Inheritance Taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Inheritance Taxes - Essay Example â€Å"Death tax† label came about during the debate in the first years of George W. Bush’s presidency when those who saw the inheritance tax as a tax on wealth—their wealth—wanted it repealed. Using terms such as â€Å"death tax,† and framing the inheritance tax as a â€Å"double tax,† the small minority, approximately 2% of Americans, won the repeal. It did not hurt having a president set not only to inherit but who also has heirs to a sizeable fortune, and who wanted to please his â€Å"base,† deep-pocketed conservatives. In all actuality, the inheritance tax is a wealth tax: it taxes estates willed to heirs that net worth exceeds $5 million, so only the wealthy are affected by it. Even David Joulfaian of the U.S. Department of the Treasury admits that it is a wealth tax. â€Å"The estate and gift tax is the only wealth tax levied by the federal government. The estate tax was first enacted in 1916 and applied to the wealth of decede nts with estates in excess of $50,000. It has undergone numerous changes, especially in 1976, 1981, and 1997. Significant temporary changes were introduced in 2001 and are set to expire in 2011†. Yet even many poor people oppose it because they believe it will somehow affect them, and that has to do with the way those who the tax will affect marketed the idea to the masses. Conservatives succeeded in their efforts to have the estate tax temporarily repealed mainly because of the way they presented their argument. They framed the argument against the estate tax as though it would affect everybody who would inherit any sum of money or property upon a relative’s death including the heirs of small business owners and farmers. These people fear that, should they die, their business or farmland would be worth more than the $5 million dollars where the estate tax kicks in, and then their heirs would not be able to keep the business or land, which would affect the future income of the heirs. Small business owners and farmers, who subscribe to the conservative view, fear that if they die suddenly their families would be left in poverty because the government would tax them out of their source of income. But, conservatives not only emphasize the fact that heirs would not inherit the full worth of a business or farm they include the presumption that small business owners are so concerned over the estate tax that it affects their hiring practices. The website, Nodeathtax.org, says, â€Å"The United States economy has endured a severe recession and is currently growing too slowly. Accordingly, it is imperative that policy be focused on generating the maximum possible pace of economic growth. The estate tax is an important element of pro-growth tax policy. Recent research indicates that the estate tax has significant impacts on asset accumulation (and, thus, balance sheet repair), as well as the payroll and

The Seven I Am Statements of John Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Seven I Am Statements of John - Essay Example ld with the bread of life, and that bread of life is Jesus Christ who will soon bring order and peace to the world, and would eventually reunite the sinful world back to Him (29). This posits a subtle point that what the world needs is Jesus, and that He is the only bread of life (29). The next â€Å"I Am† statement can be found in John 8:12-59. John’s scriptural and circumstantial objective is to demonstrate that Jesus came to be the light of the world (Lavin 21; Wiersbe 47). While in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Tabernacles, Jesus states publicly the following words â€Å"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (NIV, John 8:12). The statement implies that Jesus is the lone requisite and road to deliverance (Lavin 23). During the concluding night of the Feast of Tabernacles, one lamp was not lit up to signify that salvation is yet to arrive in entirety. The next Jesus Christ’s â€Å"I A m† statements take place while He declares and perceptibly manifests that He is the final and definitive completion of the Feast of Tabernacles when he restored the blind man’s sight (Morris 114). However, a probe was carried in order to shed light on why the healing took place on a Sabbath day. The satirical gist of the story is that Jesus delivers a man from darkness to light while the Pharisees believes that they are in lightness yet are living in darkness. In John 10:7, Jesus speaks about metaphorically that He is gate for the sheep (Vieths 33). Jesus is conveying the truth that He alone can lead humanity into the Father; that only through Him does mankind have access to the Father. Jesus is more than willing to reconcile humanity to God (29). Jesus had the characteristic of eternal life, which means that He... Jesus comforts Martha by telling her about the truth of resurrection and life. In John 11:25-26, Jesus declares to Martha "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" The verses signify that only Jesus realizes this function for those who believe in Him; and Jesus "does not provide it, but rather is this" (Morris 117). This assurance of a new life is just in close proximity, and is ever nearby (117). Jesus employs this particular claim in order to confirm his rule over life (117)John 14 draws a fascinating conversation between Jesus and His disciples, talking about where Jesus is departing in a little while. The only way and access to God is through Jesus Christ. His declaration of Him being the only way and the truth demonstrates how accurate, reliable and unfailing His teachings are (Lavin 30). Jesus does not pronounce His precepts as the only way or means, but that "He is the Son of God" (Wiersbe 24; Larsen 110). In most cultures, the tie between a father and a son is very strong. In other words, this strong connection allows the kind of sharing [of things, etc.] that only exists between a father and a son. Hence, in the simplest analogy, in order for humanity to completely know the Father, it must first get itself acquainted with the Son. Humanity must know Jesus. Finally, John 15 tells us about "The True Vine". The chapter starts with â€Å"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener†

