Intructional Strategies for Ell Classrooms

There are many different strategies that an instructor can use in ELL classrooms or in classrooms in which ELL students have been mainstreamed. As always, instructors are called upon to constantly modify their curriculum and instruction in order to meet the needs of each individual learner. This is made more possible if the instructor has more knowledge of different teaching methods and strategies. There are many possible research sources that offer ideas, methods and strategies for everyday use in an ELL classroom. Several of the more common or functional strategies will be discussed here. Comprehensible Input There are six prominent areas to consider when creating lesson plans that will help to present the subject material in an organized, understandable manner. These are â€Å"modelling (sic), bridging, contextualisation (sic), building schema, re-presenting text and developing metacognition† (Walqui, 2003). Modeling is simply showing, demonstrating, or asking the student to perform an action or do a project. This hands-on approach is useful for all students but it is particularly helpful with those students who have a language barrier. Bridging, a common constructivist method, involves building on a learner’s previous experience (Gabler, 2003). When dealing with ELL learners, the teacher may have to delve deeper than with average students, into the student’s previous experiences because their country of origin may not have offered the experiences that the educator is accustomed to building on. If they are able to find an experience that the student can relate the new information to, then the student will much better be able to understand the instruction (Gabler, 2003). Contextualization is useful because it presents the same information that one would find in a textbook in a completely different format that can reach the student’s visual, tactile, or auditory modalities. If the student is able to see the information rather than a list of linear facts but instead in a picture, video, demonstration or activity, then the student make learn the concepts or information more quickly and sometimes effortlessly. Building schema gives the students an understanding of the big picture of the new subject or concept before giving them more details. This gives the student a structure that they can build on and relate to. This may help the new information seem less daunting to them and may help develop an anticipation in the student to explore further into the subject. Re-presenting text, is when the teacher asks the students to revisit a text with the intention of presenting it in an alternative way in which the students actively participate (Walqui, 2003). â€Å"This kind of language learning often engages students in the accomplishment of tasks that are interesting and meaningful for them, where the emphasis is placed on the communication that is being carried out rather than on its formal aspects, and where the resulting learning is powerful† (Walqui, 2003). The sixth area for the educator to keep in mind when laying out lesson plans is developing the student’s metacognition. This is defined as the â€Å"understanding of the strategies available for learning a task and the regulatory mechanisms needed to complete the task† (Hallahan, 1997). This particular aspect of ELL instruction can give these students the tools needed to deal with new difficulties, remedy old problems and identify specific needs or problems that they have in their own learning process. The student can even continue to use this knowledge and awareness in their educational endevours after they have achieved English language proficiency. This can also assist average students in their own educational efforts. Ongoing, Specific, and Immediate Feedback Effective teachers often engage in multiple methods of feedback. Ongoing feedback can be in the form of charts, or lists that the teacher, class, or each student creates as they continue learning about a subject. This can show vocabulary words that they have learned, concepts they have mastered, or subjects that they have studied. The teacher can refer back to these lists regularly to reinforce new concepts and build on old ideas. Specific feedback can be integrated into classroom discussions or on student papers, explaining problems or elaborating further on an idea that the student has learned. Immediate feedback can be critical because it can alter the course of the student’s thinking before they become more confused. The teacher who is observant can correct misinformation or misconceptions quickly to avoid further problems in the student’s learning process. This can be a result of classroom discussions, question and answer sessions, and call and response methods. All forms of feedback have benefits and when used together can create a cohesive picture of the student’s abilities and success. Instructional feedback for students can have several benefits ranging from motivating the student to achieve more to helping them develop more refined metacognition and also possibly giving the student a sense of control over their own educational success (Malley, 1994). Grouping structures and techniques Grouping ELL students with â€Å"peer-buddies† or students appointed to assist the ELL student can give the ELL student more opportunities for using conversational English, allow them to receive minor assistance without interrupting the teacher, and give them the opportunity to have â€Å"teacher talk† re-explained to them (Wisconsin, n. . ) Building background and vocabulary development In most subjects, the teacher could develop a list of vocabulary words to help the students complete their understanding of the subjects. An ongoing list of vocabulary words could be a constant resource for students. The definitions would be written in their own words and more understandable to them. When teachers encourage vocabulary development in their students, they may produce better English improvement in the ELL student as a result (Fisher, 2007). Continuous vocabulary expression can encourage the students to learn to enjoy vocabulary expansion. The more comfortable a student is with a word the more frequently they may use it so it stands to reason that the more opportunities that the student has to learn and use new words, the more ingrained into their personal vocabulary the words will become. Presenting an ELL student new words to learn as well as providing opportunities to use the words are likely keys to helping an ELL student become more English language proficient. Classroom discussions, questions and answer sessions, and call and response are three commonly used methods for engaging students in language usage. Student engagement Nearly all of the learning strategies for assisting ELLs in the effort to learn the English language require student involvement. No matter which modality is being tapped into, the student who is involved or engaged will learn any subject more thoroughly and quickly. â€Å"Students usually agree that learning requires work† (Newman, 1992). This work, requires that the students become involved and engaged in their learning. Likely, if a student is willing to work and if the teacher encourages the engagement, then the student will find much better academic success in the end. Conclusion In the end, most instructional strategies that are used are most effective when tailored to each student’s needs. While time restraints may be problematic when attempting to meet individual needs, they may be very helpful for the student who is blessed to be under their tutelage. If teachers are capable of using these strategies to assist their students to help them achieve success in both their to attempt to learn English as well as their academic endeavors. Reference http://eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED371047.pdf

Music on the Bamboo Radio

How does Nicholas change and grow During the novel? â€Å"Music on the Bamboo Radio† is a historical fiction novel written by Martin Booth sets in the time of 1941 when the imperial Japanese Army invades Hong Kong. The main character of this novel, Nicholas Holford, a British boy who disguised as a Chinese and survived through the war, but on the way, he faced a lot of challenges and difficulties to his new life which transform Nicholas into a brave and mature young man.Nicholas changes and be more matures in many ways, one of Nicholas’s most obvious change that he demonstrated in this novel, is that he turned to be more independent and started to make his own decisions. He was a boy who relies on his parents a lot and rarely needs to make his own decisions. At the start of the novel, Nicholas’ parents were sent away to join and work in the war, which they left Nicholas alone with their servants, Tang, Ah Mee and Ah Kwan.Tang urged for Nicholas and the other serv ants to leave and hide from the Japanese Soldiers, but Nicholas refuses to leave and insists on waiting for his parents. â€Å"We must wait, when my parents get back. † (Page 4) He does not realize that refusing to leave will bring them into huge danger, he is also not brave and mature enough to make decisions. However, as the novel progressed, Nicholas became much more independent and starts making his own decisions. In Nicholas’ new life, he has to live with a Chinese family and help them to do housework which chores became his daily routine.Unfortunately, Tang was sick from a mosquito bite after selling fish in the market one day, and in order to same Tang’s life, Nicholas and Ah Mee has to risk a trip to Kowloon to take the medicine, Quinine, which is the only way to save Tang’s life. After the tough and difficult journey, they finally took the medicine they need, but on their was back home, Ah Mee becomes too exhausted and tired that she couldnâ€⠄¢t walk anymore. The time is ticking away, they must bring the medicine back home as soon as possible to save Tang’s life. â€Å"Nicholas knew there was nothing for it.Tang’s life depend on him now. â€Å" (Page 52) Nicholas ran back home with the Quinine, he decided to leave Ah Mee behind after serious and carful thoughts. â€Å" You’ll be safe here,’ Nicholas declared. ‘ The people will look after you while you sleep. † (Page 52) These show that Nicholas is now able to make good and thoughtful decisions. Unlike before, Nicholas thought carefully rather should or should not run back home and leave Ah Mee here, he is able to consider both sides and determine the importance on each side before making the decision, so he takes out his bravery and made this decision.In the middle of the novel, Major Fox, from the British Army Aid Group have been asked for the helps from Nicholas to deliver a package of a bottle of vaccine and a bar of gold. T his bottle of vaccine could save hundred of human lives, and this task could only be done by Nicholas. After thinking deeply, â€Å"When he had been considering going with Tai Lo Fu to destroy the†¦ his voice quite and resolute. â€Å"I’ll deliver it. ’ â€Å" (Page 109/110) Nicholas decided to help deliver the package.This mission is very risky and dangerous for Nicholas, he might get caught by the Japanese soldiers and possibly get killed by them, but Nicholas know that he could not rely on anyone this time, instead, he has to help others in need and make this decision himself. Making this decision also showed that Nicholas became very independent and he is able to make mature decisions. Another major change that Nicholas demonstrated in this novel, is that he protects and helps other in need and became considerate of others.Nicholas grown up in a wealthy family, he has a gardener, cook and servants. (Page 3/4) He doesn’t really need to do chores for h imself, regardless the fact that he wouldn’t even need to help and protect others. However, as Nicholas begins his new life, living in a Chinese Family. He starts to take his own responsibilities, and even helping his new family do chores and housework. (Page 26) Nicholas also shows his protection of others when he and Ah Mee went on the trip to get Quinine for Tang.Nicholas and Ah Mee walk past some Japanese soldiers And the prisoners on their way back home, but Ah Mee stumbled and dropped her bundle beside them, this caught the Japanese soldiers attention and they thought Ah Mee was trying to communicate with the prisoners, which caused the soldiers to shout and took out their rifles pointing at them, but Ah Mee was too wear to stand up. Nicholas suddenly thought of an idea, he thought that the Japanese will not understand Cantonese either, so he made up nonsense with Cantonese and imitates the Chinese accent, trying to protect and change the Japanese soldier’s focus . Page 49/50) Although Nicholas did to succeed at the end and was saved by Ah Kwan, he had tried his best to protect Ah Mee in times of danger. Nicholas also became a lot wiser and smarter, and also became much more trustworthy. At the beginning of this novel, Nicholas saw two Japanese soldiers in less than seventy meters from him. â€Å" He wanted to scream, jump up, shout out, it’s alright. It’s only me. Don’t shoot. I’m only eleven. â€Å" (Page 3) Nicholas didn’t realize that doing that will only cause more attention from the Japanese soldiers and caused them to kill him straight away.The right thing he should so, is quietly leave without causing any attention and hide. However, Nicholas changed as he faces more challenges. When Nicholas went on a trip with Ah Kwan and Tai Lo Fu, he met a few Japanese soldiers walking past him, again, but he reacted wisely. Although he was very afraid and scared, he stayed quiet and still, not causing any att ention, (Page 65) This incident showed that Nicholas became much more wise and smart, knowing how to keep himself safe in times of danger and also learning from his mistakes.Before Nicholas went on this trip with Ah Kwan and Tai Lo Fu, he has to keep a secret first. The purpose of this trip, is for Nicholas to do a huge favor for the East River Column Army, which fight against the Japanese secretly. The army wanted Nicholas to translate a english note from the British for them, but if the Japanese find out about this Army, they will kill all of them immediately. So Nicholas has to keep this great secret and help finish this mission without letting anyone know. â€Å"Nicholas nodded. Any sense of flattery evaporated. (Page 61) As the novel progress and Nicholas went on his mission, we can see that Nicholas kept his promise and the secret only to himself. This showed that Nicholas is not a wise and trustworthy young man. Through this war, Nicholas changed dramatically in many ways, b oth mentally and physically. He faced many difficulties and tough challenges, but it’s only these challenges that can transform Nicholas into a mature young man. Nicholas also surprised and amazes me because of his significant change and transformation and he also sets a great example for us to learn and experience from.

