Marriage and Counseling Essay

Abstract The structural family therapist goes about helping the entire family instead of singling out the specific person with the issues. When families have good relationships with each other it is mainly when each family member has their specified role and fulfills that role to its entirety. This type of psychotherapy was created by a researcher name Salvador Minuchin, from New York. The primary strategy of this therapy is to develop a bond between the family members that are having problems within their family. The therapist’s goal in this theory is to develop a bond with every member of the family so he or she can figure what the problem is and how to solve it. The structural family theory also brings in a biblical perspective to psychology. This therapy will help shed a new light on how God planned families to be and what roles he wanted each of them to have. Introduction Every person in the world has a family. Some people may be closer to theirs than others but that does not negate the fact that they have a family. With that being said, each family has a different way of functioning. The majority of families raise children and they grow up to be fair adult citizens. Although the majority of families raise their children with no problems, there are still those that have their share of misconceptions. The  structural theory specializes in individuality. It examines each person of the family with their own characteristics and aspirations, while being apart of their entire family. The basic concept to structural therapy looks at rules of a family, roles of each individual, wholeness and organization. ( Goldenberg ; Goldenberg, 2013). A therapist analyzing this data thinks that a person can either function or not function. Functional families make changes and shifts as the members of the unit develop and go through different developmental stages (Becerr a., ; Michale., 2012). A dysfunctional family is not open to change and seeks to keep the members of the unit stuck in the way things always have been and does not foster growth within the individuals members of the family. (Becerra., ; Michale., 2012). Assumptions The relationship individuals have with their families is a source of mental stability for each individual. (Becerra., ; Michale., 2012). This theory thinks that when families talk to each other through speaking and non-verbal communication it is passed down through the generations of their family. Aside from those dysfunctions, structural therapist’s looks at the way families form family triangles, coalition, and family belief systems ( Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013). Structural theory believes that every member of the family have a different role to play as it related to the workings of their family. Healthy families are not families that have no conflict, rather healthy families are able to see the conflict and handle it in an appropriate manner (Harway., Kadin., Gottlieb., Nutt., & Celano,. 2012). Everyones family has their own element of growth and sometimes this causes problems within the family. While going through these growing pains it causes the family members to not be able to adapt to things without their dysfunctional family. Development of The Theory Research was conducted and clinical data was collected on different family systems to understand the patterns of psychosomatic families. Research was conducted at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Center, where Salvador Minuchin  was the director of the center (Goldenberg, & Goldenberg, 2013).A vast majority of these families came from normal homes with each of them having problems within their family. A psychosomatic family is when the child or children in the family develop severe psychosomatic problems as a result of their families dysfunction (Becerra., & Michale., 2012). While working with families that showed signs of a psychosomatic child, the goal was to change the structure of the relationship and develop boundaries, and to deal with underline conflict within the family system (Goldenberg, & Goldenberg, 2013). Salvador Minuchin and his regime of researchers worked diligently while studying this theory and this is now one of the most influential theories of conducting solutio ns to family conflicts. Counseling Technique The main priority of the therapist is to find the solution to the families and help them discover what the roles should be in each family. Structural family therapists address current problems within the family instead of past events (Harway., Kadin., Gottlieb., Nutt., & Celano., 2012). One of the main jobs of the therapist is to find new ways to hinder the present problems the family has and make sure that the problems do not reoccur. The families that do have a hard time solving their troubles need to have a major change in their roles as a family. There are many techniques that counselors employ while working to bring health to the family system. The main techniques are joining, boundary making, enactment, restructuring, and reframing (Hammond., & Nichols. 2008). Boundary in this therapy basically states that there needs to be separation in the family but at the same time it needs to be known that each member of the family knows they have special meaning and are cared for by everyone else in the family. Counselors look to change the hierarchical relationship between the husband/father and the rest of the family (Goldenberg, & Goldenberg, 2013). When referring to enactment, this is stating that a counselor cannot take one person’s side of the family favorably over the others. Counselors that take the side of one member over the other members will interfere with the creation of healthy family functioning (Goldenberg,  ; Goldenberg, 2013). When the therapist sees that there are problems happening within the family he will exemplify positive patterns which can help the family outside of the counseling aspect. This is one factor that will help the families problems not be pissed on from generation to generation. When the therapist reframe s with the family it means that they are coming up with new ways of viewing the problem. The old ways did not work or the therapist just wants to give them a new perspective of the problem, hoping that the new way would be successful. Christian View A Christian view refers to having a biblical foundation in your life and how they feel the presence of the Bible through their every day life and culture. Christians believe that every word in the bible is inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that everything in the Bible is inspired by God, and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instructions (Crabb., 1977). A Christian views marriage and family as one of the greatest things ever created by God. All Christians know that we were all created in Gods image as a reflection of God’s glory. Everyones family is set up in a different and unique way. God created the family concept for the husband and father to be the leader of his wife and his children. God created Eve for Adam with the assumption that they would meet each others needs and have children together. Ephesians 5:25 says that Adams main objective should be to love his wife the was Christ loves the church. This is how all men should treat their wives and if not, it can lead to serious dysfunctional relationships and families. The wives number one priority should be to submit to her husband and to care for the children. The children should respect and mind their parents as long as the parents are still in a steady walk with Jesus Christ (Ephesians 6:1). Many families stray away from these simple concepts and it also leads to havi ng a broken family. If families remain true to their Christian view of life and their culture within their family they can live happily and not be hindered by outside influences, also known as the Devil. My personal family theory is the same as structural family therapy. When the therapist focuses on each individual of the family it creates a better way to deal with the problems that Christian and non-Christian families have. Structural family model looks at creating balance within the concepts of family dynamic. Structural therapist looks at defining family rules, roles, coalition, subsystems, boundaries, and wholeness (Goldenberg, & Goldenberg, 2013). Dr. Crabb stated He looked at the life of Paul and stated that as believes we should do everything to please God and not man (Crabb, 1977). When Christians are involved in counseling they should make sure that all of the counseling sessions not only help their family but also reflects God in every single aspect. Compare/Contrast Structural Family Therapy has a lot of similarities as family directed therapy. Family-directed therapy is a younger model of structural therapy, but with different aspects to the theory that structural family therapy doesn’t look at (McLendon., McLendon., & Petr., 2005). Both of these types of therapies determine that the parents should care for the children, not the other way around. They also both show the families the positives in their system, the negatives, and what needs to be changed throughout their maturing process as a family. Family-directed therapy is more time limited and while working on goals that were set by members of the family (McLendon., McLendon., & Petr., 2005). In the structural therapy the family members do not set the goals for the members. The therapist sets them because he knows exactly where the weaknesses and the strong points of the family are. Conclusion Structural Therapy is a counseling model created by Salvador Minuchin and his crew of researchers. Much of the early research for the theory was done at an inner city to understand the how families functioned when high levels of poverty and single-mother lead homes where older child were more like a second parents in the family (Harway., Kadin., Gottlieb., Nutt., & Celano., 2012). The purpose for this theory is to aid families with providing them counseling and making their family functional in all ways. These counselors  find ways to establish roles within the family system and to establish boundaries between the family members. The goal of the therapist with a Christian view is to strengthen the marriage, parent/child relationship and to help each family understand their role in their family. Christian counselors rely on God to help guide them into bringing change within the family unit.

Never Judge a Book by It’s Cover Speech

Good Morning, fellow students and Teachers, Today I will be talking about the topic â€Å"Never Judge a book by its cover†. Never judge a book by its cover is a saying the meaning is never Judge someone or something by what they look like. If you didn’t play with a person when they Asked because you think they don’t look Pleasant you may be wrong they might Be really nice on the inside and very Fun. Also it’s not what they look on the Outside it’s what’s on the inside thatCounts the most. I may not have eaten the sushi at The party because it looked yucky, Well maybe I’m wrong maybe it Tastes yummy. That’s another Don’t judge a book by its cover but it is a don’t judge the food on how it looks. It’s also like if I didn’t eat the passion Fruit because it looks yuck well I Have already eaten the passion Fruit so it’s not about me it’s about You. Every time I have passion fruit For fruit br eak I have people come Up to me and say uhh†¦ nd all Of those people who do this haven’t Even tried it. That’s another don’t judge food on What it looks like. So I think I’ve made my point so Next time you something that Looks unpleasant try it! You Never know when it comes To food, fashion, furniture And many more things. Next time you see someone Who looks unpleasant ask them To play because the chances Of you having a new best friend is possible! Thank you for listening to my Speech topic!