Why do consumers love GreyGoose Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why do consumers love GreyGoose - Research Paper Example The winning answered the consumer’s long asked question of whether expensive vodka tested better than cheap vodka. Consequently people felt justified for buying expensive vodka (Rothbaum 60). Following the cosumer’s loving for greygoose, we developed an urge to conduct a research. The research was to explain why consumers love greygoose. We used ZMET procedure to carry out our research. We chose on ZMET because the procedures involved draw out the deepest feelings, thoughts, recognitions and undisclosed perceptions of the respondent concerning the topic being interviewed. ZMET is the best choice for researchers willing to investigate consumer behaviors concerning a given product (Chang 279). We recruited our informants from France. Since many people were willing to participating in our interview, we carried out screening criteria on consumers who were interested in participating in the interview. We conducted in-depth interviews and carried out the convenience sampling to choose our interview participants (Chang 279). We were gender-sensitive thus we selected one male and one female. Therefore we had two informants for our data collection process with whom we carried out two interviews. The female informant was a 45 year old house-wife while the male informant was a 28 year old employed young man. We used two tape recorders to record the data conveyed by the respondents in the two interviews (Gofin, Lemke and Koners 49). After the interview, there was need of understanding the informants’ information on why consumers love greygoose. We critically analyzed the collected data to identify the metaphors that the greygoose consumers use about this vodka. We focused on obtaining metaphors because through them we could gain a better understanding of the consumers’ thinking. We transcribed the information collected from the two interview tapes into text for deeper analysis (Gofin, Lemke and Koners 49). From the data, we identified metaphor e xpressions and categorized them into thematic metaphors, conceptual metaphors and deep metaphors. Thematic metaphors described various aspects of the informants’ attitudes towards consumers’ love for greygoose. Conceptual metaphors played a role in data reduction and organization. We obtained deep metaphors by analyzing the thematic and conceptual metaphors (Belk 401). The informants revealed that greygoose consumption made them think of France, their home. We used resource as a deep metaphor to show the informants’ claims that greygoose consumption is a source of entertainment (Belk 401). The study showed that consumers considered greygoose consumption as a source of entertainment after engaging themselves in strenuous activities. The informants affirmed the entertaining ability of greygoose increased their trust in the brand. The statement we recorded from these claims was, â€Å"greygoose gets me high†¦it entertains me, I trust the brand!† The vod ka also reminded them of the great times they shared with their friends and family members back in France. Greygoose made them think of the tragic accidents and people lose caused by alcohol consumption. The informants stated that sometimes they met new people during greygoose consumption process hence making new friends. We used intimate as a thematic metaphor to show greygoose consumption as a source of memories. Conceptual metaphors obtained included anarchy, messy, France, friends and family. The informants revealed of how greygoose consumption connected their memory to the upscale greystone club. They reaffirmed that the packaging of greygoose was classy and gave them a sense of psychological ownership of the brand. Greygoose also gave them a sense of belonging. The following verbatim from the male respondent indicated this:

Assessing Infants and Toddlers Essay Example for Free

Assessing Infants and Toddlers Essay Assessing infants and toddlers is commonly used to determine if children are meeting their developmental milestones or if they are showing any signs of developmental delays or disabilities. Many types of standardized tests are available for use with infants and young children; all are psychological tests, whether they measure abilities, achievements, aptitudes, interests, attitudes, values, or personality characteristics (Wortham, How Standardized Test Are Used with Infants and Young Children, 2012). There are many types of assessments and the key is using the proper one to answer the questions you need, assessment that involves observation of the child, interviews with parents and caregivers, developmental and social history, and interaction with the child using game-like materials, toys, questionnaires, and tasks (Logsdon, 2012). Teachers should be asking what methods should be used, which one should a teacher select from the children they are teaching, and how will the information be obtained? In this paper I will explore these questions and how that effects the ever fast changing pace of early childhood education. A developmental assessment is a process designed to deepen understanding of a childs competencies and resources, and of the caregiving and learning environments most likely to help a child make fullest use of his or her developmental potential, according to New Visions (Tips for Surviving Child Development Assessment, 2012). As a teacher you will consider why you should engage in assessment. For some programs it is part of their policies and procedures, for some it is state mandated, and for others it may be federally mandated. For some teachers the choice is theirs and they choose to for the best interest of the child. Through assessment the teacher can determine where the child is in development, show progress through ongoing assessment and have information to share with the child’s parents. The main reason for assessment is to pinpoint any disabilities or developmental delays, to assess the child’s school readiness, to assist the teacher in planning their curriculum and lesson plans program, to provide feedback to parents and being able to show the effectiveness of the program. The first thing is choose the type of assessment that is appropriate for the children that you engage with daily. There are two types of assessments: formal and informal assessments. With formal assessments the teacher is comparing the child against developmental norms or to other children. Informal assessments are observations that can be obtained through observation in a methodical way and is usually not compared to others. The majority of standardized tests that are in use today are designed to be administered and interpreted by trained professionals. Most programs use a combination of assessments when gathering information about the children they work with each day. The benefit of standardized tests is that the results can be compared to another child or children finding the common factors of developmental norms. A norm is an average result in a group of sample children within that age group or classroom. The second advantage is can be the ability to predict validity of the tests. Children whom do well on these assessments tend to do well in assessments as the move into the school readiness in Kindergarten. A common test used for preschoolers include the Battelle (Logsdon, 2012). There are disadvantages when using standardized test as well and one of the major ones is how the data will be interpreted that is obtained. The results from the teachers and administrators must be considered and compared to similar children in similar circumstances. The comparison is not easy to achieve, for example the cultural bias of early developmental tests. Also the predictive validity of standardized tests can be a disadvantage for their ability to forecast the future achievement in