Graduation Speech Essay - 530 Words

It amazes me that we are finally here! Throughout the years, I have often thought about this moment. How it would feel to be with all of you, in our caps and gowns, finally graduating. I remember as a child, thinking about what I would look like when I was all grown up, how I would act, who I would love and what kind of person I would become. And now here it all is, were ready, were done with high school, and I couldnt be more thrilled or scared! We go through this twelve-year metamorphosis, and then one day, we wake up and its over, our ascent into adulthood has come. Were ready to face all that life has to throw at us, to make a life for ourselves, outside of school and childhood, to go to college, take a year off or get a job. Yet†¦show more content†¦I remember when I was in kindergarten, thinking that the first graders were so old, finally making it to my first grade class, and going home crying on the first day of school, having thought that I would learn to read that day. We have all these hopes and dreams as to what school and in turn life will be like. We didnt know what first grade was going to be like, just as we dont know how our years ahead will be. Last fall, I wrote in an article for our newspaper that senior year had been a let down: that there had been a lot of disappointments, and that it had not lived up to what I had expected. Now I say that senior year has been exactly what it should have been: a mixture of good and bad times, all coming together to create a year of great variation, each moment being different and changing. Each moment being fleeting. Weve had so many firsts. First dances, first dates, first kisses, first concerts and our first car. I think about all the times that I have had with my friends, playing tennis, going to movies, dressing up for spirit days, getting lost going to concerts, basketball games. And yet in all of the good times, I find that I, like most of you are desperately ready to graduate. We are ready to go out and make a life outside of high school. We, are ready for change. As easy as it is to retreat into memories of our high school past, of childhood fun, and new experiences, we need to embrace change. Embrace adulthood, allow ourselvesShow MoreRelatedGraduation Speech : My Graduation Essay1022 Words   |  5 Pages My Graduation A Graduation ceremony is one of the major steps in life, it marks the start of new changes in our lives. It ushers us into growing up and be responsible for our actions. It marks a new dawn of embracing life experiences, cultivation of good work ethics and eventually culminates in chasing our dreams. On my graduation day, I woke up to the sweet aroma of the breakfast my sister was making. I sat down to eat when the food was ready. It took me about 2 hours to finishRead MoreGraduation Speech1128 Words   |  5 PagesSasenarine Tomby Graduation Speech 2011 Good afternoon [name of members of the head table], teachers, parents, students, fellow graduates and distinguished guests. I must first and foremost thank God for this blessing and honor to stand before you today as Valedictorian of the Class of 2011. Yet, today is not only my day to shine. Every graduate present here is deserving of high praise and recognition and I would like to congratulate each of you on reaching this milestone in life. IRead MoreGraduation Speech650 Words   |  3 PagesCongratulations everyone, congratulations. If youre participating in this graduation ceremony, youve taken the next step toward your future goals and dreams. For those of you that just finished your transfer degrees, congratulations. To those of you that came back to school after a few years off to get a better education, congratulations. To those of you that came to get a certificate or learn IT or computer programming so you can get a better job, congratulations. Now that youre moving onRead More Graduation Speech Essay1010 Words   |  5 PagesLadies, gentlemen, parents, friends, family, staff, fellow students: Instead of taking up more time and reading my speech, it is available to you at http://www.olen’s_speech.com. Thank you. No, just kidding. But seriously folks... Today we are gathered here to celebrate our graduation from 12 long years of schooling. The education granted to us has been a privilege. One so graciously given to us by the citizens of our state, by our community, and by our parents. Today would not beRead More Graduation Speech Essay1009 Words   |  5 Pagesyou might ever sit through. Most of us, though, and I regret that I am in this group, will sit through many more ceremonies -- ceremonies longer and more tedious that this or anything else you can imagine. If you think this is bad, try a college graduation. Think, that is, attend a wedding. And, if just for a moment you think that that is bad, just be thankful you have never attended or will attend a Bar Mitzvah. The only ceremony I think anybody would truly enjoy attending is a funeral. But, onlyRead MoreEssay on Graduation Speech830 Words   |  4 Pagesthe senior class president. A few weeks ago, I was told that I would be speaking at graduation. I was asked to put together a speech for tonight -- Ive become experienced at speech writing over the past couple of weeks. The speech that you are hearing is the fourth one Ive written, the recycle bin needs to be emptied at home and I need a new highlighter. Thank you, Mr. Mier, you get an A+ for your help as my speech teacher but an F for saving trees. Tonight Id like to talk to three groupsRead MoreAn Example of a Graduation Speech653 Words   |  3 Pageswriting papers, doing homework, taking an occasional pop quiz, and of course taking countless exams, it is that time that we all anticipate†¦Graduation! Purpose Statement: Since the majority of us are seniors, and graduation is a little less than a month away, I am going to provide you with some historical background information and some fun facts about graduation in order to make the occasion even more meaningful than it already is. Road Map: Most of you could probably agree that high school wasRead More Graduation Speech Essay1516 Words   |  7 Pagesstudy abroad, and with the great help of the Turner family, Ms. Joy Fitzpatrick who is the international student program coordinator, and my parents, I entered America as an international student on March 11, 2001, only one week after my high school graduation in Japan. It seems as though yesterday when I saw my host mom crying at the airport to see me landed to America safely, as if she were welcoming back her own daughter. I still recall the very first class I took. I was so scared and nervous thatRead More Graduation Speech Essay1115 Words   |  5 Pagesthis graduation speech, several people suggested including a profound quote offering â€Å"encouraging advice to the young graduates†, and then there were others who said, â€Å"eh don’t worry about it, no one listens to those anyway.† Fortunately, I was actually able to take from both suggestions and found a happy balance. You see, I won’t tell you today to: â€Å"Dare to dream† or â€Å"Find your own vision† or even to â€Å"Strive for excellence,† or any trite clichà © that’s ever been said in a graduation speech. SoRead More Graduation Speech Essay560 Words   |  3 PagesWhen they were trying to find someone to give this speech they first asked the most intelligent, smart person they could find. But she turned them down. So then they asked the most beautiful, lovely, attractive person they could find. She also turned them down. Next they asked the nicest, sweetest, kindest, most sincere person they could find. Then I decided it would be rude to turn them down three times in a row, so here I am. How many people here like tomato soup? Come on, raise your hand if

