Crow Lake Empathy Essay

In Mary Lawson’s Crow Lake, Kate Morrison is left emotionally stunted after a series of events leave her disappointed and grieving. When Kate is only seven, her parents are killed in a tragic car accident. Luckily for Kate, she could find condolence in her older brother Matt and the pond, a bond shared between the two. Kate idolizes Matt so it crushes her when he impregnates their neighbour and can no longer continue with his education. Kate sees this as a huge disappointment. She’s afraid of love and emotion due to her unresolved conflicts in the past. Kate has been left incapable of empathy in fear of becoming close to anyone again.From a young age Kate has been unfamiliar with others’ and her own emotions. The Morrison household preferred to keep drama to a minimum. Kate refers to this as the Eleventh Commandment: Understatement was the rule in our house. Emotions, even positive ones, were kept firmly under control. It was the Eleventh Commandment, carved on i ts very own tablet of stone and presented specifically to those of Presbyterian persuasion: Thou Shall Not Emote (p. 9). Being a stranger to emotion, Kate finds it difficult to identify and feel what another person is feeling.Exposure to emotional outbursts makes Kate anxious as she cannot find a proper way to deal with others due to her inability to fully understand and empathize. When Kate is approached by one of her students after class she assumes it is because of reasons related to her studies. â€Å"‘I guess I’m not the sympathetic type’ † she admits, â€Å"‘[s]ympathy and empathy are linked, after all’ † (p. 236). The student is struggling to find words when Kate suggests that â€Å" ’ [i]f it isn’t connected to your work, then I may not be the best person†¦ ’ † (p. 237).When her student confirms it’s about her studies Kate begins with a generic authoritive response to Fiona’s proble m, encouraging her to go on with her work rather than leave university but when she is faced with the raw emotion of Fiona’s tears Kate shys away, reminding herself that despite both growing up in a rural area, their situations were nothing alike. Rather than trying to relate, Kate pushes herself away. The Eleventh Commandment sticks with her throughout her life The return to Crow Lake unearthed feelings that had been buried for too long.For Matt’s wife, Marie, these feelings were frustration with Kate’s attitude toward Matt. Marie quite clearly sees how Kate’s judgements negatively affect him and finally decides to lecture Kate on her blindness to Matt’s satisfaction with his life and her lack of forgiveness towards him. Kate was completely stunned by Marie’s words of how her disappointment is the heaviest weight on his shoulders; to Kate it seemed â€Å"that her accusations made no sense† (p. 279). Kate, unable to see things from Ma rie’s eyes, is unnerved and puzzled by what happened. She was convinced that she had been protecting Matt. Here am I, with my wonderful career, and here is my boyfriend with his wonderful career, and look at all of you† (p. 260). She felt as if she would have been bragging to talk about anything in her current life, rubbing Matt’s face in her big city endeavours. Her lack of empathy made her blind towards Marie’s attempt at displaying Matt’s want to regain the bond they had once had. If Kate was able to empathize, she would have been able to forgive Matt. Matt was only seventeen when he had to give up life as a normal teenage boy to be a guardian to his younger sisters.Not only did he have school to worry about but also the well being of his siblings and financial stability. For a moment Kate is almost able to empathize with Matt on why he became close with Marie. She excuses Matt because â€Å"he was eighteen, and when he put his arms around her h e would have felt how soft she was† (p. 248). But she quickly refuses to accept what Matt had done, unable to completely understand why he threw away what meant so much to him. Kate feels as though Matt is still grieving over his loss of opportunity when in reality he moved on. If Kate could only see things through Matt’s eyes she would know.Her incapability of letting go obstructs her empathy skills and vice versa. Kate’s inability to empathize stems from the fear of being left disappointed. After the incident with Matt she doesn’t allow herself to become close. Empathizing requires openness, expression and a certain degree of intimacy, all of which are foreign to Kate. Although Kate is incapable of empathy, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have room to grow. Lawson leaves the ending quite open but hints at Kate’s readiness to finally let go. Works Cited Lawson, Mary. Crow Lake. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2002.

The Management Efficiency Unit

I have been working in the Public Registry for the last 8 years.   The location of the offices is quite distant from my residence and sixteen other colleagues that work in the aforesaid department have the same problem.   Every morning we are required to travel a one hour ferry and nearly 2 hours drive to arrive at work.The Management Efficiency Unit noted this issue and finally top management decide to take remedial action by requesting a transfer to another department, the Treasury Section, which mitigates such location problem.Unfortunately the scheme designed by executive management was not properly planned.   They also did not discuss this issue with operational managers who possess far greater knowledge on the day to day running of the office.   As a result the decision lacked practical issues and led to other problems, as will be further illustrated below.Everybody accepted the transfer and we were eventually informed that our training for the new job will take approxi mately two or three months and will take place in the head office of the Finance Department, which is also distant.   The new job was highly technical and involved a lot of accountancy issues, which the majority of us were not capable to comprehend that easily.The three months passed and we were still unable to work unsupervised from our tutors.   The impracticality of the decision was highlighted from the fact that our principal in charge, who was also taking training was still incapable to work on his own after three months.When these issues started to crop up, crises management arose.   A new assistant director was assigned to this division, who once realized of the vast serious problems arising from such decision, he immediately denied this new role.Demotivation arose in our section and staff is constantly complaining about the problems we are facing.   In addition no communication exists between us and executive management and we are alone with this new work, which we a re not trained to do.The only reasonable solution that management was able to come up with is to extend the duration of the training to eight months.   However with this decision they have not yet solve the problem that the location of the office is far from home and are incurring additional costs to train us.If they planned carefully before deciding and discussed it with operational managers they would have definitely solved the problem more efficiently.   It is imperative that when managing change proper communication and planning exist.Reference:Johnson G.; Scholes K.; Whittington R. (2005). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Seventh Edition. England: Pearson Education Limited.   

International HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International HRM - Essay Example This paper discusses that earlier the definition of HRM was only limited to hiring and firing of employees. The HRM process of the company only focused on the increasing the productivity of the company by recruiting good employees. After the development of the trade unions the company started focusing more on improving its relationship with the organizational members. Then employee relationship was included in the definition of HRM. In the late 70s the companies started conducting training, implementing appraisal system, organizing welfare activities etc. All of these HRM processes helped the companies to increase their productivity and satisfaction level of their employees. In 1980 communication process was added to the definition of HRM. In this essay various concepts of International HRM have been discussed. There are many factors which influence IHRM process of a company. For these factors various complexities arises in IHRM which are highlighted in this case. The traditional concept of IHRM has many limitations for which modern theories of IHRM are used in the companies. The role of Globalization in IHRM is also discussed in this essay.  The focus of HRM definitions changed with the changing business environment. This is because earlier the companies were only concerned to increase their productivity but gradually they started realizing the value of employees.  So they incorporated many new things in the definition of HRM for satisfying the employees and retaining them for long time.

The Reproductive Health Bill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Reproductive Health Bill - Essay Example The bill has been unanimously approved by the House Committee on Population and Family Relations last January 31, 2011. It is now awaiting approval on third reading in Congress after which it will be submitted to the Senate for approval and eventually submitted to the Office of the President for signature (Montenegro, par.2). This process however is not an easy route. Various contending factions have their own vocal supporters from prominent groups and personalities in the fields of the academe, government, civil society and the religious. It is worth noting that the powerful Catholic Church, representing Catholics who comprise around 80 percent of the Philippine population (Santos, par. 4), is in the forefront of the campaign against the bill. The RH Bill seeks to guarantee universal access to family planning methods. The bill also aims to provide universal access to information on contraception and maternal care, and promote age-appropriate sexual education to youths in elementary and high schools (Palmer, par. 5). The bill seeks to protect the health and lives of mothers who die from unnecessary causes in childbirth, prevent unintentional pregnancies and thereby prevent abortions. For the bill’s proponents, one of the primary reasons why they wrote the bill is the interconnection between rapid population growth and poverty, with much of the growth in population occurring among the poor. In a 2004 study, the Asian Development Bank cited the country’s large population as one of the core drivers of the country’s poverty (Palmer, par. 2). Ernesto Pernia, an economics professor points out that with fewer children and wider birth intervals the poor will be able to devote more of their very limited resources to each child’s education and health which in turn will increase their chances of climbing out of poverty (Palmer, par. 7). It is worth mentioning that not all religious groups are against the RH Bill. The Philippine Council of Evang elical Churches supports the RH Bill because it is pro-life, pro-development and pro-poor. Addressing the concerns of the Catholic Church that the bill promotes a â€Å"culture of death† by allowing artificial contraceptive methods, its leader Bishop Efraim Tendero had this to say: "Life begins at fertilization. Therefore if there is no fertilization, there is no life yet. The use of artificial contraception is not taking away life because life has not yet started." (Santos, par.5 & 7). Another influential religious group, the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), believes that the RH bill will help decrease many of society’s worsening ills which could be attributed to the increase in population. The group’s stand is with the RH bill, married couples can avoid unwanted pregnancies (Santos, par. 7-8). Another group, the Interfaith Partnership for the Promotion of Responsible Parenthood considers the RH bill as necessary to prevent the deaths of mothers and babies (Santos, par. 11). Leading the groups against the RH Bill is the Catholic Church. The Church supports Natural Family Planning, which includes abstinence and fertility beads among women. But it strongly prohibits the use of artificial means, such as birth control pills and condoms because it prevents human life (Palmer, par. 11-12). The Church argues that by making contraceptives universally accessible and promoting sex education in schools, it will promote promiscuity (Palmer, par. 13). But proponents argue that that is exactly why the proposed sex education of the youth includes values formation. The Church believes there is no relation between population size and poverty. They argue that instead of spending P6 billion in implementing the bill, it should instead be used