kindergarten. There are other formal test that are being explored that can measure what is developmentally appropriate within their focus and approach. Standardized tests have information regarding their validity and reliability that can give the teachers a way to evaluate if the test is appropriate and if it is being used for its intended use. The reliability information should be able to produce the same result when measuring the same thing with different groups of children. This will help the teacher to be able to determine information that will be obtained. It should be considered when using formal test that they should be used with trained professionals, although they are available for purchase openly they should not be used without training and experience. When using formal test they should be given in a controlled environment for the results to be valid. Even when the test are given properly the results can be interpreted inconsistently and the norms not valid. For example the test could be for both boys and girls but could end up being used with a majority of one or the other or compared to just one variable due to the majority of whom is taking the tests. If that was confusing to you as it was to me then can you imagine the results you will get. When using informal methods to assess children the test as more teacher derived and the tools used are usually checklist, engagement and interaction and open-ended questions. Many teachers already use anecdotal records, a strategy that records actions of the children, in which short episodes of a child’s behavior are recorded and kept for comparing change in behavior over time, in the child’s portfolio and used when meeting with parents for a conference. One of the main reasons for this method is ease of use. Anecdotes can be recorded in virtually any environment at any time throughout the day with limited materials needed. Other informal methods used in classrooms today are time sample, checklists, rating scales, interviews, and videotape or audiotape recordings. The teacher should include the following five key things when using anecdotes: frequency of the behavior, duration of the behavior, notes describing when and where the observation took place, and the date and time. Another form is the child’s portfolio which is any variety of works thought to be representative of the individual. With young children, this usually includes drawings and writings, photographs and stories dictated to an adult. A portfolio can also include information about the child contributed by teachers, and other professionals. A portfolio can be used as a springboard for reflection with children themselves, parents, or other professionals. Discussions with children around a portfolio could reflect on what the child drew (â€Å"tell me more about,†). With parents and professionals the portfolio offers a variety of information about the child, in which they can use as a springboard for discussion at parent conferences. The problem with this type of assessment it can leave the parents confused with the information that comes from it and how it related to their child. When a teacher is choosing which method to use they have to consider what purpose will it serve? The teacher should ask themselves why is this information needed, what is the purpose, and what information will be helpful for the teacher, child and parent, when and how will this information be obtained and how am I as the teacher going to ensure that the information gather is accurate and valid? Also, if this method is choose is it appropriate for the children I work with? Two things that I feel the teacher should ask themselves are: is this age and developmentally appropriate for the children I work with and is relevant to the background and daily circumstances of the child that I work with? When considering the choices you must also consider am I as the teacher able to administer this test properly. When considering this I must consider the how the test will observe a child and how will this be done without pre-formed ideas about outcome. When we are able to be objective then the teacher reports only the facts, and then interpret those facts by what is observed, rather than feelings or attitudes about the child. In today’s society more and more teachers are moving away from traditional methods of assessments and moving towards methods that are relying instead on techniques thought to be more holistic and developmentally appropriate. This could include innovative approaches that observe more on behavior that happens in natural settings and assessments that reflect the complete set of circumstances surrounding the child. While conducting an assessment the teacher should make every effort to use the information in ways that are respectful of the child. In any case the teacher must remember to pay attention to issues such as consent and always remaining confidential. Confidentiality means that it will only be discussed in professional settings, and the information will conceal identities and results are revealed only to the intended audience. Consent means that the teacher obtained the permission from the parent to observe, evaluate and assessed a child. A lot of times parents give such consent at the time of the program enrollment if they sign a form indicating that they realize such activities will be occurring. Otherwise, you should always obtain permission prior to engaging in ongoing assessment projects, even if informal measures are being used. One practice to avoid is the temptation to label children based on assessment results, such as â€Å"this child is special† or â€Å"this child is challenged.† Children placed in these categories very early on have difficulty overcoming them later. In the 21st century, assessment practices are likely to become more holistic and innovative in their approach. For example, we are beginning to hear more of the term â€Å"authentic assessment.† Authentic assessments are when the environment is taken into account surrounding the evaluation of individual children. Another term being used more today is â€Å"performance-based assessment.