The Saint Leo Core Value Of Excellence - 1563 Words

The Saint Leo core value of Excellence states, â€Å"Saint Leo University is an educational enterprise. All of us individually and collectively work hard to ensure our students develop the character, learn the skills, and assimilate the knowledge essential to become morally responsible leaders. The success of our university depends upon a conscientious commitment to our mission, vision, and goals.† These values can be illustrated throughout many aspects of the Roman Empire, including daily life, society, and religion. Daily life in Rome depended greatly upon the individual’s economic status. Wealthy individuals lived in homes located on the hills outside of Rome in order to be away from the chaotic noise of city life and unpleasant odors. They also lived expensive lifestyles by owning fanciful furniture and being pampered by servants and slaves. Underprivileged Romans took up residence within the city and lived in constant filth and decrepit homes which were constantly in danger of collapsing or burning down. Regardless whether rich or poor, tenement or villa, the fundamental social unit throughout the empire was the family, and from the early days of the Republic, the existence of the family centered entirely on the concept of paterfamilias- the male head of the household had the power of life and death over all members of the family. (Wasson, 2013) Over time the immense power of the male of the household would diminish and power was given to the woman of the house. The woman ofShow MoreRelatedIs Saint Leo University Core Value Of Excellence?1099 Words   |  5 Pages Web 2.0 PTA Presentation Frances Perez Dr. Nicole Binder EDU 525 Data Driven Decisions Saint Leo University Smith Data Presentation The YouTube video is located at: https://youtu.be/vK3MytG-AOc Based on the trend data from Smith Middle School, there is a drop in FCAT scores from 7th to 8th grade in both Reading and Math (Binder, 2016). A 40% proficiency in 8th grade Mathematics is not acceptableRead MoreObservational And Social Learning Theory Essay899 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscuss the validity of the Observational/Social Learning Theory. I will investigate what the observational/social learning theory is and its use in an everyday classroom environment. I will also relate this learning theory to any relevant Saint Leo core values. What is the observational/social learning theory? The observational learning theory, sometimes called the social learning theory, states that an individual can learn by observing another person’s (i.e. model) behavior or actions. â€Å"An observer’sRead MoreHow Do the Principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Relate to the Saint Leo University Core Value of Community?997 Words   |  4 PagesThe principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights relates to the Saint Leo Universities core value of community in a lot of different ways. Part of Saint Leo’ mission statement is to create a student-centered environment in which love of learning is of prime importance. Members of the community are expected to examine and express their own values, listen respectfully to and respond to the opinions of others, serve the community in which they live, welcome others intoRead MoreWhat Are Human Rights? Essay1152 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this is evident at â€Å"Saint Leo University†. Saint Leo University has incorporated six core values into the heart of the Universities community. These core values are Excellence, Community, Respect, Personal Development, Responsible Stewardship, and Integrity(Saint Leo University, n.d). While evaluating these core values, I thought to myself, what do any of these values have to do with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights? WhileRead MoreSaint Leo University Core Values and Apa Code of Conduct994 Wo rds   |  4 PagesSaint Leo University Core Values and APA Code of Conduct At Saint Leo University we have a Values Statement that contains six basic core values. They are as follows; Excellence, Community, Respect, Personal Development, Responsible Stewardship, and Integrity, each with a definition of what they mean to the university. As with all core values, these are a set of standards we strive to live by. These values all have individual definitions and meanings, some of which can be subjective to mostRead MoreStds Essay1077 Words   |  5 Pagespopulation through interventions, improving socioeconomic status, surveillance and epidemiologist, our reported rates of STDs will significantly drop down St Leo Excellence The Universities core value of excellence fits right in with community health improvement initiatives to turn the negative of the STD epidemic to a positive. Excellence – Saint Leo University is an educational enterprise. All of us, individually and collectively, work hard to ensure that our students develop the character, learn theRead MoreCareer Goals And How Will An Mba From Saint Leo University Assist You For Reaching Those Goals?934 Words   |  4 Pages1. What are your professional goals and how will an MBA from Saint Leo University assist you in reaching those goals? I aspire to become an attorney who operates a firm that specializes in matters involving international business and family law. My aspirations of becoming an attorney directly aligns with the Master’s of Business Administration program offered at Saint Leo University. My professional goals as an executive and future attorney requires me to attain the highest level of professionalRead MoreA Glimpse Inside Alcoholics Anonymous1662 Words   |  7 PagesA Glimpse Inside Alcoholics Anonymous â€Å"Animated in the spirit of Jesus Christ, we value all individuals’ unique talents, respect their dignity, and strive to foster their commitment to excellence in our work. Our community’s strength depends on the unity and diversity of our people, on the free exchange of ideas, and on learning, living, and working harmoniously (Saint Leo University Core Values, Respect). Introduction. I decided I wanted to visit an Alcoholics Anonymous group meeting in my localRead MoreThe Vaule of Personal Development in The Divine Comedy, by Dante Alighieri1209 Words   |  5 PagesIn Italian Dante Alighieri (1265) Poem, The Divine Comedy Inferno, Translated by Mark Musa. Dante demonstrates the value of personal development which is the ability to keep a balanced life and continuously learn from past mistakes in order to create a better future. Dante begins the poem wrapped in his own thoughts and suffering but by the end of the poem he begins to understand other’s sufferings beyond his own. In his growth throughout his journey he learns about pain and sorrow that he cannotRead MoreCommunication Management Problems Associated With Advertising And Promotion1302 Words   |  6 Pagesit important to apply the Saint Leo core value of community when working with your peers (both in the classroom and in the work environment)? Give an example of how the core valu e was applied in the discussion. There are different issues with communication in advertising. The class as a whole had a lot of the same communication issues. The main issues that were consistent are clutter of advertisement, the use of emotional connections, and technology. Excellence Saint Leo University is an instructive

Maslow s Hierarchy Of Needs - 1524 Words

Summary of Maslow’s The Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow developed the theories of motivation because he felt that the sophistication of human behavior could not be portrayed through reinforcement or rewards. He felt that human action were directed toward realization and fulfillments and that behavior could be gratified while using multiple types of needs at the same time. Maslow wanted to find positive motivation as to why people react or engage in certain behaviors. He felt that basic survival was based upon his five theories and that long lasting success could be mastered upon the completion of these theories. He chose his samples very specifically primarily, males of high political and social status that were acknowledged by many as being distinguished and smart. Beginning in 1943 Maslow’s theories established the four basic needs and then before 1954 he added the fifth label. According to research in 1970 there was added an extended three levels to the hierarchy but not all accounts are given to Maslow but to those that may have contributed to the study. The first four basic theories are Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Social Needs and Esteem Needs. These needs are considered to be known as the coping or deficiency needs. The fifth need, Self-Actualization is also included in the original pyramid that is taught today, however three more additional needs have been included which would complete the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The last added three needs known as theShow MoreRelatedMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1741 Words   |  7 PagesMaslow’s hierarchy of needs and Herzberg’s. The Maslow’s hierarchy of needs include five levels, and at the certain extent, reflect the rule of human s activities on psychological and behavior. Herzberg’ describe the more details of worker agree or disagree about working. In this essay, more related knowledge details and effects will de described, then, analysis the two theories individual, choose a better one. II. Describe the two theories. 2.1Maslow’s hierarchy of needs The Maslow’s hierarchy of needsRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1536 Words   |  7 Pagesunderstanding of how to motivate different personality types. In the research I am going to compare Maslow’s hierarchy of needs against Lawrence and Nohira’s 4 drive theory in an attempt to better understand their possible uses inside an organizational structure. Let’s first take a look a look at the two theories before discussing their potential benefit. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. We need to keep in mind that Maslow’s field was phycology, so his research was done from a medical viewpoint more soRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1295 Words   |  6 PagesMaslow’s hierarchy of needs (p. 379 in EP)? Outline each level and discuss how it relates to motivation. Abraham Maslow was born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He originally studied law because of the influence of my parents, but after marrying his first cousin, Bertha Goodman, and moving to Wisconsin, he became interested in psychology. After achieving his Masters in Psychology, Maslow moved back to Brooklyn and started teaching at a school there. â€Å"One of the many interesting things Maslow noticedRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs982 Words   |  4 PagesAbraham Maslow was one of the most influential and important educational psychologists and is recognized by many for his theory on mankind’s hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s theory which is known as â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs† is best explained as a pyramid of needs that we as humans must meet in order to progress to another stage of needs. There are five stages in the pyramid of needs and they go as follows: physiological, safety, love and belongingness, esteem, and finally self-actualization. MaslowRead MoreMaslow s The Hierarchy Of Needs1769 Words   |  8 Pages Summary of Maslow’s The Hierarchy of Needs Jennifer Thompson Arkansas Tech University Author Note This individual research paper is being submitted on October 13, 2014 for Loretta Cochran’s Management [BUAD 3123] course. â€Æ' Summary of Maslow’s The Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow developed the theories of motivation because he felt that the sophistication of human behavior could not be portrayed through reinforcement or rewards. He felt that human action were directed toward realizationRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1846 Words   |  8 PagesAbraham Maslow developed the Hierarchy of needs (HON) to try and explain human psychological developments and how these manifest themselves into a worker’s life. We will explore some issues brought up by the model and why it may lack a certain the degree of unification and how it could potentially work better if entwined with other views. Motivation is the â€Å"word derived from the word ’motive’ It’s the process of stimulating people to actions to accomplish the goals† (guide, 2017) Also, MaslowRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1498 Words   |  6 Pagesjust want to survive in life they want to flourish. Maslow s hierarchy of needs explains to us a ranking of needs for most essential to the least. While the interactionist point of view explains how humans are social creatures and social interaction is just as important as all of the other needs listed on Maslow’s Model. Maslow s hierarchy of needs is a ranking of needs for most essential to the least. Corrections Today explains that Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist born in New York, heRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs Essay1527 Words   |  7 Pages This international technology company demands strong motivation, stupendous leadership and great understanding between workers. Leaders need to create willingness amongst the employees to operate at their highest potential; this willingness is referred to as motivation. This report is based on a content/needs theory of motivation (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). It consists of two pieces of primary research on the theory. The first one summarises worker motivation on selected construction sites inRead MoreMaslow s Hierarchy Of Needs1388 Words   |  6 Pages Abraham Maslow was an American philosopher who was born in the early 1990 s in Brooklyn, New York. He was one of the leading theorists that promoted humanistic psychology during his era. Maslow sought to understand what motivates and inspires individuals. He theorized that individuals possess and hold a group of motivation and incentive systems not related to plunder or insensible desires. Maslow declared that people are motivated and provoked to attain certain needs. When one need is fulfilledRead MoreThe Maslow s Hierarchy Of Needs Essay1014 Words   |  5 Pages Maslow’s hierarchy of needs Submitted by: Deepali Kotecha (student number: 4288370) Submitted to: Mr Simon Bishop Date: 14th November 2016 Introduction to management University of Nottingham First year coursework Table of contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦3 Introduction Running and managing a successful company requires strenuous efforts. Organisations are forced to be flexible, efficient and productive to excel at their performance. This