CASE STUDY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 9

Case Study Example The employees of AIG believed that the company had an obligation to pay them their bonuses, while the public thought that the bonuses were unethical as the money had come from federal reserves. Companies should have well-detailed contracts with employees clearly showing when bonuses should be paid and cases when the company may fail to issue the bonuses, to prevent such scenarios in the future. External regulations ensure that firms and individuals act ethically towards the general public. They are very efficient as in the AIG case where a 90% tax was imposed on the bonuses thereby protecting the general public. The company had an obligation to pay the employees their bonuses while at the same time had an obligation to the public to use the bailout money prudently. To ensure that both requirements were met the company needed to pay the bonuses in installments depending on future profits that the company made. The company should have used the bailout out money first to get back to profit ways and later pay the bonuses to deserving employees. eBay pursued international growth through their three main components; products, sense of community and aggressive expansion. It had a broad range of product categories and trading platforms that offered a wide variety of pricing formats allowing it to compete directly with major competitors such as amazon.com and to penetrate new markets. eBay created trust between buyers and sellers and enlarged their market ventures through the creation of more localized sites. The greatest source of competitive advantage for eBay at the moment is its broad capital base. With an average net income of about $2 billion yearly, eBay has a large capital base that allows it to deal with competitors through acquisitions and strategic partnerships. Through acquisitions, eBay has attempted to acquire a stake in the

Piero Gobetti On Liberal Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Piero Gobetti On Liberal Revolution - Essay Example In the book, Gobetti identifies two Italy. One of the Italy comprises of the enlightened and focus on modernity but it is small while the other comprises of the premodern is dominant and is characterized by traditionalism. Gobetti associates liberalism with other revolutionally movement. This essay focuses on my understanding of Gobetti’s ideologies in the book On Liberal Revolution. Gobetti live in the period after First World War when Italian liberalism had been abandoned and substituted by the great desire for power. The political figures were ready to hold to power at all costs. Gobetti criticizes this kind of life and advocates for revival of true liberalism. Gobetti addressed fascist political culture. This is because there had been quite a number of liberal governments but they had not put much effort in establishing liberalism. This had led to failure of liberal economics and culture. He felt that Italy had failed in its efforts of establishing a middle class that bene fited the nation as it had happened in Great Britain and France. He felt that the middle class had played a great role in establishing successful liberal societies. However, the middle class in Italy was ineffective. Gobetti valued class liberalism since he believed that it was capable of to bring radical change (Gobetti, Urbinati, & McCuaig, 2000). Gobetti was opposed to the decline of liberalism in Italy and his book is an agonistic reformulation of liberalism. In Gobetti’s opinion, conflict and not consensus is the foundation of social and political regeneration. He considered liberalism to entail continuous ethnic struggle against transcendental beliefs (Gobetti, Urbinati, & McCuaig, 2000). Gobetti insisted that liberalism was adaptable to different classes. Gobetti opposed fascism and claimed it was an accretion of all the iniquities facing the Italian society. Throughout the book, Gobetti defends the right of people to operate without the interruption of the state. He t hus directs his revolution liberalism to the political scenery in Italy. He opposes the negative and positive conceptions of liberty. He argues that political liberty is closely linked to political liberty. He advocate for liberalism, which allowed the entire society to make their decisions without arbitrary interference from the state (Gobetti, Urbinati, & McCuaig, 2000). However, he feels that the political environment in Italy was inappropriate for liberalism. Gobetti advocates for political education on historical them accept the spirit of liberalism. Gobetti’s ideas are greatly influenced by the struggles of workers in Turin and Gramsci’s vision of a factory based democracy. The liberal Revolution was greatly influenced by his disapproval of fascism. Gobetti adopts Mosca’s idea of the political system characterized by struggles by elites to attain offices of power. Gobetti uses this idea to explain disagreements over ideas between the different social force s in relation to the different forms of power (Gobetti, Urbinati, & McCuaig, 2000). He believed that the workers would lead successful liberalism. This was based on the significance he associated with the struggles of the workers. In Gobetti's opinion, Fascism was indicative of the historical failure of Italy’s political life. He believed that there had to be transformation in the economic as well as moral culture of the society for effective liberalism to

Environmental Management in a New Zealand Assignment

Environmental Management in a New Zealand - Assignment Example Similarly the global concerns found expression in the various discussions held on the international platform that have led to the creation of many treaties and agreements that have significantly altered and in a way improved our laws and policies regarding the environment. The combined efforts of the environmental agencies, the native inhabitants, the business houses and the government have been instrumental in bringing about the positive changes that one can see today in New Zealand’s natural environment. The well-thought-out plan of action and systematic procedure followed by the country to improve its environment has set an ideal example for the rest of the world. The environmental management system in New Zealand underwent extensive reformation during the period from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. New Zealand’s approach to handling the environmental issues, prior to the 1990s, was highly fragmented and disorganized. It was only in the 1940s that the awareness of environmental issues began to be a part of the country’s national consciousness, leading to passing of legislations, setting up of advisory bodies, and allocation of management duties to the government, local agencies, committees and councils. The nation’s first specimen of a systematic environment management measure was the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act passed in the year 1941. The act laid down the specifications for setting up of local catchment boards to regulate the conservation of water and soil across various towns and villages. This stance of using topographical boundaries as a tool for conserving water was something totally novel and unhea rd of at that point of time. But soon it became very popular with other nations who looked forward to execute it as an inexpensive yet effective method. To supervise the water conservation activities under this program, a national

Zoloact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Zoloact - Essay Example The website will also comprise of images, graphics, triangulation bars, and animations of Zoloact. Additionally, the website will include a shopping cart, which will allow potential customers to order the drugs when they access our websites. Furthermore, the website will include the prescriptions necessary for the drug and the diseases that are cured by the drug. Still, Zoloact website will include a review section whereby patients who have used the drug will give a response on drug use experience. Besides, an inquiry section will be developed where patients can ask questions related to the drug. Market Research Zoloact, as a bisphosphonate drug faces various threats and competition from its competing drugs. Alendronate (Web) notes that the current market valuation of bisphosphonate drug is $ 4.6 billion. However, the market demand of the drug is expected to decrease by 5-7 % each year (Alendronate Web). This is because of the increased awareness of the need to keep healthy by eating calcium containing food components for the elderly. Zoloact, as a bisphosphonate alternative drug, will aim at providing the best medical care to such patients by ensuring that the drug prevents loss of bone mass to the elderly.

Mumbai Attacks Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mumbai Attacks - Assignment Example The main objective of the terrorist was to damage the image of the country and hamper its economic situation. Another important aim of those terrorists was to attract the attention of the world towards their demands and cause by injuring and killing many innocent people. The attacks happened in Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafà ©, Taj Mahal Hotel, Bomb blasts in taxis, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House. Bad International Intelligence had influences the success of Mumbai attack. India’s police and security system were often co ordinate poorly. They were not highly equipped or trained. Moreover the security system of the country was influenced by the political leaders and structure of India. Different legal and legislative bodies were involved to look after the security system India (Rath, 2010). Intelligence agencies, central investigative department, law enforcement, intelligence bureau, India police service, Central Reserve Force were all answerable to the Prime Minister. The military were also responsible to look after foreign threats and terrorist attacks. Too many government body involvements create an ineffective security management system. State and central authorities formed many joint committees and task force to handle crisis situations. But often the actions of these forces and committees become slow and complicated which creates major problems in International int elligence. The federal political system of India has such policies which posses’ problem in performing duties of intelligence units. For ineffective functions of this departments helped in the success of Mumbai attacks. There was a high possibility facing terrorist attack through sea route. Taj Hotel is a very prominent site which can be easily targeted. The intelligence department of India provided this information to the state government but the information was ignored by most of the