Marketing Plan Laser Eye Surgery Free Essays

Laser XY, Inc. Marketing Plan Week 3 Assignment 1 MKT500 July 22, 2012 Executive Summary Laser XY is preparing to open up Clinics in predominantly Afro-American areas. It will be using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans with Glaucoma. We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Plan Laser Eye Surgery or any similar topic only for you Order Now The strategy of Laser XY is to assist the Afro-American communities due to this groups high-risk for eye diseases. Thus, the company creates communications that conveys a positive concern for the eye health of the Afro-American communities. Laser XY has completed the initial market research to evaluate the potential sales opportunity in the United States (â€Å"Glaucoma health guide,† 2012). If successful, Laser XY is prepared to launch clinics in the Canadian markets as well in order to address the customer needs. As part of the preliminary research, Laser XY identified the market and target segments for its services and completed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis to evaluate business fit. In addition, Laser XY created and effectively communicated its position statement for the clinic lunch. â€Å"Glaucoma health guide,† 2012) Laser XY background Laser XY is a specialty clinic that performs Laser correction for African Americans with Glaucoma. Laser XY is an exciting, life-enriching procedure. Laser XY understands that each patient must feel fully comfortable with his or her decision to have the treatment, as well as with the vision care team who will supervise each step of the process. That’s why Laser XY combines proven, state-of-the-art, FDA-approved technology with a professional team that specializes in Glaucoma correction. Strategic mission statement Laser XY â€Å"Healthy Vision for Life: Focus on African-American Eyes† is the latest aspect of its ethnical marketing platform to raise awareness of the eye health needs of at-risk group. The initiative started with the fast-growing African American market at higher risk for many eye health issues, in 2013. In addition to superior experience, Laser XY ensures the utmost success and safety during laser vision correction involves using state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained personnel. This is translated into a higher cost compared to the so-called â€Å"discount Lasik chains†. We believe that our patients understand that a compromise on quality is unacceptable when it comes to one’s vision. It is our commitment to best service and technology. † Marketing plan Determine and decide upon at least one (1) foreign market for the product and service. Provide your rationale for this market. Canada is a world leader in laser eye surgery and every year almost 40-50% of the laser eye surgery-taking place in Canada is conducted by a number of companies. The cost of laser eye surgery in Canada is more reasonable and affordable. This is due to a favorable exchange rate on the Canadian dollar, the lack of laser royalty fees in Canada, and the cost-effective economies of scale that are achieved in a sub-specialized center with many patients. According to the 2006 Census by Statistic Canada, 783,795 Canadians identified themselves as black, constituting 2. 5% of the entire Canadian population * About 30% of Black Canadians have Jamaican heritage. * An additional 32% have heritage elsewhere in the Caribbean or Bermuda. * 60% of Black Canadians are under the age of 35. 60% of Black Canadians live in the province of Ontario. * 97% of Black Canadians live in urban areas. There are 32,000 more black women than black men in Canada (â€Å"Why chose Canada,† 2012) Discuss the potential audiences for a marketing plan and the needs of those potential audiences. Worldwide, Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness. It is also the first leading cause of blindness among African Americans. It is not clear why people of African ancestry have higher rates of glaucoma and subsequent blindness than Caucasians. One factor may be that African-Americans are more susceptible to developing elevated eye pressure (IOP) earlier in life, which is thought to contribute to optic nerve damage and eventual vision loss. Another reason may be that patients of African descent are less likely than Caucasians to have early eye examinations that may detect and treat glaucoma. Glaucoma affects 1 in 200 people aged fifty and younger, and 1 in 10 over the age of eighty. If the condition is detected early enough it is possible to arrest the development or slow the progression with medical and surgical means. Glaucoma Treatment, 2012) Marketing Strategy: ? Target Market: Low to Middle Income consumer’s ? between the age of 18-up 1) Positioning: To create and increase buyer awareness of the Laser XY services and brand. To attract new customers, resulting in increase in sales and market share for Laser XY insurance in the private health insurance industry along with encouraging long-term relationships with t he existing and new customer through advertisement and media. It is essential that this target segment use all the marketing variables. In particular a judicious use of pricing policy can lead to excellent growth in sales revenues. 2) Product Line: Laser XY provides members with clear vision and freedom at a lower expense. Augmented services include care booth before and after the Lasik laser eye surgery, with four years free of charge guarantee, and customer support. 3) Price: Below competitors. Interest Free special for 12 or 24 months! Spread the cost of laser eye surgery over 12 or 24 months and pay no interest if you repay the total cost within the agreed timeframe. No deposit required. 2, 36, or 24 convenient monthly payments No early settlement fees or penalties. Laser Cost for One Eye – $1500, Laser Surgery Cost for Two Eyes – $3000. 4) Promotion: Laser XY will establish outlets and free vision screening booths in localities that have a high Afro-American population. Special outlets to be organized and price-offs to be offered for limited time period. This will allow the members to expand benefi ts with a lesser payment. Major newspapers, trade magazines and other health periodicals will be used to promote the service. Along with brochures describing the benefits of Laser XY surgery insurance will be made available in all services outlets. In addition, Laser XY, Inc. will promote the service via the Internet, providing a large amount of information, using banner exchange, and contacting particular user groups. (Glaucoma Treatment, 2012) Discuss the target market and provide a rationale for this target market. Consider the strategy of Laser XY. It declares the Afro-American communities as a high-risk group for eye diseases and creates communications that conveys a positive concern for the eye health of the Afro-American ommunities. For instance, Laser XY will open booths for checking eyes. This is a strong marketing strategy. When the potential customer presents herself for a check-up a need for service is revealed and the customer is directed to Laser XY. ? Laser XY sends communications targeted at the Afro-American community. It shows concern for the members of the communities, communicates that t he Afro-American communities are at a far greater risk with a detection of Glaucoma, and so they need Laser XY services. The valuable education that they give is a disguised marketing communication targeted at this potentially lucrative segment. From the perspective of Laser XY, the Afro-American communities are a potentially attractive and lucrative segment. Perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats) for the company. The use of SWOT analysis is important to identify ways to minimize the effect of Laser XY Inc. weaknesses while trying to maximize its strengths and at the same time recognize ways to exploit its opportunities and respond to its threats. Strengths: * Afro-American communities as a high risk group for eye Glaucoma causes this a potentially attractive and lucrative segment * Unique offering with little or no competition in the market. ? * Locating Laser XY Inc. stores in Afro-American predominant areas and using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans will go a long way in increasing the market share of Laser XY, Inc. Weaknesses: * Lack of brand name and reputation in the marketplace as compared to existing clinics. ? * Laser treatment does not give a surety of a 20/20 eye vision. However, it allows the patient to have a proper vision in absence of any glasses or corrective lenses. Such improvement encourages the patient to take a chance with the complication associated to laser eye surgery. Being a startup company, there is lack of strong financial base for spending on advertising or promotions compared to established clinics. Opportunities: ? * Strong growth opportunities in emerging markets in US, as well as strong potential in developed markets in Canada * The development of this service especially for Afro-American communities opens up new opportunities or Laser XY Inc. to maximize its revenues from the Afro-American segment. * Laser XY Inc. will show concern for the members of the communities, communicates that the Afro-American communities are at a far greater risk of Glaucoma, and so they need Laser XY, Inc. Threat * Threat of competition from established clinics as well as new potential entrants in the market due to low barriers of entry. ? * Major th reats are potential imitation from other competitors and need to offer new products regularly in order to maintain competitiveness. Clients choosing more economical vision correction choices, such as prescribe eye drops, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. * Cost of LASIK eye surgery cost differs widely from one provider to another and depends on many factors. African American is a high risk of vision loss from this disease. With the commitment of our professional management team and enthusiastic staff, the culture of the organization driven by Laser XY, Inc. has been created to make a difference to this targeted group. Our marketing segment is to exploit our services for both men and women from low to middle segments of the society that are willing to use our services. Our target customers will not only have optional payment plans, it will also encounter superior experience, safety laser vision correction. This involves using state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained personnel. Furthermore, locating Laser XY, Inc. stores in Afro-American predominant areas and using promotional tools directed at Afro-Americans will go a long way in increasing the market share of Laser XY, Inc. References Glaucoma /treatment. (2012, June). Retrieved from http://www. glaucoma. org/treatment/laser-surgery. php http://adam. about. net/reports/000025_8. htm African-Americans’ glaucoma risk http://outlook. wustl. edu/2011/dec/glaucoma-risk Glaucoma health guide. (2012, July). Retrieved from Glaucoma http://health. nytimes. com/health/guides/disease/glaucoma/risk-factors. html Why chose canada. (2012, July). Retrieved from Why choose Canada–http://www. lasikmd. com/north-york/corporate-information/why-choose-canada How to cite Marketing Plan Laser Eye Surgery, Essay examples