Planning theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Planning theory - Essay Example Thus spatial planning is regarded as a wider approach and this report would basically focus its attention on spatial planning in urban areas and also the regulations and policies which can directly impact on urban renewal. In fact urban planning is about determining the future plans for the design and organization of urban space and activities. Basically the urban spatial planning is provided by the local government and country planning system in order to use it in an optimum manner (Valler, Wood, & North, 2000). Urban spatial planning is regarded as integration of both the land use planning and transport planning in order to develop the area economically and socially. Thus spatial planning in urban areas is not a single tool, process and activity. In fact it consists of urban renewal which would already be lacking in investment with fewer developments (Jessop, 1990). In fact it identifies strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats throughout the particular area and proposes how it can be developed with some distinctive approaches in order to address the desired objective. This report would concentrate on spatial planning in urban areas and would delineate a series of suggestions for the improvement of physical arrangements in existing urban area, thus obviating the need for over-utilizing the strategic resources (Healy, 2003). The local government’s current plan is to efficiently use lands in urban areas so that planning policy goes beyond the traditional system of land use planning and integrates development strategies and regulations as required by sustainable development and sustainable communities. Thus urban planning assumes a very complex nature against the backdrop of rising uncertainties in the external environment (Jessop, 2002). This paper will have a strategic focus on the outcomes related to planning in urban areas and the focus of attention will be on planning perspectives that have been unfolding against

Discussion questions week 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discussion questions week 2 - Essay Example The technique can be applied to different type of business data such as production, sales, inventories, investment, raw materials, employee needs, and development products (Mann, 1995). Time series analysis can be applied to forecast the revenue stream of a public company such as Starbucks. The raw data needed is the historic revenue of the company. The raw data concerning the revenues of Starbucks is illustrated below The consumer confidence index shows how people feel about the American economy. The index was set with a base in 1985 which represents the first year the index evaluated the consumer confidence in the economy. In May 2008 the index had a value of 57.2, while in October 1992 the index had a value of 54.6. Both these time period represent a position in time in which the country was facing recessionary forces. The value of the index states that people had more confidence in the economy in May 2008 than in October 1992. If the consumer index was 62.8 in April 2008, this would imply that the citizens of the United States suddenly lost major confidence in the state of the economy in a short period of time. There was a negative change of 5.6 in the index between April and May of

Language and heteronormativity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Language and heteronormativity - Essay Example What naturally can be derived from this is that the stereotyped images of women are simply the â€Å"approved typifications† of our society, which are even considered as appropriate and positive. While other information and communication channels like television news or films have within them a strong parallel stream of thought trying to break free from these stereotypical images, in advertising, they are rare. This could be a phenomenon that can be attributed to the fact that at any cost, an advertiser cannot afford to fail because he/she has a product to sell. Hence conforming to society's stereotypes becomes a necessity rather than chance. The advertisement that is being discussed in this essay is the television commercial of Era laundry detergent.( http://youtu.be/Leey5GZe-Ws ). This advertisement has many layers of gender stereotyping within it and the most evident one is the broad association of laundry washing with female gender (Era laundry detergent). This is an age o ld stereotype in itself. Human culture in different civilisations has been adamently sticking to the notion that it is the job of women to wash laundry and hence all detergent advertisements show women doing the laundry in a domestic ambience. The first frame of the advertisement, in which a woman is seen standing near a washing machine in the wash area of the house, has already made the suggestion that the place of a woman is in such an ambiance (Era laundry detergent). Goffman has called visuals (photographs and television videos, especially), the â€Å"a community's ritual idiom something like what a written text is for students of its spoken language† (27). When the woman starts talking, the viewer comes to know that she is not washing her clothes alone but her husband's shirt also (Era laundry detergent). What she says is that she is able to clean even the tough stains on her husband's shirt using this detergent (Era laundry detergent). The visuals that follow are expect ed by the makers of this film to be funny and meaningful, as the viewer sees the woman shown in the beginning of the advertisement, doing household chores like toasting bread and disposing kitchen waste, as if she is the heroine of an action movie (Era laundry detergent). Along with these visuals, the viewers listen to her telling that she is busy, and she is tough and the implied meaning here is also that she enjoys her domestic work, she is proud of the way she manages it and also she has no complaints about life (Era laundry detergent). The punchline of this advertisement in the end is â€Å"tough detergent for tough moms† (Era laundry detergent). This statement asserts that the woman the viewer sees in this commercial has only one single identity- the identity of a mom (Era laundry detergent). It is as if she is born to become a mom and nothing else. Yet, the mention about the husband's shirt in the beginning of the commercial also implies that she is also a wife and when she hands over a packet of lunch to her daughter who seems to be leaving for school, the mother image is reinforced (Era laundry detergent). In this manner, this commercial limits a woman's identity to just being a wife and a mother (Era laundry detergent). The clothes of the husband shown in the commercial are white. Everyone knows that keeping white clothes clean and spotless is the most difficult laundry task. Everybody also know that because of this, a

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

Rewrite - Essay Example Customer satisfaction is seen as our companys top most priority. Our company responds and adapts quickly to customer requirements. Not only that, but our company goes beyond the expectation of defect and error reduction, merely meeting specifications, and minimizing customer complaints. Prestige International, Inc. works to constantly improve product and service attributes that meet basic requirements. This helps them to gain a competitive advantage. Ongoing improvement of all operations, activities and tasks is highly valued by Prestige International, Inc. Once it is realized that a product’s top quality is demanded by a customer, continuous development is immediately put into effect to assure the highest level of customer satisfaction. We also recognize that the quality of our product is a direct result of the process involved. As a result, there is a strong focus on continuous improvement of our companys processes. Improvement cycles are encouraged and maintained for all the companys activities like, product development and the proper management of customer relationships. Eliminating waste is another component of the continuous improvement approach. The customer-driven approach helps to prevent errors, decrease mistakes, and achieve defect-free production. Prestige International, Inc. adopted TQM as a code of life for the company. It was introduced and directed by top management where commitment, dedication and personal involvement has always been a top priority of theirs. This has efficiently helped in creating and deploying clear quality values and goals consistent with the objectives of the company while at the same time ensuring and deploying well-defined systems, methods and performance measures for achieving those goals. These systems and methods put in place actively guide all quality activities and encourage employee participation. Prestige International,

State-Church Issues in the Film Boenhoffer Dissertation

State-Church Issues in the Film Boenhoffer - Dissertation Example The paper "State-Church Issues in the Film Boenhoffer" identifies similar conflicts between the politics of the state and personal religious belief. The paper also discusses if in the film "Boenhoffer" given the odious nature of the Nazi regime the decision by Boenhoffer to resist the state is unlikely to be questioned or criticized.Bonhoeffer's do not resemble the religious and political extremists of the Middle East because his actions were aimed at ending an authoritarian rule as opposed to the Middle East Extremists who fight religion and extend the fight to the Christian related political ideologies. Adolf Hitler is known in history for murdering people, Jews, but the Middle East extremists fight the Christian ideologies that have never claimed lives like the Hitler’s regime. Therefore, Bonhoeffer's actions are not similar to the Middle East extremists of political insurgency.It is permissible to break the law when a political regime does not respect humanity and uses an authoritarian rule like the Adolf Hitler case. On the other hand, it is permissible to break the rule when the pursuance of religious scruples serves to protect human rights and as such, is directed towards denouncing inhumane acts. However, the danger of such sacrifices may result in severe penalties in the case of Bonhoeffer's prosecution and can comprise an individual’s personal liberty through imprisonment. The Gestapo used the statement to accuse Bonhoeffer of going against his religious belief.

Changes in UAE Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Changes in UAE Culture - Essay Example The major contributing factor toward the multiculturalism of the UAE is the massive in-pour of foreigners specially Westerners in the UAE. Another contributing factor is government’s flexible policies and frequent efforts to modify the country’s environment so as to match the needs of the foreigners. The main reason the government is doing this is that the government wants to provide the foreigners with a homely environment so that more and more foreigners work in the UAE and contribute to the strength of its economy. The positive effect of multiculturalism of the UAE is that it has provided the indigenous people with an opportunity to easily integrate into the contemporary lifestyle. For centuries, the Arabs have lived the life of nomadic tribes that were totally unaware of technology or the fundamentals of the modern lifestyle. Living with the foreigners in their own country has enabled the people to live and work in the foreign countries. The negative effect of multi culturalism of the UAE is primarily the concerns of the indigenous population to preserve its original culture as it is readily merging into the whole range of cultures that are dwelling together in the UAE. Preserving the indigenous culture of the UAE is primarily the government’s responsibility. To achieve this, the government can take initiatives that describe the indigenous culture of the UAE, for example, making films, theatres, and songs that reflect the original values of the UAE culture. The government has taken certain steps to preserve the indigenous culture e.g. â€Å"To act as repositories of this heritage and a source of information for both visitors and the younger generation who have not experienced a traditional lifestyle, museums and heritage centres have been developed throughout the UAE† (UAE Interact, n.d.), but objective measures need to be taken to actually sustain this culture in a time where it is threatened by external cultures. Change 2 Increa se in the Number of English-Speaking Indigenous People of the UAE I have chosen this area of change because there is a considerably increase in the number of the indigenous people of the UAE who know and can speak and understand English today than there were 40 years before. Today, there is a very large population of foreigners in the UAE and though many of them are not Americans and have arrived there from such South-East Asian countries as Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, yet they commonly communicate with one another in English. Owing to the omnipresence of the English-speaking foreigners in the UAE, the indigenous people feel the need to learn to speak English because they have to encounter the English-speaking foreigners on daily basis and everywhere, be it market or workplace. For centuries, the people in all of the Arab countries including the UAE have not felt the need to learn English, but now they have. The main contributing factor behind increase in the number of English -speaking indigenous people in the UAE is the fact that they have to interact, live, and work with the foreigners on daily basis whether or not English is the first language for the foreigners. Since a vast majority of the foreigners from the South East Asian countries cannot speak Arabic, so English has been established as a standard language for communication with