ZOO Observations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ZOO Observations - Assignment Example It has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years in its natural habitat and more than 20 years when in a controlled environment, for instance, in a zoo. I observed that the patas monkey is a quite animal and one with a great appetite. On its feeding habits, I observed that the monkey ate gluttonously - it fills its cheeks with food. It uses its fingers to feed itself. As a result of its quick feeding habits, the feeding time was very little - 3 minutes that is about 15 percent of the observation time. I also found the Patas monkey to be quite active. After eating, the monkey seemed excited wearing a playful face. It jumped as if it was dancing every often food went its way. I assumed its jumping was a way of soliciting for more food. The jumping was carried out for about a minute or less, that is, about 5 percent of the observation time. It was further observed that the Patas monkey walked on its fingers. I also noted that the monkey had a nice way of resting – it leaned back and put up it s feet. It spent about 5 minutes in this position of relaxing – that is approximately 25 percent of the total time of observation. In the course of resting, I am not sure whether the monkey went to sleep because there are moments when it stayed still. After the sleep and relaxing, the monkey engaged in grooming and being groomed by other monkeys for some time – this was approximately 5 minutes (about 25 percent of the time). The patas monkey also engaged in what seemed like warm up exercises running up and down. I noted that it had an admirably great speed when it was being chased or chased other monkeys. The time spent in running up and down was about 30 percent of the observation time. Bornean orangutan The scientific name for Bornean orangutan is pongo pygmaeus. I found this ape to be bored and much of the observation time was spent not doing much. It took almost fifty percent of the observation time resting. In its resting position, the ape sat upright on the groun d with its hands touching the ground. During my observation time the ape did sleep for roughly two to three minutes – that was about 15 percent of the observation time. When sleeping the ape lay on its back and stretched out its legs and hands. The ape did not seem to be interested in eating anything though it could reluctantly bite once or twice some fruits I threw to it. The ape did walk at some time using its four limbs – the walking style is what we described as terrestrial quadrupedalism in class. The ape did not seem to be in hurry when walking and I guess even if it tried to run it could not or at least it could not run very fast. Unlike the patas monkey which could ran very fast thus can easily evade being caught by its predators, the Bornean orangutan did not seem like one that could be easily intimidated by predators. In the course of the observation, I neither noted any facial expression by the orangutan nor any vocal expressions. The best way to describe th e ape from the observations I made is that it was a solitary animal which did not express its feelings easily and one that seemed to be bored with its environment. It spent a good percentage of the observation time sitting down and strolling around. I must note it was not very interesting observing the Bornean orangutan especially after having a great time with a proactive patas monkey. Western lowland Gorilla The scientific name for the western lowland Gorilla is Gorilla gorilla gorilla. It was interesting watching this animal. It was quite active during the observation time. I also noted that it easily moved about. With the exception of the times when the gorilla sat down for about five minutes, I really did not see it resting. When it was sat, it was not exactly still but went

Leadership through My Eyes My Personal Leadership Model Term Paper

Leadership through My Eyes My Personal Leadership Model - Term Paper Example Efficient leaders, however, may also be authoritative at the time when it is necessary especially when the individuals who are being led are those who are moved only by being pushed (Dublin, Dalgish and Miller 26). Therefore, leaders should combine styles such as laissez faire, participation, and authoritarianism for them to be efficient in their work. When I wrote my first paper, I argued that, â€Å"leadership is such a character that is acquired after birth by the people who have the will and power to do so because those who lack the motivation to become leaders may not acquire the characteristic.† However, at this time, I have discovered that leadership is a character that may be acquired and some people may also be born with it. I understand leadership as the ability to lead others in accomplishing certain objectives successfully. I also understand that leaders have to begin by being servants of their followers so that the servants may understand how to complete their work successfully. Frick and Robert argue that, â€Å"leaders are agents of change, and because they guide their followers in the search for wholeness, they must show their motivation and will power to achieve this goal (32).† Showing motivation and will power may only be achieved by being an example first so that followers may also gain motivation and work hard. My new definition of leadership has changed from what I thought and wrote in my first paper. This is because, in my first paper, I argued that no one is born with leadership, but now I have discovered that the character may be inborn. This is because there are people who serve others naturally without having to acquire the servant character from the world (Burns 43). However, I have not changed my argument that efficient leadership may be acquired by a combination of experience, analytical power, and self study (Burns 45). These factors are still

The Purchase of Alaska Essay Example for Free

The Purchase of Alaska Essay My dear countrymen, I strongly believe that the purchase of Alaska will help America in a number of ways. This bargain will prove fruitful for our country geo-strategically, in respect of natural resources and open numerous business avenues as well. At present our country is passing through difficult times and this move is definitely in our greater interests. If we purchase this land it will affect America, Russia and Britain in a number of ways. Our geo-strategic interests demand that we must buy this piece of land. Russia is a friend of America and she proved immensely helpful during the civil war. Russia at present is in fear of losing this land to her adversary, Britain, in a possible military conflict as she is not in a position to defend Alaska physically and her financial position is not sound as well. At present Russia wants to unburden herself of Alaska in a positive way. The purchase of this land by America will help a friendly country – Russia, and affect the interests of an almost declared enemy of our interests- the Great Britain. This way we will also be in a position to surround and off set the influence of Britain in the neighbouring territories which are at present under her influence and control. The future will stand testimony to the fact that our decision of purchasing Alaska from Russia was a wise and timely decision. We know that our drive towards expansion has brought us in competition with the Russian businessmen. If we buy this land it will help in improving America’s financial strength and strategic influence in the Asia-pacific region. This way the expansion of settlements and commercial interests of Russia to the pacific coast of North America can be checked and America’s financial position can be improved to a great extent. Alaska is a vast territory with sparse population. This vast land will prove helpful to us in military manoeuvres as in recent times Napoleon’s misadventure and defeat in Russia has proved that vast territories help enormously in defeating strong armies. This vast territory will allow the Americans to go to this place and explore its potentials and get themselves settle there if they like. Alaska will bring business and prosperity to the Americans in a number of ways. The increase in territory of America will help in boosting the pride and confidence of Americans in their motherland. Their respect and honour in the company of nations will also get a boost. I also believe that Alaska will add to America’s power in another way. Alaska is immensely rich in natural resources. It has forests that can provide us timber to burn and build houses and utilize in industries. It has mines that will provide us with innumerable minerals including coal and it may happen that gold may also be found there. Our growing industries will have a huge source of raw material in the shape of Alaska. It will also allow America to have expensive fur and an increased supply of fish. The coast of this land will help America in increasing trade by sea and the American navy will also draw immense benefits from it. Keeping in view all these benefits I recommend that for the sake of America’s long term and multi dimensional interests we should buy this piece of land from Russia.