Sustainable Market Offering And Situation Analysis †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Sustainable Market Offering And Situation Analysis. Answer: Introduction The technology is advancing at a breakneck speed. Even before people get accustomed to the technology, advanced versions are already launched in the market. Along with technology,marketing has also come a long way. It is important to develop new and improved sustainable market offering and perform situation analysis to promote and sell the product in the market. This report discusses the importance of sustainable market offering and corresponding situation analysis by taking smart watch as the case study. It explains the concept of new and improved sustainable offering using creative problem solving (CPS) strategy.Different marketing strategy tools such as PEST and SWOT analysis are utilized to understand the factors affecting marketing. The report is divided into different sections. Section 2 describes CPS principle in solving marketing problem. Section 3 explains the concept of sustainable market offering. Section 4 explains the concept of suitable analysis by utilizing PEST and SWOT marketing tool. Section 5 concludes the paper. CPS CPS stands for creative problem solving and as the name suggests is a strategic tool to develop solutions to the marketing problem (Armstrong et al. 2014). It involves the following steps. Problem identification: With people becoming more and more tech-savvy, the need for having everything at one go has become the goal of the people. The conventional wristwatch has many disadvantages, which led to the invention of smart watch. The wristwatch lacks many facilities such as GPS, music, checking notifications, making calls, and the most trending fitness app (Shirazi and Henze 2015). Wearable technology is the new trend in the market. The possibility of having the whole technology on your wrist has attracted many customers (Rawassizadeh, Price and Petre 2015). This has led to the downfall of wristwatch. Problem delineation: The major problem discovered with wristwatch was the inconvenience faced by the people. The people found it unnecessary to have extra weight on their wrist for the sole purpose of keeping track of time. Mobile phone has replaced wristwatch as cell phones can perform the function of timekeeper and much more with ease. Many people categorized wristwatch as old and outdated, and the day was not far when it would have soon become fossil (Proctor 2014). The manufactures redesign the wristwatch by trying to making it more fancy and appealing. However, if the product does not provide solutions to the problem, the productivity of the product will decrease (Adapa et al. 2017). In order to recapture the interests of the people, smart watch came into existence. Information gathering: New York Times reported the decrease in the sale of wristwatch from 2008 as the younger generation preferred smart watch as compared to the traditional watch. The wristwatch industry has witnessed increase in the sale in 2010; however, it was found that the buyers fall into the older sections of the society who are aged 65 years and above. According to the Economists, the future of smart watch is very bright, with the growth rate to increase to 23% in the coming five years (Economist.com 2017). Idea generation: Smart watch is the new trend in the society. It is widely used by the people due to its multi-feature facility. It is an internet of things. It has a host of applications such as it enables to make calls, receive notifications, listening to music, customization and navigation facility, and installed with fitness app (Proctor 2014). Idea evaluation and refinement: The prominent feature is the fitness app. It is enabled with fitness trackers, which can help people to manage the health and work at the same time. As people are nowadays more health concerned, this app will definitely make them feel worth about the money spent. Moreover, the notification app is helpful as it prevent the need to check the mobile phone frequently (Shirazi and Henze 2015). Everything is accessible by just one click. With the increase in the simplicity in everydays work, smart watch has given a new outlook to the people. Sustainable market offering The smart watch is a complete package in itself. The product promises to fulfill all the unmet needs of the customers and provide a better solution to their problems. It is solely a customer good, made for and by the people. It is designed to provide the customers comfort and accessibility that were lacking in the conventional watch. The first and foremost feature of smart watch is its one in all applications (Cecchinato, Cox and Bird 2015). The able to monitor the incoming messages, e-mails, and calls without the trouble of removing phone from the pocket is an exciting feature of smart watch. Not only in the ease of use, but also smart watch is widely used in health care sector. It provides facilities to monitor heartbeat, respiratory rate, and installed with fitness tracker. It can also function as a pulse oximeter (Ehrler and Lovis 2014). Apart from that, apple smart watch provides waterproof and durability facility. Smart watch also encourages social etiquette in the users. It is considered rude and impolite to check cell phones while having conversation with others. Moreover, checking mobile phones in office and college can be problematic sometimes. Smart watch solves this problem with just one touch. It is easier, comprehendible, subtle, and user friendly (Cecchinato, Cox and Bird 2015). Along with monitoring both health and work, it also provides recreational facilities through music. Thus, you can achieve fitness while enjoying music and an inbuilt GPS. With all the application in one watch, it is economical to the user too (Adapa et al. 2017). Hence, it provides economic, social, and environmental sustainability benefits to the people (Peattie 2012). Situation analysis Situation analysis assists in designing appropriate marketing plan. It provides better understanding of the market by assessing the different external and internal factors affecting the organization and its product (Armstrong et al. 2014). PEST and SWOT are the two well-known strategies utilized for designing proper marketing plan (Ho 2014; Hollensen 2015). 4.1. PEST analysis It is an acronym for political, economical, social, and technological factors influencing the market (Ho 2014). Political factors: Australia is considered one of the leading countries for embracing technological advancements. It was reported that the government for the development of new technology and innovations invests an estimate of $2.9 billion (Economist.com 2017). Economic factors: The sale of smart watch has increased considerably over the years. Apple smart watch is leading the market, with the sale figures reaching up to millions (Economist.com 2017). This shows the buyers considered it affordable and worth the money. Social factors: Smart watch is a trend in the society. It has entered the social class. Not only the younger generations, but also the older generation in Australia finds the new technology captivating and exciting (Ehrler and Lovis 2014). Technological factors: Technology in Australia is always at its peak. The rapid advancement of the technology and the increase in the sale of the smart watch has decreased the production costs (Friedman 2017). In a short time, it will replace the mobile phone and become an indispensable part of the society. SWOT analysis SWOT is an acronym for strength, weakness, threats, and opportunities and is the most important management tool to study the market and the position of the product (Armstrong et al. 2014). Strength: It provides many features in one device promoting one in all application. It helps to check notifications, receive calls, e-mails with just one click (Shirazi and Henze 2015). It is easier to use, comprehendible, feasible, and subtle (Cecchinato, Cox and Bird 2015). It helps to remain fit and healthy with the fitness tracker app. It provides recreational benefit with the music app. It provides customization option. It provides navigation tools (Friedman 2017). There are no battery life issues. It encourages social etiquette behavior. It is helpful in health care sector to monitor heart and respiratory rate (Ehrler and Lovis 2014). Weakness: It provides inaccurate data for the physiological measurements. There is lack of charging facilities and the cables are uncomfortable and arduous (Cecchinato, Cox and Bird 2015). Tiny screen causes visibility problems and is a challenge for usability. Cost of productivity. Opportunities: Many researches are still in progress to add new and advanced features to the smart watch that will attract the buyers. Increase in the number of buyers will increase the sale and market for smart watch. Promotion of smart watch is easily achieved through digital marketing (Hollensen 2015). Threats: Increase in the competition among the organization (Friedman 2017). Increase in the presence of substitute products in the market. There are different government norms and regulation for wearable technologies (Rawassizadeh, Price and Petre 2015). Market and customer analysis The growth in the market of smart watch is tremendous with the revenue generated is in billions. With the addition of new features, the number of customers opting for smart watch has also increased considerably (Peattie 2012). It provides a potential market for the customers in the coming years. It has met the different cultural, social, economical, and social needs of the customers. Conclusion Wearable technology is the new buzz in the technology industry with smart watch leading the industry. It has become consumers first choice with the new features and applications. It has made its way into the health sector too. Thus, it is now possible to manage work and health at the same time with smart watch. Everything is within the reach of the buyer with just one touch. It provides the possibility of having the whole technology at your wrist. Thus, there is sustainable market for smart watch in the near future. References Adapa, A., Nah, F.F.H., Hall, R.H., Siau, K. and Smith, S.N., 2017. Factors influencing the adoption of smart wearable devices.International Journal of HumanComputer Interaction, (just-accepted). Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014.Principles of marketing. Pearson Australia. Cecchinato, M.E., Cox, A.L. and Bird, J., 2015, April. Smartwatches: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly? InProceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference extended abstracts on human factors in computing systems(pp. 2133-2138). ACM. Economist.com. (2017).The Wear, Why and How. [online] Available at: https://www.economist.com/news/business/21646225-smartwatches-and-other-wearable-devices-become-mainstream-products-will-take-more [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017]. Ehrler, F. and Lovis, C., 2014. Supporting elderly people with smartwatches: Advantages and drawbacks.Studies in health technology and informatics,205, pp.667-71. Friedman, U. (2017).A Brief History of the Wristwatch. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/05/history-wristwatch-apple-watch/391424/ [Accessed 26 Aug. 2017]. Ho, J.K.K., 2014. Formulation of a systemic PEST analysis for strategic analysis.European academic research,2(5), pp.6478-6492. Hollensen, S., 2015.Marketing management: A relationship approach. Pearson Education. Peattie, K., 2012. Sustainable marketing: marketing re-thought, re-mixed and re-tooled.Saren, M.; Maclaran, P.; Goulding, C, pp.193-207. Proctor, T., 2014.Creative problem solving for managers: developing skills for decision making and innovation. Routledge. Rawassizadeh, R., Price, B.A. and Petre, M., 2015. Wearables: Has the age of smartwatches finally arrived?Communications of the ACM,58(1), pp.45-47. Shirazi, A.S. and Henze, N., 2015, August. Assessment of notifications on smartwatches. InProceedings of the 17th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services Adjunct(pp. 1111-1116). ACM.