Miscommunications in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Miscommunications in the Workplace Essay Recently we have had two of our retailers contact us with problems regarding shipments they have received or have failed to receive. I know this is not the first time this has happened but I would like to minimize the possibilities of it happening again. It seems the root of our problem is miscommunication in the workplace. As a shipping manager that has seen this kind of issue before in past work experiences and I believe I know what we can do to solve our breakdown in communication between the various departments, retailers, and co-workers. As CFO I know you will see this proposal can benefit the company both financially and operationally. First, I propose that the company implement a required form of communication. I believe hand written notes are a thing of the past and that we should upgrade our communication requirements to electronic mail. If we had an e-mail only policy we could have record of all communication on file without the risk of losing a post-it note. E-mail also includes the option of a read receipt, which allows the user to know when the receiver has opened and read the message or if they have not seen the message yet and another form of  communication, such as a phone call, might be required to meet a deadline. The policy might also include that all e-mails must receive a reply no matter how simple the message. I can head a short meeting at the end of the day to cover the implementation of this plan. The idea here is to eliminate hand written notes as well as informal communication such as instant messengers and social network communications. We will need to upgrade a few of the employees company cell phones and instruct them on how to use e-mail on these devices. Even though e-mails are good for keeping a history of communications, public relations expert Lisa Elias states, When delivering delicate information, pick up the phone. A gentle tone of voice can soften bad news or express warmth and caring, whereas an email or text can easily be misconstrued, (Kouremetis 2013). Although e-mail can help eliminate the outside forms of communication, another possible resolution would be to implement task management software into the office. This alone may solve the issue. There are many different task management programs available but one that has caught my eye is AtTask, which is used by corporations such as HBO, Samsung, and Adobe. AtTask will allow us to run a free trial of the software prior to purchasing and claims the product will allow us to see what is going on with our projects, if we are on time, and when it will be done (Services, 2012). You will even have access to the task manager to see what is going on in our shipping bay. AtTask even has an integrated communications technology that allows for instant messaging between co-workers and a notes system for the client list. That way, if one person speaks with a client of ours and they request a change to their order he can enter the message in the clients message folder and we can all receive the notification straight to our smart phones and computers. Even though, task management software will ultimately benefit company wide communication, another area that lacks focus is education on the subject matter of the workplace. A few of these men have worked here for over ten years and they know every part number by memory, but communication technology is outgrowing these few at a rapid pace. On the other end of the  spectrum, these younger men have keen senses of current technological advancements, but they could use some more time in learning the step-by-step processes we face on a daily basis. I propose that we run a workshop meeting once every two weeks for a total of eight weeks to teach the young ones about the process of shipping from us, the supplier, to the consumer/retailer. This workshop could possibly be run during hours if the time comes available, but will most likely need to take place on Saturday from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. The instructors will be chosen from 3 of our most experienced workers who will earn overtime from these extra hours. A separate workshop on communication technology for the employees that have been here should happen once a week for an hour, probably on Wednesday evenings after work. The employees will be eligible for overtime with this extra hour on the job. I believe that being educated on the subject matter of the workplace is vital to our success. In addition to knowledge of the workplace being significant, another part of the communication process that has lacked in certain areas is feedback. Feedback is one of the four major communication functions (Belch 2012). It is the key to knowing your communication was successful. We need to emphasize in the training process that it is okay to ask questions. I have seen it happen before where someone is afraid to ask a question for fear of disapproval only to have to go back re-work what has been done. Asking the right questions can help us to do it right the first time (D.I.R.T.Fi.T.). I feel the previously mentioned workshops would be a great time to re-emphasize the importance of asking questions. Also, as mentioned in the first proposal, all e-mails must receive a reply or they will be followed up with a phone call. We must remember that sometimes in order to receive feedback it must be asked for. After explaining a work order or process it is vital to ask, Do you understand? or Do you have any questions for me? Another way of obtaining feedback would be through face-to-face technology. With our smartphones and office computers we can send a more personal message with FTF video conferencing. Google Hangouts are part of the Google suite of applications that support multi-party video chat as well as other Google applications including Sketch-UP, Docs, Spreadsheets, Presentations, and screen sharing and these types of technologies are being recommended as  teaching formats to doctors and professors around the globe (Roseth, 2013). In conclusion, I do believe there is work to be done in regards to the communication process in the workplace. I have proposed four strategies to minimize the possibility of future communication breakdowns. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. You may decide to choose one or to integrate all four, the choice is yours, but I do ask that you please take your time in considering the possibilities and I do trust you will choose what is best for the company. References Belch, G. E., Belch, M. A. (2012). Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 9th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Kouremetis, D. (2013). Choosing Communication Methods Wisely for Your Small Business. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/denakouremetis/2013/01/28/choosing-communication-methods-wisely-for-your-small-business/ Roseth, C. (2013). Blending Synchronous Face-to-face and Computer-Supported Cooperative Learning in a Hybrid Doctoral Seminar. Techtrends: Linking Research Practice To Improve Learning, 57(3), 54-59. Services. (2012). AtTask software services retrieved from http://www.attask.com/services

Educational psychology Essay Example for Free

Educational psychology Essay Fluency is† a measure of the reader’s competence at decoding and recognizing sight words with automaticity at a specified reading level† (Pennington, 2013). It is believed that the higher the level of fluency, the higher the level of comprehension. Fluency involves three major areas: intonation, pacing, and phrasing. Intonation is the pattern of pitch change when reading a passage. It allows the audience to tell when there’s excitement or even a question. Pacing is the speed in which the student reads a given passage, and phrasing allows the student to use â€Å"meaning and structure sources of information† to help them solve problems as they are reading (Reading Recovery, n. d.). For the purpose of this task, I will describe a three-day literacy unit including the strategies, activities, and the reason for both. The first day of the unit to improve fluency will involve choral reading. Choral reading is when the students all read together in unison. Not only does it improve fluency, but also self confidence in students who might otherwise not like to read in front of the whole class. It is also good for building vocabulary. For the choral reading part of the unit, I will use the book, Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom. This book has text with a rhyming pattern which is an excellent way to improve fluency. For the next day’s unit, I will use partner reading to try and improve fluency. The students will be paired in groups of two, one with a higher reading level to help the lower level reader. Each will read every other page from the book Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. This book has a rhyming pattern which helps improve fluency. Partner reading encourages cooperation and supports the peer-assisted learning. The two students will re-read missed words to each other to support their partner’s reading. The third day of the literacy unit will be a reading theater. â€Å"Reader’s Theater is a dramatic presentation of a written work in a script form† (Teaching Heart, 2008). Students are given a part from a script and practice reading their part with expressive voices and gestures. Reader’s Theater addresses all three aspects of oral reading fluency: intonation, pacing, andphrasi ng. Studies show that it â€Å"enhanced oral reading word recognition, comprehension, and also boosted confidence and motivation toward reading† (Millin Rinhart, 1999). The students will read the book, The  Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. They will divided up into groups of five children, all with different reading abilities, and each reader will be assigned a number from one to five. They will each be given a script with the different parts highlighted with numbers one to five and read their particular assigned part. Each of the three chosen strategies support the three parts of oral reading fluency: intonation, pacing, and phrasing. Repeating these strategies will help readers of all levels to improve their oral reading fluency and in the process, build their self-esteem and develop a more positive attitude towards reading. References Millin, S. K., Rinehart, S. D. (1999). Some of the benefits of readers theater participation for second-grade title i students. reading research and instruction. Informally published manuscript, University of West Virginia, Morgantown, West Virginia, , Available from Title I.  Pennington, M. (2009, June 15). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://penningtonpublishing.com/blog/reading/how-and-why-to-teach-fluency/Teachers Heart. (2008, July). Readers theater. Retrieved from http://www.teachingheart.net/readerstheater.htm