Job Satisfaction Among Ghanaian Mental Health Nurses

Job Satisfaction Among Ghanaian Mental Health Nurses 1.1 Background Study The main objective of this research is to evaluate the attitudes of Ghanaian mental health nurses and the level of job satisfaction in the three government psychiatric hospitals in Ghana. It has been identified that most people who suffer from mental illness are always vulnerable and at high risk of suffering from stigmatisation and discrimination. Mental health professionals such as nurses are always in contact with patients and their attitudes towards these patients can play a major factor in their recovery. This aspect of study has been neglected especially in developing countries like Ghana. This study is to try as much as possible to find out how the nurses’ attitudes affect their patients and the role job satisfaction plays. Over the years mental health has changed in many faces including the establishment of mental institutions, which has also gone through several changes in different countries thereby drastically reducing the number of psychiatric admissions in general hospitals. However, it is important for one to know if these changes reflect the attitudes of people towards mental illness especially mental health nurses. The perception of mental illness plays a major role in the psychiatric medical profession which several disputes on what should be classified as pathological and which should be seen as normal. These disputes have several consequences on the diagnosis, research, and policies concerning psychiatry and may also have some form of bias on the selection of treatments and prognosis due to the widespread of unauthentic ascriptions of the causes of the illness (Wakefield, 2007). According to World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is â€Å"a state of well-being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community† (WHO 2001). There are several definitions by researchers on mental health, which is a fundamental aspect of well-being and quality of life and also a basic element of social structure, productivity, peace and stability in the environment (WHO, 2005). This definition by WHO stresses on the positive scopes of mental health and Shives (2008) also states that mental health is a positive state in which each and everybody is responsible, self-directive and displays self-awareness where ones behaviour is generally accepted within a group. However Bryne (2000) stated that multiple factors influence the level of mental health of person at any point in time and one of the major hindrances to the realisation of positive health and well being leads to stigma. Mental illness is a psychological response to stress that interferes with or inhibits a person’s ability to easily meet human needs and functions within a culture (NSW, Department of Health, 2007). Moreover, the American Psychiatric Association also defines mental illness as a â€Å"clinically significant behaviour and psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual associated with present distress, disability or loss of freedom† (Bryne, 2000). Mental illness is a major contributor to the burden of disease internationally, which has a major influence on the disability, co-morbidity, and mortality being experienced globally (CAMIMH 2007, Lauber Sartorius 2007). World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that about 450million people will suffer from some form of mental disorder with 13% of the global disease burden being made of schizophrenia, depression, epilepsy, dementia, alcohol dependence, neurological and substance-abuse disorders which exceeds both cardiovascular disease and cancer (National Institute of Health) moreover people with mental illness are more likely to be at risk of other health conditions as well. It is estimated that at least one member in every four families has a mental disorder and the primary caregivers of those affected are the family members and this brings some form of burden to these families, which are mostly ignored (WHO, 2010). Depression is estimated to be the second highest cause of disease burden in middle-income countries and the third highest in low-income countries by 2030 (WHO, 2010). Moreover, in addition to the health and social cost, which is a problem, there is also the victimisation of human rights violation, stigmatisation and discrimination of people with mental illness, which occurs both inside, and outside of psychiatric institutions (WHO, 2010). According some researchers, people with mental illness are at increased risk of drifting into or remaining in poverty through increased health expenditure, reduced stigma and loss of employment and associated earnings (Lund et al, 2911). This puts lots of pressure on people with mental illness and their families especially in low income or developing countries where it is more stressful (NSW, Department of Health, 2007). People diagnosed with mental illness are looked at differently in the world as compared to people who are diagnosed with general health problems. Thus most people have the impression that mental illness patients are strange, frightening, unpredictable, aggressive and lack self-control especially those diagnosed with mental disorders such as schizophrenia which is always associated with negative stereotypes of being very aggressive and dangerous (Crisp et al, 2000). Individuals suffering from mental illness for some time now have been at a higher risk of experiencing prejudice and discrimination and most of these prejudice leads to stigmatisation even within health institutions (Linden and Kavanagh, 2011). Prejudice can be said to be an emotional response to stereotypes which is tolerated where stereotypes are mostly unfavourable intercessions used to describe a group or persons based on their merits thus leading to discrimination which is the real behaviour based on prejudice (Lauber et al, 2006). Stigma and prejudice mostly play a basic role in the abuse of human right, which is sadly still being practiced, in some psychiatric institutions and care homes and remain the basis of mental health organisations in some developing countries in the world. Goffman (1963) cited in (Newton-Howes et al, 2008) describes stigma as a mark of shame or dishonour which can have a negative self esteem and appraisal on a the person thereby becoming a hindrance to recovery, moreover Gray (2002) also stated that, stigma was originally used to mark Greek slaves separating them from men. The stigma of mental illness although more often is related to context than to person’s appearance, still remains a powerful negative attribute in all social relations (Bryne, 2000) and the stigma of mental illness comes from the possession of a devalued attribute of an individual which is seen by society as a hostile response (Goffman, 1963) cited in (Newton-Howes et al, 2008). World Health Organisation (2011) states that stigmatisation of mentally ill patients by the healthcare providers is the worst form of stigma which affects the quality and rate of recovery. There are several evidence from other studies conducted by researchers from other populations which proves that stigma can sometimes been seen to pervade professional groups including mental health nurses. Research by Read and Harre (2001), found that negative attitudes are mostly displayed by mental health nurses towards patients who are disturbed which is mostly present in the patients at acute level of their illness. Health professionals mostly come into contact with people with mental illness regularly and they play an important role in shaping attitudes towards mental ill people. Moreover, these health professionals serve as a role model on how to approach people with mental illness however Schulze (2007), states that healthcare professionals have been identified to assume three main positions when it comes to stigmatisation and these include people with mental illness being stigmatised, they being stigmatised by their own association with mental illness and finally playing the role of advocator’s or de-stigmatises. Stigma affects the progression and healing of people with mental illness according to Perlick et al, (2001) and the loss of income, low self-esteem, loneliness, isolation, delayed seeking of treatment and many more are the results of stigma and discrimination towards people with mental illness (Sharac et al, 2010; illac et al, 2011). Creating major campaign of the awareness of stigmatising attitudes will support healthcare workers to be more reflective in the treatment methods towards people with mental illness. Sartorius (2007) stated that, people who suffer from mental illness do not frequently pursue treatment due to the fact that healthcare professionals including nurses are considered prime contributors of stigma and discrimination. Some staff who have been given special training in taking care of people with mental illness do hold negative stigmatising attitudes towards their patients as well which proves that stigma is not only held by individuals with lack of knowledge about mental illness even though educational intervention can help reduce its effect in the community or country as a whole (Burti and Mosher, 2003; Pinfold et al, 2003). Mental health services in Ghana are not well recognised as there are lots of inequalities in the provision of resources for this sector as compared to the needs of the general hospitals. Moreover there is still lack of knowledge about mental illness, which is a major contributor of stigma towards people affected with mental illness and the healthcare professionals who even take care of them. The population of Ghana has increased extremely since the country’s independence from 1957 resulting in the growing number of people suffering from mental illness (Ghana Statistical Service, 2003). Mental health service in Ghana is mostly available in primary health care yet the majority of care is provided through specialised psychiatric hospitals of which there are three (3) all located in the southern part of the country providing 7.08beds per 100,000 populations (Ghana Health Service, 2012). The WHO estimates that out of the 21.6 million Ghanaians, about 650, 000 are believed to be suffering from some form of severe mental disorder and 2,166, 000 are suffering from moderate to mild form of mental illness (WHO, 2007). Nevertheless, this estimate has not been recognised as a serious health issues and Ghana has not yet developed facilities and public health services including mental health care to keep up with the growing demand of these services and population expansion (Offori-Attah et al. 2010). According to the WHO Atlas Survey about 65% of beds in the psychiatric hospitals, are extremely unsatisfactory. The ratio of these beds in Accra the capital city of Ghana is 6.21:1 thus the total number of beds to the rest of the country indicating a high intensity of resources in the capital (Ofori-Atta et al, 2010). WHO has also reported that most psychiatric hospitals have scarce, undignified, and even harmful practices as well as unhygienic and inhuman living conditions (WHO, 2003). The main focus of psychiatric care today in the world is mainly on a number of key conditions such tolerance and non-discrimination being one of the most important aspect (Hannigan, 1999). Inadequate knowledge about mental illness and negative attitudes mostly towards individuals suffering from mental illness has been noted to be prevalent in the general public (Nordt, Rossler and Luber, 2006) thus most major research of attitudes towards people with mental illness has been mainly focused on the general public with the opinions of professionals who come into contact with the mentally ill specifically mental health workers recently being highlighted (Angermeyer Dietrich, 2006). Numerous challenges faced by mental health institutions such as lack of resources, increased work load and shortage of staffs put lots of burden on the nurses which negatively affects the quality of nursing care given to these patients therefore positive changes in mental health services will go a long way to impact on the role and practice of mental health nursing (Cleary, Walter and Hunt, 2005). Low job satisfaction plays a major role in the outcome of patients’ care and there have been lack of research in the country concerning this. Job satisfaction of healthcare professionals is a very important aspect that should not be neglected as it can affect the outcome of care given to these patients. Moreover, there are lots of evidence gaps in the country concerning mental health issues and that is the why it is important to conduct this research in order to fill some of these gaps. Job satisfaction is a complex situation, which can be construed, and it involves the absence of pain, oppressiveness and intolerance as well as enjoyment (Sultana and Begum, 2001). Studies on job satisfaction are mostly based on fountains of emotional response of the employees which is linked with some socio-cultural institutions and the personal elements such as pay, promotion, supervision, benefits, nature of work, co-workers, working condition, social status and many more (Sultana and Begum, 2001). 1.2 RATIONALE Research fills a very important aspect in the society where discoveries are made as well as confirming or rejecting ideas, controlling or predicting events and developing or refining theories. Thus one develops knowledge as a result of these functions from research. It is unsurprising that human right abuse is mostly related to the poor standard of mental health care in low-income countries such as Ghana and the need for ways to restraint is the most obvious choice for healthcare professionals in the absence of neuroleptics (Read, Adiibokah and Nyame, 2009). Studying the attitudes of healthcare professionals especially in the field of mental illness is important. According to Baker et al (2005), attitudes are made of cognitive, affective, and behavioural components, which are activated due to exposure of stimulus or objects. Moreover, the quality of nursing care provided by mental health professionals can be influenced by the attitudes of the nurses towards these patients (Baker, 2008). There have been several campaigns to change negative attitudes and promote positive attitudes towards mental health problems by some countries, which include the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and India (Royal College of Psychiatrist (2001) and World Psychiatrist Association (2001). Ghana health service (GHS) is the main provider of biomedical care for mental illness in the country however there are just three government psychiatric hospitals in the country providing free healthcare for patients which are all located in the south of the country serving over 21million Ghanaians. All three hospitals have suffered from lack of resources to overcrowding with the end results being poor quality of healthcare. The status of mental health nurses in some communities is low and the advantage of being part of this profession has been dent with some form of stigma such as stigma by association or courtesy stigma (Hinshaw 2007, Thornicroft 2007, Halter 2008) whereby professionals associated with the care of people suffering from mental illness are judged by the same stereotyping stigma. It is therefore very important to explore the theoretical relationship between job satisfaction and professionals stigma towards mental illness. The focus of this study is to address some of the gaps in mental health concerning stigma and job satisfaction mental health nurses are facing in Ghana. The findings of this study will be a stepping stone to address issues that will come out as a result of the study or re-enforce any positive findings as well. The outcomes of this study may allow a greater understanding of how these attitudes are connected and the realistic outcomes can help to the strategize anti-stigma campaigns such as identifying shortfalls of certain groups or identifying logical way 1.3 RESEARCH QUESTION To what extent do mental health nurses in Ghana stigmatise people with mental illness? What personal and professional background factors (including job satisfaction) explain the attitudes that Ghanaian mental health nurses have towards mental illness? What characteristics are associated with nurses’ attitudes towards mental illness? What is the rate of job satisfaction in mental health nursing and does it affect the care patients receive? 1.4 OBJECTIVES The main objective of this research is to evaluate the attitudes of psychiatric nurses in Ghana towards the care of mentally ill patients. The specific objectives are as follow: To identify the relationship and levels of job satisfaction and stigma towards psychiatric patients among Ghanaian mental health nurses. To determine prevalence of stigma among mental health nurses in Ghana. To explore the rate of job satisfaction in mental health nursing and the impact it has on the attitudes of nursing providing care for patients. To examine the characteristics associated with the attitudes on mental health nurses in Ghana. To disseminate findings to increase awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals’ especially mental health nurses. The findings of this study will be used to: Develop programs and strategies to reduce stigma. Help create awareness of stigma in healthcare professionals. Develop policies to reduce stress in the hospitals. Suggest improvements/amendments to existing mental health policies. 1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS The following research hypothesis was formulated for testing: the researcher hypothesised that the more psychiatric nurses are satisfied with their job, the more they will exhibit positive attitude towards mental ill patients. The researcher also hypothesise that the more psychiatric nurses are stigmatised about their job, the quality of care they provide will be less and they will exhibit negative attitudes towards their patients

