Drawing from the K303 materials critically discuss the issues, challenges and benefits in involving the service user to shape and develop services Essay

Involving the service user in shaping services continues to be an important activity within government policy. Drawing from the K303 materials critically discuss the issues, challenges and benefits in involving the service user to shape and develop services. Introduction Health and social care services strive to maintain, increase people’s wellbeing and provide the best care practice to individuals and the community. However, discrepancies arise because generalisations about what people need and how services should operate is still an everyday issue that affects the provision of services. People’s circumstances and opinions differ from one another despite having similar needs on the surface. Therefore, different kinds of support are expected. That is the main reason why people need to become participants in designing and shaping care services. When it comes to user’s involvement, policies have shaped the way social services are delivered as they represent an essential framework to the implementation of consistent and quality practices. As a result, it is utmost for frontline managers and healthcare professionals to adhere to them. However, this process is not straight forward and difficulties emerge (Book 1, pp. 27-28). This essa y will explore the issues, challenges and benefits of engaging service users in shaping and developing services. In order to do this, I will attempt to define the terms policy and service user involvement. Subsequently, I will identify the barriers faced by managers; discuss ways to overcome these challenges. And finally, the benefits of service user involvement will be identified. Policy and Practice Policy can be defined as a plan of action adopted by a person, group or government (Collins Language, 2011). In the history of health and social care, service providers have been influenced by the legacy of paternalism that developed in Victorian times. However, it was only until the 1970 s when emphasis on participation and service user involvement took placed. Through the years, the growing significance of service user involvement helped to eradicate the paternalist approach previously adopted by the government and service providers. Thus, generating a partnership-based  approach. Service user involvement or participation is listening to what people say about the services to have an impact on the way they are delivered. This has also become a key feature of government policies (Book1, p.28). In the course materials, Jane Rees made reference to this statement by emphasizing that ensuring genuine service user involvement was fundamental to her managing role at Redcar and Cleveland MIND (K303, DVD1, Band 2). It is also important to mention that service user involvement derives from two approaches –consumerist and democratic. The first approach refers to service users as customers and consumers of welfare much as they are consumers of other products. This approach, mainly developed by the state, aims to improve efficiency, economy and effectiveness of organisations and services. By drawing on the ideas and experience of service users, it is possible to improve management and decision making (Leggett et al, 1999, quoted in Course Reader, p.22). On the other hand, the democratic/citizenship approach is related to people as citizens as it was developed by users of health and social care services. This model has to do with enabling people to have more input over what happens to them in order to bring about direct change in their lives through both collective and individual action (Priestly, 1999, quoted in Course Reader, p. 22). Why is it important to adhere to policies? And what are the consequences of not adhering to them? Recognition of the importance of service user involvement is at a higher level. Service user’s view are becoming accepted by the government as an important element of evidenced based practice and a critical component when assessing the performance of health and social care agencies (DoH2000b; Scottish Office,1999, quoted in Book1, p.29). User involvement or participation is a complex, heavily politicised and value-based activity that can be related to basic ideas of best practice. At the same time, the experience developed by organisations, service users and supportive providers provides a source of principles for good practice. Although they do not guarantee success they do impact those who ignore them (Course Reader, p 24). It could be mentioned that one of the outcomes of not adhering to policies is the move away from considering the service user’s satisfaction. When an organisation does not take into account the views of the service user’s it will find itself open to criticism and it is  likely to be told to make changes (Stallard, 2011). For example, ignoring the views of service users who are involved in services again their wishes such as adults sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 (DoH, 2007) or the right of young people and children to be consulted about their views under the Children Act 1989 (DoH 2001c, quoted in Book1, p.41) could prevent valuable understanding regarding the fairness and equality of the service user’s involvement process. Also, difficulties when measuring and monitoring the quality of the services offered can be encountered when organisations and managers do not adhere to policies. Consequently, this could lead to the miss of any practice that needs to be highlighted or resolved. Moreover, not adhering to policies prevents social care organisations from being inclusive and developing a partnership with people who use the services. This has a direct effect on carers and service users as their right to have a voice and express their individual view is denied (Book1, p.37). Issues, challenges and benefits Issues Frontline staff and managers need to bear in mind that their daily job objective is to maintain a person’s well-being and quality of life. However, that is not an easy task. Taking into consideration that user involvement is paramount to develop good care practices; it is also possible to establish that many difficulties arise when this approach is put into practice. The first issue to be considered is the amount of time it takes to manage and apply the integration of service user’s views into all phases of the social care process and, not as a ‘one off’ consultation session. As an example, considering, listening and understanding children and young people’s views about their lives as well as other people who could help is a time consuming process where preparation is the key. Albeit, preparation requires time; therefore the process can result on management exercising pressure on staff to meet time deadlines. Thus, making the procedure more difficult for practitioners and service users (Book1, p. 37) Another matter that could affect the way the service is provided has to do with power dynamics. Put simply, whether managers are ready to work in conjunction with service users instead of for them and to adopt a practice-led approach (Book1,p. 37). This means that practice could be seen as a joint product where the service users  can contribute at all stages or as long as they wish to (Course Reader, p. 24). However, this may lead to power issues as managers or owners of private social care agencies might face difficulties in relation to the shift of power, resources and engaging service users successfully. On the other hand, service users may not wish to participate or are sceptical of manager’s motives (Book1, p. 37). It could also be argued that the shift of power could place the managers into a position where they feel have little power to empower people. As a result, service users may feel powerless in front of professionals and organisations and this could prevent them from willing to participate (SCIE, 2011). Other inconsistencies may be the concerns expressed b y managers in regards to service user’s expectations as these could be unrealistic, unattainable and unsatisfactory which can result in difficulties to decide appropriate aims(Book1, pp. 37-38).On top of that, managers attitudes towards the service users competence in making decisions can affect the relationship between both parties. Managers may fear saying the wrong thing, exposing the service user’s lack of knowledge or being encountered by with anger or criticism (Harding and Oldman, 1996; Morris, 1994, quoted in Book1, p. 38). Furthermore, it is also worth to mention that in the mainstream of service users involvement to decide ‘who to involve’ represents a dilemma as well. A manager might want to find a ‘representative’ service user. However, this imposes great difficulties due to several reasons such as the diversity of service users groups in terms of culture, race, sexuality and in some cases age (older people or young groups) and different disabilities. On top of that, minority groups, for instance, can feel marginalised as they may feel under or unrepresented in the participation process. It could also be mentioned that marginalisation can occur due to lack of knowledge about user participation too (SCIE, 2011). Challenges As a result of participation challenges have emerged for both managers and service users. Firstly, elements such as time, support and financial costs represent a challenge for managers. To address these issues, it is necessary to recognise that it is imperative to allow sufficient time and support help to build trust between managers and service users. Support refers to the  provision of any help, encouragement, skills and assistant (Course Reader, p.27) Moreover, minimising the costs of participation for service users by paying for their time and travelling expenses could be appropriate. A budget should be allocated to finance the costs of those service users who have a real commitment to participate (Course Reader, p. 26). Secondly, managers encounter challenges in regards to monitoring and evaluating techniques. For example, sending questionnaires to service users is a good way to get feedback. However, a problem is experienced when questionnaires are not returned. A possible solution to this problem would be to ask the service users to fill the questionnaires at the end of a meeting, for example, to ensure they come back or to make a commitment to collect feedback. Thirdly, it is worth to mention that even when service groups reunite with professionals it doesn’t necessarily mean that there is proactive participation. In some cases, participants don’t contribute to the communication process. This could be triggered by services filing away reports about what people said. As people do not get to see the information they do not know what has been said by others or if any changes have been made. Consequently, they are reluctant to have an input as they may feel their opinions are not taken into account (Course Reader, p. 30).A course of action could be to write reports and provide feedback to user groups. These reports should inform what changes have been made in relation to the information given as well as an explanation to why chan ges have not been made (Course Reader, p. 30). Benefits Participation provides exclusive advantages for managers, service users and carers. Among the benefits for managers is the acquisition of new knowledge and experience obtained from service user’s engagement. This knowledge could help managers to understand (or improve) the different methods for involving service users and carers in the individual decision making. Moreover, this could prove to be beneficial for the development of an organisation’s structure when it comes to making changes or improving services that are being delivered. The benefits for service users and carers can be associated not only to an individual level but to a community level as well. That is to say, service users and carers can benefit on a personal level by  increasing confidence as they get to know their rights and how to access services. Service users can also take part in planning care that fulfills their individual needs. Moreover, carers might improve their skills and gain job satisfacti on as they are delivering better tailored care. They can also develop the necessary skills, experience and knowledge regarding the importance of participation trough training (Course Reader, p. 44). Conclusion Health and social care services policies have changed through the years. Current policies emphasise on the implementation of consistent and quality practices through service user involvement. Nevertheless, as there is no single user’s view managers face a series of practical issues and challenges when implementing participation. To tackle these problems, managers must find methods to address these challenges effectively. By doing this, what is considered a challenge can be turned into a series of benefits as successful user involvement proves to be a useful tool to identify issues, make changes and improve the service provided. References Collins Language (2011) [online] http://www.collinslanguage.com/results.aspx?context=3&reversed=False&action=define&homonym=1&text=policy (Accessed 3rd November, 2011) Department of Health (2007) Mental Health Act 1983[online] http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstadistics/legislation/Actsandbills/DH_4002034 (Accessed 17th November, 2011) Stallard, D. (5th November, 2011, 14:07) ‘Block 1Forum Activity’, forum message to K303 2011. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, DVD 1, Band 2 ‘A meeting of Minds’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, Chapter 2, ‘What service users say about services: the implications for managers’, Unit 2.1 ‘Introduction’, Milton Keynes, The Open University. The Open University (2003) K303, Managing Care in Context, Chapter 2.