Government Guidelines on Food and Nutrition for Children

Government Guidelines on Food and Nutrition for Children Q1) Construct a table to identify the main government guidelines on food and nutrtion and evaluate the ways in which they can be incorporated into the child care setting. Answer: Food Groups: Fruits Vegetables Grains Protein foods ( meat + beans ) Dairy Babies 0-6 months – breast or formula milk. 6-9 months – milk , dairy, water, variety of different textured solid liquidised meals. 9 months–1 year – milk, water, lumpy foods. Daily recommendation for Grain group. Children 1-3 years old 3 ounce equivalents 4-8 years 5 ounce equivalents Girls 9-13 years 5 ounce equivalents 14-18 years 6 ounce equivalents Boys 9-13 years 6 ounce equivalents 14-18 years 8 ounce equivalents Daily recommendation for Protein foods group. Children 1-3 years old 2 ounce equivalents 4-8 years 4 ounce equivalents Girls 9-13 years 5 ounce equivalents 14-18 years 5 ounce equivalents Boys 9-13 years 5 ounce equivalents 14-18 years 6 ounce equivalents Daily recommendation for Dairy group Children 1-3 years old 2 cups 4-8 years 2 Â ½ cups Girls 9-13 years 3 cups 14-18 years 3 cups Boys 9-13 years 3 cups 14-18 years 3 cups Vitamins and Minerals Recommended Dietary Allowances for Folate. Age Male Female Birth to 6 months 65 mcg 65 mcg 7-12 months 80 mcg 80 mcg 1-3 years 150 mcg 150 mcg 4-8 years 200 mcg 200 mcg 9-13 years 300 mcg 300 mcg 14-18 years 400 mcg 400 mcg 19+ years 400 mcg 400 mcg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Iron Birth to 6 months 0.27 mg 0.27 mg 7-12 months 11 mg 11 mg 1-3 years 7 mg 7 mg 4-8 years 10 mg 10 mg 9-13 years 8 mg 8 mg 14-18 years 11 mg 15 mg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Magnesium. Birth to 6 months 30 mg 30 mg 7-12 months 75 mg 75 mg 1-3 years 80 mg 80 mg 4-8 years 130 mg 130 mg 9-13 years 240 mg 240 mg 14-18 years 410 mg 360 mg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Selenium. 0-6 months 15 mcg 15 mcg 7-12 months 20 mcg 20 mcg 1-3 years 20 mcg 20 mcg 4-8 years 30 mcg 30 mcg 9-13 years 40 mcg 40 mcg 14-18 years 55 mcg 55 mcg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Zinc. Age Male Female 0-6 months 2 mg 2 mg 7-12 months 3 mg 3 mg 1-3 years 3 mg 3 mg 4-8 years 5 mg 5 mg 9-13 years 8 mg 8 mg 14-18 years 11 mg 9 mg 19+ years 11 mg 8 mg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin A. 0-6 months 400 mcg 400 mcg 7-12 months 500 mcg 500 mcg 1-3 years 300 mcg 300 mcg 4-8 years 400 mcg 400 mcg 9-13 years 600 mcg 600 mcg 14- 18 years 900 mcg 700 mcg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin B6. 0-6 months 0.1 mg 0.1 mg 7-12 months 0.3 mg 0.3 mg 1-3 years 0.5 mg 0.5 mg 4-8 years 0.6 mg 0.6 mg 9-13 years 1.0 mg 1.0 mg 14-18 years 1.3 mg 1.2 mg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin D. 0-12 months 10 mcg 10 mcg 1-13 years 15 mcg 15 mcg 14-18 years 15 mcg 15 mcg Recommended Dietary Allowance for Vitamin E. 0-6 months 4 mg 4 mg 7-12 months 5 mg 5 mg 1-3 years 6 mg 6 mg 4-8 years 7 mg 7 mg 9-13 years 11 mg 11 mg 14+years 15 mg 15 mg Q2) Identify and describe the types of food that are unsuitable for babies and young children. You should specify the reasons why these foods are unsuitable. Answer: Honey: Honey may contain the spores of a type of bacterium called Clostridium Botulinum that can cause a very serious illness in babies. The clostridium botulinum bacteria can sometimes occur naturally in honey, and although the bacteria does not grow in the honey and cause problems. It can grow in the gastrointestinal trot of babies less than 1 year of age, and can lead to the medical condition Infant Botulism. Salt and sugar: Salt and sugar shouldnt be added to babies food. Processed foods, foods tinned in brine and snacks such as chips. Gravies and stock cubes, not specifically for infants, are very high in salt. Even small quantities of salt can prove dangerous for babies. This is because at their young age their kidneys are unable to process the salt in the way that adults kidneys can. Young children should avoid sugar, particularly sugar drinks and snacks. Things such as soft drinks, fizzy drinks prepackaged convenience foods, foods are very high in sugar which can be potentially harmful to a babies or young childs developing organs, they also increase the risk of tooth decay and acid erosion. The following foods should be avoided due to the higher risk of food poisoning. *fermented meats *poultry *fish and shellfish *raw sprouts *raw eggs All food should be cooked throughly. Eggs are high in protein and because babies have delicate intestine system they can react to the amount of protein found. After 6 mouths well cooked eggs can be given. Large fishes such as swordfish, shark and marlin contain high levels of mercury which can have a detrimental effect on the development of the nervous system. Nuts: Nuts should not be given to children under the age of 6 as they can be a potentially fatal choking hazard and peanut allergy. However if there is no history of peanut allergy in the family, they can be given to young children in the form of peanut butter or crushed and added to yogurts or cereals. Q3) Design a child record form for a new child joing a home care setting with specific dietary requirement. Describe the dietary requirements and why it should be documented accurately. Answer: Childs name.Prashant Thakor Dietary requirementsIslamic religion. No pork products meat must be halal. foods containg animal fat are not eaten Consequence of the dietary requirement not being followed. against religion. Emergency instructions should ingestion of an allergic food occur.. N/A Necessary medication N/A Emergency contact informationcontact parents immediately to let them know what happened. Parental signature Child care provider signature When Prashant starts the home setting, parents need to fill in information sheets about Prashant and their family religion needs. Prashant can only eat halal meat. This is dietary requirements. Prashant parents need to put this in the information pack so the (practioner) is made aware and can have this information on a file. It will then be written up and displayed in the kitchen area where the food is prepared.so whoever is preparing the food is aware of all childrens requirements. It is important to make sure all childrens dietary requirements are presented this way to make sure they are eating what their parents have specified and not breaking their religion needs. As well children with allergies if this is not displayed in the cooking area or on file, the child may come to harm from having food they shouldnt. Q4) Define the 4 childhood chronic diseases identified in the course manual, and discuss the ways in which development can be effected. Answer: Asthma: Asthma is a disease that effects the lungs and airways. Children is asthma, their airways are always slightly inflamed compared to other children airways. When children come into contact with dust, animals, smokers or carring out daily activities like PE, running around in the playground, this can lead to them becoming out of breath, wheezing, coughing which leads to their airways becoming more inflamed leading to an attack and the children panicking. Children with asthma tend to take medicine or have inhalers to control their asthma, however if a attack occurs it does not help. Asthma affects childrens physical development as when running around thisb makes them become wheezy and out of breath leading to them missing PE activities or if they have attacks this can result in children missing school and missing out on daily activities and not being able to catch up. Diabetes: Diabetes is where the body does not produce enough insulin from the pancreas which is needed to collect glucose to give children the energy to carry out daily activities without feeling to tired or ill. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes which is controlled on a healthy diet and insulin injections and type 2 is more controlled with just a healthy diet and when the children go into adulthood they may need medication or insulin. Diabetes can affect childrens development because they can become tired and confused which can affect their concentration in school and their learning. In some cases children become frustrated and worried about the affects of their diabetes in school, as at home they may incur bed wetting by accident. They may have a smelly breath and worry about what their peers will say. Cystic Fibrosis: Cystic fibrosis is a inherited disease. It is where to much mucus has built up in the child lungs causing infections and shortness of breath . It can cause delay in a childs growth and to gain weight. The child may have a lot of time off school due to regular injections. Some children might be able to go to school however will not be able to cope playing and PE lessons. Cerebral Palsy: Cerebral Palsy is caused by damage to the brain prior to birth, even though the damage does not get any worse, it does not get any better. A child with cerebral palsy demonstrates some physical difficulties because the individual child and their lack of control of their muscles which can lead to stift painful limbs. Some children struggle to walk, run have good posture and even sitting down with their legs crossed. They struggle to develop the ability to do this due to the muscles and limbs.

Personal Narrative- Photo :: Personal Narrative Photograph Picture

Personal Narrative- Photo Remember back to the times of your youth, when a family member or friend would grace you with a gift? Remember that butterfly feeling you would get in the pit of your stomach and work itself outward and make you tingle with anticipation? Remember waking up early on Christmas morning way ahead of your parents only to attempt to wait patiently until they arose? Remember the moans of despair when they finally did clamber out of their bed to tell you that breakfast must be eaten first before gifts are opened? And remember the giggles that escaped one's lips when they grin mischievously and say "just kidding?" There was always one wrapped gift that stood apart from the rest. For weeks you gazed and pondered what on earth it could contain. At night as the sandman sang his sweet song in your ear you could swear that the gaily wrapped parcel was singing in unison, murmuring "open me first" over and over again. On my mantel sits a photo that captures this feeling. The likeness was not taken at Christmastime, but on an ordinary day which makes that day even more special to those involved. This photo rests within a white ceramic frame illuminated with two tiny, pink flowers with delicate green runners emanating outward on opposing sides of the frame. Another flower rests within, a flower in bloom. Daffodil eyes squinting in merriment, rosebud lips stretched to their outermost reaches, grasping for the sun, and cherry blossom cheeks glistening as with the morning dew: This is my daughter Daisy. She sits atop the very first bike she has ever had. (A gift from Easter Seals, made especially for her.) She knows she is special and her heart is full of gladness. She beams at those surrounding her running circles about them with her laughter following in her wake. What a magnificent steed she has! She learns quickly how to control this beast and have it obey her slightest wishes. Right now, at this exact moment in time, all is right with the world.

