Developmental History

Aaron (not his real name) was 3 years old and 4 months and 5 days on the day his mother was interviewed for this case study report. Aaron has a medium structure but is tall for his age, he likes to move around a lot, he is now able to run and play on his own with little supervision especially if he is inside the house. He likes going to the groceries and playing with the cans on the shelves. He can speak in short sentences but still uses baby talk when he asks for something. His first word was Mama and he actually grunts and giggles a lot. He is not comfortable with strangers or with anything new.He seems to have a slow to warm up temperament. But once he feels secure, he can actually be very friendly and interacts well with other people. He is potty trained and have started using pull-up diapers instead of the regular ones. He likes to work on coloring books and he has tons of scribbled papers. He gets bored watching TV, he does not even like Barney, but he likes music and he become s very alert when he hears Mozart or Beethoven. He likes toys that he can move, bang, throw and manipulate. He already has good fine motor skills as he can hold his spoon and eat on his own. However he can’t still button his own shirts..His favorite foods are oranges, vegetables and chicken. He also drinks apple juice with his meal. He still asks for his bottle when going to sleep but can use a sippy cup during the day. Aaron however sucks his thumb when he is sleepy or when he is feeling insecure. Health and Physical Condition Aaron was born through normal delivery, his mother was 25 when she gave birth and was the first born. His mother was healthy and did not have any severe medical conditions before and during the pregnancy. However, she had a case of urinary tract infection around 6 months into her pregnancy but was treated successfully with antibiotics.She also had a positive disposition during her pregnancy and she ate the right foods and dutifully took her vitamins an d regularly had her prenatal check-ups. Aaron passed the newborn screening test in flying colors, he was 7. 6 pounds, had the normal head circumference and height and he was already screaming when he came into the world. After 2 days in the hospital, he went home, however, he was supposed to be breastfeed but he had difficulty in it as his first feeding was from the bottle, his mother also had difficulty nursing him as she was a firs time mother.The doctors advised that he be placed on the bottle on an infant formula. He did not have any problems after this. Aaron was overweight when he was 5 months old, he has a very regular sleeping and feeding schedule and he sticks to it even if there are distractions. He liked to jump on his mother’s lap and he used his feet more than his hands at this stage. At 6 months, he changed his milk formula and he suffered from constipation, he had to be placed on different milk formula which was not constipating and was on a soft diet. After 2 days, he was able to resume normal bowel movement.He also had bouts of colic especially during the day. He does not cry much but when he does cry it took him a long time to quiet down. His mother noticed that he seemed to shiver when he cries and go blue when he does not get what he wants. When he is angry or upset, he will cough or make vomiting actions. The mother was alarmed with this behavior but when she talked to her pediatrician, he said that Aaron was merely trying to get his own way by vomiting and turning blue because when he checked him he was really just a normal child. The mother has learned not to reinforce vomiting or holding his breath and this have now disappeared.At one year old, Aaron was hospitalized for diarrhea and vomiting, he was having high grade fever and was throwing up and had very loose bowels. He was brought to the hospital because he was already showing signs of dehydration. He stayed in the hospital for 3 days and came home fine. His teeth came out in pairs and started when he was 9 months old, at 1 year and 4 months, he already had 8. He seemed to have the colds and low grade fever whenever his teeth were coming out. He has not been dropped, had his head banged or fell from the stairs. He started walking at one year old and was running before he reached 2 years old.He did not have any illnesses up to the time of the interview. Health and Medical Analysis From the case study presented, it seemed that Aaron’s major health condition that has brought about medical attention was on his digestive system. He had constipation, colic, indigestion; diarrhea and vomiting at a young age this would imply that he has a weak stomach or a very sensitive digestive system. He had been on infant formula since he was born and it could be that his stomach have not adapted as well as children who have been breastfeed (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).He also had been using distilled water since he was born and it could be that his stomach does not have the friendly bacteria that normal children have. The problem is that Aaron likes food; he has a healthy appetite but since he suffers from indigestion or diarrhea he might lose his love for eating because it was the source of his discomfort, however, at present Aaron has not shown any aversion to food. In the future, Aaron may have more instances of diarrhea because when he gets older, his mother would have lesser control over what he eats (Berk, 2005).At present he is being taught to always wash his hands before eating and to not place anything on his mouth, but the difficulty is that he still sucks his thumb before going to sleep. It is recommended that the mother try to introduce Aaron to regular water and juice and to have him eat different foods so his stomach would be accustomed to it. It was also recommended that the mother bring this to the attention of the pediatrician and to learn more about how to keep the digestive system healthy and functioning well. References Berk, L. (2005). Factors affecting growth and physical health. In Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood 5th ed (pp. 293-303). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Shonkoff, J. & Phillips, D. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early  childhood development. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.   

How People Perceive Differently

Many people perceive thoughts differently because they all have different view of the world. After reading the text, Communications in a Changing World, I learned how people can interpret things differently. There are steps of perception everyone goes through which includes interpretation, selection, and organization. As I showed a picture to three different people, they all had different words that described the picture and this explains how people perceive thoughts differently. Everyone in life has different views of the world because of their experiences and beliefs.People went through many obstacles in life which alters their belief system. Once their belief system has been constructed, they are in a habitual cycle which makes them hard to be same with others. No people are alike. We are all different people. With this knowledge, I believe that people view things according to their habitual lifestyle. For example, a person who are stereotypical may view people or judge them by ra ce or individual's character. These people will tend to view society as if everyone did not come from the same family but different places and everyone is categorized.However, some people may view things by emotions and actions. People perceive things differently as the author states, â€Å"Just as self-concept, identity, and physical factors act as filters on our perceptions, our personality also affects how we perceive others† (Dobkins, pg. 68). Many people are brought up in different cultures and background. Even though I may have friends that grew up with me in the same culture, we are different because our nationality might be different. We can eat different food and have our own unique styles.Our interests are different. How we look and feel is different. All three people I showed the picture to came up with different words because they all were in different states and brought up differently in life in general as the author states, â€Å"We like things that are recogni zable or similar to us† (Dobkins, pg. 70). First guy I interviewed goes by the name Jimmy. He looked at the picture and described how the person in the picture was behaving. He came up with words such as â€Å"chilling†, â€Å"sitting†, â€Å"relaxing†, â€Å"distracted†, and â€Å"resting†.Jimmy used most of the words that describes the person's action. He was not stereotypical at all. The second person I interviewed goes by the name of John. John however came up with words such as â€Å"black†, â€Å"afro†, â€Å"double-eye lids†, and â€Å"old†. John was being more stereotypical and described the person as if he belongs in a different family group. The third guy I interviewed goes by the name of David. David used words such as, â€Å"bum†, â€Å"poverty†, â€Å"frustration†, â€Å"hilarious†, â€Å"afro†, and â€Å"guilty†.He perceives that because the man in the picture is African American, he may be doing something harmful to the society as he mentioned the word â€Å"guilty†. Also, he used the word â€Å"poverty† which may represent how he views African Americans as people who are poor. The words he also used was the word â€Å"bum† which indicates that David may feel that there are a lot of African Americans on the streets without homes. I do understand where David came from because he lived all of his life in Downtown Los Angeles. Media influences people to perceive differently about certain group of people in the world.As in Los Angeles, there is always a news about someone shooting in Downtown Los Angeles and most of the time the people who commit crimes are either Hispanic or African Americans. Just because the person is African American does not mean he commits crime or he is a bum. The person in the picture clearly determines that he is not a bad person. But just because of his race, David thinks he is someone bad. Ho wever, Jimmy did not use any words that were stereotypical. He only used words that described the person's actions.By this analysis, people perceive differently by the way they operate their views and belief system. People tend to cooperate by approximately determining their belief system and that is how they feel comfortable as the author states, â€Å"we often put ourselves in familiar situations, see the same patterns, and focus on the same senses in ways that are predictable and comfortable† (Dobkins, pg. 73). People may perceive differently by how they feel at the exact moment of time. When shown the picture if the person is at a negative state, they will look for negative words.When the person is in an excited or happy state of mind, they will look for words that are more positive. Although media repetition may alter one's mind about views of different nationalities, a person's state can distract how they analyze things of this world. For example, a person in a good sta te may present happier motives and bring excitement and joyful emotions to the table. However, a person with a negative state of mind may extract bad energy that may bring people around them down. A person's state may alter how they perceive things differently.Jimmy and John may have used more positive words because they may be in a positive state of mind at the moment. However, David may have been in a negative state of mind at the moment he was interviewed. I do believe that people have their own ways of beliefs and view systems but the emotions they feel at the moment definitely do have some type of impact towards their perception as the author states, â€Å"As individuals, we bring the composite of our self-concept and identity, physical characteristics, and personality into every communicative setting† (Dobkins, pg. 68).In conclusion, everyone in this world perceives differently. Everyone has their own core belief systems embedded into their lifestyle. This is due to the ir experiences in their lifetime. Media and other sources may impact one's belief systems. Maybe some people might have been hurt by certain ethnic group of people. Jimmy, John, and David whom I interviewed all had different words that describe the picture. In this regimental paper, I have described how these three people perceived differently because of their different belief system, state of mind, and experiences.