German Automobile Industry Background Essay

The automobile industry in Germany was born on in the earlier 1886 when the first â€Å"vehicle powered by a gas engine† was assembled and registered. 125 years has passed, and with it the industry has acquired an incredible growth and global recognition. The industry now is one of the most powerful and reliable of the world that actually competes â€Å"vis a vis† with the one of the most dominant car industries of the world: Asian automobile industry. The German automobile industry is one of the stronger and successful industries in the world, it is the fourth global manufacturer in terms of volume (numbers of cars assembled) after China, United States and Japan. In fact, German automobile industry is responsible for of the manufacturing of 17% of the total global car production. Furthermore, it represents the main sector of Germany’s economy (main driver of growth) as well as the largest automotive market in the whole European continent. One of the key factors of success of this industry has been the large budgets invested in automotive development and research, which has allowed them to manufacture and offer vehicles with latest technology that in most of the cases fits better with consumer insights; in other words, an evolutionary process of application of innovation and cutting-edge technology has lead into one of the main industries in Germany. A good example of this fact is the development of environmental friendly vehicles, which makes â€Å"Germany the most innovative auto nation in the world†. German cars are known globally due to its attributes in terms of comfort, luxury, security, efficiency, reliability, design and image. In addition, the industry counts with one of the higher qualified labor forces, as well as modern infrastructures and research facilities. The industry actually employ 747,600 people just within Germany, and this rate is increasing sharply over the years. The result, Europe’s largest automobile market: about 5. 4 million passenger cars manufactured in 2012; 46 automobile assembly and engine production plants with a capacity over one third of the total automobile production in Europe. Giving the importance of German automobile industry is not a surprise to find some of the most influent companies of the world setting their headquarters and principal assembly plants in the country. The market is dominated by Audi, BMW, Ford Germany, Mercedes Benz, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen. All these companies have a common characteristic: global demand. Therefore, even when domestic economy is huge –including Germany and the European Union- the industry growth is predominantly due to the exports of vehicles to other countries. Also, as well as the manufacturing of passenger cars, the industry in comprised in an important proportion by the manufacturing and trade of auto parts. The latest reports indicate that last January was a historic month for German automotive industry in which they experienced a sharp increase in demand due to past few years’ trends that have been defining market behavior. Audi and Mercedes Benz sold more cars around the world in January than any corresponding month in the past. The Volkswagen subsidiary Audi sold 117,500 cars, the higher quantity of monthly sales in its history. Also, it increased the worldwide distribution by 16% the same month. The trend was indicating in the past years a significant growth in trade especially with the Asian market, last January the trend was confirmed. Even though the sales increase in all regions, in China the increase was of 38. 5%. Giving this, is possible to identify the markets that represent the clusters of largest demands of German cars as: Asia (mainly China), US and Europe. Bibliography Bibliography IANS. (2013, 02 13). German Cars in Global Demand. Retrieved from Zeebiz. com: http://zeenews. india.com/business/automobiles/auto-news/german-cars-audi-mercedes-benz-in-global-demand_69691. html Invest, G. T. (n. d. ). Automotive Industry. Retrieved from Germany Trade and Invest : http://www. gtai. de/GTAI/Navigation/EN/Invest/Industries/Logistics-mobility/automotive. html Invest, G. T. (n. d. ). The Automotive Industry in Germany. Retrieved from Ixpos. de: http://www. ixpos. de/IXPOS/Content/EN/Your-business-in-germany/_SharedDocs/Downloads/automotive-industry-in-germany. pdf.

Three stages of financial crisis within the US Essay

Three stages of financial crisis within the US - Essay Example In September 2008, Lehman Brothers announced that it was facing bankruptcy which created an overall panic all across the board. US government and other western government started injecting money into the banking system to stop big banks from going bankrupt. Moreover, credit flows to the private sector also stopped causing US economy and other economies to slow down. Interest rates were also increased in order to adopt a cautious approach in such difficult circumstances. Later in the winter season of FY09, US and other G20 countries started to cut dwon interest rates, so it could stop economy going into slump (Elliott, 2011). Later, when risks of bank’s solvency reduced, the focus shifted on government issues. High fiscal deficits caused governments to face severe problems as the economies were going through an overall slowdown. Different European countries like Spain and Greece went into deep trouble due to the ballooning fiscal deficit. IMF and EU had to inject money into their system in order to maintain smooth

European union law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

European union law - Essay Example Initially, EU member states concentrate upon the discrimination on the basis of two respects as described by the EU law. Firstly, the economic objectives of EU commission is to create a common employment market with the help of equal treatment of the workers which are required to prohibit discrimination on the basis of nationality under the Article 45 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Secondly, the workers who belong from an EU nation should not be treated differently in the job market of any other EU nations on the basis of gender differences restricting discrimination practice based on sex1. Taking into consideration the ethical practices and the requirement of equal treatment of employees, the general guidelines of non-discrimination was implemented through the EU legislative emphasising on gender discrimination concerning the equal pay policies for both men and women under the Article 157 of the TFEU which was formerly attributed as Article 119 of the Europe an Commission (EC). The ‘pay gap’ between both the genders is regarded as applicable in every member state of EU according to the EU law. On the basis of the implications of ‘pay gap’, the EU legislation promotes equal pay in order to evaluate the gap between the income levels of both the genders whose pay structure is quite higher. Contextually, the employment segmentation on the basis of gender implies that in many employment workplaces, the male employees predominantly occupied the labour market within the EU member states. In the context of equal pay, the aforementioned aspect was applicable when the discrimination principle of the EU law was further extended to facilitate the equal pay of workers. Moreover, on the basis of the case law of European Court of Justice (ECJ), it can be affirmed that the general guidelines regarding the equal payment for both female as well as male employees rendered due consideration towards social objectives of growth and overall development. Discrimination of gender within the employment takes place when an employee obtains special treatments on the basis of various arbitrary criteria such as gender, religion, age, parental status, socio-economic background, race and political opinion. It is worth mentioning in this context that the notion, ‘discrimination’, was initiated within EU discourse in the form of restriction under the Article 18 TFEU. As per the EU commission, ‘Council Directive 75/117/EEC’ implemented policies obstructing gender discrimination affirming that there should be the equal pay for both men and women. Furthermore, Council Directive 76/207/EEC also executed certain guidelines regarding equal treatment for both the genders on the basis of extra pay, promotion, training and working situations2. In present business context, it has been observed that most of the working women in EU member states have to face ‘deep-rooted’ injustice within their workplace, compromising with lesser payment compared to their male colleagues irrespective of their similar job responsibilities. Hence, equal treatment among the men and women workers have emerged as one of the significant aspects within the EU member states. It is in this context t

Self-Respect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Respect - Essay Example They are always living in the moment, then and there and not dwelling on the past. No matter what they have gone through or what kind of mistakes they had committed in their pasts becomes a part of their history, the only thing they pick out is a lesson, not to repeat that mistake. However many people hold on to their mistakes and regrets and all of this acidic matter that brews in their heads becomes an anchor which keeps them from moving forward and thinking freely. Every success in life boosts self-respect and every failure destroys it, but it is those people who get rid of the failure move ahead and seize victory. While those who keep thinking about their failures, both real and imaginary, keep living in regrets and fears. They even have a hard time in saying no to people. That is why they become somewhat nonsocial and reserved. They would not even pick up phone sometime or answer a letter because they cannot refuse someone asking them to do something. People become infected with the disease known as ‘alienation from self’ (Didion, 2008). Self-respect is the fuel or the energy source of a successful life. Breathing and eating are not the only factors indicative of ‘living’. Self-respect is the essence that tells people to safe guard themselves from danger. It is a mechanism that tells people to take good care of themselves and protect their interests, otherwise they will be left with nothing. Self-respect is something that makes people’s lives comfortable. Because of it, people not only keep looking for long term intangible benefits all their lives, instead they weigh immediate comforts and take the opportunity to live a life at ease. As people grow older, they become more aware of self-respect, which is why the elders of a family have the greatest self-respect. They live by rules instilled in them that make them put fears and doubts on one side and think critically about any real life scenario (Didion, 2008). Another way to look at self-respect is to rise against all odds and reclaim one’s place. No matter what someone’s been through, no matter where or when a person is born, which ethnicity he or she belongs to, it is self-respect that gives a person the spirit and passion to rise above all calamities. No matter what color is his skin, it shouldn’t and mustn’t make him feel less than any of the ‘other’ colored peoples. There should never be a dark deep hidden sorrow in the heart or in the eyes. People must never ever hold nature responsible for how they look. Color doesn’t and shouldn’t be a hurdle in someone’s life. People should learn how to convert their weaknesses into their strengths. Something that feels like a burden can actually become a support to climb higher. For instance, if someone feels lonely and left out, that person needs to make new friends. This might come as a challenge but that is where self-respect can serve as the dr ive force and push the person to rise above the weakness. Zora Hurston was an African-American author and in her short narration, she confessed that she felt racially discriminated but that never hurt her. She used to wonder at people who avoided her, how could they deny themselves of such a great company. That is an excellent example of an attitude filled with self-respect. Great people who respect themselves always take pride in who they are and what they do. They always look at their positives and never feel backed down by the difficulties. Zora wrote in her narration that it is the contents of the wrappings that count and not the wrapping itself. God has put wonderful things inside the wrappings known as human beings. People need to look at the content, that is probably the most effective way of earning self-respect. Self-respect plays a major role in all