Examining Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in Professional Boxers

The competitive nature of professional boxing plays an integral role in the longevity of the sport throughout earlier civilization to the modern-day era. The pivotal key in the success of boxing is the unpredictability of what each match entails, which often triggers excitement to highly devoted fans. Nonetheless, there are serious hazards associated with professional boxing (e.g., brain atrophy, and neurological and cognitive impairments). As a matter of fact, most fatalities in the ring are usually due to brain injuries such as brain hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, and brain contusions (Ryan, 1998). In hopes to witness a huge decline in head-injuries, several medical societies have consistently urged the banning of this sport. In this analysis, I will 1) examine the potential dangers of professional boxing; 2) explore the etiology, and the prevalence of CTE in professional boxers and lastly, 3) conduct a comprehensive analysis of two opposing views regarding professional boxing (i. e., to ban, or not to ban?); One of the most serious public health concerns in modern-day boxing is the development of a progressive disease known as the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) (aka â€Å"dementia pugilistica† or â€Å"the punch-drunk effect.†). It has been estimated that CTE occurs in 20% of professional boxers (Zetterberg et al, 2006). The theory behind the frequent occurrence of CTE in professional boxers is due to the accumulated effects of multiple head trauma to the brain (e.g., mild-concussions) which may lead to permanent and irreversible brain damage. It has been known that those professional boxers with more extensive history of boxing matches are more likely to experience severe CTE. Casson et al., (1982) examined ten professional ... ...ts of Boxing. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Levin, H.S., Eisenberg, H.M., Benton, A.L. (1989). Mild Head Injury. Oxford University Press Matthew R. Potter, Ashley J. Snyder, Gary A. Smith, Boxing Injuries Presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments, 1990–2008, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 40, Issue 4, April 2011, Pages 462-467, ISSN 0749-3797, 10.1016/j.amepre.2010.12.018.(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379711000341) McKee, A.C., Cantu, R.C.,Nowinski, C.J., Hedley-Whyte, T., Gavett, B.E., Budson, A.E., Santini, V.E., Lee, H.S., Kubilus, C.A., Stern, R.A. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Athletes: Progressive Tauopathy After Repetitive Head Injury. 2009. Boston, MA: Neuropathology Neurol. Roberts, G.W., Allsop, D., Bruton, C. The occult aftermath of boxing. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1990 May; 53(5): 373–378.

A Dream of Life Essay

Try to picture this: A big white house with light blue shutters and a big porch. Two young children are playing with their dog without arguing or fighting. The mom is preparing dinner ready at 6 o’clock in the big kitchen. Meanwhile, the dad is just arriving from work in his BMW and stops to play a little with his kids. The mom comes out the porch, tells them â€Å"dinner is ready, go wash your hands† and gives the husband a big hug and a welcome kiss. They are the perfect American dream family. This perfect life is what most Americans dream of when they work an eight-hour day in exchange for a two-week vacation and a one-week sick leave. Americans work all this time because they think that the democratic government in the US is working hard to provide them the right of equality, prosperity, and adventure. The people of this nation become slaves of themselves and their dream of life by working too much for something only few get. The right of equality is a big part of this American Dream. But is equality being attained by every citizen? There are myths that stop citizens from acquiring this equality. Simone De Beauvoir in her â€Å"Myth and Reality† essay explains how myths are used to break this equality between women and men. She explains how the eternal myth that women are mysterious and incomprehensible to men affects the equality at work. In a relationship of master to slave, it is always the slave who is mysterious and difficult to understand (818). This myth keeps the women in a lower status than the men, and the equality wanted by every American citizen is not met. There are more myths about equality. For example the myth of working hard to have a secure job, this myth might have been formed by people that had a business and wanted employees to work as hard as possible, so they would make more profit. Americans follow these myths to have a better economic status, but all they are gaining is to be in an uneven equality status. They work hard and slave themselves to their masters (or bosses in this case) to gain this dream, but instead they end up trapped working for life. In contrast, democracy by the society is not always used in a prudent way. Alex De Tocqueville makes a strong point explaining how equality among individuals eventually produces a desire for centralization in government. Consequently the people will be too busy with their own activities and lives making their own fortune. As the outcome, this society will expect the government to take care of the nation so that they will be free to peruse their own opportunities (566). This freedom of democracy might consequently produce governors whose power will be concentrated in a way that the people will exercise this freedom unwisely. The conditions that produce equality on the citizens might as well produce a despot. If a ruler with absolute power if produced from equality then equality stops being equality for everybody, because this ruler will divide the power among the people according to what might be better for him. Furthermore, Alex De Tocqueville explains that â€Å"the principle of quality, which makes men independent of each other, gives them a habit and a taste for following in their private actions no other guide than their own will† (569). This independence tends to make them live with a natural favoritism towards free institutions. For example, the killings of Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Shah of Iran, Pol Pot, Pinochet and others could have been prevented by a free institutionalized government. The problem with this is that â€Å"private life in democratic times is so busy, so excited, and so full of wishes and of work, that hardly any energy or leisure remains to each individual for public life† (573). With no time for public life, half of the dream is gone, and gone not to ever come back again. But people work even harder to get more time, but the harder they work the less time they have. This busyness of working fifty two weeks a year for this freedom makes the society slaves of itself, takes away the freedom generated by equality. Additionally, stereotypes formulated by the government about the people living in this society break the equality given to them by democracy. James Baldwin was a Negro revolutionist, in his essay of â€Å"The American Dream and the American Negro† he explains how the stereotyped generated by the government, of the people living within the society do not allow them the same equality. â€Å"One of the things the white world does not know, but I think I know, is that black people are just like everybody else. We are also mercenaries, dictators, murderers, liars. We are human, too.† There is no exception to who is an American, but the society seems to be making exceptions for color, race or religion. This exception shatters equality, and prosperity is not the same for everybody anymore, but still people work so hard to attain what they dreamed for that they spend too much time doing so, and they lose the occasion of adventure. The American dream is not for everybody as the society seems to believe. Americans are willing to enslave themselves in order to attain their big white houses with light blue shutters. Different myths stop them in the middle of slavery where they stay for the rest of their lives, still trying to reach that dream. While all this is happening, centralization is occurring in the country, and the society is too busy with their own activities and lives making their own fortune, expecting the government to take care of the nation so that they can be free to peruse their own opportunities. This leaves a huge unsecured gap in the government for rulers to have absolute power over the nation. Citizens then become slaves of the country, working endless hours that never seam to end until they die, and their sons and daughters do the same thing, and it becomes a vice circle. At the end, only a few citizens attain their big houses with enough financial security to adventure the world. Those few li ve the American dream. Works cited: Baldwin, James. â€Å"The American Dream and the American Negro.† A World of Ideas Essential Reading for College Writers. By Lee A Jacobus. Sixth Edition ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 261-. Rpt. in A World of Ideas Essential Readings for College Writers. Beauvoir, Simone De. â€Å"Woman: Myth and Reality.† A World of Ideas Essential Reading for College Writers. By Lee A Jacobus. Sixth Edition ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 75-81. Rpt. in A World of Ideas Essential Readings for College Writers. Tocqueville, Alexis de. â€Å"Influence of Democratic Ideas and Feelings on Political Society.† A World of Ideas Essential Readingfor College Writers. By Lee A Jacobus. Sixth Edition ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 247-257. Rpt. in A World of Ideas Essential Readings for College Writers.