† Performance-based assessment is when the teacher is focusing on the daily activities and skills already being performed in the classroom setting. Family involvement in assessment, such as parent reports and observations or even them being present, has not been really considered in mainstream early childhood settings. These strategies will gain popularity in the coming years. Although assessment holds great potential to help caregivers understand the children they care for, it can be challenging to assess infants and toddlers, especially if one views assessment as a one-on-one testing interaction (Ditchtelmiller, 2012). In the past assessments have been more of what the child cannot do and today they are becoming more of what the child can do now and has accomplished. This approach to assessment will benefit the child as an individual and abilities rather than disabilities. As a teacher, such approaches will help us maintain positive attitudes concerning the child development. Besides identifying and correcting developmental problems, assessment of very young children is conducted for other purposes. One purpose is research. Researchers study young children to better understand their behavior or to measure the appropriateness of the experiences that are provided for them (Wortham, Assesment in Early Childhood Education (6th Edition), 2012). â€Å"Teachers and child-care providers want children to feel a sense of accomplishment while in their care. The more a child-care provider knows about a childs academic, social, and emotional development, the more theyre able to meet the childs needs. Teachers and child care providers may use this resource for developing strategies to track a childs progress† (Checking Childrens Progress, 2012). We know that rather the assessment is formal or informal early childhood professionals are going to perform them. Through assessment we can screen for disabilities, assess kindergarten readiness, help the teacher developing curriculum and lesson plans, evaluate the effectiveness of a program, and aide the teachers when conferencing with the parents. Both parents and teachers want to know that their child is obtaining goals, showing progress and gaining new skills and what other way to know this other than assessment. References Checking Childrens Progress. (2012, April 25). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Head Start ECLKC: eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta- system/teachingllecd/assessment/ongoing%20assessment/edudev_art_00409_060906.html Tips for Surviving Child Development Assessment. (2012). Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Zero to Three : www.zerotothree.org/child-development/mental-health-screening- assessment/tips-for-surviving-child-development-assessment.html Ditchtelmiller, M. L. (2012). One Programs Experience. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from Infant/Toddler Assessment: www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200401/ditchtel.pdf Logsdon, A. (2012). Infant and Toddler Development Tests Learning Disabilities. Retrieved September 26, 2012, from Testing for Infant and Toddler Development: http://learningdisabilities.acout.com/od/intelligencetests/p/battelledevelop.html Wortham, S. (2012). Assesment in Early Childhood Education (6th Edition). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson. Wortham, S. (2012). How Standardized Test Are Used with Infants and Young Children. Retrieved September 27, 2012, from Education.com: http://www.education.com/prints/standardized-tests-infants-children/

Jamaica Kincaids A Small Place Analysis English Literature Essay

Jamaica Kincaids A Small Place Analysis English Literature Essay The idea of writing about cultural loss pays acknowledgment and in someway homage to a Caribbean Cannon. The Caribbean originally represented by the white plantation owner has now progressed into books by descendants of slaves in the 20th-21st century. Female Caribbean writers have started to confront fully their abused history. Kincaid claims, she always written her own life, but writing for her has been first and foremost a way of saving her life, not an attempt to speak for or identify with any group(Forbes, 2008, p24). Therefore, Kincaidâ„ ¢s writing can be seen to be explosive to the meaning by transforming the meaning of Caribbean writers; taking their writing back to their traditional Caribbean roots. This may not be an attack on the tourist but it can be seen as a rebellion against the traditional American, and European expression forced upon them. Kincaid says, One of the themes Caribbean women write about has much to do with the tension between both the gradations of col or and class (Cooper, 2007) Kincaid, stereotypically describes all of the tourists as white and usually as a higher class. By representing the tension of colour and class in this way the text goes as far as creating invert racism. Everything in  A Small Place, even the historical text, is expressed through Kincaidâ„ ¢s subjective and personal point of view and therefore told in the first person. Kincaidâ„ ¢s tone is usually bitter and sarcastic and although the irony is subtly sustained it is difficult to tell if she is being sincere, especially when dealing with Antiguaâ„ ¢s colonial past and tourist-demanding present. Kincaid always relates and addressâ„ ¢ the reader directly, as you, What is more, by narrating the hypothetical experiences, she therefore also makes extensive use of the second-person point of view. The you makes the attack more personal and more powerful, Kincaid is not like most writers dictating other peopleâ„ ¢s views, she is telling ËÅ"youâ„ ¢, what ËÅ"youâ„ ¢ think, and what ËÅ"youâ„ ¢ are. Kincaidâ„ ¢s ËÅ"simple attack on the touristâ„ ¢ is to express and highlight the real lives the ËÅ"otherâ„ ¢; the ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ who will always be unc lear to an outsider, the tourist. Kincaid believes that the ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ are the scenery and are part of what makes the small place. Kincaid sees the tourist as selfish, you may be at home; you are ugly as long as you are a tourist, bringing demands to small place without thinking of the consequences. Kincaid brings the significance of the ËÅ"small thingsâ„ ¢ in the ËÅ"small placeâ„ ¢, You are pleased, that your trip is unlikely to be ruined by rain, the tourist does not understand that these demands are a restraint on the ËÅ"nativeâ„ ¢ due to the lack of water. Ian Munt explores the values of the economic and environmental conditions of globalisation and the affect new tourism has on countries with a poor eco-structure. Munt claims thatâ„ ¢s The Third World has steadily emerged from the exclusive images of cataclysmic crisis-of starvation, deprecation and war-to represent the opportunity for an exciting, out-of-the-way holiday(Munt, 2004) meaning the tourist has turned the ËÅ"nativeâ„ ¢ into something new and ËÅ"excitingâ„ ¢ to experience. Muntâ„ ¢s goes on to claim that these environments have been promoted by the new middle classes as a means of . . .providing an ethnically enhancing encounter (Munt, 2004)the images of the ËÅ"cataclysmic crisisâ„ ¢ is what makes the holiday all the more fascinating to the tourist as it gives them the chance to experience a new culture, the chance to say they have had a new encounter of living and yet the tourist never sees the real world. It could be said that this is Kincaidâ„ ¢s rea son for attack upon the tourist. In part one Kincaid says, you neednâ„ ¢t let that slightly funny feeling you have from time to time about exploitation, oppression, domination develop into full-fledged unease, discomfort; you could ruin your holiday(Kincaid, 1988, p10) directly addressing the reader with a sarcastic tone. Kincaid recognises that the tourist is of a class high enough and well enough educated to understand Antiguaâ„ ¢s colonial history. However, Kincaid, criticisesâ„ ¢ the fact that this tourist will also l suppress their knowledge as