My Plans for Nursing Essay -- Career Planning Nursing

If you are trying to pursue a career in nursing you should do your research on this field. I have learned so much about what it takes to pursue a career in nursing and that there is so much more to it than just choosing what kind of nurse you want to become, to find out all about nursing you have do all the research possible. There are many roles that a nurse has such as a caregiver, educator, advocate and many more. The practice level of nursing is very broad also, there are plenty of degrees that you can get as a nurse, along with the specialty areas of practice I want to become a pediatric nurse which would be a specialty area. The practice settings of nurses vary from a hospital, community, outpatient, or school there is an endless amount of them. A nurse has many responsibilities and roles to their patients that they have. A nurse is a caregiver to their patients they are responsible for meeting the physical and emotional needs of the patient, they are to be able to identify, prevent or treat an illness or disability. A nurse could also be an educator, they could teach a class of future nurses, they also educate by helping other workers with things they do not know or need help with. â€Å"A Masters degree is usually needed to teach in a school of nursing, however, if you would like to teach in a school of nursing, you must have baccalaureate in nursing. Nurses with a baccalaureate usually teach under the supervision of an experienced teacher with a master's or doctorate. In some states, it is possible to teach with a master's in a related discipline but the majority of nursing schools require a master's in nursing.† (Being a Nurse Educator) Nurses must also be able to speak for their patients when needed. For example If a nurse ... ...e Programs From Top Colleges | DegreeFinders.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. . Keefe,Sandy. "Flight Nurse Job Description | EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. EHow. Web. 26 Nov. 2010. . "Nurses For A Healthier Tomorrow." Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow. American Nurses Association. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Ullman, Melanie. "Exploring a Variety of Nurse Practice Settings." EzineArticles Submission - Submit Your Best Quality Original Articles For Massive Exposure, Ezine Publishers Get 25 Free Article Reprints. 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. .

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Oedipus the King - Power of

The Power of Fate in Oedipus Rex (the King) The underlying theme in Oedipus Rex is that fate is more powerful than free will. On this strong basis of fate, free will doesn't even exist. This was a popular belief among the ancient Greeks.   Fate may be accepted or denied by modern society, but in Oedipus's story, fate proves inevitable. In the play, Oedipus Rex, the characters Oedipus, Iocaste and Laios try to change fate.    In the very beginning of the story, before we hear from the oracle, there is already foreshadowing of Oedipus' impending doom. He, himself, states to the people, "Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I" (Sophocles 5). This statement is almost eerie when looking back upon it. Alone, it seems as if he knows that he is ill fated, but reading on he clarifies his pain in this way:    Each of you suffers in himself alone His anguish, not another's; but my spirit Groans for the city, for myself, for you" (Sophocles 5).    His pain is not his future; it is the plague of the country. Oedipus was told by Teiresias that in his later years he would be the killer of his own father, and would marry his own mother. In his attempt to avoid this situation, he left both of his parents and traveled to a far away city called Thebes. Once there he was married to a woman, that he, himself, was positive was not his mother, for his mother was the woman that he had left back in Corinth. Also, being so far from his known home, there was no chance that he could kill his father whom he had also left behind. Oedipus thought he was safe, but he was not.    Oedipus is not the only one that tries to escape the curse. Iocaste also tried to escape the curse. She knows about it before Oedipus, himsel... ...esume on his good fortune until he find pain Life, at his death, a memory without pain (Sophocles 78).       Work Cited Sophocles.   "Oedipus Rex."   An Introduction to Literature, 11th ed.Eds. Sylvan Barnet, et al.   New York: Longman, 1997.    1. You use a lot of appositives.   Appositives are devices that rename something, "Oedipus, himself" or "Laios, the king" or "highwayman, a stranger."   The second name should be set off by commas:   "Oedipus, himself." 2. The character of Teiresias should be discussed in your conclusion since he embodies the truth about the absolute finality of fate, which is exactly what the other three characters failed to see. 3. Your paper should be organized so that each point, or each character is discussed in a separate paragraph and you stick to that character until you have fully discussed him or her.   

Gambling: dangerous to society? Essay

In a study performed by Kerby Anderson of Probe Ministries, a Christian organization that investigates hot topics in America today, he states that there are twelve million compulsive gamblers in the United States. Out of this twelve million, 96% began gambling before the age of 14. He also reported that the average compulsive gambler has debts exceeding $80,000. This means that for this class, if we all grow up to be compulsive gamblers, all but one of us will have started gambling by now, and we will all one day be in extreme debt. Today I will be informing you all how dangerous gambling can be. I will be talking about what good comes from gambling, the negative effects of gambling, and why gambling is a problem. In everything in life there is always some good. To gambling, there are some advantages that affect society economically. According to a study performed by the University of Minnesota, when casinos come into an area, property value around the casino will almost always increase. The casino also creates jobs so fewer people in the area are unemployed. The casino also attracts motels and restaurants that will come into the area. Most casinos are owned by Native American tribes. The casino will raise the income of individuals that belong to the Native American tribe. Along with these economic advantages there are also social advantages. People who work for the casino or the new places around the casino will often feel better about their employment. All people have problems in life. These people must always deal with the obstacles life puts in their way somehow. Some people might use the casino to get a break from these problems and pressures that life places in their way. The only problem with the good things in life is that they usually bring some bad things with them. To gambling, there are just as many, if not more, disadvantages that come with the advantages that it brings. Some of these are economic. Gambling has been proven to be addictive. When people have an addiction that calls for the need of money, they need to get this money one way or another. This leads to people going into debt or committing crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, and thefts. This causes for a need for more law enforcement. Another problem with casinos is that money begins to circulate within the casino system and it begins to cause problems. The money that circulates in the casino needs to be used to improve or keep up with roads and public facilities in that area. There are also social disadvantages to gambling. First off, gambling can become addictive. This causes people to lose a compulsive gambler’s trust and the compulsive gambler’s work to suffer. Gambling also causes families to break apart because they lose trust in each other. In fact, divorce rates are higher in families in which at least one of the adults is a compulsive gambler. People describe a compulsive gambler as many different things. A professor at the University of Minnesota defines compulsive gambling as â€Å"the inability of a person to resist the urge to gamble. It takes control of people, causing them to do and think things that are not what they personally value. A sure sign of addiction is the need to deceive both yourself and others by lying, denying, or covering up. † Compulsive gambling is often described as the purest form of addiction. It is known as this because other addictions such as drug or alcohol addiction involve some sort of chemical, but compulsive gambling is purely psychological. There are ways to stop the problem of compulsive gambling. One way is to completely ban gambling. This is probably not the best solution for the people who do not abuse their right to gambling. Another way is to strictly limit the amount of money one can use by gambling and limit the amount of times a person can gamble each month. This is a good solution because people can gamble, but they can use their right in a safe way. You now know how dangerous gambling can be to society and what comes along with gambling. We have discussed what good comes from gambling, the negative effects of gambling, and why we should keep gambling out of society. I want to leave you with a story about a guy named John. He and his wife found out that their son was in trouble as a result of gambling. They bailed him out of jail for the price of $3,400. That was seven years ago. Since then, John has bailed him out of jail many times. His son has lost three jobs and his wife divorced him. His two small daughters often cry because he would rather spend time at the casino than spend time with them. Works Cited ?Gambling: A Challenge for Youth 1992, Shirley J. Anderson, Roselyn A. Biermaier and Sandra K. Syverson ?Gambling 2002, Kerby Anderson, Probe Ministries ?Is Pathological Gambling Really a Problem? You Bet! 2001, Brian Castellani

Head Start Speech

First of all let me just start out by explaining a little bit about Head Start. Head Start is a preschool, or pre K program that caters mostly to children that are part of low-income families. They also specialize in helping children with disabilities. Created in 1965, Head Start is the most successful, longest-running, national school readiness program in the United States. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. Head Start works on 5 different areas of development: Social/Emotional, Fine more, gross motor, cognitive and language development.Their daily curriculum includes all 5 areas of development. Nearly 25 million pre-school aged children have benefited from Head Start. I became involved in Head Start when I was just 4 years old. I attended Head Start as a student. Three years after graduated from Head Start, my mom began working for them. She started out as a cleaning lady and after a few years moved up the chain to cook and then eventually a teacher. So, since I was about 7 years old I was volunteering. I loved being around the children, the teachers and just the setting in general.When I was old enough, I also began working at Head Start as a teacher’s aide. I later went to work for the University of Idaho Children’s Center, where I figured out that I wanted to work with children as a career. In recent years there has been talk with in the federal government to pull the funding for Head Start. The reasons that are circulating are that there is no proof that Head Start works long term, although there is proof that I works tremendously until around the third grade where children begin to even out with one another.They say that in order to justify the need for the nearly 6 billion dollars that Head Start receives yearly, there needs to be hard proof that it is a program that works. To that I say: Talk to any parent of a child that attended Head Start. Do some research on the internet? If Head Start were a program that did not work then why would it me the longest running program out there. The NAEYC has given them annual accreditations for over 25 years. Head Start, in the area of Pre K education is considered the standard. It is what all programs are expected to mimic.There is proof that long term, all children that attend Head Start are 9% more likely to complete high school or the equivalent. African American students of Head Start have been proven to be 12% less likely to be convicted of a crime. Head Start is not meant for getting people ready for life after school but to bridge the gap for children that are struggling to start grade school. Without Head Start many of those children would go into kindergarten without the proper knowledge of numbers, letter recognition, the alphabet and many other skills.I have a statement that I would like to read from a parent of a child with disabilities that did attend head start: â€Å"Ha ving a child with disabilities is not easy. Since enrolling in Head Start, I have received the best possible care for my child. They are very supportive in helping get the services that I need to help my child succeed. Head Start is always there when I need someone to talk to or when I need some help for my child. Since my child has been in Head Start, his doctors can’t believe the progress that he has made. No one ever thought that it would be possible for him to get where he is now.We owe it all to Head Start. † Head Start Parent from Evansdale, Iowa -Gavin -Charlie’s Story Now if Head Start were a program that did not work would it have made such a large impact on all these children? And these are just a few of the over 25 million children that have benefited from Head Start. So I say to you that if on the ballot you see anything that will pull funding from this wonderful organization, that you will at least take the time to visit a local center and observe wh at goes on daily; take the time to talk to a parent that has a child in head start and listen to their experience with the program.

