Reflecting Journal Essay

My first collaboration was in the first semester in Research techniques. The undertaking was to frame the gathering and compose the examination paper on picked subject. Our gathering of four chose to take a gander at the segment issue in Germany. This point was something that we were totally keen on so it was anything but an issue picking the theme that we as a whole conceded to. We initially chose what we needed to take a gander at and how we would accomplish this. In our first gathering we chose to part the point into increasingly explicit themes: reasons, issues caused and future expectations. We set up a next gathering in multi week and concurred that every one of us will do an exploration on these themes. In our subsequent gathering, we talked about our discoveries and circulated destinations for every one of us. A rundown was made of the undertakings we expected to perform and afterward we designated each errand to a schedule opening inside our gatherings. Our gathering functioned admirably together as everyone had practically 100% participation and was focused on completing the venture. Be that as it may, we had issues keeping to our timetable. At the earliest reference point, we directed different explores which was valuable for our paper and there we arrived at our first test a great deal of important data was given uniquely in german and half of our gathering was non-german talking individual. We needed to redistribute subjects for every one of us dependent on research limits. This speeded up the entire procedure. A lot of time was spent during these gatherings on the outline of our discoveries. This left us a great deal of opportunity when we went to the review of our report. Another issue with our report was its deficiency. As we set up our parts it looked like there were 4 distinctive exploration papers in one. We had various structures, composing styles and some of gathering individuals in his/her part included data of his/her kindred theme. These issues required additional gatherings and to rework the entire report.

The Travels of Marco Polo Free Essays

It was in 1254 when Maffeo Polo, a rich Venetian dealer, and his colleague sibling Niccolo Polo were occupied with an excursion outside Venice, Italy for exchanging Constantinople and Far East.â Traveling on a Silk Road was a long sail, sufficient for traders like them.â However, as they arranged returning home utilizing a similar course, they were caught by the common war among Hulagu and his rival cousin Barka in Bukhara, and along these lines choose to utilize an eastbound course in spite of the fact that it was new to them. We will compose a custom article test on The Travels of Marco Polo or on the other hand any comparable point just for you Request Now There they meet a diplomat of Hulago who turned into an instrument of the gathering between the Polos and the extraordinary ruler as the last was energized meeting a Latin for the first time.â The Polos were treated with high regard particularly when the head found out about the Catholic faith.â He sent off the Polos to return home and request that the Holy See send 100 instructors and educate Khan’s residents become Christians.â However, the demise of Pope Clement IV made the Polos abandoned again yet this time in Acre, Italy, year 1269. The College of Cardinals’ blessing of another Pope occurred in the late 1271.â Handling endowments and letters from Pope Gregory X (Teobaldo) of Piacenza, Polo siblings cruised themselves off once more, with two monks and Niccolo’s 17-year old child Marco Polo.â Reaching the combat area, the two ministers were debilitated and reluctant to proceed with the excursion with the group.â The mission that was initially entrusted to probably 100 instructors was forcedly fall exclusively to Marco Polo.â This was the start of the latter’s important excursion to Asia, portions of Africa and Europe. Long after Marco Polo’s travel and ventures to Asia, he had the option to summarize his records in a book composed by him with the assistance of his sentimentalist essayist companion Rusticiano de Pisa.â It has the full documentation of Marco, accounted tirelessly in four sections and given the title The Description of the World a.k.a. The Travels of Marco Polo.. Marco Polo’s Travel Account on the Silk Road Center East and Central Asia On their three and a half long stretches of excursion in the Silk Road, Marco had a lot of precise perceptions from Middle Easter’s custom, strict practices, conventions, food, food arrangements, history, atmosphere, land, and regular assets to having an interest on civic establishments, clans and delightful Persian ladies, which Marco communicated in his unique words as â€Å"a attractive race, particularly the ladies, who, as I would like to think, are the most excellent in the world.† The gathering cruised from Laias port to Armenia until they arrived at the Persian Gulf.â From Homurz to Kerman, passing Herat, Balkh, Badakhshan, they had the option to jump on Pamir, a level among Afghanistan and Tibet, and depicted as the most elevated spot on earth.â They exchanged with Tibetan Buddhists in Campichu. China (Cathay) and Kubilai Khan’s court As arranged, the gathering arrived at their goal in Kublai Khan’s court, which is situated in Shangtu, very nearly 200 miles from Peking to convey the oil as Pope Gregory X’s blessing to the emperor.â Marco Polo watched Kublai Khan’s awe inspiring living as sovereignty and aristocrat with astuteness influence, riches and skill.â He found how Chinese give significance in record-keeping, dining experiences and celebrations, and wondrous creations, for example, financial frameworks utilizing stamp, paper and wood as cash, truly running man as express envoy, fine parkways, and the utilization of â€Å"black stone† or coal for fuel.â He communicated his gestures of recognition in his line â€Å"To this city everything that is generally uncommon and important in all pieces of the world discovers its way.† East Coast: Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa The familiarity of Marco Polo in four unique dialects made the Polos minister of Khan Empire in some countries.â simultaneously, Kublai Khan was effectively vanquished the entire of China.â The Polos were permitted to return home in Venice with 600 crewmembers, which for the most part didn't endure accepting that some were suffocated, some were lost in tempests, and some were kicked the bucket because of some threatening ailments. There they experienced bold goes as they cruised south from Vietnam to Indochina.â He additionally made wonderful records of the spot, for example, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Japan, Siberia, Ethiopia, and the coast and islands of the Indian Sea.â On his records, he despite everything conceded having this line, â€Å"I have just told the half of what I saw!† Wars and the Northern Region While on the way, the gathering heard the dismal news that the incomparable Mongolian ruler and vanquisher of China Kublai Khan is as of now dead.â Afterwhich, they showed up in their country Venice in 1295.â Soon after their appearance, Marco Polo was occupied with a war against Genoa, which happened to be the most troublesome adversary of Venice’s maritime trading.â Marco Polo was imprisoned.â He begun his narrating and afterward set up it as a written record afterwards.â He plainly gave underscored his gestures of recognition as he was dazzled in the Chinese human advancement under Mongol decision. He closed his book with this clarification, â€Å"I accept that it was God’s joy that we ought to get back all together that individuals may find out about the things that the world contains. Much appreciated be to God! So be it! Amen!† Investigation and Conclusion Marco Polo isn't only a popular voyager and a relative of Venetian dealer during their times.â He could be called anthropologists.â Based on his extraordinary records heading out to the Silk Route or Silk Road, he made careful data about the topographical course, yet for the most part its vital and fascinating subtleties, which made his movement story a travelog. He had the option to instruct his perusers in his age and even up to this advanced era.â His book was not just about Chinese human progress, Mongolian wars and Kublai Khan’s Empire in spite of the fact that his most extreme impression with it was given full attention.â Furthermore, he gave center around certain realities in Asia and its kin; how they were vary from one another, Christianity just as different strict conviction and practices, etc.â He likewise oversaw finishing his archive without offering any one-sided expressions. This is the incongruity, exchanging as the essential objective of the Polos during their excursion in the Silk Road was given adequate support in the book in light of the fact that at long last, exchanging fills in as the fundamental explanation of the incredible explorer Marco Polo’s bondage in Genoa. R E F E R E N C E Latham, Ronald. The Travels of Marco Polo. New York: Penguin, 1958. The most effective method to refer to The Travels of Marco Polo, Essay models