not to ruin their holiday. Kincaid plays on this funny feeling reaching into the conscious by using the words exploitation, oppression, and domination. As a reader it is easy to see how the text transforms the text from a simple attack on the tourist by the native into a disturbing series of cultural observations. At the beginning of the second chapter Kincaidâ„ ¢s voice begins to change from a heavy second person to a slightly more traditional first person. Kincaid begins THE ANTIGUA I knew, the Antigua in which I grew up, is not the Antigua you, a tourist would see now. That Antigua no longer exists(Kincaid, 1988,p23) straight away it is apparent that it is not as simple as begrudging the ËÅ"uglyâ„ ¢ tourist, it is the beginning of a disturbing series of cultural observations that have resulted in change, it is anger towards the loss of a cultural identity and conformity. What is certain is that the transformation from the simple attack on the tourist to the revelation of disturbing series of cultural observations goes back to the post colonial. One of the first, Cultural observations that Kincaid makes is that of the Barclayâ„ ¢s brothers. A result of the British Colonial system was a capitalistic system; this went as far as the human trade, the slave trade. The reader soon finds out that the Barclayâ„ ¢s brothers, who started Barclayâ„ ¢s bank, were slave traders, that is how they made their money Kincaid rightfully condemns this capitalist system, and carries on her sarcastic tone expressing how shallow this system was, Itâ„ ¢s possible that when they saw how rich banking made them, they gave themselves a good beating for opposing an end to slave trading(26) this demonstrates how the historical acts of exploitation are never really over, the only thing that stops it, is not morality but the idea that something better may happen. The fact that Barclays bank is still in the middle of high street(26) makes a mockery of the locals who are still funding the brothers business, the descendents of the very people that Barclays Brotherâ„ ¢s would have sold in the trade. Kincaid goes on to question the reader, the tourist, Do you ever try to understand why people like me cannot get over the past, cannot forgive and cannot forget . . . The human beings they traded, the human beings who to them were only commodities, are dead.(26) What happened in the slave trade can never be put right. It would appear at this stage that it is not so much the tourist in which Kincaid is against but the past, and the people who created the past. Kincaid goes into what can only be described, as a childish attack on the tourist because there is no one else alive in which she can take her anger out on. Kincaid tells the tourist You look silly; you try eating the way you always eat, you look silly); they do not like the way you speak (you have an accent); they collapse helpless from laughter, mimicking the way they imagine you must look as you carry out some everyday bodily function. (17) According to Ashcroft, Grifriths, and Tiffin this kind of attack towards the tourist is known as post-colonial abrogation . . . its illusory standard of normative or correct usage, and its assumption of a traditional and fixed meaning inscribed in the words (Byerman, 1995) The ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ subject the tourists to ridicule due of stereotypes or assumptions just as North  America (or,  worse, Europe)(Kincaid, 1988,p4) colonised the Antiguans and turned them into objects of ridicule. The ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ assume that the tourist is just one type of person. As the tourist watch the ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ and their culture as something knew, something entertaining. However, the colonial structure and power is still held by the tourist in their society. The ËÅ"nativesâ„ ¢ can only rebel behind  their  closed doors  [as] they laugh at your [the touristâ„ ¢s] strangeness (7) The Antiguans must still appear deferential despite their anger growing; they must be submissive to the ËÅ"touristâ„ ¢ and assertive secretly. This shows how the ËÅ"touristâ„ ¢ world is the new colony; the Antiguans must respect them to their face in order to get their trade. Kincaid breaks away from the traditional submission by writing and speaking out. She is able to disown the passive female role that is expected of her. In someway it can be argued that the way Kincaid attack on the ËÅ"tourist is not an act of racism but simply exposing the inherent in the colonial culture. What is more, Kincaid discusses how Antiguans experience the passage of time, and history. Antigua is a small place. Antigua is a very small place. In Antigua, not only is the event turned into everyday, but the everyday is turned into an event.(56) Antiguans have a distorted perspective of their lives: the ËÅ"small thingsâ„ ¢ all add up to something larger, and yet the major events of there past are seen as the ËÅ"normâ„ ¢. According to Kincaid, Antiguans are always thinking their slave history and the emancipation. Yet, the ËÅ"small thingsâ„ ¢ are exaggerated into something that appears to be more important, for example,   two people stand  at opposite ends of a street and shout insults at each other at the top of their lungs(56) an inconsequential accident into a years-long feud This event soon becomes everyday(56). Kincaid constant use of the words ËÅ"a small placeâ„ ¢, only stresses the constraints and corruption on Antiguaâ„ ¢s culture. As a ËŠ"small placeâ„ ¢ Antigua has to resort to highlighting the ËÅ"small thingsâ„ ¢ to define themselves against the ËÅ"large placesâ„ ¢ such as North America and Europe. The constant need for recognition of the ËÅ"small thingsâ„ ¢ shows how identity is an important factor within Kincaidâ„ ¢s writing. One of the reasons Kincaid targets the tourist, is that they are a representation of the English colony. English history has been imposed onto the Antigua; they have no identity of their own. Kincaid pities the English and their ruined empire. A tourist does not recognise the unpleasantness of their actions concerning slavery. The streets in which Kincaid she grew up on are named after the English maritime criminals most of whom powered the slave trade, the tourist see these figures as historical heroes. ËÅ"The irony of A Small Place is subtly sustainedâ„ ¢ the use of this irony is emphasised by the use of binary opposition, past and the present vs love and hate. The English culture of their colonial past and its impoverished, corrupt present has lead to a loss of identity and confusion, the Antiguans live in an English Culture and yet cannot say they are English. Kincaid says,   no place could ever really be England, and nobody who did not look exactly like them would ever be English so that you can imagine the destruction of people and land that came from that(24), the Antiguans cannot forget their past because they can only express themselves in the language of those who enslaved and oppressed them. Not only are they English Speaking but it is said