltaire indicates to the reader that Candide is impressed with the count's two women. (118) The amazement and awe by Candide is answered with an explanation from Count Pococurant that shows that he is happy with them, but is becoming tired of their presence. (118) Voltaire strongly appeals to the reader with this scene because mankind places male/female companionship as a top priority of life. Psychologists have classified human companionship as one of the most essential sociological needs of mankind. This is confusing to Candide's because Count Pococurant is unsatisfie...

Lessons Learned from Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay

Lessons Learned from The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered by many to be a classic novel. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne provides his audience with a real sense of the consequences of unconfessed sin, isolation from society, and the presence of evil everywhere. Through his portrayal of the main characters, his choice of setting, and his implied moral lessons, he teaches lessons that must be learned for humans to continue living in harmony with one another.    The setting of The Scarlet Letter provides a powerful connection between fact and fiction. Events such as the Salem witch trials, which occurred not long after the events of The Scarlet Letter, establish credibility for Hawthorne in that recounting historical details such as fear of witches makes him seem like he actually knows what he is talking about. Hawthorne's writing style has made him "one of the most widely read nineteenth century authors" (Jacobson 4). He upholds Puritan values and concepts while employing the classic allegorical characters of romanticism. One such Puritan value is that the devil resides in the forest. Anytime characters in The Scarlet Letter enter the forest, it is certain that something terrible just happened, is happening, or will happen soon. One such example is when the governor's sister, who is suspected of witchcraft, enters the forest and invites Hester to go with her. It is this woman who represents the idea that evil exists everywhere, especially among those who refuse to acknowledge its existence. Salem is a particularly intriguing setting because of its witch infamy. The occurrence of the witch trials in Salem creates an atmosphere where the evil and the right... ... Hawthorne's allegorical approach at real life situations provides his readers with a sense of accomplishment: a sense that if they learn lessons from others, then they will not have to learn from first hand experience. Although on the surface it may seem like another tale of Puritanistic virtue, The Scarlet Letter is the embodiment of life itself. After reading this novel, one may find that many events in real life today can relate directly to events in The Scarlet Letter.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Chase, Richard (1996). "The Lessons of the Scarlet Letter." Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 145-152). San Diego: Greenhaven.      Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991.      Jacobson, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. New York: Greenwood, 1992.   

Intermittent Fasting Essay

Intermittent Fasting (or IF) takes that time and increases it. Some versions follow a one day on one day off protocol, others will have you fast 24 hours twice a week, and another popular version is fasting every day for 16 hours, while eating 8 (SST. Pierre and Braid 1-2). Most nutritionist and health experts say that the key to a healthy diet is many small meals throughout the day. There is very little, if any, research proving that to be true. In fact, recent studies have shown just the opposite to be true. That IF, decreasing the amount of time you spend eating, has improved health and lead to fat and eight loss.The most important part of any diet is how it improves overall health. IF has been shown in multiple studies to help decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes, control seizures, improve insulin sensitivity, and has even shown improved memory and reduced the risk of stroke in studies done on rats. A lot of the studies on the health aspects of IF have been done on rats. This is where most studies get started before moving on the primates then humans. In a university study conducted led by Voiceless, it was found that rats placed n an alternate day fasting group for 30 days showed better recollection on finding their way through a maze (2).They were shown the way out and were able to find their way our faster on repeat attempts. This shows how their memory was improved following the fasting diet. It also reduced inflammation in the brain. In another study done on rats, it was found that an IF diet reduced the risk of stroke (Fan et la. 5). Testing has not only been done on animals though. Although a small sample size was used (6 children suffering from seizures), a study found the 4 out of the 6 children when put n a 2 half day fast a week for 2 months, had a reduction in the amount of seizures, while one of them only had a reduction on the fasting days (Hartman 2).Based on the small size and lacking a control group, it can be said for sure the IF reduces t he effects of seizures, but it is definitely worth looking into. Another important aspect in one's diet is how it affects weight and fat loss. It is well known that calorie restriction is on the only rock solid way to lose weight. Calories ingested have to be less than calories spent through exercise, daily activity, etc. The problem with calorie restriction is that one has to count the calories they are eating by measuring and weighing food. Unless they have a nutritionist or chef preparing their food, it is likely that they will overestimate their calories. By using IF, it is not necessary to weigh and measure food, but by cutting down the allotted time to eat it is much more likely that less food will be eaten. In a study comparing IF, UDF (alternate day fasting), and calorie restriction, it was found that all three groups lost weight, visible fat, and reduced insulin (Baryon's et la 8). The eight/fat loss was greater in the calorie restriction group, but the IF and UDF were not far behind.For the average American that doesn't have the time to weigh and measure foods or unable to afford a personal chef, IF is an excellent choice. In conclusion, IF is a good diet to try if one wants to lose weight and improve health. There have been enough studies that show it is a good method, and It is more practical than counting calories. Imagine an early ancestor trekking through the woods for two days on an empty stomach tracking a heard of deer. Humans Were born to fast. Works Cited Baryon's, Adrienne, Howdy, Kristin, InterTAN Terry, and Aviary, Skirts.