Heres What Your Handwriting Says About You

Here’s What Your Handwriting Says About You Graphology is a technique with the objective of studying the personality traits of people through the interpretation of various graphical aspects of writing.It is also known as the psychology of writing.By making use of graphological analysis it becomes possible to analyze written patterns which have the ability to identify the writers psychological state.A professional graphologist is able to identify the pertinent characteristics of your handwriting and the way each letter interacts.Through the analysis of signatures and the description of letters, it is possible for the trained graphologist to create a psychological report.This report would be capable of confirming the behavior of the writer in his/her intellectual and social life.As a matter of fact, a recent survey has shown that 70 to 91% of the organizations in France utilizes graphology and over 5000 companies make use of it in the United States.Furthermore, another survey showed that the United States leads other nations in using handwriting analysis to recruit employees. Source: MediumSo how is this done?Well, there are various aspects that a professional graphologist uses to bring an individuals personality to the light.Basically, these aspects are analyzed against a pre-existing module of what is considered as a normal personality trait and when they differ from the established module it is indicative of some sort of symptom in the writer.Every one of these graphical aspects reveals a particular trait of the person who wrote them and there are over 8 of these graphical aspects.Lets have a look at them:1. Layout The layout is one of the aspects of graphology used by trained experts as a template in analyzing written text on a page. The graphologist views the page as a symbolism of the environment in which the subject projects and acts out his personality.Simply put, the layout template is the totality of impressions your written text provides to the graphologist.It is concerned with the level of clarity of the idea the writer is trying to pass acros s, and also the ability of the subject to adapt to the various social norms of the environment he/she projects his/her personality in.In using the layout template, the order of the written text assists in the detection of how the writer views life in general. The graphologist is capable of studying the writers internal order through the margins of the text as well as the execution of the letters.It reveals the individuals capacity for adjustment, maladjustment or organization.The layout graphology aspect includes three sub aspects:a) Distribution This deals with the distribution or placement of lines, words, and letters (line spacing and word spacing)b) Disposition The disposition sub aspect deals with understanding the writers view of his environment based on the margins spacing, how properly spaced they are and how aligned etc.c) Proportions Through the equilibrium or consistency of the letters of the writer, the graphologist is capable of understanding the consistency of the p ersonality of the subject in relation to his/her environments acceptable norms.2. Dimensions The dimensions of a written text are related to the width and length of the letters in a particular piece of writing. This graphology aspect is an objective one due to its ability to be measured.It reveals the self-concept or self-esteem of the writer, what the individual thinks of himself, the level of extraversion or introversion as well as the level of self-confidence.Through dimensions, a graphologist can identify whether you are meticulous in character or are prone to generalization.3. Shape Shape refers to the structure or form of every one of the letters in the writing, whether angled or rounded. The shape that the letters of a text take, show the graphologist the conduct of the individual, their appearance, expansions or reservations, as well as their lifestyle and culture.Generally, it showcases the tendencies or adjustment challenges of the individual. However, this template is use d by graphologist in understanding the behavior of people based on their writings.This is because its impossible for it to be measured, and even though children learn by imitating and repeating shapes, as time passes, the shapes they copied begins to mutate into their personal shapes.4. Baseline When a graphologist takes a look at a piece of writing text, he considers the direction of the lines in the text. The baselines can be oriented downwards or upwards, in serpentines right on the line or horizontal.Incomplete lines or lines which include indentation are neglected. When studying the text, ascending lines are associated with optimistic individuals and descending lines to people with pessimistic attitudes.The direction of the line reveals the writer’s, change in mood, will power, emotional stability, humor, persistence, fatigue, ambition, and the degree of maturity, optimism, and pessimism.When a writer is under a considerable degree of fatigue the graphologist is able to ident ify it using this template.5. Speed By studying the speed of writing, the professional graphologist is able to see the ability of the subject in intellectual assimilation, the speed of mental processes, and comprehension.It reveals how fast the writer is capable of solving tasks, how easily he/she can easily adjust to new situations, his/her activity, and even temper. This will show how well the individual will fare in a professional setting or workplace.According to the speed graphological aspect, writing can be slow, hast, paused, fast and unequal with a mixture.6. Cohesion When studying an individuals personality through written text, cohesion is an important aspect. It deals with how letters are linked between themselves in a single word.They can either be disconnected, fragmented, grouped or connected. Basically, it is the connection of a word. The bond or cohesion is identified between lower-case and upper-case letters.Also, the way each letter is drawn is also analyzed, how i t is linked to another letter or if an oval is bonded with a down-stroke.However, when it comes to individual letters, their traits are a bit difficult to evaluate objectively due to certain letters being able to be executed in multiple ways like the letter t.In such cases, the graphologist has to carry out an integral evaluation using a magnifying glass or any other such equipment which aids differentiation.7. Pressure This is the strength or intensity of the graphism. It is a symbolism of the degree of the psychological energy of a writer.Pressure represents the writer’s level of faith in what he initiates or creates, and his/her confidence in the actions he/she carries out.IMPORTANCE OF GRAPHOLOGYWeve already seen the various aspects that graphologists consider in order to analyze the personality of a writer through a piece of text, but the question that lingers, is, why is graphology important?And what are its benefits?While there are numerous implementations of graphology in various fields, the medical sphere is one that has proven the importance of graphology as this science has been utilized to diagnose mental disorders.How amazed would you be to know that by studying your handwriting you could arrive at certain conclusions about your physical health?This is possible because certain medical conditions can be diagnosed or predicted using various indicators which could be present in your writing.Here are a few of these medical conditions.1. Blood Pressure Level Graphology is capable of revealing the blood pressure level of a writer.If for instance, you are writing with different degrees of pressure, shifting between light handwriting and dark handwriting, this is indicative that you are battling with hypertension.So, if you notice that your writing exhibits pressure transitioning, you may need to check your blood pressure and see if there is a relation.2. Parkinson’s Disease Parkinson’s disease is a debilitating medical challenge and its symptoms in clude tremors. These tremors could be revealed in your handwriting if you suffer from it.However, graphologists look out for cramped or tiny handwriting as a major indicator for Parkinson’s disease.Hence, if you notice your writing is getting smaller and smaller you may want to head over to the doctor to check for Parkinson’s disease.3. Alzheimer’s Disease In the United States alone over 5.4 people are suffering from Alzheimer’s. Source: USAlzheimerThis makes it vital to find various ways of diagnosing this disease early enough.For people who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, they find it very comfortable to write using a fat pen which shows in the text.Furthermore, the handwriting of the person slows down and as the disease advances, the handwriting begins to deteriorate.Also, you would notice trembling, irregular letters, and altered handwriting, in the writing of people afflicted with the disease.Asides from this, arthritis also affects your fingers or hands if you are suffering from it, and this, in turn, changes your handwriting.This is because it becomes very hard to hold a pen properly and joint pain causes you to write in an angular fashion, and this angular form of writing can easily be distinguished before arthritis is diagnosed.Graphology has proven to be beneficial to various fields but has seen tremendous importance in the medical field as it helps people with underlying symptoms of vari ous medical challenges to quickly get diagnosed and start treatment.So asides from evaluating the mental health of the writer of a given text it plays an important role in physical health as well.WHAT YOUR WRITING SAYS ABOUT YOUTo shed more light on how your handwriting can be used to determine your personality, below is what your handwriting says about you.1. Size of the Letters The first thing that stands out in a persons writing is the size of the letters. By observing the size of the letters of a persons handwriting, the personality of the writer can be determined.There are three different sizes of handwriting and size has its n different meaning.Below are the sizes:A. Small Letters Small letters fall below the midline of the paper that is used by children when they are being taught how to write. If the size of your handwriting is below the faint midline then it is small in size.Small letters may be frustrating and difficult to read.When a persons handwriting is small it is an indication that the person is shy or timid. It also means the writer is a person that is intensely focused and highly meticulous. Small letters could also mean that the writer is retreating from society.B. Average Letters Unlike small letters, average letters hit the midline. They are slightly bigger than Small letters and easier to read than small letters. Average letters are about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters in size.Average letters mean that the person easily adjusts or adapts to conditions. It also means that the person is most likely not an extremist rather they occupy a middle ground.It also shows that the writer is balanced and can be both an extrovert and introvert. Their personality changes with the environment.C. Large Letters Large letters are usually big and they take up the entire line. It shows that the writer is an extrovert and very outgoing and has a big personality. Most celebrities have large writings.If your writing is large it means you love attention and you enjoy being the center of attention. It also indicates that the confidence you exude is just a pretense and that you desire to be something you are not.2. Slant Handwriting can slant to the left, right or not slant at all.Whether or not your handwriting slants to the left, right or doesnt slant at all, a lot can be said about your personality based on the presence or absence of slant in your handwriting.A. Left Slant if the letters in your writing slant to the left it means that you are a reserved person and that you enjoy your own company.It also means that you do not enjoy too much attention and you prefer to work behind the scenes. Right-handed people whose writing slants to the left most likely have tendencies to rebel.B. Right Slant If your writing slants to the right, it means that you are an outgoing person and you are open to new ideas, new experiences and you enjoy meeting new people. It also means that you have a keen interest in the future and you tend to be an adventurous pe rson.C. No Slant If your handwriting goes up and down without slanting to the right or left it means you are a logical person who doesnt allow his emotions to cloud his judgment. You are very rational and you love thinking things through before making any decision.3. How You Write L There are two ways people write the letter L   either with a full loop or without a loop at all.If your writing style is cursive, and there is just a little loop or no loop on your letter L” then it means that you are restricting yourself or that you are under some form of tension.On the other hand, if you naturally write in cursive and your L has a big full loop, it means you easily express yourself without difficulty, it also means you are a spontaneous person and you are relaxed.If the loop is wide and round, it is an indication that you are a good talker.4. How you write your E The way you wrote your letter E can give an insight into the type of person you are.First, if you write in cursive but y our E has a closed loop it means you are a skeptic and you do not allow your emotions to influence your decision making.Secondly, if your lowercase letter E is wide and fully looped, it means you are an open-minded and adventurous person who likes to try out new things and you can easily communicate new ideas with other people.5. How you write your I If your letter I has a wide loop, it means you are a spontaneous person. If it is retracted and narrow, it means you are not free, you are restricting yourself.In addition, the way you dot your lowercase letter i also tells a lot about your personality. If the dot is directly over the I it means that you are a very organized person and you pay attention to details.If on the other hand the dot is on the left of the letter I then it suggests that you like procrastination. If you circle the dot it means you are a visionary and have a childlike or playful attitude. If the dot is high on the page, it means that you have a very active imagina tion.In addition, the loops of the lowercase i represent your parents.The upper loop represents the maternal while the bottom loop represents the paternal if the upper loop is bigger than the lower loop it means your relationship with your maternal side is stronger than that of the paternal and vice versa.6. How you write Y The way you write your lowercase letter Y with cursive can give an idea about who you are.If the loop of your lowercase Y” is slender it means that you are picky when it comes to choosing friends.If the loop is big and broad it means that you have many friends.On the other hand, if the hook is short it means you are a homebody, but a long hook means that you have wanderlust.7. How you Cross your lowercase tWhen writing your lowercase T if it is crossed right in the middle it shows that you are a very comfortable and confident person. If the cross of the t” is long, it means that you are an enthusiastic and determined person with traces of stubborn tendencies. On the other hand, if the cross of the t” is short; it means that you are most likely a lazy person who lacks determination.If the cross is too low it means that you aim low and need to raise the bar for yourself, on the other hand, if it is crossed high up it means that you are a person who aims high and who has many goals.8. Pointed or Rounded Letters The roundness of pointedness of your letters says a lot about you. If your letters are rounded, it means you have artistic and creative abilities.Pointed letters, on the other hand, could mean that you are intelligent but have some aggression bottled inside.For example, a pointy lowercase S means that you are an intellectual who likes to study and is very ambitious, the higher the point of the S the higher the degree of ambition.Rounded S means that you can easily compromise in order to please people and to avoid confrontation.If the S is open at the bottom it could be an indication that you are not following your heart or doing wh at you enjoy.9. How you write A and O Graphologists consider A and O letters to be communication letters and can be used to determine how much you communicate.If your A and O are not completely written, it means that you are not good at keeping secrets, you are an extrovert and you are very social.A perfectly circled and nearly closed “O” on the other hand shows that you are discreet; it means you are an introvert and enjoy your company.10. Spacing Examining the gaps between words and letters can enable a graphologist to know your personality.Letters and words that are bunched together mean that the person feels isolated and dislikes being alone and desire to be around people and also have issues respecting the privacy of people around them.People who leave large gaps between the words are people that like being left alone, though value their freedom and dont enjoy being overwhelmed.CONCLUSIONAs weve already seen your handwriting says so much about you.Ranging from your psycholo gical state to your physical health, you can know so much about you simply by understanding the signs your body gives you through your written text.