that the English ways have corrupted the Antiguans, once they are no longer slaves, once they are free, they are no longer noble and exalted; they are just human beings(81). Kincaid comes to the conclusion that Antigua will forever be in a catch twenty-two situation and it will no longer be a question of the simple attack on the tourist but something much larger. The many corrupt prime misters that have governed Antigua, the fact that they know about the hardships and the corruption has become humiliating and degrading for the people of Antigua to the point that it is fuelling the tourism. The lifestyle and culture of the island is purely alluring for the tourists only corrupting the governments desire to change or improve upon it. The use of the binary oppositions only support Kincaid in her confused state of mind in a mass discourse of generalisation stating that the English love England a nd yet they hate each other, Kincaid does not understand why the tourists come to an island of corruption and trouble, if England is so great. Edward Baugh believes that writers such as Jamaica Kincaid began to be recognised in the mid-twentieth century under the genre ËÅ"Anglophone Caribbean literature. Baugh claims that one aspect to this type of Literature is that The topos of the journey connects conveniently with other major considerations of theme and form in the development ¦ with such issues as history, identity, gender, and language.(Baugh, 2007,p48) Although it could be argued that this is a common factor in all literature, Kincaid does this particularly well, taking the reader on an emotional blame trip exploring a disturbing series of cultural observations directed at a range of targets from plantation owners, business men and globalisation and of course the tourist. Baugh says The significance of the journey as idea, theme, metaphor, motif, and symbol in Caribbean literature arises naturally out of the historical experience of Caribbean people.(48) As a reader, we see Kincaid weave in and out of experience, a voice that uses raw realism. Due to writers such as Kincaid the class structure was able to change the idea of anglio-caribbean by emigrating to North, American or Canada, despite discrimination and disturbing series of cultural observations still being apparent within the Caribbean, writers have finally been given voice to tell their story creating a new concept The Caribbean writer.

Free Essays - The role of Antonio in Shakespeares Tempest :: Tempest essays

The role of Antonio in Shakespeare's Tempest          [Note: In this written work Antonio thinks of himself as an innocent person and believes that the world is doing wrong to him .He also believes that his rights have been snatched from him and no one in this world is more miserable and sympathy deserving than him.]       Life is so miserable. Here I sit in a corner of this darkened room all alone thinking about my past and trying to figure out what to do with my futile life .The night is dark and long just like the rest of my life. But it is not too late, as long as I am living I will struggle to get what I deserve. Life has become very upsetting lately and I miss the times when I was the highest authority and the sole Duke on Milan. Now things have changed and I sit here in my room helpless, with nothing in my hand, no charge or position in Milan. What a glory I have experienced, guards on my security at all times, wo castles with several maids at my service, I worked with people I liked and got rid of the useless ones. I was the master and everyone else a slave, my orders were fulfilled in no time and I lived a happy life. If only I had planned more carefully and kept track of my men putting my brother to eternal sleep I would have been living a pleasant life of a duke; I would never ha ve been hopeless to Prospero's powers.       Ugh... I hear Prospero's insulting words in my ears. How could I have possibly heard those insulting words from him at the island when he snatched my dukedom from me? At that time my life was in his hands.   Looking at him now sitting at the place where I have ruled for 12 years is an unbearable sight to me. What is my future? ...A slave for Prospero? No! I will not let this happen. Prospero is taking revenge from me, he treats me like I am nothing .He doesn't miss any chance of teasing me. He did the worst to me today.

The Arab Baath Movement and The Rise of the Baath Party in Syria Essay

Contrary to popular beliefs, civil activism and civil society has managed to thrive in the Middle East. Social movements on a variety of topics have occurred despite the lack of democracy and democratic institutions in certain countries. One popular movement was the Arab Ba’ath Movement which eventually led to the formation of the Baath Party. By analyzing the movement’s history, ideological stance, goals, the actors, dissenters, and international aspect, one can determine how and why the movement flourished in Syria. Syria was granted de jure independence from the French in 1941. However, the country was not truly independent until 1946. For the next twenty-five years, the country would be launched into extreme political instability and party factionalism. In the beginning, the parties were moderate and pushed for economic and social reforms to match. But, as the 1940s came to an end, these liberal parties lost their legitimacy. The rural workers and urban poor were growing unhappy with the current state of affairs and started advocating for more radical changes in the political and economic realm. During this time period, Baathism, which eventually evolved into the Arab Baath Party in 1947, became very prominent in the Arab world. Started by Michael Aflaq and Salah al-Din al-Bitar, the movement was created in Damascus due to the intense nationalism that was sweeping the country in response to the British and French control of the area. The movement gained legitimacy by using sources that Arabians could identify with: history, religion, nationalism, development, freedom, and socialism (Gerner and Schrodt 112). However, Baathism didn’t appeal to everyone in Syria. The urban Sunni middle class especially wasn’t attracted to Baa... ...ersity of New York Press, 1991. Web. Galvani, John. "Syria and the Baath Party." Middle East Research and Information Project 25.Feburary (1974): 3-16. JSTOR. Web. 2 Apr 2012. Gerner, Deborah J., and Philip A. Schrodt. "Middle Eastern Politics." Understanding the Contemporary Middle East. 3rd ed. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2008. 85 -136. Print. Hinnebusch, Raymond. "Syria." The Middle East. Ed. Ellen Lust. 12th ed. Washington (D.C.): CQ, 2011. 675-701. Print. Kamrava, Mehran. "The Arab-Israeli Wars." The Modern Middle East: A Political History since the First World War. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 2010. 109-39. Print. Mufti, Malik. "The United States and Nasserist Pan-Arabism." The Middle East and the United States: A Historical and Political Reassessment. Ed. David W. Lesch. 3rd ed. Boulder, CO: Westview, 2003. 168-87. Print.