Nationalism in World War 1 Essay

Nationalism held a huge part in world war1 as it does in many wars. A major part of nationalism in world war1 is shown through Otto van Bismarck. Bismarck was a very tactical man and was great at thinking up strategies. It seemed he would do all he could to promote Germany and make it truly powerful over the rest of Europe by making a group of alliances that wouldn’t give France a chance to rise up to Germany since alone France was weak. Although Bismarck’s will to help Germany as much as possible was strong, the alliance he had made with Austria-Hungry and Russia (the league of three emperors) failed several times. It managed to rebuild itself but fell in 1887. Nationalism is more or less patriotic greed and because of Bismarck’s excessive use of it, it helped to carry on the war. His crewed tactics created long-term problems for European diplomacy. The end of his balancing act most likely caused Europe’s slide to war. Bismarck’s reign over Germany was brought to a halt after Wilhelm the second was crowned Kaiser in 1888. Bismarck resigned in 1890. Kaiser Wilhelm the second was another example of Nationalism and its cold grasp over world war1. Although he also wanted Germany to be great he worked differently than Bismarck. His public speeches carried Germany’s glory and might. He also proved very popular with the German people. Kaiser Wilhelm the second was a vain impulsive man who believed in Prussian domination over Germany. Wilhelm the second wanted to turn Germany into a large colonial empire and build a large army for her, to protect Germany. Because of his infection with nationalism Kaiser wilhelm the second lost an old friend Russia, who now allied with France bringing new problems to Kaiser Wilhelm the second. During Kaiser Wilhelms reign over Germany, the years 1890-1914 have been seen as a period of anarchy. Nationalism was a very strong force that affected the minds of many political groups. It also caused others. Examples of these are: The League of three emperors which wasn’t the most stable of the nationalist groups The dual entente, which was an alliance of France and Russia to crush Germany if they should attack either sides. (This shows what effect nationalism can  have on the friendship of countries) The Anglo-Japanese Alliance was britains desperate attempt to find an alliance to counter the dual entente and to make Britain more Superior. The Balkan League was probably the largest and most powerful nationalist alliance of its time. There greed through nationalism caused them to nearly drive turkey right out of Europe and to gain a considerable amount of Turkish states causing a great upset between the two groups. Later on this strong alliance came to a halt when the second Balkan war began when Bulgaria started quarreling with Greece and Serbia. Bulgaria felt like she got dealt the smallest hand and wanted more out of the arrangement so she attacked her former allies but Turkey joined in the war against Bulgaria to gain more power for her country from the land she lost in the first war. Bulgaria was defeated easily. This League was probably one of the largest examples of nationalism in world war1 because of all the greed for each region’s country shown in it. Therefore I conclude with saying that nationalism is contributed in world war 1 by greed through individuals and alliances alike and that nationalism is indeed the main cause of world war1.

Comparing China with the West: What Hofstede taught us about Cultural Consequences Essay

The world today is a smaller place than it has ever been, thanks to the rapid and ongoing development of the global economy; we have become a borderless and cyber-connected community (Hofstede 2001; Kottak 2008; Mead, 2009). This has resulted in greater links and more and more interchanges between different nationalities. The ease at which we can physically communicate and travel has allowed for the free movement of goods and services across borders increasing trade and investment in foreign countries. International commerce, travel, migration and the media are the forces behind globalisation (Kottak, 2008; Craig and Douglas, 2006). Globalisation has a phenomenal effect on the business world; it opens up businesses to potential new markets, allowing them to increase their supply of consumers. Setting the stage for international collaboration (Hofstede, 2003) and while doing so, it is reshaping the global economic outlook (World Investment Report, 2005). In despite of this, Osland (1990) points out, that one of the barriers to international business success ‘Is the one erected by culture’ (p.4). Each civilization breeds its own social-political-economic systems. Essentially, each culture has its own method to conducting business. Such methods are intrinsically cultural bound. In order to understand how the different systems work one must first understand the values that underlie it. Thus, managers, employees, business partners and other corporate stakeholders must recognise that the methods they use, to make their decisions, solve their problems and deals with other people are all done by reflecting on their cultural backgrounds and perspectives (Mead, 2009; Mott, 2004; Hofstede, 2005). As acknowledged above, globalisation leads to problems in cross-cultural communication. We live in a world where a cultural competency is essential for global business profitability. Over the years there have been many studies conducted on culture. In the 1950’s Kroeber and Kluckhohn, where one of the first scholars to provide a theoretical framework for explaining culture as a system of integrated values they wanted to characterize differences between national cultures (Kroeber & Kluckhohn, 1963). Since then, many scholars have focused their attention on how national differences affect the decision-making practices of professionals and have produced some tangible guidelines for cross-cultural understanding (Hofstede, 1980; Adler & Graham, 1986; Black &  Mendenhall 1989; Trompenaars, 1994; Triandis, 1994; House et al, 2004). One of the first of these studies, and perhaps the one which has had widespread implications in helping scholars and professionals interested in cultures, is Hofstede’s Five Dimension model (5-D). Its primary innovation is to class national cultures along a number of dimensions. The underlying thesis in these studies is that there are nationally influenced differences in work placed values (Hofstede, 2001; 2005). This presented scholars with insight into the composition of national culture and according to Hofstede culture-focused research is becoming more prominent, and understanding culture is becoming increasingly vital (Hofstede, 1994). Even though, Hofstede was not the first study on cross-cultural research, his study succeeded in putting cross-cultural research at the forefront of international business research (Hofstede, 2001). It is considered valuable in international business and management and due to the growing interdependence among nations; the need for a better understanding of cultural influence on organisational practices has never been greater (House et al, 2004). A cross-cultural understanding is a prerequisite to an effective entry into an international market (Morder, 1999) as businesses operating in different cultures must maintain a multifaceted approach, developing appropriate skills and compromising the interacting cultures, adjusting their norms, practices and perspectives to work within another culture’s border (Morder, 1999; Selmer, 2009). There have been many documented cases of cultural incompetence, (Selmer, 1999; 2000; Hutchings, 2005), outlining how a lack of cultural competence can have devastating effects to the success of business ventures. Thus as we move to a more connected world some might expect a convergence on a cultural level, to match the significant business transactions that globalisation has inspired by the fact that trade, travel and education has helped facilitate the global economy (Scarborough, 1998). Nonetheless, one must concede that there remains a gulf between cultures created by the different nationalities in the world today. The roots of culture are so deep that they have produced highly divergent values systems, (Scarborough, 1998) and without reconciling these differences and working around them then there is no hope of successful business relationships between the ones cultural counterparts (Uniser & Lee, 2005). Through the literature, it is suggested that a  comparison be conducted between cultures helping to promote better working relationships (Torres and Jones, 2011; Tsang, 2011) The focus of this paper is the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as it is emerging as a particularly dominant player in the global economic market and the process of globalisation brings us in a global community China will play a central role in this. Thus, understanding it is of the greatest importance. Over the last three decades, China has positioned itself in the epicentre of the global market and the world is paying close attention to this new economic giant. (Detert et al, 2000; Scarborough 1998; Dent et al 2000) More references. Before this prosperous period began, China’s business environment and economic stability had been predominately controlled by the state. More recently, the country has seen a tremendous surge of economic success due to the relaxing of the state in relation to foreign direct investment (Euromonitor, 2012). Leading to the increase of the number of foreign business people working within China, resulting in an unprecedented growth in Sino-foreign joint ventures and wholly owned foreign firms (Selmer, 1999; Detert et al, 2000). Currently there is an opportunity for growth and prosperity in China, which seems endless and has attracted businesses and professionals to move to China to live and work. The country is now considered the ‘new hub’ in the international migration order (Pieke, 2011, 40). All this force in the Chinese Business environment has engendered much scholarly attention in exploring and understanding how the Chinese operate in a business manner, (Detert et al, 2000). Thus, those involved have become acutely aware of the great divide between the Chinese cultures and other cultures. The differences in the way one thinks, one’s beliefs and how one behaves (Scarborough, 1998). A basic understanding of the core component of China’s culture is particularly noteworthy given the magnitude of China as a trading partner to the rest of the world (Pieke, 2010). Until recently, China was viewed as a mysterious nation that was literally impenetrable (Lightfoot & Almeida, 2007), because they draw their culture from a distinctive, indigenous and philosophical cultural heritage, that dates back thousands of years consequently it is unlike any other economic giant in the global market (Rinder and Starbuck, 1997; Selmer, 2009). Thus, they can bewilder other nationalities that encounter them (Chen, 2001) because they do not identify with the Chinese practices and cultural traditions. It has  been suggested that from, a Western perspective, China can be considered ‘the most foreign of foreign places’ (Selmer, 2009, 42). Thus, in order to infiltrate this dynamic market, one must learn to accept and adapt to, the distinctive business culture that makes China unique (Bond, 1991). China China is the oldest empire in recorded history; it has a continuous recorded history of about 5000 years (Hofstede, 2005) and it is one of the world’s earliest and thus oldest civilisations. It is now one of the fastest growing and vibrant economies in the world, (Wang et al 2008) and the world is now paying close attention to this gigantic influential country. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded on October 1st 1949. (National Bureau of Statistics, 2012a) Below are some facts about the enormous and enigmatic county. Bibliography Adler, N. J., Campbell, N. & Laurent, A. (1989) ‘In search of appropriate methodology: from outside the People’s Republic of China looking in’, Journal of International Business Studies, 20, 61-74 Bohlander, G. W., Snell, S., & Sherman, A. W. (2001), Managing Human Resources. (12th ed.), South West College Publications. Bond, M. H. (1991) ‘Chinese values and health: A cultural level examination’, Psychology and Health: An International Journal, 5, 137-152 Bond, M. and Hofstede, G. (1989) ‘The cash value of Confucian values’, Human System Management, 8, 195-200. Black, J.S. and Mendenhall, M. (1989), ‘A practical but theory-based framework for selecting cross-cultural training methods’, Human Resource Management, 28(4), 511-39. Bratton, J., Sawschuk, P., Forshaw, C., Callinan, M. & Corbertt, M. (2010) Work and Organisational Behaviour, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Brown, A. (1998) Organisational Culture, 2ed., London: Pitman Publishing. Cardon, W. P. (2009) ‘A model of face practices in Chinese business culture: Implication for Westerners’. Thunderbird International Business Review 51, 19-36. Chen, M. J. (2001), Inside Chinese Business: A Guide for Managers Worldwide, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press China National Tourist Office (2012a) ‘About China’, [online], available: http://www.cnto.org/aboutchina.asp [accessed 8th August 2012]. China National Tourist Office (2012b) ‘Foreign Arrivals by Purpose: Jan/Dec 2010’, [online], available: http://www.cnto.org/chinastats_2010ArrivalsB yPurpose.asp [accessed 8th August 2012]. Chinese Culture Connection (1987), ’Chinese values and the search for culture-free dimensions of culture’, Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 18, 143-64. Child, J. (2009) ‘China and International Business’ in Alan, M. 2nd ed., The Oxford Handbook of International Business Oxford