Spirit Catches You an Example of the Topic Psychology Essays by

Spirit Catches You by Expert Prof.Ashley | 01 Dec 2016 How do traditional Hmong birthing practices contrast with American birthing practices? Need essay sample on "Spirit Catches You" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed What can be initially noticed is that Hmong birthing practices takes a lot of time because of the different ceremonies involved as opposed to the American birthing practices-baptism comes a few days or weeks after birth, I believe. As read from the first few parts of Chapter one, child delivery in Laos had a great difference opposed to child delivery in hospitals such as the American hospital in the story. Mothers would have squatted right on the dirt floor of their hut, pulling the baby out of her womb and had to stay silent to avoid waking the other children sleeping on the floor. When you compare this with child delivery in hospitals, they would have to lie on a metal table with sterile drapes, receiving no anesthetic. Well, it is the process of child delivery in any hospital. Once the baby was born in Laos, the father cuts the umbilical cord and then ties it with a strand of string. In the United States, the baby's umbilical cord would be cut, unless the father wants to do it-if he is present. In hospitals, the placenta would have been disposed of. In Hmong culture, it was buried by the father under specific places depending on the baby's sex. If it were male, the placenta would have been buried at the center pillar of the house, which supports the roof. If it were female, it would be buried under the parents' bed. If the Hmong mother experiences some difficulties, she would consult a shaman-the medicine man of their group. In hospitals, the doctor and medical staff attend to the mother if she needs help. This was also shown when Foua Yang gave birth to Lia in a hospital. She was impressed by the medical staff's attending to her needs. The name giving was also different. In American birthing practices, the name of the child was decided by the parents, or even just one of them, after child birth. In Hmong culture, the parents may initially decide on the name but it was the soul-caller and elders who had the final say. The name was important to ensure the child's health. How is the political history of the Hmong people important to Lia Lee's story? The Hmong's political history showed a lot of changes and hardships that this ethnic group had to undergo in the past. They experience oppression from the Chinese, who greatly resented them and dubbed them as barbaric in nature. After the Chinese, the French entered the picture which somehow learned how to cooperate with them by making opium as their way of paying their taxes. Then during the Vietnam War and Laotian Civil War, the Americans entered the picture. In this war, they experienced the greatest changes to their supposed simple way of life. In telling's story and experience in America, some characteristics that were evident on Hmong people in Merced (in's story) can be traced back to the characteristics of their ancestors, especially during the Chinese and American chapters. The Hmong patients in the hospital (MCMC) tend to be stubborn most of the time. They were not willing to take any orders and would prefer to apply their traditional methods of healing rather than the Amer ican medical methods. The Lees were not exempted from this stubbornness as they would refuse or do not wish to comply with the Doctors' orders. Furthermore, they tend to neglect and ignore what the doctors' would suggest. This arrogant and proud attitude almost cost them the life of their daughter Lia-well in the end, it did as she seemed lifeless. Even so, this long-standing Hmong pride created a greater barrier between's parents and her doctors as confusion brewed within them. The Hmong political history generally explained why there is confusion between's parents and her doctors while's life is at stake. It simply explained why the Hmong were not good at cooperating with other people, especially the Americans since they experienced the great drastic changes during the Laotian Civil War. How do Hmong concepts and treatments of Epilepsy differ from American concepts and treatments? In Western medical history, epilepsy was considered as a disease with various origins. Until now, it is still considered as a disease. In the story, the Americans considered it as a disease which needed to be cured, and it can be cured given that the right medicine was administered. In the case of Lia, the medicine was given to her parents, for them to administer it to her. Due to confusion and lack of orientation on how to administer such, the parents ended up neglecting the doctors' orders. This caused various instances wherein Lia got sicker than usual or had more seizures than usual. Most American doctors in the story saw epilepsy as a disease that needs to be treated or studied. This explains why Lia was given different kinds of medicine to help heal her condition. In Hmong culture, epilepsy can be both life threatening but at the same time a blessing since it was mentioned that the sign of epilepsy would mean that a healer's soul is entering the body of the epileptic. Those who possess such a soul would generally mean that he or she was destined to become a shaman; it was regarded with high honor. This explained why's parents experienced a mixture of concern and pride towards their daughter's condition. The Hmong's concept clashed with the doctors' since it does not really explain much, in medical theory. For the doctors, it was a disease that needs to be cured and nothing more. Growing concern from the parents opt them to also use traditional medical methods like taking Lia to a Shaman since a Hmong shaman should know how to heal her. The doctors insisted on giving her antibiotics and other medicines that can supposedly stop her seizures. What assumptions underlie Western medicine and science? The Hmong have managed to keep their cultural beliefs as pure as it can be. Although when the Laotian Civil War forced them to migrate further, they experienced a cultural dilemma since many of them moved to America, specifically in the town of Merced. Their culture clashed with that of the Americans and since their most dominating trait is their sense of pride and their refusal to surrender, it was hard for them to adapt the different medical methods that the Americans used in hospitals. Take surgery as an example. The Hmong would refuse such done to them because it was taboo. The Hmong also mentioned that blood was finite and it should not be wasted but they saw the doctors keep taking blood. This image has frightened them to the extent that they would refuse to cooperate or go to medical doctors. They would always prefer the shamans over the doctors because they seem to have received better care from these shamans. One comparison is related to diagnosing the illness of the patient . The shaman can quickly identify it while the doctor would run different tests to identify the illness however, not all tests successfully identify the kind of illness and its source. Even though there were a lot of American medical methods introduced to the Hmong, antibiotics seem to be the only one that they would accept since it may be equated to their medicines. Other than that, it does not seem to pose a threat to their life, unlike surgery or anesthesia-Hmong believe that their soul wanders off hence causing illness and even death to the person. Due to this conflict in beliefs, the Hmong were not willing to cooperate with the medical team in the refugee camps. Some also carried this trait with them to the United States. How did the political history of the Hmong people affect's treatment? The Hmong often experienced hardship throughout their history. They fought against the oppressing Chinese, which forced them to migrate to Indochina. They encountered the French and rebelled against the taxation until they reached a compromise. Then they experienced the devastating Laotian Civil War, upon which they were conscripted by the American government to fight against the communist; of course, they did not hesitate to do so. The war also caused them to migrate more frequently than usual. They were also forced to walk towards the border of Thailand since the planes that were supposed to fly the refugees out were not enough. The Lees were part of this group and experienced some hardships along the way. Their son died since her mother was not producing breast milk-this is due to her not eating most of the time during the endeavor. The Hmong were proud people hence they would rather endure these hardships than surrender. Since they experienced the death of their child during the past, the Lees were determined not to let such happen to Lia. The Hmong cared so much for their children since they considered them as the most valuable treasures. Hence, they tend to always get in the way of the doctors. Their emotions seem to run rampantly-well it is understandable since it is their child's life at stake. There would always be confusion between the doctors and's parents. The Hmong pride prevents them to reach a proper understanding between them hence resulting to the neglect of's proper medication. The doctors were also at fault as they failed to understand the Hmong culture. They could have learned their culture first so that they could reach a proper compromise with the Hmong. What did you gain from exploring your own assumptions and looking at a situation from multiple cultural perspectives? Well, misunderstandings between people from two or more different cultural backgrounds are generally caused by their differences in terms of traditions, rites or rituals, and their way of life. Some cultures may be simpler than the other just as what can be read from the story. This often causes confusion between the dealing parties as they would fail to understand each other. I think that both should learn each other's cultural, traditions, methods, and backgrounds in order to avoid confusion. By learning the cultural traditions, I believe they would be able to easily reach a compromise wherein both parties would consider as good since it would reach their goals. This is what's parents and the doctors failed to do in the first place hence causing her further pain. As much as any reader would say, I learned that an ethnic group, who successfully maintained their traditions, could not simply adapt to a new way of life-in the case of the story, the American culture. Frankly, it is because of high regard for these traditions that they successfully maintained it in the first place. Clashing directly and abruptly with another culture may only result to more confusion and rejection. It may definitely take time before adapting to the different cultural changes although it may also be worth the time. If experiencing a situation wherein different cultural perspectives come into play, the best possible solutions would be to see things eye to eye. They should learn from each other's set of beliefs. After that, they could formulate an understanding in which both would be able to solve the situation in an organized fashion. Cooperation is the key. In general, how do Western and Eastern approaches to medicine differ? The best way to describe Eastern medical methods is it heals both body and soul as Eastern doctors would see these two as equally important. In Western approaches, the body seems more important since it is after all what houses the soul. The major difference would be the fact that Eastern medicine is generally more traditionalized as opposed to their Western counterpart. Take the Chinese as an example. They were still able to keep the traditional medicine and remedies from Ancient China-like the bear's paw, tiger's claw, and an array of herbs. These kinds of medicine would generally be taboo for the Westerners-some would deem it barbaric. Eastern medical methods also rely on traditional prayers and rites in order to heal the patient's body and soul. Sacrifice was also present. In Western medicine, an array of tools was used. Surgery was the key method in the Western practice. They would run tests, use tools and chemicals, and confine patients in hospitals in order for them to determine and cure the disease. In other words, the Western approach may be considered more logical while the Eastern approach had a more traditional influence. References Fadiman, Anne. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall down: a Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1997. Kavalier, F. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." Bmj, vol. 341, no. jul07 3, July 2010, pp. c3524-c3524. doi:10.1136/bmj.c3524. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spirit_Catches_You_and_You_Fall_Down.