International Finance Complexes in Synthesis

Question: 1. Assume Merck is using 8% as their estimate of peseta inflation and 4% as the estimate for U.S. inflation for purposes of estimating cash flows, expected future spot rates, and the foreign cost of capital. Conduct an NPV analysis of this project by discounting in pesos and converting the peso NPV to dollars at todays spot rate. Next, convert the peso cash flows into dollars at expected future spot rates and then discount in dollars. Are the NPVs the same? Why? 2. Suppose the inflation rate is expected to be 4% in each currency. Inflate the cost projections in Exhibit 2 at these rates and repeat the valuation in 1. How much is the increase in value under the two approaches? Where does it come from? 3. Consider the last paragraph of the case (before the exhibits). Instead of the peseta appreciating against the dollar as someexperts think, suppose a different currency expert thinks the peseta is going to lose value against the dollar due to a crisis associated with upcoming Spanish elections. In particular, he believes the peseta will fall from its current value of Pts127/$ to Pts150/$ next year, Pts170/$ in the second year, and will then remain at Pts170/$ indefinitely. This represents a possible (andserious for Merck) deviation from UIP. Repeat the valuation in 1a and 1b. What do you find? Answer: Considering the NPV calculation that has been performed in the excel sheet, it can be stated that the process is dedicated to present only the present value of an uneven cash flow. Despite the involvement of the term net, the factor only suggests the present value by considering the cash flow function. It has always been the way for this particular function and leads the organization to be able to cope with the present scenario by the reflected future scenario. Therefore, it can be understood that net present value is defined to be an establishment of the present value of the expected future cash flows from making the deduction of the initial investment made by the company (Gibbons 2015). Also, it can be understood that Net refers to some significant factors that have been reduced from the gross result. Considering this particular case, the calculation of NPV has been done in the spreadsheet with the use of NPV function while leaving the initial outlay. In the case of the initial outlay, the reflected result is portrayed in the negative form. Due to that, IO is needed to be subtracted with the generated result, and it has been performed within the spreadsheet outside of the NPV function. Here, based on the provided scenario, the peseta inflation level is 8%, and 4% is estimated to be the US level of inflation. With the NPV calculation performed within the spreadsheet, the difference regarding the discounting in pesos and converting the peso NPV to dollars can be observed. The process is contributed by converting the peso cash flows into dollars at expected future spot rates as well as discounting them into dollars (Helbk, Lindest and McLellan 2010). One of the major understandings can be raised out of the calculations that both of the factors are not same regarding their results and proper causes behinds scenario have also been acknowledged. One of the major reasons is the difference regarding the discount rate, which can be reflected by the associated inflation rates. Here, according to the scenario, the peseta inflation rate is 8%, and the US is 4%. On the other hand, it should need to remember that the calculation and result of present value are highly influenced by the discounted rates, which help to discount the future amount to the present. This is the major cause leading to the different value in the excel spreadsheet. Additionally, it is needed to mention that the calculation of NPV is based on considering the present value of cash inflows and deducting the present value of cash outflows (Moles 2011). With the application of the discounted rate, this present values of both cash inflows and outflows will be changed from each other and will impact the highlighted result in the spreadsheet. The same scenario has been observed in this particular case also. The scenario, where the inflation rate has been treated as 4% each, the result of the valuation also suggest the dissimilarity regarding the calculated value. Related to the decrease in the discounted rate caused by the reduction in the inflation rate, the increase in value regarding the established result can be found out of the calculation. Here, the particular cause of this certain occurrence must need to be judged effectively. While conducting the calculation by focusing the assumed rate of inflation, it can be proposed that the unevenness of the cash flows is the basic reason leading to the increase of value as well as the dissimilarity in the result (Perfluoroalkyl and -aryl Zinc Ate Complexes in Synthesis, 2015). It is also a major fact that there is no limit in terms of the number of cash flows utilised in the functional process, and this particular fact is applicable for all intents. Furthermore, it is needed to propose that the calculations presented and constructed in exce l provide some number of facilities to the overall process. For an example, excel provides the what if analysis which helped significantly during the changes in discounted rate. By the help of the process, many kinds of errors can also be avoided while the present value of the uneven trends of the cash flow can also be determined. Also, another identification has been made related to the contiguous arrangement of the cash flow as these are aligned separately in the spreadsheet. Based on the calculation, it is understood that the future value of the newly identified equipment of the company is determined by the help of the calculation with considering the differently generated cash flows instead of the present values (Rahman 2015). As the inflation rates of both the variables are modified to remain these values same, the principal of value additivity has been utilised to perform the calculations. It refers to the identification of the future cash value of each cash flows in the individual manner and adding them together afterward. Therefore, the cumulative cash flow of the particular investment can be derived in the process of calculation, and this cumulative value continuously increases to generate a more increasing result than the previous scenario. Firstly, the effective deduction from the hypothesis of uncovered interest parity (UIP) should need to be clarified which suggests the expected rate of return of two different countries related to the identical assets; the quality can be observed despite the involvement of the exchange rate growth. Here, the application of UIP can largely be observed in the industrialised countries, as these particular countries have widely tasted the process. Therefore, the involvement of UIP is a fundamental idea of the process of calculation, while it is required to mention that the process is widely debated among the different scholars and researchers (Real estate investment decision making a review 2012). In this case, the particular importance has been provided by the deviations from the UIP, which facilitates the organizations to avail the unexploited profit opportunities. The Same particular scenario can be observed in the provided case as well. In this case, the major statement should need to develop that such an outcome or explanation should not be appreciated. Nonetheless, the deviations from the UIP are often presumed in a manner that these are often generated from the differences in the risks between two countries or the capital mobility of the countries. Sometimes, both of the factors are responsible on a combined basis to lead towards such aspect. Here, in this particular calculation conducted in the spreadsheet, the sum of two elements from the UIP deviations are applied, namely the real interest differences between the two countries and the available growth factor in the bilateral exchange rate of the countries. Based on the performed analysis contributed the valuation, different types of decompositions can be found out. These decompositions assist in providing the suitable explanation to the nature of UIP deviations. Furthermore, some other signification understandings can also be secured out of the process; the particular scenario reflects the existence of the risk premiums during the changes in the real exchange rate considered to be zero or referred to be unpredictable and the free movement of the capital due to the real interest (Wo 2012). Additionally, it is essential to mention that the calculated results are relatively less in terms of their differences, as the countries in this scenario may be among the industrialis ed countries. The particular situation can be confirmed by looking at both the level of variance related to the real interest differential trend with regards to the growth in the real exchange rate. References Gibbons, A. (2015). How modern humans ate their way to world dominance.Science. Helbk, M., Lindest, S. and McLellan, B. (2010).Corporate finance. New York: McGraw-Hill. Moles, P. (2011).Corporate finance. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Perfluoroalkyl and -aryl Zinc Ate Complexes in Synthesis. (2015).Synfacts, 11(09), pp.0983-0983. Rahman, N. (2015).Corporate Finance. North Ryde: McGraw-Hill Australia. Real estate investment decision making a review. (2012).Journal of Property Investment Finance, 30(5). Wo, Y. (2012). Decision-Making Model on Real Estate Investment.AMM, 157-158, pp.1230-1232.

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Example

The Increased Use of Genetically Modified Food Essay Genetically-modified foods (GM foods) have made a big splash in the news lately. European environmental organizations and public interest groups have been actively protesting against GM foods for months, and recent controversial studies about the effects of genetically-modified corn pollen on monarch butterfly caterpillars1, 2 have brought the issue of genetic engineering to the forefront of the public consciousness in the U. S. In response to the upswelling of public concern, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held three open meetings in Chicago, Washington, D. C. and Oakland, California to solicit public opinions and begin the process of establishing a new regulatory procedure for government approval of GM foods3. I attended the FDA meeting held in November 1999 in Washington, D. C. , and here I will attempt to summarize the issues involved and explain the U. S. governments present role in regulating GM food. What are genetically-modified foods? The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques.These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. Genetic engineering, on the other hand, can create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant.The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. Not only can genes be transferred from one plant to another, but genes from non-plant organisms also can be used. The best known example of this is the use of B. t. gene s in corn and other crops. B. t. , or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B. t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer.For two informative overviews of some of the techniques involved in creating GM foods, visit Biotech Basics (sponsored by Monsanto) http://www. biotechknowledge. monsanto. com/biotech/bbasics. nsf/index or Techniques of Plant Biotechnology from the National Center for Biotechnology Education http://www. ncbe. reading. ac. uk/NCBE/GMFOOD/techniques. What are some of the advantages of GM foods? The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come.GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways: Pest resistan ceCrop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually. Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment. Growing GM foods such as B. t. orn can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market4, 5. Herbicide toleranceFor some crops, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means such as tilling, so farmers will often spray large quantities of different herbicides (weed-killer) to destroy weeds, a time-consuming and expensive process, that requires care so that the herbicide doesnt harm the crop plant or the environment. Crop plants genetically-engineered to be resis tant to one very powerful herbicide could help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed.For example, Monsanto has created a strain of soybeans genetically modified to be not affected by their herbicide product Roundup  ®6. A farmer grows these soybeans which then only require one application of weed-killer instead of multiple applications, reducing production cost and limiting the dangers of agricultural waste run-off7. Disease resistance There are many viruses, fungi and bacteria that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases8, 9.Cold toleranceUnexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings10. (Note: I have not been able to find any journal art icles or patents that involve fish antifreeze proteins in strawberries, although I have seen such reports in newspapers. I can only conclude that nothing on this application has yet been published or patented. Drought tolerance/salinity toleranceAs the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable places11, 12. NutritionMalnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet.However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients to prevent malnutrition. If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated. For example, blindness due to vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in third world countries. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Institute for Plant Sciences have created a strain of golden rice containing an unusually high content of beta-carotene (vitamin A)13.Since this rice was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation14, a non-profit organization, the Institute hopes to offer the golden rice seed free to any third world country that requests it. Plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content. However, the grant that funded the creation of these two rice strains was not renewed, perhaps because of the vigorous anti-GM food protesting in Europe, and so this nutritionally-enhanced rice may not come to market at all15.PharmaceuticalsMedicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes16, 17. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines. PhytoremediationNot all GM plants are grown as crops. Soil and groundwater pollution continues to be a problem in all parts of the world. Plants such as poplar trees have been genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil18.How prevalent are GM crops? What plants are involved? According to the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there are over 40 plant varieties that have completed all of the federal requirements for commercialization (http://vm. cfsan. fda. gov/%7Elrd/biocon). Some examples of these plants include tomatoes and cantalopes that have modified ripening characteristics, soybeans and sugarbeets that are resistant to herbicides, and corn and cotton plants with increased resistance to insect pests.Not all these products are available in supermarkets yet; however, the prevalence of GM foods in U . S. grocery stores is more widespread than is commonly thought. While there are very, very few genetically-modified whole fruits and vegetables available on produce stands, highly processed foods, such as vegetable oils or breakfast cereals, most likely contain some tiny percentage of genetically-modified ingredients because the raw ingredients have been pooled into one processing stream from many different sources.Also, the ubiquity of soybean derivatives as food additives in the modern American diet virtually ensures that all U. S. consumers have been exposed to GM food products. The U. S. statistics that follow are derived from data presented on the USDA web site at http://www. ers. usda. gov/briefing/biotechnology/. The global statistics are derived from a brief published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) at http://www. isaaa. org/publications/briefs/Brief_21. htm and from the Biotechnology Industry Organization at http://www. bio. rg/foodag/1999Acreage. Thirteen countries grew genetically-engineered crops commercially in 2000, and of these, the U. S. produced the majority. In 2000, 68% of all GM crops were grown by U. S. farmers. In comparison, Argentina, Canada and China produced only 23%, 7% and 1%, respectively. Other countries that grew commercial GM crops in 2000 are Australia, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, and Uruguay. Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown crops (82% of all GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton, rapeseed (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 4% of these GM crops were modified for herbicide tolerance, 19% were modified for insect pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Globally, acreage of GM crops has increased 25-fold in just 5 years, from approximately 4. 3 million acres in 1996 to 109 million acres in 2000 almost twice the area of the United Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U. S. and Argentina alone. In the U. S. , approximately 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and only 7% in 1996.In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the total cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experienced a similar but less dramatic increase. Corn production increased to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, about the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1. 5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide use on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication at http://www. ers. usda. gov/publications/aer786/). What are some of the criticisms against GM foods?Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight. It seems that everyone has a strong opinion about GM foods. Even the Vatican19 and the Prince of Wales20 have expressed their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories: environmental hazards, human health risks, and economic concerns. Environmental hazardsUnintended harm to other organismsLast year a laboratory study was published in Nature21 showing that pollen from B. t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B. t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B. t. toxins kill many species of insect larv ae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B. . toxin that would only kill crop-damaging pests and remain harmless to all other insects. This study is being reexamined by the USDA, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other non-government research groups, and preliminary data from new studies suggests that the original study may have been flawed22, 23. This topic is the subject of acrimonious debate, and both sides of the argument are defending their data vigorously. Currently, there is no agreement about the results of these studies, and the potential risk of harm to non-target organisms will need to be evaluated further.Reduced effectiveness of pesticidesJust as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to B. t. or other crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides. Gene transfer to non-target speciesAnother concern is that cr op plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds. These superweeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well.Other introduced genes may cross over into non-modified crops planted next to GM crops. The possibility of interbreeding is shown by the defense of farmers against lawsuits filed by Monsanto. The company has filed patent infringement lawsuits against farmers who may have harvested GM crops. Monsanto claims that the farmers obtained Monsanto-licensed GM seeds from an unknown source and did not pay royalties to Monsanto. The farmers claim that their unmodified crops were cross-pollinated from someone elses GM crops planted a field or two away.More investigation is needed to resolve this issue. There are several possible solutions to the three problems mentioned above. Genes are exchanged between plants via pollen. Two ways to ensure that non-target species will not r eceive introduced genes from GM plants are to create GM plants that are male sterile (do not produce pollen) or to modify the GM plant so that the pollen does not contain the introduced gene24, 25, 26. Cross-pollination would not occur, and if harmless insects such as monarch caterpillars were to eat pollen from GM plants, the caterpillars would survive.Another possible solution is to create buffer zones around fields of GM crops27, 28, 29. For example, non-GM corn would be planted to surround a field of B. t. GM corn, and the non-GM corn would not be harvested. Beneficial or harmless insects would have a refuge in the non-GM corn, and insect pests could be allowed to destroy the non-GM corn and would not develop resistance to B. t. pesticides. Gene transfer to weeds and other crops would not occur because the wind-blown pollen would not travel beyond the buffer zone.Estimates of the necessary width of buffer zones range from 6 meters to 30 meters or more30. This planting method may not be feasible if too much acreage is required for the buffer zones. Human health risks Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. A proposal to incorporate a gene from Brazil nuts into soybeans was abandoned because of the fear of causing unexpected allergic reactions31.Extensive testing of GM foods may be required to avoid the possibility of harm to consumers with food allergies. Labeling of GM foods and food products will acquire new importance, which I shall discuss later. Unknown effects on human healthThere is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health. A recent article published in Lancet examined the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract in rats32, 33. This study claim ed that there were appreciable differences in the intestines of rats fed GM potatoes and rats fed unmodified potatoes.Yet critics say that this paper, like the monarch butterfly data, is flawed and does not hold up to scientific scrutiny34. Moreover, the gene introduced into the potatoes was a snowdrop flower lectin, a substance known to be toxic to mammals. The scientists who created this variety of potato chose to use the lectin gene simply to test the methodology, and these potatoes were never intended for human or animal consumption. On the whole, with the exception of possible allergenicity, scientists believe that GM foods do not present a risk to human health.Economic concerns Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and costly process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment. Many new plant genetic engineering technologies and GM plants have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consu mer advocates are worried that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to afford seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor.It is hoped that in a humanitarian gesture, more companies and non-profits will follow the lead of the Rockefeller Foundation and offer their products at reduced cost to impoverished nations. Patent enforcement may also be difficult, as the contention of the farmers that they involuntarily grew Monsanto-engineered strains when their crops were cross-pollinated shows. One way to combat possible patent infringement is to introduce a suicide gene into GM plants. These plants would be viable for only one growing season and would produce sterile seeds that do not germinate.Farmers would need to buy a fresh supply of seeds each year. However, this would be financially disastrous for farmers in third world countries who cannot afford to buy s eed each year and traditionally set aside a portion of their harvest to plant in the next growing season. In an open letter to the public, Monsanto has pledged to abandon all research using this suicide gene technology35. How are GM foods regulated and what is the governments role in this process? Governments around the world are hard at work to establish a regulatory process to monitor the effects of and approve new varieties of GM plants.Yet depending on the political, social and economic climate within a region or country, different governments are responding in different ways. In Japan, the Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced that health testing of GM foods will be mandatory as of April 200136, 37. Currently, testing of GM foods is voluntary. Japanese supermarkets are offering both GM foods and unmodified foods, and customers are beginning to show a strong preference for unmodified fruits and vegetables.Indias government has not yet announced a policy on GM foods becaus e no GM crops are grown in India and no products are commercially available in supermarkets yet38. India is, however, very supportive of transgenic plant research. It is highly likely that India will decide that the benefits of GM foods outweigh the risks because Indian agriculture will need to adopt drastic new measures to counteract the countrys endemic poverty and feed its exploding population.Some states in Brazil have banned GM crops entirely, and the Brazilian Institute for the Defense of Consumers, in collaboration with Greenpeace, has filed suit to prevent the importation of GM crops39,. Brazilian farmers, however, have resorted to smuggling GM soybean seeds into the country because they fear economic harm if they are unable to compete in the global marketplace with other grain-exporting countries.