Eugenics and Planned Parenthood Essay - 1405 Words

When one contemplates the concept of eugenics, few think of modern contraception and abortion when in reality they are one in the same. The American Eugenics Society, founded in 1923, proudly proclaimed that men with incurable â€Å"conditions† should be sterilized. However these conditions were often none that could be helped, such as, one’s intelligence, race, and social class (Schweikart and Allen 529-532). The purpose of the society was to create the perfect class of men; elite in all ways. Likewise, Margaret Sanger’s feminist, contraceptive movement was not originally founded with this purpose. It was marketed as a way to control the population and be merciful to those yet to be born, again determined also by race and†¦show more content†¦A superior race determined by ethnic origin, intelligence, and even physical appearance. Margaret Sanger built upon Davenport’s movement through the concept of contraception rather than sterilization. Altho ugh her initial purpose was not to create a superior race, the contraception movement had an equally detrimental effect upon society. Fuelled by the anger from her mother’s death, Sanger wrote The Woman Rebel advocating controlling who could reproduce (Citation). Just as Davenport, she had criteria for those she wished to eliminate including, Jews, Blacks, and Chinese (Schweikart and Allen 529-532). She also believed that large families were wasteful and wrong. In her book Women and the New Race, Sanger stated that â€Å"the most merciful thing a large family could do to new baby is to kill it.† She believed he could not be properly loved and cared for and furthermore considered him a waste of resources(â€Å"Margaret Sanger: Family Planning†). Her articles were condemned illegal and she fled to England where she truly let her colors show. She established the Birth Control Review in 1917 and wrote pro eugenics articles including â€Å"Some Moral Aspects of Euge nics† and â€Å"Birth Control and Positive Eugenics†. The positive response in England encouraged Sanger to return to the U.S to market birth control in a more palatable fashion as family planning. ThisShow MoreRelatedEugenics Movement And The American Community1395 Words   |  6 Pagesprevent the impregnation of â€Å"bad genes† into the American community. Eugenics seemed to offer that solution. Eugenics still implements their version of â€Å"population control† and/or â€Å"family-planning† in our society today and we don’t even know it. We play along and support without even knowing why we’re playing along or what we are supporting. To help open the eyes of the majority, we need to go back in time and show how the â€Å"Eugenics Movement† started. How the country we love so much, did not love usRead MoreThe Supreme Court Decision Of Roe V. Wade1376 Words   |  6 Pagesin pro-life principles is because they believe that the legality and acceptance of abortion promotes an environment in which life is no longer considered sacred and no longer valued. Pro-lifers also recognize eugenic termination as a blatant form of discrimination against the disabled. Eugenic termination is the termination of a pregnancy due some sort of genetic abnormality that the baby is to be born with. Another way that discrimination is found in abortion is that abortion significantly affectsRead MoreEugenics Is The Idea Of Eugenics1714 Words   |  7 Pagesto eliminate undesired traits and disease? Eugenics is the idea that future generations can be improved through the selection of desirable characteristics. Some find eugenics to be taboo and artificial. Others find it to be the key to improving the gene pool of the human population (â€Å"Sir Francis Galton†). By learning more about the origin, use, and effects of eugenics, one can better speculate on its place in society today. The origin of eugenics goes back to ancient times. People have consistentlyRead MoreDr. Randall K. O’Bannon’S Winter Of 2013 Article â€Å"40 Years:1163 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"40 Years: Planned Parenthood Becomes Abortion Empire† published on the National Right to Life News website was another voiced opinion added to the debate of the controversial funding of Planned Parenthood. As director of education and research at National Right to Life Center (NRLC) and an active member of Manassas Assembly of God Church, O’Bannon has made his audience aware of his knowledge and passion of the subject, and has written many other articles concerning Planned Parenthood (PPFA), itsRead MoreMargaret Sanger s The Prevention Of African American Births1802 Words   |  8 PagesSanger. ïÆ'Ëœ Sanger planned the First World Population Conference in Geneva and invited known racists:, Henry Fairchild, Edward East, Clarence Little, and Raymond Pearl. ïÆ'Ëœ Sanger spoke at a Ku Klux Klan meeting. She claimed she acheived her goal and several similar organizations invited her to speak. ïÆ'Ëœ She complained foreigners were â€Å"ignorant of hygiene and the conditions of modern life.† Also noting that they lived in the slums and brought the value of cities down. 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Educational Progress With Children Who Have Intellectual...

Topic Behavioral principles have long been employed to achieve educational progress with children who have intellectual disabilities (Drew Hardman, 2007). An issue of substantial concern is behaviors that may be self-injurious or dangerous to those surrounding the individual. In order to prevent occurrences of inappropriate behavior, family members and the educational staff must put effective interventions into place. These behavior procedures include the use of punishment and aversive consequences, and are sometimes put forth by professionals to change inappropriate behavior (Drew Hardman, 2007). However, controversy exists over the social and ethical issues involved with the implementation of aversive procedures, especially when working with young children. Aversive techniques have received considerable attention in the field of educating children with intellectual disabilities and are seen by many professionals and parents as being unethical and unnecessary. The use of aversive techniques is one of the most frequently discussed issues in the field of developmental disabilities and one of the most important topics in behavior modification (Goza, Rickettes, Perkins, 1993). Treatments for children or other persons who have difficulty in protecting their rights directly are often scrutinized by other persons such as parents, judges, institutional review committees, whose task is to evaluate their acceptability (Kazdin, 1984). Since individuals with intellectualShow MoreRelatedIndividuals With Disabilities Education Act1688 Words   |  7 Pages INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT IDEA - - - - A law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. IDEA governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education, and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities. http://idea.ed.gov/ IDEA -Was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to receive a free appropriateRead MoreStudents With Intellectual Disabilities ( Id )1107 Words   |  5 Pagesstudents with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) in a classroom setting. I had interviewed Ms. Chisolm (Special Education Teacher) for the Jersey City Public Schools District, who works with students of multiple disabilities. Intelligence disabilities (ID) mean the mental capabilities of a child’s knowledge and skills. Intellectual disability can be developed during childbirth or before the age of eighteen. It is imperative for me to know, â€Å"What are the characteristics of students with intellectual disabilitiesRead MoreUnderstanding Special Education Essay example1239 Words   |  5 PagesEducation is a birthright of every child. Special education involves the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses a students’ individual disa bilities and requirements. These programs are designed so that special learners may learn skills which will assist them in coming closer in learning to children without disabilities. The field of special education has moved from a perspective of protection and caretaking to an emphasis on learning and growth. The question is not whether studentsRead MoreThe Field Of Special Education1387 Words   |  6 PagesThe commitment of teaching in the field of special education is challenging. 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When they perform way below the average, we say they are children with learning disabilities. Like any other child, these children with exceptionalities

Policies and Procedures for Promoting Positive Behaviour Free Essays

Policies and procedures for promoting positive behaviour Policy/procedure |Summary | | | | | |Self esteem | | | | | |Valuing each child’s individuality, | | |Believing that children are capable of making choices, accepting responsibility and acting accordingly, | |Behaviour policy |Providing opportunities for success, | | |Viewing success in terms of personal progression rather than being in competition with others, | | |Praising achievements, | | |Promoting the acceptance of others, | | |Clearly demonstrating that we value their work, | | |Building into the curriculum activities which develop the child’s ability to express his/her feelings, through the sharing circle, co-operative games | | |and Drama. | | | | | |Physical environment | | | | |Attractive, comfortable well-resourced and well managed classrooms, | | |Displays of children’s work to show it is highly valued, | | |Tidy and accessible resources demonstrate that children are trusted to organis e themselves for work and that they know how to use and care for things. | | | | | | | | | | |Classroom management | | | | | |Work must be matched to their ability so that success is possible for all, | | |Children must know what they are doing and why, | | |Classroom rules are devised by children themselves to ensure standards of behaviour, | | |Rules should be few in number, prominently displayed and referred to often, | | |We must set high standards, praise quickly and consistently – looking out for and rewarding good behaviour, | | |We must be firm, fair and supportive, | |Know children as individuals, to be active listeners, to refer to the behaviour rather than the child, | | | | | |Be polite to everyone | |Code of conduct |Talk quietly and listen carefully | | |Always tell the truth | | |Treat others as you would wish them to treat you | | |Be patient and wait your turn | | | | |Rewards and sanctions |House points | | | | | |The children can earn house poi nts for:- | | | | | |Quality of work Good Behaviour | | |An excellent piece of work Being polite, etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Policies and Procedures for Promoting Positive Behaviour or any similar topic only for you Order Now | |An improving piece of work | | | | | |Dinner Supervisors Stickers | | | | | |Dinner supervisors can award stickers for good behaviour during lunchtime. | | | | | | | |Barney Stickers | | | | | |This is Crooksbarn School’s main method of rewarding positive behaviour. It is used by the class teacher throughout the school and indicates | | |excellent standards of work and/or behaviour by a child. Only 1 may be awarded each day, the children can wear them for 1 day then they are | | |transferred to a collecting chart displayed in the classroom. Once the child has succeeded in gaining 3 ‘Barnies’ he/she is awarded a ‘Head Teacher’s| | |Barney that is presented by the Head Teacher at the whole school assembly on Monday Mornings. An additional award is given out by the Head Teacher to| | |any child who has gained 9 ‘Barnies’ during the course of the school year | | | | | |Get rid of anyone not involved in the conflict as violence thrives on witnesses. | |Don’t put yourself at risk, alert colleagues, enlist their help. | |Dealing with conflict and inappropriate behaviour |Asses a situation first. | | |Be calm, don’t take it personally. | | |Use verbal intervention first. | | |It may be worse to add another person to a gang situation, if it cannot be sorted out and the conflict/inappropriate behaviour goes out of your | | |control call another member of staff and in the worse case scenario call the police. | | | | |Positively encourage the caring and nurturing side of child ren whilst openly and actively discourage bullying | | |Work for a caring, cooperative ethos (home corner, paired, group work etc. ) | |Anti-bullying |Discuss friendships – this should be covered through PSHE and citizenship scheme of work. However, children should receive regular reminders of this. | | |Ensure adequate supervision in playgrounds. | |Value and encourage being different and having high self-esteem. | | | | | | | | |Helping to create a pattern of regular attendance is everybody’s responsibility, parents, pupils and all members of school staff, | |Attendance |To help us focus on this we will report to arents/carers annually on their child’s attendance with the annual school report, | | |Contact the parent/carer if their child’s attendance falls below the school’s target for attendance, | | |Celebrate good attendance by displaying individual and class achievements, | | |Reward good or improving attendance through class competitions , certificates and outings/events. | | |Every half-day absence from school has to be classified by the school (not the parents), as either AUTHORISED or UNAUTHORISED. This is why | | |information about the cause of any absence is always required, | | |Any periods of leave taken without the agreement of the school, or in excess of that agreed, will be classed as unauthorised and may attract sanctions| | |such as a Penalty Notice. | | |The minimum level of attendance for any child at Crooksbarn School is 90% attendance | How to cite Policies and Procedures for Promoting Positive Behaviour, Papers