Diamond Wipes International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Diamond Wipes International - Essay Example The company has an annual revenue of around fifteen million dollars and employs over 100 people now. Yen had no former experience as a business owner or as a manager but she managed to pursue her enterprise to come to the top. Diamond Wipes International was featured in Fortune Small Business as well as other prestigious business avenues. The journey has not always been smooth for Eve Yen given she had little management and business experience when she started out (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). This case study will look into various choices made by Eve Yen in context of her company’s management and business choices to decipher their success. Recommendations will be provided for areas where improvements could be done. What leadership style did Eve Yen use with her employees? Describe her actions that support your choice. Eve Yen can be seen largely as a democratic and an affiliative leader in most of her actions. Eve’s respect for other people’s opinions especial ly her employees opinions before making large decisions reflects that she acts as a democratic leader. In addition, Eve’s close relationship to her employees and her sensitivity towards her employees shows that she is an affiliative leader (Longnecker, Petty and Palich). What aspects of Eve’s leadership approach directly or indirectly affected the problems that developed? Clearly explain the connections between Eve’s behaviors and the resulting problems. A business leader must wear many hats at the same time in terms of being a leader. Among other leadership styles, the leader must be authoritative where required. This does not mean that the leader must be authoritative at all times but it does indicate that the leader must act authoritatively where he feels it is required. The lack of management experience meant that Eve Yen acted too personally with her employees in terms of leadership style. This meant that employees saw her as a weak character whose instruct ions and set objectives could be ignored (Lerner). In addition, Eve’s lack of character judgment meant that she hired the wrong people for the right positions. As a consequence of this bad decision making, the company lost money as the newly hired people failed to perform their duties as per the settled objectives and provided instructions. Another major shortcoming on the part of Eve Yen as a leader was her lack of consideration for short term and long term objectives. A good leader must have the ability to stand above everyone else and see beyond the horizon. Only this can allow a business leader to guide his team in the right direction. However, Even Yen failed to look beyond everyone else and faced numerous challenges as her organization was expanding. Being a leader, Eve Yen should have speculated what was required to expand especially for a rapidly expanding company like Diamond Wipes International. Explain why entrepreneurs in general have difficulty being effective or ganizational managers. How does Eve Yen reflect these characteristics? As mentioned before, an entrepreneur must wear many different hats at the same time in order to be an effective leader. Most entrepreneurs wear one leadership style that suits them and then try to make employees attune themselves to that leadership style. However, individuals working for an organization differ in their thinking and approach to work. The business leader must be ready to deal with differentiated individuals by being a wholesome leader for all employees. In order to deal with this dilemma, the business leader has to be prepared to work as a dynamic leader who keeps shifting his leadership style as the situation requires of him. Ineffective organiza

Early Equity Feminists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Early Equity Feminists - Essay Example Wollstonecraft thinks that the women’s passive acceptance of these roles and of an unequal education undercuts their status as independent â€Å"moral† agents, who can exercise their free will responsibly. Thus, she makes a case for the education of women (Wollstonecraft, 2007). Chopin also asserts that either a man or a woman can subject another to his/her â€Å"will†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature.†In other words, the tendency toward domination is a human tendency, not one restricted to either gender (Chopin, 2011). Still, in the story’s 19th century setting, men are clearly dominant. Louise Mallards situation illustrates several of the grievances of Stanton’s declaration of sentiments (Mansfield, 2007). In her book’ A Vindication of the rights of woman’ by Wollstonecraft, the author suggests that women should be given an equal ri ght to access education as her male counterparts . She argues that the acquiring of true liberty by the women enables equality between the different sexes by claiming that reason or intellect is more superior to their emotions, passions. In this book she greatly persuades the women to get into the act of acquiring strength of the body and mind. She greatly advocates that education is the key for achieving self respect along with new self images which will enable them to live to the fullest of their abilities in life. The author Wollstonecraft left a legacy as one of the founding authors of feminist works who greatly advocated for the women rights. She is also remembered for establishing the relationship between reasons and passion, various educational ideas concerning women, their sexuality along with the relevance of her work to the contemporary struggles carried out for women’s rights (Wollstonecraft, 2007). In Chopin’s the story of an hour, the author tells the stor y of a woman who suffers from a heart problem and has to be informed in a cautious manner of her husband’s death (Chopin, 2011). The woman in the story feels that she is finally going to enjoy all the freedoms she had previously been denied with the death of her husband. The author states that the woman succumbs to her heart problems following the discovery that her husband had not actually died when he enters their house. The story described by the author represents some of her experiences during childhood and she actually tries to represent the way that life should be lived (Chopin, 2011). Stanton on the other hand was a great leader in championing for women rights in the united states of America and was responsible for leading calls for the Seneca Falls conference where some declarations were made in the year 1848 (Stanton, 2004). She reportedly engages in the fight for women rights as a young child and as an adult she presented women’s grievances at the conference held at Seneca for which eleven solutions were achieved. She mainly presented the argument that the omen had a right to being treated equally in all aspects concerning their lives. It was the move initiated by Stanton that first made the issues affecting the women that led to them becoming a focus in the struggle for their rights (Stanton, 2004). Shalit, author of the book titled â€Å"Modesty revisited† talks about the generation gaps that existed between the older and newer generations due

The way that law interacts with law enforcement Essay

The way that law interacts with law enforcement - Essay Example Criminal Justice System â€Å"A criminal justice system is a set of legal and social institutions for enforcing the criminal law in accordance with a defined set of procedural rules and limitations.† â€Å"The phrase criminal justice system refers to a collection of federal, state, and local public agencies that deal with the crime problem. These agencies process suspects, defendants, and convicted offenders and are interdependent insofar as the decisions of one agency affect other agencies. The basic framework of the system is provided by the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government.† (Kirsten DeBarba) The system consists of the crime, the accused, the courts and then the jail where the accused is sent in case he is found guilty of committing the crime. It is the entire paradigm within which the focus lies on finding out the real culprit of the crime and involves various stages through which the accused is sent in order to determine the real cause of the crime committed. There is a certain criminal law which determines the entirety of the criminal justice system, and it is within the law through which the various bodies within the system work collectively. It has various sub-systems, and this paper shall be focussing on three broad categories and then identify the role of each and every body singularly. The bodies are as follows: 1. Law 2. Courts 3. Jail 4. Police Department 5. Prosecution and the Defence The above are broad categories within which the system is divided, and the paper shall focus on the relationship between law and the courts and jail on a collective basis. The paper shall compare each and every element exclusively with law and how it works in the real world. (What is Law Enforcement) Criminal Law: Let us first examine criminal law to understand the law behind curbing criminal activities, and how do we define such activities in the paradigm of criminal legislations. Criminal law has been designed to seek punish ment for the crimes which are committed by the citizens of the society, and it has a procedure code which allows for a process to take place in the lieu of providing justice. The law is designed in such a way that it allows for all the crimes which might be committed in the society to fall under its ambit. The law is only the beginning when it comes to curbing the crime, where it is just the starting point in the entire procedure to prevent the crime from happening. The law is a code which contains various clauses designed to punish the wrongdoer in each and every circumstance. (Law Enforcement and Crime) â€Å"Criminal law envelops the criminal procedure employed when charging, trying, sentencing and imprisoning defendants convicted of crimes, as well as regulation concerning how suspects are investigated, charged and tried. Criminal law is typically enforced by the government. The state, through a prosecutor, initiates the suit. Some subcategories of criminal law include Substant ive Criminal law; Criminal Procedure; and the special problems and issues arising in administration and enforcement of criminal justice.† (Crime and Law Enforcement) Courts The courts have a very specific role to play while dealing with law in criminal procedure. It is the duty of the court to be unbiased in its judgement and give both the parties a chance to be heard in essence. Courts usually listen to the prosecutor and the defence, and make their judgement

