Auerbach Enterprise Essay

â€Å"Auerbach Enterprises uses machine hours as the cost driver to assign overhead costs to the air conditioners. The company has used a company-wide predetermined overhead rate in past years, but the new controller, Bennie Leon, is considering the use of departmental overhead rates beginning with the next year. â€Å"(Schneider, 2012). One product is affected more than the other by use of departmental rates rather than companywide rate. â€Å"Companies can choose to use the accounting job order costing method when they have a single product line or numerous products to manufacture. However, it is less costly and less time-consuming if they elect to use process costing when calculating the manufacturing of a single product line. With similarities and differences, there are also pros and cons that come with these costing methods. Every company is unique and what may work well in a car repair shop, may not work in an automobile company. When we think about the similarities between job order costing and process costing we can agree that they both monitor three specific elements, which are direct material, direct labor and manufacturing overhead. In addition the flow of costs in each method is essentially the same when you look at both accounts. † (Huntington, 2013) Radiator Parts Fabrication equal Overhead Costs divided by Machine Hours $80,000 equal $8 per machine hour 10,000 Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test equal $100,000 equal $5 per machine hour 20,000 Compressor Parts Fabrication equal $120,000 equal $24 per machine hour 5,000 Compressor Assembly and Test equal $180,000 equal $4 per machine hour 45,000. The department overhead rates included the compressor assembly and test department has the highest overhead costs with the most machine hours that total $4 per machine hour. The compressor parts fabrication department yields the highest cost per machine hour at $24. †Job order costing gives managers the advantage of being able to keep track of individuals’ and teams’ performance in terms of cost-control, efficiency and productivity. Process costing, on the other hand, gives managers the advantage of being able to ascertain the same qualities in entire departments and compare performance over time. (Ingram, D 2013) The next feasible objective for the company is to determine the company wide overhead rate using machine hours as the cost driver. Company Wide Overhead Rate equal Forecast Overhead divided by Expected Machine Hours Overhead Rate equal $480,000 equal $6 per machine hour 80,000. Company Wide Rate: Direct Material Costs x Batch Size plus Direct Labor Costs x Batch Size Maxiflow: Alaska: 135 x 20 equal 2700 110 x 20 equal 2200 75 x 20 equal 1500 95 x 20 equal 1900 equal $4200 per batch equal $4100 per batch Departmental Rate. Direct Materials Costs plus Direct Labor Costs divided by Each Department Hour Maxiflow: 135 plus 75 equal $210 Radiator Parts Fabrication: 210 divided by 28 equal $7. 50 per batch Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test equal 210 divided by 30 equal $7 per batch Compressor Parts Fabrication: 210 divided by 32 equal $6. 60 per batch Compressor Assembly and Test: 210 divided by 26 equal $8. 10 per batch Alaska: 110 plus 95 equal 205 Radiator Parts Fabrication: 205 divided by 16 equal $12. 80 per batch Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test: 205 divided by 74 equal $2. 0 per batch Compressor Parts Fabrication: 205 divided by 8 equal $25. 60 per batch Compressor Assembly and Test: 205 divided by 66 equal $3. 10 per batch. There was only a $100 difference between Maxiflow and Alaska when it came to company-wide rates per batch. On other hand, the departmental rates between Maxiflow and Alaska were significantly different. Maxiflow had the cheaper departmental costs per batch with an average of $7. 30 per batch compared to $11. 05 per batch with Alaska. to determine the companywide and departmental costs per unit of Maxiflow and Alaska. Company-Wide Rate: Total Cost per Unit equal direct material Costs plus Direct Labor Costs divided by Number of Units Maxiflow. Direct Materials equal Alaska: 135 Direct Labor Costs equal 75 210 $415 plus $480,000 divided by 40 equal $12,010. 38 per unit 110 plus 95 equal 205 210 plus 205 equal $415 Departmental Rate: Radiator Parts Fabrication: $80,000 plus $415 divided by 40 equal $2010. 38 per unit Radiator Assembly, Weld, and Test: $100,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $2510. 38. Compressor Parts Fabrication: $120,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $3010. 8 Compressor Assembly and Test: $180,000 plus 415 divided by 40 equal $4510. 38. So, it seems that the total costs per unit for the company-wide rate is slightly less per unit. The company-wide rate for total cost per unit is $12,010. 38, while the total cost per unit for each department is $12, 041. 52. â€Å"Auerbach Enterprises manufactures air conditioners for automobiles and trucks manufactured throughout North America. The company designs its products with flexibility to accommodate many makes and models of automobiles and trucks. The company’s two main products are MaxiFlow and Alaska. †(Schneider, 2012). The reduction of overhead expenses is one of the sparse areas of corporate cost control that receives few to no attention from management. However the savings and profit improvement can be surprising. Reviewing the data for Auerbach management would be better suited to continue using company-wide rates. The perception by managers of the relative importance of costs may be determined by the nature.