Multinational Enterprises and Small and Medium

Introduction Multinational enterprises (MNEs) from the TRIAD have dominated business on the international stage for decades with roughly 70% of world trade conducted by MNEs and their affiliates (The economy: Economic structure, 2006: 29 – 31).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More MNEs from the TRIAD have had to come up with innovative ways of working with companies from emerging economies in a manner that enables them to continue to dominate the world markets for both parties to benefit. This paper will look at how the MNEs from the TRIAD have continued to control a significant share of the world markets, and how their relationships with the SMEs in the emerging economies will evolve due to changing market dynamics. Dominance within International Markets Control, this concept is the underlying factor behind the do minance of MNEs within international markets wherein 70% of global trade at present is controlled by 500 corporations originating from the TRIAD. What must be understood is that unlike SMEs, MNEs are able to exert far more influence over the general public through better public relations, marketing, and advertising, which results in higher product patronage. Take the case of the U.S. for instance, within the country alone nearly 75% of commercial TV time, as well as 50% of public TV, is paid for by the 100 largest corporations within the state. Aside from sleeping and eating watching TV is actually the 3rd most time consuming activity done by a majority of people today, since MNEs practically dominate the advertising scene in this regard this positions them to sustain their current market shares better while at the same time enabling them to penetrate new markets which result in such companies being able to retain and increase consumer patronage of their products. Such a situation i s not exclusive only to the U.S. but rather is prolific in Japanese, European markets as well as in the markets of developing countries. The result is that this enables MNEs to virtually control nearly all aspects related to a customer’s perception of a particular product allowing to ensure that no other outcome except theirs will be bought. This, of course, translates into higher corporate profits in the long run as well as ensuring their long term survival and dominance. Another â€Å"control factor† that enables MNEs to dominate international markets it is their use of public policy influence initiatives to better align government initiatives and policies towards their own corporate goals. The following are examples of the various public policy influence initiatives in multiple countries which show the degree of MNE influence in governments today:Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OF F Learn More The lobbying of gun, alcohol and cigarette companies in the U.S. to sustain their ability to sell products which virtually kill hundreds of people a year without having to pay high corporate taxes to the government The influence of farmer groups within the E.U. which lead to the creation of CARP (Common Agricultural Policy) which cost the region billions of dollars a year in wasted overproduced products (under the Common Agricultural Policy the government is under the obligation to buy the excess production of farms which lead to numerous MNE associated farms producing far more than local demand) The machinations of MNEs within Japan who through their various corporate associated government officials enabled such companies to construct (at taxpayers’ expense) numerous useless roads and highways to far-flung areas that did not justify their creation. Other such examples take the form of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, which was ratified by most of the members of the United Nations. This agreement which focuses on the intellectual property right of countries and corporations has been highly criticized as being a tool to protect corporate interests and to abuse the traditional knowledge of developing countries by ensuring that corporations will benefit more from the protection of IPR (intellectual property rights) as compared to local indigenous communities (Panchak, 2004: 9). From both domestic policy and international relations standpoint, MNEs have a considerable degree of control over policy creation which they utilize as a means of protecting and maintaining their dominance within global markets (Kuhndt, Von Geibler Villar, 2003: 7-9). The last way in which TRIAD MNE’s have sustained their dominance within international markets has been through their superior supply chain and capital (Sullivan Bauerschmidt, 1991: 111-124). These companies are able to not only obtain variou s resources from a variety of locations cheaply and quickly but through their supply chain are able to manufacture and deliver their products to customers at an astounding rate (James, 2011: 52). Coupled with their considerable capital, these companies are able to weather the â€Å"storm† of fluctuating markets, enabling them to become dominant forces in the global economy (Lee, 2002: 32). Evidence of this can be seen in the way in which the 2008 financial crisis only â€Å"hampered† the operations of many MNEs, but within 2 years, they were making considerable profits in no time. This was unlike the situation SMEs at the time wherein hundreds if not thousands of SMEs around the world closed as a direct result of the impact of the financial crisis on their client base. The relationship between MNEs within the TRIAD and SMEs in low-cost economies When examining the relationship between MNEs within the TRIAD it can roughly be described as a â€Å"love/hate relationshipà ¢â‚¬  wherein where the interests of MNEs coincide there is a more significant deal of cooperation and mutual respect for the other however in cases of direct competition there is of course instances of direct conflict which more often than not results in adverse relationships (Muchlinski, 2011: 665).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Multinational Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the case of MNEs and SMEs within low-cost economies, it can be examined in terms of the â€Å"core and periphery system† wherein MNEs act as the core supplying completed products to the periphery which in turn serve as selling such products to their customers (Polak, 2006: 13). Another relationship in this regard is when the MNEs (still acting as the core) outsource to SMEs (the periphery) in order to lower their business expenditures. In this particular case it the relationsh ip takes the form of a supply linkage were in all examples provided the core benefits more from the relationship than the periphery. Evolution of the Relationship of relationships between the TRIAD MNEs and SMEs within China, India, and Brazil There are many ways in which the relationship between TRIAD MNEs and SMEs within China, India, and Brazil can be defined however for this paper they will be examined from the context of supply/service linkages. First and foremost, what must be understood is that TRIAD MNEs often outsource various aspects of their production processes to SMEs within China, India, and Brazil. The reason behind this is quite simple; producing various products is far cheaper in these countries as compared to providing the same products in the U.S., Europe or Japan. Labor costs are considerably less expensive as well as the cost of utilities, and local government taxes are often far less as compared to that of 1st world countries (Wang, Ralston, 2000:677-701). Thi s has resulted in the modern-day trend of a large percentage of MNEs closing down their local production plants and transferring them to India, China, and Brazil. What must be understood though is that this relationship between TRIAD MNEs and the SMEs within the indicated countries all hinges on the fact that production in these countries is far cheaper as compared to that of the TRIAD. Should other cheaper alternatives present themselves, it would be logical to assume that MNEs would shift their operations to these new locations (Gao, 2009: 13). One example where this is occurring in the present can be seen in the case between the Philippines and India. For years India has been the â€Å"go-to† location for the outsourcing of back-office processes and customer service centers due to its well-established I.T. infrastructure and English speaking population. Yet within the past 5 years, the Philippines has overtaken India as the location of choice for the establishment of new c all centers and off-shored back offices. Other such examples can be seen in the case of Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and other countries located within the Asia-Pacific region wherein due to improvements in their local industrial sectors local SMEs have slowly but surely begun to build up an entourage of MNE clients at the expense of India, China, and Brazil.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When taking this into consideration, it is evident that the evolution of such a relationship is that eventually TRIAD MNEs will merely have SMEs within China, India, and Brazil as distributors of their products and will not use them at all for the production of their goods or services. On the other hand, another possible result would be that TRIAD MNEs would further deepen their relationship with SMEs in Brazil, China, and India as a means of ensuring reliability within their supply chain in order to better supply emerging economies. The reason behind is connected to the fact that the â€Å"grey market† (this consists of various personally owned stands, stalls, and unregulated stores within a variety of emerging economies) have been shown to account for 3/4ths of all local trade within a range of countries. When examining the numbers, the â€Å"grey market† in some countries (mainly India, China, and Brazil) brings in millions of dollars in revenue per month. When exam ining such a phenomenon in action various MNEs such as Coca Cola, Nestle, Unilever, etc. support such SMEs by continuing to do business with them through multiple distribution centers. With various reports showing the continued growth of the grey economy in different emerging low cost economies the end result could be that MNEs might continue to establish relationships with India, China, and Brazil as a means of servicing the needs of this particular market segment given the geographic location of the aforementioned countries which enables them to directly trade with grey market distributors. Conclusion Based on the information presented in this paper it can be seen that MNEs will continue to be the dominant players in the global economy by their supply chain, capital expenditures and influence in both government and international policies as well and marketing/advertising initiatives. With the emergence of new low cost economies it is likely that MNEs will shift resources to either outsource in these economies instead of in Brazil, India, and China (as seen in the case of the Philippines) or they will try to meet the demand of the emerging grey market through better-established production and distribution centers in the aforementioned countries. Reference List Gao, TE 2009, ‘What Causes Multinational Companies to Increase Resource Commitments During Financial Crises in Emerging Markets?’, Multinational Business Review (St. Louis University), 17, 2, p. 13, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost. James, D 2011, ‘PLAY WITH THE BIG BOYS’, Brw, 33, 3, p. 52, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost. Kuhndt, M, Von Geibler, J, Villar, A 2003, ‘Challenges for SMEs in a globalized world economy’, Industry Environment, 26, 4, pp. 7-9, GreenFILE, EBSCOhost. Lee, J 2002, ‘China, Here We Come’, Asian Business, 38, 2, p. 32, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Muchlinski, P 2011, ‘The Changing Face of Transnational Business Governan ce: Private Corporate Law Liability and Accountability of Transnational Groups in a Post-Financial Crisis World’, Indiana Journal Of Global Legal Studies, 18, 2, pp. 665-705, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost. Panchak, P 2004, ‘Fanning Protectionism’s Flames’, Industry Week/IW, 253, 6, p. 9, MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost, Polak, R 2006, ‘The Goldilocks approach to international benefits’, Employee Benefit News, 20, 13, pp. 16-18, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Sullivan, D, Bauerschmidt, A 1991, ‘The â€Å"Basic Concepts† ot International Business Strategy: A Review and Reconsideration’, Management International Review (MIR), 31, 4, pp. 111-124, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. ‘The economy: Economic structure’ 2006, Country Profile. Japan, pp. 29-31, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. Wang, X, Ralston, D 2000, ‘Strategies for Small and Medium-Sized U.S. Businesses Investing in China: Lessons f rom Taiwanese Companies’, Thunderbird International Business Review, 42, 6, pp. 677-701, Business Source Premier, EBSCOhost. This essay on Multinational Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises was written and submitted by user Cailyn Cruz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay

Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essay Basic Elements of a Data Warehouse essayDate warehouses are defined as subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant collection of data in support of management decisions. Their architecture is based on relational database management system server functioning as central repository for information data. The central information repository is surrounded by different components designed to make the environment functional, accessible and manageable for both the operational systems and the end user query.Unlike database that is merely a collection of related data and database system, a data warehouse is a collection of large amounts of data from multiple sources and a supporting system optimized for access and designed to support efficient extraction, processing and presentation of data for different purposes. Thus, warehouses are able to store and manage large volumes of data for complex analysis. There are several key components of data warehousing. The first component is operational source systems that hold the transactional data and have little control over the format and content of the data and maintain little historical data. Another component is data staging area that stores data and encompasses a set of process between the operational source systems and the data presentation area. The process is generally called extract-transformation-load, the first step of which is extraction. It presupposes reading and understanding the source data and copying it into the staging area for further transformation. After cleansing the data and doing other relevant manipulations the quality assured data is loaded in a data warehouse. Another essential component of a data warehouse is data presentation area that is a set of integrated data marts. The data is selected according to the business needs, it is atomic, detailed and logically organized as well as finally made available for direct querying. Data marts are sets of summarized and aggregated data that take less time and are cheaper. One more component of a data warehouse is data access tools. All data access tools query the data in the data presentation area and are the software like Cognos 10 and Roambi. Depending on the purpose they can be either elementary or sophisticated. Tools may fall into the following categories: query and reporting tools, online analytical processing tools, application development tools and data mining tools. Every data warehouse has meta data that is used for its maintaining and managing, it helps users to understand content, find data and can be classified into technical meta data and business meta data. The former contains data about warehouse for designers and administrators, while the latter gives users easy access to information. In business data warehousing is used to support management decision making and provide efficient storage, functionality and responsiveness. Moreover, data warehouses are indispensible when an enterprise has to facilitate complex and frequent ad hoc queries, it provides effective query support, gives historical information for analysis, supplements disaster recovery plans etc.Data warehouses merge data from different sources into one database and analyze development over time, they perform integration of disparate data sources. Managers and executives no longer have to make decisions based on limited data. Warehousing offers considerable flexibility in operational systems and simplify the processes of data reporting and analysis. Thus, it improves the efficiency of decision-making. Presently warehousing is still expensive and only successful corporations implement it, however, if data warehouses are designed properly and function adequately, they give a company numerous benefits, generate higher amounts of revenue, provide considerable cost and time savings etc.