There are 3 options and the writer can choose 1 to write on Essay

There are 3 options and the writer can choose 1 to write on - Essay Example In the event that social inclusion refers to the obligation of all members of the society to include individuals secluded by society based on bias or unjustified reasons, then preventing the birth of people with individuals via genetic intervention cannot be justified. The paper holds that preventing the birth of individuals with disabilities within the present social system is immoral and exclusive of people with disabilities. From Chance to Choice Introduction One of the dominant ways in which the human condition could be altered is through the enhancement of fundamental human capacities. If one of the partners carries a version of a gene that could prejudice the offspring to inherit conditions that they want to avert, then gene manipulation may appear a viable way to safeguard the undesired outcome. Disability represents a physical or mental condition that individuals have a powerful preference not to be, which in some sense can be considered as a â€Å"harmed condition.† T his elevates the significance of probing the normative questions raised by such prospects (Robertson,1996. Background In the article titled â€Å"from Chance to Choice,† Buchanan et al. ... The prediction on whether support will reduce as science reduces the occurrence of genetic diseases is much less reasonable today, than it would have been two decades ago. This disregards the possibility that those who may not be disabled can possess legitimate interests in minimizing the rate of disabilities (Buchanan, Brock, Daniels, & Wilker, 2000). The interest that individuals have in not having disabilities can be regarded as morally legitimate; however, in some instances, the interest may be irrelevant since the disability can be averted only by safeguarding the existence of the individual who might be born with the disability. The incidence of genetically based diseases may be minimized devoid of preventing the birth of individuals who might have disabilities. Hence, argument on the loss of support must be rejected as it fails to award any weight to the legitimate interests that individuals possess in averting disabilities. Buchanan et al. (2000) makes a distinction between b eing harmed and being wrongly harmed. Furthermore, the loss of support argument is exclusionary, which render it flawed since it considers only a section of legitimate interest at stake and award no weight to the legitimate interests that individuals have in not having disabilities (Sherlock & Morrey, 2002). Discussion I agree with the presented notion that utilizing germ line choice to eliminate disabilities is immoral and harmful. Overall, there exists an inherent ethical objection to the pursuit of altering genes of future generations given that such an action cannot be labelled as a â€Å"therapy† of a set future offspring, but rather relies on a â€Å"eugenic† judgement on the worthiness of

Financial analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Financial analysis - Case Study Example The report concludes with the summary of the EMI Group's financial performance in 2005. EMI Group PLC is a large company specializing on the music industry. The firm has a long history dating back to 1887. Since that time EMI Group has developed from a small recording enterprise into a major player of both music recording and music publishing markets. It is divided in to two divisions: EMI Music operates in the recording industry, while EMI Music Publishing is among the largest and the most successful music publishers. EMI Group operates directly in more than 50 countries with licensees in additional 20 and employs more than 6,600 people (EMI Group 2005a). EMI Music has about 6,000 employees worldwide, and EMI Music Publishing employs 630 staff. The strategy of the company is to deliver music - the main product of EMI Group - "in any form [including compact discs, tapes, and digital formats], at any time, and any place" (EMI Group 2005a). In line with this formula it is important to stress that EMI Group rapidly develops its departments focused on digital music sales. "By the middle of 2005 digital revenues accounted for just under 5 per cent EMI Group's total revenues, with that figure expected to reach 25 per cent in five years" (EMI Group 2005a). The catalogue of music published by EMI contains over 1.5 million titles of both classic and contemporary genres. The company offers songs of every genre to customers. Profit and Loss Account Profit and loss account of the company provides a record of all revenues and expenditures and totals the profit or loss over a given period of time (in our case the financial year ending March 31, 2005). To analyze the profit and loss account of EMI Group we will look into the following types of profit: gross profit (revenues from sales minus costs of goods sold), net profit (gross profit minus overheads), pre-tax profits (net profit plus one-off items), and profits after tax (pre-tax profits minus tax). The analysis of the profit and loss account is made in order to identify trends in sales, gross profit, expenses, stability of income, and growth in earnings per share. Group turnover for EMI Group is 1,942.8 m in 2005, while in 2004 it was 2,120.7 m (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69). However these figures cannot give us enough information about the changes in profitability of the company. Cost of sales indicated in 2005 were 1,225.3 m in compare with 1,404.7 m in 2004 (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69). Therefore, EMI Group sold fewer goods in 2005 than in 2004. The gross profit in 2005 was 717.5 m, while in 2004 it was 716 m. This gives us the notion that the profit from sales is slightly rising in compare to previous year. Analyzing the net or operating profits one can see that group net profit was 182.2 m in 2005 and 60.1 m in 2004 (EMI Group Annual Report 2005b, p. 69) - the net profit has risen significantly in 2005. Pre-tax profit aggregates 91.8 m, and profit after tax is 60.6 m in 2005, while it was a loss of 52.8 m and 72.5 m correspondingly in 2004. However absolute numbers can give us only partial information. Deeper analysis re quires examining relative figures, such as profit margin (pre-tax profit divided by sales). According to the information from FAME (2005) the average profit margin was 6.49 for EMI Group in the past ten years. In 2005 it was 4.73, while in 2004 profit margin was -2.50, and in 2003 it was 14.68. Thus

Emerson calls for the emergence of an American poetics Essay

Emerson calls for the emergence of an American poetics - Essay Example In what ways does William Cullen Bryant move away from imitating British poetry and address American themes? In what ways does he play by the familiar rules of the epic tradition? In ‘The Prairies’, Bryant can be felt to exude the poet-function which Emerson necessitates by rendering his literary work converge to a ‘transcendentalist’ perspective. Though it is conspicuous in depicting the ‘nature of nature’ or the way nature is in its downright truth, ‘The Prairies’ brings about discernment of a kind of spirituality attached with nature which essentially surpasses the mere drawing of relevant sentiments toward its physical attributes. Similarly, Bryant emerges to possess a level of authenticity according to the standards set by Emerson for the American poetics based on his poem’s strong sense of individuality which is a typical element in American themes upon almost every form of American literature. As such, Bryant projects an open mind capable of sensibly resonating back to the reader the deeper essence of ‘The Prairies’ which establishes its identity after the poet’s unique insight.

Al Ain Farms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Al Ain Farms - Essay Example The company comprises of three Al Ain Dairy Farms, which delivers fresh dairy products, raw milk cow, camel products, and fresh chickens and eggs (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). The company is in the food production Industry where it employs between 201-500 employees (â€Å"LinkedIn† 1). The company adopts and maintains a commitment to consistent innovation, quality, and freshness (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). Indeed, Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company developed a comprehensive Program of corporate social responsibility and sustainable use of environmental resources. Specifically, the company measures and monitors waste, emissions, and water processing levels in consultation with Al Ain Municipality (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). Moreover, the company abhors quality and complies with all national and international quality and safety standards such as HACCP and ISO. Indeed, Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company received its ISO 22000 certifi cate in 2009 (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). It also gained the HACCP certification because of attaining the highest international standards of product hygiene and safety (â€Å"LinkedIn† 1). The company focuses on customer satisfaction, quality, safety, and innovation in all its operations. As a result, the company stands out as an award winning company where it continues to receive various consumer and industry awards for its quality and innovation. Specifically, the company received the WCRC "Asia's Most Promising Brand" Award in 2013, UAE Product of the Year award in 2012, BBC Good Food Middle East award in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award in 2010 among others (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). The Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company witnessed consistent expansion since its inception in 1981 (â€Å"LinkedIn† 1). Today, the company has three dairy farms with more than 1000 milking cows and 230 camels, which supply UAE wi th a wide range of locally produced safe, hygienic, and high quality dairy products (â€Å"LinkedIn† 1). Moreover, the company invested in technology and machinery, which makes Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company the most modern and efficient processing plant with a high volume capacity for production in UAE (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). Indeed, the company stands out in all aspects as the most successful and prominent dairy company in the UAE. Subsidiaries and Products Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company provide a wide range of high quality milk products and juice products in UAE. Specifically, the company offers full fat and low fat dairy products, laban, breakfast drinks and smoothies, and drinking yoghurts (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). The company is initiating a project to offer a complete range of camel milk products, which includes launched six new camel milk variants under the â€Å"Camelait† brand of fresh camel milk (â€Å"A l Ain Dairy Farm† 1). Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company provide long life, nectars, and fresh juices. The company produces a new variety of desserts, which include vanilla and creme caramel & ice cream that come from camel milk (â€Å"Al Ain Dairy Farm† 1). More so, Al Ain Farms and Livestock Production Company provide fresh chickens and eggs. Market Share Through innovation, quality production, corporate social responsibility, compliance, and commitment Al Ain Farms and