Discuss Is Socila Stratification Functional Essays

Discuss Is Socila Stratification Functional Essays Discuss Is Socila Stratification Functional Essay Discuss Is Socila Stratification Functional Essay Sociology gives us an in depth insight into social stratification and how it effects our lives. We as individuals are social beings who are ranked in categories within the hierarchy of society, but within our society we have the means to progress up the hierarchy and become part of the elite. Social inequalities are functional for the elite as they are the ones with the power and control over us as we are socially controlled. Social stratification affects the way we think about life. If were born in Ethiopia you would be illiterate and you would expect the same from your children. You would not be surprised when your children died young. Social stratification is a system in which groups of people are divided into layers according to their relative power, property, and prestige. It is a way of ranking large groups of people into a hierarchy according to their relative privileges. Every society stratifies its members. Some societies have greater inequality than others, but social stratification is universal and can vary due to gender, age and ability When we look at the social stratification system we must take into consideration the five key features: Social stratification is a characteristic of society, not just a reflection of individual differences. Social stratification persists over generations. Social stratification is universal but variable. Beliefs are central to social stratification. Social stratification engenders shared identities. We will also need to explore ‘Open and Closed’ stratification. In describing social stratification in particular societies sociologists (Tumin, 1985) often stress degrees of social closure and mobility that is allowed in the society ‘Closed’ systems allow little change in social position, while ‘Open’ systems permits some mobility. ‘Open stratification social class gives us some degree of social mobility Saunders (1990) believes that Britain is a true meritoracrcy because rewards naturally go to the most able. Saunders uses data from the National Child Development study to show that children who are bright and hard working will succeed regardless of social advantages they experience some misunderstanding. ‘Closed’ stratification refers to systems where social position is ascribed at birth and various social institutes reinforce the stratification system and there is little opportunity to change position ie: The Caste system (Giddens) is extremely elaborate and varies in its structure from area to area, so much so that it does not really constitute diversity of varying beliefs and practices. Through out our lives we will be confronted with certain types of social stratification in our everyday lives within certain cultures and societies therefore we need to explore the Functionalist approach and the Marxists Approach. Like the functionalists, Marxists agree that education is functional in that it maintains the dominance of certain powerful groups in society. Unlike the functionalists, however, Marxists do not believe that it works for the benefit of all. Instead Marxists argue that the education system sustains one small group’s ideas about appropriate forms of schooling and assumptions about what knowledge is. The system also maintains different levels of access to knowledge for different groups and thereby prohibits the widespread dissemination of knowledge to everyone. From a functionalist perspective, the main parts of society (its institutions such as education, religion and the family) are the foundations for social structure. These institutions have interconnected roles and interrelated norms to form a complete system. All of the institutions have a role to meet the functional prerequisites (society’s basic needs). Integration between the parts is necessary so therefore integration is a functional prerequisite in itself. Social relations are organized, in result of values providing general guidelines for behavior. These state that the function is a consequence, which adds to the stability of the system. A dysfunction is a consequence, which takes away stability from the system of social stratification. There are certain institutions, among them include the family, religion and economy, etc. , which aid the structure of society. These institutions, working in order, with harmony, will not only increase the stability of social stratification, but will add to it. The functionalist will then point out that these institutions, while independent of each other, have a shared system of values which guides them and helps hold the society together. To find out what function each institution performs in the whole social stratification system, one must ask themselves the question of what are the consequences of each institutions contribution to the social stratification of the society Functionalists view on social stratification of our society is centered on their basic interpretations. The role of education is to educate individuals within society and to prepare and qualify them for work in the economy as well as helping to integrate individuals into society and teach them the norms, values and morals of society. Yet there are two sociological theories that differ greatly between them on the role of education. These are Functionalism and Marxism. Like many functionalists, Talcott and Parsons believe that stratification systems derive from common values, it follows from the existence of values that individuals will be evaluated and therefore placed in some form of ranking order. In Parsons words â€Å"Stratification, in its valuational aspect, then is the ranking of units in a social system in accordance with the common value system†. In other words those who perform successfully in terms of society’s values will be ranked highly and they will be likely to receive a variety of rewards. Most societies have different value systems, the ways of attaining a high position will vary from society to society. Parsons argument suggests that stratification is an inevitable part of all human societies and there is a general belief that stratification systems are just, right and proper since they are basically an expression of shared values. In Parsons words he sees social stratification as both inevitable and functional for society, it is inevitable because it derives from shared values which are a necessary part of all social systems and functional because it strives to integrate various groups in society. Functionalists view the role of education as a means of socializing individuals and to integrate society, to keep society running smoothly and remain stable. Durkheim believes that society can only survive if its members are committed to common social values and that education provides these to children and young people as well as raising awareness of their commitment to society. Durkheim also believed that schools teach young people that they must co-operate with their peers and be prepared to listen and learn from their teachers. Individual pupils eventually learn to suspend their own self interests for those of society as a whole, work together and that success in education, just like in society, involves commitment to a value consensus. Bowles and Gintis, writers of ‘Schooling in Capitalist America’ (1976) believe in the ‘Correspondence Principle’, where they suggest that the hierarchy in work is similar to the hierarchy in school, particularly in the differences in social class between state school pupils and fee paying school pupils. Bowles and Gintis also believe that schools are no longer about the teaching of a subject but the social principle or control of the pupils meaning that schools concentrate more on the hidden curriculum than the knowledge process. Equally, schools don’t reward independence and innovation; therefore meritocracy cannot exist within our capitalist society as capitalism is based on the principle of the ruling class (the bourgeois). Bowles and Gintis (1976) refer to the social reproduction theory as a ‘Correspondence Principle’ between schooling and career. This theory suggests that school and careers are closely related and that this correlation is essential for the production of an efficient workforce. For example, the hierarchical structure at school, with the principle at the top and the pupil at the bottom can correspond with life in the workforce where the manager or boss is located at the top and the manual staff at the bottom. Pupils also have little control over what they learn, when they learn it and how; this is, to some extent, decided by the teacher and the curriculum. This is much the same in the workforce where a person may have little option over their task and is set tasks by people above them in the hierarchy. Similarly, Davis and Moore (1945), believed that education is strongly linked to social stratification by members of society and that education ‘sifts, sorts and allocates’ people to their correct place in the economy and society. By rewarding the most talented and most dedicated by allowing them into the highest paid and highest status jobs, education performs the function which is always necessary to Functionalists – differentiating all members of society so that the system runs smoothly. Davis and Moore argued that social stratification exists in every known human society and that all social systems share certain functional prerequisites’ which must be met if the system is to survive and operate efficiently. They regard social stratification as a functional necessity for all societies, and seen it as a solution to a problem faced by all social systems, that of placing and motivating individuals in the social structure, they offer no others means of solving this problem and imply that social inequality is an inevitable feature of human society. Davis and Moore concluded that differential rewards are functional for society, because they contribute to the maintenance and well being of social systems. The Marxists theory on social stratification can be found out by asking the simple question of Who benefits? from the social arrangements of the day. One must look at those who hold the power of the day to find out who benefits. The power elite control the wealth, and impose their will on those who dont control the wealth. This class system of social stratification dates back to the days of Andrew Carnegie, and John D. Rockefeller who where the owners of big business who controlled the lives of their workers. Whoever the power elite want to be in power will be in power. This structure of social stratification will lead to conflicts that have been pre-determined to happen. These conflicts include all social institutions. Marxists, in general, argue that equality is impossible in a class-based society. Like functionalists, they think there is a belief in the link between education and the economy. Functionalists see the link as a positive one, which serves to benefit industrial society, However, Marxists see the education system, existing in order to put children into their class-defined roles in order to benefit capitalist society. Thus, it serves the bourgeoisie well and keepstheproletariatdown. Some researches supported the view that class differences played a role in classrooms. Hargreaves (Luzzo) demonstrated that teachers constantly under-estimated or were ignorant of the power of the peer group in regulating the behavior of pupils. Hargreaves found that boys placed in lower streams were associated with failure at school. Keddie(Luzzo) found that teachers in the humanities department of a mixed comprehensive school tended to see students from the top stream as displaying middle class conforming behaviors, and students from the lower streams as having working class noisy behaviors. Marx predicted a new and final epoch. A society would have complete equality. There would be no new force of production but the relations of production will be transformed. The ownership of production would be collective, as the members of society would share the wealth. The ruling class would no longer exploit or oppress the workers. It is interesting how Functionalists see people as unequal a positive thing and Marxists believe it a negative one. Karl Marx was struck by the inequalities the capitalist system creates. Marx’s theory was that there are two main classes in society, those who own the means of production and those who do not; he recognized that class systems are much more complex. Marx believed that there are splits which can occur among the classes. Examples of these are within the upper classes there are often conflicts between financial capitalists and manufactures. Marx’s concept of class directs us towards objectively structured economic inequalities in society and that class does not refer to beliefs people hold about their position, but to objective conditions which allow some to have greater access to material rewards than others. Marx believed that large scales of inequalities would persist within industrialized countries as the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor. American sociologist Erik Olin Wright has developed a theoretical position which owes much to Marx, but also incorporates ideas from Weber (Wright 1978-1985). According to Wright, there are three dimensions of control over economic resources in modern capitalist production, and these allow us to identify the major classes which exist ie: 1)Control over investments and money capital. 2)Control over the physical means of production (Land or factories and offices. 3)Control over labour power. Those who belong to the capital class have control over each of these dimensions within the production system and members of the working class have control over none of them. In between these two main classes, however there are groups whose position is more ambiguous. These people are what Wright called contradictory class locations because they are able to influence some aspects of production but are denied control over others. Wright terms the class position of such workers as ‘contradictory’ because they are neither capitalists nor manual workers, yet they share certain common features with each. Melvin Tumin a critique of Davis and Moore argues that they have ignored the influence of power on the unequal distribution of rewards. Tumin concludes that stratification by its very nature can never adequately perform the functions which Davis and Moore assign to it. Tumin argues that those born into the lower strata can never have the same opportunities for realizing their talents as those born into the higher strata. Tumin believes that stratification can weaken social integration by giving members of the lower strata a feeling of being excluded from participation in the larger society. Tumin concluded that their enthuastic search for positive functions of stratification Davis and Moore have ignored or tried to play down its many dysfunctions. The time I have spent looking at social stratification has brought me to the conclusion both the structural-functionalist and the social conflict theorists have very strong and explained theories. I believe that in today’s world the structural-functionalist theory is very accurate and seems to be true in our everyday lives. The media makes it so clear to everyone that an education is the only way to make it in the world. The world has advanced tremendously in the past century and continues to expand in technology, making it essential to have a college background and extensive educational background. It’s our choice on where we want to go in life and I feel that no one can shape it for us, we must do it ourselves. We can not live in this world without structure, although personally I think the Marxists approach works better for society as people can change their positions within our society through hard work. The functionalist approach works better for certain societies therefore why would we change it if it is working effectively, although within certain cultures social stratification produces a lot of inequalities which is vital for that society to work. Giddens. (1997). Stratification and Class Structure. In: Anthony Giddens Sociology third edition. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers ltd. 240-282. Ken Browne. (1998). Social Stratification. In: Polity Press an introduction to Sociology. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Haralambos and Holborn. (1995). Social Stratification. In: Micahel Haralambos and Martin Holborn SOCIOLOGY Themes and Perspectives. 4th ed. London: HarperCollins Publishers. 21-122. Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore with a response by Melvin Tumin. (1996). Class readings in Sociology. Available: soc. iastate. edu/sapp/DavisMoore. html. Last accessed 18th Nov 2010. ________________________________________