Is the american dream achievable? Essay

The American Dream: the image of a white picket fence house with a perfect family, two educated children, one girl and one boy and the mother and father both working without worrying about financials concerns. This is the typical example of the American Dream; it is called the stereotypical dream. The Oxford dictionary states that the American Dream is, â€Å"The traditional social ideals of the US, such as equality, democracy and material prosperity.† However, I firmly believe the American Dream is to be accepted, to be free and to be equal; overall the dream is to pursue personal happiness. I strongly believe that the American Dream was not attainable in the past, is not attainable in the present day and will not be attainable in the future. Immigration is a prime reason why the American Dream is unachievable. I feel that poorer individuals appreciate and make the most of the little things they have and this would suggest that their money worries does not affect their ‘dream’. I also believe, despite the fact they are struggling financially, they still put others before themselves, ensuring their children have the opportunity to lead a ‘better’ life, the chance they themselves never had. Immigrants strive to fit in with the US ‘crowd’ as they don’t want to be seen as different. Immigrants flock to America so that they too can grab a piece of the exciting, spectacular dream that they perceive that America offers. Individuals arrive in the USA expecting every day to be like the fourth of July. The harsh reality is far from it. In 2012, overall crime rates rose to roughly 10.2 million; America ‘the land of opportunity’ is home to nothing but crime. They then realised the world they had stepped into involved a lot of hard work with little rewards as the median household income is $50,502. [3: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/American_Dream][4: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/uscrime.htm][5: http://www.mybudget360.com/how-much-do-americans-earn-what-is-the-average-us-income/] The idea of the American Dream is that a person, no matter their race, class  or background has equal opportunity to succeed as they would stand or fall by their capability and accomplishments. I strongly believe equal opportunity in reality is non-existent as discrimination is widespread in the US. Both sexes compete against one another for power and command in the workplace; however, men are usually seen as the powerful gender as they are given the higher positions. Education is another issue within discrimination- the quality and quantity. Education has a long term impact on an individual as poor educational success impacts directly on employment prospects, poverty and limited ability to contribute to American society. Students from impoverished homes who attend racially segregated schools are often given exposure to the better standards of education and opportunities to forge good social networks, of the type that is usually enjoyed by students in weather predominately white schools. The wealthiest ten percent of US school boards spend almost ten times more than the poorest ten percent, demonstrating that not all schools have equal school resources. Unequal academic opportunities also occur; Blacks and Latino students scoring the same results as whites and Asians are less likely to be placed in fast track courses. I believe this evidence indicates that discrimination still exists in America today. Real equality means not judging a book by its cover, treating it differently because of what may look like or where it came from, none of that is important; it’s about the quality of the story within. For some the American Dream is having a successful job which brings financial security and a comfortable life. However, employment is a major concern in America as a significant number of Americans have given up job hunting or are only working part time. The number of unemployed Americans is currently 22.7 million; 12.3 million are unemployed and want work but have stopped the search, 2.4 million are working part time and 8 million can’t find full time employment. Roughly a quarter of Americans between the ages of eighteen to thirty are still living at home relying on their parents. The majority of Americans are on the brink of poverty because there aren’t enough jobs to go around. I passionately believe the American Dream will only remain a dream since having, or not having, money is a controlling factor. The final, compelling reason to why the American Dream is not achievable is the expensive health care system. America does not have an NHS system as is available to the UK citizens and they must ensure against  possible ill health- many simply can’t afford to do this. Therefore US national lives are in constant threat of increasing cost of health insurance. This is a worrying issue for the US government too; the latest statics from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that health care costs in America were around $147 billion to cover health complications from obesity alone. Being obese costs $6,454 per year. In twenty years experts predict that over half of American adults and the majority of children will become super-sized. In conclusion, I passionately believe the American Dream is not achievable due to the four key points which have been explored throughout the context; immigration, lack of equal opportunities, unemployment and health care. The Ame rican Dream emphasises being perfect, but perfection is not humanly possible and neither is this so called dream. Jasmine Chalk [6: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/inequality_in_a_workplace#cite_note-Devey-2][7: http://www.aecf.org/upload/publicationfiles/fact_sheet3.pdf][8: http://www.aecf.org/upload/publicationfiles/fact_sheet3.pdf][9: http://www.aecf.org/upload/publicationfiles/fact_sheet3.pdf][10: http://www.rpc.senate.gov/policy-papers/january-2013-unemployment-report][11: Young U.S. Adults Flock to Parents’ Homes Amid EconomyBy Kathy Warbelow & Frank Bass – Sep 25, 2012 5:01 AM GMT http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-25/young-adults-flock-to-parents-homes-amid-sour-economy.html][12: ‘Real Cost of Living’: Price tag for obesity is $6,454 a yearby Carmen Wong Ulrich (Perigee Trade, 2010) http://www.today.com/id/40844081/ns/today-today_books/t/real-cost-living-price-tag-obesity-year/#.UhZXwpJJOAg][13: ‘Real Cost of Living’: Price tag for obesity is $6,454 a yearby Carmen Wong Ulrich (Perigee Trade, 2010)http://www.today.com/id/40844081/ns/today-today_boo ks/t/real-cost-living-price-tag-obesity-year/#.UhZXwpJJOAg][14: ‘Real Cost of Living’: Price tag for obesity is $6,454 a yearby Carmen Wong Ulrich (Perigee Trade, 2010)http://www.today.com/id/40844081/ns/today-today_books/t/real-cost-living-price-tag-obesity-year/#.UhZXwpJJOAg]

A New Housing Development in the North Essex Assignment - 1

A New Housing Development in the North Essex - Assignment Example A different types of property mix found in these areas, whether the property infrastructure differs between these areas, the cost comparison of different properties in these areas and any interesting aspect near these areas that can add value to the aforesaid property and finally what are the issues how the total pricing of a property may be considered. It is an accepted fact in the Real Estate industry that the price of any property will vary with location; total carpet area, amenities and value additions like nearby supermarkets, swimming pool, and open space. Hence each variable must be considered while proposing a new establishment both for cost effectiveness and customer focus (Pagourtzi et al, 2003). Data Collection: We have considered housing properties in Colchester, Mersea Island, and Jaywick and details were collected from http://www.rightmove.co.uk/.We selected 58 properties in Jaywick, 60 in Mersea Island and 59 in Colchester so a total of 178 properties were selected. The distribution was more or less equal. For the above analysis and comparison, t-tests and ANOVAs were conducted and the p-value was noted. The hypothesis was that if the p-value is less than 0.05 it will mean that there is a significant difference between the observations and the observation has not taken place due to chance factors of random sampling and if the p-value is more than 0.05 it will mean that there is a no significant difference between the observations and the observation has taken place due to chance factors of random sampling (Warne et al, 2012). Further, a multiple regression equation was conducted to find how does pricing of a property relate to the various independent variables like bedrooms, parking space, and others. The equation was done through the software based on R programming language (Wessa, 2014).

Hart-Devlin Debate Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hart-Devlin Debate - Term Paper Example They often defined right or wrong in the society, and people often stand to those principles. The law is not enacted when one is not moral or does not act in a certain moral way. The reparations of not being moral are often individual. Morality and laws often contradict in their formation and implementation. Moralities develop after a while, are not easy to alter, and are often a mindset that people have. Laws on the other hand, are easily amended and do not require a lot of time. The well-known debate between hart and Devlin addressed the relationship between law and principles. The debate sought to address several issues in criminal law. The issues at hand are mainly how homosexuality was a part of criminal law (Curzon pg 36). Laws and morality have been debated on for many years. The line between the two is often thin, and some morals turn out to be ethical issues. Laws are often enforced by the administration of a country. Morals on the other hand, are often supported by the admi nistration but by the society at large. In 1957, the Wolfenden commission met to discuss a few issues. The committee aimed at decriminalization homosexual activities of men who acted in private. The debate questioned the relations that existed between morality and the law. The commission members questioned the extent to which criminal law was limited immensely. They did not understand how morality and criminal law intertwined. The commission had an extremely weighty argument that formed the basis of the debate to date (Lee pg 160). Devlin’s view The commission felt that if the actions of an individual did not harm the society then the offence was not significant. They felt the law would be justified to allow liberty of preferences even though the actions were considered immoral by the society. According to the committee, the role of the legal system consisted of defending the members of the society. The court was to protect the rights of the public from unpleasant and harmful acts. The court has no right to enforce any form of moral decision on an individual (Lee pg 161).What an individual does is purely personal, and no one has the right to interfere. There are various categories of harm in the society. It is not a criminal offence to hurt a person’s feeling. Devlin did not agree with this report and published an article to disclaim this. He argued that the law was not only meant for persons but for the public at large. The society has a lot of people, and it needs protection. The needs of an individual are less than society’s. The society morals cannot be compromised because of the rights of one individual in society. He argued that morality should come on its own. Devlin asserted that principles ought to stem from a sober mind what should be done to improve the society at large (Curzon pg 43). The society has the biggest role to play in the governing of the country. One individual’s actions affect the society at large. The action s of such individuals should therefore, be taken into account and in protecting the rights of one individual, lawmakers risk tarnishing the reputation of the society. In Devlin’s view, lawmakers have to consider a person’s liberty. They also have to take into account the fact that the society is constantly changing. The way the public views social customs and the liberty of an individual to act in private is also changing. Not everyone accepted the thought that Devlin had and one person in particular sought to challenge the thought. The man who challenged this thought went by the name Hart. He did not agree with what Devlin had said and responded through a radio broadcasting. He later published an article in the magazine in contradiction to Devlin’