Hats & ornament Essay Example for Free

Hats ornament Essay Hats have been the ornament for the head for a long time. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the first animal skin was placed over a head as a protection against the elements. (Hatsuk. com). In 1529, the word â€Å"milliner† came out as the terms used to point to the maker of women’s hats. The bonnet also dominated as the most popular of women’s headgear (Hatsuk. com). Early in the 1900s most of the hats that were getting to be popular were huge and adorned with flowers, feathers and tulle. Meanwhile, by the mid 1920’s the hair of women became shorter hugging the head like helmet (Hats. Hatsuk. com). During the 1960s, the hat now was overtaken by wigs and hairdressers and both men and women knew that they could achieve a less formal look so that the hat was a temporary casualty (Hats. Hatsuk. com). These old hats can be really valuable as they are considered antique pieces. Yet if anyone would like to wear a hat, then that could also be used today during parties and shows. Audrey Hepburn’s hat can be adapted in several ways today that will still appear to be fashionable. Hepburn was a good model of different kinds of hats then as she was a fashion icon during her time because she had a very simple nature which until now influences one’s fashion choices. Hepburn’s most popular hat pulled to tilt to one side can still be used today as asymmetrical lines are now the â€Å"in† thing. (Audrey Hepburn’s Hat Collection). Charlie Chaplin’s hat is by far the one most popular then but can be used in the more informal gatherings of businessmen. It is most recognizable when it is worn right putting some dignified look to the wearer. The hat must be worn by tall men so that they will not be gleaned as too tall to wear it. Indeed, in wearing hats, one must decide what kind of look is most appropriate. Once the look has been decided on, there is a need to see what kind of hat would actually match that. Wearing hats would also depend on what kind of hat would match a person’s character. The hat can be replaced with an improvised hat that achieves most changes and which is minimal of the classic look. That is right if one wants an alternative look. Meanwhile, a ball cap is way too rugged for a hat for work that would be welcome for a person (How to Pick a Hat that Matches your Personality). Another way of wearing these hats that one would look into is the color. Since each color evokes different moods that the hat conveys. Meanwhile, Audrey Hepburn was a good model of different kinds of hats then as she was a fashion icon during her time because she had a very simple nature which until now influences one’s fashion choices (Audrey Hepburn’s Hat Collection). These hats have been modified in different ways yet can still be used as it appears to be most fashionable. REFERENCES Audrey Hepburn’s Hat Collection. Retrieved March 16, 2009 at: http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/life/2009-02/20/content_7496617. htm Old Hat still in vogue. Retrieved March 16, 2009 at: http://www. brisbanetimes. com. au/news/fashion/old-hat-still-in-vogue/2007/05/30/1180205302606. html Old Hat still in vogue. http://www. brisbanetimes. com. au/news/fashion/old-hat-still-in-vogue/2007/05/30/1180205302606. html Old School Hat Still in Vogue. http://www. talkncafe. com/Lifestyle-Classroom/Old-school-hat-still-in-vogue. html Hats. Retrieved March 16, 2009 at: http://www. answers. com/topic/hat Hats. Hatsuk. com Retrieved March 16, 2009 at: http://www. hatsuk. com/hatsuk/hatsukhtml/bible/history. htm How to Pick a Hat that Matches your Personality. Retrieved March 16, 2009 at: http://www. wikihow. com/Pick-a-Hat-that-Matches-Your-Personality

The Riemann Hypothesis Essay Example for Free

The Riemann Hypothesis Essay The Riemann Zeta Function is defined by the following series: Here s is a complex number and the first obvious issue is to find the domain of this function, that is, the values of s where the function is actually defined. First of all, it is a well known result in calculus that, when s is real, the series is convergent for s1 (see [2]). For example, a simple application of the theory of Fourier series allows to prove that . For s=1, the series diverges. However, one can prove that the divergence is not too bad, in the sense that: In fact, we have the inequalities: Summing from 1 to , we find that and so which implies our claim. As a function of the real variable s,   is decreasing, as illustrated below.   for s real and 1 The situation is   more complicated when we consider the series as a function of a complex variable. Remember that a complex number is a sum , where   are real numbers (the real and the imaginary part of z, respectively) and , by definition. One usually writes   There is no ordering on the complex numbers, so the above arguments do not make sense in this setting.   We remind that the complex power   is defined by and Therefore, the power coincides with the usual function when s is real. It is not difficult to prove that the complex series is convergent if Re(s)1. In fact, it is absolutely convergent because where |z| denotes as usual, the absolute value: .   See [2] for the general criteria for convergence of   series of functions. Instead, it is a non-trivial task to prove that the Riemann Zeta Function can be extended far beyond on the complex plane: Theorem.   There exists a (unique) meromorphic function on the complex plane, that coincides with , when Re(s)1. We will denote this function again by We have to explain what ‘meromorphic’ means. This means that the function is defined, and holomorphic (i.e. it is differentiable as a complex function), on the complex plane, except for a countable set of isolated points, where the function has a ‘pole’. A complex function f(z) has a pole in w if the limit   exists and is finite for some integer m. For example,   has a pole in s=1. It is particularly interested to evaluate the Zeta Function at negative integers. One can prove the following: if k is a positive integer then where the Bernoulli numbers   are defined inductively by: Note that : the Bernoulli numbers with odd index greater than 1 are equal to zero. Moreover, the Bernoulli numbers are all rational. Of course, the number   is not obtained by replacing s=1-k in our original definition of the function, because the series would diverge; in fact, it would be more appropriate to write   where the superscript * denotes the meromorphic function whose values are defined, only when Re(s)1, by the series . There is a corresponding formula for the positive integers: 2 It is a remarkable fact that the values of the Riemann Zeta Function at negative integers are rational. Moreover, we have seen that   if n0 is even. The natural question arises: are there any other zeros of the Riemann Zeta Function? Riemann Hypothesis. Every zero of the Riemann Zeta Function must be either a negative even integer or a complex number of real part =  ½. It is hard to motivate this conjecture in an elementary setting, however the key point is that there exists a functional equation relating   and   (in fact, such a functional equation is exactly what is needed to extend   to the complex plane). The point   is the center of symmetry of the map It is also known that   has infinitely many zeros on the critical line Re(s)=1. Why is the Riemann Zeta function so important in mathematics? One reason is the strict connection with the distribution of prime numbers. For example, we have a celebrated product expansion: where the infinite product is extended to all the prime numbers and Re(s)1. So, in some sense, the Riemann Zeta function is an analytically defined object, encoding virtually all the information about the prime numbers. For example, the fact that   can be used to prove Dirichlet’s theorem on the existence of infinitely many prime numbers in arithmetic progression. The product expansion implies that   for every s such that Re(s)1. In fact, we have: and it is not difficult to check that this product cannot vanish. The following beautiful picture comes from Wikipedia. Bibliography [1] K. Ireland, M. Rosen, A Classical Introduction to Modern Number Theory, Springer, 2000 [2] W. Rudin, Principles of Mathematical Analysis, McGraw Hill, 1976 [3] W. Rudin, Real and Complex Analysis, , McGraw Hill, 1986