Alcotts Luminous Crystals essays

Alcotts Luminous Crystals essays Robert Alcotts Luminous Crystals were truly beautiful, amazing works of art. It was my first time to an art show and I was able to attend the opening so that made it an even more memorable experience. I was very impressed by his work found it truly beautiful. It was unreal to me that they were all so different but all taken of crystals. It is almost unbelievable that such astonishing colors and variety among the pictures could all be produced from these laboratory grown crystals. The images vary in just about every aspect possible, but all contain the principles of design along with numerous visual elements. Some of his photographs were filled with every color on the spectrum. For example, # 10 and # 18 contained a variation of every color on the color wheel. They are filled with every vibrant color, and each is easily distinguished from the rest. Then there were others such as # 78 and # 100 that were more of an analogous color scheme using blues, browns, and white. #78 also a very spherical, symmetrical feeling to it. # 27 showcases colors from the cool side of the color wheel. All of Alcotts pictures are beautiful displays of color. Color is the most obvious visual element present in all the photographs but there are others that can be seen as well. Implied texture was another element that was seen in many of Alcotts works. Some of the paintings appeared to be very smooth and looked like flower petals. # 10 and #27 both had this appearance of petals. # 100 also resembled a flower but it looked more like a dried plant. The texture appeared to be that of straw if you were to touch it. #18 also had texture that you would believe you could touch. # 2 appeared to be representative of a landscape featuring snowy mountains and trees. All of Alcotts photographs are purely abstract but it is still possible that different images would appear to different people. ...

Vietnam DBQ essays

Vietnam DBQ essays The uniqueness of Vietnam can be broken down into three categories: the brutality of the war, the inaccuracy of the photo-journalistic coverage of the fighting and the wars length. There is no doubt about the brutality of the Vietnam War, but even before the Americans entered the war there was uprising in Vietnam. An example of this uprising was brought to the worlds attention when Malcolm Brown in 1963 took a picture of a burning monk taken in front of Ankwong Pagada. Thich Quang, a monk, committed suicide by dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire, in order to protest against the Catholic government of Diem, which was prosecuting Buddhist monks. In 1967, Tim Page took a picture called Carnage. This picture showed the brutality of the war by letting people know what a Vietnamese booby trap can do to a group of grunts. In this picture a person had tripped a wire, after reading a sign that stated Any Americans who read this will die! triggering a bouncing betty to spring up and zap anyone in sight. As a result, 19 were killed, 31 wounded in a matter of seconds. By the time medi vac came in, there was a smell of death in the air and bod ies everywhere. How can we forget about arguably the most famous picture in Vietnam? The Napalm Girl, taken by Huynh Cong Ut in 1972. This is a photo of naked girl, named Kim Phuc, tore her own clothes off and come running out of a burning village, screaming Nong qua! Nong qua! (Too hot! Too hot!), after a Skyraider dove in and let go a napalm bomb that exploded near a Dai Temple in Trang Bang. Unfortunately for Kim and the other villagers the bomb was dropped on the wrong side of the village, missing the targeted Vietcong and N.V. troops. My Lai Massacre. Though, the 2nd Indochina war was unique in that it was the first TV war, one cant believe in everything he or she believe ...

Learning and development in working with young people Essay

Learning and development in working with young people - Essay Example Therefore, Madcap main idea is to assist these groups of young children by allowing them to explore themselves and put their ideas into practice and things they want to achieve by giving them the opportunity (Steve, Madcap Sequence, 7). Practices and Work There are a number of practices involved in this learning centre as it comprises of different young people with diversified interest to pursue. Because of this, the youngsters work in music projects on their own as the learning centre gives them support towards achieving their ideas. The workers help them in building confidence to enable them cope with their ideas and realize the value of their own ideas. Thereafter, the workers leave them to allow them exploit the opportunities. The workers role is to give them the opportunity and assist them with minimal help towards realizing their ideas. Similarly, the youngsters undergo gauging to make them have insights of what they are involved by shedding more light into their own projects ( Steve, Madcap Sequence, 7). This is a practice meant at ensuring that youngsters develop insights and understand their projects more so music to better their values and outcomes as well as to bring what is good about it. Madcap is concerned with recording music produced by the youngsters. It offers the available support to its youngsters to enable then listen and produce their music to meet their objectives. From the scripts, James came to record his music by recording it with the help of Steve who is one of the workers responsible for their training (James, Madcap Sequence 1). The role of the worker is to ensure the availability of recording equipments and facilities. Therefore, the main role is played by the youngsters in ensuring they achieve their dream from the assistance got from workers. In Madcap, the workers are not judgmental, and this aims to promote their talents by encouraging them to doing what inessential for them. Creativity of the youngsters is promoted in the proje cts in the initial stages, as they are kept smiling and feeling the sense that their ideas have values. Youngsters also role out the plans, which outlines what is taking place and ways of achieving them. This may comprise of different activities besides just completing the project offered by the learning centre. They also give the centre the details of the purpose of what it they want to achieve from their projects. Their goals may be to develop a compact disk (cd), live performance or just to set lyrics and the centre helps them towards achieving (Steve, Madcap Sequence, 7). Madcap provides assistances to youngsters in different activities that they have developed interests. It empowers the youngsters on how they can develop their talents, come up with raw ideas, and help them achieve. The project discourages duplication of ideas as it wants to help young people come with new projects, which are unique and do not exist (Man in Cap, Madcap Sequence, 2). Because of this, the centre d iscourages mixing music and asks youngsters to come with unique ways of arranging instruments used in mixing to make it a unique idea. From this perspective, they help young people in playing instruments mostly guitars (Girl Madcap Sequence, 2). The project coaches students towards realizing their potentials and developing ideas they have by giving them necessary support where they experience challenges. The work

Economics for Business and Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Economics for Business and Management - Essay Example According to Adams (2013), tin is mainly used in the manufacture of electronic items, and considering that the semiconductor sales which are a good indicator of the performance of the electronics industry, which seem to have moderately improved after undergoing a lengthy failing period from the summer of 2011 to the last quarter of 2012. The direct relationship between tin consumption and its price is demonstrated in figure 2 in comparison with figure 1; here it is clear that the price of the commodity increases when its demand is high and decreases when its demand is low. 9 9 Figure 2: Source: ITRI (http://www.fastmarkets.com/tin-analysis-and-research/tin-q12013) 9 Conclusion 10 References 11 Adams, W., 2013. Tin Analysis and Forecast Q1 2013. [ONLINE] Available at: 11 [Accessed 30 December 2013]. 11 Base metals.com., n.d. All about Tin. [Online] Available at: [Accessed 30 December 2013]. 11 Fraser, C., 2013. Tin Price set to move higher in 2013. [online] Available at: [Accessed 30 December 2013]. 11 Gandolfo, G., 2004. ... New York: NBER. 11 Tucker B., 2010. Macroeconomics for Today. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. 12 TASK A Will the new carbon price results to decrease in pollution levels? Climate change is a serious and rampant global challenge that requires the input of all nations in addressing it. There is urgent need for concerted efforts of international response and national efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHC) emissions. The international community has made efforts to reverse this ugly trend by setting up The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) whose main mandate is to respond to climate change. Frank (2007) asserts that the convention has set up The Associated Kyoto Protocol, a global agreement that categorizes countries by their level of industrialization and commits some countries to reduce their CGH emission rates. The Kyoto Protocol requires developed countries to reduce GHG emissions to 5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2012. It is prudent to note that climate ch ange experts concur that tagging price on greenhouse gas release emissions is a potent strategy in a range of solutions put in place to curb the adverse effects of climate change. There is need for an effective carbon pricing system in which every tonne of pollution comes at a cost as opposed to being free. The system in structured in such a way that dirty energy sources pay more in carbon tax. The idea is logical and should not be viewed by the affected parties as a radical one; it is the best way to make entities embrace green technologies. For instance, if a pricing system exists, the economy will find it cost effective to build wind turbines instead of coal plants; instead of driving gas-powered cars, the economy will chose electric vehicles powered by renewable energy