Immoral Greed †War and Morality

I am writing to you today because I want to express to you my ideas on morality and war. Morality is an ideal that can be defined as doing what is right, from a philosophical perspective, regardless of the potential consequences of taking action. Although morality is simple to define, what is moral to one person may be immoral to another, making morality entirely subjective when it comes to real problems. Political, societal, and religious influences are just a few inputs that can affect whether a person sees a particular situation as either moral or immoral. Morality is entirely relative, and can change based on the situation. One of the most controversial issues, as morality is concerned, is that of war. While war is a necessary evil, political influences and the need for power make war a potential immoral action when it is not done for the betterment of a nation or society. The motives of a nation that goes to war are one of the most controversial when it comes to the issues of morality. A nation can become involved in a violent interaction for many reasons, and the morality of the war can be based on these reasons. Some wars are fueled by power hungry politicians, while others are waged on religious or societal beliefs and impressions. The issue of morality and war is covered in Jimmy Carter’s, â€Å"Just War – or a Just War?† and Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. First, I believe that in order for a war to be a moral war, all non-violent options must be exercised. In Jimmy Carter’s op-ed piece, entitled â€Å"Just War – or a Just War?†, Mr. Carter makes the observation that â€Å"†¦ war can be waged only as a last resort† (Carter 260). Before a war is waged, a nation’s leaders should exhaust any diplomatic means of resolving the differences they have with their foes. In some governments, hunger for power, rather than acting on a threat, causes war to be waged at the drop of a hat. In the current war in Iraq, there is much controversy over whether the United States declared war on Iraq because it was a last resort, or because the U.S. was hungry for power, and wanted to exert its influence over the Iraqi people. This element of war is further corroborated in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s , â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†. At the height of racial tension in the South, King writes, â€Å"†¦ the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative† (King, Jr. 164). This reflects that not only can war be waged between nations, it can also be waged in a different sense, among a nation. Mr. King also outlines four steps in resolving conflicts in a non-violent manner, â€Å"†¦ collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† (King, Jr. 164). It is important to note that the final step in this outline is direct action. In the same way that problems between nations must be resolved, tensions among a nation must also be resolved, and these attempts at a resolution must be made in a diplomatic way if possible before war is waged. Secondly, I believe that a moral war must consist of actions that are equivalent to those actions taken against the nation. Although the consequences of war, such as death and destruction, are inevitable, Carter also notes that, â€Å"Its violence must be proportional to the injury we have suffered† (Carter 260). To lash out at a weaker nation simply because of differing ideals is not an acceptable cause for war. However, to react to a threat or aggressive acts, is an acceptable cause to wage a war. Many times, governments are hungry for power and will go to war for any reason, simply to exert their power and influence over other countries, thus extending their influence across the nations. For example, the war that the United States has waged against Iraq is a questionable one when it comes to this element. Carter notes that the â€Å"†¦ efforts to tie Iraq to the 9/11 terrorist attacks have been unconvincing† (Carter 260). Although Saddam Hussein’s rule over his people may have been cruel and murderous, the United States did not have the evidence they should have had linking Iraq to the Twin Towers incident in order to justify declaring war. In this sense, the current war may not be moral, as the United States acted out of proportion to any actions Iraq took against us. The idea of any retaliation against or among a nation being based only on injuries suffered, is furthered in Mr. King’s observations. In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, he notes that â€Å"we have not made a single gain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure† (King, Jr. 166). Because the injuries suffered by the African American public in the South were not of a physical nature, but rather a political nature, Mr. King reiterates that with consistent pressure from the African American community in a non-violent manner, they have been able to make progress in obtaining civil rights. It is important to note Mr. King’s emphasis on the necessity of determination in bringing about any amount of change to the African American community. To resolve the conflict in the South between races, it took many years of protesting and non-violent measures, and if the African American population had not been determined to bringing about a non-violent end to their struggle, the changes that took place may have never occurred. Finally, I believe that a war can only be considered to be moral if the outcome of the war is a significant improvement over the nation that existed prior to the conflict. Carter notes that in order for a war to be just, â€Å"The peace it establishes must be a clear improvement over what exists† (Carter 260). In essence, the aftermath of the war must create a sense of peace that is much improved over what had previously existed within the nation – if it does not, the war was ultimately in vain. These elements are apparent in the current war that the United States is waging in Iraq. The United States has gone to war with Iraq, perhaps with the best of intentions for the Iraqi people, but only chaos and destruction have ensued. The peace of the nation of Iraq has not been much improved over what was previously in place. Martin Luther King, Jr. touches on the idea of acceptable moral reasons for demanding changes, as well. Mr. King writes, â€Å"Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong† (King, Jr. 168). In both Carter and King’s writing, it is well noted that peace is the ultimate goal of any conflict, whether it be between nations or among one nation. In conclusion, morality is a subjective ideal that is a contributor to conflicts both between nations and among one nation. War is necessary, but can be based on political, religious, or societal pressures of a nation. War can be perpetuated by political greed, or religious and societal reasons. It is important for a nation to make a valiant attempt to diplomatically resolve their conflicts with other nations or among their own nation before waging war. The morality of waging war is one of the most controversial issues nations face, whether it be with other nations or in dealing with conflicts among their own nation. Works Cited Carter, Jimmy. â€Å"Just War – or a Just War?† The Presence of Others: voices and images that call for response. Andrea Lunsford and John Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford, 2004. 259-261. King, Jr., Martin L. â€Å"Letter From Birmingham Jail†. The Presence of Others: voices and images that call for response. Andrea Lunsford and John Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford, 2004. 163-176.

Professional Development Plan

Furthermore it will discuss techniques widely utilized include multiple association memberships, advanced/continuing education courses, and association with and In both student and professional resource groups. This paper will Identify and discuss two professional membership organizations and explain why each would be beneficial as a psychology professional. It will also identify and discuss one potential resource to utilize as a networking element and explain the steps to realize the opportunity so presented.Lastly this paper will evaluate and discuss the benefits resented by networking among such groups and how they might support vocational goals and objectives. Introduction took an undergraduate class called Positive Psychology and it empowered me more than I thought it would. One supplemental book that was used: Strength Finders 2. 0 (Rata, 2007). Not only did it put me In the right mind-set but it also allowed me to make the right decision career-wise. I was trying to decide whe ther or not to pursue a MS or M. A. In Psychology. After reading Rates book and applying It to my personal life, I finally stuck to what was in my heart; counseling.No coursework actually influenced me to pursue a Masters in Psychology degree. I was attending Morehouse College attempting to pursue Pre-Med Biology and was required to take a few psychology classes, after having a deeper understanding of what psychology was, I was hooked and changed my major. My passion for helping individuals has directly and indirectly influenced the career field I'm pursuing. It has always been a passion of mine to help youth. As I became older and matured in life over the years, Eve been able to direct what I want to do In life In a more concrete direction.I started from mating to be a pediatrician, because I wanted to help kids, to now in the process of becoming a therapist, still helping kids. At 29, I'm still learning that I don't know as much as I think I do. Eve learned that in order to be the best at what I'm trying to do, I need to apply myself much more than I'm doing now. The various theories Eve covered thus far has given me a greater outlook on the past and what the future can be. Everything that I'm learning can be used in some aspect and I won't fully know the extent of what I've learned until I have to use it in practical application career- sis.I'm learning to be thoughtful and respectful of theories and Ideas that do not appeal to me or that I don't agree with. When It comes to Interest, goals and values, It is something that I do not compromise on, especially my values. I use to work at a 1 OFF plan and come up with something that will help them start the process of discharging in the future. Kind of like a therapist but without the therapy part and licensee aspect. I have clients ask me things, ask for things and tell me thing that are far from my values. What I have to remember is that, â€Å"I'm not here to teach my ales, I'm here to make transformationsà ¢â‚¬ .It's hard sometimes because I'm dealing with clients from all walks of life and they've been through hell and back. What it does for me is allow me to appreciate the values that I do have that have allowed me to make it to where I am now. Goal wise, the field that I am in now is where I want to be for the rest of my life. As I stated before, I initially began with wanting to be a pediatrician but as reality set in for me I decided that I can still â€Å"help† people but Just in a different facet, that being through psychology.The things Eve learned over the ears and the experiences Eve have, whether positive or negative are all â€Å"tools† that Eve acquired that will allow me to help others reach and overcome the issues that they may be struggling with. That is why I love working with youth because I seem to relate to them and I can interact with them on a level that is not belittling or degrading. The overused click â€Å"The Children Are Our Future†, i s something that I take seriously and that is why I love doing what I do and I will continue to fine tune my craft and gift that I believe was given to me for a reason.Different Occupations There are a plethora of occupations within psychology that are regulated by state licensee and certification but for the purpose of this paper only two will be addressed; clinical and counseling. Clinical Psychologist This area includes interviewing, observation and testing; all clinical psychologists need to be thoroughly trained in this area and should be able to choose the correct type of testing/method when conducting this with the client.They test such things as intellect, cognitive processes, and social functioning along with this, being able to interpret the test is also essential to clinical psychologist. As well as being able to conduct test, a major role also includes the ability to diagnosis using multiple models. Giving the client the inner strength to acclimatize themselves to change and gain a sense of power in everyday living. The ability to implement and conduct different programs both basic and applied. This is a fundamental function of clinical psychologist in both clinical and academic formats.Working with peers who work with clients, interacting with peers, contributing their services for the bettering of the program, and obtaining supervision. Clinical psychologists have a skill set which revises a much needed service to society. They use it by practicing, creating and evaluating applied and scientific skills (Avails & Hoses, 1996). Specific requirements for a Master's Level Program An individual with a master's degree cannot call themselves Psychologists because they have not obtained the degree level (Ph. D or Sys. D) to have that title.Those at the master's level can only call themselves clinicians or therapist. This is granted only after successively completing an accredited master's level program then passing the exam to become licensed in a partic ular state(s). After taking the exam they will take individuals stop at this level for various reasons such as not wanting to go back to school for the doctoral level degree, their Job does not require a higher level of education than the LCP/ALP, or they feel comfortable at the level of credentials and education they currently hold.There are plenty of careers for therapist/clinicians just in the master's level such as academics, counseling centers, independent practice, human service agencies, hospitals, medical centers, and business/industries (Sternberg, 2007) position it depends on the direction an individual wants to take. Specific requirements for a Doctoral Level Program Obtaining a Ph. D or Sys. D is a slightly different route that requires more years of education and allows you the option to become a psychologist or psychiatrist. There are only a couple of states that allow you to prescribe medication as a psychologist.Many individuals take this route because of the higher level it allows one to begin at, others for the particular specialized area of career one decides to get in. These individuals are held to a higher level of standard and their expectations are also higher due to the lengthy amount of education and experience they bring. In a study one at Rutgers University they found that â€Å"A greater number of Ph. D. Alumni received â€Å"other honors and awards,† and Sys. D. Graduates did not out- perform Ph. D†( Bond, 2010). The study in itself, although Just one study, shows that the only difference lies in the choice that an individual wants to take.There are few differences in the Ph. D and the Sys. D but the main question is what direction you want career moving toward. Most Ph. D programs focus more on research while most Sys. D programs prepare for psychology practice (Translators, 2011). Vail Model The Vail Model formed in 1973 in Vail, Colorado at a conference because of the ongoing levels of disagreement from the Boulder conference. The supporters at the Vail conference believed that psychology was broad enough to have another designator other than the Ph. D (Norris & Castle, 2002).They suggested that there should be a difference between practitioners and scientist so they formed what we now know as Sys. D. Unlike the PDP. D program, the Sys. D could be housed in one of three different settings: (1) University Departments (2) University Professional Schools and (3) Freestanding Institutions (Norris & Castle, 2002). Boulder Model The Boulder Model was founded in 1949 at a clinical psychology conference in Boulder, Colorado. The purpose of the conference was to provide training and was the first of its kind.Duality was given to clinical psychologist as â€Å"scientist- practitioners† (Norris & Castle, 2002). Two other milestones were crossed; (1) the required degree established was the Ph. D and (2) they wanted the training to be within the department and not a stand-alone establishment (Norri s & Castle, 2002). Personal Strengths and Weakness Many of my strengths come from personal experiences and workplace experiences because many of the Jobs Eve held and many of the areas in which Eve volunteered in ere of the mental health aspect or dealt with community services and counseling.My outgoing personality and willingness to go out on a limb for my fellow man is a huge strength of mine. I'm able to empathic with other peoples' emotions and experiences. This aspect allows me to quickly and honestly build a rapport with those who I am working with. Some of my weaknesses are the field itself. I'm a rookie and stubbornness to accept new ideas which are outside of my personal beliefs. Let me say that I love learning new things that will further enhance and expound my reversion but I know that for me personally, other ideas outside of what I feel comfortable with, is an area that I struggle in.This is something that I know I would need to work on because it could hinder my abilit y to learn things beneficial to me. Techniques and Growth The American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association are just two of the many outlets that are available. These organizations hold conferences and publish material to provide resources to those in the profession. Graduate and post-graduate schools are also a good resource because of the seasoned staff, arums, mini conferences, and meetings related to those in the profession.It is also good to become involved in various organizations to assist with networking and gaining knowledge. Summary and Conclusion I feel blessed to have taken this course and to be apart such a growing field which changes the lives of so many people each day. I am learning much and I will always reflect on what Eve learned in this course and future ones as well. Each day I'm continuing to take what Eve learned and apply it to my personal everyday life. The enjoyment Eve experienced and the trials Eve been able to overcome are a direct exult of this course and other.