Brewing Beer at the White House - First Homebrewer President

Brewing Beer at the White House - First Homebrewer President Lots of American presidents enjoyed their booze, and many brewed their own beer. George Washington was well known as a  home brewer and made  his own porter and whiskey at Mount Vernon. Thomas Jefferson did the same thing at  Monticello. But  the first American president known to have brewed his own beer on the grounds of the White House in  Washington, D.C. was Barack Obama, who made porter and ale beginning in his first term. As far as we know the White House Honey Brown Ale is the first alcohol brewed or distilled on the White House grounds, wrote  Sam Kass, the White House senior policy adviser on  nutrition  policy, in September 2012. George Washington brewed beer and distilled whiskey at Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson made wine but theres no evidence that any beer has been brewed in the White House. Obama as Home Brewer Obama began brewing beer in 2011 after the president bought his first home-brewing kit. He started brewing beer because he was in search of a hobby, according  to  published reports. Shortly after his home-brewing activities were made public, the  American Homebrewers Association made Obama a lifetime member. Though beer has long been part of the country’s history and traditions, Obama made history when, as president, he purchased a homebrewing kit and then - alongside chef Kass - spearheaded the effort to brew White House Honey Ale, the first beer known to have been brewed in the White House, the association wrote. About the Obama White House Beer The Obama staff made at least three difference styles of beer: a brown ale, a porter, and a blonde ale. All three were brewed with honey that was drawn from a beehive on the South Lawn of the White House. The honey gives the beer a rich aroma and a nice finish but it doesnt sweeten it, the White House said of the ingredient. The names of the  Obama White House beers were: White House Honey Brown AleWhite House Honey PorterWhite House Honey Blonde When Obama ran for a second term in  the 2012 presidential election, he  stocked his campaign buses with the White House brews. While  the White House brewed  the beer, it did not market or sell the beer publicly. It did,  however, publish the recipes for likeminded home brewers to try. Both the brown ale and honey porter were given good marks by fellow home brewers. Remarked Ray Daniels, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"They are both pretty malty and on the sweeter side of the scale in overall balance. That will certainly make them crowd pleasers or at least unobjectionable to a broad range of people.† Wrote critic Gary Dzen in The Boston Globe: The White House knew what they were doing when they brewed this beer. Its approachable enough to serve to casual beer enthusiasts but flavorful enough to be interesting to those of us who know what we want our beer to taste like. Why Beer for Obama Obama is a beer drinker who was known to invite members of Congress and other important figures in American politics to the White House to talk and quaff a brew or two. In 2009, for example, Obama called what came to be known as a beer summit between himself,  Vice President Joe Biden, Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Cambridge, Mass. police Sergeant James Crowley.  Obama invited the men to the White House to talk over beers after police in Crowleys force arrested  Gates at his home.

Organizational Communication Unit 6 Project Essay

Organizational Communication Unit 6 Project - Essay Example This includes the network of repeated interpersonal strategies for coping with interpersonal and organizational events that are stressful and perceived as threatening. Interpretation of individual and collective organizational meanings is the avenue to understanding organizational identity. With respect to transference and dynamics, psychoanalytic action researchers learn to use themselves (the self as the core of the personality and interpersonal experience) as instruments of organizational study. Empathy and introspection become necessary skills in helping subjects to share feelings and ideas that previously could not be discussed. One's perception of the organization and his or her role identity in it is directly linked to the nature of interpersonal relationships between and among organizational participants (Schien, 2000). Authority and peer relations may rekindle frustrated needs among adults in work organizations. Stressful organizational events such as change in leadership, retrenchment, cutbacks, policy or budgetary revisions, and shifts of political climate can foster psychologically regressive and defensive responses among members (Chil d, 2005). In my private life and at work, I use different strategies to enact and embody multiple and intersecting identities. The strategies are interpersonal communication, evaluation of gender differences, accounts of individual and collective identity, evaluation of cultural and social discourses. The desire to merge with the sameness of the other is the overarching theme of this organization's adaptive response to its environment. organizational identity implies that many repetitive and, frequently ritualistic, patterns of interaction within work groups and among participants are, for organizational members, purposeful, but not necessarily conscious, psychological defenses against threatening events and relationships. These defensive patterns, ultimately, result in the construction of rational administrative processes of organizations that regulate threats to personal security and self-esteem by structuring and defining organizational life. On the cultural level, this means leaders and p eers who have common interests, values, and goals; on the psychological level, it means organizations dominated by patterns transference in which organizational participants look to each other as mentors and egos, or kindred spirits. In private life and at work, I frame my identity in accordance with life situations and people I have to communicate with. Gaining insights into the emotional dimensions of their relations can enable them with the help of a consultant to clarify and resolve differences, improve coordination, and thereby consider alternative ways of interacting at work. Psychoanalytic organization theory views feelings as the unconscious foundation from which everything else emerges in the context of organizational culture. Let's conclude with an elaboration of this point. People use their organizations for unconscious reasons such as defending themselves against certain anxieties, renewing a sense of lost omnipotence, enhancing their self-esteem, and resolving incomplete developmental issues; as targets of aggression; and as a

Clinical Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Clinical Psychology - Essay Example In this disorder, the patient may at one point, feel very low or depressed; in another instant, he may feel very high and elated. The depressed mood usually manifests in the patient first; so a patient may be diagnosed first as clinically depressed then later, when manic episodes manifest, he may be diagnosed with bipolar disorder (National Health Services, 2009). Because of the erratic manifestations of this disease, it is often misdiagnosed as either clinical depression or schizophrenia. Most often, for many years, patients are treated for the wrong illness and manifestations seem to indicate that applied interventions are not effective for the patients. Consequently, this disease has become an important concern among mental health professionals and among sufferers. Latest figures from the World Health Organization (as cited by the Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008) reveal that bipolar disorder is the 6th leading cause of disability in the world, with women 3 times more likely than men to experience rapid cycling. Women are also more likely to experience depressive and mixed moods as compared to men; and women are more likely to be misdiagnosed as depressed and men would most likely be diagnosed as schizophrenic (Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008). As was previously mentioned, instances of misdiagnosis is prevalent in bipolar disorders and the World Health Organization (as cited by Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008) affirms this fact as they reveal that only 1 person in 4 is likely to receive an accurate diagnosis for this disease. This disease has also been known to cause 9.2 years reduction in the expected life span of bipolar patients (Australia Bipolar Schizoaffective Support Network, 2008). Based on statistics from the Department of Health in the United Kingdom, they reveal that bipolar