Compare and contrast(difference and similarity)between traditional Research Paper

Compare and contrast(difference and similarity)between traditional Yoruban marriage and traditional Korean marriage - Research Paper Example Of much interest is a deep delve into the understanding by a way of comparison, two cultures (marriage being the common denominator) that reveals elements inherent and unique to a particular community or groups of people. Providing perfect specimens under this study is the Yoruba and the Korean traditional marriages. It will be of interest to learn how communities separated far and wide; living several miles away from each other, with no basis of interaction then, could exhibit similar features in their marriage customs. More so, sharp contrasts in some of the features evident uniquely in either of the two undeniably confirms and gives them their cultural identity as far as marriage processes are concerned. Where everything is equal and normal, records Johnson ,113, a Yoruba traditional marriage involves three stages: an early intimation, a formal betrothal and marriage. In the first stage girls are marked out from childhood with or without their consent as intentioned for marriage to particular young men. No girl would get married without the parents’ consent and such was the basis for the betrothal stage or ‘Isihun’. It was accompanied by a ceremony where the parties involved feasted and offered sacrifices, the ‘Ebo Iyawo’ or the bride sacrifice. The final stage which is marriage could be carried out at any time of the year except during the fasts (Johnson, 114). The Korean traditional marriage on the other hand is a six stage process: Exchange of the letter of four pillars, selection of the wedding day, sending of wedding gifts, the marriage ceremony, the bridal room and the new path (Lee et al, 157) Insight into these stages are illuminated in the p assages below. Unique to the Korean culture is the letter of four pillars (saju) on which the year of birth, month, day and time of the bride or groom were written. Lee et al, 157, notes that the letter symbolized engagement. Arrangements of this nature are clearly absent in the Yoruba