Buyer's Attitude & Marketing Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Buyer's Attitude & Marketing Strategies - Essay Example Country of origin (CoO) cues influence the buyer’s purchasing behaviour. This is recognized in the cognitive mediation process. It is based on the argument that beliefs about a product’s features or attributes are directly influenced by the product’s country of origin information. These influenced beliefs mediate changes in attitude toward the product. Strategically speaking, the country of origin cues is used to promote the products of one country in another. Japan literally spent billions of dollars in the United States to overcome the poor image that its products had in the United States after World War II. Although total Japanese success cannot possibly be attributed to successful of country of origin cues, they certainly played an important role. In fact, the cues or their variations are still playing a critical role in Japan’s success in United States Markets. Managing Country of Origin Perception Buyer attitudes toward certain countries can change, and this has important implications for global competitors. Both Japan and South Korea saw their products rise in esteem over a relatively short period of time. Now Japanese products score higher than U.S. or German products in some countries, including China and Saudi Arabia (Onkvisit, 2005). In recent years, a number of countries, including Portugal, Estonia, and Poland, have employed branding experts to help them project a better image. Finland even undertook a campaign to enhance its image as a center of high tech innovation, hoping that a better national image would help its high-tech companies in the U.S market. But countries must realize branding is more than hype, it must be backed by reality. Consequently, major changes in country brand image can take 20 years to achieve (Czinkota, 2007). Firms that suffer from a negative country of origin commonly settle for lower prices to offset perceptions of lower quality. However, there are a number of strategies that can improve buye r perception of the quality of products that suffer from a negative country of origin effect; A negative country of origin bias may be offset by using a channel that distributes already accepted complementary goods. Communication, marketing and persistence can eventually pay off. Production may be moved to a country with a positive country of origin effect. If it’s too difficult, key parts can be sourced from such countries. The country of origin effect does extend further. For example, the stereotyping relates just as much too developed countries (Gilligan,  2004). For example, there are strong associations between countries and the products that they are known for: Italy and pizza and Germany and Machine tools. Overcoming these stereotypes is often the first challenge for international marketers who must prove that their product does not reinforce negative stereotypes. This is particularly important as customers become more knowledgeable (Cateora, 2002). For example, many new car buyers know where their can has been designed and manufactured as well as the country of origin of the brand. Increasing, of course, the MNE’s headquarters, the brands perceived home, the location of product design and places of manufacture may all be in different countries. Many MNE’s such as Nike are marketing, not manufacturing companies and source products from many countries (Muhlbacher,  2006). Their brand becomes the ‘badge of quality’

Pros and Cons of a Person With a Mental Illness as a US President Essay

Pros and Cons of a Person With a Mental Illness as a US President - Essay Example Some mental disorders have symptoms which may negatively affect not only the patient him or herself but also the other people around which is classified as a violation of one’s freedom and certain right in every individual case. Delusions of the President would negatively affect his decisions making: the decision made in a condition of delusion would be characterized by nonsense, for example, to close all the universities or increase the taxes by 1000 times. Obviously, these ideas are not realistic, but the person with a mental illness would not react to such statements and would go on reckoning that only he or she is right. Hallucinations are also negative things for the person acting as a US President: for example, some decision may be taken properly, but it may turn out to be that the patient with a mental disorder has taken advice from a phantom, not from a real person, and revealing this fact would create concern among the public. Disorganized behavior is also a symptom which makes a person unpredictable: for example, today the President feels excited and makes good presents and treats the people around good, but tomorrow he or she may become very aggressive and apply the behavior model which is not proper for a country leader. Taking the above said into consideration, it is possible to state that there are more cons than pros in the possibility of a mentally ill person becoming the US President, and they all concern the way the other people may be affected by a person subjected to a certain mental illness.

Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor Essay

Long Term Effects of Being a Non-Union Actor - Essay Example The thesis of this paper is: When an actor is non-union long-term, self-esteem is often low because he or she rarely makes more than a union actor’s minimum wage.   Furthermore, opportunities to audition are limited, and non-union workers do not receive the respect or benefits provided to those who are in unions. "Ever since the first Hollywood director yelled, 'Action!' on the set of a motion picture, the anonymous corps of performers known as 'extras' formed an integral element of the film capital's working society". This powerful opening leads directly to the crux of this paper. Actors who work as walk-ons, diner patrons, soldiers, and the like are called extras. These are the actors that do not have a spoken part in the production; they are there to provide the full ambiance of the scene. If the production is to convey a busy street scene, that scene requires a host of extras to make the scene believable, therefore, the presence of each and every extra constitutes a comp leted realistic scene that the viewer finds credible. Yet, many extras are not paid in a manner consistent with their important function within the industry. In fact, if the extra happens to lack union status, that extra's pay is decimated by as much as 50% of what a union member would be paid for the same work. Non-union extras should be paid for the work they perform as handsomely as union workers. There are two reasons why the researcher postulate this idea: 1) non-union members who do not receive pay on par with their union counterparts fall into a situation of low self-esteem, and if continued over an extended period of time leads directly to 2) non-union members becoming disenchanted with the industry and performing at lower standards which is not good for the individual extra, nor for the industry as a whole. The author will use the rest of this paper to prove his thesis which will rest upon three foundational points: 1. an extra's pay level denotes their value to the product ion company; 2. challenges in obtaining union membership and, 3. "ordinariness", and the fear of it. In 1995-1996, there were a series of articles that dealt with the issue of union versus non-union pay rates for extras. In one such article, it was stated that a union extra earned $99 a day, or $128 a day for a soap opera job, yet a non-union extra only earned between $30-70 a day for doing the same work. Not only do non-union extra receive lesser pay than union members, the non-union extras also receive lesser amenities, if given any at all. The Horwitz article states, "a SAG extra in The Associate recalls '300 extras in a basement with one bathroom'[and another] 'extra in Sylvester Stallone's Daylight describes several hundred extras in a dimly lit, cold warehouse with winds gusting in off the Hudson. "There were two Portosans". Not as glamorous as one would suppose. In a recent journal article, pay level and self-esteem were studied and it was found that 'consistent with reinforc ement and expectancy theories, most of this research concludes that when high performance results in high pay increases, performance is reinforced and more likely to be repeated in the future'. This study states what most people intuitively expect - you earn based on how well you perform. Yet, in the world of the extra, this almost truism does not exist. In their world, you earn based on union membership.

A comparison of the US investor visa and the Canadian investor visa Research Paper

A comparison of the US investor visa and the Canadian investor visa - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is immigration as the act of people belonging to various countries passing or coming into another country to stay there permanently. All around the world, most immigrants have to obtain a visa for their movement from one place to another. All countries of the world have their own demarcated boundaries. No outside person can enter a country without a legal document certifying the entry, i.e. a visa against that countries immigration act. Thus a visa is a legal seal or a documented permission to enter a country. Mostly it is a stamp in the passport of the applicant. The visa gives details about the background of the person, so as to avoid conflict, terrorism or any problems from any dangerous persons and also helps to keep a count on the number of people entering a country. In this paper we lay special focus on the differences in the two visas and their impact, with a special emphasis on Chinese immigration to the US and Canada. From the huge number of migra ting people every year to the US and Canada, a major number of them are Asians, mainly from China and India. The huge number of investor visas issued to Chinese immigrants has been increasing over the years and has been attributed to their wealth. From times immortal, many people from around the world have immigrated to the US for a better standard of living and the ‘American Dream’. However, as immigrants faced struggles in the new land to build their future, the natives complained of lost jobs and distorted cultures. Previously the policies for immigrants in the US were very liberal, but later on complex laws were devised to check the quality of the immigrants (Anderson, 2010, p. 1). Access to high skilled immigrants was of utmost importance for fostering competition within the US companies in the global market. New rules do not allow foreign talented individuals to stay in the US for a long time. This rule in particular encouraged companies to seek talent outside the country in the form of outsourcing. Many companies had also built setups in neighboring countries like Canada because of the high level of restrictions in the US (Anderson, 2010, p. 119). Investor visas were created to encourage foreign investors to put in money in a significant manner in the economy of the host country, in exchange for permanent residency, Green card in case of the US and Maple card in case of Canada, so that it may result in overall job creation in the host country. Both the USA and Canada have introduced investor or entrepreneur visas to encourage foreign entrepreneurs to settle in their countries and provide work to people there.

HR Resit Assignment Fashion Fads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HR Resit Assignment Fashion Fads - Essay Example The essay "HR Resit Assignment Fashion Fads" concerns the HRM and Fashion Fads. An underlying issue that applies to the case of Fashion Fads is using this same sense of balance to adjust for new motivational programs within the organization, so that programs will be kept in an adjusted way that is cost-effective for the organization at the same time that it is amenable to the employees. This process should be completed in a way that stresses key tenets of human resource development operation such as effective communication with employees and the employment of dynamic leadership strategies. Thus, this solution would be cost-effective at the same time that it would be amenable to the employees. In communicating the abovementioned changes to the employees in terms of company operations, this will further create a sense of cohesion and shared objectives. In this case, therefore, HRM leadership is measured by how well the organizational professional at Fashion Fads (Mr. Cheung) is able to improve employee efficiency and contribute to growth in the revenue of the company. Management leadership can also be important. Leadership is also important because it relates so directly to employee motivation. One of the most important reasons for turnover internally that this report considers is lack of compensation. Generally it is assumed in this report that if the position is a high turnover position, the first place to look would be the compensation level of the employee in this position.

History of California indians from 1850 to 1968 Essay

History of California indians from 1850 to 1968 - Essay Example In order to be able to truly appreciate the scope of all of this, as must make ourselves familiar with that of the true diversity of the tribal, and this includes that of: population, geography, social, and political organization. Basically, one manner in which we can seek to understand about California Indians and their culture is to actually and seriously look at the tribes that inhibit similar climatic and ecological zones, and what will emerge from using this approach is that of an incredibly remarkable similarity in material aspects of the many different tribes that have inhabited in particular locations. There are many different tribes that settled in California, and each and every one of these tribes truly needs to be examined to the tenth degree, in order to be able to get the best grasp on the issue of California Indians in general. By doing this, we will be able to understand the difficulties and tribulations that the California Indians went through, as well as gain a bette r understanding on them overall. This is what will be dissertated in the following. California is a large area, and so in order to understand about California Indians, we truly have to begin by separating the state into two separate parts: Southern California and Central California. Southern California truly presents that of a varied and somewhat unique region of the state, and beginning in the North, the tribes that have been and are found in this area are as follows: Chumash, Alliklik, Kitanemuk, Serrano, Gabrielino Luiseno Cahuilla, and the Kumeyaay. In regards to Central California, this particularly vast territory includes that of: Bear River, Mattale, Lassick, Nogatl, Wintun, Yana, Yahi, Maidu, Wintun, Sinkyone, Wailaki, Kato, Yuki, Pomo, Lake Miwok, Wappo, Coast Miwok, Interior Miwok, Monache, Yokuts, Costanoan, Esselan, Salinan, and the Tubatulabal tribes. There are a number of vast differences between Southern and Central California, and especially between that of the groups of tribes that are located in each area; regardless, each tribe and community had its own chieftain and these were for the most part males but females sometimes filled the positions as well, and the duty of the chieftain was to organize all of the community events and to settle any conflicts that arose between the followers - they were basically considered as being the leaders, and the followers truly did look up to them in this way. The first California Indians arrived by 900 A.D., and this was with the Athapaskan relatives of the Navajo and Apache appearing last in the northwest; as well, the number of Indians that habituated in California was not that many at the time, only 150,000, and although this is considered a small number when compared to that of today, at the time California was actually the most densely populated region of the United States and Canada. In fact, most of the Indians in California today are actually native California Indians, and there are over 100 federally-recognized Indian tribes in California, and almost 100 Federal Indian reservations in the state, with about 40 Indian groups that were seeking to gain federal recognition.