All Teachers are Reflective Teachers

All Teachers are Reflective Teachers While there is agreement among education researchers that reflective teachers are effective teachers, there very little evidence in recent research to recommend just how much reflection teachers need to do. There is also very little evidence in past research that outlines just how a teacher should reflect on his or her practice. Yet there is undisputed evidence that suggests that teaching without reflection can lead to bad practice, imitation in instruction  Lortie (1975). So how important is the use of reflection  to a teachers practice? The research suggests that the amount of reflection or how that reflection is recorded is not nearly as important as when the teacher has had the opportunity to reflect on his or her teaching. Teachers who wait to reflect may not be as accurate in their reflections about what happens during the swampy lowlands of practice. In other words, if a teachers reflection is distanced by time, that reflection may revise the past to fit a present belief.    In an article titled Teacher Reflection In a Hall of Mirrors: Historical Influences and Political Reverberations (2003), the researcher Lynn Fendler makes the case that teachers are already reflective by nature as they continuously make adjustments in instruction.   ...the laborious attempts to  facilitate  reï ¬â€šective practices for teachers ï ¬â€šy in the face of the  truism expressed  in the epigraph of this article, namely, that there is  no such  thing as an unreï ¬â€šective teacher. Teachers spend so much time preparing for and delivering lessons, that it is easy to see why they often do not spend their valuable time to record their reflections on lessons in journals unless required. Instead, most teachers reflect-in-action, a term suggested by researcher Donald  Schon   (1987). This kind of reflection-in-action  is the kind of reflection that occurs  in  the classroom in order to produce a necessary change at that moment. This form of reflection-in-action is slightly different than reflection-on-action. In reflection-on-action,   the teacher considers past actions relative soon after instruction in order to be ready for an adjustment in a similar situation.   So, while reflection cannot be packaged as prescribed practice, there is a general understanding that teacher reflection-in-action or on-action results in effective teaching.   Methods of Teacher Reflection Despite the lack of concrete evidence supporting  reflection as an effective  practice and the lack of available time, a teachers reflection is required by many school districts as part of the  teacher evaluation  program. There are many different ways that teachers can include reflection as part of their own path towards professional development and to satisfy evaluation programs. A daily reflection is when teachers take a few moments at the end of the day to debrief on the days events. Typically, this should not take more than a few moments. When reflection is done over a period of time, the information can be illuminating. Some teachers keep a daily journal while others simply jot down notes about issues that they had in class. Consider asking, What worked in this lesson? How do I know it worked? At the end of a teaching unit, once assessments have all been graded, a teacher may want to take some time to reflect on the unit as a whole. Answering questions can help guide teachers as they decide what they want to keep and what they want to change the next time they teach the same unit. For example, Overall which lessons worked and which didnt?With which skills did students struggle the most? Why?Which learning objectives seemed the easiest for students? What made those work better?Were the end results of the unit what I had expected and hoped for? Why or why not? At the end of a semester  or school year, a teacher may look back over the students grades in order to try and make an overall judgment about the practices and strategies that are positive as well as areas that need improvement. What To Do With Reflections Reflecting on what went right and wrong with lessons and classroom situations is one thing. However, figuring out what to do with that information is quite another. Time spent in reflection can help ensure that this information can be used to produce real change for growth to occur.   There are several ways teachers can use the information they learned about themselves through reflection: Teachers can reflect on their successes and find reasons to celebrate. They may use their reflections to recommend the actions that lead to success for students in next years lessons.Teachers can individually or collectively reflect on areas that need improvement and look for areas where lessons did not have the desired academic impact.Teachers can reflect on any housekeeping issues that arose or areas where classroom management needed some work.   Reflection is an ongoing process and someday, the evidence may provide more specific guidelines for teachers. Reflection as a practice in education is evolving, and so are teachers.

Management in a early years setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Management in a early years setting - Essay Example Introduction Evidently through research, it is clear that in an early setting there are certain guidelines that manager should adhere to in order to enhance correct management. There are diverse guidelines in the setting and so manager’s attitudes shape the form of program. In any given business, management is something which should be done in the right manner possible, and this should be able to integrate all elements of management and functions as well. This becomes a defining application which has the capability of improving performance and ensuring that business goals have been realized within the shortest time possible. For instance, within any strategies of management, it should be appropriate to adopt a number of practices, theories and organizational adoptions which have the capability of improving performance of business. In early year setting, management is considered to be significant since this determines several aspects in the running of the business. With this un derstanding, this paper critically presents a discussion in management in early year settings from a broad point of view. This is enhanced through covering several different topics related to management and responding to different questions succinctly. Critical Analysis of the Management of Provision of the Setting The setting followed through early year’s management stage-offset and the attitudes at the same time as can be set on the subject of specific documents outside the setting. Documents in the settings, it is significant to note down that not every expert that is working in the setting have an identical attitudes and beliefs in place (Harrison, 2003, P. 38). In that sense, they can differ appreciably between individual, and there is no incorrect value, attitude or belief. In this section, the roles of a manager will be highlighted clearly. The Manager’s Roles and Responsibilities Essentially, the main role of a manager is to supervise and ensure that the settin g is been run in accordance to the set guidelines (Laura, 2008, P. 48). The manager therefore, becomes responsible to supervising staff when required and ensuring that the staff is always organized in order to accomplish their tasks. There are innumerable ways through which change in an early management can be achieved. This is through the role played by managers as well as their responsibilities. It is evident that members of staff do not have the accountability to deal with management. Their responsibility in the organization is to do what is most excellent for the benefits of the entire organization (Wang, 2010, P. 18). Therefore, the accountability for dealing with management in early year setting is the role of managers. Managers should cope with the change in a manner that workers can get by it. The role of the manager is to keep up to date with registers and other important data files, for children in their early setting. Managers should play the role to smooth the progress a nd facilitate change, and all this is disguised in that declaration in order to comprehend the circumstances from

International Business & Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

International Business & Strategy - Essay Example When starting a banking business, the investor should consider various factors related to the environment where the business is to be established. Factors such as political, economic, social, technological and legal aspects of a country have direct and indirect effects on the performance of the business. Denmark is the smallest Scandinavian country in the Northern Europe (The Local DK, 2014). It has a pollution of about 5,613,706 million people, and 93% of the populace are Danes while immigrants account for 7% (Pakarinen, 2012). There is no bureaucracy and bribery in Denmark hence this offers a stable business environment. It has good ethical framework and inflation policies (The Local DK, 2014). The country is politically stable (Pakarinen, 2012). Therefore, because government initiatives and fast growing economy it becomes apparent that opening a business provides the best chance for companies such as BBVA retail banking to enjoy government support. Small and medium enterprises SMEs) are the main forms of business characteristics in Denmark. It is active in foreign trade and supports liberal trade policy. It has a mixed economy. It has a relatively high-income rate, Gross National Income (GNI) per capita stands at $61,110 and has a budget surplus (The Local, DK, 2014). Therefore, such stable nation with a fast-growing economy has a high potential for running a business. The Danish economy is one of the most prosperous and stable across the entire world with studies suggesting that by 2017 it will be worth $353.1 billion with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 1.9%. The Foreign direct investments account for about 2.5% of the GDP (The Local, DK, 2014). The government policies protect financial institutions such as ensuring careful lending, minimizing the aftermath of financial crisis through increasing government spending, tax cut, infrastructure

APA Help Center Analysis Essay Example for Free

APA Help Center Analysis Essay The website APA Help Center from the American Psychological Association (http://apahelpcenter. org/articles/topic. php? id=2) is all about articles and information focusing on family and relationship. It is demonstrated by a picture of a father and son on the upper right part of the webpage. In the center, the main heading â€Å"Family and Relationships† covers 49 subheadings that vary from disorders, parenting, stress to sexual orientation. The website is particularly useful and functional to me in a sense that it offers helpful advices with regards to certain family relationships such as parenting and psychological disorders such as mental health, emotional wellness and anger management. It also offers a number of tips on specific issue. If I want to have knowledge on how to help a friend who is suffering from chronic illnesses, the website is indeed of great help. It bestows me a realization that I, as a friend and loved one, need not be afraid because chronic illness is not contagious, instead, I must help my friend deal with it by offering support and care. The website itself is divided into seven parts namely about the APA Help Center, featured topics, articles and information, find a psychologist, request information, for reporters and home. However, I focus on the articles and information because of some reasons I have stated earlier. Moreover, the mentioned part of the website provides enormous information and knowledge. It serves as a virtual psychologist to me. There is no need for me to go and see a psychologist just to be informed on some things of utmost importance such as coping with stress, how to control anger, how to deal with back-to-school blues, and a lot more. Nevertheless, if I desire to talk to a psychologist, the website has already done a template on finding one nearest to my area. I greatly recommend the site to everyone I know because it is indeed useful. If there are issues with regards to particular things that are not on the list, a person can still find some useful information by using the search template on the uppermost right part of the page. Reference American Psychological Association. (2004). Family and Relationships. APA Help Center. Retrieved March 2, 2009 from http://apahelpcenter. org/articles/topic. php? id=2.

Love In Todays Society Essay -- essays research papers

Love In Today's Society A key to understanding Sociology and the Social Sciences in general is to evaluate subjects through time and compare and contrast characteristics that have changed and those that have remained the same. For this assignment I have elected to access three sources dealing with love; in three distinct time periods in the modern era. First we will survey one of the first popular mediums for the expression of love; that of poetry. I have chosen a poem by W.H. Auden to represent the early portion of this century- specifically the 1930s and 1940s. I knew I had to include a song from my idol Jim Morrison. Not only is he the perfect voice of the volatile sex revolution of the 1960s and 1970s; his work captures the profile of a rock star who undoubtedly acquired his domineering attitude from the endless worship of submissive women. Lastly we enter the modern era with a article from my favorite magazine Men's Health on the mistakes a man must avoid in order to please his lover. As we shall see, the increased freedom is very interesting in our first representation to the last. My goal is to show how love has changed. I hope to show what is accepted in our society today, compared with only several decades ago. Application My sources run the gamut of ideas in the subject of love. I think Auden's poem is the best representation of what has been termed â€Å"courtly love.† This seems logical, since this Romantic Era type of love was a pre-cursor to what we know as modern love. The author takes the troubadour role in his crooning style of praising his love's qualities. He idealizes his mate and is satisfied just being in the same room as she. There are not any ulterior motives evident. Auden would be categorized as a â€Å"heavenly lover,† in that his love is more lofty and sacred. There is definite contrast to this idealism though. In his last lines the author, without reservation tells of his sorrow at his loss of her to another. Morrison's Love Her Madly could almost be interpreted as a form of limerance. He has this extreme fondness for his subject: â€Å"Don't ya love her madly?† Anyone who knows the story of Jim Morrison knows that the topic of love and all that comes with it was an integral facet of his being. He is a good example of love in the context of a super-star entertainer. Morrison's songs, and most others found... ...an work their difficulties out before they explode. Conclusion It is definitely true that attitudes on love have changed in the last decade. Social structures and norms have fluctuated and have influenced people's decisions in their own lives as well as their perceptions of others. Many people would rather return to the innocent times of Auden where love seemingly was true and carried no strings. There does seem to be a problem with the increased fragmentation of society in regards to finding love today. Gone are the days when you married your high school sweet-heart and lived happily ever after. Increased mobility and the ease of travel has left love more available and open. People need more help today from outside services like dating hotlines and the help of marriage counselors and physchologists to sort out their troubles. It follows though that society is more complex and therefore better. Women have more rights and more say in society. There is no doubt that females were exploited more in the past than today. While society's attitudes have changed over the years and will continue to change, one thing remains the same: love is a driving force in our lives.