Optimal Portfolio Essay Example for Free

Optimal Portfolio Essay On the continued emphasis on the knowledge transfer process and not just whether it leads to value creation but how it occurs following a merger and how it leads to value creation. In addition, it was believed there is a need to focus more on the emergent nature of value creation following an acquisition and how individuals and communities of practice factor into this process. Optimal portfolio can be characterized as resulting in a controversy between skeptical economic and enthusiastic financial research, earning of firms in the decline after consolidation. In contrast, financial researchers claim that acquiring firms do not lose and earnings do not decline in the years following integration. This performance disparity reflects the different methods and perspective of economic and financial merger and acquisition research that seems to bias the respective findings. However, continuing the controversy of whether optimal portfolio is good or bad in general is of very limited practical use. A more practical approach is to instead look at what the factors are that determine high versus low merger and acquisition performance. The same logic holds for investors who buy foreign securities or undertake direct investment abroad. They expose themselves to the risk that the value of these assets in terms of domestic currency will drop when the price of foreign exchange drops. They can protect themselves by hedging, selling the foreign currency forward. But they may have to pay an exchange risk premium to do so. There is some reason to believe that such exchange risk premiums are relatively small. Much of exchange risk is diversifiable: the domestic importer who wishes to buy foreign exchange forward will, through the intermediation of the market, find a natural partner in the foreign importer who wishes to buy domestic exchange forward. Similarly, the investor who wishes to sell foreign exchange forward will find a ready partner in the foreign investor who wishes to buy foreign exchange forward, the market-clearing equilibrium forward price at which all parties end up trading may not be far off from the expected future spot price that would prevail in the absence of uncertainty. Few investors’ holding actually reflect global capitalization weights; most portfolios have disproportionately large domestic exposure. This tendency to concentrate assts domestically referred to as home bias influences the currency hedging policy because fewer underlying assets are invested abroad. Is there an underlying economic rationale for home bias, are there rules of thumb to help determine a suitable home bias level and how does the home bias affect the currency hedging policy. Fixed income home bias affects the Sharpe ratio. It compares the expected excess return, volatility and Sharpe ratio for the global capitalization weighted portfolios with global equity investments and domestic-only fixed income holdings. Familiarize the policies, procedures and method in your organization that govern the way projects are done, it doesn’t mean that executive office give you their support means you are on your own alone, you are still working to this company and all the major decision must be approved by the higher office. Edit the charter with your boss until you both agree on its procedure and possible outcome is cleared to both of you. This project must be pursued to be able to have a systematic networking of all the data bases from the main office to its branches. A central program will be developed in the main office and will be networked in all branches; all data must correlate to the main program. Optimal Portfolio Distribution: Rather than choosing sides between economic accounting and financial stock-market performance measures and their respective biases. There are optimal portfolio had received a vast criticism. For distribution will be the favored services and the provider of the customer financing from other firm, at the same time as the second firm will be the preferred provider of their respective people only. A staffing plan, the people required in this project must need to implement the project, They must personally select the key people in your team you must be able to identify their interest and ask for their dedication to functioning efficiently and effectively on the project team. They should also agree to accept and give their assurance in reaching the team goals, because these key team members are involved in the procedures from the start till the end of the project. companies should be contracted as early as possible to assist in evaluating the issues and minimizing the dissemination of potentially damaging information among non-privileged persons. Management need to determine whether to publicly disclosed the violations a/or repay any overpayments or, if warranted, explain to the investigators why violations have not occurred. Internal control is a process affected by an entity’s board of directors, management and other personnel designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the achievement of objectives in the following categories, reliability of financial reporting, effectiveness and efficiency of operations and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. This definition emphasis the fact that internal control is a function of the board management and other personnel within the organization, the responsibility for internal control rests squarely on management shoulders. Optimal distribution will present the charter to the executive offices as well as to the major stockholders, he will present the propose plan to them and ask for their approval. Once the proposed plan is being approved the next step is to present the project to the unit managers, this unit managers are the one responsible for the essential defining of the new process so the project manager together with his team will elucidate these unit managers, they have to convince them for they do not comprehend the knowledge owned by the lower-level staff members who are responsible in the daily activities of the company. The stakeholders are those who has vested interest in the success of the project, they also give their expectations for the better understood throughout the project procedures identified a critical stage of their sales outcome, and with the help of the propose project which will organize all the data from all branch office plus the fact of the easy access of all the requirements or data needed the company will have a better system in serving their patriot clients. With the propose project they can aim to have grow in their growth which is attainable by targeting new markets, expanding their network globally and be able to produce several new products.

Korean Drink Sikhye Essay Example for Free

Korean Drink Sikhye Essay Seol, the biggest traditional Korean holiday of the year, is when family members gather and eat a traditional meal with a variety of dishes which eventually, leads to overeating. What drink is used help digest all those food, Sikhye. Sikhye is a sweet drink made of malt and rice that has been a traditional beverage throughout Korean culture. It was first introduced in a book on knowledge of living called Samunsaseol in 1740. In the 1800s the recipe was revealed in cook books named Gyungonyoram and Siuijeonseo. There are various kinds of sikhye, Andong sikhye, Jinju sikhye, dried meat sikhye from Gyeongsangdo, dried pollack sikhye from Gangwondo, halibut sikhye from Hamgyeongdo, sailfin sandfish sikhye, and yeonan sikhye. It is said that Sikhye was created in North Korea and made mainly of fishes, powdered red pepper, and radish. Then it was introduced in the South and instead of fishes, malt was put in. After that it gradually known to be established with malt and rice only. Sikhye is a fermented drink made through patience. This drink was first drunk due to its job of stimulating digestion. Sikhye is also referred to dansul or gamju. While Sikhye is rice punch with rice floating in it, gamju is rice punch without rice floating in it. The famous drink is made by pouring malt water into boiled glutinous rice to leave for a while to ferment. Then the rice is removed from the water and rinsed and drained. The remaining water is boiled with sugar and ginger and served cool with the rice. The taste of this refreshment is the malt that is used. Malt is also significant due to its nutritional value. Sikhye is a natural sweet drink made without any artificial sweeteners. This drink prevents food from decomposing in our bodies and has anti-cancer substances. That is why it is important to drink sikhye after a meal. Due to this fact, it was served to Kings as a dessert. The beverage helps balance the body warming a cold body and cooling a hot body. Therefore it is good for diets and hangovers. Sikhye, one of the most cherished Korean drinks, is an important factor in Korean Culture. With its refreshing while unique sweet taste, it grabs people from different ethnicities. It is found in almost every Korean grocery store. While its great while bought, it best when homemade especially in Korea. In Korea, homemade Sikhye is naturally made which makes it distinctive from other drinks. It is known to be one of the best drinks in the culture. There are little ingredients that go in Sikhye, but there it needs a lot of patience to make. The ingredients in this refreshment are Korean rice, malt powder, warm water, caster sugar, ginger, and pine nuts if want to garnish. When making sikhye, what you need to do first is to mix warm water and powdered malt and leave it for three to four hours until the water becomes yellowish. The next step is to mix hard-boiled rice with the malt water in a small earthenware jar and keep it warm for four to five hours. The temperature should be kept at 60 to 70 degrees. If it were lower or higher temperatures, it would spoil the fermentation process. After about four hours, open the jar and check to see if the grains of rice are floating and if they are, take the rice out of the jar using a strainer, and rinse it with cold water and place it in a separate container. Then refrigerate the rice. The next step is to boil the remaining water and add some sugar for taste. Remove the foam that appears on the surface while boiling. After boiling the water, put it in a jar and refrigerate it, to make it cold. When served in special occasions, pour the water in a glass bowl and put the floating rice and other ingredients for decoration. If need more sweetening, add more sugar. This is how to prepare Sikhye and serve it during occasions.