Intro to Contemporary Society

To ask any person what family means in contemporary society is to take a glimpse into the multitude of terms describing family forms, that is; â€Å"household, couple family, nuclear family, extended family, single-parent family, blended families and stepfamilies† (Germov & Poole, 2007). Therefore regardless of how a family is structured an integral component that each one of these families has is the role they play in the socialisation process.That is, every person’s life from the time they are born till the time they pass will be encompassed with acquiring what is their cultural â€Å"norms, values, beliefs, attitudes and language† (Gecas, 2001, p. 2855). In doing so the individuals self and personality will be formed and moulded. For the purpose of this essay I will concentrate on the significance of family in the socialisation process and three facets for which family is central, they are: behaviour, development and gender roles.Predominately, the three aspec ts will focus on the primary socialisation that focuses on the progression of one’s development. It will examine the nuclear family diversity within family socialisation and describe how different family types socialise. Finally it will briefly discuss the change in family roles within contemporary society. Socialisation is a continual process of cultural diffusion that recognises social identities, roles and personal behaviours that an individual will learn so to become a member of society (Scott, 2006).Every individual begins the process of socialisation within the early years of personhood within the context of their family. Our parents, siblings, grandparents and extended immediate family are our primary agents, who develop our knowledge and skills through a variety of actions (Scott, 2006). Therefore the family in the socialisation process is the most influential and essential for a child’s development. A newly born baby is not a very social being; it is the paren ts’ role to train the baby and to help make it properly social (Plummer, 2010).As parents respond to their baby’s physical needs, they are starting to implement what the baby should expect from their surroundings and the way they should communicate their needs. A child’s earliest interaction with society is through the relationships it develops with its family members. These relationships during a baby’s development play a key role in their future social adjustments (Strickland, 2001). In relation, families who provide dependable and responsive care, aid the child to develop personal evelopment that can be considered typical to what society views as normal. In doing so the child will be able to develop relationships with others that are beneficial and nourishing (Plummer, 2010). An example of children who do not receive this type of care would be to refer to the studies that have been complied regarding feral children. It has been suggested by Plummer (20 10) that children who have been â€Å"left to live in isolation and then discovered, later show that they simply cannot function as social beings† (p. 20).Similarly a family who during the child’s developmental years pass on what they think and understand to be principle behaviours, attitudes, skills and values can be suggested to be exercising the social learning theory researched by Jean Piaget (1896-1980). According to social learning theory, behaviours and attitudes develop in response to reinforcement and encouragement from those around us†¦ the identity people acquire is based more on the behaviours and attitudes of people around them than the interior landscape of the individual (Anderson & Taylor, 2006, p. 4). For example, household rules govern behaviour, generosity and caring are socially respected merits that are taught within the home and culture, and interpersonal behaviour function as models for interactions with outside people (Strickland, 2001). He nce, during the primary socialisation it is not only the matter to understand what are the patterns of behaviour, the rules or the norms, â€Å"it is a matter of learning to the extent to which they become part of the way people think† (Gecas, 2001, p. 2856).In addition, support and control from families are the most powerful models of influence in the socialisation process. Children who are continually supported by their family through the progression of significant life stages are found to present encouraging â€Å"cognitive development, moral behaviour, positive self esteem, academic achievement and social competence† (Rollins & Thomas, 1979, p. 41). Conversely, where there is a lack of family support children may display negative outcomes. Rollins and Thomas (1979) suggest â€Å"low self esteem, delinquency, deviance, drug use, and various other problem behaviours† (p. 2). Also, parental control is just as important as support in the socialisation process. J ust like support, the level of control families exercise forms of punishment, discipline, supervision, strictness and monitoring can lead to positive or negative developmental and behavioural outcomes for the child. A significant behaviour that is discovered in the family context is what it means to be a boy or girl. This process takes place when the families we exist in â€Å"condition our behaviours by treating boys and girls in accordance with social expectations† (Holmes, 200, p. 3). Children â€Å"quickly learn how men and women are expected to behave, even if those close to them do not always behave according to those expectations† (Holmes, 2007, p. 43). The socialisation experience of girls across cultures is geared towards motherhood and males will be workers (Hoffman, 1977). The main point here is these similarities across cultures and over time have led many to believe that gender roles â€Å"must be biologically based and unchangeable† (Hoffman, 1977, p. 644) to reflect the expectations of society.It tends to be the case in contemporary society that an array of different family types exist. No more are children being born into married mother and father couples, they are also being reared to unwed heterosexual couples, divorced couples, unattached heterosexual men and women, and to adults who have used IVF techniques, to which they may or may not be related too. This is only a selection of a small number of family types that now occupy society and as a result the way in which these families come to socialise will differ.To identify why these differences exist would be to observe not only the family type but factors that are confounded within the family type (Grusec & Hastings, 2007). In other