KFC in India Case Study Assignment (Ethical Issue) Essay

Abstract The case highlights the ethical issues involved in Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) business operations in India. KFC entered India in 1995 and has been in midst of controversies since then. The regulatory authorities found that KFC’s chickens did not adhere to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. Chickens contained nearly three times more monosodium glutamate (popularly known as MSG, a flavor enhancing ingredient) as allowed by the Act. Since the late 1990s, KFC faced severe protests by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), an animal rights protection organization. PETA accused KFC of cruelty towards chickens and released a video tape showing the ill-treatment of birds in KFC’s poultry farms. However, undeterred by the protests by PETA and other animal rights organizations, KFC planned a massive expansion program in India. (see http://www.icmr.icfai.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG044.htm) Objectives Understand the significance of cultural, economic, regulatory and ecological issues while establishing business in a foreign country. Appreciate the need for protecting animal rights in developed and developing countries like India. Understand the importance of ethics in doing business. Examine the reasons for protests of PETA Identify solutions for KFC’s problems in India. Key Terms KFC, Business Ethics, International Business, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Food Adulteration, Selling Junk Food, Cruelty against Animals, Animal Welfare Legislation, KFC’s Poultry Welfare Guidelines. â€Å"Each bird whom KFC puts into a box or a bucket had a miserable life and a frightening death. People would be shocked to see our footage of a KFC supplier’s employee who walks through a barn, carelessly lighting lamps and letting flames fall on the terrified birds. The air inside these filthy barns reeks of ammonia fumes, making it difficult for the birds to breathe. No one with a grain of compassion should set foot in KFC.† Ingrid Newkirk, Director, PETA. â€Å"The chicken they serve is full of chemicals, and the birds are given hormones, antibiotics and arsenic chemicals to fatten them quickly.† Nanjundaswamy. PROTEST AGAINST KFC On August 20, 2003, a five-foot tall chicken complete with an ensemble of feathers and beak hobbled on a pair of crutches outside Kentucky Fried Chicken’s (KFC) Indian outlet in Bangalore. The chicken was brought by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) activists, who carried placards reading, â€Å"Quit India† and â€Å"Stop Playing Fowl† (a pun on â€Å"Foul†). The chicken was placed at the centre and a peaceful protest was held against the alleged ill treatment of birds in KFC’s poultry farms. Media persons were called to give the demonstration a wide coverage. Explaining the rationale behind the protest, Bijal Vachcharajani, special projects coordinator of PETA, said, â€Å"Ours is the land of Gandhi. Just as 61 years back our leaders gave a call for colonizers to quit India, we too are saying we will not tolerate cruel multinationals.† On the 61st anniversary of the ‘Quit India’ movement, PETA India wrote a letter to the Managing Director of Tricon Restaurant International, the parent company of KFC, asking them to close their sole KFC outlet in India. They got no reply. PETA activists decided to protest against KFC by carrying crippled chicken, which represented the birds suffering in the KFC’s farms. PETA claimed that after two years of intensive campaigning to increase animal welfare standards in poultry farms, other foreign fast food restaurants operating in India like McDonald’s and Burger King had improved the treatment of animals specially raised and slaughtered for food. Only KFC had not acted. Though PETA had organized other protests earlier, the crippled chicken campaign became the precursor for more intensive protests. PETA’s was one of the many shows of protest against KFC’s Indian outlet. BACKGROUND NOTE KFC was founded by Harland Sanders (Sanders) in the early 1930s, when he started cooking and serving food for hungry travellers who stopped by his service station in Corbin, Kentucky, US. He did not own a restaurant then, but served people on his own dining table in the living quarters of his service station. His chicken delicacies became popular and people started coming just for food. Kentucky Fried Chicken was born. Soon, Sanders moved across the street to a motel-cum-restaurant, later named ‘Sanders Court & Cafe,’ that seated around 142 people. Over the next nine years, he perfected his secret blend of 11 herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique of chicken. Sanders’ fame grew and he was given the title Kentucky Colonel by the state Governor in 1935 for his contribution to the state’s cuisine. Sanders’ restaurant business witnessed an unexpected halt in the early 1950s, when a new interstate highway was planned bypassing the town of Corbin. His restaurant flourished mainly due to the patronage of highway travellers. The new development meant the end of this. Sanders sold his restaurant operations. After settling all his bills, he was reduced to living on a meager $105 social security cheque. But Sanders did not lose hope. Banking on the popularity of his product and confident of his unique recipe for fried chicken, Sanders started franchising his chicken business in 1952. He called it Kentucky Fried Chicken. He travelled the length and breadth of the country by car, visiting as many restaurants as possible and cooking batches of chicken. If the restaurant owners liked his chicken, he entered into a handshake agreement that stipulated payment of a nickel for each plate of chicken sold by the restaurant. By 1964, Sanders franchised more than 600 chicken outlets in the US and Canada. The same year, he sold his interest in his company in the US for $2 million to a group of investors. However, he remained the public spokesperson for the company. KFC grew rapidly under the new owners and issued shares to the public on March 17, 1966. In July 1971, KFC was acquired by Heublein Inc. for $285 million. By then, KFC had over 3,500 franchised and company-owned restaurants in the world†¦. Sources/Links/References Peta protest KFC – part 1 Peta protest KFC – part 2 NY Times Article http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/peta.htm http://www.japantoday.com/jp/news/245005 http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115108,00.html http://multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/mm0196.03.html Analysis There are a number of issues relating to this incident that demonstrate the ethical and moral issues surrounding business. KFC’s business in India leads to a wide range of direct and indirect employment related to the business as a result of the investment by the company. KFC claims that it does not own chicken the farms. How honest are the claims that KFC is making? How reliable are the claims made by those who oppose KFC’s activities? What conflicts arise between the responsibilities that KFC has to the treatment of chickens and the local community, and to its shareholders, suppliers and employees, other external stakeholders? Your Assignment This is an independent assignment. Download and complete the KFC case analysis document. Save the document as named but by adding your last name then first to the end of the file name (separated by an underscore _ ) where indicated. In this document: Answer the above questions. You are to research this case using the above sources and others that you discover. Provide a work cited list only of those sources that you USE. . For full marks, use terminology and concepts from the course and its text. See the rubric at the end of the KFC case analysis document. Submit your completed copy of the KFC hard copy in class and electronic copy to the class email address by deadline date (see class website for due and deadline dates). NO EXTENSION WILL BE ALLOWED.

Metro Manila Development Authority’s New Traffic Scheme Essay

THE Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has proposed a new traffic scheme that would segregate bus stops in Edsa to ease road congestion and lessen accidents. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said they will replace the current scheme wherein the two types of city buses in Edsa — A for Alabang routes and B for Baclaran routes — can load and unload passengers on all stops in the said major road. In the proposed scheme, Tolentino said they are planning to designate every other stop to either only A or only B. â€Å"For example, only Buses B can stop at Taft, while A can only stop at Magallanes,† Tolentino said. The MMDA chief added that a certain percent of each bus fleet will be labeled as â€Å"all-stop† buses, which will load and unload at every bus stop to accommodate short-distance travels. â€Å"As of now, what we’re thinking is that the all-stop buses will be able to accommodate those at Bus A stops who want to get off at Bus B stops and v ice versa,† he told the operators. The agency expects that with the new plan, bus congestion in the yellow lane as well as accidents will be reduced. â€Å"There won’t be a reason for all buses to fight over one bus stop anymore. Plus, it will increase travel time for our commuters,† said Tolentino. Tolentino assured that several consultations with bus operators and an extensive information campaign will be conducted before the implementation of the scheme. According to the MMDA, about 3,000 buses ply Edsa every day but they are only allowed to use the two rightmost lanes, commonly called yellow lanes. In 2005, the Edsa Bus Route Revalidation Survey funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency showed that there is an oversupply of 420 to 690 bus units in Edsa. A 2009 study of the World Bank also revealed that there is an oversupply of buses in Edsa relative to demand. It also cited a survey in late-2007, which indicated a day-long average load factor across all routes operating on Edsa. The survey said it takes an average of five hours to complete a round trip along the 24-kilometer Edsa, at an average speed of about 15 kilometers per hour and one minute stop at each of the more than 15 designated bus stops. The congestion in bus stops is also caused by the â€Å"intense competition† among drivers who â€Å"jostle for space and tend to stay longer† at designated loading and unloading stops to get passengers.