Business Essays Human Resource Strategic

Business Essays Human Resource Strategic Human Resource Strategic Assignment Theoretical, Conceptual and Empirical Developments in the field of Strategic Human Resource Management Abstract This essay will discuss the theoretical, conceptual and empirical development in the field of strategic human resource management. It is found that the idea of best-fit and best-practices has been popular in the amplification of SHRM. The best-fit school of thought argued that HR strategy will be more effective when it is appropriately integrated with its specific organizational and environmental context. Whereas, the best practices school of thought favours universalism, arguing that all firms will be better off if they identify and adopt ‘best-practice’ in the way they manage people. However, in last 20 years, the resource-based view of the firm has played a pivotal role in the theoretical and conceptual developments in the field of SHRM. The resource-based view of the firm put emphasis on the internal resources of the firm as the source of sustained competitive advantage. These all ideas have important role in the amplification of SHRM field. Further, integration of SHRM ideas and concepts in Japanese MNEs operating in USA, Russia, UK, China and Taiwan has been investigated. Introduction In this era of globalisation and intense competition firms are seeking ways to continuously gain competitive advantage, flexibility and be innovative. It has been argued in literature that efficient and effective human resource’s polices and practices play pivotal role in gaining this competitive advantage and therefore, much emphasis is now on linking organisational strategies to human resource strategies. Strategic human resource management (SHRM) has its foundation in the US in 1980s in the work of the ‘Harvard Group’ (Beer et al., 1984 cited in Truss and Lynda, 1994) and the ‘Michigan/Columbia Group’ (Fomburn et al., 1984 cited in Truss and Lynda, 1994). Before proceeding further to explore the developments in the field of SHRM, some various definitions in the literature which describe the concept of strategic human resource management are as follow: Truss and Gratton (1994) states that SHRM is linking of HRM with strategic goals and objectives of firm to enhance business performance and to develop organisational culture that support innovation and flexibility. Schular and Walker (1970, cited in Truss and Lynda, 1994) states that, human resource strategy is a set of processes and activities jointly shared by human resource and line managers to solve people-related business issues. Wright and McMahan (1992, cited in Wright, 1998) defined SHRM is the pattern of planned human resource deployments and activities intended to enable the firm to achieve its goals. In the view of above definitions, strategic human resource management therefore, takes a macro-level perspective (Truss and Lynda, 1994) and contains lot of debate in the literature for the factors influencing the development and implementation of the field of SHRM. Best-fit school of thought: The best-fit school of thought argues that HR strategy will be more effective when it is appropriately integrated with its specific organizational (Horizontal fit) and environmental (Vertical fit) context (Boxall and Purcell, 2000; Wright and McMahan, 1992 cited in Wright, 1998). However, the review of literature reveals that this fit can be better achieved when certain contingency, configurational and contextual factors are taken into account. MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar, Romero-Ferna ´ndez and Sa ´nchez-Gardey, (2005) have grouped the contingency relationships into three generic categories; strategic, organizational and environmental variables. They pointed out that the HR practices that are effectively incorporated (fit) into business strategy would yield high organizational performance (Niniger, 1980; Fombrun et al., 1984; Hax, 1985; Van de Ven and Drazin, 1985; Kerr, 1985; Slocum et al., 1985; Lengnick-Hall and Lengnick-Hall, 1988; Rhodes, 1988a, 1988b; Miller, 1989; Kerr and Jackofsky, 1989; Butler et al., 1991; Cappelli and Singh, 1992; Begin, 1993 cited in MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005). Further, organizational variable such as size, technology, structure (Jones, 1984; Jackson et al., 1989; Jackson and Schuler, 1995 cited in MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005), internal political relationships (Jones, 1984; Pfeffer and Cohen, 1984; Pfeffer and Langton, 1988; Pfeffer and Davis-Blake, 1987; Balkin and Bannister, 1993, Pfeffer, 1987 cited in MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005) and environmental variables such as competition, technological changes, macro-economics and labour (Kanter, 1983, 1989; Warner, 1984; Coates, 1987; Walker, 1988; Schuler and Walker, 1990; Becker and Gerhart, 1996; Boxall, 1998; Jackson and Schuler, cited in MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005), all have influence of HR on organizational strategy. The author further indicated that behavioural theory and resources and capabilities view of the firm foster the development of contingency models. Boxall and Purcell (2000) also elaborated this argument by pointing out that the more realistic model for practice is one in which fit with existing competitive strategy is developed in accordance with flexibility in the range of skill and behaviours, that have the potential to cope with uncertainty and different competitive scenarios in the future and therefore, HR strategy should incorporate firm’s current competitive goals and objectives, by recruiting and motivating people with the sort of skills and motivations required in firm’s competitive sector. In this regard, Guest (1997 cited in Tekeuchi et al., 2003) argued that effective and efficient alignment of HRM practices is able to bring out the synergistic effects on performance’, he referred it â€Å"fit-as-bundle† approach. The second approach which he identified for gaining higher organizational performance through HR is what he called the â€Å"fit-as-gestalt†. The underlying concept of this approach is that, sum of individual HR practices is greater than it parts, the pattern of combinations among HRM practices is additive rather multiplicative and that one key aspect of HRM practice is needed. This argument favours, what SHRM researcher called â€Å"configuration perspective†. According to configuration theory, a firm seeking high performance have to structure whole HRM practices and link each practice to all the others in a systematic manner, so that the system is internally coherent (Tekeuchi et al., 2003; MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005). Whereas the â€Å"contextual theory† authors argued, that to better understand the complexity of the concept of SHRM, one should not only scrutinize the internal working and its effect on business performance but rather also consider the influence on the external and organizational context in which managerial decision are made (Brewster, 1999 cited MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005). Therefore, the underlying idea of contextual approach is to effectively examine the relationship between the SHRM system and its context (MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar et al., 2005). In nutshell, Boxall and Purcell (2000) argued that the best-fit model is one in which HR strategy becomes more effective when it is designed to fit certain critical contingencies in the firm’s specific context. They proposed that configurational models are more capable of identifying the complex interactions involved in business strategy and toward more dynamic theory. Best-Practices school of thought: This school of thought favours universalism, arguing that all firms will achieve high performance, if they identify and adopt ‘best-practice’ in the way they manage people (Boxall and Purcell, 2000). It is recognized that the concept of ‘best practices’ is widely acknowledged by researchers and practitioners (Delery and Doty 1996, 806 cited in Boxall and Purcell, 2000) and there is immense list of argument in the favour of best practices in the literature. Wright, Snell and Dyer (2005) reported that the development of the idea of best-practices came in the mid-1990s when Huselid (1995 cited in Wright et al., 2005) published his study demonstrating a statistically and practically significant relationship between HRM practices and corporate performance. It was also when MacDuffie’s (1995 cited in Wright et al., 2005) industry-focused study illustrated how particular bundles of HR practices, when aligned within an organizational strategy leads to high plant-level performance. Since then, the focus of research is on finding relationship between HRM principles and practices and important organizational goals (Becker and Gerhart, 1996 cited in Wright et al., 2005). Jeffrey Pfeffer (1998 cited in Boxall and Purcell, 2000) identified seven best practices: Employment security. Selective training. Self-managed team or team working. High pay contingent on company performance. Extensive training. Reduction of status differences. Sharing information. However the best practices idea is not short of criticism as Wright et al. (2005) pointed out that most of these developments have come from communities of scholars focusing on their own particular countries or regions, be it the US (e.g. Arthur, 1994; Batt, 1999; Delery and Doty, 1996; Huselid et al., 1997; Youndt et al., 1996 cited in cited in Wright et al., 2005), the UK (e.g. Brewster, 1999; Guest, 1997; Guest et al., 2003; Tyson, 1997 cited in cited in Wright et al., 2005), elsewhere in Europe (e.g. d’Arcimoles, 1997; Lahteenmaki et al., 1998; RodrÄ ±Ã‚ ´guez and Ventura, 2003 cited in cited in Wright et al., 2005) or Asia (e.g. Bae and Lawler, 2000; Lee and Chee, 1996; Lee and Miller, 1999 cited in Wright et al., 2005). SHRM and Resource-based view of the firm: Another, theoretical development in strategic human resource management is its integration with the resource-based view of the firm. Although the field of SHRM does not directly emerge from resource-based view (RBV) of the firm, but to borrow concepts and theories from the broader strategy literature, the integration of the RBV of the firm into the SHRM literature was imminent (Wright et al., 2001). Therefore, two major developments have emerged over the past years. Firstly, the popularity of the RBV within the SHRM literature as a foundation for both theoretical and empirical examination (McMahan, Virick and Wright, 1999 cited in Wright et al., 2001). Secondly, the application and implications of the RBV within the strategy literature have led to an increasing convergence between the field of strategic management and SHRM (Snell, Shadar Wright, 2001 cited in Wright et al., 2001). The RBV proposes that internal organizational resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable are a source of sustainable competitive advantage (Barney, 1991). Barney (1991) further argued that firm’s resources can be imperfectly imitable for three reasons: Historical condition (Path dependency): As firm evolve they obtain skills, abilities and resources over the period of time that then become unique to the firm (Barney 1995 cited in Paauwe and Boselie, 2003). Paauwe and Boselie (2003) argued that this is equally true for firm’s human resources who are recruited and trained over the time to be properly embedded in firm’s cultural network. Causal ambiguity: Causal ambiguity exits when the relationship between firm’s resources and competitive advantage is not understood or imperfectly understood by the firm who posses the competitive advantage and most importantly by the competitors . Paauwe and Boselie (2003) argued that the ways employee’s competencies have been formed are subject to thousands of small decision and events in the firms which have contributed to specific pattern of capabilities and hence these patterns are no easily understood by the competitors. Social Complexity: And finally firm’s resources are imperfectly imitable because they are subject to very complex social phenomena that are beyond the ability of the firms to systematically manage and influence. So when the competitive advantage is based on such complex social phenomena then the ability of other firms to imitate these resources is ceased (Barney, 1991). Paauwe and Boselie (2003) pointed out that social complexity exits in HR characteristics such teamwork, interpersonal relationships among managers, cultural traditions, and firm’s networks. Wright et al. (1994 cited in Wright et al., 2001) separate firm’s human resources and HR practices. In applying the concept of value, rareness, inimitable and non-substitutability, they argued that HR practices cannot be the source of firm’s sustainable competitive advantage as HR practices can easily be copied by competitors. Rather they voted in the favour of human capital pool (a highly skilled and highly motivated workforce) as source of sustainable competitive advantage for the firm. They noted that to gain a source of competitive advantage, the human capital pool must have both high level of skill and willingness (i.e. motivation) to exhibit productive behaviour. Opposingly, Lado and Wilson (1994 cited in Wright et al., 2001) argued that HR practices could provide the source of sustainable competitive advantage. There point of view is that HR systems can be unique, causally ambiguous and synergistic in how they enhance firm competencies, and therefore could be inimitable. Snell et al. (1996 cited in cited in Wright et al., 2001) further justify Lado and Wilson point of view and seem it as widely accepted in