Failure Analysis Change Strategy Essay

Team â€Å"A† reveals the circumstances regarding the failure analysis of an hotelier and how a CEO leads an organizational change processes to prevent an impending failure of the company. To counterbalance the hotelier business failure analysis, the team discusses the success analysis of Apple Inc. The team identifies each organization’s mission and vision statements with a behavioral theory explanation discussing the success and failure indicators. Research focuses on which specific organizational behavior theories could possibly explain the company’s failure or success, bureaucrat’s roles, and organizational structure and culture. Leading organizational change identifies the most vital areas for change, potential barriers in the changing process, addressing political and power issues, and steps implementing the organizational using the John Kotter’s 8-step plan. Business Failure Analysis Apple’s Mission statement Apple does not clearly define a mission statement. According to Farfan (2014), â€Å"Apple ends their press releases with a statement that resembles what a traditional mission states is expected to be†¦Apple commits to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings† (The Mission Statement, Global Vision, and Values of Apple, Inc.). Vision. Tim Cook, current CEO of Apple, does not have a simple vision for the company. During a 2009 interview, Cook mentions several values behind the company leading the vision Cook expects; â€Å"We believe that we are on the face of the earth to make great products and that’s not changing, we are constantly focusing on innovating and we believe in the simple, not the complex† (Hull 2012, para. 5). Apple’s Success. Apple’s approach to success bases itself on a  redesign by t he former CEO in 1997, Steve Jobs. Jobs partners with several organizations such as Microsoft and CompUSA forming a strategic alliance with Apple products. According to Finkle and Mallin (2010), Steve Jobs states â€Å"the reason why his companies have become so successful is because they hire the very best people in the world to work for them; his business savvy, negotiation skills, and propensity to take risks enable him to transform technology into companies that flourish† (p. 38). Apple’s leadership style is a major contribution in the company’s success. Charismatic, inspiring, flexible, receptive and free spirit describe former CEO Steve Job’s; constantly challenging employees and influencing a team environment where individuals can voice ideas (Toma and Marinescu, 2013). Apple’s Successful Behavioral Theories. Two behavioral theories contributing to Apple’s success during Steve Jobs tenure are the top-down creative process and situational â€Å"Zen like† transformational leadership style Job’s runs the organization with. Eliminating layers of bureaucracy enables Apple to conf orm in a transitioning global market possessing pioneering the technology into new markets. Top-Down Management. During Steve Jobs tenure at Apple, the company incorporates a strong top-down creative process eliminating bureaucracy. This enables information to go directly to Jobs and then filters to sub-teams as specific assignments for completion (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p. 506). This process eliminates a top-heavy culture of management increasing product to market response time. â€Å"Organizational behavior theories mirror the subject matter with which they deal, and people are complex and complicated† (Yukl, 2013, p. 15). Situational Leadership. Jobs address the market with a leadership style conforming to market demands. Eliminating a traditional culture of managers within Apple enables Jobs to manage Apple directly and effectively on a global scale. The situational leadership style works for Job’s as the passion toward the company, consumers, and operations are thought of on a global scale. on a cross functional global scale enables the company to adapt to needs and demands o n a global scale. Apple’s Organizational Leadership. Apple’s role of leadership during the Steve Jobs era concentrates on simplification; taking responsibilities end to end; when behind, leapfrog; put products before profit; don’t be a slave to focus  groups; bend reality; impute; push before perfection; know both the big picture and the details; tolerate only â€Å"A† players; engage face to face; combine the humanities with the sciences; and stay hungry and foolish† (Isaccson, 2012). Management. Apple’s managers posses extensive knowledge about the services and products competitors are providing for the market. This ability enables the organization to formulate new ideas raising the bar for their competitors; Apple takes innovation to a new level. Managers and leadership both seek new ideas taking technology into completely new areas. This in conjunction with a completely lean management approach contributes to extraordinary productivity at Apple (Sullivan, 2011). Organizational Structure. Apple’s organizational structure is simple. â€Å"There are no committees at Apple, general management is frowned upon, and only one person, the chief financial officer, has a responsibility for costs and expenses that lead to profits and losses† (Lashinsky, 2011). Culture. The culture at Apple is very informal and demanding from employees. Rather than a work/life balance many organizations proudly emphasize, Apple makes it clear throughout the organization that it seeks committing, extremely hard-working individuals. An example here on the company website proudly states: â€Å"This isn’t your cushy corporate nine to fiver† (Apple, 2014). This reinforcement repeats itself throughout the website instilling a demand for a culture to share an obsession getting every last detail right. â€Å"Leave your neckties, bring your ideas† (Apple, 2014). Innkeepers USA Trust Objectives and Mission Since its bankruptcy and other acquisitions, Innkeepers USA Trust objectives and mission possess no clear definition. Innkeepers USA Trust was widely known as one of leading owners of extended-stay and upscale hotel properties across the United States. In reference to O a real estate investment trust (REIT), Innkeepers USA Trust owns interest in several hotels in many states. The organization’s focal point at one time is to acquire, develop, rebrand, and reposition hotel properties. This organization’s general purpose, prior to failing, is to acquire and develop real estate investments increasing shareholder profit. Behavior theory predicting Innkeepers, USA Failure The company’s failures are a result of cutbacks on both business and consumer levels. With decreasing travel, increasing fuel costs, rising energy expense, an abundance of new hotels entering the market, and over $1 billion in debt, Innkeepers USA was forced to file bankruptcy (McCarty & Kary, 2010). Preventing the failure of Innkeepers USA Let’s look at some of the vital areas needing change at Innkeepers USA. â€Å"As property values fall and business dry up during the recession, Innkeeper USA cannot meet financial obligations paying down loans (Aquino, 2011). The organization must restructure and work its way out of bankruptcy. Evolving technology, world cultures, and property employee support need attention in order for the company to be successful. Through the use of evolving technology, the company creates the Hilton performance Advantage system. This system includes a global online service for customers and property owners. Specific customer service sites address every company location throughout the world and staff with employees who are fluent in their native languages. A global e-commerce team and revenue management consolidation center allows property managers to seek guidance from staff specializing in specified sales management and revenue topics. These teams assist with research, strategies, and ma nagement needs for individual property owners. Barriers to Change Technology education is one of the largest challenges. The organization organizational strategies to grow the company back to a profitability and sustainability state. As a result of the recession, most organizations decrease and terminate employee travel to minimize expenses. As a result, opportunities for online growth increase reaching customers on a global scale. Cultural issues need attention. Employees fluent in many languages are made available to assist customers in these cultures improving customer care. Each individual property needs evaluations to assess the needs of the demographics; properties cannot be cookie cutter designs. Employee support services create a cultural balance in the company. Educational support is on line; anytime, anywhere a company employee can receive the guidance they seek without waiting. This results from the installation of newer technologies. Power and Political Issues As Innkeepers USA Trust struggles with decreasing room revenue, debt burdens, and liquidity constraints, the real estate investment trust finds itself with power and political issues. Two perspectives of power issues in this organization are the finite and infinite perspective of power. The finite perspective of power is the competitive spirit of an organization that spurs productivity and focuses on winning. Through its competition and power perspective, the organization will ultimately diminish returns; in which Innkeepers USA Trust finds itself in this power struggle by oversupplying new hotels while room revenues are stagnate. Understanding Innkeepers USA Trust power and political struggles, issues require the infinite perspective of power and expert power. An infinite perspective of power seeks to understand that winning or losing is not the main issue. The purpose of an infinite power is to sustain. To sustain Innkeepers USA Trust, Learning Team A suggests acorporate strategy a pproach basing this on skill and knowledge. An example is Apple’s previous CEO, Steve Jobs. Job’s possess expert power. Job’s first hand involvement with many of Apple’s innovations creates a dependency the company relies on propelling innovation. According to Robbins & Judge (2013), expert power is one of the most effective bases of power to influence a company and is positively related to employee’s satisfaction (p. 416). Implementing Change To successfully implement change within Innkeepers USA Trust, Learning Team A suggests following Dr. John Kotter’s eight-step process. According to Kotter’s process, a majority of organizations fail because they do not take a holistic approach that is required to see the change (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p.586). The team will establish a sense of urgency creating a compelling reason as to the change, form a powerful coalition leading change, create a new vision to direct change, plan for, create, and reward short term wins that move the organization toward the new vision, reinforce the change by demonstrating the relationships between new behaviors and organizational success (Robbins & Judge, 2013, p.586). Conclusion In conclusion, there are many factors in consideration when developing and maintaining a successful organization. It’s important to develop a strategy to meet organizational goals. Looking at the success and failures of existing organizations is an invaluable strategy in developing and maintaining organizational victory. Team â€Å"A† reveals the circumstances regarding the failure analysis of an hotelier and how a CEO leads an organizational change processes to prevent an impending failure of the company, which specific organizational behavior theories could possibly explain the company’s failure or success, and the organizational change identifying the most vital areas for change with recommendations from John Kotter’s 8-step plan. References Aquino, J. (2011).15 Companies that died in the past year: Business Insider, Retrieved June 24, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/15-companies-that-tanked-2011-3?op=1#ixzz35z4L2CQt Farfan, B. (2014). Apple Inc. mission statement is not very innovative and barely a mission at all. Retrieved from http://retailindustry.about.com/od/retailbestpractices/ig/Company-Mission-Statements/Apple-Inc–Mission-Statement.htm Finkle, T. A., & Mallin, M. L. (2010). Steve Jobss and Apple Inc. Journal of the International Academy of Case Studies, 16(7), 31-40. Hull, P. (2012). Be visionary. Think big. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhull/2012/12/19/be-visionary-think-big/ Issacson. W. (2012). The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobss. Retrieved from: hrb.org/2012/04/the-real-leadership-lessons-of-steve-Jobss/-The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobss – Harvard Business Review Lashinsky. A. (2011). How Apple Works: Inside the world’s biggest startup. Retrieved from: fortune.com/201/08/25/how-apple-works-inside-the-worlds-biggest-startup-2/-How Apple works: Inside the world’s biggest startup McCarty. D. & Kary. T. (2010). Apollo Investment’s Inkeepers USA Trust Files for Bankruptcy in New York. Retrieved June 29, 2014 from: www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-19/inkeepers-usa-apollo-investment-unit-files-for-bankruptcy-in-new-york.html Robbins, S. R. & Judge, T. A. (2013). Organizational behavior (15th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall. Sullivan. J. (2011). Talent Management Lessons from Apple: A Case Study of the world’s most valuable firm. Retrieved from: www.ere.net/2011/09/12/talent-management-lessons-from-apple-a-case-study-of-the-worlds-most-valuable-firm-part-1-of-3/ Toma, S., Ph D., & Marinescu, P., Ph D. (2013). Steve Jobss and modern leadership. Manager, (17), 260-269. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1518528902?accountid=35812 Worlds most admired companies. (2011). Retrieved from http://fortune.com/worlds-most-admired-companies/apple-1/ Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in organizations (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson /Prentice Hall. Retrieved from: https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/om3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/ (LDR/531)/ context / cdg/ view/activityDetails/activity/270c6ef7-2f01-4c47-8c71-5ba7a9d19509/ expanded/False

A Great American Dream

Big American dream in The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited, both by F. Scott Fitzgerald, are stories about the emptiness and recklessness of the 1920s. Each story has its distinctions, but Fitzgeralds condemnation of the decade reverberates through both. Fitzgerald explores and displays insufficiencies of the vacuous period, and does so with sharp clarity and depth, leaving no crude, barbarous habit to imagination. Fitzgerald had a deep and personal affliction with the 1920s (most notably in the Eastern United States), and in both The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited, he hones his conflicts into a furious condemnation. The 1920s were a period of sloth, habitual sin, exhausted illustriousness, and moral despondency; the black mark of a society and world usually tilted more toward attempted civility. Fitzgerald conveys this theme through the use of character, symbolism, and wasteland imagery. First, Fitzgerald uses characters to personify the vast recklessness of the generation. The characters in both are incomprehensibly selfish and carefree, though more noticeably in The Great Gatsby. Tom Buchanan, for instance, is almost flippant in acknowledging his affair with Jordan Baker, a local miscreant golf pro. Tom leaves Nick, Daisy, and Jordan at the dinner table to take a call from her. An exchange between Nick Carraway and Jordan while Tom is gone illuminates the situation. Is something happening (Fitzgerald, Gatsby 19), says Nick. To which Jordan Baker replies, I thought everybody knew. Why- Toms got some woman in New York' (Fitzgerald, Gatsby 19). Tom Buchanan has an acknowledged mistress in New York, and he politely and confidently leaves the dinner table to speak with her. He is the absolute personification of the reckless actions and attitudes that characterize the era. Duncan Shchaeffer and Lorraine Qualles, appearing briefly in Babylon Revisited, also represent reck less and selfish behavior. They burst in to a private meeting at the Peters residence just as Charlie is coercing Lincoln and Marion in to granting him custody of his child. Fitzgerald describes their behavior: They were gay, they were hilarious, they were roaring with laughter. They slid down another cascade of laughter (Fitzgerald, Babylon 385). This after bursting in to the house of a stranger. They are drunk, juvenile, reprehensible in behavior, and acting more like children than adults. Fitzgerald asserts, however, that their actions characterize the generation of lost souls, and these characters are only used to articulate his condemnation of it. Secondly, Fitzgerald uses symbolism to convey a feeling of futility and hopelessness throughout the novel and short story. Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, especially, symbolizes the distorted perceptions and priorities of the decade. Eckleburg watches over the gray ash-heap near Mr. Wilsons garage with what Wilson thinks an all-knowing eye. Wilson has an unusual reverence to Dr. Eckleburg: he considers him God. In a conversation between Wilson and Michaelis, Wilson discusses a conversation he had previously with Mrs. Wilson just before she died: I spoke to her [about her affair with Tom Buchanan]. I told her she might fool me but she couldnt fool God. I took her to the window With and effort he got up and walked the rear window and leaned with his face pressed against it, and I said God knows what youve been doing, everything youve been doing. You may fool me but you cant fool God. Standing behind him Michaelis saw with a shock that he was looking at they eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. (Fitzgerald, Gatsby 167)Wilson is hopeless and disillusioned, and his connection to Dr. Eckleburg exemplifies the widespread futility of the era. Lastly, Fitzgerald uses wasteland imagery to show how society circa 1920 was dysfunctional and reckless. The apartment of Myrtle Wilsons relation, where Tom and Myrtle usually conduct their affair, is the perfect example of this. Fitzgerald describes the scene at the apartment: The apartment was on the top floora small living room, a small diningroom, a small bedroom and a bath. The living room was crowded to the doors with a set of tapestried furniture entirely too large for it so that to move about was to stumble continually over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles. Several old copies of Town Tattle lay on the table together with a copy of Simon Called Peter and some of the small scandal magazines of Broadway. (Fitzgerald, Gatsby 33)The apartments amenities are showy and overdone, and somehow seem more representative of conformity than affluence. The whole generation is caught up in the times, an unthinking, unknowing mob of followers, riding the unenviable wave of recklessness2E The apartment is empty, devoid of any substance at all, a perfect example of the wasteland image. It is where forbidden lovers meet to flirt and cackle, and where people get drunk for only the second time in their life, where people smoke, drink, and live reckl essly together, and the only place where none of it matters: the wasteland. The 1920s were an era of lost personality. The people were caught up in the teaming exuberance, riding the inertia or recklessness further in to itself. Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited are fitting and definitive condemnations of the irrational time, and critics are right in deeming them so. Fitzgerald, too, is right: The 1920s were wasted years, and fit for condemnation.