Case Study: HSBC Balance Scorecard

Case Study: HSBC Balance Scorecard HSBC Holdings plc is a global financial services company in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. As of 2010 it is the sixth largest bank in the world and the Financial Services Group and the company ranked eighth is a composite measure of Forbes magazine. On June 30, 2010, it had total assets of 2.418 trillion U.S. dollars, about half in Europe, fourth in the U.S. and a quarter was in Asia. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1991 in London by The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, to serve as a new group Holding Company and to allow the acquisition of British Midland Bank. The bank origins in Hong Kong and Shanghai where the branch was opened in 1865. HSBC is a universal bank. It is organized into four business segments: Commercial Banking, Global Banking and Markets (Investment Banking) Financial Services (retail banking) and Private Banking. HSBC first listing is on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the FTSE 100 Index. It has a secondary listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (which is a component of the Hang Seng Index), the New York Stock Exchange, Euro next Paris and Bermuda Stock Exchange à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬. Since August 2010, it was the largest company on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of 115.8 billion pounds that had been achieved. The balanced scorecard developed in 1992, belongs to a strategic management system that includes efficient implementation and effective policies and tasks necessary to promote the companys customers, employees and management meet. The usage of the e Balanced Scorecard can actually vary depending on the structure and philosophy of the company. But in the case of HSBC, it centralizes the use of Balanced Scorecard in a single department. The Balance Scorecard may also be able to identify closely with managers and solve a variety of problems. Background and problems The research problem to be addressed: A study to analyze financial performance and management of HSBC The researcher wants to highlight: A. Financial Perspective B. Customer perspective-which is an approximation of HSBCs efforts to reach target groups C. Business Process perspective shows an alignment of key business processes from HSBC D. Lessons and prospects for growth shows an approximation of the learning curve HSBC Research Objective à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The researcher wants the vision of HSBC leading operational objectives. Communicate the vision and the individual results. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The researcher wants to organize wants to commute the HSBCs Business planning, Feedback and learning and then adjusting the strategy accordingly using the balance scorecard Literature Review / Theoretical Framework HSBC is to have sustainable growth as a market leader in the overall market in financial and insurance sectors, as well as leadership in this segment. In both cases, the insurance and financial services at HSBC will play a crucial role. HSBC is able to provide overall guidance to the rule through the acquisition of other banks and financial institutions and utilities are combined into a new, large undertaking. Train their employees, business processes and introduction of new technologies will strengthen the positions of the various financing with HSBC Insurance. This means in practice in the economies of scale to be able to create a distribution network for local and international financing and insurance services. When a market is already controlled by other companies, HSBC has devoted his attention to the development of a premium segment with its funds and various insurance services (2004). HSBC aims to ensure sustainable growth, while continually improving the profitability of the company. The strategy to achieve this consists of four elements: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The struggle for leadership positions in attractive markets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Always focus on the sharing of financial and competitive segments of the insurance industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work to improve business processes efficiency and reduce operational costs. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continued growth through targeted acquisitions, if they are able to create added value for shareholders. Balanced Scorecard and HSBCs Improvement 1)Translating HSBCs vision into operational goals. The appearance of the Panel of the economy reflects the difficulty in managing the growing need for organizations, that require the effective use of valuable resources such as money, materials, equipment and people. And HSBC is no exception to them. That is why the Balanced Scorecard is used by the company to the most effective ways to use their resources through the application of methods of analysis disciplines such as mathematics, science and engineering to determine coordinate derivatives (2003). Through this process, problems with HSBC meet operational objectives in different ways and alternative solutions are then forwarded to management. Management then selects the appropriate measures in accordance with business objectives. Often, the Balanced Scorecard complex issues within HSBC and the high level strategy, resource allocation, design, production and prices and the analysis of large databases. 2) Communicate the vision and the individual results. All businesses and organizations are governed by their goals and tasks. These objectives are often considered a corporate vision or business philosophy .Therefore, some strategies are implemented to achieve these objectives, and is a key element in the characterization of a company or organization. The staff is clearly a key indicator to determine the characteristics of a business or organization. It is known to play a crucial role of human resources for HSBC differentiation and a potent source of competitiveness for the company. Thats why HSBC is constantly investing in the development of human resources, even in times of recession. But determining the extent that HSBC may want to develop human resources depends on its financial performance for a specific period of time. With the Balanced Scorecard from HSBC in the last decade has transformed operations at very low levels of writers to the success of the organization . However, budgets are also increasing at a rate faster than the gross national product. In the midst of this influence on growth and increase, managers and executives from HSBC are misled by the question: How to invest in human resource development? Certainly the answer will not be easy, especially since the actual level of expenditure is often an elusive figure, depending on the financial performance of the organization. However, the balance scorecard allows at HSBCs investment in human resources development to be determined. 3) Business Planning Operational planning is a necessary function within HSBC. In most financial and insurance companies that process is often very difficult due to the rapid evolution and the occurrence of unanticipated events. HSBC uses different methods depending on the speed of customer demand and level of financing, insurance. However, HSBC aims to change for each transaction is not: the efficiency and effectiveness Business planning by HSBC for its activities and resources will be implemented over time coordinates. This allows the company to achieve its goals with minimal resources. Business planning also enables the company to the status of their business plans at regular intervals to monitor and control operations. Planning activities of HSBC is in four elements: planning, production planning, financial planning and budgeting. The program includes the specification of the onset, duration or length, and at the end of planned activities. Work planning is to allocate the necessary staff and delegation of responsibilities and resources Financial planning is to identify the types and needs in terms of equipment. Cost planning is to determine the costs and the possibility of occurrence. 4) feed back and learning strategy and adaptations accordingly. One of the most important factors in improving HSBC is to measure the implementation and use of the Balanced Scorecard as a performance indicator and measures around customer satisfaction. These measures or indicators are measurable characteristics of products and services company that HSBC is normally used to study and improve performance. The indicators are chosen that are able to cover the essential factors that are essential for improving the operational and financial performance of HSBC. Through analysis of accurate information from monitoring processes, measures or indicators themselves may be analyzed and to increase its support for the objectives of this type. Methodology: There is certainly a need to reconcile both the inside and outside functions. While HSBCs operations management involves focusing on the usage of the balanced scorecard as its core competency with market position following its resource base, the company will be at a disadvantage if it neglects the macro and finance and the industry environment. Therefore, HSBC has to be aware of recent changes in the management of operations and changes in the political, economic, legal and demographic or develop customer outside functions such as identifying the market, the link Technology channel bonding, and monitoring. The benefits derived by HSBC, is to use the Balanced Scorecard as from higher incomes. Knowing what the market demands and trends could help the company come to fully exploit its research and development capabilities with insurance and financial services which are not only profitable but also high quality. The strategic option as a marketing tool, where attention to the proximity with customers and focus their comments. On the other side of the coin, there is a great mobilization of resources and risks associated with HSBC will be granted. However, the above option seems to be a practical strategy in the wake of globalization, because there is an abrupt change towards a more integrated global economy and independently. Key stakeholders should not object if HSBC heart of business is not threatened. Centralized control of the company activity is anticipated that key obstacles should exist in the exercise of this option, unless additional time is necessary, given the scope and duration of operations of HSBC. In the meantime, the partnership with HSBCs main competitors is ridiculous at first glance as a measure. But after careful consideration, the measure could pave the way for the company to continue to improve its management. The conclusion is that both parties are increasingly significant in this type of alliance. High performance measurement in operations management capabilities can be combined with their competitors suddenly invincible force that has transformed HSB. Another failure could be possible if one of the competitors of HSBC are in the need for alliances. However, the question remains whether HSBC might be able to implement any of these options, and if these options may be acceptable to key stakeholders. Any merger or alliance may be the exchange of knowledge. This company has always supported the approach of the Interior. It is important to note that the merger could be many implications for HSBC :values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹and culture and resources. Key stakeholders would certainly be affected by options and must be convinced of the positive aspects. Somehow, HSBC will be able to overcome this barrier in the process of implementing the policy options above. CONCLUSION The results of the analysis carried out on the impact of the Balanced Scorecard of HSBC indicated significant effects, even under the threat of unrest. Therefore, we conclude that the management operations of HSBC is still expected to improve faster than average. The review of HSBCs operations management capabilities and resources revealed very little inconsistencies regarding its strategy in using the balanced scorecard. However, the need to reconcile both the inside-out and outside-in approaches becomes a need for HSBC. The analysis of the financial sector environment, and management of operations and functions of HSBC has shown some shortcomings, most of which are distorted to the environment. However, these gaps paved the way towards determining a number of recommended strategic options to secure the competitiveness of HSBC through the continued utilization of the balanced scorecard. In addition, HSBC,has to find a balance between the internal forces within the administration and the evolution of environmental forces so that such policy options can be implemented.