current SHRM paradigm. Boxall (cited in Wright, 1998) indicates the process through which Human Resource Advantage (HRA) can be developed. He argues that HRA consists of two components: Human resource capital advantage which may provide advantage when firm employs people with higher level of skill than their competitors. Human resource process advantage which can be gain when employees’ relationships and joint problem solving process enable the firm to execute operations more quickly, efficiently and/or effectively. Furthermore, Lepak and Snell (1999 cited in Wright et al., 2001) argued that some employees groups are more instrumental to competitive advantage than others, so they are likely to be managed differently. This may help researchers to recognize that real and valid difference exists in HR practices in organisations and looking for one HR strategy may not help to identify the important differences in the types of human capital available to the firm (cf. Truss Gratton, 1994 cited in Wright et al., 2001). Researchers also have consensus that employee behaviour is an important independent component of SHRM. Unlike, the skills of human capital pool, employee behaviour recognize individuals as cognitive and emotional beings who posses free will and this free will enables the employees to make decisions regarding the behaviour in which they are engage (Wright et al., 2001). MacDuffie (1995 cited in Wright et al., 2001) argued about discretionary behaviour that recognizes that within prescribed organisational roles, employees exhibit discretion that may have positive or negative impact on the firm. Similarly, March and Simon (1958 cited in Wright et al., 2001) recognizes the discretionary behaviour and suggest that competitive advantage can only be gained if the members of human capital pool individually or collectively choose to engage in behaviour that benefits the firm. Based on the above discussion Wright et al. (2001) provide a preliminary framework that suggests core competence, dynamic capabilities, and knowledge serve as a bridge between the emphasis in the strategy literature on who provides sources of competitive advantage and the focus in the HRM literature on the process of attraction, development, motivation, and retention of people. The authors pointed out that the people management systems construct which is actually the focus on HR field that creates value to the extent that they impact the stock, flow, and change of intellectual capital/knowledge that form the basis of core competencies. They further argued in this model that, skill concept should be looked from the broader perspective of the firm strategy and therefore, might be expanded to consider the stock of intellectual capital in the firm, embedded in both people and systems, this stock of human capital consists of human (knowledge, skills, and abilities of the people) social (the valuable relationships among people), and organisational (processes and routines within the firm). The â€Å"behaviour† element within the SHRM literature has been embedded in the flow of knowledge within the firm through its creation, transfer, and integration. The authors have indicated that, this â€Å"knowledge management† behaviour becomes very important as information and knowledge play greater role in firm competitive advantage. It is through the flow of knowledge that firms increase or maintain the stock of intellectual capital. They further propose that core competencies arises from the combination of the firms stock of knowledge (human, social, and organisational capital embedded in both people and systems) and flow of this knowledge through creation, transfer, and integration in a way that is valuable, rare, inimitable, and organized. Finally, the dynamic capability construct represents the processes that the organisation has to cope with, in order to remain competitive. It illustrates the relationship between the workforce and the core competence as it changes overtime. The authors argued that dynamic capability requires changing competencies on the part of both the organization and the people who comprise it. It is facilitated by people management systems that promote the change of both the stock and flow of knowledge within the firm that enable a firm to constantly renew its core competencies. This frame work developed by Wright et al. (2001) is an important development in SHRM literature; however its application in real world scenario is subject to empirical testing. SHRM in Japanese Multinational in USA, Russia, UK, China and Taiwan: To further investigate the issue in the real world scenario, this essay will look into the matter of SHRM integration in Japanese multinational companies operating in USA, UK, Russia, China and Taiwan. This discussion is based on the empirical research conducted by Park, Mitsuhashi, Fey and Bjo ¨rkman (2003) on fifty two Japanese multinational corporation operating in USA and Russia, Basu and Miroshnik (1999) case study of Nisan and Toyota (Japanese automobile companies) operating in UK and Takeuchi, Wakabayashi and Chen (2003) study of 286 Japanese affiliates operating in Mainland China and Taiwan. Japanese manufacturing organisations have made a lot of inroads in overseas production bases. The successes of their enterprises have raised interests on the system of production and organisation peculiar to the Japanese business firms (Wickens, 1987; Suzaki, 1987 cited in Basu and Miroshnik, 1999). Japanese system of management is a complete philosophy of organisation which can affect every part of the enterprise (Ohno, 1978; Nohara, 1985 cited in Basu and Miroshnik, 1999). The empirical research done by the authors, mentioned above to investigate the issue of HRM strategy and firm performance in Japanese MNEs is subject to the idea of best HR practices. However, some interesting facts come into attention with the previous discussion of best-fit, best-practices and resource-based view of the firm which would be discussed below. The Japanese MNEs have maintained their own management styles in overseas operations and despite of cultural difference, environment impact, and local labour market conditions these MNEs have adopted the best practices idea and tried to coordinate the HRM policies and practices between their overseas subsidiaries and parent headquarters. The Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement, zero defect, just-in-time method of delivery, team based problem solving practices (Quality circles, management by objectives, kaizen (suggestion and improvement)), long-term commitment, in-company welfare system, extensive training for skill development, performance based rewards, decentralised responsibilities, vertical information systems are at the heart of their management strategy . And this style of management has not only proved to be successful for Japanese MNEs but it has forced other local companies to adopt Japanese styles of management for increased organizational performance. The concept of team working through quality circles and management by objectives (MBO) are the important components to manage the human resources of the firm and bring them in align with company strategic goals to achieve higher performance. Employees through quality circle teams can put forward their suggestions, and then feedback is given to employees for their suggestion and there are also rewards for employees. This foster employee’s motivation and give them the sense of involvement. It does not only ends here, as the concept of quality circle is also important for organizational learning, as the members of quality circle comes from every department of the organization and share their knowledge and information, this helps in creating new skills and attitudes that can help to attain the company goals. Zero defect policy refers to the fact that instead of individual parts the whole process is controlled and quality is insured through process instead of inspection. Therefore, employees are given extensive on the job and off the job training not only for specific but rather multiple operations of the firm. This refers to the fact of upskilling of employees. The long term commitment and performance based rewards helps to ensure employee retention and continuous commitment towards the firm’s objectives, this refers to the fact that the valuable and rare skills of the employee’s that have been developed over the period of time and are integrated into firm’s HR systems should not be imitable and substitutable. The above discussion points out, that these Japanese MNEs’ HR systems are some what in coherence with the framework developed by Wright et al. (2001). As it is obvious from above discussion that the people management systems of Japanese overseas subsidiaries are continuously maintaining their stock of intellectual capital both embedded in people and systems of the company i.e. through extensive training, performance based rewards, concept of continuous improvement etc. And the concept of team working through quality circles and MBO is fostering learning in Japanese organization and this valuable knowledge and skills that employees developed is retained by the policy of long-term commitment and in-company welfare system,decentralised responsibilitieswhich all help to develop employee’s behaviour and attitudes for high commitment and hence increased organizational performance. It is also observed that these patterns of HR practice is quite relevant to our earlier discussion of best practices in which we refer to the seven practices identified by Jeffrey Pfeffer (1998 cited in Wright et al., 2001). Conclusion: The empirical research done in the field of SHRM to investigate the issue of strategic HRM and its impact on performance of Japanese MNEs is only based on finding relationship between HR practices (configurational perspective) of the firm and their impact on organizational performance. The concepts of dynamic capabilities, core competencies, organizational learning are gaining popularity in strategic literature and as argued by Wright et al., 2001 are the important source of gaining sustained competitive advantage. Therefore, the future empirical research should incorporate these concepts to investigate the issue of integration of HR into firm’s strategy. Secondly the above research also lack the evidence of how these Japanese MNEs incorporate the local market, government regulations, cultural impact that can have influence on HR strategies of these firms. In the view of above theoretical developments in the literature it can be proposed that the firms who seek high performance and want to gain competitive edge over their competitors should device their HR policies and practices that develop skills, attitudes and behaviours of the employees in such a way that are valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and non-substitutable in the firm’s same line of business, organizational learning is an important component in developing up these characteristics and therefore, firms should develop up knowledge management systems incorporated into their HR strategy to foster organizational learning that would have positive impact on firm’s performance. References: Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management. 17, 1, 99-120. Basu, D.R. and Miroshnik, V. (1999). Strategic human resource management of Japanese multinationals A case study of Japanese multinational companies in the UK. The Journal of Management Development. 18, 9, 714-732. Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. (2000). Strategic human resource management: where have we come from and where should we be going?. International Journal of Management Reviews. 2, 2, 183-203. MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´n-Alca ´zar, F., Romero-Ferna ´ndez, P.M. and Sa ´nchez-Gardey, G. (2005). Strategic human resource management: integrating the universalistic, contingent, configurational and contextual perspectives. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 16, 5, 633-659. Paauwe, J. and Boselie, P. (2003). Challenging ‘strategic HRM’ and the relevance of the institutional setting. Human Resource Management Journal. 13, 3, 56-70. Park, H.J., Mitsuhashi, H., Fey, C.F. and Bjo ¨rkman, I. (2003). The effect of human resource management practices on Japanese MNC subsidiary performance: a partial mediating model. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 14, 8, 1391-1406. Takeuchi, N., Wakabayashi, M. and Chen, Z. (2003). The strategic HRM configuration for competitive advantage: Evidence from Japanese firms in China and Taiwan. Asia Pacific Journal of Management. 20, 4, 447-480. Truss, C. and Gratton, L. (1994). Strategic human resource management: a conceptual approach. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 5, 3, 663-686. Wright, P.M. (1998). Introduction: Strategic human resource management research in the 21st century. Human Resource Management Review. 8, 3, 187-191. Wright, P., Dunford, B. and Snell, S. (2001). Human resources and the resource based view of the firm. Journal of Management. 27, 6, 701 -721. Wright, P.M., Snell, S.A. and Dyer, L. (2005). New models of strategic HRM in a global context. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 16, 6, 875-881. Bibliography: Lepak, D.P. and Snell, S.A. (1998). Virtual HR: Strategic human resource management in 21st century. Human Resource Management Review. 8, 3, 215-234. Lundy, O. (1994). From personnel management to strategic human resource management. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 5, 3, 687-720. Mabey, C., Salaman, G. and Storey, J. (1998). Human Resource Management A Strategic Introduction (2nd Edition). Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Inc.