Legal Advise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Legal Advise - Essay Example MSO  §113(1) hereinafter â€Å"HFCRA†). The question is whether this provision applies here. If it does, then the provision would be regarded as ineffective, therefore void. The analysis of this would begin by analyzing the parties. The parties to the construction contract are Strummer Construction Ltd. and Clampdown Developments, Inc. Celtic Tiger Bank is financing the project, but is not a party to the contract, therefore would be considered to be a third person. Yet, Celtic Tiger Bank is essentially running the show, as their officers would be the individuals who must approve extensions, variations more than ?25,000, loss and expense determinations. If their officers do not approve this, then the party requesting any of the above would not get paid, and the extension of time would not be approved. Therefore, this clause may be invoked, as the CTB is the contract administrator, and is not a third party, and they dictate as to whether or not money will change hands. Moreove r, they are not insolvent, so this clause may hold water. CTB is a third person, yet they are creating the conditions by which both parties must abide. But is this amendment â€Å"A provision making payment under a construction contract conditional on the payer receiving payment from a third person?† Clampdown Developments is the party who is in charge of making payments to Strummer. If Strummer does not comply, then the payments would not be made from CTB to Clampdown Developments, and this, in turn, would cause Clampdown Developments to not make payments to Strummer. The architect was the one who was issuing the offending variations, and, as a result, CTB has refused to pay monies to Clampdown, and, in turn, Clampdown has not paid Strummer. So, it seems that the payment from Clampdown to Strummer is, in fact, conditional upon Clampdown receiving payment from CTB, who is a third person, and that these payments are conditional upon CTB approving them. Therefore, there is the possibility, if a court can interpret this clause in such a way, that the clause would be ineffective. Another issue is whether or not there was even a contract formed anymore, because this Bill of Quantities in effect substantially changed the contract that the parties had already formed. This would be considered to be a counteroffer, which effectively cancels the original offer (Hyde v. Wrench [1840] EWHC Ch J90). However, this situation is similar to that in the landmark case Butler Machine Tool Co. Ltd. v. Ex-Cell-O Corp. Ltd. [1977] EWCA Civ. 9. This is the case that established that, in a battle of forms, the form that was accepted last would the one that controls. Certainly the parties accepted the additional terms, as they performed without objection to the terms. Therefore, Butler controls, and the last form, which is the one that contained the amendment, is the one that formed the contract. So, the amendment would be a part of the contract, if there were not the issue of t he privity of contract and

Health Disparities Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Health Disparities - Assignment Example There is a detail, analysis in the paper of the solution to the disparity and the people involved. The plan, implementation, track of the plan and assessment of the project is discussed in detail. The research paper then gives a conclusion on a wider scope of the whole country should the disparity go viral in the whole country. Atmore Community Hospital is well equipped with proper functioning structures and departments in Atmore (Baptist Health Care). However, the rate of increase in population and obesity in the community has presented a problem of lack of access to the hospital. Obesity is increasing in the community and most of the affected citizens cannot walk. The region is 8.4 square miles; this vast distance makes it difficult to patients to access services of the hospital quickly. The current development warrants this disparity to be eliminated with a possible solution. The lack of access to much needed health care services has made this fact a disparity that needs immediate attention and possible solutions. Atmore lies on an area of 22 km2, and the region has a high density of people totaling 922.5 people per square mile according to the last census p 2000. The population is growing daily, and most people have difficulties in accessing hospitals due to distance. The cost of treatment is expensive, and most people are unable to afford it, and wide area making it impossible to serve all people. The possible solutions include the introduction of mobile clinics to cater for the vast wide region. Implementation of affordable health care incentives, to accommodate the aged and the poor health care (Ungar). The incentive that includes controlling premiums of health insurance to affordable levels. The proposed solutions can only be achieved if they receive maximum cooperation from the leadership of Alabama State both financially and deliberation of laws. The leadership is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the medical department has enough

Is Infinity Possible Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Is Infinity Possible - Essay Example A mathematician just have to round off the figure in order to mark the end of the mathematical problem otherwise the sequence would be written to the length of an equator and still fails to end. These are some few examples that prove the existence of infinity. To conceptualize this in a thought, if everything in existence is put in a box and sealed tight, it means that a boundary has been created between what is inside the box and what is out side the box. In this line of thinking, one can possibly end up to a conclusion that all that is out side the box is a continuation of all that is inside the box be it space, solid, liquid or a gas. What is infinite therefore is that that can never be measured and ca never be traced to an origin. Religiously, the Almighty God can be logically viewed as infinite. This is because no matter how hard mankind can try to understand His origin, there will never be a definite answer (Gökdeniz & Dilek p12). He is the Alfa and the Omega. He has always been there, is there and will always be there forever more. These words from the scripture suggest that God’s existence is infinite; and never dies. Regardless of what the atheists and the theists think of this, the concept of infinity has been present ed. The quality of infinity is infinite and infinity therefore is the quality that is applicable to a number of infinite qualities. Think of space and beyond; it is endless and this is infinity; think of matter; think of levels of life forms in the universe and intelligence levels; think of the largest and the smallest thing that can ever be, and think of time. These are all forms that can only be traced to infinite dimensions proving that infinity does not only exist in numbers but exist in the physical realm as well (Cleqq p158). If only someone can prove of an existence that is beyond infinity or give a word that gives this extension a meaning,

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 58

Leadership - Essay Example According to Polelle (2008), leaders comprise of people entrusted to come up with security laws and measures. These regulations are what the security enforcing people follow in order to ensure safety in a nation. From this aspect, it is vital that a nation has reliable leaders characterized by sound reasoning and high integrity. All security measures are highly determined by our leaders and this exhibits the importance of leadership. On personal level, a leader must have proper principles that guide them through their lives. Effective leaders also concentrate on local level by coming up with projects that are beneficial to social, economic, and political transformation of their local communities. In the year 2015, the leader who has had a great impact on me is U.S.A is president Barrack Obama. Since his election as the president, Obama has had a number of achievements. These achievements include improving the economy, enhancing human rights, and enhancing foreign relationships. Obama has sure stand out as an influential leader. Obama’s achievements are of great inspiration that demonstrates that it is possible to achieve self-actualization. It may have taken a period of time and a number of hurdles, but he demonstrated attributes of a real leader to persist until results are achieved. Shifting to the concern of security, Obama has gone to all breadths and lengths to ensure there is security in the U.S.A. In addition, he has also deployed security forces to other parts of the world that needs security enforcement. Obama’s ability to achieve great success regardless of the hurdles makes him a leader of significance influence. A community cannot survive without proper leadership within its boundaries. Leadership held by people fall at three levels of national, local and personal. One of the greatest leaders that have had significant influence in my life is Barrack Obama. Obama has stood strong in various difficult situations to

Socially Responsible Investing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10500 words

Socially Responsible Investing - Coursework Example As the report stresses  the subsequent results revealed that the SRI has not been able to outperform the conventional investment funds rather have clearly underperformed. However, the SRI has been able to experience higher growth rate in the United States of America and Europe and other parts of the world. Overall, this performance reflects that the SRI funds and SRI indices have experienced a reasonable growth over the period of last 13 years and there has been a steady and stable upward growth in the SRI, reflecting that more and more investment is being done in the SRI.According to the paper findings  the conventional investment has considerably violated the ethical and moral standards. In the conventional investment, the firms do not take into account the interests and expectations of society instead they prefer to serve their commercial objectives at the cost of society.  This paper is consisted of five parts: introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis and discussion and conclusion and recommendation chapter. In the introduction chapter, some background information about the SRI has been provided in which the historical development of the SRI has been provided. In addition, in this chapter, research aim, questions, objectives and limitations have also been included.  Subsequently, in the literature review chapter, a comprehensive critical evaluation of the SRI has been provided in which history and definition of the SRI have been detailed and discussed as well.