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Current Issues: Gangs 2011, n. p. Copyright @ 2011 ReferencePoint Press, Website: www. referencepointpress. com. P. O. Box 27779, San Diego, CA 92198. Phone: 858-618-1314. Fax: 858-618-1730. All rights reserved. Current Issues: Gangs By Peggy J. Parks Contents Gangs at a Glance Overview How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Why Do Young People Join Gangs? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Can People Leave the Gang Life Behind? Primary Source Quotes Facts and Illustrations Can Gang Violence Be Stopped? Primary Source QuotesFacts and Illustrations Key People and Advocacy Groups Chronology Related Organizations For Further Research Source Notes About the Author Gangs at a Glance Gangs and Gang Members The U. S. Department of Justice estimates that more than 20,000 gangs with a total of about 1 million members are criminally active in the United States. Gang Migration Gangs are no longer confined to large cities. The FBI states that ga ng activity is rapidly spreading to outlying suburban and rural communities throughout the United States. Types of Gangs Four main types of gangs identified by the U.S. Department of Justice are street gangs, outlaw motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, and military gangs. Gangs and Crime Law enforcement officials say that gangs commit a wide range of crimes, including distribution of drugs, weapons trafficking, drive-by shootings, armed robbery, assault, identity theft, and homicide. In many communities gangs are responsible for as much as 80 percent of crime. Cities with Gang Problems The U. S. Department of Justice has identified Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York as the top three cities for the most gangs and gang-related crime.Reasons for Joining Gangs Young people join gangs for many reasons including the desire to belong to a family-like group, protection from rival gangs, the ability to make money (usually from stealing or selling drugs), prestige, and ready access to drugs. Quitt ing Gangs Whether people are able to leave gangs depends on the particular gang and its rules. Jumping out (being beaten by gang members) is a common way of letting someone out. Some gangs expect their members to remain committed for life and threaten them with death if they try to quit.Fighting Gang Violence In cities throughout the United States, the FBI and state and local law enforcement officials are focusing on the most violent street gangs in an effort to capture their leaders and get them off the streets. Overview â€Å"Gangs are morphing, multiplying, and migrating—entrenching themselves not just in our inner cities but increasingly in our ever-sprawling suburbs and wide-open rural spaces. † —Federal Bureau of Investigation, a law enforcement agency of the U. S. Department of Justice. Gangs and gang-involved kids exist at some level in every community. Certain groups have decided to use violence and retribution, and their acts are affecting all of us. à ¢â‚¬  —Steven D. Strachan, the chief of police of Kent, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. At 16 years old, Melody Ross was thoroughly enjoying life. She had just begun her junior year at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, where she was an honors student and a pole-vaulter on the track team. She was popular and known for being friendly, kind, and someone who always had a sunny smile on her face.On the evening of October 30, 2009, Melody and her friends went to their school's home ­coming football game. After the game ended, the girls left the stadium and were sitting on the curb in front of the school. Suddenly the loud crack of gunshots filled the air. A feud had broken out between members of rival gangs, and they were shooting at each other—with bystanders caught in the crossfire. By the time the violence ended, three people lay on the ground, wounded and bleeding: two men and Melody. Ambulances rushed them to the hospital, where the men were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.Melody, however, was not so fortunate. She died of a severe bullet wound in her side. Her family and friends were devastated, and as a memorial to her, a classmate named Dylan Vassberg created a Facebook page entitled RIP Melody Ross. â€Å"Every kid our age–we don't ever think we're going to die,† he says. â€Å"We never think that. We think we're going to college and we're going to have a long life and die of old age. Not die because someone decided to shoot a gun. We never think of that. It's not something that crosses our mind ever. Not even fathomable, really. 1 How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? Although the precise number of gangs and gang members (known as gangbangers) is not known, the U. S. Department of Justice makes estimates based on information it receives from state and local law enforcement officials. In January 2009 the Justice Department's National Gang Intelligence Center released a report entitled National Gang Threat As sessment 2009. The report states that more than 20,000 violent gangs with a total of approximately 1 million members were criminally active in the United States as of September 2008.The report's authors state that â€Å"gangs pose a serious threat to public safety. † They warn that throughout the country, gang activity is rapidly spreading from large cities to outlying suburban and rural areas. This, they predict, will cause gang-related violent crime to remain at high levels and likely increase. They write: â€Å"As these gangs encounter resistance from local gangs or other drug distributors in these communities, an increase in violent incidents such as assaults, drive-by shootings, and homicides can be expected. â€Å"2 The Evolution of GangsNo one knows exactly when gangs first formed, but they are often assumed to have been around for centuries. According to Lou Savelli, who is a retired New York City police sergeant and cofounder of the East Coast Gang Investigators As sociation, the word thug dates back to India during the 1200s. It is derived from â€Å"Thugz,† an Indian word that referred to a gang of criminals who traveled throughout the country terrorizing towns. Savelli adds that like gangs today, the Thugz had their own symbols, hand signs, slang language, and rituals.Gang activity is thought to have begun in the United States early in the country's history. Journalist Ed Grabianowski explains: â€Å"Criminal gangs have certainly been around as long as crime itself—it doesn't take a criminal mastermind to realize there is strength in numbers. The urbanization that accompanied the Industrial Revolution gave rise to the modern street gang. â€Å"3 Throughout the 1800s, as more people immigrated to America from other countries, gangs such as the Monk Eastman Gang and Five Points Gang formed and terrorized the streets of New York.But it was the 1920s that ushered in the heyday of gang activity in the United States because of a n otorious gangster named Al Capone, also called Scarface. This was a time known as Prohibition, when the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution made the sale or distribution of alcohol illegal. Supporters hoped the legislation would transform American society for the better, but its effects were quite different from what they expected. Once alcohol was no longer legally available, criminal gangs began to distribute it on the black market.These gangs developed rapidly and continued to grow in power, which caused a steep rise in violent crime. Capone and his gang of criminals were responsible for a wave of violence in the Chicago area during the 1920s and 1930s. Savelli says this led to his becoming known as most violent gangster in Chicago and perhaps in all of the United States. Capone's reputation spread far and wide, and his actions strongly influenced the activities of would-be gangsters throughout the country. By the time Prohibition ended in 1933, gangs had become entrenched t hroughout the country and were widely known for their connections with violent crime.During the 1950s gang-related crime was rampant in a number of U. S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, and it was steadily growing. Over the following decades gangs became better organized and continued to expand their activities from cities into neighboring communities, as the Justice Department explains: â€Å"The gang members who migrated from urban areas often formed new, neighborhood-based local gangs. These local gangs generally controlled their territories through violence and intimidation. 4 Gang membership—and associated violent crime—continued to grow throughout the rest of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. Street Gangs and Motorcycle Outlaws Gangs often differ significantly from one another based on membership requirements, structure, and the ages and ethnicity of the members. Two main types that have been identified by law enforcement off icials are street gangs and outlaw motorcycle gangs. The Justice Department says that street gangs pose a considerable threat to communities because they are the largest group and also control the greatest geographical area. Therefore,† Justice Department authorities explain, criminal activities such as violence and drug trafficking perpetrated by street gangs pose the greatest threat. The threat becomes magnified as national- and regional-level street gangs migrate from urban areas to suburban and rural communities, expanding their influence in most regions and broadening their presence outside the United States to develop associations with . . . criminal organizations in Mexico, Central America, and Canada. 5Most street gangs are local-level gangs that operate in single locations while regional-level street gangs are more organized and larger. Some of the largest and most violent street gangs are Hispanic gangs such as MS ­13, 18th Street, Surenos, and Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Latin Kings) and the predominately African American gangs Bloods, Crips, and Black P. Stone Nation. Asian gangs such as the Asian Boyz are also developing a reputation as a result of their links to drug trafficking and violent crimes. Though less common than gangs of other racial and ethnic groups, white gangs also pose a threat.The white supremacist street gang Nazi Low-riders has a growing presence in Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Illinois, and members have been connected with a number of racially motivated violent crimes. Outlaw motorcycle gangs also pose a significant threat because they engage in numerous criminal activities, such as trafficking in weapons and drugs, and often commit violent crimes. State and local law enforcement agencies have identified as many as 520 outlaw motorcycle gangs with an estimated total of 20,000 members of various races and ethnicities.The motorcycle gangs that the FBI considers the greatest threat because of criminal activities are the Sons of Silence, Bandidos, Mongols, Hells Angels, and Outlaws. Gangs Behind Bars Just because people are incarcerated, and even sentenced to life in prison, does not necessarily prevent them from engaging in gang activities. According to the Justice Department, prison gangs are highly structured criminal networks that are active within prisons throughout the United States. It adds that as of September 2008, more than 147,000 documented gang members were incarcerated in federal, state, and local correctional facilities.One state where this is a particularly serious problem is Washington. According to a study released in 2009, gang-affiliated inmates are responsible for 43 percent of all violent crimes that are committed in the state's prisons. The report also states that the Crips are the most represented prison gang, with 2,385 inmate members. Also well known for violence behind bars is the white supremacist gang Aryan Brotherhood and the Latino gangs Barrio Azteca and Mexican Mafia. One gang that has been especially violent in Texas prisons is the Texas Syndicate.In February 2007 federal authorities issued indictments for gang members who were suspected of being responsible for as many as 16 murders outside the state's prisons, including a triple slaying in 2003. The indictment states: â€Å"It is understood that members and prospects of the TS may receive a telephone call and instructions to commit a murder . . . at any time. Regardless of the member's friendship or association with the victim, the orders are to be carried out. â€Å"6 Not only are gangs extremely active in prisons, gang members who have been imprisoned are often the gangs' top leaders.According to Sergeant Jeremy Young, who is a supervisor with the Modesto, California, police street crimes unit, the bottom level of a gang's chain of command is made up of gangbangers who are the â€Å"soldiers† on the street; the mid-level is composed of the leaders o f street crews who run the operation; and the top level are the bosses who are often inside prisons. â€Å"The (gang leaders in the) prisons run the street,† he says. â€Å"A lot of things that start in there end up out here. â€Å"7 Criminal Activities Gangs are involved in a wide range of crimes.These include drug distribution, assault, armed robbery, drive-by shootings, auto theft, identity theft, extortion, weapons trafficking, and homicide. In fact, the National Gang Threat Assessment report says that according to law enforcement officials throughout the United States, criminal gangs commit as much as 80 percent of the crime in many communities. Yet the connection between gangs and crime is a controversial is ­sue. According to the Justice Policy Institute, a Washington, D. C. –based think tank that supports alternatives to incarceration, gang members are not responsible for the biggest share of crime in most jurisdictions.In a July 2007 report, the group stat es that many crimes committed by gang members are unrelated to gang activity, and reliable data on the extent of gang crime do not exist. The report's authors write: â€Å"The available evidence indicates that gang members play a relatively small role in the national crime problem. . . . National estimates and local research findings suggest that gang members may be responsible for fewer than one in 10 homicides; fewer than one in 16 violent offenses; and fewer than one in 20 serious . . . crimes. â€Å"8 Gang-Infested CitiesAlthough gangs have a presence in communities all over the United States, the National Gang Center says that the three cities with the most gangs and worst gang-related crime are Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. According to John S. Pistole, who is the deputy director of the FBI, Los Angeles is â€Å"ground zero for modern gang activity,† with over 400 gangs and an estimated 40,000 gang members. â€Å"Many gangs were born here, a generation ago,â₠¬  he says. â€Å"But they are no longer limited to Los Angeles. Like a cancer, gangs are spreading to communities across America. â€Å"9Two other California cities where gang-related crime is increasing are San Diego, where gang-related homicides rose 56 percent between 2006 and 2007, and Salinas, where gang-related homicides increased 125 percent during that same period of time. Gangs are also a serious problem in Hartford, Connecticut, and Camden, New Jersey. And Pistole adds that gangs are becoming more active in many other cities including Baltimore, Houston, Washington, D. C. , Denver, Atlanta, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Omaha, Nebraska. High-Tech Gangbanging The Internet has opened up a whole new way for gangbangers to recruit new members.As a February 2007 ABC News report states: â€Å"By posting online content that glorifies the thug lifestyle, gangs are using the Web to recruit—some using children as young as 8 years old as part of the on ­line recruiting process, known as ‘Net Banging. ‘†10 Sometimes rival gang members spar with each other online, proudly displaying their gang colors, tattoos, and gang hand signs in photos. They also use the Internet to schedule fights with each other as well as brag about crimes that they have committed. By monitoring these sites, federal and state law enforcement officials can track gang activity.Cell phones also play a crucial role in gang operations. Gangbangers communicate with each other by sending text messages, and it is not uncommon for them to use multiple phones that they discard after they have completed criminal operations such as drug trafficking. The Justice Department offers an example: â€Å"The leader of an African American street gang operating on the north side of Milwaukee used more than 20 cell phones to coordinate drug-related activities of the gang: most were prepaid phones that the leader routinely discarded and replaced. 