Lifes a Beach, and then... Essay -- Descriptive Essay, Narrative

I turned off the car and took a deep breath. Looking slowly up into the pink sky, I began to watch the golden sun go to sleep. The beach seemed deserted, quiet, but peaceful. I opened my door and put my feet out on the soft sand. I started taking my shoes off, then my socks. I threw them in the passenger seat, and then shut the door. I looked out over horizon of the lake and started walking towards the still water. With each step I took, I could feel the warm sand crunch between my toes. Then suddenly, a sharp rock, but not sharp enough to break the skin. Closer and closer to the calm water, I began sinking deeper in the sand. It was comforting, the silence, tranquility, and warmth of the faint sun. There is a slight breeze, warm, but cold and lonely. I could smell the scent of fish blowing through my hair and body. The sun was still fading, slowly but surely the day was almost over. About half of it is gone now. I could see shades of blue, red, purple, and pinkish-yellow. They were mixed with puffy clouds that lined the beginning of the sky and the end of the water. I noticed the darker shades on the bottom of the lower clouds. I stopped walking and looked up at the faint stars. The seagulls were flying overhead. They were screeching and swooping at the water. I started to wish I were one of them, flying free without any restrictions or limits. I listened to their voice, the screech. Deep down in I could understand what they were saying. I can't explain it, but I was so in love with the moment I thought I saw things as they did. I was in company of animals that had no concept of time, and no worries, and I was contempt with that. I closed my eyes and the faint sun warmed my face, as if shining only for me. The warmth made ... ...mb. I had no feeling because I was lost in a rare beauty that a lot of people take for granted. The millions of scattered stars that covered that silent night sky made a lonely beach seem a little more at home. I went to this beach in hope of finding someone, perhaps a soul mate. But instead, I found that everything comes and goes. The sun left me with a memory of its beauty with a sunset. The sunset left me with a reminder that the sun is not for ever. The lone bird that stayed with me and watched the sunset showed me that you don't have to know someone to share a beautiful moment with them. Beautiful moments are beautiful moments, but they have a little more definition behind them if you share them with someone or something. The night sky and stars, gave me a sense of peace, knowing that we are never alone. The stars are always there, even if we can't see them.