Internet of things for Dubai Electricities and water authority (DEWA) Essay

Internet of things for Dubai Electricities and water authority (DEWA) - Essay Example DEWA is one of the first local authorities in the emirate of Dubai to get completely enabled and has a website reflecting its effort towards effective communication with its clients. In this paper, I am going to look at how robots usage can benefit the organization with the unique ideas and devices that can get used internally and externally. In the artificial power generation field there exist three modes of major power plants that can get used for the purpose of generating massive electric power, which can meet the high electrical demand of the vast Dubai population. They include the thermal power plants, tidal power plants, and the nuclear energy plants. For the all these cases, mobile monitoring by the application of robots can get used, and efficiently perform the expected roles with lots of efficiencies. The concept of mobile surveillance entails the power systems entails the control as well as the maintenance of plant by some automated means, robot, from a very safe distance (Everett, 1995). The robotic usage solve this task through high levels of sensing, processing of signals, control performance, the relay of information accordingly and the optimization theory. The sensing mechanisms by the robots get enhanced by the use of various sensors such as sensing of acoustic, field sensing, and also the infrared sensing among others. This sensing is advantageous since it substitutes human workforce for dangerous and highly specialized operations, including the live maintenance of high-voltage transmission line, by the DEWA, which is a long-standing initiative in the Dubai electric power. In the process of monitoring the internal electric power usage by different households and companies, DEWA is applicable with the use of line scout robot. Line scout robot is a triple axis robotic arm, which has gotten designed in a manner that it can attain the four principal conductors of a transmission line. The

Harnessing Information Management, the Data, and Infrastructure Essay - 1

Harnessing Information Management, the Data, and Infrastructure - Essay Example A good information management system must therefore be able to evaluate the kinds of data/information a firm needs in order to function and progress well in all its operations. Taking American wireless as an example, information management can be seen to influence various aspects its performance. First and foremost, it is important to note the main usage information is to set strategies and accomplish firm’s objectives. By having efficient information management American Wireless will first and foremost benefit from a reduced operating cost (Brien, 2007). Proper information management considerably reduces per linear foot of records to store inactive records in data record centers verses doing the same in an office. A better information management also helps in improving efficiency and productivity. Through a well-managed information system acting as an asset will facilitates a firm’s operation and enables it to objectively evaluate their usage of information (Laudon & Laudon, 2000). This system will help American wireless to accurately lay out a roadmap for improvements that optimize business returns. An effective information management can a lso help a firm to make better decisions in its daily operation (Perks & Beveridge, 2003). Most firms with accurate and relevant information will always take the day as far as competition is concerned. Through a well-managed information system, a firm can therefore be guaranteed quality information they need when they need. Enterprise architecture can be said to be a framework upon which structure and operations of a firm is defined. It is a conceptual blueprint through which a firm determines how to react to disruptive forces by identifying and analyzing the execution of change toward desired business vision and outcomes (Brien, 2007). Enterprise Information architecture adopted by American Wireless will help the firm

David Blunkett and the tightening of asylum entry rules Essay Example for Free

David Blunkett and the tightening of asylum entry rules Essay There has been a lot of publicity surrounding the general issue of Asylum Seekers, with reports of clashes between Asylum Seekers and members of the host community seeming to be a frequent occurrence. The question of the number of asylum seekers allowed entry into the UK has been at the centre of a longstanding debate for some time. However, it hasnt been up until recently that labour government has decided to take action in order to control the escalating amount of asylum seekers in the country. Therefore, it will be these new measures taken by he home secretary that were announced earlier this week following the asylum amnesty that will be analysed. In order to understand why the government is so eager to control the influx of refugees it is necessary to look at the evidence. According to home office statistics there were approximately 10,588 applications for asylum in the UK in the second quarter of 2003. The top five applicant countries were Somalia, Zimbabwe, China, India and Pakistan. Also in 2002 the UK received most applications of asylum than any of the other western countries with 24%. It is these statistics and media coverage around the arrival of asylum seekers that heighten grwoing tensions and hostility towards asylum seekers. Media coverage of asylum seekers can be blamed for fuelling hostility towards the seekers therefore the media coverage of the new reforms and how they are presented to the general public will be analysed. David Blunketts new measures to toughen up the asylum system were unveiled earlier this week. It was announced that asylum seekers could go to prison for up to two years if they destroy their passports or travel documents on the way to Britain. It is thought that this would make claiming refugee status more difficult if the refugee doesnt hold the correct papers. Not only is the home secretary taking direct action with the asylum seekers plans have also been revealed to target unscrupulous and unqualified legal advisors in Britain who encourage asylum seekers to make unwarranted appeals. Some would argue that the number of asylum seekers allowed into the country needs to be controlled. Members of the host country in particular can be hostile towards the asylum seekers. This is because asylum seekers are seen as taking advantage of the benefits provided by the country. This includes the NHS, subsidised housing. As asylum seekers are not entitled to work this can often lead to their reliance on the basic benefits at the expense of the tax payers and again this heightens hostility between the two groups. Likewise, memners of the host country tend to be worried in terms of cultural aspects The new reforms have attracted much media coverage. According to the Independent (28th October) the new measures can be seen as a success for British asylum policies. According to the article the home secretary, has succeeded through administrative stealth, in something few would have thought possible. The article continues to argue that despite the new measures the UK will remain faithful to the legal obligations of obligations of the1951 UN convention. The convention formally defined a refugee as a a well fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. However, it can be argued that as the UK is presenting obstacles in the way of asylum can they really promote themselves as a liberal and democratically free country? This is the argument taken by Theodore Dalrrymple.