Credit Card Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Credit Card - Essay Example If the student with a poor credit report is fortunate enough to land their dream job, the weight of the credit report will pull down a portion of their take home pay. They will be saddled with the existing debt, as well as pay higher prices on everything from cars to insurance. Insurance rates are based on a client's risk of filing a claim and the insurance companies adjust the premiums accordingly. A 2004-2005 study by the Texas Department of Insurance found that, "...[I]nsurance loss ratios for people with the worst credit scores are triple those of people with the best scores" (Overview... ). For the poor credit risk this results in higher rates on auto, home, and even life insurance premiums. Yes, even life insurance premiums are affected by a poor credit report because poor credit can damage your health and may result in your death. Endless financial worries and fears of collectors calling can manifest themselves in a myriad of medical problems. Hard to manage credit can cause stress, hormone imbalance, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer (Lawrence). The risk is even greater for young women where financial problems are a leading cause of suicide (Khaitova). Easy credit and the lure of the credit card companies can result in a lifetime of misery when out of control finances result in the loss of a student's dream job. When faced with a second rate job and escalating insurance rates, their health begins to suffer. For some, the cycle of mounting debt can result in death or even suicide.

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Nutrition - Essay Example Type 2 diabetes, which was previously known as non insulin dependent diabetes, affects most people with diabetes and unlike people with type 1 who have problems with insulin production, the pancreas of people with type 2 diabetes will produce insulin, but it will not be enough or the body will not use the insulin efficiently (NIDDK). This insulin resistance undermines the uptake of glucose into the body cells and this makes glucose build up in the blood rather than being absorbed into the cells for proper metabolism. This implies that the cells will not be able to function properly as they lack the energy provided by glucose, which is required for proper cell functioning. However, cause of type 2 diabetes vary and can be a multiple of factors such as inheriting from family, obesity, lack of exercise. Although not everyone with type 2 diabetes is obese, lack of exercise and obesity are the major causes of diabetes. Excess amounts of glucose in the bloodstream are known to cause various complications in the body as the cells are not able to work properly due to lack of energy. High glucose levels damage the body and over time may destroy nerves, eyes, kidneys and the heart. With time, the high glucose levels will harden large arteries, which may cause a heart attack as the heart is unable to pump blood into the body sufficiently and can also cause stroke. Damaging of the nerves and hardening of arteries has the effect of decreased ability of sensation and blood circulation in the feet, which increases chances of infections and ulcers, which are hard to heal and this can lead to amputation. The high concentration of glucose in the body also causes, dehydration as it will cause an increase in frequency of urination and this makes the kidney lose glucose through urination and also water through the urine and this causes dehydration

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media Essay

Dr. Wakefields Research & Role Played by Media - Essay Example Dr. Wakefield’s research employed rigorous tools and methodologies for which no proper ethical approval was obtained for invasive procedures on children. On the other hand, it was found that Dr. Wakefield had exchanged funds with the lawyers of children’s parents that were made part of the research. The research further employed references of other studies that were conducted by either the coauthors of the same research or his friends. Where autism is a disorder for which little information is present regarding its causative agents and cures, a theory supporting the idea that it is caused by MMR vaccination made many parents believe that prevention from vaccination can benefit their child despite having contradictory evidence in the rates of epidemiological increases after this research. The research was later on criticized by other independent studies which raised questions about the effectiveness of Dr. Wakefield’s work. Presence of a reputable medical journal The Lancet and other media bodies providing coverage to this research further aggravated the situation. A medical journal is usually used by medical practitioners, researchers, and educationists in the same field. However, vetting of Dr. Wakefield’s article by a medical journal allowed journalists and other media channels to disseminate information to local people. As a result, parents refused to provide vaccination to their children in large parts of the world with reported epidemics in the UK, US, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland.

Axiomatic Account of Scientific Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Axiomatic Account of Scientific Theories - Essay Example As the study outlines logical axioms refer to an argument or reasoning which is taken to be true within the system of the logic they define. On the other hand, non-logical axioms are actually defining properties for the domain or of the domain of a certain mathematical theory. For instance, a non logical axiom can be presented mathematically as: x+y = y+x. In this case, the axiom can be used to imply assumptions, or a postulate. Therefore, to make a system of knowledge or a domain of knowledge an axiom is to show that its claims can be deduced from the axiom(s). From this paper it is clear thst hypothetical deductive model claims that these method requires a hypothesis to be made first. That is, a prediction is made with the expectation of its opposite to be the expected results. It is thus referred to as a falsification process since the hypotheses has to be proved not to be true but if it is done so, by the research to be true, then they are said to be collaborated by their predictions. In relation to the axiomatic account, this theory has its premise or the backdrop of reasoning in its hypothesis. More so, the hypothesis in the Hypothesis-Deductive theory is the basis of reasoning as compared to axiomatic account where the axiom is the premise for reasoning. What would be considered the best argument for scientific realism is the idea that scientific knowledge and ideas are progressive rather than retrogressive in nature. Therefore it is able to make predictions about an idea or an issue in question much successful. This element of scien tific realism makes it very much reliable as it is very clear to be followed since one aspect whether observable or unobservable leads to the other in a logical manner.

Marx's method can be applied to objects other than capitalism, such as Essay - 1

Marx's method can be applied to objects other than capitalism, such as nature - Essay Example nd system which they observed as the vital ‘material’ aspects in determining social system and class relations, and as well the state and the sharing of political authority. Marxism could as well be observed as a separate move towards the scrutiny of society, particularly in terms of historical progressions of transform, which has had a remarkable impact on several areas of study within the social sciences and the humanities. The Marxist scrutiny of capitalism and the situations under which capitalism go through stages of financial crisis that finally lead to social and political revolt is extremely multifaceted and is fundamentally economic in its direction. The Marxist appraisal of capitalism places meticulous stress on the responsibility of the institution of private property as the source of class exploitation and the need of employed workforce on a fortunate group of landlord. And the visualization of a future communist society hug the thought of reinstating private property by common possession for the wellbeing of all and worked out by some form of direct workers control. In this essay the application of Marx’s method on various objects ar e explained (Taylor, 1996) As a matter of fact Marxist idea has enthused studies in several areas such as art history, literature, culture studies, philosophy, historiography, and the social sciences. These influences have continued through several different tropes within Marx’s notion - the hypothesis of estrangement, the perception of confusion, the labour theory of significance, the theories of class clash and misuse, the hypothesis of the forces and dealings of production, or the assumption of the method of production. Consequently the question of Marxist method is complex: there are several areas where Marxist methods have been working, and there are lots of strings contained in Marx’s idea that have given rise to different strategies. The focus here is the methodology for the social sciences including the

Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay Example for Free

Gorilla Tourism in Central Africa Essay The present essay is an investigation of ethical challenges with regard to gorilla tourism in Central Africa region. The paper undertakes a thorough research on the concerned issue and explores many a facet of this area. The purpose of this investigation is to create a better understanding of the issues present in the region so that a practical approach can be adopted to address these issues. 2- Gorilla Tourism and Challenges Gorilla tourism is to date becoming a universally accepted activity because of certain positive signs for gorilla conservation, promotion, and future stability of the species in Africa. Gorilla tourism is also considered as an effective tool that can be made use of to foster the gorillas of African region. Another important point to note is that, today, gorilla tourism is seen as a successful business for the countries that utilize this tool for the purposes of gorilla conservation. They now receive ample volume of revenue in connection with gorilla tourism. Some of the countries like Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo (ex-Zaire) are mentioned especially in this regard because of the revenues that they generate for the endangered gorilla species. However, with all these activities taking place, and more and more people from all parts of the world are moving toward African region for gorilla tourism, some other threats has risen. These range from disease to ethical treatment of the issues. How these challenges count toward gorilla tourism, and how they can be effectively confronted, is, then the central issue of today’s gorilla tourism in African region. This area is considered vital in conservation efforts of gorillas because of its impact on gorilla tourism (Homsy, 1999). Critics and experts state that in order to take Africa for future gorilla tourism, it is highly imperative to address such challenges as ethical issues; only this way will it be possible to reduce the widening gap between African and western nations; as well as, this is the way to promote successful gorilla tourism in Africa, a region tormented by war, internal political instability, and other grave issues. Cross-cultural communication is one solution which is being discussed in this connection through media communications. However, all these areas take ethical consideration as the core point of gorilla tourism (Okaka, 2007). 3- The Root Cause Although it has been noted that gorilla tourism is seen as one vital solution to a wide spectrum of problems present in central Africa that range from gorilla conservation to regional development, it is important to look at the core issue that is seen as basic to present day ethical challenges to gorilla tourism in central Africa. This takes as back into the past as several decades by which we can see that the region of central Africa is tormented by numerous political and tribal rivalries which gave way to several problems; but ethical challenges became all the more raging. This panoramic scene or tribal and political wars and conflicts in the region became all the bloodier in the 1990s. A number of countries and communities are seen involved in this struggle. The impact of these rivalries fell on gorilla tourism and ethical challenges became a critical area of discussion in this region. Hence, initiatives were taken to address these. However, today, the region is still in a position where still much is needed to be done (International Wildlife, 1999). 4- Challenges Looking specifically at the situation, it is revealed that with the initiatives to increase tourism in central Africa a number of challenges are coming to the forefront. Perhaps, the most critical of the challenges is the pressure being placed on ecological system of the region. This has mainly been caused the recent development of isolated areas for recreational purposes. The problem is so severe that is rings an alarming bell for the concerned authorities. For example, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park presents a bleak situation. Here, â€Å"gorilla deaths from infections have increased along the border as a result of more frequent trekking groups and human contact† [italic added]. Moreover, Rwenzori Mountains gives rise to another mounting problem in the region: wasted left behind in the area by nature hikers. This is seen as a serious health problem and a monstrous future challenge in the region regarding gorilla tourism. Ahead, we find other problem associated to the overall count of these issues. For instance, at present increasing amounts of complaints are registered among Ugandans with regard to the â€Å"trivialization of ethnic rituals for tourism†. Hinged on this very problem is the eviction of communities which have been there for centuries. The major purpose of this eviction is none other than the present trend of developing recreational parks and other protected zones for gorilla tourism. However, this is gaining wider criticism worldwide among critics and opposition among the local peoples. What is more? There is constant reference to the ethnic challenges linked to gender-related inequalities. In particular, â€Å"the rise in tourist-related prostitution and the transmission of HIV-AIDS† [italics added]. Furthermore, there is another ethical disparity rooted in the region with regard to women-centered labor work. Although women here are basic source of tourism handiwork, there is little that has been done to address their work-related problems. For instance, women who produce handicraft have to travel long distances every day only to get the required materials used in their handcraft products. With all these problems, there is still no certain word about political stability of the region which is seen a critical challenge for the present as well as for future development of gorilla tourism in Central Africa (Ringer, 2002). 5- Conclusion To address a number of present ethical challenges and to fight any future issues in the region, there have been quite a few collaborative efforts that have been initiated in Central African Region for as long as last 15 years. Although major programs are sponsored by single donors, there is one notable exception of Dzanga-Sangha Project. This project involves a number of working organizations such as WWF, GTZ, and Peace Corps and numerous other donors from US and Germany. There is mention that several of the informal initiatives undertaken to address ethical issues and other problems did not meet a successful standard in the region. However, it has been well recognized that transboundary management of ethical issues and natural resources is the key solution to major problems in the region. This has been recognized mainly due to the development of a tri-national park which spreads in Dzanga-Sandha. This has proved to be significant in days of conflict and numerous issues related to conflict situation (Blom and Yamindou, 2001). There are other number steps that are being taken to address challenges to gorilla tourism in the region. For instance, research regarding present issues and challenges is seen as a vital solution to a number of problems in the region (Green Campus, 2007). References Blom, A. , Yamindou, J. (2001). A brief history of armed conflict and its impact on biodiversity in the Central African Republic. World Wildlife Fund, Inc. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. worldwildlife. org/bsp/publications/africa/141/CAR. pdf Green Campus (2007). The AJ Environmental Education Directory 2007: Green Campus Life and Learning. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 33. Issue: 5. November-December 2007. Page Number: 15+. COPYRIGHT 2007 Alternatives, Inc. Homsy, J. (1999). Ape tourism and human diseases: how close should we get? Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. igcp. org/pdf/homsy_rev. pdf International Wildlife (1999). Soldiers in the Gorilla War. Magazine Title: International Wildlife. Publication Date: January 1999. COPYRIGHT 1999 National Wildlife Federation. Okaka, W. (2007). The role of media communications in developing tourism policy and cross-cultural communication for peace, security for sustainable tourism industry in Africa. Retrieved on March 2 2009 from: http://www. iipt. org/africa2007/PDFs/Okaka. pdf Ringer, G. (2002). Gorilla tourism: Uganda uses tourism to recover from decades of violent conflict. Alternatives Journal. Volume: 28. Issue: 4. Publication Date: Fall 2002. Page Number: 17+. COPYRIGHT 2002 Alternatives, Inc.

A clockwork orange Essay Example for Free

A clockwork orange Essay By the end of the novel Alex has changed as if by clockwork, because he cannot stop himself growing up into an adult and he knows that he will become one of the bullied people as the new youth are born, and if he has kids that they will go through the same process as he did, just like clockwork and he cannot stop it from happening: and nor would I be able to stop him. And nor would he be able to stop his own son, brothers. And so it would itty on to like the end of the world. After chapter two, he said I am a clockwork orange, this is because after Lodovicos technique, he had no free will because as he could not even protect himself from fights because whatever the doctors said he would do, in this sense he has become a machine, or a clockwork toy, like childrens toys, as this novel has many references to childrens things, which have been warped, like the milk with drugs in it, and now Alex being a clockwork toy. These attempts to change him failed because he had become a mechanism of the doctors, and change was forced upon him, but the final chapter of the book shows that people change and mature naturally from within, change cannot be forced upon them. The novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde has a completely different structure to that of A Clockwork orange. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde there is the use of multiple narrators, instead of just the one. This tells us, that there was no voice for the people not in the higher class of society with the upper class only important, because all the narrators are all high-class people with well paid jobs, as seen by: Mr Utterson the lawyer this shows that Victorians had a very narrow view of society. This relates to Robert Louis Stevensons background because he was brought up in the upper middle classes of Edinburgh, he was raised as a Calvinist, in which the elect were the ones blessed by God, who turn out rich and the reprobates had a bad life, however Stevenson rebels against this and gives up law to become a writer, and he marries an already divorced woman with three children, he also by the final years of his life travels the world, this is why we only hear from Jekyll/Hyde in the last chapter, because Hyde represents rebellion , as Roberts life was very restricted, like Jekyll before he rebelled, but after he rebelled he was free like Hyde. Stevenson breaks the book apart in this way because at the time he wrote the book, society was disintegrating, as immigrants were coming to London bringing disease, religion was breaking apart because of science, crime was rising, and there was a huge division of classes, and Hyde in the novel is represented as foreign, as he is described as some damned juggernaut, which is a Indian religious statue which is carried through the streets not stopping even if people are crushed underneath it, portraying him a some sort of disease. The language of Jekyll represents that of the other narrators in the novel, because all of them are upper class men so they are expected to talk in a certain manner, as seen: But I have been pedantically exact, as you call it, this is quite a high class way of speech, and Jekyll is narrowed by this way of speech because he is high class. However in the final chapter, the language starts to change because he has to make a final decision about who to stay as, Jekyll, or Hyde, as he start to become scared, as when Jekyll starts to describe his transformation into Hyde the language becomes more fluent, fun, youthful language: Edward Hyde would pass away like a stain of breath upon a mirror However Jekylls speech was respectable, but with boundaries, and was very sharp and did not flow like Hydes. Jekyll enjoys evil in the form of Hyde, because in a way it gives Jekyll an opportunity to experience free life without having to be a lower class. He enjoys the life of Hyde more because it has no boundaries, and he feels free with it. In Jekylls normal life he is bounded by upper class rules so he has no passion, which he really wants. This resembles A Clockwork Orange, as the final chapter of A clockwork Orange, ends unhappily, because Alex has lost all his passion, and beauty, because of his changes in music: I was slooshying more like malenky romantic songs when he was small he was full of life when hearing Beethoven, and he has lost that as he has become older, his fun youth days have gone. This is like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde because with Jekyll his class binds him, so he cannot be free and have wild fun, but when he is Hyde he is free and youthful: I was often plunged into a kind of wonder at my vicarious depravity, he is also younger, lighter, happier, and he gets a heady recklessness when Hyde. Stevenson is like Hyde in the sense that, Hyde is a figure of rebellion again the upper class boundaries, and Stevenson did exactly the same as he rebelled against Calvinist beliefs. He could also be seen like Jekyll, bounded because of his class, but Stevenson bounded by his illness, and all the time he wanted to break free, and finally he did, to become an individual, not held back by beliefs, or morals. This novel says that morals and classes cannot bind human nature, people have to become what they become, and there is no stopping that, because as people grow they will change, and rebel against beliefs, which they think, are wrong.