The Impact Of Violent Games

The Impact Of Violent Games The transformation of mans life from the primitive being to the civilized one has occurred from the turn of the 18th century. The start of the 19th century witnessed more scientific discoveries. Techno-science is credited with these discoveries, and what this has done is that it has improved life on earth and made it better. We now live a world whereby all ages have some form of scientific discovery that makes life better and more sophisticated. It is true that sophistication is the principal reason behind all scientific discoveries. Moreover, the nature of man is that man is a creature that seeks to improve its own existence by bringing forth a myriad of scientific discoveries Techno- science has brought with it a lot of discoveries, and this has made life on earth to be better and more comfortable. One such field is that of entertainment. Be it music, videos, video games or even sports, techno- science has ensured that electronic gadgets have been created, thereby improving peoples lives. The chief beneficially to technological advancements in entertainment is children and young adults/adolescents. Video games are a top mode of entertainment among this young group of people. Video games are the creation of computers, and while even adults play these games, the market segment is children and young people. However much technological advancement are on the rise, techno-scientists have been accused of creating products without having to care about the potential effects of these products to the market segment. For instance, violent video games are immensely entertaining to children and young people, but what is puzzling is that, innovators of these products do not have the slightest care concerning the effect that these games have on the users (Anderson Bushman, 39). For years, video games have been accused of poisoning the minds of young people and children, which is detrimental to their development as they ape what they see in these videos. This essay analyses violent video games as being a contributor to aggressive behavior, especially in children and teenagers. By analyzing violent video games and their correlation with aggressive behavior, the study will establish how this issue can be reduced and surmounted, and how the behavior of young people is maintained to noteworthy levels. Violent video games Video games have been in existence from the 70s. Video games were created as a mode of entertainment by all age groups, but the principle market segment is children and teenagers who spend most of their free time indoors. These games have been seen as a way of enhancing the creativity and learning abilities of children, and are recommended for parents for their children. The popularity of action-hero movies triggered video game manufacturers to inject a new perspective into video games; violence. By doing this, they hoped to grasp larger audiences and entice younger ages more with their products. This was a marketing tool that was meant to revolutionize their business and make it more real. In these games, the users take the form of action-heroes who engage in violent confrontations with others. These heroes must keep winning duels so that the game advances to the next level. This pumps the adrenaline in game users until they become addicted as they want to advance to the next level and be winners in these violent duels. To the manufacturers, video games are created to entertain and please the users, but apart from entertaining them, violent video games have been accused of behavioral modification especially in young users by giving them aggressive and violent traits. In an era where action movies and thrillers fascinate young people and adults alike, video game manufacturers are taking advantage of this craze by coming up with video games with an injected bit of violence. The problem that has cropped up is that, video games being mostly used by children and young teenagers influence the behavior of this group of people. An adult views these games as a form of entertainment, but to a young person, it is both entertainment and a site to mimic behavior. While adults and senior teenagers play violent games, they do not seem to be affected much due to their perception. While an adult sees these games as a way of entertainment, a child may not understand why someone goes around the street shooting others or causing bodily harm to others. To them, it seems normal, and with this perception, behavioral modification is bound to occur. These children easily become aggressive and engage in endless confrontations with their peers. The debate concerning violent video games and ways in which they lead to aggressive behavior has been around for years. Steinfeld (27) writes in his book It becomes clear to me that the major causal relationship between the televised violence and the antisocial behavior is enough to warrant immediate and appropriate remedial action. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ There comes a time when the data are sufficient to justify action. That time has come. From then, more studies have been conducted and as Anderson and Bushman found out in their 2002 study there is a direct correlation between violent media exposure and aggression. Studies have shown that there is a link between violence in electronic media and real life aggression. This stretches into video games. Violent video games are analogous to violent media exposure. A study by Gentile, lynch, Linder and Walsh (2004) has shown that relative growth of these games has made American teenagers more aggressive in nature and to have terrible behaviors and attitudes. In this study, research was carried out from six hundred and seven students from four schools to confirm the violence that these games bring out in pupils attending the eighth grade. Teenagers who were exposed to many video games of a violent nature were reported to be hostile, and they could get into arguments with teachers easily and more frequently. They were involved in physical fights with fellow students at a higher rate and were poor performers in school. By comparison, violent video games bring more harm than violent TV programs. Unlike TV watching, playing video games is more involving and engaging. Whenever someone plays as a violent character in a video game, they try to identify with that particular character. In case they play as the same character over and over, it is easy for these traits to be transcribed into their behavior (Deselms and Altman, 1562). Finally, when players play as violent characters, they are awarded bonus points or, they advance to the next level. This motivates them to continually take part in these games. They become obsessed with the characters, and it can easily lead them in committing a crime. Sales of video games in America have risen over the years with the electronic entertainment market raking more than seven billion dollars back in 1999. This surpasses the revenues of film production for the first time in American history. The sales have surpassed twenty billion American dollars. This has been fuelled by the existence of more than 200 million game boys and 80 million play stations that have been sold on the video game market. An average American kid from age 2 to 17 is able to play and stay on a video game for 7 hours or more in a week. This masks the enormous difference between the girl child and boy child with different ages. A recent study by Anderson et al in 2010 established that most teenage girls engage in these games for more than five hours in a week while boys do it for more than thirteen hours in a week. This is an average playtime of nine hours in a day that teenagers spend on games. Studies have been conducted over the last 25 years, and most of them have looked at the final effects of video games of teenagers (Anderson and Bushman, 449). Most of these studies have managed to outline a link between these violent games and aggression. Some have even gone further by determining how video games affect school performance, and what has been established is that school performance has been compromised as a result of video games. This is a tremendous setback on the American education since the numbers of such students is on the rise. The impact of violent video games extends even to institutions of higher learning as evidenced by research done by Gentile, lynch, Linder and Walsh in 2004. In their research, they established that there are negative impacts in college students who spend most of their leisure time on violent video games instead of concentrating on studies. The grades of these students have been reported to drop drastically and they attain aggressive behavio r. Study Review Video games have been in existence for the past 30 or so years. They are a noteworthy and unique form of entertainment in that; they encourage the player to be part of the game. Video games have become so sophisticated to the point of ensuring that the player must pay close attention to what is going on. While video games have positive and negative effects, empirical studies continue showing that there are more drawbacks than advantages, especially by contributing to aggressive behavior in people, especially children and young teenagers. Studies have shown that aggression in children and young people is determined by the time spent by playing these games. For example, a study by Walsh in 2000 revealed most teenagers have admitted that their parents do not impose time limits on the hours they use to play video games. A good number of parents also take no notice of the content of games that their children play. Therefore, the long playing hours coupled with parents profligacy in imposing their monitoring has made the teenagers aggressive. Another study by Gentile, lynch, Linder and Walsh in 2004 subjected adolescent boys and girls to long periods of video games. These researchers proved that, young people who engaged in violent video games for an extended time period are more aggressive, engage in constant confrontations and score low school performance (Gentile et al, 21). Another study finding reveals that aggression develops in game users when they engage in games that are beyond their level. Games are accorded leve ls corresponding to particular age groups. This needs to be followed because; young children may play games that are many levels ahead. These children happen to witness shocking scenes to a point that their young minds become affected. These children easily become aggressive. Picture a modern video game about an assassin who is going around the street killing rival gang members. When a child or any young person mimics the assassin in the game, images of such a video game are inscribed in this their mind, and they are for sure going to become more aggressive. The child first starts mimicking the shooter with even sticks, and later they become aggressive. In most video games, players progress to the next round, and the more they play, the more they become addicted, and they more aggressive they are likely to get. Empirical data has shown that violent video games supersede even violent films (Pollard et al, 10). The results of the study confirmed that people who engaged in violent video games became more aggressive when compared to those who were merely watching. While a few people assert that violent games are harmless, studies continue to show the opposite. There is evidence that violence video games make the players cathartic in that, they vent their angers aimlessly. In their work, Anderson et al (2010) assert that approximately 130 researches have been conducted on the same topic using over 130,000 subjects and the study findings were that; violent video games enhance aggressive thoughts and behavior, and increase ones physiological arousal by increasing ones pulse and blood pressure. Anderson and Bushman conducted extensive research in 2002, and from that, they were able to come up with evidence for the topic in question. The research was aimed at investigating the link between media violence and aggression. From their study, it was revealed that players who continually engage in violent video games become aggressive since violent behavior is repeated in the games over and over. Besides, video games ensure that players are active participants instead of being passive as in movies. Moreover, players in video games identify with a particular character they adore. This is what is known as the first person video game (Anderson Dill, 788). From this, players imitate the characters of these video games, which trigger them to become aggressive. For instance, a player who engages in a violent game develops aggressive thoughts. In their study, bushman Anderson concluded that when a player who was previously exposed to violent video games encounters confrontation, they r espond with an enhanced rate of aggression. However much scientific evidence has shown that video games that are violent cause aggressive behavior especially in young people; other theorists have opposed this citing various reasons. For instance, people who engage in violent video games have claimed that even though they play video games, they have never killed anyone. This is true especially from the United States FBI murder figures for 2010. From the survey, it was revealed that the murder rate in the US per year is 6 in 100,000. This is a low rate implying that murder from events like violent video games is highly unlikely. But this does not mean that violent video games do not lead to aggression. Secondly, the media have contributed to the denial that violent video games do not cause aggression. This is because; media personalities have failed to admit that the product they are marketing is dangerous. This is analogous to the tobacco industry; even though the manufacturers of tobacco know that the product is harmful, they have been reluctant to admit that their product is harmful. The role of parents in curbing aggression in their children cannot be underemphasized. Psychologists have identified that parents have a role of cautioning their children concerning violent media. Stopping your children from engaging in violent video games is unrealistic as a person is not able to supervise all the time, but it is necessary to regulate what children engage in. There are many ways parents can help (Pollard et al, 89). For one, they need not install violent media at home. Secondly, parents need to know the rating of all video games available at home, so that young children do not play games way above their level. Parents should also limit the time spent online and in playing these games. It is necessary for parents to monitor media consumption of their children. Violence in video games is impacting negatively on the users of these games. Significant harmful effects have been reported some of these effects are short term, but others are long term and affect the gamer for the rest of the life. The effects become harmful when parents who are supposed to monitor their children when they engage in these games become careless and leave the children to continue playing video games without limit. The endgame with this is that the child starts to be a psychopath and is likely to try and experiment what was being played in video games on the real world. The child will start to be aggressive when offended in a small way and may hurt everyone in the vicinity. Electronic media have the probability of enlightening the social and learning behavior of students by replacing reading activities, time for family interactions and social time with friends. If an average child spends 7 hours in a week to engage in these games, the child is not able to engage thems elves in any form of homework or reading. This results to the child becoming lazy and stubborn which may increase the aggressive nature of the child. Summary of Findings From the analyses of various studies and researches made, it is evident that more boys engage in violent video games than girls. Those who engage also acquire aggression with time, which leads them to engage in confrontations in school and landing in trouble in most times. These young individuals also grow up into aggressive people when their game time is excessive. Many researches also shows that, a majority of parents do not monitor their children and teenagers on the game time, making some young game players overindulge in violent games. A majority of parents also do not check the rating of the violent games, which allows even younger children to access games that are beyond their level. Study Interpretation Content analysis carried out by Walsh (2000) shows that more than 90% these games in the American market have some form of a violent nature and more than 60% in the global market have serious violence amongst those who take part in the game. The study concludes that a good proportion of games bought by gamers contain serious violence and the popularity of this form of games is mostly determined by the violence content that is developed among the characters. Pollard, Bushman Anderson in their 2011 research found out that, violence has spurred a lot among adolescents and children; this violence is mostly a result of violent video games. Bushman and Anderson (2002) conducted a Meta-analysis of 54 tests, which were independent about the relation between the violence of video games and physical aggression. This analysis involved more than four thousand participants and five results, which were consistent, among these gamers in relation to violent video games were derived from the analysis. Playing of violent games increases the aggressive cognitions of the participants. Violent games increase the arousal, physiologically aggressive emotion is increased by playing such games. Aggressive behaviors are increased among the gamers, and the pro- social behavior of the gamers is decreased with immediate effect. These effects termed as robust, and they are found in all ages of people in society, be it adults or children, females or males and non-experimental and experimental studies. Most of studies have been done out and results found with more than sufficient evidence that explains about the impacts of violent video games, b ut so far little has been done to avert this problem in the American society. Age restrictions have been imposed on accessing different kinds of video games with certain levels of violence, but somehow the young people end up getting the games from sources that are unclear. Gamers who are born aggression seem to have increased violence while and after playing video games of a violent nature. A study by Gentile, lynch, Linder and Walsh (2004) found that the physiological impacts of engaging in these games is worse in children who had developed a violent nature before they started playing video games than those who have no violent traits. These children are more likely to start excising the violent activities that they experience in video games, in real life. Gamers with the violence trait from birth showed increases in epinephrine levels in their blood and their arterial pressure increased too. This was the reverses of the gamers who did not have this trait. Moderation In moderating people who have the violent trait, parents and guardians should be able to notice this issue earlier when the child is growing up, and they should be able to help the child by restricting video games of violence nature. Children with this trait are not supposed to be exposed to any violence at all as they have a high probability that they will imitate the violent conditions that they experience. Parental monitoring should be able to play a significant role in ensuring that the children are safe, and they do not interact with violent videos. Instead, parents should ensure that they buy their children video games of an educational nature to motivate their children to think out of the box and increase their studies. When parents impose limits on television, the children tend to understand, the same should be done on video games and give children tight rules on accessing the games. Parents should be active in promoting positive messages that are brought with the entire vide o games and shun the negative messages conveyed by the violent video games. They should be the role models and convey a positive message to their children. Gentile and Walsh (2002) carried out a study about the ability of parents to input their control on video games that are accessed by their children. More than 55% of the parents allowed their children to take play video games of their choice including the ones that have a violent nature. 40% of the parents have the ability to control what their children play, they have the ability and responsibility of checking the regulations of the game before giving the children the opportunity to play, and 5% of the parents are never at home, so children are free to engage in any form of games of their choice and desire. This study shows how most of the parents have underestimated the damage that these games are doing to their children and perhaps it is because most of the parents nowadays are workaholics and do not have adequate time to be with their children and know about their lives. Some of the parents are not even able to name the game type that their children are playing which most childre n take advantage of since the parents are not concerned to know what the favorite things their children like. If only parents could step up and become active in the moderating process of these video games, then it is highly likely that the children could be saved from becoming aggressive. Active parents also know what to do when their children are not performing according to standards in school. They are able to consult with teachers and tutors so that the child is given additional motivation that is required to perform better in studies. Conclusion The importance of innovation is that it makes life enjoyable and modernized. One such aspect of modern innovation is the advent of video games. Video games have revolutionized the entertainment industry. It is entertainment for all age groups as one can relax and pass time especially during ones free time. Even though they are used by all age groups, the target market segment is young children and teenagers. Manufacturers of video games target the young market segment as they are the group that is easily enticed and enthralled by games, and one that can spend almost the whole day playing the games if it were possible. Children and teenagers of the modern world are spending much of their free time playing these games, unlike adults who have an aspect of moderation in video game playing. Despite teenagers and children spending most of their time engaging in video games, these games have a positive attribute in their development. These games are seen as a way of improving the reasoning and intelligence of children, and for this reason they are encouraged in all home settings. Through these games also, parents are able to occupy their children during the free time. Therefore, instead of engaging in mischief and wandering about the neighborhood, video games engage children by keeping them busy. As they are addictive, children remain glued to their seats playing these games. Despite technological innovations making life easier and better, one major problem associated with them is that, techno-scientists are obsessed with furthering their innovations to the point of coming up with principles that are bringing more harm than good to the users. When a product is liked in the market segment and the sales are always on a high, innovators always want to maintain this trend even though the product may be harmful to the market segment. One such is the discovery of violent video games. Violent video games are just the normal types of games, but they have aspects of violence by incorporating characters who engage in physical duels and confrontations with devices like guns. Initially, video games were a way of entertainment, but over time, the innovators wanted to introduce action movie concepts into these games as a marketing tool and as a way of adding appeal to video games. Manufacturers of violent video games aim to pump up the adrenaline of its users by introd ucing violence concepts in the games. Children and teenagers become elated by such concept. Video game manufacturers have succeeded to considerable degree because violent video game purchases have been on the rise recently. In every region of the world, video games are becoming the craze of children and teenagers. Even though violent video games cannot harm teenagers directly, the effect that is being noted is psychological and behavioural alteration. Through engaging in these games, teenagers and children start aping and copying what the games portray, and this alters their behavior. What has been observed is that, aggressive behavior has been noted in those who engage in violent video games. Being young children and teenagers, one can only wonder what individuals are going to emerge from these aggressive personalities. Most researches as outlined above reveal that video games that contain violence continue impacting negatively on its users, especially children and teenagers. This is related to the time-frame for games and the level of violence compared to the age group. Young people spend an average of nine hours per day to play violent video games, and this time has been determined to be too much, thereby affecting them negatively. Moderation is necessary in games so that teenagers and children are not obsessed with violent games. Video games were created to be a form entertainment source, but not as a negative influence. In order for violent games to be purely a form of entertainment, then parents and guardians need to moderate the use to a few hours in a day. Children also need to be investigated so that they do not engage in games that belong to higher age groups. The human brain develops with time, and in every age group, there is a degree of what an individual can handle. The younger the indi vidual is, the more likely they are to be affected by violent games. Older children are able to handle violent games when compared to younger ones. For this reason, every game should be used by the age group that it is created with. When this is done, coupled with moderation on the time spent playing the games, then aggressive behavior will be reduced by those that engage in violent games. However, as long as this does not happen, then violent games will continue causing the development of aggressive behavior in people, especially young users. Recommendation From the various studies conducted on the impact of violent video games study conducted, the following are the conclusions: a) More boys engage in violent video games than girls. b) Those who engage in violent video on a regular basis acquire aggression with time, derived from the characters they mimic in those video games c) Teenagers who have a history of video games are led to engage in confrontations in school and landing in trouble in most times. d) Young individuals grow up into aggressive people when their game time is excessive. e) A majority of parents do not monitor their children and teenagers on the game time, making some young game players overindulge in violent games. f) A majority of parents also do not check the rating of the violent games, which allows even younger children to access games that are beyond their level. g) Most modern households have video games, and with internet games, violent video games are easy to download These are appalling statistics. Something needs to be done to change this trend. Many products are being released into the market, and there is no one who has the right to control their release. People have the liberty to use products, but when these products start affecting users, then something needs to be done. Game manufacturers have the moral obligation to manufacture games that are not overly violent. But in a world where emphasis is on marketing and profit accumulation, no one can blame them. The onus is on parents to moderate game-time. Teenagers should understand that violent games correlate to aggressive behavior and moral decadence. They should restrain themselves and should treat games as merely an entertainment source and not as a behavior modifier. Parents will not always spend time with their children; hence, it reaches an age where teenagers need to do the right thing. Video games have become very popular in the contemporary world, and for parents it has become difficult for them to eliminate the games from their childrens lives. Research has shown that video games are important for children development. The problem comes in when they are overused and when young people play violent video games. These have been observed to cause aggression in young people. This research has proved that analogy. As it is difficult to eliminate videogames from the life of children and young people, the way to protect them is to reduce their negative effect through the following ways; a) Parents need to ensure that they are aware of the rating of the violent games played by their children. The ESRB considers the sex, violence, language and substance abuse contained in a game. From this, they give the age recommendation. Each game has a rating symbol for that particular age group b) Parents need to regulate internet usage in the homestead so that teenagers do not continually access violent games c) Parents need to set limits of video playing do that they do not overplay d) Parents need to monitor the media consumption of their children and guide them instead of according them too much freedom e) Guide children on the games they should play. A parent needs to take interest in video games so that they are able to offer guidance to children. Parents need to be free with their children and ask them about their feelings about the video games. By doing this, parents grow closer to their children. Therefore, the role of parents in curbing aggression in their children cannot be underemphasized. Psychologists have identified that parents have a role of cautioning their children concerning violent media. Stopping your children from engaging in violent video games is unrealistic as you cannot be with them all the time, but there is need to regulate what children engage in. There are many ways parents can help. For one, they need not install violent media at home. Secondly, parents need to know the rating of all video games available at home so that young children do not play games way above their level. Parents should also limit the time spend online and in playing these games. It is important for parents to monitor media consumption of their children