The Integration Of Faith And Learning Education Essay

The Integration Of Faith And Learning Education Essay The integration of faith and learning (IFL) has been defined as a multifaceted attempt to distinguish the underlying truth about ones academics and Christianity research study by Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration of Faith and Learning). Various IFL models have been developed by scholars, in which some have focused on the interdisciplinary engagement between theology and academics, and others on the intrapersonal and interpersonal elements (Research study by Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning). Research studies in the past on have been conducted with the instructors rather than the students. But current studies have been on the students perceptions of IFL experiences. Students have referred to IFL in various studies in terms of the methods used by the instructor as opposed to the learning of integration by the student. They described IFL as primarily being a teacher activity and not the result of the students behavior (Lawrence, Burton, Nwosu (Refocusing on the Learning). I ask, as Sherr, Huff, Curran did in their research study, What good are our efforts as Christian professors to provide IFL experiences if student do not sense these efforts? And if our efforts to provide IFL experiences are incongruent with the expectations of IFL experiences of students, how can we identify those differences and adapt to provide Christ-centered education? (Research study by Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). The results from various studies have shown that overall most students desire more real life examples by applying theories to real life situations. They want the opportunity to integrate their faith into their academics through assignments and practicum (Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). The research conducted by Hall, Ripley, Garzon Mangis have found that students learn integration though relational attachments with mentors who personally model that integration. Students valued the quality of the attempt made by the instructor to integrate over the mere act of integration itself. Though they took note of attempts that were half-hearted, insincere, done out of duty, forced, or of poor quality ( all, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). The participants in this study identified three areas that they perceived facilitated integrative experiences in the classroom. The first was the teaching method the instructor used to integrate. They identified five traits of the professor as being significant in effective integration: self-revealing (evidence of an active, personal relationship with God that was observable by the students), caring, welcoming, dedicated and open-minded (the professor must demonstrate genuine care for the students). The second area was in curriculum. The students perceived successful integration when time was intentionally allotted for prayer and integrative discussions and assignments. Sherr, Huff, Curran found that some students did not perceive prayer as being an important factor (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). The third area was in the overall climate of the institution. The students welcomed the opportunity to express their Christianity openly and simultaneously with their academic learning. They expressed their satisfaction in not having to separate the two ( Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning) research findings suggested that students perceived that integration can only occur within a caring relationship with a mentor (in this case a professor, administrator, etc). The mentor must be an individual who has spiritual depth and is able to integrate it both inside and outside the classroom. This would require the professor to take the time and effort to get know each student personally, placing a strong emphasis on the process of learning as opposed to solely the concept of learning. Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning). This proposes the importance of the type of professors that are hired with the intention of implementing IFL in the classroom (Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium). Lawrence, Burton, Nwosus research concluded that students perceive IFL in terms of the content of the teachings through the methods used by the professor. Most gave examples in terms of the professors actions rather than the students activity. The methods utilized active learning approaches that gave the student opportunities to mentally manipulate and develop ideas (role play, inquiry training). The top three categories were teaching methodologies (conversations with the professor during class time), making connections (the teacher playing an active role in connecting faith with the area of study),and the atmosphere of the classroom (positive, safe, feels accepted and supported) Lawrence, Burton, Nwosu (Refocusing on the Learning). The research of Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration) pinpointed two main indicators of IFL: faculty relationships with God and students, and faculty competence. In terms of the professors relationship with God, the students needed to indentify the professor as being a genuine Christian with a passion for their relationship to the Lord. They also looked for accountability and commitment to God. In terms of the professors relationship with the students, they believed the instructor should demonstrate a genuine care for every aspect of the students live- physical, emotional and spiritual. This was connected to the amount of genuine time and interaction in and out fo the classroom the professor spent with the student. These were individuals who were concerned about helping the student personally develop (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). When it came to the professors competence and curriculum, the students belied the professor not only had to be competent, but also able to implement IFL experiences within the curriculum. They made references to using scripture as a reference, assisting students in applying Christian faith in different settings and the professor sharing their personal faith experiences. The students also mentioned the classroom environment as an indicator of IFL. They indentified a sense of belonging acceptance and commitment within the classroom is important. Prayer in the class was not necessarily agreed on as being an important factor (Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). Reports have indicated that there is no significant learning difference when students are taught at a distance as opposed to traditional face-to-face instruction, though attrition can be higher and satisfaction lower (2006). A blended training approach using videoconferencing for distance education. AND (Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction) AND Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Though some argue that the interaction through traditional instruction has the potential for greater social presence, research has shown that online communication does permit high levels of interpersonal communication, thus social presence Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality). There are significant differences in the way students perceive their online learning experiences (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Asynchronous instruction is independently experienced by the student and does not require simultaneous participation of the student and instructor. It gives every student an opportunity to respond to a topic and encourages more in-depth discussions. It is a more inclusive type of interaction. It limitations include feelings of isolation from students, lack of quick feedback, and not enough time for discussions to mature. This method requires more time to manage and provides less social interaction than synchronous instruction.(Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. Synchronous instruction requires simultaneous involvement between the professor and the student. This method allows multiple users to communicate in real time. Limitations include getting the students online at the same time and moderating conversations with larger groups. They are more difficult implement than asynchronous, though it generates a greater sense of presence and spontaneity. Chats and chat rooms can be utilized with this method (Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. Research study by Johnson showed that students did not report a clear preference for synchronous or asynchronous instruction. 43% of the variance in perceived learning rested in the difference of the students perception of learning. Both forms have advantages and both contribute to student cognitive and affective outcomes. Though the students characteristics seemed to affect asynchronous online behavior and discussion. Perhaps the two methods can be blended in a systematic and object manner in order to maximize the students learning experience (Research study by Johnson (Synchronous and Asynchronous CMC) 2006, TechTrends. There are significant differences in the way students perceive their online experiences during learning (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Online Learning). Results by Johnson have shown that there is no evidence of instructional superiority between the two methods- student achievement was equivalent. Although synchronous is often assumes to be more interactive- students perceptions of such may differ. The reported advantages/disadvantages of both methods may reflect the students personal preference due to characteristics. Students who prefer synchronous over asynchronous text-based computer mediated communication (CMC) may be more social than students who express the reverse preference. Students who expressed the perception that they learned the case studies best when using synchronous chat were at a learning disadvantage when using that CMC mode (Research study Johnson (20008- The Relative Learning Benefits of synchronous and asynchronous). Ng Murphy reported that Some students in their study took an active role(ex: initiating discussion topics and responding to prior contributions), and their involvement did not rely on tutors inputs . Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) . This suggests that another factor, like personality, was the cause for such participation. Having two-way audio and video, enabling the students and teachers to see as well as hear each other in real time, is better than those in courses where communication is only one-way. This may increase the sense of social presence, increasing course satisfaction. Blending asynchronous and synchronous methods may eliminate attrition and isolation problems that affect distance education learners (2006). A blended training approach using videoconferencing for distance education Research by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning) found eight barriers to online learning perceived by students: administrative/instructor issues, social interactions, academic skills, technical skills, learner motivation, time and support for studies, cost and access to the internet, and technical problems. The most critical barriers were social interaction, administrative/instructor issues, learner motivation, and time/support for studies. A lack of social interaction was most severe barrier perceived by students. Findings show that social interaction is strongly related to the effectiveness of learning and course enjoyment. (Research study by Muilenburg Berg (Student Barriers to Onlin Learning). Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality) suggests that interactivity comes about through inner process variables, for example, the interpersonal content of messages. This suggests that online interaction participation may be determined by the type and degree of a students socio-affective content in postings, therefore implying that online instruction should focus more on the development of the socio-emotional climate of virtual communities. It has been shown (Rafaeli and Sudweeks, 1998) that overall, interactive messages are likely to contain self-disclosure, indicating that interactivity may bring about a sense of involvement and belonging. This may be done through allotting additional time for interpersonal connections between students and between the student and professor. One suggestion would be to ensure that students make meaningful interpersonal connections before they engage in cognitive tasks (Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality). Online teachers invest significantly more time than traditional face-to-face instructors. Online teachers at various universities believe that preparing and teaching online courses places more stress on the instructors. Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction). Research by Dennen indicated that instructors balanced their own need to manage time with the affirming students through regular feedback, but the task was very overwhelming Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). Based on research results, professors teach online courses out of personal interest, mainly for flexibility. Research study by Spector (Time Demands in Online Instruction). Again rises the importance of carefully selecting professors for clear goals of integration.(Research study by Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium).   Course designers and instructors in distant education need to have and understanding on how students interact and how groups develop in computer mediated environments. Research study by Beuchot Bullen (Integration and Interpersonality) Online instruction needs to create and interactive environment for students and teachers through CMC. The Challenge is to balance independent study and bringing each student into contact with others, which is essential in forming any community (interaction/interactivity) (Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning. Dialogue consists of at least two discussants who communicate in repose to each other. Research conducted by Denned noted that composing and posting messages did not necessarily result in dialogue. Students were going through the motions of dialogue but all aspects were not present.Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). Conversational treatment by the instructor generated higher quality student contributions, Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning). It has been suggested that moments of conversation within the forum need to be carefully designed themselves- the strategies need to support students construction of meaning. It may not just matter how much instructors post messages that affects class dialogue, but also how why compose those messages. Distant learning activities must be relevant and goal based in order to attract student participation. The learning objective and relevance should be made clear to the students. Socialization can also incite participation. The discussion prompts that where effective in prompting student dialogue had clear guidelines and gave each student the opportunity to have a unique response. The instructor feedback also motivated students to participate more. Dennen (From Message Posting to Learning) The Research study by Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) results were that the number of genuinely interactive messages were limited. There was little evidence of the students participating collectively and building upon each others contribution. The learners DID NOT use forum to share experience or self-reflections. Though evidence of cognitive skills in their responses was evident, higher-order reasoning skills- such as critical thinking and problem resolution- were not demonstrated. (Ng Murphy (Evaluating Interactivity and Learning) Research Proposal Research Rational Research studies have given us an idea of some of the primary indicators of IFL experiences perceived by students: relational attachments with mentors Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium).; Teaching methods with an instructor who is self-revealing, caring, welcoming, dedicated and open-minded ( Hall, Ripley, Garzon and Mangis (The Other Side of the Podium); within a caring relationship with a mentor Garzon, Milacci Boothe (A Phenomenology of the Integration od Faith and Learning); faculty relationships with God and students, and faculty competence Sherr, Huff, Curran (Salient Indicators of Integration). Research has also shown that there is no difference in online and traditional face-to -face learning, as well as no significant different between synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods. This study asks the question, What are distant learners perceptions of efficient faculty efforts in facilitating IFL experiences using current and intentionally increased and focused IFL goals, and current and various CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) methods? Purpose of Research The purpose of this study is to assess whether the same indicators of IFL experiences are perceived by distant learners as traditional, face-to-face learners. If not, what are some of the different indicators? Although studies have proven no significant difference in asynchronous and synchronous methods in learning, we will assess whether or not there are differences when it comes to the students perceptions of IFL experiences. Also, we will increase the focus and goals of IFL experiences, making them intentional and known to the students and assess if there is any differences between intentionally increased and focused methods of IFL goals and the current ones the institution uses. The theoretical implication will be to compare the institutions current IFL goals and methods with the same goals but using primarily asynchronous methods, synchronous methods, and finally a balanced blend of both methods. Then increase the IFL goals and compare them to the same increased goals but using primarily asynchronous methods, and then synchronous methods. The results from the current goals will be compared to the intentionally increased and focused goals. Method Participants The study will be conducted over the course of one complete year, consisting of a 4 consecutive semesters (beginning with a summer semester and the following fall, spring, and summer semesters).Undergraduates and graduate students from three Christian higher education institutions will be surveyed. The institutions will be from different regions of the US, as well as from difference Christian denominations. There will be 8 professors used (2 female undergraduate professors, 2 male undergraduate professors, 2 female graduate professors, and 2 male graduate professors) to implement the current IFL goals and the intentionally increased and focused goals. There will be 8 courses (4 undergraduate and 4 graduate) randomly chosen from 4 various schools of study (education, arts and science, business, religion, etc.) each institution offers. Materials A survey questionnaire will be given to each student to fill out during the last week of the course. It will consist of open-end questions. This method of data collection will be identical between each institution and will be collected over the course of four consecutive semesters. Design Qualitative data will be obtained by having each participant fill out a survey questionnaire. The survey will consist of open-ended questions. in order to give each student an opportunity to give their perception and initiate candid responses. Procedures This experiment would be conducted in 2 parts: Study A and Study B. Study A will be conducted in three Christian institutions, assessing eight courses: four (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate) analyzing current IFL goals and various CMC teaching methods and four (2 undergraduate and 2 graduate) analyzing intentionally increased and focused IFL goals and various CMC teaching methods. Study A Analyze the current IFL goals using the institutions current methods in a Summer Semester, 20YY. Study will have no control over this particular instructor (male or female). Analyze the current IFL goals using mainly asynchronous CMC methods in the Fall Semester, 20YY. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in Asynchronous methods). Analyze the current IFL goals using mainly synchronous methods in the Spring Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over the instructor (male or female who will be trained in Synchronous methods). Analyze the current IFL goals using a balanced combination of asynchronous and synchronous methods in the Summer Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over the instructor (male or female who was trained in a balanced combination of asynchronous and synchronous methods). Study B Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using current methods simultaneously in study As Summer Semester, 20YY. Study will have no control over this particular instructor (male or female). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using mainly asynchronous methods simultaneously in study As Fall Semester, 20YY. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in increased IFL goals through asynchronous methods). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals using mainly synchronous methods simultaneously in study As Spring Semester, 20ZZ, Study will have control over instructor (male or female who will be trained in increased IFL goals through synchronous methods). Analyze intentionally increased and focused IFL goals through a balanced blend of asynchronous and synchronous methods simultaneously in study As Summer Semester, 20ZZ. Study will have control over instructor (male or female who was trained in increasing IFL experiences through a balanced combination of synchronous methods. Data Analysis There will be three researchers. Two of the three researchers will: STUDY A: Analyze and Compare current IFL methods against each group that received treatment; Analyze and Compare each treated group against each other; Come together and resolve any discrepancies. STUDY B: Analyze and Compare Increased, focused and intentional IFL goals through current methods against each group that received treatment of increased, focused and intentional IFL goals; Analyze and Compare each Increased, focused and intentional IFL goals that received treatment ; Come together and resolve any discrepancies. The third blind research will analyze and compare each group as mentioned above; join with the other two to resolve any further discrepancies along the way.