Whole Food Nutrition vs. Vitamin Supplements

Whole Food Nutrition vs. Vitamin Supplements Whole Food Nutrition vs. Synthetic Vitamins which is healthier? Ever since I can remember my mom has been a health nut. We have always taken nutritional supplements and eaten organic food as much as possible. Over the years of taking vitamins supplements, I didn’t notice a change in my health. I did notice when I ate whole foods I felt better than when I ate chemically manufactured fast food. The fast food made my stomach burn. I can also remember not eating meat until I went to school. I think that vitamins are a waste of money. All they do is make my pee turn yellow. Whole food nutrition, which consists of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts, is the only way to live. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals and fiber that protect us from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as a part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic disease (â€Å"Fruit†). Americans want to believe in vitamin and mineral pills. We spend an estimated $10 Billion on them in 2008, according to the Nutrition Business Journal (â€Å"One a Day†). Major health organizations for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease all advise against supplements in favor of healthful diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Unlike pills, those foods contain fiber plus thousands of health protective substances that seem to work together more powerfully than any single ingredient can work alone (â€Å"One a Day†). Eating whole food is the safest way of getting nutritional support for our bodies and immune system. Since food is not a pill, over dosing is never a problem. Over eating can be a problem, causing weight gain and other health issues. On the other hand over dosing on vitamins can be toxic if taken in high doses for a long time. For instance, beta-carotene can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers. In addition, a government surveys found that more than 11 percent of adults take at least 400 units of vitamin E a day, a dose that has been linked to heart failure, strokes, and increased risk of death (â€Å"One a Day†). There are foods that provide nutrients that our bodies need instead of having to swallow so many expensive pills. There are foods that provide natural energy for our bodies, foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans. People who want to spice up weight loss add cayenne and other spicy peppers and salsas to their diet. Studies show that very spicy food temporarily increase that rate which fat is burned (â€Å"Total†). So instead of taking a fat burning pill, eat fat burning foods. Here is so information on how to spot whole food. Look for foods as close to their natural state as possible. For an example think of the continuum from whole apples to applesauce to cider to apple juice. Be sure you can identify the real food in a product. If you can’t tell what the original source is, then a product has probably strayed too far from its natural state. Experts believe that nutrients likely act differently when they exist in the unique combinations that occur naturally in foods. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds contain a virtual symphony of vitamins, minerals and fiber that likely work together to shore up health and help protect against chronic disease. When you ingest whole food instead of a single nutrient, it’s like walking through an entire forest rather than looking at a single leaf (Palmer). Vitamins have lost their sheen, and there are more doubts than ever about taking them in pill form. Large doses of single vitamins aren’t a good idea, the benefit is doubtful, and some can cause harm (â€Å"Vitamins†). It’s so funny when I walk into a vitamin store and the sales associates run up and offer all the latest vitamin supplements that help this part of the body and that keep you from contracting this disease. I wasn’t looking for vitamins in the first place. I go to vitamin shops for protein powder. Here are some other reasons why I’m not interested in beefing up on vitamin intake. The Physician’s Health Study II, which followed more than 14,000 male physicians for 10 years, found that supplementing with vitamins C and E did not reduce the risk of prostate cancer, cancers in total or major cardiovascular events. And the Women’s Health Study, which evaluated nearly 40,000 female health professionals for 10 years, showed that vitamin E supplements did not prevent cardiovascular disease or cancer (Palmer). Scientist believe that folic acid protects the body from developing cancerous tumors by repairing errors in DNA. Yet too much may actually nurture the growth of tumors once they form. What’s important to note is that this delicate balancing act is mostly a problem with supplemental folic acid, the form of the vitamin added to supplements and fortified foods. Not with foliate, the natural form of the vitamin found in foods. Whole foods first! Manufacturer’s of vitamin supplements make us think that food doesn’t have all the nutrients we need. So they push vitamins for all kinds of things to make us healthy, so they like us to think. After researching, I have found out that B vitamins don’t prevent heart attacks. Vitamin E doesn’t benefit people with Alzheimer’s disease. Vitamins A, C, and E do not offer any cancer protection. But nutrition experts say that getting crucial nutrients from food, when possible, is better than popping pills. The American Dietetic Association, in fact, has updated its guidelines on nutrient supplementation and now stresses that eating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods is the best way to get needed nutrients and reduce the risk of chronic disease. The update comes at a time when nutrient supplementation continues to be a growing trend in the United States. Americans spent more than $23 billion on dietary supplements in 2007, according to the association's report, and one-third of adults use a multivitamin and mineral supplement regularly. Others use a variety of supplements, which prompts worry among health experts about the potential negative effects of mega doses (Healthday) . So what makes it better to get nutrients from foods rather than pills? â€Å"Foods are special,† said Andrea P. Boyar, an associate professor of dietetic foods and nutrition at Lehman College of the City University of New York. Foods are complex, and the nutrients within them interact in different and more beneficial ways than they would in supplements. Also, many foods contain healthy dietary fiber, which isn't part of a multivitamin supplement, she said. â€Å"Food is still the ideal,† Boyar said, stressing that she means â€Å"whole foods† — those that are not processed or are as minimally processed as possible. Yet Boyar and other nutrition experts concede that supplements can often fill dietary gaps. That's particularly true, she said, for vitamin D and calcium, especially as people age. She also cited iron, which is often needed by premenopausal women, who lose it with their monthly periods. And, for women of childbearing age, folate supplements have been shown to help prevent birth defects. Overuse of supplements, though — and particularly megadoses — worries health experts. Mega doses of vitamin E, for instance, are particularly hazardous, Boyar said. As for the ideal food-supplement balance, Penny M. Kris-Etherton, a nutrition professor at Penn State University, said that â€Å"ideal† depends on the individual but, in general, think healthy whole foods first. â€Å"Food does not just provide one nutrient but a lot of nutrients and collectively helps individuals meet their nutrient needs,† Kris-Etherton (Healthday). Whole Food Nutrition vs. Vitamin Supplements. That’s what medical scientist and research professionals are trying to determine. More and more, medical doctors are seeing individuals who practice whole food nutrition maintain a lifestyle of health, healing and vitality. Medical doctors, medical scientist and research professionals want to know why and how whole food nutrition accomplishes this. They also want to know what effect whole food nutrition has on improving the health of individuals with certain diseases, such as cancer. Medical/Scientific research is presently being conducted at various hospitals throughout the United States to see what, if any, health benefits whole food nutrition, (i. e. fruits, vegetables, berries) has on individuals with certain types of cancer. This is being done through the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute. This medical research is â€Å"gold standard†, that is, peer reviewed and will be published in medical journals. This research is exciting and the results are highly anticipated. As shown, we as a nation, spend a great deal of money trying to improve our health with vitamin supplements, when, what we might just find from this research is what Hippocrates, (300 BC), the Father of modern medicine, said: â€Å"Let medicine be your food, and food be your medicine. Words: 1,598