African Americans and Politics Essay

For decades African Americans have faced struggles throughout history. Most notably, African Americans were involved in slavery, suffrage, and the civil rights movement. These struggles were very visible and everyone was aware of what was going on. However, now African Americans are involved in a struggle that it not visible and recognizable. This is a struggle that is used to capitalize on wealth and prevent African American families and individuals from living normal lives. They are involved in environmental racism. Environmental racism â€Å"refers to intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations, the intentional or unintentional targeting of minority communities for the siting of polluting industries, or the exclusion of minority groups from public and private boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies. †[1] This form of racism has been plaguing African American communities for years and most people have not taken notice. There are many form of environmental racism; however, this paper will specifically address redlining, blockbusting, racial profiling, and housing segregation and how each has impacted the African American community. Redlining is the act of refusing or increasing the cost of services such as loans, insurance, banking, and access to healthcare to citizens based upon race. The practice involves taking a map and drawing a red line through neighborhoods where banks would not invest money. Redlining was used to segregate African Americans in the housing, workforce, and school market. Parents had to find work in other areas of the city because there were not any resources available in the community. Because of redlining, schools became over crowded with 50 students crammed into one classroom. With the schools overcrowded, teachers were not able to provide special attention to the needy students and other students became uncontrollable. Cathy Cohen would argue that African Americans were being marginalized in the school system. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). African American students were all forced to go to one school in the community to keep them out of the White schools. Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as an inferior race. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to make other races feel superior. Blockbusting was a practice used by real estate agents and developers in the United States to encourage white property owners to sell their homes by giving the impression that minority groups (such as African Americans) were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood. [2] When African Americans began to move into the inner city, fear arose that they were an economic threat. Blockbusting was also the cause of many White Americans moving into the suburbs. The practice of blockbusting involved an African American purchasing a home for very cheap in a predominately White neighborhood. The real estate broker would contact the White residents and offer to buy their houses for quick cash and resell the house to an African American family for much higher. Real estate agents claimed that African Americans moving into a predominately White neighborhood would cause property values to go down and urged White homeowners to sell as soon as possible. Real estate agents indicated that the property values would go down because African Americans would not keep up their property, avoid lawn care, and if would affect the entire neighborhood. This practice has caused major shifts in urban neighborhoods, especially Chicago, in recent decades. The Blockbusting methods were profitable and became common across the nation. For example, by 1962, when blockbusting had been in practice for fifteen years, Chicago had over 100 operators and the city had been changing an average of two to three blocks a week for several years. Blockbusting is the reason why cities such as Chicago are now predominately African American and the surrounding suburbs are predominately White. Blockbusting caused African Americans to be marginalized as well. They were denied fair participation in the housing market. Real estate agents inflated housing prices for African Americans to gain commission. White homeowners already had prejudices about African Americans and the real estate agents only made the situation worse. The stereotypes that Black families do not take care of their property was the main reason White homeowners sold their homes. Racial profiling is â€Å"the inclusion of racial or ethnic characteristics in determining whether a person is considered likely to commit a particular type of crime or an illegal act or to behave in a â€Å"predictable† manner. †[3] The practice of racial profiling is a huge problem in the United States. African Americans are usually the targeted victims in the act of racial profiling. It is believed that an African American driver will be more likely stopped than a White driver. Some police officers share the belief that Black drivers will most likely possess an illegal substance of committing an illegal act. However, policemen argue that they do not base their arrests on race but are greatening their probability of a successful search. Some policemen also argue that the probability of catching a Black offender is greater than catching a White offender. Whether the statement is true or not, it places a bias on African Americans and White Americans. The belief that African Americans men are more likely to commit crimes is unfair and not true. One cannot base the behavior of all African American men on the ones that have done wrong and been imprisoned. Another belief of racial profiling is it is the cause of the racial disparities in the American prison system. There are many more African American men in the jail system than there are White men. The previous statement is mostly likely to be true. Because some policemen hold biases and have prejudices against African Americans, it will cause more African Americans to be placed in the jail system. Another instance of racial profiling involved African Americans owning nice material possessions such as a car or a house and African Americans being in a predominately White neighborhood. For example, in an episode of Family Matters, Eddie was in his car travelling through a predominately White neighborhood and was pulled over by the police for â€Å"failure to signal. † However, the routine traffic stop turned into nothing more than a beating for young Eddie. The significance of the episode shows that racial profiling does exist in the United States and it takes place every day. The practice has impacted African Americans because hundreds of innocent people have been harassed and humiliated by police officers simply because of their race. The most recent national example of environmental racism occurred when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005. When New Orleans was flooded with tons of water, there were no relief efforts for days and almost a week. Many believed this was due to the fact that majority of the New Orleans population was African American. The population was basically ignored for days until the help decided to come. Citizens of New Orleans were faced with intentional racism and were denied help for several days. This has impacted African Americans because many people died because of the heat, starvation, and disease from the water. African-Americans have been marginalized for centuries. To be considered marginalized means, to have continuously been denied access to dominant resources, barred from full participation in dominant institutions, and defined as â€Å"others, â€Å" living outside the norm and values agreed upon by society (Cohen 1999). Most recently, African-Americans were marginalized in regards to the outbreak of HIV/AIDS. While HIV/AIDS was once considered to be the disease of white gay men, Blacks are now the center of the epidemic. With the turn of the new millennium, the outbreak of AIDS in the Black community has soared. Black men who consider themselves to be â€Å"down low† are the center of the rising epidemic. The men have intercourse with other men while continuing to have intercourse with their female partners thus spreading the AIDS virus. Even though the soaring rate is shocking, there has been limited response from the African-American community. One can argue that Blacks have been marginalized from the resources to treat the epidemic. However, the Black community seems to be ignoring the spreading AIDS virus and focusing more on electing a Black president and high blood pressure. While both electing a Black president and lowering high blood pressure are important issues, similar emphasis should be put on the rising AIDS epidemic. In a sense, African-Americans have marginalized themselves from dealing with AIDS. Continuing to turn a cold shoulder to the issue will not fix the problem. Although Blacks are being marginalized when it comes to AIDS, they are also marginalized when it comes to property and social relationships. For example, when it comes to receiving bank loans, African-Americans is marginalized heavily. Some bank loan officers practice redlining which causes Black residents, whether qualified or not, to be denied loans for property. By using the redlining technique, bank loan officers are marginalizing Blacks from being able to own their own property. Relating back to the AIDS epidemic, Black men were marginalized for having the virus. For instance, if a Black man was open about his homosexuality would be marginalized heavily. Homophobia could be a valid reason for the marginalization of Black men. With open homosexuality, an African-American could be left out from participating in activities and denied being recognized as a normal individual. Homophobia could damage an individual’s social life and leave him feeling disempowered. [4] Along with marginalization, Blacks were, and still are, a part of a power struggle. Blacks were seen, and will always be seen, as lower than Whites. Also, Blacks have been disempowered knowingly and unknowingly, which is the center of environmental racism. African-Americans have been taken advantage of and used to gain wealth and keep at the bottom of the ladder. In short, there are many types of power struggles. One does not have to see power to know that it is taking place. [5] For instance, being called an inferior race is a power struggle within itself. African-Americans that believe that they are actually inferior will begin to act that way. They will begin to doubt themselves and their abilities in life. Once they have it in their mindset that they are inferior, it will cause them to act that way. Housing Segregation is â€Å"the practice of denying African American or other minority groups equal access to housing through the process of misinformation, denial of realty and financing services, and racial steering. †[6] The act of housing discrimination involves real estate agents and landlords not providing African American families with an accurate account of available housing. Housing segregation happens when landlords and real estate agents lure White Americans to available housing only in white communities, and African Americans to Black or diverse and mixed communities. The realtor and landlord usually work together in the process and will agree not to tell the African Americans about the available units in the European American communities. This process goes back to the assumption that African Americans residents will bring down the property value of homes in the neighborhood because they will not take care of their own property. Housing segregation is intentional racism that excludes African Americans from participating fairly in the housing market. Black families should be able to live wherever they please without regardless of the demographics of the neighborhood. With all that African Americans have been through, environmental racism should not be ignored or taken lightly. People should take heed to the practice and fight for what is right. All of the above forms of environmental racism have plagued the African American community. It has caused a major shift in the urban cities such as Chicago. Real estate agents have inflated the costs of housing for Black families moving into predominantly White areas. African American families can fight the issues by becoming more aware of their surroundings and becoming familiar with the practices. They can hire good lawyers to defend them and fight for justice. With regards to the AIDS epidemic, African Americans have been marginalized when it comes to resources and thus leads to environmental racism. African American of the new generation, as a whole, should stand together and fight the justice that was promised to them in the United States Constitution. ———————– [1] Dictionary. com [2] Dictionary. com [3] Dictionary. com [4] Cathy J. Cohen, The Boundaries of Blackness (The University of Chicago Press) 47-48. [5] John Gaventa, Power and Powerlessness (The University of Illinois Press) 1-32. [6] Dictionary. com.