Fahrenheit 451: By Ray Bradbury Essay

Fahrenheit 451 Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The book â€Å"Fahrenheit 451† can be considered as a futuristic novel that tells about the future and how various aspects such as technological developments have had an impact on the society (Otten, 1990). The author observes that people in the futuristic society are lazy and do not read books, spend quality time alone or even think as independent minds and do not have conversations which can be considered as meaningful. It is a society of people that watch too much of television and listen to a lot of radio which takes up most of their time. Based on the views of the author, can it be concluded that technological developments have had adverse effects on human race?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout the novel, the author depicts several themes one of them is that of censorship. The censorship that is depicted in this book is that on read of books whereby books are banned in the future (Bloom, 2007). This is contributed by categories of factors such as lack of interest and hostility of the people towards books. The symbol presented in this novel is that of a mirror which is used to portray a sense of having self-realization and understanding. The fire Captain is portrayed as a literary expert because of the way the captain flues the fire instead of being the one to put it out. The Captain goes contrary to expectations of a fireman. The choice of those final words is as a result of Beatty standing her ground and daring Montag to take his life through the use of literature (Hiner, 2001).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The problem with the leisure concept as presented by Montag is that it is not in existence in the real world. The people, as depicted in the novel are engrossed in television viewing as well as listening to the radio without any quality information, which is only in the books. By the end of the novel, Bradbury succeeds in establishing his idea (Bradbury, & Bloom, 2008). This is due to the reason that the concepts and views that he puts forward in the novel are still applicable in the modern society despite having written the book many years ago. The modern society is overflown with technological developments which have changed the thinking of people about leisure and what needs to be done during leisure, therefore, showing that Bradbury succeeded in putting forward his idea of leisure.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clarisse is seen as a young and beautiful seventeen-year old girl who influences Montag and introduces him to a new potential of the world in terms of beauty. Clarisse appears as an innocent and curious girl who impacts on the life of Montag. She helps in the set-up of the whole framework of the novel because of her odd characters which makes her to be viewed as an outcast in the society. Clarisse loves hiking, asking a lot of questions as well as playing, something that the society views as quite odd habits for a teenager. The happiness depicted through Clarisse and her family which is also seen as an odd family influences the views that Montag has on leisure (Reid, 2000).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the above analysis of this novel, it is to be noted that the whole idea is that on reading of books and the changes that technological developments have caused in the society. One question that one would want to ask is that, â€Å"Is it possible to have a society where there are no books and all that people can depend on is technology?† The answer to this question can only be obtained if a research is conducted again to establish if this can occur in real life. References Bloom, H. (2007). Fahrenheit 451. New York: Infobase Publishing. Bradbury, R., & Bloom, H. (2008). Fahrenheit 451: New Edition. New York: Infobase Pub. Hiner, K. (2001). CliffsNotes Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Foster City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide. Otten, N. (1990). Fahrenheit 451: By Ray Bradbury. Saint Louis, Mo: Milliken. Reid, R. A. (2000). Ray Bradbury: A critical companion. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Source document

Kefauver-Harris Amendment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Kefauver-Harris Amendment - Essay Example 127-128). The communal protest caused by the Thalidomide calamity near the beginning of 1960s hastily directed to the road of new set of laws and an unusual sentiment regarding untried drugs. In an attempt to stop happening one more analogous tragedy at the rear of the Thalidomide mishap, the U.S. Parliament, in 1962, passed the Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendment, ordering austere controls on drug checking, promotion and selling. The edict asserted for the first time that hottest drugs must be made known to be helpful before being advertised. In addition, it proposed stringent regulations for sound engineering practices, the intention being to augment quality control in the manufacturing route. The new codes would step up to transform not only the approach Americans participated in drug experiments but also their anticipations for the safety of drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Kefauver-Harris Drug Amendment conceded collectively by the Congress to strengthened control over recommended and unproven drugs and to make certain greater drug protection. It was acknowledged that no drug is actually harmless unless it is also effectual. Before publicizing a drug, its manufacturers now had to demonstrate to FDA not just safety, but also provide considerable verification of effectiveness for the product's future utilization -- a milestone proceed in medical record.

Probation Drug Screen Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Probation Drug Screen Results - Essay Example If they use drugs, the screening results read positive, and if they do not use drugs, the screening test reads negative. Each month a sample was collected randomly, and defendants were informed in advance in order to fulfill the legal and ethical requirements of the research. The screening involved blood test, urine test, and breathe test (Strauss, 1999). The four stage analysis The codes The screening results of either positive or negative are the main codes in this study. The concept The main concept is to establish the relationship between substance abuse and crime. Categories The defendants were classified basing on the types of drugs. The main drugs are marijuana, opium, barbiturates, ethanol, and benzoate. The defendants were categorized basing on the positive or negative screen result of these drugs (Strauss, 1999). Theory From this study, the theory developed is that there is a clear relationship between substance abuse and crime. Relationship between the coded unit and the h ypothesis The data was collected for a period of one year. Qualitative analysis From the study, the sample shows that most of defendants were positive for the specified drugs. A careful analysis shows that most of the screened defendants were positive. ... This clearly indicates that there is a direct relationship between substance abuse and crime. In addition, the whole year statistic result shows that a large percentage of the tested sample were positive for drugs (Stebbins, 2001). Findings and discussion This research study, which is based on grounded theory methodology, assisted in developing a theory that states that there is a direct relationship between substance abuse and crime. From the legal point of view, crime can be minimized if substance abuse is tackled decisively. Substance abuse is one of the major social problems that have several impacts on the society. From the study, a large percentage of the tested samples displayed positive results, which shows that drug abuse influences crime incidence (Clarke, 2005). Substance abuse and crime have been linked for a long time. Criminal acts such as careless driving, robberies, prostitution, violence, and assaults occur as a result of drug abuse. Several research studies indicate that the increased relationship between substance abuse and crime can be attributed to decreased perception of social network and support. Other factors that may drive one to engage in illegal drug use include marital problems, harsh economic conditions, and mental health status. Substance abuse remains a major risk of criminality because of its ability to alter the reasoning capacity of a person who uses it (Clarke, 2005). This study that fulfills its hypothesis is important because it shows that crime can be minimized if necessary steps are taken to combat drug menace. Raising public awareness and educating people about the effects of drugs

Codes of Cultural Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Codes of Cultural Behavior - Essay Example In general France being a multiethnic country provides a basis for vast research for my assignment. France national identity is based on historical origins of Celtic, Gallo-Romano and Frankish cultures. The France culture is very much influenced by their old traditions; hence it’s difficult to change their practices. France operates under constitution that was born in 1958, which has not changed to date; this shows the French are comfortable with their governance. After the world war two this country was greatly affected in terms of decreasing fertility levels among sexes, economic imbalances, also decreased social economic resources available. The government is highly centralized. The culture promotes equality for all. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution and it’s a personal choice of every citizen in France .religion is however one of the main conflicts in France, however the French stand for their religious beliefs Catholism being the dominant religion although there are several Jews and approximately 1200 Islamic organizations. France however is a secular country as most people rarely attend masses. The official language in France is French since the nineteenth century, although local dialects such as Breton, Catalan and Basque are still in use and some are taught in some regional schools. Major social problems include, homelessness, terrorism, economic instabilities and AIDS (Thomas pg246).the population according to the census is 1999 was about 58.5 million which is approximated to be more than that at the moment (Agulhon pg105) Do learn some French phrases before travelling to France like bonjour which is their hello, merci which is thanks and au revoir which is French for good-bye. This will take you a long way as they appreciate tourists learning some little French and use it while talking to them. You must also

Descartes and the Existence of Evil Demon Essay

Descartes and the Existence of Evil Demon - Essay Example Central to his argument is the fact that his knowledge of God is anchored on a distinct idea on the existence of a supreme being (Marion, 2008). As such, there must be the existence of an idea first before a given claim of body of knowledge is verified. For Descartes, this distinct idea resided in his mind. It is this idea that gave him the essence of God as a supreme being. It is an idea that could not be verified through empirical methods. The existence of an Evil Demon, in line with the thinking of Descartes, can only obtain if it is backed by a distinct idea.   There must first exist the essence of the Evil Demon that is developed into Descartes mind in order for him to make a claim about the existence of such a being. One of the central arguments upheld by Descartes is that essence relates to existence. It would follow logically that the absence of essence effectively eliminates all possibilities of existence. Without the essence of the Evil Demon in distinct form it would be vacuous to assert any claim of such an existence. Therefore, this would mean that Descartes could claim the existence of God but not make any assertions on whether or not some Evil Demon actually exists (Marion, 2008). Proof of such existence could be derived from other serious arguments, or by employing some logical claims outside the boundaries established by Descartes methods.   Descartes knowledge of God was based on the theory of ideas which people can relate with. He believed that it is possible for things to exist without their very nature of existence being confirmed by any evidence. He did not consider it necessary to seek out for measure of quantifiable evidence that would offer evidence for the existence of God. According to him, the mind can generate knowledge of its own through the power of intuition. The practice of intuition basically demands changing the mind to the essence of ideas without establishing the evidence of experience or

Sumary and responses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sumary and responses - Essay Example Nevertheless, Amitai asserts that fast food chain jobs create working robots and are highly uneducational. Indeed, he reckons that such chains pay little attention on how teens acquire skills and the significance of such skills. Amitai notes that research derives that teens that begin as part-time employees McDonalds drop out of high school and are gobbled up in the world of low-skill jobs since they were actually not learning beneficial skills at the food chain (Axelrod and Charles 282). He also asserts that such jobs are not suited for college-bound, white, and middle-class youngsters but for the lower class, illiterate, and minority youngsters. McDonalds disadvantage the minority and offer no career ladders and few marketable skills (Axelrod and Charles 282). The food chains compel teens to work for long hours beyond how they work at school. More so, the supervision at McDonald’s seemingly seeks to teach the teens some wrong kinds of compliance, which is detrimental to the teen’s career (Axelrod and Charles 282). ... This makes the teens to value money or part-time jobs more than their education. The teens tend to think that all they need to live in the society is to earn money and not to concentrate on their studies. He observes that the consumerist aspects of adult life that the fast food chains promote enhance an escape from school and responsibilities (Axelrod and Charles 283). As a result, Amitai recommends that parents have a mandate to ensure that their youngsters seek job opportunities at places with proper work settings that will encourage the development of the student’s careers. Furthermore, the fast food chains must change their strategy or desist from employing the teens. Additionally, he advocates for an agreement with the teen so that a substantial amount of the teen earnings should be beneficial to their families or for their well-being (Axelrod and Charles 283). Ultimately, Amitai Etzioni reckons that the teens should establish a balance between their quest for earnings an d the need to develop their careers. Works Cited Axelrod, Rise B, and Charles R. Cooper. The St. Martin's Guide to Writing. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010.