Televisions Impact on Health :: Television Health Eating Essays

Television's Impact on Health In our society, television has become quite the vigorous activity. Sitting up is exhausting so most people lie down while watching television. If you were to eat at a fast food restaurant, and then head home for a bowl of ice cream for desert, oh, and then not to mention that bag of chips while you watch your favorite Reality TV series, you are asking for something that you are not going to be happy with. What is it that you are asking for? It is called obesity. I have found myself eating at McDonald’s on countless occasions. The reason I am not obese, however, is the fact you will only find me at a fast food restaurant when I am pressed for time and I am on my way to a three to four hour practice. Obesity has very little to do with what we eat because the true problem behind obesity is none other than the fact that our society does not do anything after eating unhealthily. In Europe, people eat seven to eight meals a day and somehow, the majority of Europeans look fantastic. There is a reason for this. After dinner, they do not sit down on the couch for the 1,000th episode of Fear Factor. Instead, they go out for a long walk around the park with their families. David Zinczenko’s, â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater,† proposes a situation where there is nothing else to eat but fast food. He proves this by saying, â€Å"Drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants,† he explains, â€Å"Now drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit.† It is true that this statement has much truth. I am sorry to say, sadly, that it has no legitimacy. It seems that Zinczenko is using diction that not only parents can understand, but one that the general public, including those that are uneducated can understand. He uses a variety of sentence structures to lure in his readers and to make his research appear striking. The most appealing part of his essay was the way he spoke in a first person perspective and gave hope to those obese teenagers by telling them that to lose the weight form eating at McDonald’s, they are going to need to join the Navy Reserves or a similar program.

The Lieutenant in Othello Essay -- Othello essays

The Lieutenant in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Iago, in the Bard’s tragedy Othello, detests in an irrational way the very person of Cassio. Does Michael Cassio deserve the governorship of the island of Cyprus? What is his relationship with Bianca? Let’s look at these and other questions relating to the lieutenant in this essay.    David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies concludes that it is the â€Å"daily beauty† in the life of the lieutenant which underlies the destructive behavior of the antagonist:    The â€Å"daily beauty† in Cassio’s life makes Iago feel â€Å"ugly† by comparison (5.1.19-20), engendering in Iago a profound sense of lack of worth from which he can temporarily find relief only by reducing Othello and others to his own miserable condition. He is adept at provoking self-hatred in others because he suffers from it himself. (223)    Blanche Coles in Shakespeare’s Four Giants comments on the character of Cassio:    In a casual reading of Othello, it may seem that the character of Cassio is not sufficiently well drawn, because, for reasons connected with his portrayal of Iago, Shakespeare delays the full characterization of Cassio until almost the end of the play. However, we have a number of brief revelations of his personality that mark him distinctly – in his genuine anxiety for Othello’s safety, in his abstaining from taking part in the bold and suggestive comments of Iago to the two women as they wait for Othello’s ship and, a little later, in his sincere regret about the loss of his reputation after he has partaken of the wine which Iago has forced upon him. (85-86)    Cassio makes his first appearance in the play in Act 1 Scene 2, when he is conducting the official business of the... ...– another emotional revelation for Michael Cassio. Finally, the ultimate emotional blow to the ex-officer comes when Othello stabs himself and dies: â€Å"This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; / For he was great of heart.†    As â€Å"lord governor† of the island of Cyprus now, Michael Cassio has charge of the â€Å"censure of this hellish villain, / The time, the place, the torture.† Lodovico appeals to Cassio to let his justice, not his mercy prevail: â€Å"O, enforce it!†    WORKS CITED    Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies. New York: Bantam Books, 1980.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.

Football Religion

Christianity, with more than 2 billion believers, ranks second among the major religions of the world. Soccer is first. FIFA, the guardians of the faith, calculated that a cumulative television audience of 28. 8 billion people tuned in to watch the 2002 World Cup tournament. Keep in mind that the world's total population is only 6. 6 billion Hello I am one of the biggest football fan in the world. And I am here to show you how football is synonyms to any religion in the world. I will be telling you about the customs, rituals, the gods, the holly places and the like of football a. . a. soccer and how they are some what of same nature as the ones practiced in some of the world’s major religions like Christianity and Islam. Like Hinduism, football has many gods. If we take Arsenal FC for instance the striker god of all time is Henry, the Mid field god was Vieria but now its Fabregas, the defensive god has to be Tony Adams. Its not just arsenal FC, every FC and every national team has its own gods. Few people wear the vestments of their favourite molana or priest as compared to the jerseys worn by the fans of their favourite player. Football provides the ritual of a weekend gathering for those who are truly committed. Fewer people visit churches on Friday as compared to the the fans that go to the Mecca of Football ‘the football stadium’. Football has its own mythology too, those stories that believers tell to explain their identity and history and every club or nation has got one. It even has its own book in which all the rules are written. And like any religion the love of the game is passed through generations. If my father supported a team I am automatically put into the hierarchy of followers when I am born. Extremism also exists in the religion of football, and the extremists are known as the hooligans. Fans use the mean of violence to show there love for the team. They can be viewed as the jihadis, fighting the rival team supporters for the pride of their team. Religion is not complete without rules and code of conduct and football is no exception. It has got its own rules, its own mysterious language and song of praise. And if the rules are broken then it has the priest, the father or the molana of its own blowing whistle and punishing the players by showing yellow and red cards. In the end I would like to say that even though football falls in every category of a religion it has its gods, book, followers, holly warriors etc it fall a just short of a religion because The faithful don't get angry if God doesn't deliver a miracle every week. Football fans on the other hand do get very annoyed if their teams are not performing to the expected level, and miracles are often demanded.