Sometimes in Winter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sometimes in Winter - Essay Example The succeeding paragraph will also contain my own thoughts and emotion about this work. After having gone though the literary pieces of Linda Pastan, I realized that most of her poems were all about life, love and human emotions. Such that the central them she chose to employ in this poem, Sometimes in winter, talks about her thoughts about life, whether her own life or those of others whom she knew she was a part of as well as those which became part of her. This poem to me, is an allegory about how people become instrumental in the lives of others, and how they step in and walk into that lives leaving footprints that I might as well equate with memory and etched meaning. Linda Pastan's view about life depicts the reality of how people relate with one another, thus the saying no man is an island. We need others in order to make us feel good with in. As human beings, we need other people to interact with, to relate and converse with, even to the extent of realizing what was going on with our own lives by looking at the experiences of others. She used the symbolism of v isualizing the faces of those she loves, those faces that may perhaps touched her lives at one point in time. These can be depicted on the memories of those people we hold dear that are etched inside our minds, and going over that vision again reminds us the things that did both good and bad. Thus, every person's impact in our lives is conceived through the bonds and relationship we established with them. These relationships will become an archive of well kept experiences; those instances that made us laugh, cry, angry or annoyed. These are feelings that remind us about our human qualities embedded within extracted and surfaced because of others. This to me is what she was trying to say in the first line of her poem. Taking into consideration the setting she used, winter, depicts of cold and dark times, times where people are forced into seclusion. With which I take the positive and discuss my own reflections about this particular setting. My views about her poems set in the winter is those times when we feel alone, most certainly down and defeated by circumstances that sometimes are too much for a human emotion to bear, such is a time when we would want to feel lifted and free of all desperation. If we were to incorporate the first line of the poem into the setting, I can say that Pastan had wonderful people around her during her most desperate time. These people were there to support her and keep her warm amidst the coldness and darkness of the nature of her situation. Winter here, depicts of a certain phase of here life where she struggles to cope with realities and accepts the burden, and such was made possible through the assistance of a support group, weather family, friends and love ones. On the other hand, this can also depict a setting with which a negative stand is depicted. It may be that winter in her poem is the experiences caused by other people's wrath and coldness that forces her to shut out and withdraw from. It may be the effect of this experiences that she describes as bleak and dark. The relationship we make with other people does not always turn out the way we want them to be. There are those that

Relationship between Academia and Practice Essay

Relationship between Academia and Practice - Essay Example In a clear scenario, it is supposed that a person needs academic training in Medicine to be a doctor; whereas another person needs training in Education to be a teacher. However though, the issue of whether or not people explicitly apply the knowledge they acquire in school to their occupation is a debate that will continue for good. The same phenomenon exists with the conduct of research. A lot of people argue that a person does not need personal experience or academic knowhow to conduct research in a particular area of operation. To others though, without personal experience and academic qualification, it is not possible to undertake a research in a said area of practice. This essay seeks to examine these two points of view. Do you have to have personal experience of a specific area of practice in order to be able to conduct research into it? According to the Cambridge Dictionaries Online (2003), a research is â€Å"a detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (n ew) information or reach a (new) understanding.† From this definition, it can be established that research is conducted purposely to come out with or identify new area of knowledge. To this effect, it can be said that there would not be the need for a research if the researcher embarking the research is sure of what the result of the research would be. This therefore makes it logically right to argue that research is in itself an act of learning as learning also concerns itself with the acquisition of new ideas (Boateng, 2001). For this reason, it is possible to conduct research in a specific area of practice even in the absence of personal experience. This is because we all start learning specific concepts without any person experiences in the said concept. However though, the need to have some level of personal experience in the area of research only gives the researcher additional benefits though it does not serve as prerequisite condition to enable one undertake a research in a particular area. With personal experience and having learnt about a specific area of practice, the researcher is put in a position to easily understand occurrences in the field of research. Personal experience in the conduct of research also makes the handling, analysis and use of data collected very easy, meaningful and useful. Do you have to fully understand the theory of research in order to conduct research in a business environment? It has been said earlier that research is in itself an act of learning and so as we all start learning without any foreknowledge of the concepts to be taught but we most of the time end up excelling in the courses we started learning about. However, there can be a school of thought that would argue that one also needs to know how to learn because successful learning can take place. Going by the latter argument, it can be said that if one does not have total understanding of the theory of research, conducting research in the business environmen t would be a fiasco especially as the business environment has been identified to be very volatile. It must be noted that business research involves a lot of technical calculations and manipulation of figures, which require only people with background. As noted by Jenlink (2009), â€Å"There is a blurring of boundaries in the knowledge-practice and inquiry-practice relationships that define both the learning to lead and the practice of leading in the educational setting.† Therefore, the absence of a full understanding of the theory of research (as an academia) would make research in the business environment (as practice) extremely challenging. Does research that is designed by practitioners, with little or no influence of academic theory incorporated, of any value in assisting practitioners

North vs South - How the North won the Civil War Essay

North vs South - How the North won the Civil War - Essay Example Further, people wonder why the North failed to allow the Confederacy to secede peacefully. This paper will examine the military strategies and leadership, which facilitated the victory that the North enjoyed and the defeat of the South. There was an increasing discrepancy between the South and the North in terms of economic development, social structures and organizations and political ideologies. However, the two regions were alike during the founding of the new nation. Slavery was in the entire states, and the economic activities of the two regions had strong reinforcements from agricultural prosperity (Steele & Herbert 1996, p. 45)1. The Northern states designed a plan that would end slavery and enhance the emancipation of the slaves to ensure that they fought for their rights, freedom and liberty. Further, the collapse of the party system had remarkable contribution towards the victory of the North; the slavery issue received undue suppression from the laws of this party. The strength of the political parties had a negative influence from massive immigration of foreigners and debates pushing for the prohibition of slavery. There existed a deficiency in the governance of the states; the strong parties suffered from utter blows that weakened the running of the parties. The confederacy and the union had confidence that they would win the war with a lot of ease (Hattaway & Jones 1991, p. 63).2The two regions believed that their outstanding advantages over the other side would bring ultimate victory to them. On the side of the confederacy, they believed that they had a better position to win the war because the Generals from South had advanced training, and most of the whites on that side were conversant with firearms and horses. Further, the South had plans of fighting a defensive war against the Northern region, and enjoy foreign economies, which meant that the economic might of the south

Anthropology Short Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Anthropology Short Response Paper - Essay Example They point out there are many types of literacy, ranging from being able to sign one's name through to being able read contemporary literature. Ahearn adds both visual and cultural literacy to this broad definition as she argues that "Cultural literacy skills predispose people to read situations and texts in certain ways and constrain the types of interpretations they are likely to construct." (Ahearn: 46). Ahearn quotes Mike Baynham on the 'ideological' model of literacy, who states that literacy needs to be understood as a strategic, social practice which defines and confines the choices available to individuals within a particular society. Hence she evaluates the literacy of the Junigau in their own terms, at that moment in their development and history. We are shown the contrast between Sarita and Bir Bahadur's command of language particularly through Bir Bahadur's letters and the impact this has on their relationship as it develops. She examines the villagers' definition of romantic love through a variety of methods including letters, conversations and taped interviews.