Effectiveness of Health Management Program

Effectiveness of Health Management Program Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine if the SoonerCare health management program and its associated practice management program, in a rural family practice setting, is an effective program to decrease hospital admission, improve patient care, and is a financially viable system. Data was obtained through chart review of two clinics in Durant, Oklahoma. Durant is a town of just over 15,000 as of the 2010 census. Both clinics are considered rural family medicine clinics. Out of the 170 patients enrolled in the health management program 115 patients were included in the study. The Data showed that over a period of seven months there was a significant reduction of patients going to the hospital for admission. A reduction of 50% was demonstrated with a significant p-value of 0.025896. There was no significant reduction in the office visit rates seen over the same time period. Emergency room visits did decrease by seven percent over this time period, but this was not found to be statistically significant. This reduction correlates to a savings of $551 per patient per year enrolled in the program. The study concurs with the Pacific Health Policy Group that shows a significant cost savings to the state due to the SoonerCare health management program and with practice facilitation. With the decrease in hospital admissions and subsequently the cost savings to the state of Oklahoma this program is an efficient means to provide good health care to the SoonerCare population. Background The cost of health care to the nation, private and public, in 2013 was 2.8 trillion dollars (1). This constituted 18% of the GDP (1). The average cost of health care was 9.5% of GDP for industrialized countries (1). This puts the average cost per capita in the United States at $8,508 in 2013 (1). This is two and a half times the world average of $3,322 per capita in the industrialized world (1). Add to this the projected growth of health care to increase by 5.8% each year until 2022 (2). Total health care costs, in the United States, are expected to grow to 19.9% of the GDP by 2022(1). This could be tolerable if the outcomes correlated with cost but they don’t. The United States is currently ranked twenty sixth out of thirty four in the world for life expectancy, twelfth out of thirty two in heart attack fatalities, and twenty seventh out of twenty eight for unmanaged asthma(3). With the continued increase in health care costs and diminishing return on health care dollars the state of Oklahoma has instituted a health management program and included in this program is a practice management program. The practice management program consists of an in office nurse that is a personal health coach for patients qualified for the program. My concern for this program is whether the benefit of the program outweighs the administrative costs. The purpose of this study is to determine that in a rural family practice patient population does the use of a health coach improve the care of my patients and by extension decrease hospital admissions. My hypothesis is that the use of an in office health coach allows for better care, decreased hospital visits, and at the same time saves money for the state. Methods A 14 month chart review was performed over the 7 months after the installation of a health coach in both the Gastorf Family Clinic and Durant Family Medicine Clinic. The same time a year ago, in the involved clinics, the charts were also reviewed to take out seasonal bias. Charts were reviewed in office and at the local hospital for office visits, hospital admissions, and emergency department visits. No data were obtained regarding the reasons for the office visits, emergency room visits, or for the admitting diagnosis. Data and Results The total enrollment of patients in both the Gastorf Family Clinic and the Durant Family Medicine Clinic was 170 patients. Total of 55 patients were eliminated from the study. Of the 55 patients, 31 patients were eliminated from the study due to not being established with Durant Family Medicine Clinic prior to August 2012 or no longer a patient of the involved clinics after the start of the study. Another 22 patient were eliminated from the study due to not being established with Gastorf Family Clinic prior to August 2012 or no longer being a patient after the start of the study. 2 patients enrolled in the health management system did not have any records in either of the clinics. Total patients used for the study was 115 patients. The average age of patients was 42.8. The distribution of patients in the study was 30.4% male and 69.6 % female. The Durant Family Medicine Clinic had 44 patients or 38.3% of the participants in the study. Gastorf Family Clinic had 71 patients or 61.7% of the participants in the study. The study evaluated inpatient and outpatient data from August 2012 through February 2013 and August 2013 through February 2014. These dates were determined due to the start of the practice management program was in August 2013. The August 2012 to February 2013 dates were used for comparison, in an attempt to negate seasonal admission changes. Data was obtained from a chart review at both involved clinics. Upon discovery of those patients who qualified, with continued care through the study time period, a hospital chart analysis was performed. Data was obtained from the local regional medical center in regards to emergency room visits, hospital admits, and total hospital days. Office Visits Emergency Visits Hospital Admits Pre-study 605 81 14 Study 617 75 7 p-value 0.371 0.317 0.026 Analysis of the data showed a 50% reduction in the number of individuals who were admitted to the hospital at least once in the same time period over 7 months. A one-tail paired t-test was performed and demonstrated a significant result with a p-value of p=0.026. The International Federation of Health Plans 2013 Comparative Price report shows that the average cost per hospital day in the United States is $4,293 (4). Based on evaluation of emergency room visits and hospital costs per day, this program saved about $63,387 over a seven month period for a total of 115 patients enrolled in the study. That is a savings of $551 over a years’ time per patient. Study did not show any significance with regards to a decrease in office visits and emergency room visits. There was an absolute difference of 6 emergency department visits or decrease of 7.4%. Discussion What are the cost savings if we extrapolated the results to the entire SoonerCare population? The current enrollment of Oklahoma SoonerCare as of the end of December 2013 was 555,436 (5). The annual budget of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority is over 5.3 billion dollars with 4.7 billion going towards Medicaid payments (6). If you use the results of the study with the total SoonerCare enrollment the savings would be $306 million dollars. The value of $306 million is overstated due to may issue. The extrapolation this number is unfair and inaccurate. The program as stated is for those patients with chronic conditions that are at risk, or potentially at high risk. This is but a minority portion of the SoonerCare population, which I will discuss below. The other issue is the population size of the study. This study included less than 0.03% of the total SoonerCare population. To extrapolate any data from that small sample size is fraught with inaccuracies. That being said, this study did show a significant decrease in hospital stays for the population involved in the study. Why is there so much focus on reducing cost associated with patients with chronic conditions? A 2010 report by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality found that the top 1 percent of patients ranked based on health care expenses amassed 21.4 percent of the total health care cost (7). The annual cost for these patients was estimated to be $87,570 per year per person (7). They also found that the top 50% of health associated expenders correlated to 97.2% of all health care dollars (7). Further analysis of this study also showed that those patients with four or more chronic conditions are responsible for 29.7% of health care expenditures (7). Who is enrolled in the SoonerCare health management program? Those members with, or at risk for developing chronic disease and are high risk for adverse outcomes and increase likelihood of a health care crisis. By addressing those with multiple chronic medical conditions you are addressing the most concentrated cost centers and will get the best return on investment of health care expenditures. This has been shown through analysis of the SoonerCare health management program. Currently there is over five thousand patients enrolled in the program (8). What is the cost of the program in relations to the cost savings? Study done by the Pacific Health Policy Group has shown that the SoonerCare health management program had an aggregated savings of $214 million for the 2013 fiscal year (9). The Practice facilitation component was shown to decrease the cost per patient from $678 down to $634 including the administrative costs of the program (9). In the same study it was found that the total cost of the program and administrative costs was $32 million (9). When taken from the overall medical savings it showed a return on investment of 562% (9). The SoonerCare health management program saved $5.62 for every dollar spent on the program. So what about patient care? The Study from the Pacific Health Policy Group did show of the 21 clinical performance measures 16 showed increased compliance with standards and of those 11 were statistically significant (9). This study showed the most significant improvements in the area of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, diabetes and hypertension (9). So do clinical performance measures correlate with patient outcome improvement? First health care professionals need information on performance to develop quality care that is also efficient (10). This is where the diagnostic specific measures fit in. The new PQRS standards for Medicare for 2014 there are 287 separate diagnostic measures over 25 groups. The scope of this research was not to address the specific patient care outcomes, but in a retrospective review of each of the clinic’s clinical performance measures before and after the institution of this program did show increase compliance with c linical performance measures being studied in the clinics. So what is the practice management program? It involves a health coach, which is a RN, to assist primary care practices in building a high quality care delivery processes through evaluation and coaching patients with chronic medical conditions, to oversee data capture to identify gaps in care delivery, implement and teach quality improvement methods to close gaps and improve the practice’s ability to effectively manage its patients population through data analysis and process design. Through the SoonerCare health management program patient receive the following services in table 1 (11). Through the practice facilitation portion of the program the patients receive the following services in table 2 (12). Conclusions There were many limitations to this study. As mentioned above, this study was a very small population compared to the affected group. The study only reviewed seven months before and seven months after the start of the program. As with any study group local effect must be accounted for. A larger study with multiple clinics in different locations throughout the state would give a more reliable result. An example of this study was performed by the Pacific Health Policy Group, which showed similar results to this study. In conclusion, in the practices involved in the study, it was shown that there was a significant decrease in hospital visits with the use of an in office health coach and the SoonerCare health management program. A significant financial benefit for the state with the SoonerCare health management program was also seen with a cost savings of $551 per patient per year. This study did not address specific diagnostic measures, but with decreased hospital admissions an assumption can be made in regards to improved patient care. Also in retrospective review of clinical outcome measures did show improvement in both clinics after the institution of the SoonerCare health management program.