Female Offenders

Aarron Eilers February 22, 2010 Female Offenders The number of women incarcerated is growing at a rapid pace. This calls for a reevaluation of our correction institutions to deal with women’s involvement in crime. Increasing numbers of arrests for property crime and public order offenses are outpacing that of men. The â€Å"War on Drugs† has a big influence on why our prisons have become overcrowded in the last 25 years. Women are impacted more than ever because they are being convicted equally for drug and other offenses. Female criminal behavior has always been identified as minor compared to Male’s criminal behavior. Over the years women have made up only small part of the offender populations. There is still only a small portion of the inmate population that is female but it is increasing at a high rate. Women are participating in more violent crimes and being convicted of crimes that were historically reserved for men. The Bureau of Justice Statistics which reports a yearend report of number of females incarcerated reported that there were 26,300 females behind bars for violent crimes after the year of 2002. Violent crimes in women prisons accounted for thirty-three percent of the population. The overall female population also increased 2. 9 percent from 2003 to 2004. People have recently started paying much more attention to women who commit violent crimes. Women most times have a plan and a target when committing a crime like murder. The target is usually someone very close to them such as a spouse or their children. The reasons for committing the murder range from jealously to self defense. The female usually has been a target of violence somewhere in her past as well. Research that has been done shows that a female who commits murder tends to be older than a one who commits a petty crime. The Bureau of Justice Statistics indicated that most women who commit such a crime as murder did so while they were alone with the victim. Only eight percent of the time was another female or male present during the offense. The Bureau also reports that forty percent of the time the female was under the influence of some type of drug or alcohol. Most women who have spent time in jails or prisons have a lifelong connection with the justice system. Estimates done in the United States show that fifty-eight percent of women are rearrested, thirty percent return to prison within three years, and thirty-eight percent are reconvicted. In Kruttschnitt and Gartner’s review of the literature they suggest that the demographic plays a major part in a female’s recidivism. Females who have a history of property crime, drug use, and a lengthy criminal history are more likely to recidivate. Deschenes and colleagues study of the cohort recidivism dataset revealed similar findings. They did note that the effect of drug abuse and institutional programs were absent from the report. Some questions have surfaced when looking at the general recidivism literature. Scholars argue that the study of recidivism should have a broader range of study. It needed to add the whole life perspective not just a short period in the female’s life. Now that women are committing crimes at almost the same rate as men the question arises, should men and women receive the same treatment in the criminal justice system. This issue has sparked debate in the last few years. The current law states that the defendant should not receive any special treatment due to characteristics such as race, gender, or age. These are considered extralegal and should not be considered during the sentencing process. Gender was ignored until the early 1980’s, but when it was given attention it focused on sex differences and sanctioning instead of questioning the crimes of men and the criminal justice system’s response to men’s crimes. Most research done on sentencing and gender goes as far back as 1934 when Martin concluded that females were no more likely than males to be sentenced to prison terms. One of the most recent studies by Spohn in 2002 stated that the odds of receiving a prison sentence are two and a half times greater for male offenders than for female offenders. For numerous years, prison officials applied the same type of treatment for men and women. In the last decade with the increasing number of women incarcerated, research shows that women have different physical and emotional needs. For example, women are more attached to their children that they are leaving behind, and some have histories of physical and mental abuse. The creation of two programs, Key Crest and Forever Free were created to help with women specific issues. Recent studies done by National Institute of Justice studies found that participants in these two programs stayed drug and arrest free for over three years. Participants were tested and interviewed once a year for three years. The studies also showed that the programs provided aftercare and treatment in areas that were not addressed in previous years. Even though both varied in their approach, they both recognized the many ways there were to treat the needs of women and how they differ from men. The studies also show that gender specific programs do help inmates reenter into society. There are many factors that inhibit women to commit violent crimes. Most women suffer from substance abuse, spouse abuse and mental issues. The most common risk is being previously being abused earlier in life. A survey conducted in 2002 reported that thirty six percent of all female inmates in United States jails had been abused at some point. Twenty-six percent reported that they were abused by someone of their immediate family. Another possible reason for a rise in women’s crime may be due to an idea created by sociologists called â€Å"liberation hypothesis†. In this hypothesis due to the lack of access to certain areas in society women in the past were committing crimes such as shoplifting, fraud, and prostitution. As women start to gain access to more avenues in society they are able to commit more serious crimes. The murder rate, crimes against property, and street crimes have increased significantly. Women used to be just the drug smugglers but now they are the dealers. Dr. Chishom of the Southern Region Violence & Substance Abuse Prevention Center stated that â€Å"Quite frankly women became more daring†. Now they compete with men for the same crimes that once were dominated by men. Society also may be a reason for the rise in women’s crime rate. Society over the last 30 years has changed dramatically and has become more violent. Women feel that they may have to protect themselves more than ever. Dr. Barbara Scott of Northeastern Illinois University suggests that society has an increased acceptance of violence. Violence is portrayed in the media as a way of dealing with frustration and aggression, not only in women but in men as well. Women are no longer scared of doing things that once were deemed unacceptable. They are carrying weapons, being involved in shootings, and committing child abuse. One trend that is related to women committing crimes is drug dependency. The rising rate of drug dependency has a major impact on women’s crime trends. Women who rely on drugs must have a constant income to acquire these drugs on a routine basis. This is where women tend to be involved in burglaries and robberies to fund their drug habits. Drug use also tends to sink women into the underworld of a criminal subculture. It exposes them to violence and dangerous situations. This is where they meet men that are also connected to drug dependency. Most men that are drug dependant exploit women to feed their own habits. When studying the career of a violent female criminal research shows substantial gender variations. Most women’s careers start and end much earlier than one of a man. Females are more likely not to repeat violent crimes. Females are also more likely to shy away from any future crimes. Long term involvement as a career criminal by a woman is very rare. Case studies and interviews show a weak commitment to a life of crime. When explaining the female offending process most theories were created by men. Most theories have been challenged because they were created for men, and people wonder if those theories can be used to explain female crime. Some criminologists argue that traditional theories are male specific and are not designed to explain female crime. Approaches such as the anomie theory and conflict theory suggest that factors such as poverty and inequality underlie much of the basic crime. Consistent between the two approaches, both male and females show that they come from the poor and disadvantaged. These approaches help explain the gender gap as a consequence of the lesser relevance of success goals compared to men. The social processes such as differential association and labeling theory tend to explain common crime in terms of different opportunities for learning female values and skill sets. These theories would explain the gender gap as a consequence of lower access by females to learning criminal activity. The Control Theory suggests that poor social bonds account for much of the crime. This theory argues that most criminals come from a disproportional and dysfunctional family. Their education level is very low and they have a weak chain of conformity. The gender gap in this theory is explained through female socialization towards their bonding behavior. The utilization of the traditional theories is supported by evidence that shows that females and men overlap in their causes for committing crimes. For example, male and females alike tend to have poor education, be in low income bracket, and be of the minority status. Second, there is evidence that shows that there is close relation that females and males respond to the same societal forces. While traditional theories help understand male and female crime levels, they are less accurate at explaining different patterns of crime between the two. Different from male criminals, females are less likely to commit serious crime or lead crime organizations. When linked with males, females tend to be accomplices who help carry out the plan but never are the leader. Females are more likely to commit crime for more traditional reasons such as accomplishment, betterment, and self preservation. Situational pressures such as relationship problems, loss of a loved one, or need for income is a few reasons females turn to offending. The reentry contextual has been a way of understanding recidivism. The neighborhood a women returns to after being released is a main focus. Most women who are released go back to an impoverished environment which is not suited to keep them clear of crime. Most of these areas do not have the proper treatment centers that are needed to make them successful. The job markets in these neighborhoods are slim and sometimes nonexistent. In turn, moral for a woman who is trying to turn their life around becomes very low. Living conditions are also a key factor. Suitable living arrangements provide social and emotional support. Mallik-Kane and Visher found that fifty six percent of women released ended up living with family and friends. Most had been given some sort of financial and emotional support. Over one quarter of these women had not received any support from their families. The Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that there are roughly 2. 1 million female violent crime offenders in the United States. Three out of every four women commit crimes on other women. Two thirds of all violent women had some sort of relationship with their victim prior to committing the crime. Forty percent of these women were under some influence of drugs while carrying out the crime. Over half of these offenses were committed at or near the victim’s house. In 1997, there were 44 known women inmates on death row. This made up about 1. 3 percent of the total on death row inmates. Society itself is always changing and has changed a lot in the last couple of decades. Crime is constant battle here in the United States and around the world. All we can do is hope to contain it and keep it as minimum as possible. As reports have been released and studies have been conducted we can see that the crime rate involving women has increased. The rate of violent crimes as in women has significantly risen every year since the early 1980’s. At the end of 2001, there were nearly 9 times as many men (5,037,000) in prisons as there were women (581,000). However women are the fastest growing population in American prisons. In 2004, men were ten times more likely to commit violent crimes than women. That statistic is now false as women are committing more crime than ever before. Some argue that the reasoning for this is because of the economy and their social conditions. The majority of the females arrested for violent crimes came from poverty stricken neighborhoods where there was little chance for advancement. Over half of the females did not have a stable job when they offended. Females are included in more organized crime than they were ever before. This comes from being exposed to the elements to commit crime. Inhibiters such as the media who says it’s Ok to take anger and frustration out through violence or men who use women to be an accomplice in a crime. Females seem to dig themselves deeper into the criminal subculture until they end up serving a ail sentence. Unlike decades ago there are programs to help females through the incarceration process. Key Crest and Forever Free were created to help females’ obtain the correct tools and support they need to return to a normal life. Due to research done after release, it has been shown that these programs due help females stay off drugs and become a positive member of society. Works Cited Doerner, J. K. , 2007-11-14 â€Å"An Examination of Sentencing Outcomes in U. S. Federal Courts: Does a Gender Gap Exist?   Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIMINOLOGY, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia Online . 2010-01-24 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p201202_index. html Drug treatment and reentry for incarcerated women, (2005, Dec). Retrieved February 22, 2010, http://www. ncjrs. gov/pdffiles1/nij/212776. pdf Hickey, Eric. (2003). Encyclopedia of murder and violent crime. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Why Women Are Committing More Crimes, (2000, July). Retrieved February 22, 2010, http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m1355/is_4_98/ai_63291519/pg_2/? tag=content;col1 Women coming home: long-term patterns of recidivism. (2010, April). Justice Quarterly, 225-254. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from http://www. informaworld. com/smpp/section? content=a910861149&fulltext=713240928 Women & Girls in the Criminal Justice System. Retrieved February 22, 2010 from National Criminal Justice Reference Service Web site: http://www. cjrs. gov/spotlight/wgcjs/Summary. html Women in the criminal justice system. (2007, May). Retrieved February 22, 2010,http://www. sentencingproject. org/doc/publications/womenincj_total. pdf Women offenders, (1999, Dec). Retrieved Feb 21, 2010, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/press/wo. pr Zaplin, T Ruth. (2007) Female Offenders: Critical Perspectives and Effective Interventions, Second Edition Sudbury, MA. Jones.