Business event Operation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business event Operation - Essay Example The event seeks to deliver an understanding to the customer segments that the newly-developed vodka emanates from the company’s devotion that compelled its staff to embark on a two-year research and development to produce the sophisticated wine with a 100% wheat ingredients (Coulter 2010, p. 5). In order to reach the target consumer groups, the observation has been that the Cavendish London hotel’s eco-friendly practices will match the firm’s need to provoke the understanding that the company is indeed devoted into emulating sustainable measures in every aspect that it will relate to during its endeavours. The choice of holding the event at the Cavendish London matches the marketing and consumer attraction needs since the target high-end clientele will perceive the important aspects outlined in the product and conceive the reality of the attributes since the acceptance of the product’s launch at the hotel will emanate from the evaluations undertaken by the venue’s management to identify the products eco-friendly aspects (Van der Aalst, 2008, p. 190). The four star hotel is located at the city’s commercial centre and its provision of environmentally friendly attributes relate to the newly developed vodka’s sustainability measures and consumption patterns in the target consumer markets (Corrà   2010, p. 2). The emphases that the venue is an appropriate platform emanate from the provision of large conference rooms that can comfortably accommodate the estimated 100 number of guests. Further, the Cavendish management will provide the required dining and enterta inment room, and following the consultations made, the Big Ben Conferencing room and the immediate rooms will be allocated to suit the event’s needs. The two parties have agreed to enter into a mutual agreement in hosting the new vodka launching event. The Cavendish London and the Maitre de Chai profess similar sustainable measures despite their

Multicutural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Multicutural Communication - Essay Example Ethnocentrism is one problem that can adversely impact communication between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Lack of knowledge on cultural differences when communicating presents a problem especially with globalisation of the business environment. Cultural determinants such as traditions, communication practices and thought process are important in multicultural communication. Clinging to manner of conducting business that is ethnocentric for instance can cause a major problem of communication between individuals. Language differences present a very critical barrier to effective cross-cultural communication; translation difficulties, failure of conveying subtle language distinctions and cultural variations between people speaking the same language inform language problems business communication (Mathews and Thakkar, 2012). Environment is a source of problems in multicultural communication. Manners in which people utilize available resources differ markedly between cultures and as such cultural biases with regard to the technological and natural environment cause communication conflicts. Most of us are culturally accustomed perceive the environment in certain ways and as such the usage of technology. Variations in social values across cultures can also present major communication conflicts. As such it is therefore important to consider the social valued held by others on issues such as education, nepotism, class structures and religion etc in order to achieve effective communications. Nonverbal behaves and temporal conception also communication conflicts with significant impact especially in the international business settings. Use of nonverbal signs of communications and understanding of time may differ on cultural lines and thus present problems when individuals from different cultures interact (Prat t-Johnson, 2006). To

Wrinkle in Time Essay Example for Free

Wrinkle in Time Essay In A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (1962), 14-year-old Margaret (Meg) Murry finds herself in trouble and miserable. Her beloved father has disappeared, her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, is the object of ridicule, and she’s having enormous problems at school. Then, one dark and stormy night, she meets a â€Å"woman† with the odd name of Mrs. Whatsit, who seems to know more than she lets on and who leads Meg, Charles Wallace, and a popular boy from Meg’s school, Calvin, 14, on a quest to find Meg’s father. This quest takes them to other planets and into great danger as they pass behind an evil presence called the Black Thing. The children and their extraterrestrial helpers, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, manage to rescue Mr. Murry from a prison planet, but leave Charles Wallace behind during the attempt. Mr. Murry uses a technique called a â€Å"tesseract† in order to jump from one planet to another to make their escape once the children free him from his prison cell. But because Mr. Murry is greatly inexperienced at tessering, which is how he ended up on a prison planet in the first place, Meg is almost killed. Once she recovers, she understands that only she can return to the prison planet by herself to rescue Charles Wallace because the two of them are very close. In the end, Meg is successful and the family is reunited back on Earth. I decided to select this book for my fictional character review because I remember no other book from my childhood enchanting me the way A Wrinkle in Time (L’Engle, 1962) did when my sixth grade teacher read it aloud to us. The opportunity to look at Meg from a different point of view intrigued me. Is she gifted? Does she have some kind of disorder? Perhaps she has dysthymic disorder, a kind of low-grade, long-term depression? Does she meet the criteria to be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)? Looking at the story from this point of view opens up a whole new way of seeing this character, and the task of analyzing what Meg is experiencing and what her mother and teachers could have done differently to support her is what I hope to accomplish. One thing that the staff at Meg’s school and even Meg’s mother have failed to deal with is Meg’s grief over the loss of her father. Mr. Murry was a physicist who disappeared while doing top secret experiments for the government. He’s been gone for a year, and the government will provide no information about where he is or when, or even if, he will ever return. Meg’s mother lives in a kind of denial, expecting him back at any time, and so Meg has nowhere to turn to express her grief. She tries to hide her feelings like her mother does, but they just back up on her as she turns them inward. Perhaps because of this, I feel that Meg fits the criteria for a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder. For a child or a teen, two or three criteria must be met for a period of at least a year in order to qualify (Diagnostic and Statistics Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000, p. 311). I believe that Meg meets five of these criteria. Meg certainly suffers from low self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy. She calls herself a monster and a delinquent. She thinks that her 10-year-old twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, are the only normal ones in the family. She feels her plainness acutely, with her mousy hair, her thick glasses, and her braces, and she compares herself unfavorably to her mother, who is a great beauty. Her teachers also compare her unfavorably to her brilliant parents right to her face. Meg feels that she is â€Å"doing everything wrong. † (L’Engle, 1962, p. 7) Another criterion of dysthymia is feelings of pessimism and despair and a kind of hopelessness. Meg has been dropped to the lowest section in her class, and her teachers chastise her frequently for not trying and not being smart enough. She is grieving the loss of her father and his loving support. She is also subjected to nasty town gossip, such as once overhearing a townsperson say, â€Å"I’ve heard that clever people often have subnormal children,† and that the â€Å"unattractive girl† was not â€Å"all there† (L’Engle, 1962, p. 13). All of these things have culminated in despair and hopelessness for Meg. She also suffers from â€Å"subjective feelings of irritability or excessive anger† (DSM, 2000, p 775). She talks back to and even shouts at her teachers and her principal, Mr. Jenkins, when they criticize her or bring up her father’s absence. In addition, when a boy a year older and 25 lbs. heavier than she is called Charles Wallace her â€Å"dumb baby brother,† she beat him up so badly that his mother called to complain (L’Engle, 1962, p. 8). Another symptom of dysthymic disorder is Meg’s inability to concentrate on her school work. She faithfully does her homework every night, but when she gets to class, she can no longer remember what she read. I also feel that Meg meets the criteria established for Oppositional Defiant Disorder, although it is very hard to know exactly how much of an impact her dysthymic disorder has had on her ODD behavior since there is often some relationship between the two diagnoses and there are some areas that overlap. With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, there is a pattern of negative, hostile, defiant or disobedient behavior towards adults and/or authority figures that lasts for six months or longer (DSM, 2000, p. 100). I feel that Meg’s ODD manifests in six different ways. The first three criteria suggest that she suffers from ODD because she frequently loses her temper, is quite touchy or easily annoyed, and she argues with adults who are in authority. At school, as I mentioned before, she talks back to her teachers and to the principal, she gets angry and shouts at them, and there was also the incident on the way home from school in which she beat up an older boy. She also has a pattern of actively refusing to comply with the rules of adults. In this case, Meg’s mother believes that Meg has set up a mental block about math. For most of her life, Meg’s parents tested her IQ and played a lot of math games with her. They know that she is gifted, and they taught her a lot of short cuts in math, so that Meg can actually do math that is two grades above her. However, in 9th grade, the grade that Meg is in, the math teacher wants Meg to show her work; she wants Meg to do the math the long way so that the teacher can see that Meg knows how she arrived at the result. This annoys Meg to no end as she thinks it is a total waste of her time, so Meg refuses to do it. Another criterion of ODD that Meg meets is doing things on purpose to aggravate other people. For example, when Meg is called into the principal’s office, Mr. Jenkins starts asking her questions about her missing father. Meg starts shouting at him and when he asks her to keep her voice down, she refuses and just shouts all the louder. Lastly, Meg blames others for her misbehavior. It’s the teacher’s fault, or the principal’s fault, or the fault of the boy who taunted her. She does not take responsibility for her own actions. It’s unfortunate that Meg has not received the mental health treatment that she needs. But it’s important to remember that the setting is 1962, and that the guidelines for these mental health disorders had not yet been established. School officials and teachers were often working in the dark and had no idea how to handle â€Å"problem children† like Meg. Her teachers berate her for not trying and the principal tells her that she must face facts about her father’s absence. Meg’s mother is doing her best to hold her family together in the face of humiliating rumors and the loss of the man she loves. Because of her own grief, it no doubt never occurred to her that Meg could use some professional help. In conclusion, one would hope that these days, Meg’s grief, her dysthymia, and her ODD would be identified by her teachers or her mother, and addressed by the school social worker. She should definitely be receiving help from a mental health professional. If the topic of the loss of her father is too sensitive for Meg to discuss with anyone at school, such as a school psychologist, then she should be offered the chance to talk to someone from another town. As it is, her main confidant and her emotional rock is her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, and although he is smart and mature for his age, he can’t bear that burden for her. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistics manual of mental disorders (4th ed. , Text revision). Washington, D. C. : American Psychiatric Association. L’Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux.