Love In The Time of Cholera Analysis Paper Essay

In the novel, Love in the Time of Cholera written by Gabriel Garcà ­a Mà ¡rquez, there are many symbols to represent, literally, love in the time of cholera. These symbols are flowers, birds, and rain. Mà ¡rquez uses these similar terms to describe the effects of love and cholera throughout the novel by using all of those symbols ultimately represent or foreshadow anguish and unfortunate disasters that Cholera can bring. Cholera was a contagious disease affecting most of the population in where the story takes place. Though, this book is heavily centered on the disease and love, the author is primarily focusing on literal â€Å"lovesickness†. One generally does not associate sweet and pure love with diarrhea, infections, or a painful death, which is why cholera is used to depict the lovesickness in this novel. Cholera is a disease, like falling in love (lovesickness), drives you crazy, you suffer, and you could die without ever being content with the life you’ve had so far. An example of lovesickness in the novel, is when Florentino is driven crazy by falling in love with Fermina. Instead of being a physical illness like cholera, lovesickness is a mental disease. See more: analytical writing Florentino was so crazy in love with Fermina,the only way he could deal with this love was to eat flowers. Flowers represent the anguish of love and further suffering.Though flowers represented hope and love for Florentino, it ultimately lead to disaster of suffering, just like how cholera suddenly ends a life. It was as if Fermina was the flower petals, and Florentino consumed the flower petals to consume all the affection and rejection he was receiving from Fermina. Until Fermina can be with him, the only thing that Florentino has of Fermina are those flower petals he is consuming. Florentino also suffers from physical pains of lovesickness. The flower petals he consumes make him so violently ill, that his mother thought he had cholera, which is ironic considering the parallel of the two. Florentino feels the anguish of love and the only for him to express that was to consume flower petals. This was necessary for Florentino because he was suffering so much emotional pain he almost felt dead, and physical pain was imperative for him to feel alive. Birds, like Cholera, lead to death. Mà ¡rquez uses the birds in the novel as an ironic message of love that soon leads to a disastrous end. Birds were the reason why people died, just like Cholera will make people die. In the novel, Mà ¡rquez does not include a character that actually died from Cholera. However, he does include characters that die from â€Å"love sickness† at the hands of birds. Since lovesickness serves as a parallel to Cholera, we can assume that birds also represent Cholera, which is the fate of death. The most prominent example is when Dr.Urbino tried to catch his beloved parrot and eventually fell to his death. The parrot that Dr. Urbino spent countless hours of dedication and the bird that he had paid more attention than he did to his own children, that lead ironically to his death. Another example when Olimpia Zuleta gave Florentino a carrier pigeon as a thank-you for rescuing her and her parasol. Florentino sent back the carrier pigeon with an unsigned love note, and thus the romance between the two began. The Pigeon that lead to a romance between the two soon ended when the husband discovered her infidelity and Olimpia was killed. Both Dr.Urbino and Olimpia lose their lives to love, whether it be because of a bird or for a bird. I believe that the birds also And last but not least, rain (or any type of water) finally represents a point in the book when a barrier has been overcome and there is a renewed chance for love. Rain represents the drastic change in a book, just like how Cholera can bring about a drastic change in one’s life. The first downpour of rain brings about two critical changes, which is when Dr. Urbino dies and the reappearance of Florentino in Fermina’s life. The rain not only symbolized a tragic and sad death, which is what Cholera is, the rain symbolized a new renewed hope of love between Florentino and Fermina. The rain is possibly the only â€Å"positive† symbol Mà ¡rquez uses in order to portray Cholera as a drastic change in the novel. Throughout Love in the Time of Cholera, Mà ¡rquez uses symbols such as cholera, flowers, birds and rain, to symbolize important aspects of love and to describe Cholera. Though these symbol may seem little or no significance in the beginning, a reader can clearly see and understand the importance, effect, and deeper meaning of these symbols and how they tie together to figuratively portray Cholera.-KC .

Parent Involvement in Education

Children learn first at home with the support and encouragement from their parents. When your child becomes a student, as a parent you still need to be involved inside and outside the classroom. Attending school sponsored functions, working in the classroom as a volunteer, monitoring homework and communicating with your child about their day are features that will express to your child the need for them to succeed. But why is parent involvement important in education? The answer to this research question will be sought out by using different internet sources. Articles will include general information about parent involvement, not looking at specific states or countries. I have been in a classroom since childhood. With my experiences in college I have seen parents who are involved and those who are not. As a coach in a neighboring district from my hometown I have been able to compare and contrast the amount of parent involvement between districts. Introduction As parents, children learn and grow from the encouragement and guidance that is given to them along the way. The definition of parent involvement is extensive and includes different aspects of education and how parents participate in their children’s lives in and outside of school. The research paper will attempt to explain the importance of parent involvement in education through research done using different internet sources. Throughout the research report readers will see that parent involvement in directly related with student achievement. The level of achievement is apparent due to the amount of time and effort that parent put into being present in their child’s education inside and outside the classroom. When presenting the information the positive outcome will be apparent but the obstacles that hinder the benefits need to be address. These issues include the current rising number of single parents that have to work two to three jobs in order to support their family and the amount of effort that teachers and schools put into providing opportunities for parents to become involved at school. Research included in the report will include information provided by the Michigan Department of Education. The information includes Joyce Epstein of John Hopkins University six types of parent involvement that benefits your child and the National PTA’s six types and created six national standards for parent involvement that branched from Epstein’s. Epstein’s six types include parenting, communicating, volunteering, learning at homes, decision making and collaborating with community. The National PTA’s standards include communicating, parenting, student learning, volunteering, school decision making and advocacy and collaborating with community. Parent involvement is an issue that all are concerned will affect the future of world. President Obama recently proposed to improve our education system. His speech to teachers, parents and students included an address of parent involvement. Proposed Program Research will begin with collecting information from different internet sources. Information retrieved from sources will be reviewed. Four questions will be evaluated when determining appropriate information. * What are the types of parent involvement? How does parent involvement effect student achievement? * How can teachers/schools help encourage parent involvement? * What are obstacles of parent involvement? The information gathered will be the fundamental information to apply to the research report. Due to school being out of session and time constraints, observation of students’ achievement due to parent involvement is not suitable. Qualifications and Experience Growing up with a mother as a teacher, a lot of my life has been spent inside a classroom. Volunteering in the classroom and at school sponsored event I have seen the decline of parent involvement. Within the past five years the amount of parents and/or family members that bring students to events has dropped drastically. I have seen children bring their book bags to school with the previous days notes still inside, untouched. Witnessing my mother touch lives of children has led me into the same profession. My college education courses have given me the opportunity to observe students at Freeland Middle School and Willie E. Thompson Middle School. Parent involvement showed through the amount of homework turned in by students. Patterns developed with students’ overtime. Attending a district for thirteen years and now coaching in the neighboring district I have seen differentiation in parent involvement numbers. My district is multi-cultural and predominantly poor to middle class. The district I coach in is mostly Caucasians and middle class. When these two schools play each other in sporting events the amount of parent, family and community support is evident.

Passed On written by Carole Satymurti poem Analysis

In the poem, Passed On written by Carole Satymurti, the poet illustrates the importance of a box filled with index cards, at the same time, she reminisces about her mother. Through the detailed depiction of the memories that the index cards bring her, a sense of nostalgia is created. Carole presents her memories in a chronological order, such that it portrays events from when her mother was still alive to the poet's final acceptance of her mother's death. However, as the poem progresses, these organized patterns of thoughts, gradually break away from conformity, creating an outburst of freedom felt from her release from pain. At the end of the poem, Carole finally shows acceptance of her mother's death, at the same time reassuring the readers of her growth. This poem begins with Carole reflecting upon her past where she recollects the times when her mother â€Å"scribbled with a squirrel concentration† writing things down on the index cards, reflecting her mother's seriousness towards what she is doing. The sibilance of in the phrase â€Å"scribble with a squirrel† creates a fast paced rhythm contrasting to the quite nature of the atmosphere created by the â€Å"s† sound. This also creates a sense of secrecy, hinting that the relationship between mother and daughter is not very close. Her extreme concentration is also shown as nothing seemed to deter her from her desires even as â€Å"I nag at her.† The second stanza is much longer as compared to the other four and reveals to the reader the contents of what is in the box and what is written on the index cards. This stanza creates a sense of closeness between the author and her mother because â€Å"the cards looked after [her]† and her mother â€Å"rendered herself down from flesh to paper† to be â€Å"there for [her] in every way she could anticipate.† However, the specific organization of the card of her thoughts is contrasted with the nonsensical notes in which she jotted down onto the cards: â€Å"Acupuncture: conditions suited to Books to read by age twenty-one Choux pastry: how to make, when to use† This paradox between the organizations shows the overwhelming outbursts of thoughts as they deem to be uncontrollable and hard to organize. The fragmented sentences on the card also increase the rhythm of the poem, creating a sense of urgency as the mother races against time to jot down every vital piece of information. Because of her mother's protectiveness, the author becomes overly dependent on them. â€Å"The cards looked after [her] and [she'd] shuffle them to almost hear her speak.† Carole Satymurti wraps herself around her mother's past and hides in the box of cards as to her â€Å"the world was box shaped† and in there, every card had a solution to â€Å"every doubt or choice† she may ever have. Over time, the author begins to realize that the cards have â€Å"seemed to shrink† and the writings on the cards have begun to fade away. This forces the author to break away from the comfortable boxed up world that she hides in. However, no matter how hard she tries, she does not seem to be able to renew the past and to bring back her mother's thoughts, as her thoughts are mere chaos next to her mother's. â€Å"infinitives never telling love lust single issue politics when don't hopeless careful trust† The author's notes on the cards are not in complete sentences and are simply a bunch of words that do not have a definitive connection between them. These illogical statements portray the author as a child, unable to make sensible statements. Furthermore, a sense of awkwardness is created between the profound statements and the presentation of the ideas as if Carole's ideas are too overpowering for her to control. The last stanza of the poem, short and abrupt, portrays the author's final escape from her mother's grasp on Carole's life as she â€Å"lets her go.† Carole builds a â€Å"hollow cairn† and empties the index cards into it. The word â€Å"hollow† portrays an empty and silent atmosphere whilst having an ethereal feel to the overall situation. The control her mother has on her slowly begins to fade away as â€Å"the smoke rose thin and clear, slowly blurred.† However, the author does not completely break off all ties between her and her mother as she has â€Å"kept the box for diaries†, keeping the memory of her mother but at the same time, allowing herself to live a new life free from restrictions. The act of burning the index cards also reflect the author's final acceptance of her mother's death, as if she is cremating her once again, letting the memory of her mother remain by her side but not as an overpowering force controlling her life and thought s. The uneven lengths of each stanza in the poem shows a sense of development throughout as it begins with the past, moving to the present and finally ending with the aspiration of a bright new future of uncertainties as portrayed with the â€Å"blurred† imagery in the end. Subsequently, from this, the author grows to accept her mother's death and slowly moves away from her mother's protective safe environment and embarks on a journey into the unknown.

MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND DECISIONS Essay - 1

MANAGING FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND DECISIONS - Essay Example ems the most secured form of raising enough money to start the business, but in case the price of the assets suddenly drops, it may be practically impossible to get enough capital for the organization. Banks, on the other hand, expects that some strict requirements are fulfilled before they could award any loans (Mentre 1984). It is not always possible to secure a loan from banks because the requirements are often many. Therefore, it is better to rely on the sale of assets to raise the needed capital for the commencement of the organization. The assets that would be sold to obtain this capital include a block of flat and a six-month-old salon car. The organization has a limited number of daily operations being a trading one and small-scale in nature. The major activities involve purchasing, stockpiling and distributing orders to customers. The organization is not involved in price control and does not engage in market manipulation as would a big trading company. Therefore, choosing to finance the organization using the capital raised through the sale of personal assets appears to be safe and would not threaten business continuity (Doughty 2000). The fact is that whenever banks refuse to grant loan applications, the business activities at the organization would be slow down. No entrepreneur that is profit-oriented would want his/her business enter a phase of financial dryness: a critical condition when it would be seriously difficult to obtain the necessary funds to keep operating. Relying on the capital raised from personal assets would solve this unique problem. Task 4 (The Cost of Finance): The cost of finance for the sales of my asset is, in principle, the total expenses made in the course of selling them. Below is the exact cost of finance that came up during the selling processes: The cost of finance shown above is moderate compared with the cost I would have paid to obtain similar amount of loan from a bank or other financial institutions. Even though the

Risk Profile for a Casino Hotel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Risk Profile for a Casino Hotel - Essay Example In order to lessen their effect one has to understand the various risks that business is exposed to (Crouchy M). Basic step to embark upon this issue is to make an inventory of all possible reasons that are directly or indirectly influencing the performance of the business and then try to mitigate them. This essay mainly concentrates on a casino hotel; various risks involved with it and the ways adopted by management to overcome these issues. 1) Structural Risk: It includes risk associated with the firm itself. The security issue is one of the major parts of it. Guests must be secured enough from any sort of criminal activities inside the hotel. A single anti-peace incident may fall down its market. To overcome it to a great extent, the casino has its own security employees. They take care of any such violence on the premises and also special weapon checking facility has been implemented. Next comes risk linked with cheating and theft. As it’s related to gambling games so, cheating is obvious. Management needs to observe closely whether any of their customer or hotel itself is getting cheated or not. 2) Growth Risk: Risks arising from the expected future performance is related to growth risk. It’s not a monopolistic market rather, there is strong competition and hotel authority must struggle for its existence. Management provides well-structured perks and benefits to their members in order to retain them and also very often to the others to attract more customer. Other than this, arrangements for special programs during festive days are taken so that, in the market, it is more highlighted. 3) External Sensitivity Risk: There are some cases like an increase in government taxes, political revolution or increase in the foreign exchange rate which directly impacts on the business. Though management doesn’t have straight access to solve them but maintaining a good relationship with customers as well as political party sometimes gives a good return.

Balancing Identity and Privacy - Growing risks and concerns about Essay

Balancing Identity and Privacy - Growing risks and concerns about social networks. Report - Essay Example But inherent in such transformation is the critical need to pay attention for security of the identity. The era of faceless business transactions has accompanied with itself the need to take serious look at the identity of a person. Identity has become a database entry which can now be disconnected from any physical recognition. It can be bought and sold like a commodity and is subject to theft and widespread misuse. This report will take a look at the repercussions of widespread social media on business and society as a whole. Blogging and Tweeting are terms used in the world of social media and they also becoming par to business vocabulary. But such terms are tip of the social media iceberg. Companies like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn are now changing the rules of how companies are doing business. In 21st century social media is changing the working environment of the company. The employees and employers are now practicing more flexibility along with the ability to respond to such conditions quickly. For many businesses social media is a boon which can be used to reach out to large target customers in a cost effective way. But they are also taking a close look the risk involved like theft, cyber bullying, fraud, defamation and invasion of privacy. Many believe that social media has a corporate value and is critical to the success of marketing efforts. Many senior executives believe that there are many potential risks which are involved while using social media. According to them the primary ri sks include disclosure of proprietary information, out-of date information, identifiable information and fraud (Jagatic, Johnson, Jakobsson and Menczer, 2007, pp. 94-100). The presence of Social Media has changed the way people communicate and interact with each other. But the world of social media has created a whole new world of security, privacy, intellectual property, employment practices and legal risks. Privacy risk refers to the process

Critical appraisal two research studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Critical appraisal two research studies - Essay Example The second article, Simon John Palfrey man tends to get on the psychological state of the patients, trying to clinically establishing the expectations and reasons for patients, seeking the treatment. Thus these are two papers are from the same field, though of different tradition and aim. The first paper is essentially based on quantitative research where the paradigms or testing ground would be parameters like reliability and validity while the second one is a qualitative research that would need analysis of different parameters like the researcher’s reflexity, the context in which the research took place, selection of research participants, etc. This essay critically evaluates the paper in terms of research design and their potential contribution towards effective practice, encompassing the concerned ethical and political issues. The agenda is to travel further down the concept and try to establish the barriers for implementing research in the workplace and the effective means of overcoming it. Thus to effectively analyze the research paper it becomes important to understand the background of the condition described, followed by abstract of the papers to be reviewed and their critical analysis. Varicose veins are enlarged veins that appears swollen and elevated above the skin surface. They are distinctly visible not just because of their twisted and bulging look but also their color wich can be dark purple or blue. Usually found on the backs of the calves or inside of the legs, the valves in the veins permitting the blood flow towards the heart stops functioning properly. This leads to development of blood pools in the veins causing them to dilate.Around 1 out of 2 people over the age of 50 suffer from varicose veins and is more commonly observed in women than men. Hemorrhoids or commonly known as piles are also a type of varicose vein. Proper exercise, losing obesity, elevating the legs while resting and not crossing legs while

Reading summaries Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading summaries - Assignment Example Protest scholars are concerned with restoring injustice. In protesters concept, they look at human rights as the theory that favors the status quo in favor of the oppressed (Dembour 3). However, the disclose scholars believe that human rights exist because everyone talks about them. Human rights according to Beitz, is a communication in the public ethics of world policies. He argues that every individual is the subject of the world concern and that it is everyone’s task to enact these rules (Beitz 1). Universality is a worry of whether all the human rights included can be seen as important by everyone. As such, most people tend to misuse these rules for their selfish reasons. There are different forms of skepticism in which some individuals think that there should be a form of a procedure to implement these human rights. The first skeptic clarifies that the satisfaction of some human rights is not realistic under the current social position of the world (Beitz 3). Finally, there is a skeptical concept that explains that human rights are universal. As such, the rights are relevant and are to be claimed by everyone. Maurice, an author supports the traditional human rights, which includes the political and civil rights. However, he rejects the universal human rights, which are termed as economical and social rights that encompass pensions, holidays, insurance among others. Universality according to Cranston is a right available to everyone at all times. For instance, the right to humane treatment is a perfect example of universality. There is a test for human rights and moral uprightness. Practicability Test, clarifies that it is not a duty for an individual to do what is physically impossible (Maurice and Raphael 50). For instance, if all workers in the world should ask for holiday rights then, it would not be practicable for industries that are establishing. The test of paramount

Financial report analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words - 1

Financial report analysis - Essay Example The public limited company is traded at Australian Securities Exchange. Billabong International Limiteds core business is the marketing, distribution, wholesaling and retailing of apparel, accessories, eyewear, wetsuits and hardgoods in the boardsports sector under the Billabong, Element, Von Zipper, Honolua Surf Company, Kustom, Palmers Surf, Nixon, Xcel, Tigerlily, Sector 9, DaKine and RVCA brands. Major competitiors for the firm include Addidas, Nike, Puma and Ripcurl. The company has approximately 6000 staff worldwide and its shares are publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. Billabong Internationals products are licensed and distributed in over 100 countries (in approximately 11,000 doors), of which the major revenue sources are through wholly-owned operations in Australia, North America, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. The products are distributed through specialised boardsports retailers and through the Companys own branded retail outlets. T he Companys brands are marketed and promoted internationally through its association with high profile professional athletes, junior athletes and events. Billabong is Australia’s largest surfwear manufacturer with product categories spanning into Garments, Accessories, Collections and Wetsuits; and is country’s largest. In 2010, as a result of international and regional economic crisis, foreign currency fluctuations, increased competition (growth of vertical private label brands) and supply chain pricing pressure.

Does income inequality hurt economic growth Term Paper

Does income inequality hurt economic growth - Term Paper Example The essay further applies the Lorenz Curves model in investigating income distribution in Nigeria and KSA. A deep Lorenz curve implies high level of income inequality in a country. That is the case of Nigeria and KSA. Over the past generations, concern about rising or high-income inequality curtailed primarily from a credence that it is one-sided. In the contemporary world, however, the sources of concern have shifted. The leading concern now is whether income inequality can hurt economic growth. Similarly, income inequality can also have harmful effects on the outcomes people value, such as education, health, happiness, democracy and many other elements that have direct impacts on economic growth. Current studies indicate that income inequality does not only affect people at the bottom but also affects the nation as a whole. The studies explain that the growing income inequality may be the reason that inhibits economies from recovering from the excessive recession. As per a report by OECD, inequality slackens GDP growth through hindering the accumulation of human capital. This trend hurts long-term economic prospects, as well as educational outcomes for persons on the lesser section of a nation’s income ladder. In its recommendation, the report suggests a check-up against this propensity by capitalizing in education and health (OECD, 2015, p. 1). It also calls for a more direct method of assistance to help reduce inequality without hurting economic growth. Furthermore, OECD established that direct cash transfers may not slow down the growth of GDP when these policies are smartly designed, as well as implemented. Depiction based on harmonised data that cover the OECD nations over the past three decades, the econometric analysis submits that income inequality possesses a negative, as well as statistically significant influence on succeeding growth. In specific, the greatest issue is the breach between small income households and the better

Hero Myth - Achilles Essay Example for Free

Hero Myth Achilles Essay The concept of the hero is as old as myth itself. Throughout history both concepts have evolved together. Myths tell tales of the adventures of man, frequently the son of a god or goddess and a human, who is endowed with great promise and destined to perform great feats. Often these feats involve acts of rescue, war or protection. This heroic myth is rooted in the ideal of familial romance. Particularly during adolescence it sustains and expresses the identification of the ego with idealized imagery. The hero myths have been used for centuries to educate and train youths as parts of institutions and groups. One example of a hero is Achilles, made famous through Homer’s epic Illiad. While we may not look at myths today in the same ways as our ancient forebears, the hero myth is still alive and well in our culture today. Achilles was the hero of the Trojan war as related by Homer in the Illiad. He was the mightiest of the Trojan warriors. He began life as a demigod, the son of Peleus, the king of the Myrmidons and a mortal, and Thetis who was a Nereid. The Myrmidons were legendary warriors, very skilled and brave. Nereids are sea nymphs being the daughters of Nereus and Doris. Thetis was very concerned that her son was a mortal. Therefore she attempted to make him immortal. There are two stories of how she wet about this. The lesser-known story is that she burned him in a fire nightly and then healed his wounds with a magical ambrosia. The more well-known story is that she held him tightly by the heel and submersed him in the river Styx. This made his entire body invulnerable except for the spot on his heel where she held him while he was in the river. During Achilles’ boyhood, a seer named Calchas prophesied that Troy would not fall without help from Achilles. Knowing that he would die if he went to Troy, Thetis sent Achilles to the court of Lycomedes in Scyros. He was hidden there in the guise of a young girl. While at the court he had a romance with Deidameia who was the daughter of Lycomedes. The result was a son who was named Pyrrhus. The disguise finally came to an end when Odysseus exposed Achilles by placing arms and armor amongst a display of female garments and picked Achilles out when he was the only â€Å"female† to be interested in the war equipment. Achilles then willingly joined Odysseus on the journey to Troy. He led a host of his father’s Myrmidon troops in addition to his utor Phoenix and his friend Patroclus. Once in Troy, Achilles quickly gained the reputation as an undefeatable warrior. One of his most notable feats was the capture of 23 Trojan towns. One of these was Lyrnessos where he took a war prize in the form of a woman named Briseis. The central action of the Illiad was sparked when Agamemnon, the leader of the Greeks, was forced to give up his war-prize woman, Chryseis, by an oracle of Apollo. As compensation for the loss of Chryseis, Agamemnon took Briseis from Achilles. Thus enraged, Achilles refused to continue fighting for the Greeks. With Achilles’ withdrawal from the action, the war started to go badly for the Greeks and they offered large reparations to try to lure back their greatest warrior. Achilles continued to refuse to rejoin the war, however, he did agree to allow his close friend Patroclus to don his arms and armor and fight in his place. The next day Hector, a Trojan hero, mistook Patroclus for Achilles and killed Patroclus. Achilles was engulfed with rage at Hector and consumed by grief for his friend’s death. Thetis went to Hephaestus and obtained fabulous new armor for Achilles. Achilles recommenced fighting and killed Hector. Not satisfied with Hector’s death, Achilles used his chariot to drag the body before the walls of Troy and refused the corpse funeral rites. Hector’s father Priam, the king of Troy, went secretly to the Greek camp to beg the return of the body. Finally, Achilles relented and allowed Priam to take Hector’s remains. After Hector’s death time started to run out for Achilles. He continued to fight heroically and killed many Trojans as well as their allies. Eventually, Paris, who was another of Priam’s sons, enlisted the aid of Apollo and wounded Achilles in his weak spot – the heel – with an arrow. This caused Achilles death. The enduring legend from the story of Achilles has to do with the concept of the Achilles’ heel. An Achilles’ heel has come to mean that despite overall strength, there is a mortal weakness that can lead to one’s downfall. While the original myth refers to a physical weakness, in modern times it has come to reference other types of character flaws or qualities that can cause ruination. The concept of the hero has changed somewhat in our modern culture. Instead of daring people who buck trends and traditions in order to help their families, nations or cultures, today we tend to revere people like sports figures and actors. While we have the occasional government or political leader such as Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela, most of what you hear about is who is making the most money due to their sports or acting ability. The concept of the sports figure hero can have some validity as these figures do occasionally overcome great odds and perform daring feats on the modern â€Å"battlefield†, i. e. , the sports arena. However, this is nothing compared to the feats of the ancient heros. Hero myths are powerful stories from ancient times. So powerful are they that they cross cultures and ages, continuing to influence us today. Achilles was one of the great heros of ancient times as the mightiest warrior of the Trojan war. While who we classify as a hero has changed in our modern societies, we still look to the concept today. We teach young people about heros as a method to inspire them. We look to our heros as adults to give us guidance and to give us something to guide our hopes and dreams. While modern heros may not be of Achilles’ status, they remain an integral part of our cultures.

Travel and Tourism Essay Example for Free

Travel and Tourism Essay Air cabin crew members make sure that airline passengers have a comfortable, safe and pleasant flight. Air cabin crew member must be polite, well-spoken and have a positive approach. Main duties responsibilities The job of a pilot comes with heavy responsibility and personal commitment. There is more to the role than just flying the plane, which has to be done safely and economically, and tasks can typically include: ensuring all information on the route,  ensuring all safety systems are working carrying out pre-flight checks on the navigation and operating systems communicating with air traffic control before take-off. Tasks may vary slightly depending on whether it is a short or long-haul flight and the size of the team you are working in. However, they typically include: Attending a pre-flight briefing, during which air cabin crew are assigned their working positions for the upcoming flight. Crew are also informed of flight details, the schedule and if there are passengers with any special requirements, such as diabetic passengers, passengers in wheelchairs or the number of infants on board; carrying out pre-flight duties, including checking the safety equipment, ensuring the aircraft is clean and tidy, ensuring that information in the seat pockets is up to date and that all meals and stock are on board; welcoming passengers on board and  directing them to their seats; informing passengers of the aircraft safety procedures and ensuring that all hand luggage is securely stored away; checking all passenger seat belts and galleys are secure prior to take-off; making announcements on behalf of the pilot and answering passenger questions during the flight; serving meals and refreshments to passengers; Entry requirements: Qualifications You would usually start your career as a first officer after gaining at least an Airline Transport Pilots License. This is first awarded as a part time ATL, which allows you to fly as a first officer. When you have completed enough flying hours you can apply for a full ATPL and qualify as an airline captain. You must be at least 21 years old to have a full ATPL. You will need to pass a thorough medical check. You should be physically fit, and have good hearing, eyesight and color-normal vision. Several universities offer courses in air transport and operations with pilot training options. Some of these allow you to study up to frozen ATPL level. In most cases, you will have to pay for the flight training modules yourself. A degree or HND/foundation degree is not required for entry into work as a cabin crew member. Instead, most airlines require a good secondary education, with some asking for grade C or above in English and Maths. Skills To become an airline pilot, you will need to have: the ability to follow spoken instructions from air traffic control the ability to give clear, confident instructions to crew members and passengers good teamwork skills the ability to work with technology good hand-to-eye coordination the ability to read maps and 3D displays good written communication skills The ability to remain calm, and take charge in an emergency. flexibility in working unsocial hours on any day of the year; To become a cabin crew member, you will need to have: communication skills; confidence in dealing with a range of people; the ability to work as a team member (different teams may be worked with every day) and be supportive of colleagues; competence in handling difficult situations and the ability to remain calm under pressure and in emergency situations; the ability to be tactful and diplomatic but also assertive when necessary; commercial awareness and sales skills; flexibility in working unsocial hours on any day of the year; the ability to work quickly and efficiently, often to tight time constraints; numeracy skills for handling cash, including foreign currency; The ability to work in a confined space. Personal qualities Pilots need to display a very special blend of personal characteristics: maturity, commitment, a technical aptitude and interest, determination to succeed, self-motivation and willingness to take on responsibility.  The qualities of a good cabin crew are approachability, warm personality, sincerity, honesty, having a humble disposition, friendliness, discipline, stable emotion, having good listening skills, rule oriented, being organised, having a cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding, adaptability, assertiveness, dedication to details and having a good sense of humour. Some airlines look for air cabin crew who can speak a second language and this will be essential if you want to be based in an overseas location. Experience Pilots must be at least 21 years old and have full ATPL and have a certain amount of flying hours to start flying. They will need to pass a thorough medical check. To become a cabin crew memebr, you would be given basic training lasting between four and six weeks. This covers: security, customs  and immigration regulations; safety and emergency procedures; first aid; customer relations and passenger care; currency exchange; food preparation and service, and galley management; Personal grooming (appearance). After this you would normally have a trial period of three to six months. During this time your performance would be checked by trainers or senior crew members. You would have to pass regular exams to test your knowledge of safety and emergency procedures, and to make sure you meet official first aid requirements. Other factors, e.g. location, CRB disclosures, driving licence It is recommended that before candidates you begin any training you take the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) Class One Medical. It is a requirement that all airline pilots pass this medical, and if they do not, they will not be able to complete the training to achieve the ATPL. Criminal record checks can play a key role in your personnel security regime, both at the pre-employment stage and as a tool in personnel security aftercare. The Department for Transport) requires a basic criminal record disclosure for certain roles. This shows unspent convictions only. Candidates also must be able to swim for 25m unaccompanied. Cabin Crew candidates must go through a CRB check. To be successful candidates must not have a criminal record and in some cases not even a caution. Candidates also must be able to swim for 25m unaccompanied. Depending on what airline you work for, you must hold a driving license e.g. Flybe require candidates to have a valid driving licence. Progression: Opportunities for promotion progression Newly qualified pilots start with an airline as a copilot, where they will be second in command on the aircraft. The captain has the overall responsibility for the flight and safety of the passengers and crew but shares tasks with the copilot. With enough hours and experience copilots will be able to progress to the role as a captain. With experience air cabin crew members could get promoted to pursers. As the purser, you would ensure that all crew within your cabin deliver the highest level of customer service. You would also give feedback on their performance and try to boost sales of duty-free items. Training Pilots training to reach the frozen ATPL level could take between nine and 36 months, depending on which entry route they follow. It may take less time if you already have a Private Pilots License, Commercial Pilots License or experience in the armed forces. Training will include: flight principles navigation and communications meteorology operational procedures aviation law use of flight simulators and flying real aircraft. During the training period, you would learn basic flying skills and usually work towards frozen ATPL. You must complete a minimum 195 hours flying time to achieve this. There isn’t a strict education required for becoming an air hostess (besides a GCSE level in English and Maths for most companies), but taking cabin crew training will increase your chance of being hired. Some courses will provide you with training which is similar to the cabin crew training you would receive from an airline company. This gives you a benefit over those who didn’t have some relevant training, which will likely make you stand out of the crowd. Further higher education Pilots would normally start work as a co-pilot (first officer) alongside a training captain on short-haul flights. This would give them maximum experience of take offs and landings. A full ATPL is normally awarded after 1500 flying hours, with at least 500 of these as a co-pilot. Eventually you could become a fully qualified captain. A range of further training courses are also available, which introduce candidates to skills and recruitment processes. Such courses often have useful links to major recruiters and can be an advantage, but do not guarantee entry to the profession. Factors to consider:  E.g. seasonality, temporary, fixed-term contracts. Most seasons start in October and go through May-July so you missed this season. Contracts vary from fixed and temporary. If you have a temporary contract, airlines could go on to terminate your contract or offer you a permanent contract. Contracts vary from fixed and temporary. If you have a temporary contract, they could go on to terminate your contract or offer you a permanent contract. Working hours Your working hours would be linked to flight destinations and could include nights, weekends and public holidays. Working hours are strictly regulated for safety reasons. The amount of time you spend away from home would vary. On UK and European routes, you may be able to return home every evening. Flights further away would often involve overnight stays or longer. If so, your employer would provide you with accommodation. You would work shifts that include weekends, nights and public holidays. The amount of time you would spend away from home would vary depending on the flight routes that you work on. You would be expected to be neat and smart, and your company would provide you with a uniform. The work can be physically demanding, as you would spend a lot of time on your feet and work in small spaces like the kitchen galley. Bad weather could make it uncomfortable in the aircraft. Level of pay A pilot’s level of pay may vary from  £21,000 to  £75,000 depending on experience and level of flying hours. Starting salaries can be between  £12,000 and  £14,000 a year. With experience, this rises to between  £15,000 and  £21,000 a year. Senior crew can earn up to  £25,000 a year. Overtime and flight allowances can increase salaries. Perks As well as getting to fly to either domestic or international destinations as part of their job, airplane pilots get big discounts on personal air travel. Many also enjoy discounts on personal car rentals and hotel rooms through their employers. These benefits can be for life and often extend to other family members. Pilots also enjoy free hotel accommodations when they have to stay away from home overnight. Cabin crew members are provided with free accommodation. You can get cheaper flights for friends and family depending on the airline. The major perk to being cabin crew. For the lucky few that get long haul flights then they will normally stopover in the country you are going too. The airlines will normally put you up in a 4 or 5 star hotel plus whilst you are there you are free to do as you wish. As well as all this you also get paid for it.

Young Womens Political Empowerment Day

Young Womens Political Empowerment Day A Research Summary The results of the 2016 Presidential Election were shocking, to put it mildly, for many people in the United States. After the blatant misogyny, racism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant rhetoric continuously spewed by Republican candidate Donald Trump, it was nearly unbelievable that he won the presidency. Hillary Clinton, the Democrat candidate, in her concession speech in the following hours perfectly addressed one of the largest concerns feminists had after this result: And to all the little girls who are watching this: never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance in the world to pursue your dreams (Clinton). This statement flies in the face of the messages being sent by the current administration and is the message feminist groups should be sending to young women and girls. These current events inspired the Local Groups to dedicate our project to the political empowerment of young women. The planning and organizing of the Local Groups Young Womens Political Empowerment Day had two distinct phases. The first phase decided what topics and issues were most relevant to the young women of the United States and the second phase planned specific events around these issues. As such, my research for the groups was split into two parts: one, to determine if voter turnout and voter registration should be a focus for our projects and two, to find appropriate venues for our events. This research paper will follow that process by first expanding on the research concerning voting statistics in the United States then moving into feminist event organizing. The research concludes that while women, in general, do not need significant time and energy dedicated to voter registration and turnout there is evidence that organizing spaces for women to learn about the United States system of government may encourage them to participate in the process. Before delving into the statistics about voting demographics in the United States, I decided to look at the global trends analyzed in the Engaging the Electorate: Initiatives to Promote Voter Turnout From Around the World report written by Andrew Ellis, Maria Gratschew, Jon H. Pammett, and Erin Thiessen from the non-governmental organization (NGO) International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). This report takes all available data on democratic elections from over 180 countries between the years of 1945 and 2006. The report had two major findings in relation to voting in the United States. First, the preliminary data showed that the United States like many other countriesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦suffers from declining voter turnout (Ellis, Geatschew, Pammett, Thiessen 33) but did not analyze the turnout rates beyond this point. Second, the report showed that the United States also follow the global patterns that countries where women gained the vote earlier tend to have higher turnout than those that made this reform more recently (Ellis, Geatschew, Pammett, Thiessen 15). These trends show the United States to be an average nation in comparison to the rest of the democratic world but do not give us enough information on the gender specific voting statistics in the nation. I then turned to the book Who Votes Now?: Demographics, Issues, Inequality, and Turnout in the United States by Jan E. Leighley and Nagler Jonathan. Chapter Two Demographics of Turnout of the book focuses on the long-term voting turnout patterns of the United States. Using data from the United States Census Bureaus Current Population Survey (CPS) and the American National Elections Studies (NES), the authors showed that between the years 1972 and 2008 there was voter turnout decline but that it has been slightly higher in some election years (Leighley Nagler 45), that women were more likely to vote than men, and that the wealthy were more likely to vote than those in poverty. These patterns were shown again the next year by the United States Census Bureau when Thom File authored a report titled Who Votes? Congressional Elections and the American Electorate: 1978-2014. This report preformed the same analysis along race, socioeconomic status, and age lines on the most recent data on n on-presidential elections available in 2015. This report also expands on the fact that women register to vote at higher rates than men and the increase in the use of alternative methods of voting (File 13) over the past decade. Lastly, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) released a fact sheet on their analysis of voter turnout trends from the mid-1960s, the earliest voting data available for the United States, to 2012. They also found the trend that women register to vote and vote at higher rates than men. However, they found slight differences for Asian/Pacific Islanders, who in 2000à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[had] men vote at slightly higher rates than women (CAWP 2), and the older, 75 years old and up, voters, where the pattern is reversed (CAWP 2) completely. After presenting this data to the Local Group, we decided that we would not focus on voter turnout or voter registration during our Political Empowerment Day. However, we did agree to have the paperwork needed to register to vote at the workshops for the young women who could register to vote but had not. Ultimately, we decided to have four workshops: Government 101, a presentation that focused on how local and federal government work; How to Lobby a Legislator, a workshop where a lobbyist from Planned Parenthood would teach how to lobby; How to Jump Start Your Political Career, a workshop focusing on internship opportunities; and Ask a Woman Legislator, a panel of two to five New Jersey women legislators to answer questions about their careers. Our group then shifted to organizing these events where I focused on finding spaces for these events. As before, I started with the history of feminist organizing for historical context with the book The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. The seventeenth chapter, Feminist Organizing: Whats old, whats new? History, Trends and Issues, focuses on the history of feminist organizing and speculates on where it may be heading. Our project directly relates to the historic debate about whether feminists should work inside out where one is working with or within the state (Ewig Ferree 420) or outside in where one works with grassroots campaigns. Our project aims to do both, first by empowering young girls to possible run for office and second by teaching them about government in general if they wish to challenge it. This led to Susan Brackens article Understanding Program Planning Theory and Practice in a Feminist Community-Based Organization which discussed some of the traditional problems feminist groups face such as the paradox of agency as members struggle with individual and collec tive agendas (Bracken 124) or basic technical issues such as how much to use spreadsheets in grant reports (Bracken 127). However, these traditional problems do not appear to apply to our group at this current time. There is some work that suggests that these challenges do not appear to apply to young feminists organizations because of a generational difference in activism. Julia Schuster makes this argument in her article Invisible feminists? Social media and young womens political participation where she states that social media serve[s] as a useful tool for the young womens political activities (Schuster 25) due to cost and accessibility; however, the use of the internet causes a break in communication between the second and third wave feminism and causes young feminist groups to have different challenges than their predecessors. Groups such as FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund and the Association for Womens Rights in Developments Young Feminist Activist Program have recognized this disconnect and responded by studying young feminist groups in their report Brave, Creative, Resilient: The Global State of Young Feminist Organizing. In this publication, they explore the common problems of young femi nist organizations rather than feminist organizations in general. Their finding that young feminist groups have difficulty getting funding and spaces for their events is far more applicable to our groups situation than the challenges faced by older feminist groups (FRIDA AWRD 4). This report also suggests a solution that Sarah Frey focuses on in her community outreach. Many young feminist organizations work with local community groups, like the partnership Sarah Frey wants to forge with the Eastern Service Workers Association (ESWA), to get the space they need to put on their events. Lastly, I researched ways feminist organizations have been attracting attendance to their events and how they judged their success. Betsy Sinclair, Margaret McConnell, and Melissa Michelson argue that unlikely votersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦can be moved to turn out with a brief face-to-face conversation at their home (Sinclai, McConnell Michelson 52). A similar thing can happen with our events if we canvas local areas for participants to attend workshops about political empowerment. More suggestions for engagement were found in Rayo Amirsoleymanis research proposal Planning for Public Participation and Community Engagement in Contemporary Feminist Art Programs where she suggests engagement techniques such as public participation (Amirsoleymani 10) where the public takes part in the art. From this research, I knew I needed to find a place where our group could work with an already established group, an area that would be easy for the students to come to the events, and a place where students c ould engage with the presentations and workshops that would be done. From those criteria, I decided to contact the Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA) of Trenton, a well-established organization located near housing developments; the Trenton Public Library, another well-established organization but not as easy to get to for participants; the New Jersey State Museum, again another well-established organization that may be difficult to get to but much more engaging for the participants; and, as a last resort, the College of New Jersey, a location that would be difficult to get to but would be free for our group to utilize. My research focused on voter statistics in the United States and how to choose a location for events that would maximize attendance. I found that for the past several decades women have been voting and registering to vote at higher rates then men. I also found that a good location for empowerment workshops must be easy to get to, engaging for the possible participants, and would be best if they were connected to a local group with ties to the community for maximum participant turnout. These results led the Local Group to decide against focusing on voter turnout during out Political Empowerment Day and to focus on local community groups with ties to the community rather than locations to find a venue for our event. Work Cited Amirsoleymani, Roya C. Planning for Public Participation and Community Engagement in Contemporary Feminist Art Programs. OU Library. University of Oregon, June 2013. Web. Bracken, Susan J. Understanding Program Planning Theory and Practice in a Feminist Community-Based Organization. Adult Education Quarterly 61.2 (2011): 121-38. Clinton, Hillary. Concession Speech 2016. 9 November 2016, Wyndham New Yorker Hotel, New York, NY. Concession Speech. Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). Gender Differences in Voter Turnout. Fact Sheet. Rutgers University. New Brunswick, N.J. 2015 Web. Ellis, Andrew, Gratschew, Maria, Pammett, Jon H., and Thiessen, Erin. Engaging the Electorate: Initiatives to Promote Voter Turnout From Around the World. Ed. Ivo Balinov, Sean W. Burges, Laura Chrabolowsky, David McGrane, Juraj Hocman, Kristina Lemon, and Svitozar Omelko. Stockholm: International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2006. Print. Ewig, Christina and Ferree, Myra M. Feminist Organizing: Whats old, whats new? History, Trends and Issues. The Oxford Handbook of Gender and Politics. Ed. Georgina Waylen, Karen Celis, Johanna Kantola, S. Laurel Weldon. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. 411-435. Print. File, Thom. Who Votes? Congressional Elections and the American Electorate: 1978-2014. Washington, DC: Population Characteristics, U.S. Census Bureau, 2015. Print. P20-577. FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund and Young Feminist Activist Program. Brave, Creative, Resilient: The Global State of Young Feminist Organizing. FRIDA and Association for Womens Rights in Development, 2016. Print. Leighley, Jan E., and Jonathan Nagler. Demographics of Turnout. Who Votes Now?: Demographics, Issues, Inequality, and Turnout in the United States. Princeton: Princeton U Pres, 2014. 16-51. Print. Schuster, Julia. Invisible feminists? Social media and young womens political participation. Political Science 65.1 (2013): 8-24. Sinclair, Betsy, McConnell, Margaret, and Michelson, Melissa. Local Canvassing: The Efficacy of Grassroots Voter Mobilization. Political Communication 30.1 (2013): 42-57.

Effects of the Hawthorne Studies Essay -- Business Management Human Re

The Hawthorne studies, which began in 1924 and ended in 1933, at the Western Electric Company, have produced controversy since its findings in 1939 were published in the book Management And The Worker. There were so many elements changed during the tests that many people disagree on the true factors that caused a rise in output. Was the rise in output due to the rise in money, or the factor of better human relations? Instead maybe the rise in output was due to the now famous term that came out of the studies known as the Hawthorne effect. Hopefully through this research, a better understanding of the factors that contributed to the rise in output can be determined, and ultimately how the Hawthorne studies impacted the future of business management. The Hawthorne studies developed when William Durgin of the Commonwealth Edison Company started conducting tests in 1918 to prove that different amounts of illumination would alter the amount of production in a company. "The results of these studies showed an increase in productivity of 10-20% with increases of light intensity" (Wrege, 1986, p. 24). Due to the success of these tests, the electric companies formed a committee with Thomas Edison as the chairman. And thus began the Illumination tests at Hawthorne in 1924. After three years of testing for illumination, the results concluded that illumination had little or no influence on production. Instead it was concluded that supervision if anything had an influence on output. In 1927 The Relay Assembly Room Tests began at Hawthorne. The study lasted nearly five years, making it the longest experiment conducted at Hawthorne. Selection of this department may have been an error by the team of observers. The Relay Assembly department ... ...rizons, Feb., Vol. 21 Issue 1, p31, 6p. Greenwood, G., Ronald. Wrege, D., Charles. (1986). The Hawthorne Studies. Academy of Management Proceedings, p24, 12p. McGregor, Douglas. (1960). The Human Side of Enterprise. New York: McGraw-Hill, pp.114. Shepard, M., John. (1971) On Alex Carey's Radical Criticism of the Hawthorne Studies. Academy of Management Journal, Mar., Vol. 14 Issue 1, p23, 10p. Shivers, C. Herbert. (1998) Halos, Horns and Hawthorne: Potential Flaws in the Evaluation Process. Professional Safety, Mar., Vol. 43, Issue 3. Stephen, R. Jones. (1992). Was there a Hawthorne effect? American Journal of Sociology, Nov., Vol.98, Issue 3. Yunker, W., Gary. (1993).An Explanation of Positive and Negative Hawthorne Effects: Evidence from the Relay Assembly Test Room and Bank Wiring Observation Room Studies. Academy of Management Proceedings, p179.

Prufrock in the poem The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock Essay -- T.S.

Question Who is Prufrock? The modern propensity for excessive introspection prevents people from living full, active lives. Is this true of Prufrock? Refer to examples from the poem to support your opinion. Answer It is obvious that the excessive and obsessive reflection of self that Prufrock undergoes in the poem, "The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock" written by T.S. Eliot, prevents him from living to his true potential, and this is shown through the poet?s language and his use of poetic devices. ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock? has some immaculate imagery. T.S. Eliot uses figurative diction to create almost cinematic images in the readers mind, almost like a memory of their own. The imagery creates an incredible mood and atmosphere, and this evokes appropriately vivid feelings and emotions that all the same, feel eerily familiar and appeal to the senses of the reader. This is the case as the reader can relate to the personal feelings of Prufrock. Yet, the individual images, I consider are not the guiding force or theme of the poem. The constant and central theme of the poem is the dismissive tone of the self-cynical persona, Prufrock. I personally believe that the poem, ?The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock? contains T.S. Eliot?s perception on modern man, or in other words, the monotony and sordidness of the human condition. I believe he attempts to break the conventional modes of perception of the typical individual which perpetually takes new forms, and makes the reader see the world afresh from a new perspective. He does this by making us aware and engaging us in deeper feelings that we rarely penetrate. Eliot personally feels that modern man has an exiguous view on the quality of life and the truly impo... ...of Prufrock's propensity to move backwards and downwards is suggestive of his nearness to death, and his backpedaling down into Hell. Prufrock himself as stated earlier sees "the eternal Footman hold my coat, and snicker,? while he says in the next line "in short, I was afraid." The point of past tense is also worth noting. With these phrases the audience has to feel pity towards Prufrock and it is through emotions that Eliot makes his point and perception realised in the readers? eyes. In conclusion, as Eliot seemed to think that the modern propensity for excessive introspection prevents people from living full, active lives, Eliot created the story of Prufrock. Through his persona, T.S. Eliot engages his readers with an assortment of emotions. These emotions were successful in allowing Eliot to see his perception of superficial people seen in his reader's eyes.

Graduation Speech: Reach for What You Want :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Life is a big store, a market. Now, before you tune out, let me explain this strange analogy. You'll get what I'm saying What do people do in life? They do what they want to do. They spend life trying to get what they want. Whether that's possessions, wisdom, fame, fortune or simply survival, people everywhere right now are living life getting what they want. You're probably thinking: Hey, what about those people that spend their lives serving others or serving God? Think about it some more. Let's say that a guy wants salvation, he's going to spend his life attaining salvation. Let's say she wants to end child hunger. She'll work to end child hunger. While poverty and becoming famous are very different things, the want is not. The feeling of true want is the same for all of us no matter what it is you're wanting. It's this want that makes us human and keeps us involved in this thing called life. Now you might begin to understand why I've compared life to a market. Why do people go to the market or to the store or to the mall? It's because they want something. You want food? Go to the store and buy some. You want clothes? Buy them. You want to give a gift to someone? Find it at the mall! In the same way, life is a market. You want more knowledge? It's yours if you pay for it by studying. You want skill? It'll cost you many hours of practice. You want to graduate? That'll come out to four years of hard work, as you all have done. Now, here's some good news: tonight, our market is expanding! We're moving on to a new market, in a bigger building at a larger town with more people who want better things. Moments in our lives such as learning how to read or graduating from high school are, simply put, expansions of our market of life. But, before we "move on to the big time," we need to do something that all good merchants do: we need to take stock of what we have. I don't mean for you to go home after this and count up how many cans of food you have (not that that's not important.) I mean, reflect upon yourself and your life and take your personal inventory. Look around you. Look within you.