Concepts of similarity and complementarity in romantic relationships

Concepts of similarity and complementarity in romantic relationships Once upon a time, John met Jenny. They fell in love. They married, had children and presumably will live happily ever after. This is a common love story, and leads us to wonder why people become attracted to each other. Is it because they are similar? Research (Byrne, 1971) has shown that people are attracted to those immediately similar to them and this could lead to marriage. However, arguments for complementarity contend that opposites do indeed attract, and this attraction would also lead to long-term relationship and marriage. Such views are further reinforced by research like that of Shiota and Levenson (2007), which suggest that complementary couples are more satisfied in the long run. Thus, this essay seeks to evaluate the concepts of similarity and complementarity, analysing the relevant researches in the context of a romantic heterosexual relationship. Whilst there are many theories given on the process of mate selection, of particular interest is the recent emergence of the popular notion that opposites attract. However, this idea is open to interpretation, because it is expected that if a couple is not alike, they would tend to have more conflict, which will reduce the quality of their relationship (Pieternel Dick, 2008). Felmlee (2001) has shown that relationships developed from attraction based on complementarity often end prematurely. Nonetheless, there is also evidence supporting the complementary need theory (Winch, 1954), contending that for attraction and therefore a happy marriage, there must be potential gratification of needs for both John and Jenny. An example of such need-gratification is when younger females tend to be more attracted to older males who are financially stable (Eagly Wood, 1999, as cited in Pieternel Dick, 2008). Nevertheless, there has not been enough support in recent findings for Winchs hypothesi s, and reasons for this will be discussed. Conversely, the contrasting thought to the concept of complementarity is the established theory of similarity; simply put, that birds of a feather flock together. According to Hill, Rubin and Peplau (1976), there is a tendency for people who are similar in physical attractiveness, religion, education, age, and even height to be attracted to each other. However, there has been suggested that such tendencies may not exist, due to invalid testing procedures. This thought is suggested by research showing only small degrees of similarity between spouses personality in marriage (Eysenck, 1990), and in some reported studies (Antill, 1983; Peterson et al., 1989) no degree of similarity was observed, because couples are paired on a random basis. The theory of similaritys influence on ones attraction therefore needs examination in its methodological aspects and will be treated accordingly in this essay. Examination of Similarity and its theory in Romantic Relationships Summary of Similarity and its theory Similarity, the more accepted theory, suggests that we will be more romantically attracted to people who are similar to us in aspects like physical attractiveness, intelligence, socio-economic background, and overall attitude towards life. According to Byrne (1971), this can be explained through the theories of classical conditioning, and in particular, the idea of positive reinforcement. In a relationship consisting of two like-minded individuals, sharing the same viewpoint allows them to feel that their opinions are validated, and thereby their own confidence increases, enhancing the relationship. However, there is a distinction between the perceived and actual similarity. Many have argued that actual similarity is not as important as perceived similarity. A suggestion for this is that the individual experiences the positive reinforcement; regardless of them believing that the similarity is there even though it is not (Montoya, Horton Kirchner, 2008). However, a possible flaw in this is that if only one partner experiences such feeling of similarity whilst the other does not, then the attraction may not exist. Nonetheless, there is also contradicting evidence of people whose actual similarity is low, but are still highly attracted to another, which support the idea of complementarity (Winch et al., 1954). This is important, as it reminds us that similarity is only a positive correlate to the process of attraction, and is not the absolute factor that determines the formation of a romantic relationship. Methodological Concerns in Measuring the Effects of Similarity in the Formation of Attraction It has been shown in various recent researches post-dating Byrnes studies on attraction that whilst similarity exists in the formation of attraction, mate selection still operates on a random basis (Antill, 1983; Peterson et al., 1989); or at most, according to Eysenck (1990), the presence of similarity is only lightly significant. The reason for this can be attributed to the methodologies use to measure the effects of attraction. Such is the claim by the meta-analysis conducted by Montoya, Horton and Kirchner (2008), where they concluded that whilst similarity does lead to attraction, this occur mainly in a laboratory setting and not in existing relationships. This criticism is the product made by the use of the bogus stranger, which resulted in artificial responses and lack of ecological validity. The method originates from Byrnes studies in which given a set of characteristics similar to their own, the participants are asked if they will be attracted to an absent imaginary person unknown to them (Byrne, Clore Smeaton, 1986). This involves no interaction between the participant and the stranger, as well as requiring the assistance of a third person called a confederate, a trained interviewer. While the technique has been heavily criticised, its focus on attraction is clear-cut and minimises other external factors that could influence how much the stranger can be perceived as attractive to the participants. Other advantages to this method are that it is inexpensive and not very time consuming, and thus is viewed as more open for a wider pool of participants. Another technique is one that involves little to some interaction between the participants and the confederate or fellow participant in the context of a dyad relation. This can last from a few minutes to several hours. However, there have been some contradicting evidences (Dryer Horowitz, 1997) produced through the use of this method, which some has criticised because the nature of the exchange that involves mainly shallow and polite niceties. A final method that has been in favour recently is the use of couples in an existing relationship. Whilst this is a strong method in that it examines the attraction that then result in a real relationship, its weakness is the sample is often small because of its exhaustive nature, expensive and time consuming. (Montoya, Horton Kirchner, 2008). Summary of Birds of a Feather Dont Always Fly Farthest (Shiota Levenson, 2007) Given these concerns, it is interesting to see that the study of Shiota and Levenson (2007) proposes the alternative for the concept of similarity in the context of marital satisfaction as opposed to attraction. It is a longitudinal study that examines the effects of high level of similarity in the Big Five Personality on marriage satisfaction, which predicts the possible outcome in terms of a linear trajectory that is then supported by the negative correlates or negative result. The authors discuss the significance of this result in terms of different stages of marriage life, which contain different roles and responsibilities that will affect their satisfaction of marriage. For example, the first stage is explained as the newlyweds who still try to please their partner and therefore, their similar personalities will then be important for their daily social interactions. However, later in their mid-marriage life, when their passion has waned off, this will result in conflicts on issu es like child rearing rather than agreement because spouses competing with each other in similar performance domains and clashing when attempting to complete the same task (Shiota Levenson, 2007, p. 672). In addition, the authors also provide a quick overview of some of the weaknesses in past studies. An example of this is the lack of distinction in examining the similarity of husband and wifes personalities as opposed to how an individuals personality might affect the marital satisfaction. Another is when past studies have chosen to only examine similarity in existing relationship in a cross-sectional view. The author improved the studys method by conducting a long term study but at the same time, also provide a linear trajectory that can be used to predict further development from the given twelve years study. Some limitations that have been self-identified by the authors include the cultural and generational effects that were resulted from the voluntary nature of the samples selection and also for the convenience of the research. More importantly, in their discussion, Shiota and Levenson (2007) have also explicitly referred to how complementary couples in terms of the Big Five personality may perhaps achieve higher level of marriage satisfaction. Their research also investigated on older couples who have been married for at least thirty-five years and again, this show the decline in marriage satisfaction that occurs over time in couple who share a high level of similarity. However, as stated by the authors, this may not be true for other social domains of personality such as the dominant/deferent trait that was tested in Winchs studies on complementarity. Nonetheless, the study provides the stepping-stone on the investigation of the concept of complementarity that will be discussed as followed. Examination of Complementarity and its theory in Romantic Relationships Defining complementarity In this essay, complementarity can be understood as people who are different in their personality liking one another because they would fill in the gaps present in one anothers life. Formal definition for this term is borrowed from Winchs definition of need-complementarity in which an individual will be attracted to that person who gives the greatest promise of providing him or her with maximum need gratification (Winch et al., 1954, p. 242). Other terms used are complementary, an adjective used to describe how compatible two partners are even when they are different; and complementariness, a noun that is used by Winch to refer to the degree in which two people can complement. Winchs Study and Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate-Selection Winch, Ktsanes and Ktsanes (1954) made a proposition, the theory of complementary needs in mate-selection that supports the idea of opposites attract. This is made after Winch has conducted a study that involves twenty-five, 19 to 26 years old, white, middle-class, childless married couples who had been married for less than two years, and in which at least one member of each couple was an undergraduate student (Winch et al., p. 245). He uses triangulation to investigate his supported hypothesis, which is people marry based on their complementary needs. The different methods that Winch has used within triangulation include a need-interview, which is to identify the type of need pairs present; a case history interview of participants, and TAT, an eight-card thematic apperception test (Winch et al., p. 244). However, there are possible limitations within Winchs method namely the choice of participants where they are clearly culturally biased towards the developed, Western views and the generational effects of participants involved. Winchs theory requires that one of two conditions; either Type II or I must be met for complementarity between partners to exist. Type I is the difference in intensity, where one partner will be highly expressive in a certain need-pattern but the other partner will be very low in expressing the same pattern. For instance, a person who needs to be dominant in their relationship will complement with someone who have a very small amount of this need. Conversely, Type II is the difference in kind of the interactions between two individuals where both partners will be highly expressive but their needs are opposite to each other. An example is a person whose need to be dominant complements with a person who has the need to be deferent. It is important that there are two types of complementary needs because in the case of abasement as one of the need pair, there are situations where both abasement-autonomy and abasement-hostility exist, which gives a different continuum that cannot be expla ined sufficiently by Type I. (Winch et al., 1954) Evaluation of Winchs Need Complementarity One of the weaknesses in Winchs study (Winch et al., 1954) is the lack of evidence in which there has not been enough proof to support his theory despite numerous attempts being made (Bowerman Day, 1956; Schellenberg Bee, 1960). However, Levinger (1964) attempts to justify these discrepancies by explaining that there are different needs for different level of relationship as identified by Winch when he postulates his theory, i.e. a married couples needs to complement differ from two friends needs to complement. Therefore, since most replicated studies uses the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (Edwards, 1953, as cited in Levinger, 1964), which is aimed for a general peer relations to test for the validity of Winchs theory of need-complementarity for married couples, the results are therefore considered to be inconclusive in regards to Winchs theory. Furthermore, Winchs theory has also been criticised for insufficient explanation on the two types of complementarity. According to Levinger (1964), given the example of a hypothetical man who is average in both intensity and kind in his needs, it would not be possible for him to meet a complementary partner because both the conditions stated for Type I and Type II required a person to be on either end of the spectrum in the intensity of the personality traits. However, Levinger offers a solution to this problem by suggesting that if both partners express the same behaviour in equal amount and has the need for it in moderation then they would complement as well as be similar to each other. Nevertheless, Levingers seemingly logical explanation of his suggestion is questionable because he based his assumption yet on another hypothetical example, which is like using X to prove X. Levinger assumes that if there is a given situation where both partners express the same need in moderate qua ntity and it has also been shown that they complement with each others need, then they are showing complementarity. Nonetheless, Levinger acknowledges the loose footing of his hypothesis and suggest that it should be tested for empirical evidence. Another weakness in Winch et al. (1954)s theory that has also been stated by Levinger (1964) is that Winch does not give clear guidelines to determine how a need would complement or be similar to another. Rather, Winch only gives examples of need-complementary pairs such as dominance-deference and nurturance-succorance. This lack of clarification may question the validity of the theory because it would be difficult to replicate the study using different complementary-need pairs such as practicality-impracticality, which can be a possible need pair. Nonetheless, this problem of deciding the criteria for which characteristic complements another, as offered by Levinger can be inferred by Schutzs theory of need compatibility (Schutz, 1958, as cited in Levinger, 1964). Even though it is limited to only Type I in Winchs theory but it provides the basis for complementarity where, for two people, person A and B, to complement one another in a relationship, person A should express the same am ount of specific need that person B wants to receive and vice versa. Nonetheless, Edwards (1953, as cited in Levinger, 1964) points out that Schutzs method would be difficult to test in married couples because it was intended to be used for testing general peer relations like friendship. Alternatively, we can also use the various circumflex models for interpersonal behaviour (Kiesler, 1982; Wiggins, 1982, as cited in Orford, 1986) to determine the possible complementary need pairs. However, similar to the criticism of Schutzs way, these models were composed for the purpose of non-romantic relationships such as friendship and family interactions rather than the romantically-natured relationship between married couples, which might demand a different kind of structuring in Kieslers Interpersonal Circle. Empirical Research on the Complementarity Hypothesis Perhaps the main weakness in conducting researches to support the complementarity hypothesis in married couples is that there is the lack of clear criteria to determine what is considered as complementarity or more specific to Winchs (1954) study, the conditions required to form the complementary need pairs. This is important because complementarity is often simplified down to the loosely used phrase of opposites attract for ease when explaining to the general population. This is troublesome because there is no clear definition of what is considered as opposites or how can a certain thing attracts another thing. For example, it is assumed that the general population of men are attracted to the opposite gender, which is women, demonstrating the complementariness. However, how can we explain the similar attraction between men and men, also known as homosexuality? This is where the definition of complementarity can be misleading and ambiguous. If this is taken back to the studies conduc ted to find support for the complementarity hypothesis, we can see that this confusion on what complements and what does not in a romantic relationship reflected in the methods of various studies, in particular the one followed below. Review of Complementarity in marital relationships (Saint, 1994) A somewhat recent study conducted by Saint (1994) aims to seek support for the theory of complementarity as a factor in mate selection for marriage. Using a questionnaire that contains nine statements, which the participants have to choose on a scale of nine from strongly disagree to strongly agree, Saint surveys twenty-eight couples who have been married for an average of twenty years. According to Saint, the mean age in the study for men are forty-seven years old and for women, it is forty-two years old and they are located in Oxford, England. Saint has concluded that result does not have enough support for the complementarity hypothesis. There are many weaknesses in the method that Saint (1994) uses to source participants. By using the method of door-to-door solicitation, there is an implication that the participants are concentrated in local area since it is unlikely that the researchers will travel long distance to recruit participants. This assumption is supported when Saint states the geographical demographics of participants are suburbs of Oxford and nearby village. This small and narrow geographical population sampling can suggest a high degree of cultural bias in which there is a tendency to focus on the western individualistic views and also, questions on whether the results and the conclusion drawn can be used for the general population. However, Saint clarifies this doubt by concluding that this study is a good indicator for complementaritys little impact on the Westerns selection of marriage. Thus, this gives the study its strength but still, it should be maintained that modern society are slowly changing and integrating both the Western and Eastern views (Zhuang, 2004). Therefore, the study cannot be used exclusively to explain that complementarity is not very influential in ones selection for marriage, regardless whether it is from an Eastern or Westerns viewpoint. An example is interracial marriage (Lewis, Yancey Bletzer, 1998), which would be possible fifty years ago but now is a common occurrence in our society. Saint (1994) comments on the weak support of his study for the complementarity hypothesis, which can be reflected back to the design of questionnaire. To some extent, it is a forced response despite the varying scale of agreeableness to a statement. Even if this assumption is wrong and that participants do not feel restricted in their response, the scale of nine levels is still a weakness in Saints method. This is because given such a range for different responses; there is only a small sample of twenty-eight couples. More importantly, there is also the scarcity in the numbers of statements that can be used ascertain the reliability of answers and given the big range of at least eighteen different responses between couples, the only logical conclusion would be that the results would be statistically insignificant. When summarising the results, Saint gave three statements that result in a significant negative correlation, which indicates the presence complementarity. They are when socialising I seek a high level of eye contact, using public transport is a stressful experience, and when socialising I will raise the level of my voice to make myself heard. Saint indicated earlier in his abstract in that he aims to investigate complementarity within the social domain of social dominance, social confidence and communication initiation. Whilst there are presence of these elements embedded in each statement but the relevance to married couple is not substantial, i.e. anyone can do the questionnaire whether with their friends or family members, and the chance to obtain a negative correlation is still probable. This indicates that these statements are not valid for testing and therefore, questions Saints conclusion that complementarity have little influence on mate selection for marriage. Yet, we must not forget the strengths in the design of Saints (1994) study. One such strength is how individuals (husband and wife) have to work independently to complete the questionnaire. This increases the confidentiality of the answers because there are less comparisons and attempts to modify ones answer, which engenders more honest responses obtained from participants and reliable information. Furthermore, questionnaires are economical when compared to other types of measurements like interview, easy to control and is replicable to confirm the findings. Thus, if this study is to be repeated, improvements could be made on the sample size and demographics. Moreover, changing the nature of the statements and increasing the number of statements to increase the reliability of the response could also help in seeking support for certain trends in participants answers. Hence, from the studies of Winch (1954) though not so much of Saint (1994), it can be said that complementarity do exist in married couples. However, further investigations need to be made to confirm the claim that complementarity increases marital satisfaction over time. Conclusion It has been implicitly suggested throughout the essay that attraction is linked with similarity and couples have higher marital satisfaction when they have complementary needs. However, there is no definite conclusion that this is the case. Criticisms of Winchs theory demonstrate the uncertainty and lack of clarification in certain aspects of his concept of need-complementarity. An example of this is the undefined need pairs such as dominance/deference, which later affects later studies like that of Saint (1994). However, in his evaluation of Winchs concept, Levinger (1964) also explain that the replicated studies that did not support Winchs theory is not conclusive either because the method used is more suitable for testing non-romantic dyadic relationship. Likewise, the concept of similarity leading onto attraction may seem obvious and indeed there are numerous studies to support this hypothesis. However, the majority of them use the method of a bogus stranger to determine the effects of attraction. In addition, the use of partners in existing relationships was not common because of limited time and resource. This lead to the conclusion in that perhaps similarity leading to attraction is only valid in laboratory environment and not real life situations. In both cases, the main problem that prevents proper investigation of the issue lies in both the methodological and theoretical aspect of the studies. A possible suggestion for improvements could be to have longitudinal researches instead of cross-sectional that involve couples in existing relationships. This is the biggest obstacle for researchers because of limited budget and time. Another is to increase the sample size theoretically by doing a meta-analysis of all the studies conducted over the years. In addition, more accurate and fitting instrument could also be developed to measure the degree of similarity or complementarity such as a revised version of Edwards Preference Schedule that is targeting romantic relationship and not general peer relationships. Reference Books Byrne, D. (1971). The attraction paradigm. New York: Academic Press. Journal Articles Antill, J. K. (1983). Sex role complementarity versus similarity in married couples. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 45, 145-155. Aube, J., Koestner, R. (1995). Gender Characteristics and Relationship Adjustment: Another Look at Similarity-Complementarity Hypotheses. Journal of Personality , 63, 879-904. Bowerman, C. E., Day, B. R. (1956). A Test of the Theory of Complementary Needs As Applied to Couples During Courtship. American Sociological Review , 21, 602-605. Byrne, D., Clore, L. G., Smeaton, G. (1986). The Attraction Hypothesis: Do Similar Attitudes Affect Anything? Journal of Pereonalily and Social Psychology , 51, 1167-1170. Dijkstra, P., Barelds, D. P. (2008). Do People Know What They Want: A Similar or Complementary Partner? Evolutionary Psychology , 6, 595-602. Dryer, C. D., Horowitz, L. M. (1997). When Do Opposites Attract? Interpersonal Complementarity Versus Similarity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 72, 592-603. Felmlee, D. H. (2001). From appealing to appalling: Disenchantment with a romantic partner. Sociological Perspectives , 44, 263-280. Hill, C. T., Rubin, A., Peplau, L. A. (1976). Breakups before marriage: The end of 103 affairs. Journal of Social Issues , 32, 147-168. Kiesler, D. J. (1983). The 1982 Interpersonal Circle: A Taxonomy for Complementarity in Human Transactions . Psychological Review , 90, 185-214. Levinger, G. (1964). Note on Need Complementarity in Marriage. Psychological Bulletin , 61, 153-157. Lewis, J. R., Yancey, G. (1997). Racial and Nonracial Factors That Influence Spouse Choice in Black/White Marriages . Journal of Black Studies , 28, 60-78. Montoya, M. R., Horton, R. S., Kirchner, J. (2008). perceived similarity Is actual similarity necessary for attraction? A meta-analysis of actual and perceived similarity. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships , 25, 889-922. Orford, J. (1986). The Rules of Interpersonal Complementarity: Does Hostility Beget Hostility and Dominance, Submission? Psychological Review , 93, 365-377. Saint, D. J. (1994). Complementarity in marital relationships. The Journal of Social Psychology , 134, 701-703. Schellenberg, J. A., Bee, L. S. (1960). A Re-Examination of the Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate Selection. Marriage and Family Living , 22, 227-232 . Shiota, M. N., Levenson, R. W. (2007). Birds of a Feather Dont Always Fly Farthest: Similarity in Big Five Personality Predicts More Negative Marital Satisfaction Trajectories in Long-Term Marriages. Psychology and Aging , 22, 666-675. Winch, R. F., Ktsanes, T., Ktsanes, V. (1954). The Theory of Complementary Needs in Mate-Selection: An Analytic and Descriptive Study. American Sociological Review , 19, 241-249. Zhuang, X. (2004). We or I? Collectivism-Individualism in Chinese and American Values. Sociology. University of Victoria.