Challenges to the Attainment of Work-life Balance

Challenges to the Attainment of Work-life Balance The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature on the recent state of theoretical and practical issues affecting the attainment of work-life balance within organizations. It also challenges some of the metaphorical assumptions associated with work/life balance. The balance between work and life is becoming an important strategic component in the Human Resource Management arena. Hence, to successfully maintain key human resource functions such as attracting and retaining talented staff within the organization, policies should be focused towards endorsing work-life balance. Introduction For the past ten years there has been increasing interest in work-life balance and has drafted innumerable attention from popular presses and scholarly journals. This increase in attention is in part ambitious by recent concerns stipulating that an imbalanced work/life relationship can reduce the health of individuals resulting in lower work performance and can have negative impacts on family life. The concept of work/life balance began to emerge in the 1980s and 1990s where companies first started to offer work/life programs. While the first effect of these programs were mainly to sustain women with children. Theses included maternity leave, home-based work, flex-time, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and child-care referral. During the 1980s men also began voicing work-life concerns. However, todays work/life programs are less gender-specific and recognize other commitments as well as those of the family. The issue of work/life balance began to emerge to the forefront of research and organizations when Rosabeth Moss Kanter revealed the phenomena in her influential book Work and Family in the United States: A Critical Review and Agenda for Research and Policy (1977).. However, the term work-life balance was first coined in 1986 in reaction to the unhealthy choices that many Americans were making in favor of the work place, as they opted to neglect family, friends and leisure activities in the pursuit of corporate goals. The articles published at that time suggested a sharp increase in the working hours of the Americans and this had started to affect their families and individual heath. Work life balance then slowly started gaining grounds in the various organizations. By the end of the decade, work-life balance was seen as more than just a womens issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures. Since, then it has developed in to a multidimensional facet with factors affectin g the both the individual and is critical for organizational success. It is formidable to note that the term work/life balance is widely but an official definition of this term still remains indefinable. Even though there are many conceptualizations of work-family balance occurring in recent literature, a direct developed measure of the construct does not exist. This unreliable measure of work-family balance undermines the ability to fully explore the rudimentary facets of this phenomenon. However, this negatively impacts investigations into the policies with respect to individual and organizational outcome variables. Within organizations and corporations there is increasing attention among organizational stakeholders (management, executive directors, owners etc.) for the introduction of work/life balance policies. This has become a predominant issue within the workplace. Many organizations have implemented proficient polices and programs with the objective of improving employee experiences of work-life balance. In the absence of a well developed measure of work-family balance, assessing impact of such interventions empirically becomes problematic. However, there is the need to fully understand and find an effective measure of work/life balance. This allows human resource practitioners to employ a proactive approach towards seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage. It will also aid in finding a balance between challenges of the work/life dilemma and recommend complimentary solutions. In attempting to find an effective measure of balance, the organization would t hen be capable of assessing the impact of the policies created on employee discernment of balance. This can also promote inter-organizational assessment of the levels of perceived work-life balance which can provide useful information to organizational stakeholders for policy drafting. Definition of Work Life Balance Work/life balance can be defined as the absence of unacceptable levels of conflict between work and non-work demands Greenblatt(2002). It incorporates the achievement of a reasonable level of involvement among the various roles in the lives of individuals and assesses their ability to deal with simultaneously with the complex demands of life. There are various definitions of work/life balance that is commonly associated with an equilibrium or sustenance of a sense of harmony in life. However, the meaning can take on different characteristics as it can mean different things to different groups. For example, work/life balance is different within different stages of life every individual experiences. An individual who has recently graduated from university and is not married would have a different conception of work-life balance compared with an individual who may be married and has responsibility to their spouse and children. Johnson (2005) suggests that ones perception of work-life ba lance is dependent on the individuals environment, age and lifestyle. Another important consideration is the level of conflict between work and family spheres especially when there is role conflict (Kossek and Lambert 2005). Furthermore, the job requirements of the individual in the workplace would often hamper with their family life responsibilities. (Williams 2008). The meaning is dependent on the circumstances of the discussion and the researchers viewpoint. There are some acceptable definitions regarding work/life balance and some definitions may overlap and some are evolving which are discussed further. The Traditional view of work/life balance The traditional view of work/life balance assumes that it involves the commitment of equivalent quantity of time to paid work and non-work roles. There are generally five major perspectives used to explain the correlation between work and life stipulated by Zedeck and Mosier (1990) and ODriscoll (1996). The first perspective is the segmentation model which theorizes that work and non-work are both independent domains of life that are separate and have no influence on the other.   This appears to be offered as a theoretical possibility rather than a model with empirical support.   The spillover model is the complete opposite of the segmentation model hypothesizes that both spheres are interdependent on each other either in a positive or negative way.   The research into this sphere can support its proposition however it is deemed having little value as it is too general.   This standpoint needs a more meticulous proposal about the causes, nature and effects of spillover.  The other models examined are more detailed adaptations of the spillover model. The third model is the compensation model which states that the demands or satisfactions that is lacking in one sphere can be made up in the other.   For example, work may be routine and undemanding but this is compensated for by a major role in local community activities outside work.   The other model is an instrumental model whereby an activity in one sphere accentuates the other sphere.   The traditional example is the instrumental worker who will seek to maximize earnings, even at the price of undertaking a routine job and working long hours, to allow the purchase of a home or a car for a young family.   The final model is a conflict model which states that each sphere has multiple demands, thus requiring individuals to prioritize and make choices that can lead to conflict. The contemporary view of work/life balance The contemporary view stipulates that the concept is recognized to be more complex and a number of different issues are to be incorporate. Contemporary studies have explored and measured six aspects of work/life balance that can provide a valuable construct for theoretical advancement and practical human resource interventions. The framework consist of six conceptualizations of work-life balance found in recent literature are as follows multiple roles, equity across multiple roles, satisfaction between multiple roles, fulfillment of role salience between multiple roles, a relationship between conflict and facilitation and perceived control between multiple roles. Work-life balance defined as multiple roles This view is drawn from an individuals multiple life roles which stipulate that the non work (personal/ family) demands are spilled over into the working day of the individual that negatively affects the health and work performance of the individual. This can be referred to as a multiple demand carry over which is referred by Greenhaus and Beutell (1985) as bidirectional, denoting home-to-work and work-to-home spillover. It is now accepted that there are positive as well as negative carry over with recent research identifying the bidirectional constructs of work-family facilitation and enhancement, as well as conflict. Within recent works Greenhaus and contemporaries have defined the multiple role conflict of work/life balance generally as Work-family balance reflects an individuals orientation across different life roles, an inter-role phenomenon (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003). Work-life balance defined as equity across multiple roles The multiple roles definition of work-life balance as further examined by Greenhaus that explored with further focus on the fulfillment across an individuals multiple life roles or the equality of time. Work-family balance was therefore defined as the extent to which an individual is engaged in and equally satisfied with his or her work role and family role. There are three components of work family-balance that are time balance, involvement balance, and satisfaction balance (Greenhaus, Collins Shaw 2003). Time balance refers to an equal amount of time devoted to work and family roles and involvement balance refers to an equal level of psychological involvement in work and family roles. Satisfaction balance stipulates that there is an equal level of satisfaction with work and family roles. The individual components of work/life balance can represent either a positive balance or negative balance depending on the levels of time, involvement, or satisfaction which are equally high or e qually low. However, the work/life balance can be viewed a continuum anchored that is skewed to one end by disparities in favor of a certain role (family, personal roles). It can also be relatively balanced state to extensive imbalance in favor of the other role (work). Work/life balance can be conceptualized as an independent variable of an individuals desires or values. Bielby and Bielby (1989) observed that married working women may emphasize their family in balancing work and family identities and Lambert (1990) discussed maintaining a particular balance between work and home. The term balance here is used to represent an array of diverse patterns of dedication, rather than parity of dedications across roles. It can be inferred that an individual who gives extra priority to one role than the other is relatively imbalanced even if the distribution of commitment to family and work is highly consistent with what the individual wants or values. This conjures the controversial question whether su ch imbalance in favor of one role is healthy or not. Work-life balance defined as satisfaction between multiple roles Kirchmeyer research have focused on the importance of individual satisfaction with multiple roles defined work-life balance as achieving satisfying experiences in all life domains and to do so requires personal resources such as energy, time, and commitment to be well distributed across domains (Kirchmeyer 2000). Clark (2000) also focused on individual satisfaction within the description of work/family border theory and defined work-life balance as satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home with a minimum of role conflict (Clark 2000). Work-life balance defined as a fulfillment between multiple roles This aspect focuses on the individual satisfaction where there is an overlap with the acknowledgment an individuals perspective the multiple roles in relation to its importance. This point of view recognizes that the salience of roles is also not a static evaluation but may change over time with diverse familiar life changes such as work promotion, new baby, sick spouse or parents etc. Greenhaus and Allen then defined work-life balance as the extent to which an individuals effectiveness and satisfaction in work and family roles are compatible with the individuals life role priorities at a given point in time. Similarly, work and life balance research should focus on whether ones expectations about work and family roles are met or not. Eby, Casper, Lockwood, Bordeaux and Brinley (2005). Work/life balance defined as a relationship between conflict and facilitation Recent research has revealed the psychosomatic constructs that map work-life balance, noticeably conflict and facilitation. Consequently, work-life balance is been defined as an absence of conflict and a presence of facilitation where low levels of inter-role conflict and high levels of inter-role facilitation represent work-family balance (Frone 2003). The assessment of the four bidirectional conflict and facilitation constructs can be used as a framework to test this definition: Balance is a combined measure whereby work-family conflict was subtracted from work-family facilitation, and family- work conflict was subtracted from family-work facilitation (Grzywacz Bass 2003). Work-life balance defined as an apparent control among multiple roles This aspect is the least supported within the research literature. It states that work-life balance can be interpreted as a degree of independence where an individual perceives themselves having control over their multiple role demands. Fleetwood states that Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work (Fleetwood 2007). Apparently, work-life balance can also be seen as a result of individual sovereignty over the roles most salient to the individual. Therefore, an individual could reduce their work hours to spend time with for example their children which can be perceived as effective work-life balance. Finding a balanced work/life measure The brief review of the literature denotes that there has been limited systematic effort to clearly develop one clear definition or one specific measure of work-life balance. It is important to work towards a consensus of the precise meaning of work-life balance. With the emergence of a specific definition of work-life balance, it would foster decisive outcome variables to authenticate the contemporary theoretical models that describe the relationship among common moderators, outcome variables and the background of work-life balance. This would ensure that a detailed measure of work-life balance could also be used to contrast the levels of perceived balance among the levels within an organization. This would be significant for comparisons among the levels of balance among organizations. It would incorporate questioning employees to rate their present discernment of work-life balance to avidly create an effective measure of balance. The development of a systematic scale would also be necessary to sufficiently authenticate such a measure. The review of the literature reveals that is difficult in capturing a simple holistic measure of the meaning of work-life balance. A basis for recognizing the common threads