11 Why Do Young People Join Gangs ? Law enforcement professionals say that the issue of why kids join gangs is complex. According to the Justice Policy Institute, no single risk factor or set of factors can accurately predict which young people will become gang members. One of the most common reasons kids join gangs is that they are from broken homes and desperately want to be part of a family-like group, and they perceive gangs as being able to provide that. Brandon Robinson grew up in a housing project in Kansas City, Missouri.As a participant in a 2007 survey about gangs, he told interviewers that many of those who join share the commonality of being from poverty-stricken, dysfunctional backgrounds. â€Å"You got family members on crack and you ain't eating right,† he says. â€Å"Everybody's hungry. â€Å"12 According to Robinson, gang members look out for each other, help feed each other, and stick up for each other, much like a family would. â€Å"That's when you start loving your street,†13 he says.Other reasons for joining gangs include the lure of having money to spend (from stealing or selling drugs), easy access to drugs, and protection from the dangers of the street and rival gangs. Yet many criminal justice experts say that being part of a gang does not keep kids safer at all. In fact, studies have shown that young people who are involved with gangs have a markedly higher likelihood of being injured or killed than those who are not gang-affiliated. Girl Gangs Traditionally, gangs have been dominated by males and that is still true today.But the Justice Department states that female involvement in gangs is on the upswing. A May 2008 study by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention found that in high-crime neighborhoods nearly 30 percent of girls surveyed claimed that they were members of gangs. The report ranked â€Å"young females as the fastest growing offenders in the national juvenile justice population. â€Å"14 One city that has experienced growing problems with girl gangs is Flint, Michigan. Gina Nyovane, a 22-year-old graduate of Flint Northwestern High School, has observed girl gangs in her former school and throughout the city.She says that these gangs are becoming more widespread and more violent, as she explains: â€Å"I hear it all the time. Girls are quick to pull a gun out, faster than a guy. â€Å"15 Over Labor Day weekend in 2009, members of a girl gang called the Goonies followed a car that was carrying members of a rival gang, the Dufflebacks. A young man traveling with the Goonies fired six shots at the other car, killing an 18-year-old male passenger and wounding the female driver. Can People Leave the Gang Life Behind? The common view is that people who join gangs are never allowed to leave them.The Justice Policy Institute says its research has found that gang membership is not a â€Å"one-way street† and that the typical gang member is active for a year or less. The group explains: â€Å"Thi s myth is perpetuated not only by the media but also by gang members who exaggerate the stakes of membership in order to underscore the importance and permanence of their collective bond. â€Å"16 Yet many people say that joining a gang is a lifetime commitment, and the only way someone can leave is by dying or going to prison. Former gang member Hashim Garrett was 15 years old when he was shot six times in the back and legs.Today he struggles to walk and must use forearm crutches because his right leg is paralyzed. In a speech to students at a middle school in 2008, Garrett addressed the realities of gang life: â€Å"They say they're like your family, but your loved ones don't ask much of you. Come home on time, clean up your room, be polite, eat your vegetables. The gang's going to ask more than that. Hold this gun. Hold these drugs. Prove you're wild. Maybe kill somebody. † He adds that most gang members want to quit the gang but are too afraid to do so. If you join the f ootball team and you don't like the coach, you can quit. You can't quit a gang that easy. â€Å"17 Can Gang Violence Be Stopped? Controlling gang proliferation and gang-related crime is one of the most significant challenges facing law enforcement officials every day of the year. Federal agencies such as the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have partnered with state and local police departments throughout the United States in an effort to bring down gangs and put an end to their crime sprees.In many cities, the focus is on eliminating the leadership of gang enterprises. According to Pistole, the goal is to do more than just disrupt their activities—it is to â€Å"dismantle them entirely. † He explains: Taking apart a gang is like demolishing a building. Hacking away at individual walls and beams might damage the building, but it doesn't destroy it. But using federal drug and racketeering statutes is akin to dynamiting the foundation. On ce the gang's leadership infrastructure implodes, all members are weakened. It becomes difficult for the group to operate.Eventually, it crumbles. And so our strategy is to prosecute as many gang leaders, members, and associates as possible so there are no pieces left which are large enough to allow the gang to rebuild. 18 How Serious a Problem Are Gangs? â€Å"Following a marked decline from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, a steady resurgence of gang problems has occurred in recent years. † —James C. Howell, Arlen Egley Jr. , and Christina O'Donnell, research associates with the National Gang Center. â€Å"Wherever MS-13 goes, violence follows.Gang members have carried out beheadings and grenade attacks in Central America and have hacked people with machetes in cities along the East Coast in the United States. † —Jessica M. Vaughan and John D. Feere, policy analysts with the Center for Immigration Studies. For people in many areas of the world, includi ng the United States, gang violence is a harsh reality of life. According to the U. S. Department of Justice, the problem in America is growing worse. The Justice Department estimates that the number of gang members totaled about 1 million as of September 2008, which was an increase from 800,000 in 2005.One reason gangs continue to grow larger and more powerful is that they are fostering relationships with criminal organizations in Mexico, Central America, and Canada. This has led to a proliferation of drugs and weapons being smuggled across the U. S. border as well as an influx of illegal aliens who join gangs. To emphasize the seriousness of America's gang violence, FBI director John Pistole tells the story of a young woman who was working at a Los Angeles outdoor market in September 2007. Her newborn son, Luis, was beside her is his stroller.Members of the 18th Street gang approached one of the market's vendors, telling him that he could not sell his goods in their territory unle ss he paid them rent. He had steadfastly refused to meet their demands in the past, and when he continued to do so at the market, gang members drew their guns and opened fire on him. The man survived, but Luis did not. A stray bullet struck the baby and killed him instantly. Pistole says that this tragic incident is indicative of what is happening throughout the country: â€Å"In too many neighborhoods, too many young people are recruited into gangs.They fall into a life of crime, drugs, and violence. They shoot each other, with no regard to the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Crime and violence are not confined to their cliques, but have a chilling effect on entire communities. â€Å"19 A Ruthlessly Vicious Gang Of all the gangs known to law enforcement, Mara Salvatrucha, or MS ­13, is one of the most violent. It started as a small Los Angeles street gang formed during the 1980s by immigrants from El Salvador. Now, however, it is among the largest and most dangerou s gangs in the United States and Central America.According to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), MS-13 has â€Å"mushroomed into the size of a small army† and â€Å"strives to be the most violent and feared gang in the world. â€Å"20 ICE states that MS-13 members have been convicted of murder, assault, extortion, kidnapping, theft, drug dealing, rape, robbery, and other violent crimes. One city that is plagued by the violence of MS-13 is Houston, Texas. Although larger gangs are active in the city, the FBI considers MS-13 to be â€Å"of particular concern because members are often heavily armed and well trained in the use of weapons and assault tactics. 21 In January 2009 MS-13 gang members robbed a Houston beauty salon at gunpoint and sexually assaulted an employee. They warned her not to go to the police, saying that if she did she would regret it. They also threatened the salon owner, telling her that they would kill her if she reported the incide nt, and they demanded that she pay them a weekly protection fee of $100. The salon owner was terrified—but she was also angry. She had seen the same kinds of crimes committed in her native El Salvador, and she was determined to fight to keep them from happening in her adopted country.Even though she feared for her life and the lives of her family members, she went to the FBI and told agents what happened. During that visit she turned over a security surveillance tape that showed the gang members' faces. About a week later the woman had not paid the protection money. In retaliation, two MS-13 gangbangers drove by the salon and sprayed the front door with bullets—but they did not get away with the violent act. Because of the tapes and the salon owner's cooperation, the FBI agents arrested seven members of the gang. As one agent explains: â€Å"This case is proof that victims of crime should not suffer in silence. He adds that the salon owner, who was placed in protectiv e custody by the FBI, â€Å"was courageous to stand up to gang members, and as a result those gang members are now in jail. â€Å"22 Violent Communities Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago is often called one of America's most beautiful cities. With its tree-lined neighborhoods of stately brownstone homes, the â€Å"Magnificent Mile† shopping district, prolific theaters and restaurants, and world-renowned museums, the city attracts tourists from many different countries—yet it also has a dark and dangerous side.Law enforcement officials estimate that 50 to 60 gangs are active in Chicago and that together, they have as many as 30,000 members. Armed gangbangers roam the streets of the South Side of Chicago, committing crimes and terrorizing the people who live there. A chilling testament to this gang violence is evident in one of the city's lesser-known monuments: an arrangement of more than 150 landscaping stones, each bearing the name of a school-age chil d killed by gang violence since 2007. Police superintendent Jody Weis states that Chicago youth have become increasingly more violent over the years.He explains: â€Å"There's simply too many gangs, too many guns and too many drugs on the streets. We've got a problem with some of our young people . . . resorting to use of weapons and violence to solve any type of conflicts they may have. â€Å"23 Chicago has had a problem with gang violence for many years, but public outrage was sparked in 2007 when a 16-year-old honors student named Blair Holt was killed. Holt, who was not involved with a gang, was riding in a city bus with a friend when members of rival gangs started shooting at each other. He attempted to shield his friend by pushing her down into a seat.His heroic act saved her life, but he was fatally shot in the stomach. Afterward, his father, a Chicago police officer, expressed his despair and frustration over gangs who do not think twice about killing people: â€Å"You wo nder where it comes from. What causes a child to wantonly and blatantly hatch such an ill-conceived plan? To go out and do something like this? What makes them do it? Where is this coming from? What are the influences? â€Å"24 Chicago is far from alone in its ongoing struggle with gang violence. It is prevalent in communities all over the country.In South Carolina, for instance, the rate of gang violence has risen nearly 1,000 percent over the past decade, with the highest number of incidents reported in Colleton County. Although Colleton County is home to just 38,000 people, law enforcement investigators have identified about 20 active gangs with an estimated total of 400 members. According to Sheriff George Malone, â€Å"The violence in Colleton County is out of control. â€Å"25 One incident occurred in November 2009 in the small town of Walterboro. A group of people were playing cards in the front yard of their home when a car pulled up and suddenly opened fire on the group. A 20-month-old toddler and 2 adults were killed; 6 others were injured. Gangs in the Military According to the Justice Department, gang activity is on the upswing in the military. Members of every major street gang and some outlaw motorcycle gangs have been identified on both domestic and international military bases. One incident involved three soldiers stationed in Alaska who were charged with murder after killing a civilian as they shot at members of a rival gang. Another involved a soldier who was arrested in October 2007 for the gang-related shooting of five people in Oklahoma.A 2009 Yale Law Journal article describes one case in which a marine sergeant who was a gang member â€Å"shot his commanding officer and executive officer—both lieutenant colonels—and threatened to continue killing officers until his fellow gang members were released from confinement. â€Å"26 While on active duty, gang members may abuse their security privileges and access to weapons and other military equipment to further gang activities. For instance, military gang members may take advantage of their positions to engage in criminal acts such as trafficking illicit drugs or weapons.According to the same article, a gang member in the army who was stationed in Iraq smuggled home four AK ­47 assault rifles that were later used to commit multiple bank robberies. After gang members have been discharged from the military, they remain a serious threat to society. They can use their combat skills against rival gangs and also teach those skills to others. The Justice Department says that this poses a â€Å"potentially significant threat,† as it explains: â€Å"Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of the distinctive military skills that they possess . . especially if gang members trained in weapons, tactics, and planning pass this instruction on to other gang members. â€Å"27 The Justice Department adds th at such military training could ultimately result in more organized, sophisticated, and dangerous gangs as well as an increase of deadly assaults on law enforcement officers. Incarcerated Gangs Incarcerated gang members are every bit as threatening as those who are on the streets because gang members who are behind bars often control crimes that are committed outside of prison.One example is the Mexican Mafia (also known as the Eme), a violent prison gang with as many as 75,000 members. The incarcerated leaders rule over associates who are given the authority to order crimes in neighborhoods or cities. Tony Rafael, the author of the book The Mexican Mafia, explains: â€Å"Street gangsters very often are puppets of the big homies locked up in prison. The proof is overwhelming and plays itself out on an almost daily basis in almost every neighborhood in Southern California. â€Å"28Members of the Mexican Mafia and their associates have been connected with kidnapping, murder, drug tr afficking, and extortion, among other crimes. According to Rafael, the gang has grown into a large, powerful, and violent organization. He writes: â€Å"It has far-reaching intelligence and communications systems, as well as a standing army of thousands of street soldiers. â€Å"29 Rafael adds that the Mexican Mafia continues to expand its power over street crime: â€Å"Most neighborhoods in Southern California that have a strong Hispanic street gang presence feel the power of the Mexican Mafia.It took local and state law enforcement over twenty years from the founding of the Mexican Mafia to recognize its influence on the streets. It took another two decades for federal law enforcement to address the Eme as a significant criminal organization. â€Å"30 Aside from controlling crime on the streets, these gangs are also involved in violent acts inside prisons. This is a serious problem in Ohio, where attacks in state prisons have doubled from nearly 500 in 2005 to more than 1,000 during 2008.Corrections officials say that part of the increase in violence is due to an influx of gangs such as the Heartless Felons, who are known for attacking prisoners in bands of six or more. Some of the worst violence has broken out at Mansfield Reformatory, a prison built for 1,536 inmates that now houses 2,475–161 percent over capacity. â€Å"These are dangerous times,† says Shirley Pope, the director of the state's Correctional Institutional Inspection Committee. â€Å"Mansfield is overcrowded. It is understaffed and on top of that, it has this peculiar group of younger inmates who have been described as incredibly vicious.An Ongoing Problem Whether they are terrorizing people in neighborhoods, committing crimes while in the military, or reigning over street crime from inside prisons, gangs are a significant problem all over the United States. Law enforcement officials report that gangs now have a presence in every U. S. state and the District of Columbia, a nd gang membership appears to be growing. According to reports from local, state, and federal authorities, there is no sign that this situation will change anytime in the near future.