History of Relational Database

Hao-Wei He Wilmington University October 9, 2010 Abstract Database system have been inseparable with our daily life, since IBM developed the hierarchical database management system in 1969, database system has been innovated many times, such as hierarchical database, network database, relational database, and object-oriented database. Nowadays, relational database still is the most popular model used by different industries; this article is going to introduce the history of the relational database.History of Relational Database Data, which can be defined as an entity of meaning, it is the original material to construct message and knowledge. Thanks to the assistance of computer, data processing practices reached several important milestones. The earliest way to store data are done through manual file management, all documents will be filed and then store, but this method had many processing restrict, such as search, storage takes up a lot of space, and cannot be access by people at t he same time.After IBM announced the first set of hard disk drive for data storage in 1956, due to the innovate development of hard drive, and the access speed much faster than magnetic tape, it replaced the tape drive gradually, and then direct access file system developed. Although direct access file system could access each files directly and improved a lot of missing, but since the objects are files, it still lack of flexibility of processing. Database can be considered to automatically query and modify data sets.There are a variety of database types; from the simplest store all kinds of information forms to large-scale database systems that able to process a variety of mass data storage, are widely used in all inspects of applications. The advantages of database management system: * Reduced redundancy * Integrated data * Integrity * Data commonality * Protect data safety and privacy The disadvantages of database management system: * Overall operating cost will increase * More c omplex to use Need to backup regularly, or unexpected conditions will cause serious data damage * Hard to training database administrator * Difficult to integrate or manage different format from multi systems Therefore, there was an idea about divide files into a sum of record, and store it as an unit in the computer, it also formed the â€Å"Centralized Database System†, it can record a record through hard disk drive, and can directly navigate to the record or fields for further data processing and computing.This concept also derived to the following data types: * Hierarchical Data Model (1960s) Use record as a processing unit, and organize record by tree structure. As a result of the characteristic of tree structure, hierarchical data model particularly suitable for describe â€Å"One to Many† data composition relationship but â€Å"Many to Many† relationship. * Network Data Model (1970s)As a result of the tree structure does not reflect network connection rel ationship between data and data, so after hierarchical data model, some groups proposed â€Å"Network Data Model†, organize records by network structure. However, records in both Hierarchical data model and network data model use link to strung together, so when programming applications must accommodate the structure status between links, a lot of dependencies between programming applications and data structure, and the independence of data is hard to reach, cause the system difficult to maintain. Relational Data Model (1970 ~ present) Edgar Codd, a British computer scientist, proposed â€Å"Relational Data Model in 1970, emphasize the applications should not have any dependencies with internal structure of data, it also known as â€Å"Data Independence†, this data model lead the development of the database system entered a new milestone. In relational data model, data use record as a processing unit, and organize record in tabular form.The applications just face to t he tabular structure, without to understanding the internal structure of the data. Conclusion Relational Database Management System (Relational DBMS) is the most widely used database management system in recent years, the mainly reason is the concept of relational data models is simple, and the basic theory was developed very completely. Since Relational Database management System be proposed in 1970, almost all the commercial database management systems are based on this model.We often hear of the data table, is a relational database foundation.References Yung-Fang Chen, Relational Database management system lecture, Retrieved from http://allen. chen. name/teachdata. htm Jeffrey H. , Mary P. , & Heikki T. (2009). Modern Database Management 9th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Shou-Jeng Tseng. Review Database System and Future Research Develop. Taiwan, Retrieved from http://www. iicm. org. tw/communication/c1_1/page02. html.