Important Presidents :: essays research papers

The second President of the United States was John Adams, a lawyer and diplomat. Adam’s public career lasted more than 35 years. He was second only to George Washington in making a place for the young United States among the nations of the world. In his devotion to the country he was second to none. Adams was a federalist. He, like other federalists, believed in a strong central government. However, he was independent and decided issues for himself in the interests of his country and often against the interests of his party. Adams was defeated for a second term as president because he defied party power to act for his vision of the nations good. John Adams was born October 30, 1735, in Braintree, Massachusetts. He was the eldest of three sons, children of John and Susanna Boylston Adams. Young John attended a â€Å"dame† school, a school conducted by a woman in her home. Later he went to the Free Latin School. He was handy around cattle and horses, helping with the milking and feeding. He was helpful in the kitchen too, building fires and cleaning up. In summer he went down to the bay to watch the sailing ships come in. In winter he skated on the frozen creeks. He flew homemade kites, collected bird’s eggs, and always had a whittling knife in hand. When he entered Harvard College, he intended to become a minister. By the time he graduated, he had given up the idea. He taught school until he could make up his mind about his future. Adams taught in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 60 miles west of Boston. After a year he began to study law under James Putnam, the town’s leading lawyer. He kept on teaching and spent his after-school hours in Putnam’s office. He was admitted to the bar in November 1758 and settled in Braintree to practice. When he was 29 he married Abigail Smith, a minister’s daughter. She was only 20, but she had schooled herself well in politics and literature. They had four children: Abigail, John Quincy, Charles and Thomas. After he was through serving in the Revolutionary War, he returned to the United States and was elected vice-president under George Washington. In 1792 Washington and Adams were reelected. Political parties began to emerge during Washington’s presidency. Adams and Alexander Hamilton led the Federalist party. They opposed Thomas Jefferson and his Democratic-Republican party. In 1797 Adams became president, with Jefferson as vice-president. Despite Adam’s great ability and patriotism, he was never popular. He was often vain and blunt. He was charged with wanting to confine power to the â€Å"rich,

Charles Babbage :: Essays Papers

Charles Babbage Charles Babbage was born at Walworth, Surrey England in December 26,1791. He achieved many great feats and belonged to many very distinguished groups before he died in October 18, 1871. Many people consider him to be the grandfather of computer science due to his great works with his Difference Engine (1821), which printed tables of polynomials, and his Analytical Engine (1856), which was intended as a general symbol manipulator. These inventions were far more complex than the work of any of his fellow inventors. Although there is no evidence that the computers of today are direct descendants of his work. He grew up with a passion for how mechanical objects worked. He also was an excellent mathematician. This was discovered at an early age when he employed a tutor only to find out he knew more about math than the tutor did. He was home schooled for a good many years before entering Cambridge University in 1810 an institution where he would later hold the position of Lucasian c hair of mathematics from 1828 to 1839. His home schooling was in direct result of poor health in his youth. He was involved in many different fields of science. He was the first person to be presented the Gold Medal award given by the Astronomical Society. He was also a key figure in the founding of the Astronomical Society in 1820, the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1831 and the Statistical Society of London in 1834. He is also the author of the very influential book On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures. He also wrote a series of papers on many different topics such as optics and cryptology. Babbage excelled in many categories but being a politician wasn’t one of them. As a result he would not be able to persuade the government in England to give him a grant on working on the analytical engine. In Babbages early years he was quite social an pleasant to have around. In fact he was notorious for excellent dinner parties where many famous and prominent people would be in attendance. Although over the years and believed by some as a result from the death of his daughter Shelley, who drowned near La Spezia in July of 1822 and 5 years later the death of his 35-year-old wife Georgiana in August 1827 he became a very bitter old man.