English Language Essay

English has emerged as the global language of trade and commerce in the past few decades, affecting many key aspects of business in the modern world. The English language has become the standard for all important official communications in an increasingly large number of countries with a wide variety of native languages. In the modern world, English continues to spread as the major medium through which both small businesses and large corporations do business. There are about 5,000 languages in the world today. Some have gained international status; some are developing; others are used in isolation in their region, community, or village; a few have gone extinct or have died (like Latin and Sanskrit). The number of users of the English language has grown by leaps and bounds. Second language and foreign language users are seen to exceed the number of native speakers.  · Worldwide more or less two billion people live in countries where English has official status.  · One out of five of the world’s population, speaks English with some degree of fluency.  · Over one billion had been seen in the year 2000 to continue their studies in English.  · As language of science and technology, English, the universal language, claims more or less 90% of all information in the world’s electronic retrieval systems being stored in English. English is used regularly by more than 350 million people scattered over the globe. It is the native or official language of one-fifth of the world. Of the languages of colonization it has been the one most important in Africa, Asia and the islands of the central and southern Pacific. The use of English is widespread in international trade, international scholarship, and scientific research. More than half of the world’s scientific and technical journals, as well as newspapers, are printed in English. Three-fourths of the world’s mail is in English. The Soviet Union and China use English in their propaganda broadcasts to the developing countries of Africa and Asia. English is the most widely-studied language in areas where it is not native. In Japan English is widely used in the upper grade level. In India, English is the alternate official language to Hindi. In the Philippines it is the common language or medium of communication of people speaking different languages. More or less 80% of Filipinos speak/understand English. Doing Business Worldwide English is a global language for doing business. In some industries, English is the official standard language. Therefore, an excellent command of English is required for key jobs. In addition, English has emerged as a major language for finance and the stock markets around the world. People wishing to do businesses globally need to have a good command of spoken English. The ability to clearly write in English is also of key importance, as many forms of business communication, from emails to presentations and marketing to important business contracts, are written in English. A CNN Report (CNN) Hiroshi Mikitani sees nothing wrong with the word, incorporating it easily into our discussion about Japan’s future. The internet entrepreneur and CEO of Rakuten Inc, Japan’s largest e-commerce site, intends to change his country from the inside out. â€Å"And Englishization is a part of it,† he says bluntly. With 6,000 employees and sales topping $3 billion a year, Mikitani intends Rakuten to keep growing into a global player. The goal: be as common a household name as Google in 10 years. The path to that goal, believes Mikitani, is to speak the global language of business, English. â€Å"English is the only global language. We’re doing a global business. I think this is the only way a Japanese service organization can become a global organization.† By 2012, Mikitani’s pledge is to make Rakuten an English-only corporation. All communication, verbal and email, would be sent not in Japanese, but in English. It’s a daunting task for a Japanese company headquartered in Tokyo. Last year’s Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) rankings showed Japanese test takers scored second worst in the East Asia region, below North Korea and Myanmar. Only Laos ranked lower than Japan. Honda’s CEO, Takanobu Ito, said publicly, â€Å"It’s stupid for a Japanese company to only use English in Japan when the workforce is mainly Japanese.† Mikitani doesn’t flinch at the criticism. In fact, he seems to relish it. â€Å"The nature of our business is totally different,† he says, pointing out Honda manufactures a hardware item and Rakuten deals with users on the internet. â€Å"If you want to become successful in other countries, you need to internationalize the headquarters.† Rakuten is expanding despite Japan’s macro-economic struggles. They are starting a Chinese version of Rakuten and purchasing ecommerce sites in the U.S. and France. â€Å"One thing I know, the definition of ‘country’ is going to change. Definition of ‘currency’ is going to change,† says Mikitani. â€Å"There is going to be less importance which country you’re operating from. And there’s going to be global competition, not local to local.† Mikitani is everything â€Å"Corporate Japan† is not: young, a risk-taker, outspoken and fluent in English. He started his company with a friend in 1997, using their own money. The two friends grew the business into the public corporation and powerhouse it is today. The 45 year old, energetic CEO says he is, at the core, utterly Japanese. But he disagrees with how corporate Japan and the policy makers have run the economy and country. Look at the aging demographics and the economy of Japan, says Mikitani, and the writing is on the wall for corporate Japan. Growth, he says, can only happen if Japanese companies go outside of the country for expansion and look for opportunities outside of Japan’s famously produced cars and electronics. â€Å"I felt (sic) those kind of ages is over. Now we need to really dramatically change the structure of economy of Japan and IT is going to be an extremely important part of it,† says Mikitani. â€Å"But none of the Japanese†¦ for example, politicians, truly understands from the bottom of the heart, how important that is.† Mikitani feels the two decades-long economic stagnation for Japan has fundamentally affected the country’s young, which spells trouble for the country’s future. â€Å"Japanese society, especially younger people, are so inward looking. They don’t even want to go to other countries. They want to stay here. They want to have a good life; they don’t want to be rich. They want to have a good day to day life. That’s it. And I think we need to be more sort of dynamic, outward looking,† he says. The solution, hopes Mikitani, will be found in concrete economic policy from Tokyo’s lawmakers and strong leadership from Japan’s companies. Japan can produce innovative, high quality ideas and products, says Mikitani, but the talent needs a direction. He remains positive about his country’s future, despite its problems. Rakuten means optimistic, he points out. â€Å"I think that in absolute terms, we [Japanese] are lagging. We are slowing down. I don’t think we need to be pessimistic, but our window is not so long.† An Indian Perspective English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Ever since India became independent, the fortunes of English have seen many ups and downs. In accordance with the prevalent mood of hostility against everything foreign, English, considered only a foreign language, could not also escape the wrath of many people. It was decided to do away with it as early as possible. It was given a lease of fifteen years, and after that it was to be replaced by Hindi as the national and official language of the country. English was spoken and used by a micro-scopic minority of the people and they could not dominate the majority which spoke Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi. Educationally also it was desirable to impart instruction in Hindi and other regional languages. Moreover, the continuance of English as the official language of the country was regarded as some sort of an affront to national honor. Did not every country have its own national and official, language, it was asked. There was much weight in all these arguments. But when the deadline, 1965, for the switch-over to Hindi came, there were unseemly controversies and riots in the country. The main opposition to Hindi came from the South. After long and tedious deliberations it was decided to continue English as an associate official language. The States were free to adopt their own languages and were to correspond with one another and the centre either in Hindi or English. Later the the three language formula was also devised. The general feeling is that Hindi as it develops and as people while learning it show, and are shown patience, will continue to gain in importance and will increasingly take over as many functions of English as possible. But along with the spread of Hindi, English will continue to be used in one way or another and it will play its due role in the nation. India is a land of many languages, cultures and religions. It is rich in variety and diversity, but there is a real danger that in the absence of a link language, its unity may just fall to bits. Considering the situation as it is today, English is the only language to discharge this important obligation. At the official level, the importance of English is obvious. It is the associate language of the Centre and most of its employees use it in official work. Since the States have adopted their regional languages for official business and many of them are averse to the use of Hindi, a virtual linguistic chaos would result if English were not used for inter-State communication. So in this sphere also, the importance of English is obvious. Interestingly, the state of Nagaland has English as its official language. In education too, the use of English cannot be dispensed with. Hindi and the regional languages, though they are developing and enjoy official patronage, are still inadequately equipped for imparting education, particularly at the university level. There is a general lack of standard text books and it may well take several decades before there is sufficient development of these languages. Again, English still enjoys a commanding position in science, technology, engineering, law, medicine, commerce, industry and the diplomatic services. It is virtually impossible to replace English in these disciplines by Hindi or any other Indian language. Considering then for a moment the absence of English from India, exchange of professors, doctors administrators, and students will cease. Research will slacken and there will be a steep decline in the quality of education. The efforts of the country to industrialize itself rapidly and to raise the standard of the masses will be seriously undermined. There will widespread disunity and this will jeopardize our freedom. So the role of English today for us is twofold. It knits the country and maintains equality and standard at all levels. Considering this important place of English, we Indians are today learning it in larger numbers than they ever did before. It is a world language and even in Russia, China etc., it is being learnt eagerly. In India those who oppose it seem to be a little prejudiced either for political reasons or because of some absurd sentimentality. Don’t they accept foreign goods, clothes and technical know-how? They do, because it is good and useful. Why then oppose English, simply because it is a foreign language? They should not forget that it was the knowledge of English that helped India gain freedom. The overall situation then appears to be this. English even after 36 years of independence occupies an important place in the social educational, administrative, scientific industrial and commercial life of the country. Those who know and support it need not despair. English will continue though it may occupy a secondary place to Hindi.