Biometrics :: Biotechnology Science Essays

Biometrics Biometrics is a new term for many, but it is not a new idea. The idea of Biometrics first began with finger print analysis. Today, Biometrics has expanded to not only your fingerprints but also ear, face, facial thermogram, hand vein, hand geometry, iris, retina, signature and voice analysis. Technology has gone from science fiction to reality. This paper will include a brief description of each of the types of Biometrics and who is using them. The answer to "Who is using Biometrics?" may surprise you. In the United States over 150 schools are using a Biometrics system. This system allows the children to pay for cafeteria lunches. Over 200,000 students are participating in the Fingerprint Biometric system. The average system will cost any where from $4,000 to $10,000 to implement. How does it save you money? The answer is simply, you no longer need cashiers. All you need is a monitor. There is no longer cash to be accounted for, and children no longer have to bring money to school. Parents don’t have to worry how the money is being spent. The Fingerprint system is easy and results in quicker lines. Some major concerns for the parents are; 1.) How does the Fingerprint technology work? 2.) Can this technology be used in the police department? 3.) What about privacy issues? The technology being used in our school cannot be used in law enforcement. The fingerprint of your index finger is scanned, then transformed into a twenty-seven point grid, and a mathematical algorithm is the result. This is what the computer matches upnot your actual fingerprint. Ear Prints have had success for the Police in the United Kingdom. They have been using this technology to find missing persons and to identify unknown bodies. Ear prints are generally accepted as being unique, still it is hard to get a conviction if an ear print was left at the seen of a crime. Even though each ear is unique with its contour and lines; it has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the ear print itself left behind is unique. There are fears of this new technology, because of its possible misuse and its accuracy. One of the greatest fears is that our justice system will go from innocent until proven guilty to guilty until proven innocent. This technology will bring great benefits until it fails, and then a tremendous amount of harm to even those who benefit from the technology.

Every Child Matters

There is no duty more important than ensuring that children’s rights are respected, that their welfare is protected, that their lives are free from fear and that they can grow up in peace. Kofi Annan, the 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations The aim of this paper is to review and critically analyse the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) framework as well as to discuss the impact of Every Child Matters agenda on a specific role within an educational setting.For this purpose, information was gathered through elements of practitioner-based research and observations along with the study and analysis of materials presented in books, research journals and professional publications, so as to evaluate the main aspects of the policy Every Child Matters and identify the issues it has raised for professionals working with young children, and particularly early years practitioners, as well as to propose some strategies that could support those practitioners throughout the process of inevitable changes associated with the introduction of the policy.In 2003, the Government launched Every Child Matters, a comprehensive programme of reform for children’s services with wide-reaching implications for education, health, social services, voluntary and community organisations, and other agencies. Every Child Matters constituted the Government’s policy response to the findings and recommendations of Lord Laming’s Inquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, the young girl who died as the result of severe physical abuse and neglect in her family. It was published as a Green Paper for consultation on September 2003.Its proposals have since been further developed in subsequent documents including Every Child Matters; Next Steps and Every Child Matters; Change for Children. Many of the reforms proposed in Every Child Matters—including the establishment of a Children’s Commissioner for England—required amendments to statute. Consequent ly, a Children Bill was presented to Parliament in March 2004 and subsequently received royal assent on 15 November 2004. The Children Act 2004, as it now is, provides the legal ‘backbone’ for the programme of reform. House of Lords and House of Commons, 2005) The proposals of the Government for reforming children’s services aimed to combine the development of an overall framework for universal children’s services with the need for targeted services to protect vulnerable children. The framework has introduced five outcomes for children’s services as being of key importance during childhood and adult life: being healthy; staying safe; enjoying and achieving; making a positive contribution; achieving economic well-being.As Benton, Chamberlain and Rutt (2003: 30) point out, Thirty-nine quantitative indicators have been identified relating to these outcomes. For example, one of the key indicators of children being healthy is the infant mortality rate, w hereas achieving economic well-being might be partially assessed by the percentage of young people accessing FE and training after completing compulsory schooling. Each of the 150 local authority areas can be assessed using any of these indicators that are available at the local level.The research (Anning, Cullen and Fleer, 2004; Williams, 2004; Roche and Tucker, 2007) suggests that the introduction of the quantitative indicators along with other expectations of the Every Child Matters agenda has transformed the educational landscape in recent years. The need for effective and coherent multi-agency working has become apparent, and that was not just to ensure that abused children like Victoria Climbie no longer fall through the net, but also to bring together health, social care and education services for collaboration in the interests of all children and with effective provision at all levels.It is worth to mention that the story behind the development of the Every Child Matters sti ll presents â€Å"uncomfortable reading† (Roche and Tucker, 2007: 213) for politicians, children’s service managers, practitioners and academics alike due to the fact that the Every Child Matters framework emerged out of the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of Victoria Climbie as well as many other child abuse inquiries.The study suggests that Every Child Matters has indicated the emergence of the notions of â€Å"a child† and â€Å"childhood† as the central subjects in New Labour’s social policy. Recently Gordon Brown declared: â€Å"Nothing is more important to the future of our whole country than that, with the best schooling, services and financial support, every child has the chance to develop their potential. † (Guardian, 2003: 19) Similarly, former Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: â€Å"For most parents, our children are everything to us: our hopes, our ambitions, our future. (DfES, 2003: 1) The above claims suggest that c hildren today are no longer seen as incomplete adults not yet able to participate in social life, but as â€Å"co-constructors of childhood and society† (Qvortrup, 1994: 14) In the same context, Moss and Petrie (2002: 40), talk about it being â€Å"time to welcome children as young citizens, equal stakeholders with adults† and state that â€Å"the child has a voice to be listened to† (ibid: 101).However, it is important to acknowledge that this notion of childhood does not seem to be the only one that shapes the status of children in the sphere of political and economic priorities. Tomplinson (2008) uses an example of Home Office activity linked to the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO), which is being used to restrain children and make information about them public within their communities. According to Walker (2008: 149), â€Å"ten young people a week are being jailed as a result of ASBOs†.This activity is in clear contrast to the aims of Every Child Ma tters, one of which is â€Å"to minimise the use of custody† (DfES, 2004: 3) Prout (cited in Jones et al, 2008: 29) explains that â€Å"public debate swings between children as victims, in need of protection from harm, and children as threat to social order coming from problem families producing unruly and uncontrolled children. † The study also suggests that Every Child Matters possibly does not put enough emphasis on the importance of children’s participation and respecting of children’s opinions.Some acknowledgement of those issues is evident in Paragraph 1. 13 of the document, which states some factors that foster children’s resilience against disadvantage: Strong relationships with parents, family and other significant adults Parental interest and involvement in education with clear and high expectations Positive role models Individual characteristics such as an outgoing nature, self-motivation, intelligence Active involvement in family, schoo l and community life Recognition, praise and feeling valued† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 1. 3) Paragraph 5. 47 also mentions â€Å"Involving children in developing services† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 5. 47) As Williams (2004) rightly points out, the Every Child Matters framework refers to children’s consultation only twice. The first reference is in setting out its outcomes: â€Å"When we consulted with children, young people and families they wanted the Government to set out the aims in terms of a positive vision of what as a society we want to achieve for our children† (DfES, 2003: paragraph 1. 2).The themes of staying safe and enjoying and achieving are reinforced by the second reference to children’s opinions, when â€Å"somewhere safe to go and something to do† is mentioned in relation to the need for recreational activities (DfES, 2003: paragraph 2. 39). The study also revealed that, surprisingly, the theme of â€Å"enjoying† is hardly d eveloped in the framework. The section â€Å"Enjoying and Achieving† focuses mainly on educational achievement without taking into the consideration the fact that â€Å"enjoyment† was the main theme that came from children.Not only does it give the impression that children’s views are not very important but it also characterizes a rather dreary vision of childhood which is about getting through your exams and keeping out of trouble. This registers more about the processes of becoming an adult rather than the active enjoyment and negotiation of childhood and young personhood with friends and siblings. (Williams, 2004: 412) In addition to criticism towards the lack of emphasis on children’s participation, the study also revealed that there are some points of tension in the Every Child Matters document which reflect a weak framework of values.Walker (2008) expresses concern regarding the fact that no advice is given in the document to the agencies on how to cooperate together effectively and how to overcome difficulties and barriers, especially when it comes to a clash of different values. Williams (2004) shares this concern, arguing that while the document opens up new possibilities for the way society can transform the lives of children and their parents, it also, at the same time, closes these off due to its failure to be much more explicit about its vision and its values: There is an underestimation f the need for services and policies to underpin both trust and respect, and for strategies that can build consensus around such values. To some extent a case is put in the Introduction to the Every Child Matters: ‘Underpinning this must be not just the resources but an attitude that reflects the value that our society places on children and childhood’. But the values that might support a change in attitude are not spelled out. (ibid: 410)Nevertheless, despite the mentioned concerns about the conflicting nature of some serv ices and a failure to offer effective legislation in ways that will work for all children and families, it should be noted that the introduction of Every Child Matters and the legislation to support its implementation should be viewed as a staging post (my emphasis) for a government that is on a significant journey of reform for child-related policy and practice (Parton, 2005).The study suggests that the Every Child Matters agenda raised a number of important issues within the roles of all professional involved in children’s and young people’s services, including teachers and practitioners of early years childcare and educational settings. One of the main issues is related to the introduction of multi-agency approach, which encourages professionals to work in multi-disciplinary teams based in schools and Children’s Centres.An early manifestation of multidisciplinary approaches to work could be seen in relation to the rapid development of early years provision. T he mandatory introduction of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships (EYDCP) in every local authority area clearly signalled the intention of the Government to build multi-agency working relationships across the public, private and voluntary sectors that would encompass education, social care and health.Crucially, the local education authority was given the lead role in bringing together related agencies â€Å"to draw up an annual local plan, linked together into the Government’s targets for early education places for 3- and 4-year-olds and the expansion of childcare† (Pugh, 2001: 15). Following the Every Child Matters agenda on integrated multi-agency approach put an obligation on early years practitioners to restructure and refocus their roles. The agenda for safeguarding children based on integrated pproach had to be carefully reviewed from the perspective of all those working with young children. While the traditional protection functions remained the sa me (looking for signs of abuse, reporting suspicion of abuse, etc. ), the other functions, specifically related to multi-agency involvement, had to be introduced, such as involvement in common assessment process, sharing and analysing information, reviewing outcomes for the children against specific plans.Within such a perspective the practitioners based at an early years setting have become central figures in developing services for socially excluded children and families and those who are considered to be at risk. The contribution of these practitioners has been viewed as vital, as it is argued that â€Å"health, education and social services all have an important role to play in improving and safe-guarding the well-being of vulnerable children and their families† (Abbott et al. , 2005: 230). However, Abbott et al. ibid) also note that there have been difficulties in promoting the vision of multidisciplinary working across organizations, and go further in their criticisms, arguing that there is a â€Å"lack of evidence to support the notion that multi-agency working in practice brings about benefits for children and families†. (Abbott et al, 2005: 23) The introduction of multi-agency multi-disciplinary approaches also is having an impact on the practitioners working with older age groups of children. The changes in those practitioners’ job roles are mainly related to the issue of developing extended schools.According to research conducted by Cummings et al. (2003) specific grounds for the development of extended schools appear to be emerging, however the evaluation of the extended schools revealed that there is no single model of the extended school, and there is considerable variation between the existing models depending on community need, geography and access to funding. The ‘full-service’ school in which services are located on the school site is less common, though many schools are working towards this (ibid). The chall enge to those working in extended schools to deliver effective practice seems to be considerable.The study suggests that, perhaps, the greatest challenge lies in the area of changing the culture of some schools. Smith (2005) supports the idea that multidisciplinary work challenges the isolated position of many schools: â€Å"where schools have had to work with other agencies their relative size, statutory nature and high degree of control over what happens within their walls have often made them difficult partners† (ibid: 13). Clearly, these issues have put additional pressure on all staff working in schools in terms of demands of being accountable to both schools and outside agencies.The study also revealed that those occupying teaching roles in extended schools have been faced with new expectations placed on them. Cajkler et al (cited in Rochea and Tucker, 2007) emphasize that the safeguarding agenda pursued in extended school along with the creation of extended education, leisure, care and health opportunities make teachers to undertake different forms of work. As the â€Å"Lead Professional† they find themselves working more closely with families, especially when it comes to improving their access to services that are based on school premises.At the heart of Every Child Matters agenda lies recognition that all practitioners working with children will require new skills and knowledge to work more within multi-agency systems. This demand instigated another change in the roles performed by the practitioners as the policy agenda also emphasises the reform of training schemes. As Abbott and Hevey (2001: 180) point out, â€Å"the development of new and innovatory ways of working will ‘require something more than benign cooperation across existing professions†.The authors go on to argue that the development of a new children’s workforce has put forward the need for flexibility in approach and a sharing of values and attitudes tha t had been advocated much earlier in the Rumbold Report (DES, 1990). Indeed, the Every Child Matters agenda implies that all those working with children will require knowledge and skills in six wide areas of expertise, which is referred to as the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the children’s workforce.The areas of expertise include: the development of effective communication skills; an understanding of child development; promoting children’s welfare; supporting transitions; multi-agency working; sharing of information (DfES, 2005). Advocates of the ‘common core’ specifically argue that the roles and responsibilities outlined within the Every Child Matters framework require individuals and groups to develop such a range of skills and knowledge in order to increase their ability to work across professional boundaries (Tucker et al. , 2002).Along with the demand related to the new training schemes, the Every Child Matters agenda also challenges the p ractitioners to meet new requirements of OfSTED inspections, which require the practitioners to report the way they are meeting the â€Å"five outcomes†. Personal experiences as well as discussions with the professionals show that, in some ways, the delivery of the Every Child Matters agenda has been transformed from a framework of aspiration to one where evidence is apprehensively sought in relation to specific targets against each outcome.The paper so far has attempted to review and critically analyse the Every Child Matters (DfES, 2003) framework and to discuss the impact of Every Child Matters agenda on a role of practitioners within educational settings. One of the key intentions has been to provide a brief overview of the main issues of the Every Child Matters agenda, an agenda profoundly influenced by a consistent failure to safeguard and protect children and young people and, therefore, promote their welfare.Specific areas concerned with multi-agency approach, the dev elopment of extended schools and workforce training and OfSTED issues have been reviewed to demonstrate the scope and complexity of the changes in the roles of practitioners working with children. The impact of Every Child Matters certainly appears to be influential in terms of the way it has been transforming structures and processes at both the national and local levels.Every Child Matters has provided a framework for shaping practice, specifically in relation to multi-agency multi-disciplinary approach and the expectations of professionals within educational settings to improve the quality and outcomes of safeguarding children. The study also suggests that, notwithstanding efficiency or inadequacy of specific aspects of the framework, no all-embracing package has been devised, which proposes a perfect solution for safeguarding children and promoting their rights and participation.It seems unrealistic to expect a selected framework to offer ultimate solutions in the context of edu cational system in view of the fact that a wide variety of different initiatives and approaches continuously develop to meet new sociological, legislative and educational needs. Today children are seen as â€Å"social beings, active in the construction of their own realities and subjectivities and therefore potentially active in the construction and deconstruction of dominant ideologies† (Osler, 1998: 34). However, in the face of changes that ime brings into our society every day we must recognise that there is no objective truth about children; and there is no single, objective description of how we should protect and safeguard them. The process of developing the ideas of childhood is a continuous non-stop practice, which helps us to comprehend the children and their lives as they really are and in this way give the children's views a central role in our explorations and perceptions.