Green Alliances: McDonalds and Environmental Defense Essay -- Environm

Green Alliances: McDonalds and Environmental Defense On August 1, 1990, Shelby Yastrow, McDonald’s Senior Vice President of Environmental Affairs, and Fred Krupp, Environmental Defense’s Executive Director, announced that the company and the organization would form a partnership with the goal of improving waste management at McDonald’s. The announcement came as a surprise to many outside of McDonald’s and Environmental Defense; the alliance of the world’s largest fast-food company with one of the country’s oldest and best-known environmental organizations seemed improbable. McDonald’s seemed a more likely target for Environmental Defense’s litigation than a potential partner. Reaction to the announcement was mixed. Many, such as the Wall Street Journal, applauded the decision to cooperation, saying that the alliance could â€Å"break ground in the fight to protect the environment.†[1] Others, such as Warren T. Brooks of the San Francisco Chronicle, accused McDonaldâ₠¬â„¢s of caving into pressure from the â€Å"elitist yuppies†[2] of Environmental Defense. Still others, like Hans Schuttle of the Boston Globe, feared that Environmental Defense was catering to big business and â€Å"watering down† its stands.[3] McDonald’s and Environmental Defense themselves seemed unsure of the direction the partnership would take. Krupp spoke of â€Å"work[ing] together to improve the environment,† but also cautioned, â€Å"we’re always ready to roll out the heavy artillery.† Yastrow likewise expressed cautious optimism about the partnership. In this, Krupp and Yastrow were acknowledging McDonald’s and Environmental Defense’s very different histories and perspectives, yet they were also implying that each had evolved enough to a point where they were in a posit... ...26] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/McDfinreport.html, updated 8/21/00, accessed 11/16/00. [27] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/McDfinreport.html, updated 8/21/00, accessed 11/16/00. [28] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/McDfinreport.html, updated 8/21/00, accessed 11/16/00. [29] Langert, 12/4/00. [30] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/EDF-Letter/1991/Jan/a_mcdonalds.html, accessed 11/16/00. [31] Livesey, p. 5 [32] Livesey, p. 11 [33] Langert, 12/4/00. [34] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/StrategicPlan/, accessed 12/7/00. [35] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Newsletter/1999/Dec/gc_ways.html, accessed 11/23/00. [36] National Resources Defense Council website, www.nrdc.org/cities/recycling/append.asp, accessed 11/14/00. [37] www.environmentaldefense.org/pubs/Reports/launchethic.html, accessed 11/23/00.

American History II

One of the wonders of the modern world is the influx of modern ideas and the continuing improvement of the quality of human lives. The contemporary society caters to the innovations on the lifestyles and needs of people. Due to the inevitable changes in the needs of people and the creations of their productive and innovative minds, they develop dwellings that fit people’s needs. As a result, cities have been created and are continuing to grow with the process of industrialization and modernization. Cities render various advantages to its settlers. One of its main advantages is the promotion of commerce.The degree of civilization and knowledge existing in a country can be estimated through the proportion of the population living in the towns and cities. In cities, the different aspects of the city is developed and improved. There are also people offering the same trade and services. Thus, there is infinite rivalry, which leads to improvement (Dana, 1848). Cities were originally founded by individuals who congregated for the purpose of national protection and defense. However, in countries with well established governments, men only resort to settling in the urban due to its advantages.The high scale and affluence of the business transactions in cities could not be found elsewhere. Furthermore, the subdivisions of employments offer various fields of exercise in different skills and talents (McCulloch, 1852). As a result, cities became the center of political and economic freedom. In the medieval era, cities were concentrated by entrepreneurs who profited from the restrictions of the lords and the vassals. Nowadays, cities are also the center of the political and economic arena (Lachmann, 2002). The development of cities also has negative implications.The increasing concentration of the population in cities tends to congest the dwelling and cause little social and economic mobility. High concentrated places are also characterized by poverty due to the numer ous structural factors in the urban environment (Gilbert, 2004). In addition, the standard of living becomes low, and people are having a difficult time in seeking for employment due to the numerous people seeking for jobs. Urbanization also poses a threat to the environment, industries and factories continue to grow and come out that may bring substances and elements noxious to our environment (Gilbert, 2004).Due to the growing problems brought by urbanization and congesting cities, the U. S. government began its attempts to address these problems through the implementation of various programs which aim to help the citizens in the cities. They improved their healthcare and social welfare to help people without homes and employment. They also strengthened the laws which aim to protect the people and the environment in the noxious effects of urbanization. References Dana, W. B. (1848). Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review. New York: Published At 142 Fulton Street. Gilbert, M. A. (2004, April). More than job creation: A case study of empowerment zones and opportunities for economic mobility (Abstract). Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois. All Academic. Retrieved August 11, 2008 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p83598_index. html. Lachmann, R. (2002). Capitalists in Spite of Themselves. New York: Oxford UP. McCulloch, J. R. (1852). A Dictionary, Practical, Theoretical, and Historical, of Commerce and Navigation. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans.

Domestic Production of Marijuana and the Implications of Legalization Essays

Domestic Production of Marijuana and the Implications of Legalization Essays Domestic Production of Marijuana and the Implications of Legalization Paper Domestic Production of Marijuana and the Implications of Legalization Paper Widespread marijuana production and use, and lately, the calls for its legalization have created a stir in recent years. As such, there are a lot of things we need to know in order to understand this issue. What is the current state of marijuana domestic production? Who are the players in the legalization issue and what are its implications? This paper posits that legalization is being pushed primarily by business wanting a share of the market which is currently dominated by illegal organizations and users who wish to ease the moral and legal restrictions on its use. As such legalization will increase domestic marijuana production. Overview of the Domestic Marijuana Production Current Domestic Marijuana Availability Canabis has earned its status as the most valuable cash crop today. In 2006 alone, the current gross value of the estimated 68. 1 million marijuana plants in the U. S. stood at $35. 8 billion, far exceeding the value of legal, essential crops such as wheat. Outdoor marijuana made up 82. 8% of total production with a corresponding value of $31. 7 billion. Indoor marijuana accounted for 5. 2% pegged at $4. 1 billion (Gettman, 2006). Weed is typically for local consumption but its export is also viable. The annual supply of domestically produced weed is estimated between 8. 7-21. 8 million kilograms, a manifold increase since the 80’s (Gettman, 2006). Marijuana growing has been found everywhere. However, Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Washington and West Virginia rank as the top ten producers (Gettman, 2006), despite intensive eradication operations by the DEA. Large-scale production outdoors is easy and inexpensive with minimal plant care. Radical improvements in quality or potency have been achieved with advancements in technology such as the hydroponic system. As such, potency rates (measured in total plant THC content, the main mind-altering component) can now reach as high as 8. 77% from the 1. 5% average in the ‘70s (NDTA 2008). Local marijuana is expensive compared to other countries. According to one site, the average price for a quarter ounce of weed is $40 for low quality, $50 for medium quality and $80 for high quality and has remained steady for the past years (e-stoned. com). This proves that there is an established consumer base, proof that it is a very lucrative business and tax free too! Current Domestic Marijuana Consumption Among all the available illegal drugs, it is the most commonly used with consumers from all ages, genders, race and economic status (DEA website). However, use is most common among young people with its treatment as a recreational drug. There is no current government data on the actual number of marijuana users but the results of latest DHHS drug use survey show that there were 2. 1 million Americans, mostly minors, who used marijuana for the first time in 2006, a figure that has not changed dramatically since 2002 (NSDUH 2006). An estimate by one group using the current estimated supply and average consumption/user puts the number of American marijuana users at 15 million (NORML. com). This corresponds to 5% of the total population. The Global Youth Network also ranks the U. S. as one of the top 6 marijuana using countries in the world. Who Controls the Domestic Marijuana Production and Distribution? DEA 2008 reports show the involvement of drug trade organizations from Cuba and Asia in marijuana trafficking all over the country and they are now into indoor marijuana production as well, with expansions targeting the northern states. Mexican DTO’s, on the other hand are targeting outdoor marijuana production in the eastern states and marijuana smuggling in the border areas. Although there are freelance dealers who operate small-scale, widely commercial grade marijuana cultivation and sale, the wider, more systematic production and distribution targeting densely populated areas is controlled by drug-trade organizations. In addition, there is also a proliferation of internet pharmacies that offer marijuana (Scott hearing on the DEA’s Regulation of Medicine). Medical or Research Grade Marijuana Legal high potency Cannabis is used for FDA-approved studies or as prescription medicine. Medical marijuana is now legal in 13 states, permitting doctors to prescribe high-potency marijuana to increase the appetite of patients suffering from AIDS, alleviate pain or decrease the pressure in the eyes of glaucoma patients among others. Research grade marijuana cultivation is currently exclusive to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Medical marijuana is produced only after acquisition of a license. In the case of California, which was the first state to legalize, patients/care providers are allowed possession of 6-12 plants or a maximum 8 ounces of dried marijuana (SB 420). Further, possession in excess of this is permissible if prescribed by a doctor. Counties and municipalities can also impose local ordinances that allow possession/cultivation beyond the limits set by state law. Further, the joint efforts at marijuana cultivation by patients/caregivers as well as marijuana dispensaries are also allowed (SB 420). The Legalization of Marijuana In 2001, the U. S. Supreme Court voted unanimously not to allow the use of medical marijuana and the drug remains in the DEA Schedule 1 (DrugFreeAmerica. com). However, states can adopt state-wide laws with regards to Canabis. Of the 13 states that legalized medical marijuana, 6 of them have further adopted decriminalization. There are 6 other states that decriminalized but did not legalize marijuana. Fourteen qualify â€Å"drug use in driving† as a criminal offense while 20 states issue marijuana tax stamps (NORML. com). Legalization efforts range from lobbying for the legal cultivation and use of marijuana for medical and research purposes to its commercial production and distribution alongside other substances like alcohol or tobacco. Subsequently, decriminalization aims to apply the individual freedom of choice and eliminate the penalties for marijuana-related offenses. Lobby work for federal legalization has resulted in H. R. 2592, initiatives and referendum polls in the various states. The Arguments for Legalization and Counterviews The primary arguments for legalization are 1. marijuana has medicinal properties, 2. marijuana will bring in more revenue and save taxes on the federal marijuana eradication drives, 3. marijuana is relatively harmless and 4. legalization will actually decrease marijuana use. That it does have medicinal properties for specific ailments is already proven by initial research and actual practice. That marijuana will contribute to state revenue along with cigarettes is also not debatable. An economist calculated that the state of California can put up $1 billion from taxing a joint for $1, up to $400 million retail sales taxes and save $156 million from law enforcement (CANORML. com). That the federal government has been largely unsuccessful in its well-funded marijuana eradication drives also holds true as indicated in various news reports. That marijuana legalization will actually decrease its use will depend on a lot of factors. It might lessen the number of first time users if we reason that alcohol consumption was at its peak when it was illegal. However, habitual users will continue to be a steady market. Finally, that marijuana is a safer alternative to harder drugs, alcohol or even coffee is relative. Federal government agencies and anti-legalization groups also argue that there are alternative drugs for the same that cause no â€Å"highs†. They also present the immediate and cumulative ill-effects of marijuana while the more liberal call for more extensive research on it for commercial, federally approved medical use. For people who put premium on their health, using marijuana or any other addictive substance for that matter might not be acceptable. The government’s main reasons for not budging on the issue besides citing the health effects of its use include the membership of the U. S. in international treaties banning marijuana (Scott hearing on DEA’s Regulation of Medicine). Some Proponents of Marijuana Legalization There are 2 prominent groups campaigning for legalization. The Marijuana Policy Project is the advocacy arm of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS. org), the first pharmaceutical company aiming to break NIDA’s monopoly over research grade marijuana by funding the construction of a medical marijuana production facility in the University of Massachusetts. This is the first step in a 5-year marijuana drug development study worth $5 million (MAPS. org). The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a non-profit public-interest advocacy group representing the interests of millions of responsible American marijuana smokers, started its advocacy way back in 1970. Working with the NORML Foundation, it currently has community/school chapters in 45 states and in 7 other countries. Active in lobby work and media campaign, it also provides legal assistance to people charged with marijuana offenses. It favors the Democrat campaign as it hopes to have a more favorable response to pro-legalization from Congress. Conclusion Marijuana’s promising medicinal values is a minefield for pharmaceutical companies which would explain their financial involvement in and all-out support for the pro-legalization advocacy. The equally promising possibility of being granted the right to choose to use marijuana without fear of being punished legally and morally anywhere in the country is motivation enough, given the vast number of users. Politicians will also be happy with more taxes and guaranteed votes. Legalization, especially at the federal level, will affect production by stimulating legal private enterprises involved in medical/research grade as well as commercial marijuana production. Canabis will become another profit commodity which does not need much effort in marketing with the intensive campaigning by pro-legalization groups that target recreational users and patients as well. However, the effect of legalization on illegal production remains to be speculated but it will surely lose a portion of the occasional users market to legal marijuana producers. Finally, the greatest challenge and burden will fall on parents and law-enforcement agencies in how they can successfully educate children to prevent future marijuana addiction. For one, legalization makes further access to marijuana a whole lot easier because unlike other drugs that are manufactured in laboratories, this is planted everywhere. References Clint. Marijuana Prices in the USA. Retrieved February 12, 2008 from e- stoned. com/rec/44-Marijuana-Prices-in-the-USA/ Economics of Canabis Legalization. Retrieved February 13, 2008 from norml. org/index. cfm? Group_ID=4421 Gettman, John. (2006). Marijuana Production in the United States (2006). Retrieved February 12, 2008 from The Bulletin of Cannabis Reform, drugscience. org/bcr/index. html National Drug Threat Assessment, 2008. (2007). Retrieved February 12, 2008 from http://149. 101. 1. 32/dea/concern/18862/2008. pdf National Survey on Drug Use and Health. (2006) Retrieved February 12, 2008 from oas. samhsa. gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results. pdf MAPS DEA Lawsuit. Retrieved from Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Drugs, maps. org/mmj/DEAlawsuit. html#6 Marijuana Overview. Retrieved February 13, 2008 from the Drug Enforcement Agency, http://149. 101. 1. 32/dea/concern/marijuana. html Medical Excuse Marijuana. (2008) Retrieved from DrugFreeAmerica, dfaf. org/marijuana/excuse. php Putting a Value on Cannabis. (2008) Retrieved February 12, 2008 from National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, norml. org/index. cfm? Group_ID=4424 Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Retrieved February 13, 2008 from the Office of Applied Studies-SAMSA, oas. samhsa. gov/nhsda. htm Rep. Robert C. Scott Holds a Hearing on the Drug Enforcement Administrations Regulation of Medicine. Retrieved February 12, 2008 from maps. org/mmj/dealawsuit_congressional_hearing. html Senate Bill 420. Retrieved February 13, 2008 from albanyca. org/archive/pdf/022007_8_1_AttF. pdf