what woen could have been :: essays research papers

What Women Could Have Been? At the start of the 1900’s women’s separation was seen at every turn. In fact it was a long road of change that many females faced and many tried to persevere. It was impossible for these women to break down these walls and barriers. For if they had accomplished female change in America the roles of females would have been much more different in society today. For these women I see a future full of opportunity, had women been successful in their push to vote, their need for education, and proving their worth during the war effort. If any or all of these events happened that the women were so adamant about seeing change in, then their lives would have been drastically enhanced with changed. I feel that women’s struggle for equality in today’s society comes out of the inability to vote. Throughout Susan Ware’s novel Letter to the World, voting is seen as catapult for fairness and equality. It is said that if women had the right to vote that they would have voice and be able to involve themselves on the same playing field as men in the political arena. The fellow First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt said it best when she stated that â€Å"Women must learn to play the games as men do†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Throwing mud from the outside won’t help.† If this message had successfully been seeded in the female publics mind and taken root then a true political movement would have taken place. In retrospect this would have given women the right to form groups, change laws, and become more then just the male society’s doormat they. Education is another aspect vital for women’s growth and if it had worked it would have almost entirely changed every facet of today’s work force. If the average women would have got involved in helping make education a top priority, then education for women would have been entirely possible. If there were big groups and rallies of women behind the education reform, than there would have been a gradual acceptance for education. Instead the reform was put into the hands of very few women such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Dorothy Thompson, and Margaret Mead. These women worked hard to push for their right to education in a world of male dominance and they would have succeeded had the rest of America got on board for the fight.

A Good Friendship

The Bible: Ecclesiastes notes that â€Å"two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. † A good friendship is one of the most important relationships we will have in our lives. What is a friend anyways? It’s one who comforts you and has a lot in common with you. Sure, we have family, but it is often a friend we go to when we need comfort and advice. Being a true friend requires certain important characteristics. A friend needs to be dependable, supportive, and giving. First, dependability is part of being a good friend. A good friend is dependable and you can trust them. She makes you feel safe and secure. Your friend will not share your secrets with others. She sticks with you in good times and in bad. When you ask for advice, a good friend points you toward the right direction. Privately, she points out your mistakes and also helps you overcome them. A good friend always tells you the truth, even if it’s something you don’t want to hear. Secondly, not only do good friends have to be dependable, they also have to be supportive. A good friend is supportive of you reaching your goals. She doesn’t try to change who you are or drag you into situations that make you feel uncomfortable. A good friend doesn’t wait for you to call; she makes an effort to keep in touch with you, even if it is through a quick phone call or an email. When you need to talk, a good friend is always there. In a time of crisis she is the first person to come to your aid. Also, she doesn’t allow you to indulge in any addictions or illicit activities. She understands that you have family, other friends and colleagues who are part of your life too, and she doesn’t cling to you always. A good friend respects your privacy. Whether you have good news to share or grievances, she gives you her full attention. Another very important attribute of being a good friend is giving. A good friend gives more than what is asked of her. When she sees a need, she responds before the other has a chance to ask for help. She doesn’t expect anything in return. A good true friend shares her time if you need help with a project or a goal, she is there. She shares her knowledge on how to successfully complete the project, or she may even offer a few words of wisdom. When you’re between a rock and a hard spot, she gives you her assistance. It might be to loan you money. Also, she shares her possessions, such as a simple screwdriver to finish the project. It might be more complicated such as the loan of a beautiful dress to go on that special date. Best of all she has a generous spirit. A good friend can be defined in many different ways. Some examples: In kindergarten, my idea of a good friend was the person who let me have the red crayon when all that was left was the ugly black one that no one wanted. In ninth grade, my idea of a good friend was the person who would go with me to a party thrown by a senior so that I wouldn’t be the only freshman there. The summer after graduation, my idea of a good friend was the person who helped me clean up bottles from a party and helped me sneak out of the house when I just couldn’t deal with my parents. She helped me pack up for college and just silently hugged me as I looked through misty eyes back at 18 years of memories I was going to leave behind. As I get older, friendship grows and means so much more. As of right now, my idea of a good friend is still the person who gives me the better of two choices and most of all, lets me know that I am always loved.

Drug Abuse

Table of contents Introduction and purpose of research Literature review Data collection sources Presentation, discussion and analysis of data Conclusion, limitations and recommendations Bibliography Appendices Introduction and purpose of research Drug abuse is a very prevalent and widespread problem in Trinidad and Tobago. It is the cause of many illegal activities in the country. This study is geared towards finding the causes and effects of drug abuse in teenagers in Rio Claro. The purpose of this study is to determine the causes and effects of drug abuse in Rio Claro.In this project the following research questions would be asked: 1. What is drug abuse? 2. What are the causes and effects of drug abuse? 3. What are the strategies that could be implemented to curb drug abuse? This topic was chosen because the prevalence of drug abuse in my community is very high and it is of my special interest because I would like to explore and understand the topic more. I am currently studying s ciences at school and it is my hope that studying this topic would further educate me about drug abuse as I would like to peruse a career in pharmacy.After this study is completed it is my hope that the research can be used to benefit the members of my community and other researchers to help prevent drug abuse. Some of the terms used in this research project are: 1. Drug abuse- substance abuse   use of a substance that modifies mood or behavior in a manner characterized by a maladaptive pattern of use. 2. 3. Literature review Drug abuse is th Data collection sources Primary data was obtained from the questionnaire. The process of distributing this questionnaire was done by simple random sampling. 00 % of the questionnaires were given to people that were teenagers on Saturday 10th December 2012 at the Rio Claro community centre. The questionnaire was an excellent means of obtaining data as the data collected was first hand and there was no third party handling the data so there was less room for tampering. The disadvantages of using this were that people may be dishonest and some may not return questionnaire. Thirty people were asked to answer a questionnaire that consisted of 17 questions and thirty questionnaires were obtained at the end of the research. All the data was quantative.Secondary data was obtained via the internet, newspaper and books. The information obtained from the internet was used to obtain background information about the topic and to further answer the research question. Books were used to get proper definitions and to get the biological perspective of drug abuse. The data was helpful at it helped me to better understand the topic of drug abuse. Both sources contributed to a better understanding of the topic as knowledge was gained about the problem from both sources. Presentation, interpretation and discussion of findings 1. Do you go to church/mosque/temple? Often O Sometimes O Not at all OGraph 2 showing types of families that the can didates lived in The graph above shows the types of families that the candidates live in. more than half the candidates lived in single parent families, Graph 3 showing weather candidates go to church/mosque/temple Conclusion, limitations and recommendations Appendix 1 Questionnaire A pleasant good day. My name is Shenell Lal and I go to cowen Hamilton secondary school. For my Caribbean studies internal assessment I am studying drug abuse and its causes and effects in my community of Rio Claro. Your participation in answering the following questionnaire is greatly appreciated.The information collected is strictly confidential. Thank you in advance. Please tick the appropriate boxes and answer in the spaces provided. 1. How old are you? 10- 15 O 16-23 O 2. Gender: Male O female O 3. Religion : Hindu O other O Muslim O Christian O 4. What type of family do you live in? Single parent O Nuclear O Extended O Other O 5. Do you go to church/mosque/temple? Often O Sometimes O Not at all O 6 . To what ethnic group do you belong? African descent OIndian descent O Chinese descent O Mixed descent O 7. Do you participate in community activities? Yes O no O If yes please state what 8. Do you play sports/ musical instruments? Yes O no O If yes please state what 9. Do you think that the lack of an education can be one of the major causes of drug abuse? Yes O No O 10. Do you think that the schools, youth groups, clubs†¦.. tc, is making a positive impact in trying to stop the levels of drug abuse? SCHOOLS – Yes: very much O Little O No, none at all O Yes: much O Very little O YOUTH GROUPS – Yes: very much O Little O No, none at all O Yes: much O Very little O CLUBS – Yes: very much O Little O No, none at all O Yes: much O Very little O 11. What do you think are the level of which drugs are used in your village?Low O Medium O High O None at all O 12. How effective are the police in dealing with drugs in your village? Very much O Much O Little O Very lit tle O 13. What age group uses drugs the most in your village? 14 – 25 O 26 – 35 O 36 – 45 O 46+ O 14. Which one of the following would you say can be the main cause of drug abuse in your village? Peer Pressure from friends O Poverty O Parents not setting good examples O Lack of a proper education O 15.In your village please state in a percentage how many of the youths you think are affected by drugs compared to those who are not? 5 – 24% O 25 – 50% O 51 – 75% O 75 – 100% O 16. How does drug abuse affect the youths of your district in terms of causing fights and gang warfare? Yes: Badly O Very bad O No: Not really O Not at all O 17. Have you ever used drugs? Yes O No O BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. http://medical-dictionary. thefreedictionary. com/drug+abuse 2.