Assignment: Wal-Mart Essay

Wal-Mart, the retail icon, taking on yet another strategy when sitting somewhat comfortably, (a business is never comfortable or should not be so comfortable), especially when the one to â€Å"beat.† Advertising strategy is as any strategy and that is with risk. An example of such risk is investing and the risk tolerance for each individual, conservative, moderate, or aggressive specific to goals. Wal-Mart is able to take the aggressive stance but not necessary because of their national, soon-to-be (?), global success but can never consider permanent. As said, it is much more difficult to remain on top than to work towards the top. The latest advertising campaign is one of a surprisingly risky and unique platform for Wal-Mart. Still attempting to disassociate itself from the negative image of a discriminatory violator of employee rights and participant of extensive bribery allegations gave way to an, as interpreted, defensive almost challenging response from a seemingly naà ¯ve, oblivious, and loyal Lee Scott, CEO or one only too aware and guilt driven angry. That is giving the CEO the benefit of the doubt unless privy to undocumented evidence to refute the crimes allegedly committed. A lengthy investigation into the bribery allegations includes that sometime in January 2006, the case had reached a critical juncture. Wal-Mart’s leaders were again weighing whether to approve a full investigation that would inevitably focus on a star executive already publicly discussed as a potential successor to Mr. Scott, (Barstow, David, 2012); the same quoted in the latest ad campaign. Wal-Mart’s ethics policy offered clear direction. â€Å"Never cover up or ignore an ethics problem,† the policy states and some who were involved in the investigation argued that it was time to take a stand against signs of rising corruption in Wal-Mart’s global operations. Each year the company received hundreds of internal reports of bribery and fraud, records showed. In Asia alone, there had been 90 reports of bribery just in the previous 18 months. After years of investigation that turned up evidence upon evidence to validate corruption and illegal activity, ultimately resulted in â€Å"swept under the rug† acceptance and closing of the investigation. With the closing of another â€Å"money=innocence† case offers the opportunity to focus on the latest advertising campaign left to surmise its intent. Somewhat biased after a brief research of Wal-Mart remarkably did not affect the initial perception and is as thus: In response to, â€Å". . . when special-interest groups and critics spread misinformation about Wal-Mart, the public deserves to hear the truth, everyone is entitled to their own opinions about our company, but they are not entitled to make up their own facts.† * The intent here is a â€Å"We are so confident in our innocence of unsubstantiated allegations we can be so bold to force a code of ethics we abide by and cannot be reasonably denied upon and challenge anyone attempting.† A portrayal of morals and ethics defended is one perception. * The possible negative impact is the audacity Wal-Mart has to tell anyone what or how to think, act, or live. * Attempting to reach further than their established target market, a newspaper ad appeals to a different market that as of yet not a typical Wal-Mart shopper can validate this new strategy. * Creative execution, as interpreted, is the driving force of such a bold and challenging advertisement. Its effectiveness of this campaign has not rendered statistics to my knowledge, but as an already not impressed by pricing, customer service, and the whole Wal-Mart shopping experience consumer, this advertisement does not improve their chances of my being a regular if at all customer. For a value shopper that I consider myself avoids Wal-Mart for reasons aforementioned and the cleanliness factor, the employees lack of knowledge of products and location of products, and the much too often out of stock issues encountered leaves desperation the only reason to shop in a Wal-Mart. Works Cited Barstow, David. (2012, April 21). Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top-Level Struggle. Retrieved from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/business/at-wal-mart-in-mexico-a-bribe-inquiry-silenced.html?pagewanted=all

“With Liberty and Justice for All”

An opinion of the social inequality that exists as it pertains to Gay Marriage Aimee L. Vroman Strayer University Online Introduction to Sociology SOC 100-015016 Professor Paul Humenik August 22, 2010 Abstract In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown from an issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a nationwide controversy. Indeed, in the last five years, the debate over gay marriage has been heard in the halls of the U. S.Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state legislatures and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels. Moreover, the battle over whether gays and lesbians should be allowed to wed shows no signs of abating. In the last year alone, three states have banned same-sex marriage and four states have legalized the practice. The time for debate is now over. The issue of gay marriage is not one of religious degradation, social erosion, or even ethical breakdown. It is an issue of inalienable rights guaranteed to all citizens of this country.The fact that our federal government does not recognize gay marriages is an atrocity and shameful at best. â€Å"The foundation to gay rights will ultimately be seen as the right to marry, because with that right firmly established in law, most other forms of discrimination could not be justified. † (Bidstrup, Why Gays Should Be Allowed To Marry, 1996) When we as a society look outwards, we see everything that we can do to help other societies attain our level of justice, personal and financial success, freedoms, and everything else that comes with our knowledge and perseverance.However, if we as a society were to look inward at ourselves (something that I am confident that only a small percentage of our society is willing to do) and at our society as a whole, would we see it in a different light? Would we see that even after fifty years of civil rights and equal opportunity that we still oppress and treat some groups of our society as second class citizens? Our country’s Bill of Rights has been modified by Constitutional Amendments to say the each and every American citizen has certain inalienable rights.The right to be married is one that we Americans hold near and dear to our hearts. Why then, is this particular right denied to the gay community? One of the biggest and loudest arguments against gay marriage in this country is that it is against God and that it is against what it says in the Bible (The Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve argument). Yes, this country was founded on Christian principles and laws that were perceived to be fair to all of its citizenry. However, this is not the seventeen hundreds nor is it the time of the Inquisition.This is the so called Modern Era, in which not only technology and finance are supposed to be upgraded and ever changing for the better but also societal acceptance of people that are different from what we perceive as mainstream and the societal norm. How can there be societal justice for the gay community when we as a society, who proclaim ourselves to be enlightened and forward thinking, deny even this most basic of rights to the gay community? The answer is simple; there can be no societal justice for the gay community in this aspect.What if we were to turn the tables on society and tell everyone that is not a part of the gay community that their marriages, civil unions, and other forms of partnership were invalid and no longer existed in the eyes of the government? There would be a societal upheaval. Anarchy would ensue and the government would be dismantled by the people. Later, when the people had decided that there had been enough chaos, reformed by the people and for the people. The only reason this has not happened with the gay community is because they are the minority in this case.For centuries of our country’s history, we have been guilty of oppressing and even enslaving the minorities within our society, to say n othing of denying them the inalienable rights called for in our own Constitution. Over time, those minorities that have fought and fought hard for these rights have eventually been afforded these rights by Constitutional Amendments. Yet still, here we sit in the twenty-first century, and we still cannot see past our own biases and our deep rooted fears of anything that is different or contrary to us.At the end of the day, our opposition to gay marriage stems ultimately from a deep-seeded homophobia in our culture and society, borne almost entirely out of religious prejudice. While many of us do not realize that homophobia exists to the extent that it does, it is a very real part of every gay person's life, just like racism is a very real part of every African American’s life. It is there, it is pervasive, and it has far more serious consequences for our society than most of us realize, not just for gay people, but for society in general.This religious prejudice comes from sev eral well known entities. Those entities include, but are not limited to, the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, the American Family Association, and Focus on the Family, and the most conservative of Protestant sects. Together with their various political subsidiary groups, a whole host of smaller right-wing political and religious organizations, and a few out-right hate groups, they are shaping national and local policy towards the gay community.They spend millions of dollars twisting and deforming referendums, propositions, and other local instruments of law solely for the purpose of fear mongering to scare the populace into line at the polls. It is these kinds of tactics being employed that are outdated and flat out wrong in the moral and ethical sense. They say that money corrupts; well the proof is in the proverbial pudding. The fear mongering turns into unparalleled hate and it is fueled by these so called â€Å"Christian† organizations. This is contrary to the Christi an way of life and contrary to the convictions of a Christian.Hatred by itself, dressed up as religious dogma has been used for so long that it is beginning to lose its effectiveness (eventually people begin to figure out that it is mostly a tactic for filling pews, collection plates and campaign coffers more than it is a way of reforming lost souls and improving society), so the more clever of these organizations have begun to move onto a slick propaganda effort based on that long-time favorite winner, fear (Bidstrup, Gay Marriage: The Arguments and Motives, 2009). The time for rhetoric and Bible thumping is over. Our country had its time of religious revolution.It is now time for every person, regardless of gender, race, religious belief, or sexual orientation, to be given the rights that our laws and traditions provide. This idea has been the cornerstone of our society and our nation for hundreds of years. â€Å"We cannot accept the view that Amendment 2's prohibition on specifi c legal protections does no more than deprive homosexuals of special rights. To the contrary, the amendment imposes a special disability on those persons alone. Homosexuals are forbidden the safeguards that others enjoy or may seek without constraint. (Kennedy, Stevens, O'Connor, Souter, Ginsburg, & Breyer, 1996) In the Supreme Court opinion that this quote is taken from, it says very plainly that a state (Colorado in this case) cannot prevent any group of persons from taking part in any public or private transaction. Though this case was hotly debated over the next fifteen years, Colorado in 2007 passed a law prohibiting any discrimination against homosexuals. Now if one state can do this and then another and then another, why is it so hard for our federally elected officials to do the same thing?The only answer that I can give is the activists, hate groups, and church lobbyists that throw millions of dollars into the coffers of our Senators and Congressman. This dirty money en sures that once again they will get elected and that once again they will vote to keep the gay community as second class citizens. This state of affairs is unacceptable. The time for change is now. Freedom is the right of every American regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation, and sexual orientation. It is high time that we, as a society, stand up and say in one unified voice, â€Å"This is wrong and we are not going to stand for it any longer!Works CitedBidstrup, S. (2009, June 3). Gay Marriage: The Arguments and Motives. Retrieved August 19, 2010, from Bidstrup. com: http://www. bidstrup. com/marriage. htm Bidstrup, S. (1996, December 4).Why Gays Should Be Allowed To Marry. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from Bidtrsup. com: http://www. bidstrup. com/hawaii. htm Kennedy, A. M. , Stevens, J. P. , O'Connor, S. D. , Souter, D. H. , Ginsburg, R. B. , & Breyer, S. G. (1996, October 20).Supreme Court Bound Volume 517. Retrieved August 18, 2010, from United States Supreme Court : http://www. supremecourt. gov/opinions/boundvolumes/517bv. pdf