Does Violence in Cartoons Desensitize Young Children?

Does Violence in Cartoons Desensitize Young Children? A Critical View Donald Duck, Elmer Fud, Wiley Coyote, Tom/Jerry, Fred Flintstone, and Batman; are all loveable cartoon characters that exist in the cartoons children watch every day. Another thing these characters have in common is their general everyday violent behaviors. These behaviors send a subliminal message to children suppressing their moral restraint on basic assault toward each other. Violence in youth has been a rising topic, and continues to grow with more studies and research each year.Although people may blame many things, I believe the violence depicted as humor or the â€Å"super hero effect† in cartoons has a direct relation to the desensitization of violence in the American youth. Research has exposed that young children will imitate aggressive acts they see on television, and recreate those acts when playing with their friends. † Before age 4, children are unable to distinguish between fact and fant asy and may view violence as an ordinary occurrence. (Berensin) Through critical analysis I plan to examine the effects of violence in cartoons as well as the comedic perception and the super hero effect in order to determine if they relate partly or completely too violent behaviors of young children. Every argument has more than one perception, so I will also be examining some research suggesting that cartoon violence in fact does not affect developing children. Watch an old Looney Toon, if you have a choice, watch an episode of Elmer Fud chasing Bugs Bunny.To any viewer you see the humor in it; a bunny is jumping all over dodging this slow hunter, his terrible aim, and his shotgun that never needs to be reloaded. But the reality is this hunter is ferociously chasing this bunny literally just trying to kill it. Use the same reality comparison with the Roadrunner cartoons, the coyote is a predator chasing after his dinner and using every possible resource to complete it; yea he neve r catches his prey, but you can try and imagine the violent episode that would entail if he did.How about all the explosions and incredible distances the coyote deals with and never seems to die, that doesn’t send the right image. I’m not saying they should show death but not showing it can give children the idea that these acts won’t affect them and that they would also be able to walk away. Violence in cartoons has been around for a lot longer then we think, in fact there is more violence depicted in a cartoon, than in live action dramas or comedies (Potter and Warren 1998). In a sense, children see more violence during a Saturday morning than a Friday night.Although this is a pretty strong convincing argument there is always another perspective. For example, the violence in cartoons yes is more frequent, but it isn’t as strong as it is on prime time TV. Bam Bam hitting someone on the head with his mallet compared to a short rape scene in Law and order, pretty big difference. Many cartoons show characters dying but the way it is perceived it’s considered funny. Prime time television shows murder depicted in a pretty real state with no joke or laughing afterwards. In 2007, Kremar and Hight found that preschoolers who watched an action cartoon or super-hero image, as opposed to young children who watched neutral video clips or animated characters, were more likely to create aggressive story endings†(An Opposing View). These conclusions brought about the idea that aggression may be related to aggressive behavior. How does the outcome television violence usually end in destructive behavior? That brings us to another form of cartoon violence, the super hero effect. By super hero I mean super hero cartoons; Batman, Superman, Spiderman, transformers etc.All these cartoons depict violence without the comedic effect but instead with a real life scenario. â€Å"Heroes are violent, and, as such, are rewarded for their behavior. They become role models for youth. It is â€Å"cool† to carry an automatic weapon and use it to knock off the â€Å"bad guys. † The typical scenario of using violence for a righteous cause may translate in daily life into a justification for using violence to retaliate against perceived victimizers† (Berensin) Everyone sees Batman beating up the Joker and instead of being worried or concerned, they’re cheering.They’re hoping that the hero will win the fight. Batman is showing how he solves his conflicts with violence rather than reason and debate. The good guys against the villains, and just because it’s usually the good buy beating up the bad guy, it’s still a form of violence that can be subconsciously affecting them. Kids could be going to school and argue who stepped into line first; next thing you know they’re pushing and shoving over it, then throwing punches, imitating their favorite super heroes.In an extreme example; a ten year old boy from Everett, Washington died in 2008 imitating a stunt him and their friends saw on a popular cartoon, Naruto. Naruto has this ability to dig himself into sand and breathe through a straw. The children thinking they could execute this like Naruto came to an unexpected and very sad conclusion. Those children lost a close friend that could have possibly been avoided had they been educated on the diversity of animation and reality.This brings us to another problem with super heroes on television, which is the characters, no matter how much damage or violence they receive, continue to remain unharmed and alive. When in reality if any human being actually received any pain like they are, they obviously would not be alive. Superman surviving a hailstorm of bullets is the best example that comes to mind. Yvette Middleton and Sandra Vanterpool wrote an essay; TV Cartoons: Do Children Think They Are Real? , regarding whether children can differentiate between what is real and what is fantasy in cartoons, as well as how they respond to them.On page five of their essay they go on to say; â€Å"When our young children watch cartoons with these types of violence, they start to visualize themselves as their favorite cartoon character and decide that if they are that character, they won’t be harmed if they get shot of run over by the bad guy† It’s when the child imitates these characters that they could be seriously hurt or hurt someone else. A parent’s duty comes into play when they sit down with the child and explain what happens scene by scene. Something a child sees on television isn’t necessarily bad seeing it once or twice.After those first two a parent could explain what scenes send a bad message. Instead the child watches time and time again, each time desensitizing their moral defense, eventually leading to frequent violent behavior. For example; every time a child sees a violent act they first see it as bad. As time progresses and they see more and more, the child begins to simply absorb the message as if it were an everyday occurrence. They may come to see violence as a fact of life and, over time, lose their ability to understand the difference between right and wrong. It’s at that point that it becomes a problem.Eugene V Beresin, the Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, wrote an article for the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. â€Å"Today 99% of homes have televisions. In fact, more families have televisions than telephones. Over half of all children have a television set in their bedrooms†¦children watch approximately 28 hours of television a week, more time than they spend in school. † That’s four hours an average day, that’s a sixth of their lives. That’s plenty of time for the children to withhold the messages they get from violent cartoons.Children can recognize and recall these even ts because they laugh afterwards and think of it as a tolerable way to respond to someone’s actions. Televised violence and the inhabitance of televisions in American households have increased steadily over the years. Beresin continues on to say â€Å"The typical American child will view more than 200,000 acts of violence, including more than 16,000 murders before age 18. Television programs display 812 violent acts per hour; children's programming, particularly cartoons, displays up to 20 violent acts hourly. Now hopefully a young child is only watching cartoons and not a police or crime show. But four hours a day with twenty violent acts hourly, that’s eighty violent acts scene daily. That can put a toll on a developing child’s moral psych. With every argument there are two sides. As I mentioned previously there are other perceptions and different cultural views on cartoon violence. I came across an article by Fran Blumberg, Kristen Bierwirth, and Allison Sch wartz, titled; Does Cartoon Violence Beget Aggressive Behavior in Real Life?An Opposing View. The ladies explain; â€Å"Despite increased realism in animation over time, most preschoolers still recognize cartoon programs as â€Å"make-believe†, and can differentiate cartoon characters engaged in life-like activities from those engaged in pretend activities. † Basically what they’re getting at is that children have the ability to realize that cartoons are not real, know that the violence is only animated, and understand that it is wrong. To prove anything is wrong people always rely on the science of it.V Mathews was one of the authors who composed the article, Media violence liked to concentration, published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography. Mathews confirms â€Å"Neurological evidence of a link between exposure to violence on television and brain functioning. Speci? cally, non-aggressive children who had been exposed to high levels of media viole nce showed less activity in the frontal cortex, that area of the brain linked to attention and self-control. † Non-aggressive children who already had a grip on what was morally right and wrong I would assume were the ones used. So they weren’t children who were brand new to violence.Also there is a slight hole in the study. It was measured directly after the children watched the violent cartoons, and not over a long period of time, which is what we’re dealing with. A study taken by Yvette Middleton and Sandra Vanterpool surveyed twenty-three third graders from the Fordham section of the Bronx. â€Å"We asked them fourteen questions based on the amount of time they spent watching cartoons, the types of cartoons they watch and their opinions on whether cartoons are real or not. † (Middleton and Vanterpool) 87% of the students surveyed said they watch cartoons before school, after school, and while doing their homework.If that wasn’t enough, 86% of th e students watch cartoons before bed. With twenty-five to thirty violent acts an hour (Middleton and Vanterpool) that is a lot of negative information that child is absorbing. The ladies continue their results; â€Å"78% of the students said they watch cartoons with a sibling or fiend. 17% of the students said that they watch cartoons by themselves, but only 4% said that they watch cartoons with a parent† (Middleton and Vanterpool) Only four percent of third graders watch cartoons with their parents.Now that is just not high enough. With cartoon violence becoming a rising problem parents need to stop using the television as a babysitter and know what their children are watching. On the subject of the students’ favorite cartoon, Rugrats was chosen as the top favorite, a quite non-violent Nickelodeon Cartoon. Second was Pokemon, a cartoon involving people using different animals/pets and pitting them against each other to settle their differences, definitely violent.The third was Dragon Ball Z, an extremely violent anime involving numerous characters always fighting each other for control, also chosen as the most popular action cartoon as well as the top favorite if they were limited to one cartoon a day (Middleton and Vanterpool). When asked about Dragon Ball Z the results told us:â€Å"43% said that they enjoy watching the characters fight, 26% said that they like to see characters shoot other characters and 30% also enjoyed seeing characters being blown up, bloodied, or stabbed † (Middleton and Vanterpool).That is discouraging; this is a television show that children should not be watching. If these are the thoughts that go through their mind while watching, think about what they think of when they aren’t watching. When Middleton and Vantepool surveyed the children about the reality of the violence, â€Å"56% said that they were real and 43% felt they were not real. † That is not a good statistic, over half of the class thou ght that the characters were real. These are fictional people who literally destroy each other and third grade children think they are real. 86% agreed they come back to life to start the action all over again, whereas 13% felt a character remains dead and is never seen again. † That is a large amount of children who are uneducated on the subject of death. But from another perspective, they are just children and more than likely can’t comprehend death, and they are just going off what they see in the show. Some interesting information came up when the children were asked what they think happens to real people die. â€Å"47% said the person goes to heaven, 47% said the person goes to hell, and 4% said the person goes under the ground and comes back as a flower. (Middleton and Vantepool) So you can see how these are still children and aren’t mature enough to understand what is really happening in a cartoon. This again just brings up the parenting aspect. In the 20 04 Conference on Interaction and Design and Children, an article was published about preschoolers moral judgments and their distinctions between realistic and cartoon-fantasy transgressions. M. Peters and F. C. Blumberg explained in good detail about a study they conducted using three and four year old children.They examined how the children reacted to pictures of both factual human and animated moral transgressions including; hitting, pushing, stealing, and failing to share. (Peters and Blumberg) â€Å"The children [then] were asked to indicate the extent to which the transgressions merited punishment and if so, how severe. They also were asked to justify this assessment. We found that preschoolers negatively evaluated all moral transgressions, both realistic and cartoon (Peters and Blumberg). † Again the problem arises with the short amount of exposure time.Although since they were three and four years old I would assume that they had been watching cartoons for an already l ong time. Peters and Blumberg continue to review their findings â€Å"When perceiving the magnitude of the transgression, children viewed physical harm as more egregious than that of psychological harm. Speci? cally, hitting was seen as more harmful to others and as deserving of greater punishment than failing to share. † This meant that children do retain some information pertaining to their morals while they’re progressing as children. They were able to realize what was more ethical and correct.What was really interesting was how the preschoolers judged cartoon infringement as more harmful than the realistic human transgressions. â€Å"Because cartoons are characterized by exaggerated facial expressions and body actions, these characteristics may have in? uenced the children’s perceptions of the cartoon transgressions as ‘‘bad. ’’ (Peters and Blumberg)† With that information we can think about how much those characteristics act ually come into play in the maturing stages of a child’s life. The message could be more of a learning experience for them instead of pro violence advice.Children could be using these cartoons as an example for instances in the future. It’s absolutely possible that children would use these when faced with a real life issues and fix the situation without using violence. Writing this paper has been an eye opener for me. At the beginning I was on the side against cartoon violence, agreeing that it does make children more violent in nature. But after all the research I did I am now on the fence with the situation. It can desensitize the children but also help them to learn what is right and what is wrong.Ultimately the parent comes into the play the most. I wouldn’t agree that sitting you child in front of the television is a bad idea, but what programs the children watch should be monitored. Also, using the television as a baby sitter is not a recommended idea. Chi ldren love cartoons, I know I still do, and there is no reason they have to stop watching them, but Mom and Dad should make sure what is happening in these cartoons is put into context for the child. So the child can differentiate and decide for themselves the difference between cartoon animation and reality.Beresin, Eugene V, M. D. â€Å"The Impact of Media Violence on Children and Adolescents: Opportunities for Clinical Interventions. † American Academy of Child ; Adolescent Psychiatry. Web. 11 May 2010. http://www. aacap. org/cs/root/developmentor Blumberg, Fran, Kristen Bierwirth, and Allison Schwartz. â€Å"Does Cartoon Violence Beget Aggressive Behavior in Real Life? An Opposing View. †Ã‚  Early Childhood Education Journal  Oct. 2008: 101+. Education Research Complete. Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Mathews, V. P. , Kronenberger, W. G. , Wang, Y. , Lurito, J. T. , Lowe, M. J. , ; Dunn, D.W. (2005). Media violence linked to concentration, self-control. Journal of Computer As sisted Tomography, 29, 287–292. Middleton, Yvette; Vanterpool, Sandra â€Å"TV Cartoons: Do Children Think They Are Real? † Reports-Research. Web Published 1999 http://www. eric. ed. gov. ezproxy. lib. uwm. edu/PDFS/ED437207. pdf Peters, K. M. , ; Blumberg, F. C. (2004). Preschoolers’ moral judgments: Distinctions between realistic and cartoon-fantasy transgressions. Proceedings of the 2004 Conference on Interaction Design and Children: Building a Community (pp. 131–132). New York: ACM