of meaning can develop using the six definitions of work-life balance previously reviewed. Some definitions consist of the concept of perceptions of good balance as imperative to the significance of work-life balance. The realization that levels of work-life balance can change over time according to the salience of specific life events is also important to note. This would acknowledge the repeated readjustment to several demands that most employees cope with over their period of employment. An integration of the two core meanings or definition of work-life balance can equate the following definition, Work-life balance is the individual perception that work and non-work activities are compatible and promote growth in accordance with an individuals current life priorities (Kalliath 2008). The literature proposed that any appraisal of work-life balance should include individual preferences of current roles. This definition further acknowledges that an effectual balance would lead to positive improvement within the work and non-work spheres. Consequently an individuals work/life precedence can be voluntarily changed to incorporate the development of non-work activities (eg new baby, travel vacations) or growth at work (working harder to gain a promotion). This definition of work-life balance has to be operational within the context to measure validation and development across variant samples. Theoretical Framework: Work-Family Border Theory (Clark, 2000) The theoretical framework employed to understand the balance between work and life is the Work-Family Border Theory. The work-family border theory (Clark, 2000) and boundary theory (Ashforth, 2000) each contribute to the study of work-family connection by depicting the circumstances under which changeable degrees of work-family integration are likely to positively or negatively affect an individuals well-being. These theories deals with how people build, preserve, negotiate and cross boundaries. It shows how people depict the lines between work and family (Clark, 2000). In both theories are similar by an incorporation or segmentation as indicated primarily by displaying characteristics of flexibility and permeability. It is suggested that both are integrate evident when two or more spheres are highly flexible and permeable with respect to one another. The Boundary theory and work-family border theory are common with respect to the extent of work-family integration depending on similarities among these domains with each other (Desrochers Sargeant, 2004). However, the two theories diverge on the nature of the relationship and implications for work-family balance. The difference among roles is the determination of the clarity of how substantial the boundary is between one domain and another that consequently influences the possibility of work-family conflict Ashforth (2000). (Desrochers 2005). This theory has a propensity to focus on transitions within an organizational context Matthews (2007). Even though, reference is made to conversion between organizational roles and non-organizational roles (conversion between work roles and family roles), Clark (2000) states that the transparency of the work-family border is distinguished from the correspondence of role domains in which these two factors interact to influence work-family balance. Matthews (2007) states that this theory is mainly focused on the approach of people transitions between the work and family domains. The Work-family border theory denotes how individuals negotiate and control both the borders between work and family spheres and try to find a balance between them (Clark, 2000). The design of this theory is focused on finding a framework to undermine the criticism and gaps of previous theories on work and family (Akdere, 2006) by dividing the boundaries within the employees life. The theory seeks to deal with how the segmentation and incorporation, management and border creation and border crossers have on the relationships of work and home factors influence on work-family balance. The term border-crossers are referred to employees that are intending on making constant daily alterations between their work and family lives. The distinguishing factor between Work-family border theory and boundary theory in that its definition of borders not only encompasses psychological categories but also the substantial boundaries that divide place, people and time that is associated with work versus family spheres (Desrochers 2005). However, Clark (2000) research tries to comprehend the progression of work-family conflict. The earlier approaches were inadequate as they lacked predictive ability and offered modest direction in either forecasting work-family conflict or solving problems that arise from trying to find a balance between work and family responsibilities (Clark, 2000). Not all individuals are characterized engage in this transition of border-crossing as the language and customs are highly alike within both spheres. Within work domain the language and behavior that is expected are diverse from the expectation within the family domain and consequently a more extreme transition is required. The underlying concept of work-family balance theory refers to satisfaction and good functioning at work and at home, with a minimum of role conflict (Clark, 2000). The foundation of this theory is built upon the roles between spheres and has the possibility for further clarification on the work and family conflict processes between the family and the workplace (Bellavia Frone, 2005). The fundamental concepts of the work-family border theory are the work and home domains, the borders between work and home, the border-crosser with other important domain members. The Work and Home Domains The work and home are regarded by Clark as being two different domains that has differential behavior rules, and thought patterns. The differentiation among the work and home domains can be classified in two distinct groups that are the differences in value ends and differences in value means (Rokeach, 1973 as cited in Clark, 2000). The Work primarily deals with satisfying the means and ends of providing an income and giving a sense of accomplishment, while home life satisfies the ends of attaining close personal relationships. Within the work sphere the desired ends of responsibility and capability were ranked as the most important whereas the life aspect the desired ends of loving and giving were ranked the most significant means in achieving happiness in the home (Clark 2000). Due to the differentiation in spheres, individuals often find a balance that assimilates both work and life to some degree (Clark, 2000). With respect to the way in which individuals deal with differences of the two domains can be explained on a continuum with one end being integration and segmentation on the other Nippert-Eng (1996). The Borders between Work and Family Within the context of the border theory, an individuals role takes place in a detailed sphere of life and these domains are distinguished by borders that demarcate from either being psychological, chronological, or physical (Clark 2000). The physical borders define where domain or behavior takes place regarding to the workplace or within the home (Clark 2000). Within the research frameworks, the literature is geared towards more controlling and setting time schedules in examining the role conflict boundaries, however less consideration is given to space Ahrentzen (1990). The temporal border refers the time in which work is finished and when responsibilities of the family initiate (Hill 1998). The psychological borders refers to the rules an individual creates that dictate their emotions, behavior patterns and thinking patterns which are appropriate within a specific domain such as work but not family life (Clark, 2000). Psychological borders are used by individuals to identify the ru les that create the physical and temporal borders. It is created as an endorsement which a process in which individuals takes elements given in their environments and organizes them in a way that makes sense (Clark 2000). Work-Family Conflict The various predictors of work/family conflict can be grouped into two general categories role environment and personality. The Role environment consist of several types of role related predictors of work/family conflict such as behavioral involvement, psychological involvement, role-related stressors and affect, and role related resources. Behavioral involvement represents the amount of time devoted to work and family roles. As more time is devoted to one role, it would be expected that less time would be available to meet the demands of another role. Consistent with this notion, a number of studies have found that the time devoted to family activities and chores is positively related to levels of family to work conflict, whereas the time devoted to work is positively related to levels of work to family conflict. Work and family stressors, dissatisfaction, and distress have been examined as potential causes of work-family conflict. It is generally hypothesized that role characteristics can produce role-related dissatisfaction or distress, which may lead to cognitive preoccupation with the source of the distress or to reduced levels of psychological and physical energy. The resulting increase in cognitive preoccupation or reduction in energy can undermine an individuals ability or willingness to meet the obligations of other roles (Frone, Yardley, 1997). Consistent with this line of reasoning, past research has found that work demands, work-role conflict, work role ambiguity, and job distress or dissatisfaction are positively related to reports of work/life balance conflict. Work and family social support have been explored as potential resources that reduced work-family conflict. For example, a supportive supervisor may not make excessive demands that would cause an employee to work at home. Likewise, a supportive spouse or other family member may provide direct assistance with demands at home, thereby reducing the likelihood that an individual is preoccupied with these problems at work. Past research has found that higher levels of social support at work are related to lower levels of work-to-family conflict, whereas higher levels of social support at home are related to lower levels of family-to-work conflict (Adams, 1996). Personality. Although most research has explored role characteristics  as potential causes of work-family conflict, a few studies have begun to  examine personality dispositions as causes of work-family conflict. Various  personality characteristics, such as mastery, hardiness, positive affectivity,  and extraversion may be conceived of as individual resources in that they  capture a tendency to actively cope with problems at work and home,  thereby reducing the likelihood of work-family conflict. Other personality  variables, such as negative affectivity and neuroticism, may be conceived  of as individual deficits in that they capture a tendency to avoid problems  at work and home, thereby increasing the likelihood of work-family conflict. Several recent studies have found that high levels of hardiness, extraversion,  and self-esteem were associated with lower levels of both work-tofamily  and family-to-work conflict (Bernas Major, 2000; Grandey Cropanzano,  1999; Grzywacz Marks, 2000). One study reported that high  levels of neuroticism were associated with higher levels of both work-tofamily  and family-to-work conflict (Grzywacz Marks, 2000). Managing the boundary between the work and family spheres The review of the literature have show that little studies have examined an individuals perception within the boundaries of work and family roles (Nippert-Eng 1996). The analysis of borders can elucidate the extent in which individuals can control the issues determining work and family balance (Guest 2002). This allows for the analysis of physical and psychological controls, an examination of the nature of border permeability and the extent in which they can be managed or moved. This is consistent with the centrality of the issue where individuals perceive the parameters of work and family activities, which create personal meaning and the management of relationships among families and work Zedeck (1992). Kirchmeyer (2000) views living a balanced life as reaching a level that satisfies experiences within all life domains and requires individual resources such as commitment, energy and time to be well distributed across domains. Similarly, Clark indicates that work and family balance i s a satisfaction and good functioning of roles at work and at home with least role conflict (Clark, 2000). Furthermore, another definition of balance stipulates that a balanced life is productive, healthy and satisfying including facets of love, play and work (Kofodimos 1993).These definitions of balance share two important elements. There is the notion of equality, or near-equality, between experiences in the work role and experiences in the family role (Reiter, 2007). Clark (2000) and Kirchmeyer (2000) imply similarly high levels of satisfaction, health, functioning and efficiency across the various roles. Furthermore, the definitions of work and family balance implicitly consider two constructs of equality that are inputs and outcomes. The inputs are the personal resources (Kirchmeyer, 2000) that are applied to each role. Kirchmeyer (2000) states that balance within work and family requires that each role be approached with approximately an equal level of involvement, time, commi tment or attention. The balance achieved can either be negative or positive. A positive balance refers to an equal amount of attention, time, involvement, or commitment, whereas negative balance refers to an equally low level among these inputs. These inputs determine an individuals level of role commitment in accordance with the time dedicated or psychological involvement in each role. There is difficulty in determining an individual who is substantially balanced as being more betrothed in the work role than in the family role. The other component of balance is the resultant outcomes that are experienced in work and family roles. A frequent outcome included in definitions of balance is satisfaction (Kirchmeyer 2000; Clark2000). The relationship between work/life balance and quality of life The balance between work and life is denoted to promote well-being. It is suggested that an imbalance in work will stimulate high levels of stress, cause a reduction in the quality of life and diminish an individuals job performance (Kofodimos 1993). Within an organization the promotion of work/life balance can be promoted by an organizational change approach proposed by Hall (1990). This organizational change can take effect, by companies and individuals considering the advice given by literary publications providing on how to promote a greater balance in life (Cummings 2001; Fisher 2001). However, the question arises on how work/life balance can enhance an individuals quality of life. With respect to individuals, multiple roles can protect and create a buffer from the effects of negative experiences in any one role in an individuals life (Barnett Hyde, 2001). Work/life balance not only produces this buffering effect but can directly promote well being. Marks and MacDermid (1996) states that individuals who are believed to have a balanced life are deemed primed to seize the moment when they meet a role demand since one role is seen no less than the other. Within this way of thinking individuals who are perceived to have balance experience lower levels of stress when enacting roles due to the assumption that they are participating in role activities that are salient to them. It is evident that individuals that have a balance have experienced less role overload and less depression compared to individuals that were deemed imbalanced MacDermid (1996). Furthermore, when an individual has a