Ivan Ilyitch and Wasted Lives Essay

The stories dealt with in this paper seek happiness in the wrong places. They stress the failures of modern life, the falsity of success and the elusiveness of happiness when it is not grounded in virtue. Virtuous and simple living are the last things to be discussed in these stories, but happiness is searched for according to the easiest and most sensual manners possible. Modern society has failed to bring happiness and fulfillment, and these stories speak as to why. What is terrible about modern life is the definitions of happiness and fulfillment based on money and social standing. It is roundly condemned by journalists and moralists, but remains as powerful as ever as motivating factors in behavior. In Tolstoy’s famous Death of Ivan Ilyitch, the film’s hero, Ivan, is a lawyer, a member of the prestigious judicial council (127) who has recently taken ill, as lies in his last few hours considering his life. His main concern throughout his life is what Tolstoy calls comme il faut, that is, the maintaining of appearances regardless of circumstances. Even his marriage was based on social standing and on the opinions of high society, rather than love (130). In â€Å"The Necklace,† the young woman wants the necklace that nearly destroys their life solely so that she will look like a successful person at the party given by the Ministry of Education. It ends in disaster as the necklace is lost. After being passed over for several promotions, Ivan was sent to a remote outpost in â€Å"the country,† where he quickly fell into boredom and ennui. He then left his family to go back to his Petrograd post, because high society is the only place he felt comfortable. His social cues came from that society. After falling while decorating his house–decorating solely for the approbation of the same society–he developed what appears to be cancer, and quickly died, mirroring the life and death of Aurora in Terms. The will cannot bring happiness and human life often has a rhythm of its own that cannot be controlled by the state, social institutions or an overprotective mother. It is in this interval that he meets Gerasim, a simple peasant without pretense or guile, the opposite of Ivan (148). Gerasim was Ivan’s assistant when he was ill. Gerasim cared not for society, but for the simple hard work that typified the peasant. He was a â€Å"natural† man rather than Ivan, the â€Å"artificial† one. But in Chapter IX is where a â€Å"voice† begins to speak to Ivan, speaking to him about life. Happiness is based on simplicity, not on the worship of the status quo and the domination of social norms. The artificial world of high society was not joyous, but merely a set of obligations. â€Å"And that deadly official life, and anxiety about money and so for one year, and two, and ten, and twenty, always the same thing† (157). But this was the life of success, of high society, of the elite: and it failed to make Ivan happy. The move from childhood, with its simple joys, to that artificial world of elite adulthood was correlated with the falsity of his happiness and the deadening of joy. This is also to be seen in â€Å"Araby,† where children are the only ones left with imagination as they come of age. The complex and hypocritical world of high society deadened him and his life. This story about a dying man looking at his life seems to be well read, but never heeded. Ivan is all of us who equate success with money and social standing, who view childhood as â€Å"trivial† and the approbation of institutions as central. Ivan conformed his entire life, from his marriage to political views, around what was dominant in high society. In this process, he was successful, but not happy. If anything, the two concepts exist in an inverse relation. Success in modern life is not a happy life. It is unhappy because ultimately, it is one set of obligations after another. Money is always a problem–investments, the market, inflation, taxes, economic cycles all contribute to the anxiety of all but the most wealthy of moderns. Social life, as in Ivan, is a bore, with a set round of obligatory social relations and gatherings, all of which seem to set the â€Å"success† class apart from the commoners. But Ivan, through the example of Gerasim, sees that the simple peasant, the agriculturalist, without the social obligations of the Petrograd lawyer, is happy, joyful and finds a great deal of satisfaction in labor and its invigorating aspects so common in farm work. But labor, in modern life, is something to be avoided rather than embraced and farm work is seen as â€Å"backward† in the prejudice of moderns. In the film Terms of Endearment, the parallels are subtle, but present. Aurora is the protective mother, always concerned for the ultimate happiness of her daughter, Emma. Once’s Emma’s first romance fails, and Aurora seems pushed out of her life, the latter finds romantic comfort with a married, â€Å"successful† man, a banker, Sam Burns. At the same time, Aurora, after remaining sexless for many years, has a whirlwind relationship with an ex-astronaut, Garrett Breedlove. It is hard to see the placement of the false society here, as is the case with The Necklace and A Good Man. Both Emma and her mother live within the false society of modern life, believing that sex and finding the â€Å"right† man will bring happiness. Virtue is not mentioned, nor the life of the mind, but happiness is defined solely in respect of an other, a romantic, sexual relationship that is supposed to make people happy. Both characters, Aurora and Emma, are trapped and the free sex that exists throughout the movie is a conformist device, not a rebellious one. If anything, the fact that Aurora dies of cancer tells her that happiness cannot be found in this life, for even if Aurora was right all along, and Emma was her best friend, she still would have died a miserable death. Having sex with the drunken Breedlove has changed nothing. This film seems to be a set of negative examples: overprotection does not lead to protected children, and sex does not lead to happiness, nor does romance. If anything, it is a veiled attack on the modern obsession with the sexually carnal, that promises pleasure and happiness but usually ends with emptiness. Such is also the final scene in â€Å"Araby,† where the fair itself, symbolizing all sexual and sensual, is a disappointment. The build up the young boy has created in himself was far too high for actual reality. Sex is modern life is often considered this Holy Grail of acceptance that often leads to disappointment. The Necklace, a short story by Guy de Maupassant, has far more parallels with Tolstoy than Terms. The single reality is that the necklace is part of the world of falsity within which Ivan and his ilk live. The very fact that the necklace itself is a cheap fake is part of the scheme–it matters not if the object is genuine, it does its job of making the world think that you belong and that you’re part of the â€Å"successful† club. The obligation that Ivan finds in his life is mirrored in the couple’s having to work for a decade to repay the alleged price of the genuine necklace, which never even existed. The necklace is the ultimate attack on the falsity of â€Å"successful† life–the necklace exists solely to convince others of something, but it is not even real. At the same time, the labor that has gone into paying for the non-existent real necklace speaks of the waste and profligacy of the wealthy, who normally pay huge sums for such trinkets, and call it happiness or success. The young boy in â€Å"Araby† though that his love interest and the fair at Araby would provide this. All these sorts of things provide is emptiness. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a far more subtle work, centering around a self-centered grandmother that speaks of The Misfit, a killer who is allegedly making his way though to Florida, where her family wants to go on vacation. The family eventually makes their way to Tennessee where, in an accident caused by a hidden cat, the disabled car is sat upon by the Misfit and his group, who eventually murders the entire family when the grandmother yells out that the Misfit is here, hence, necessitating the Misfit’s murder of his identifiers. There is a hint that the Misfit is in fact the grandmother’s son, and the grandmother, possibly attempting to save her own life, attempts to calm of Misfit by touching him, which leads to a scene where the murderer hesitates, but soon steps back to shoot her. It seems that Terms and Good man are highly parallel, showing an overprotective parent seeking happiness in all the wrong places. Where The Necklace and Ivan are centered around the concept of falsity and the lies and hypocracy of modern life and its arbitrary definition of â€Å"success. † All four are concerned with happiness broadly speaking, but only Tolstoy holds out the hope for any real happiness, a happiness that can only be gained by simplicity and a return to the land. Modern behaviors cannot understand this.