Leaderships: Gender and Characteristics Essay

Leader from different gender can bring good and bad to organization. However, studies shows bad and good leader can be from both male and female leaders. From the follower’s perspective, there were no significant indicators shows either male or female leaders is the worst or good leader (Singh P., Nadim A.& Ezzedeen S.R, 2012) In recent years, more and more women becoming a leader in organization, here in Malaysia itself, Bank Negara Malaysia is led by a women. This topic, Leadership style and gender had become interesting and most intensely studied in the field of Leadership. The purpose of this articles is to identify leaderships styles by different gender and what are the characteristic identified as a good or bad leaders for each gender. Some characteristic may share by both gender and some may be uniquely to one gender. By identifying these criteria we should be able to further identify which styles significant for each. Literature Review Leadership in organization is defined as a process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its effort toward goal setting and goal achievement (Stogdill, 1950). By the definitions, we can firmly confirm that either male or female can be a leader which the long belief that leadership effectiveness equates with masculinity and being male (Eagly & Karau, 2002). Gender differences in organization leadership’s style is still full of ambiguity and paradox despite the number of studies done to address the topic. There are still unanswered questions (Moran, B. B., 1992). Further study in gender differences in leadership style were further studied by Eagly and Johnson (1990). The findings indicates that women were more participative or democratic compared to men. Men were more directive or autocratic than women. Contingency theory suggest men and women use different approaches to leaderships, women focus on social and emotional concerns and being supportive of their members whereas men are more task oriented (Gray, 1992). This two characteristics, referred as democratic and autocratic leadership styles. Traditional leadership models and expectations are still in place, presenting challenges for women in such roles. An exploration of gender stereotypes about leadership serves as a foundation for positing new leadership definitions and strategies for successful negotiation of leadership roles. In the Malaysia, career expectations for both women and men have shifted over time. If women are in professions in which leadership is expected, additional concerns related to this pressure may be raised. C. West and Zimmer- man (1987) suggested that gender is in fact an action that allows individuals to ascribe meaning to daily functions and describe the way that specific gender roles enable and enhance certain functions. Bem (1974) began the discussion on gender in the late 1970s and presented a gender continuum. She suggested that androgyny is the sought-after perspective to highlight the best of a person’s masculine and feminine sides, rather than the traditionally prescribed focus on gender roles for men and women. The androgynous approach is meant to liberate men and women to more freely express themselves and their masculine and feminine qualities. Discussion Traditional perspectives and gender roles may be denigrated by some and expected by others. Thus, the female leader is left in a quandary. As gender, an issue worthy of regard, has received more attention, gender’s role in career transitions, career choice, and career success has been studied. Learning how to be a leader may present yet another challenge for female leader. Considered within the framework of feminism, mentoring itself may be counter to ideals of equality by virtue of the imbalance of power inherent in the relationship. However, such an assumption is based on the traditional notion of mentoring relationships in which there is a teacher and a student. Wary of being perceived as having a separatist attitude, many women tacitly agree to â€Å"play the game,† whose rules were made by the men who typically held the power, and attempt to get ahead professionally by following the traditionally male-oriented routes to success. Other women may feel marginalized by this perspective and fear that they will not be able to get ahead without sacrificing family, relationships, or their personal well-being. Many men are faced with an even greater challenge to uphold the masculine gender role expectation to be career-driven and success-oriented, when in fact they may prefer to spend more time with family, friends, and generally nurturing themselves and their relationships (Staggenborg, 1998). Through historical examples and traditional organization leadership, women may receive the message that assuming leadership means they must sacrifice in other areas of their life. Perhaps the definitions and portrayal of leadership are in need of exploration to address their inherent challenges to different gender. Examining traditional definitions of leadership, leadership styles, and the role of gender in leadership provides a foundation for understanding these challenges and creates a platform for opportunities for reform and support. J. D. West, Osborn, and Bubenzer (2003) suggested three leadership dimensions: context, vision, and action. Context involves exploration of the population or task, vision reflects work to achieve an intended goal, and action moves people and process toward change and improvement. Leadership requires one to be an advocate for a profession, a cause, or a task (J. D. West et al., 2003). Similarly, Borders and Shoffner (2003) defined leaders as individuals who are change agents, social activists, and catalysts in their disciplines. In the counseling profession, leaders may be in various positions and serve myriad functions. Given these functions, leadership may be a sought-after quality. The degree to which a daily work is construed as fulfilling a leadership role may be a reflection of the profession’s definition. Leadership Styles It is perhaps the manner in which one leads that distinguishes style and perception of ability. Collaborative, transformational, and context-driven leadership styles are inherently geared toward stereotyped interpersonal leadership styles attributed to women. At odds with the traditional view of how women should behave are the characteristically male leadership styles that are driven by authoritarianism and swift decision making. A qualitative study of eight female leaders suggested that women’s leadership attributes and behaviors are actually an interaction between personal, interpersonal, and professional domains (Black & Magnuson, 2005). Black and Magnuson (2005) highlighted authenticity, compassion, and vision, respectively, with the three domains they identified. It might even be suggested that the traditional hierarchical model of leadership, challenged by feminist efforts to equalize power (Humble et al., 2006), runs counter to the actual lived experience of women’s leadership. An individual’s leadership style reflects a unique combination of personality traits and professional goals and vision (Black & Magnuson, 2005). It is assumed that leadership style will correlate with success. Yet, the myriad books describing leaders across disciplines do not advocate a specific leadership style (e.g., J. D. West et al., 2003). Leadership Theory: The Role of Gender Leadership, by implication, suggests power. Yet, power comes in many forms and, historically, addresses issues of oppression. Dimensions of race, gender, and class have been conduits of oppression. Gender has not been fully explored within the context of oppression and may have a place in discussions of hierarchy and power (Murray, 2006). Stepping into a leadership role can be a means of exerting power over traditionally oppressed groups or, conversely, a means of reacting to one’s own history of oppression and thereby exerting one’s first experience with power. Multiple cultural identities have challenged the stereotypes of leadership. For example, Bradley (2005) discussed the traditional stereotypes for professional African American women as either â€Å"Mammy† or â€Å"Sapphire,† referencing instead the nurturing and strength they bring to their professional roles. There are penalties for holding professional roles that by nature do not fit with the stereotypes of African American women, including criticism by other. Traditional masculine and feminine traits are stereotyped in terms of leadership potential. Women in leadership positions are often expected to demonstrate typical masculine traits such as decisiveness, authority, and directness. Women are perceived to work from a care and relational orientation, and these traits may be inconsistent with the traditional concept of leadership (Gilligan, 1982). However, concepts of patriarchal power and hegemonic masculinity challenge women to uphold traditional gender role expectations (Coleman, 2003). Participants in a qualitative study of female head teachers in England and Wales found advantageous ways to step outside of the male role (Coleman, 2003). Several participants in this study discussed using â€Å"feminine wiles† and having different interactions with men to achieve their professional functions. Whether decisiveness, authority, and directness are indeed reserved for men and masculine behavior is a multilayered question that addresses surface behaviors and, more deeply, effective leadership styles. There are distinct challenges for women who wish to assume leadership positions, either by choice or by nature of their abilities.. The profession must move beyond leadership stereotypes to which female leaders may conform and promote the strengths of each individual. Similarly, consistent with the profession’s multicultural and social justice emphases, provisions must be made to consider individuals’ personal strengths rather than assume that they must change to effectively lead. Stereotyped gender perspectives are generally unintentional and based largely on personal belief systems and experiences (Staggenborg, 1998). The organization might even benefit from female leaders who, as a way to validate women engaging in similar struggles, publicly share the challenges they face in their effort to balance multiple roles and responsibilities (Steiner, 2006). Mainstream authors (e.g., Warner, 2005) have suggested that organizational and societal infrastructures must change if women and men are to be equally successful. Providing child care at conferences, offering flexible work schedules, and identifying differential markers for success and accomplishment have been recommended (Levitt & Hermon, 2009). Defining leadership in terms of action and style rather than position and power is a framework that organization may endorse. Even exploration of the professional literature can have an impact on this perspective. Exploring gender differences with respect to social context, not simply a male–female dichotomy, may provide greater meaning in the explorations of human development and counseling phenomena (Yoder & Kahn, 2003). My experience working with different gender either as a manager or subordinate, show a different aspect, characteristic and behavior of male and female leader. Most Malaysia male leader are more democratic, task oriented and open minded. Female leader on the other hand, adopt and strict follow the rule leaderships. However, no studies show that women are bad or worst leader. This may due to more male leader compare to women leaders. If both gender are equal in leadership role, some significant finding will can be shows. Currently, more women report to male manager/leader. The perception on good or bad leader will be totally based on their experience. However, some consideration should be make, to just good or bad leader. Some studies show, if leader either male or female which have characteristic as empowering, knowledgeable, inspiring were consider as good leader. If male or female who have characteristic as autocratic, unaspiring, degrading and manipulative is voted as bad leaders. This can be seen in our daily work. Due to challenge, male and female who able to cope with pressure in either work or family life plus with hectic lifestyle today, they will become a good leader. Those who failed to cope with all the pressure, will somehow effecting their leadership’s style. Some studies show that male have strong understand of their good or bad leader compare to women. Even in dyad relationships, male to male, female to female relationship should be good for organizations, but study show, men prefer male as their leaders.

Rhetorical Strategies Analysis of “Bill Clinton’s First Inaugural Address”

Rhetorical Strategies Analysis of â€Å"Bill Clinton's First Inaugural Address† Introduction William Jefferson â€Å"Bill† Clinton served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He got authority at the end of the Cold War. During Cold War, in order to compete with the Soviet Union's military power, the federal government spent a great deal of financial resources to establish a powerful military. The quality of life of common people decreased year after year. At that time, people desired to have a new powerful authority to rebuild people's confidence.Clinton won the 1992 presidential election with 42% of the vote against his predecessor, George H. W. Bush who had 37. 4% of the vote. Clinton's wining ended the Republican rule of the White House of previous years. With 43% of the vote, he outpolled the winning House candidate in five districts. Clinton has been described as a New Democrat. In January 1993, he had campaigned on the theme of change and the public expected him to deliver. And in his first inaugural address, he continually promised change.The purpose of my article is to figure out: what rhetorical strategies and tactics did President Clinton use in oder to accomplish hi task of change? Inaugural addresses have often served as the civil religion. Clinton was well – prepared to take this tradition. According to the evidence, it suggests his three main resources for first inaugural address are his lifetime study of the Bible, his education at Georgetown University, and his reading of others' inaugural addresses by Republican and Democratic presidents.During the campaign Clinton mentioned that when he was a little child, he felt a strong calling to go to church even though his parents did not go. He grew up in the Southern Baptist denomination and as he remembered, â€Å"I had to get other people to read the scripture every day or do it myself. † His religious choice fits the American belief. Most American believe that God â€Å"is actively interested and involved in history, with a special concern for America,† as Robert N. Bellah said. During the 1990s, Clinton skillfully used biblical language to make common eople trust him and rebuild their confidence in a future president. Context The inaugural address of an American president is a vital ceremonial event and an occasion for a particular kind of communication between the President and the people. The president represents all the people of a country and his inaugural address shows a direction of the government. The address is the first official announcement made by the new president and it is analyzed as setting the tone for the four years to follow.Presidents have had their own skill in shaping and delivering their addresses, drawing on rhetorical devices to convey a message and to communicate a sense of meaning and value. Clinton gave people a vivid image about a brand new future for the United States with a short first a ddress. He bring a metaphor for the future, â€Å"a spring reborn in the world's oldest democracy, that brings forth the vision and courage to reinvent America. † For the spring to be reborn in America, President Clinton called for government and public to change.Clinton thought that America have to change for better notion and â€Å"not change for change's sake, but change to preserve America's ideals – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. † Thus, from my perspective, the rhetorical strategy of Clinton's first address is persuasion. He tries to explain contemporary situation of America and he tries to advocate â€Å"change† on this issue. The Strategy of Persuasion As we learned, the three main methods of persuasion involve pathos, ethos and logos. President Clinton seems to use one major approach, pathos, to persuade audiences. Also you can read Rhetorical Devices in Night Walker by Brent StaplesPathos is to use emotion to persuade audiences' minds in a rhetorical argument. President Clinton uses basic American beliefs and ideologies, such as, â€Å"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,† trying to arouse people's passion. Also, he brought out the social problem of America, that â€Å"raised in unrivaled prosperity, we inherit an economy that is still the world's strongest, but is weakened by business failures, stagnant wages, increasing inequity, and deep divisions among our people. † He used realistic problems to relate to common people's daily life. It brings out another passion, which is to struggle for their life.Then, in the middle of his first inaugural address, Clinton calls for people's responsibilities to renew and create a better nation. He uses child to bring out a bigger theme of posterity and he calls people's passion to create a better society for their posterity. He said, â€Å"posterity is the world to come — the world for whom we hold our ideals, from whom we have borrowed our planet, and to whom we bear sacred responsibility. † By using pathos of persuasion, President Clinton tried to arouse the public to put more effort into establishing American society in order to renew the United States.The significant purpose of persuasion always to change people's behavior eventually. Then, Clinton mentioned three main parts to renew the whole country. First of all, â€Å"to renew America, we must be bold,† which brings out the responsibilities of citizens and government; second of all, â€Å"we must revitalize our democracy,† which discusses reinventing authority and the federal government; finally, â€Å"we must meet challenges abroad as well at home,† and President Clinton gave two ideas both diplomacy and national thoughts. The Strategy of Biblical LanguageIn the end of first address, President Clinton emphasis on how individuals change themselves to drive the government's and country's change. He used emotional language to make that argument, that is â€Å"in serving, we recognize a simple but powerful truth — we need each other. † In the final paragraph of the inaugural address, it included a verse from St. Paul's letter to the Galatians, â€Å"and let us not be weary in well – doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not,† which could make special resonance. As mentioned above, Clinton uses biblical language to reference to political trusts and purposes.

Health Informatics Essay

History of Healthcare Informatics It wasn’t until the 1950’s, that informatics started to take off, when Robert Ledley used computers in dental projects with the National Bureau of Standards. In the 1960’s doctors, graduate students, and computer specialists began creating diagnostic systems and other medical computer programs. In the late 1960’s, the MUMPs programming system was created to integrate medical databases and is still used today (â€Å"The History†, n.d.). In recent years, health informatics has exploded with president Obama’s 2009 Federal Stimulus Package, which has allocated millions of dollars for funding of health care informatics development and utilization. The package states a goal that by 2014, every resident will have an electronic health record (Sorgen, 2010). Given this stimulus, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts a 49% job growth and the U.S. News & World Report named Healthcare Informatics as one of the top careers today (â€Å"Health Informatics Career†, n.d.). What is Healthcare Informatics? According to the American Health Information Management Association, healthcare Informatics was adapted from the French term for computer science (Informatique), in the 1970’s in order to capture the emerging science of information and computer technology that was used in healthcare. Health and Medical Informatics is often used interchangeably but both pertain to Healthcare Informatics. Healthcare Informatics â€Å"is the multidisciplinary scientific field concerned with the acquisition, storage, retrieval, communication and optimal use of health information for problem solving and decision making. Health Informatics enhances the development and assessment tools used representing medical data, aiding medical decision making, defining medical language and classification systems, as well computer aided learning and healthcare IT strategy† (Health Informatics Career†, n.d.). Some of the technologies that Healthcare Informaticians manage include PDAs, telemedicine, digital imaging, digital libraries/websites, email system and clinical support systems, and electronic medical records. According to Worldwidelearn.com, in order to succeed in Healthcare Informatics, one should possess certain skills and aptitudes. These include but are not limited to; attention to detail, excellent verbal/written communication, problem solver, ability to work independently, intimate knowledge of computer hardware/software, good customer service skills, grace under pressure, ability to work with a wide variety of associates (doctors, nurses, programmers, managers, administrators), and a desire to help the medical community. To see if this career is the right for you; you can do research online, attend seminars, take aptitude tests and talk to working professionals in Informatics. Education and Training Requirements There seems to be a wide variety of training and educational backgrounds for professionals currently working, in Healthcare Informatics. Many nurses working in this field have received on the job training or completed online certification programs. Many professionals currently working in this field have also received a degree in other specialty areas. According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s 2011 survey, fifteen percent of respondents received on the job training while fifty six percent reported having Post-graduate degrees in Nursing or other specialties. Fifteen percent were presently taking an informatics class online or through their institution. There are online certification programs that exist for busy working healthcare professionals that already have obtained a bachelor’s degree. These programs educate people on the basic skills and knowledge needed to design, implement and monitor electronic medical data systems. Some of the coursework includes: electronic records, data standards, system analysis, and design and information literacy. A bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Informatics, provides a sound knowledge base of electronic medical systems in order to improve disease prevention, healthcare reimbursement and resource allocation. Some of the coursework includes: medical terminology, anatomy/physiology, statistics, revenue cycle management, finance, computer systems and health records. Masters and PhD programs focus more on the design of medical information systems. Some of the coursework includes: emerging healthcare technologies, Informatics design and usability, genomics/bioinformatics, research, change management, and database security and design (â€Å"Health Care Informatics Education†, n.d.). Many degree programs also offer opportunities to specialize in certain areas, such as: nursing informatics, dental informatics, pharmaceutical informatics, public health informatics, bioinformatics, research informatics, imaging informatics and consumer health informatics (Hersh, 2009). Companies will sometimes train employees on the job, if they take certain certification programs. However, with higher educations comes an increase in salary, benefits and job positions. Many post-graduate degrees open doors for management and executive opportunities. Certification in Nursing Informatics Unfortunately, when it comes to working in nursing informatics, having a degree in the field is not enough. Certification can also be useful. Being certified involves passing an exam showing proficiency in the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with nursing informatics. Some benefits of certification include recognition for professional achievement, higher salary, and more opportunities for promotion (Lewis, 2011). Currently, there are two ways a nurse can be certified in nursing informatics. The most common way is through the American Nurses Association Credentialing Center (ANCC) (HIMSS, 2011). The ANCC offers an exam for eligible individuals. In order to sit for the exam, the individual must hold a current RN license, have at least two years full time experience as an RN, possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in nursing or a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, finish 30 hours of continuing education in informatics over the past three years, and complete the appropriate number of practicum requirements. Practicum requirements include the following: at least 2,000 hours in informatics nursing over the past three years; 1,000 hours in the last three years and completed at least 12 semester hours in a graduate level nursing informatics program; or graduation from a graduate nursing informatics program where at least 200 hours of supervised practicum took place. A variety of study guides, groups, and courses are available for the individual wishing to take the ANCC Nursing Informatics Certification Exam (Lewis, 2011). HIMSS also offers an option for nurses to become certified in nursing informatics. According to the HIMSS website (n.d.), candidates who wish to take the CPHIMS exam must meet one of the following requirements. The individual should have a bachelor’s degree in addition to five years of experience in associated information and management systems, with three of them taking place in the healthcare field, or the candidate should have a master’s degree in addition to three years experience, with two of them in healthcare. The associated information and management systems experience could take place in administration or management, clinical information systems, information systems, e-health, or management engineering. Compensation and Benefits Nursing informatics is a career in which its workers have seen a significant increase in salary since 2004 (HIMSS, 2011). According to the HIMSS 2011 Nursing Informatics Workforce Survey, the average salary of nursing informaticists in 2004 was $69,500, but in 2011 it had increased to $98,703. Reported salaries tended to be higher in the New England and the Pacific regions. When looking at the different settings one can work in, those employed by consulting firms had the highest average salary ($153,576) with those employed by vendor organizations achieving the second highest average salary ($108,773). Those working in academics saw an increase in salary since the 2007 survey with an average of $101,346. Certification in nursing informatics also made a difference. Nurses certified by ANCC averaged $119,644 and those certified by CPHIMS averaged $110,291. On the other hand, nurses who did not attain certification had a lower average salary of $93,787. Many of the respondents to the HIMSS (2011) survey also reported receiving benefits in addition to their salary. Medical and dental insurance were the most common benefits followed by 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plans. Other frequently included benefits were life insurance, short- and long-term disability insurance, and tuition reimbursement. It was noted that 34 percent of respondents received a bonus. Work Environment One of the advantages of becoming a nurse informaticist is the wide variety of work environments. Most work in a hospital setting, spending very little time on clinical activities. Some work at corporate offices of healthcare systems and others work in academics (HIMSS, 2011). A small number of respondents to the HIMSS (2011) survey worked for consulting firms or vendors. Nurse informaticists can also find employment at ambulatory facilities, home health agencies, managed care or insurance companies, and government or military facilities. References American Health Information Management Association (2012). Joint AMIA/AHIMA Summary of their Relationship and Link to the Informatics Field. Retrieved from http:///www.ahima.org/about/informatics.aspx Guide to College Majors in Medical Informatics. Retrieved from http://wwwworldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/health-medical/medical- informatics-major.htm Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (n.d.). CPHIMS Become certified. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/asp/certification_cphimsApply.asp Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (2011). HIMSS 2011 nursing informatics workforce survey. Retrieved from http://www.himss.org/content/files/2011HIMSSNursingInformaticsWorkforceSurvey.pdf Health Care Informatics Education and Training Program Summaries. Retrieved from http://www.education-portal.com/articles/Heath_Care_Informatics_Education_and_ Training_Program_Summaries.html Health Informatics Career and Training Profile. Retrieved from http://www.allhealthcaredegrees.com/career/informatics.htm Hersh, W. (2009). A Stimulus to Define Informatics and Health Information Technology. Retrieved from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6947/9/24 Lewis, A. (2011). How to successfully pass the nursing informatics certification exam. ANIA-CARING Newsletter, 26(3), 10-12. Sorgen, C.( 2010). Medical Informatics: A Healthcare Profession Snapshot. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com The History of Healthcare Informatics. Retrieved from View as multi-pages