words, according to Grusec and Hastings (2007) the functioning of an individual is influenced by the relationship within the family. Therefore, if there were an absence of the mother or father in the home, such as single-parent habitat, it w ould bestow a different family socialisation context.Also, children and parents who live in different family structures may have the right to use distinctive economic, community and social resources, and as a result this may offer greater experiences of cultural surroundings in a variety of ways. For example, parents with â€Å"low incomes and less access to resources show poorer socialisation practices and less authoritative parenting styles, compared to more financially well off parents† (Grusec & Hastings, 2007, p. 329).Children who live in homes that require constant residential moving, for example parents who are divorced will experience problems in adjusting compared to children whose families provide stable environments (Grusec & Hastings, 2007). Consequently, for the majority of human beings who will experience society through the observations of our initial family practices, we will all grow up thinking that ‘our’ family is normal. It is not until we beg in to realise that ‘our’ family is a part of the many varieties of family types mentioned above, that the diversity of family is introduced.Even until today the nuclear family continues to create a dominant principle in much of the Western world, and Rapoport and Rapoport (1982) have described family diversity by contributing to the idealised conception that the nuclear family is disappearing. As Poole (2005, as citied in Bittman & Pixley, 1997) has pointed out examining household types at one juncture obscures transitions such as children leaving home, thus creating single-person or couple households; having children; separating and divorcing; ageing and moving to live with married children or to supported accommodation; and then dying.Throughout this period, nuclear family households are created and broken up and then recreated – sometimes several times (p. 67). Factors that are also contributing to the demise of the nuclear family are â€Å"increased longevit y, declining fertility, rising divorce rates and increase in the proportion of people who will never marry† (Poole, 2005, p. 67-68). Hence, it is no longer infrequent or rare to come across children who will appear from an assorted mixture of parents and families. Likewise it is not uncommon in contemporary society that the role of the women has changed.It is no longer the actuality that women will spend much of their lives pregnant, nursing or caring for children. This change has resulted primarily from three converging factors, â€Å"smaller family size, longer life expectancy and higher employment rates for women throughout their life cycle† (Hoffman, 1977, p. 644). The socialisation process across cultures for girls is geared toward motherhood; therefore if motherhood is no longer the major role of women in society, then the socialisation process can be expected to change (Hoffman, 1977).However, in spite of all these changes the responsibility for women to have chi ldren is still her role. Furthermore the role of the female in the family has evolved with the contemporary woman who is choosing to have an increased control over their fertility and as result they are marrying later in life, having children later, and having fewer children. In addition, the increased acceptance and expectation in society that women work is also bearing waves on the reduction of babies being conceived, so too is the proportion of women pursuing higher education qualifications.Overall, whether or not the birth rate remains low is difficult to predict, but there is clearly an increase in the number of couples who expect to have only two children (Hoffman, 1977), so where does this leave the generation continuance in the socialisation process? In conclusion every human being when they enter the world of life will be thrust into the process of socialisation for which their families bear the greatest responsibility. They will become a distinct mark in the culture they p reside too and the self will evolve through the wondrous capabilities of learning, identifying, and developing who they are as an individual.There are many aspects for which the family is fundamental during the socialisation process and we can appreciate that in respect to the assortment of different family types there will be altered approaches to how families socialise, much diversity and ongoing change. As the individual evolves during the many stages of their life, they too will become the family member who takes the role in the socialisation process and it will now be their responsibility to ensure that the culture they belong to continues on. References Gecas, V. (2001).Socialisation: Encyclopedia of Sociology (Vol. 4, 2nd ed. , pp. 2855-2864). Retrieved from http://www. gale. cengage. com Germov, J. , & Poole, M. (2007). Public sociology: An introduction to Australian society. Sydney, Australia: Allen & Unwin. Grusec, J. E. , & Hastings, P. D (2007). Handbook of socialisation : Theory and Research. New York, NY: Guilford Publications. Hoffman, L. W. (1977). Changes in family roles, socialisation, and sex differences. American Psychologist Journal, (August), 644-657. Holmes, M. (2007). What is gender?.London, England: Sage Publications. Plummer, K. (2010). Sociology: The basics. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Poole, M. (2005). Family: Changing families, changing times. NSW, Australia: Allen & Unwin. Rapoport, R. , & Rapoport, R. N. (1982). Families in Britain. London: Routledge Rollins, B. C. , & Thomas, D. L. (1979). Parental support, power, and control techniques in the socialisation of children. New York, NY: Free Press Strickland, B. (2001). Socialisation: The Gale Encylopedia of Psychology (2nd ed, pp. 607-609). Retrieved from http:www. gale. cengage. com

Problems that sikhs face practicing their religion in Britain today Essay

Sikhism was born in the Punjab area of Asia which falls into present day states as India and Pakistan the main religions of that time were Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh faith began around 500 years ago (1500 CE) when Guru Nanak started preaching a faith that was quite distinct from Hinduism and Islam. Nine gurus followed Guru Nanak and developed faith over the next centuries. Sikhism is the youngest of the six world faiths and is the second smallest of all. Sikhism was formed from Hinduism and Islam. Sikhs follow the teachings of the 10 Gurus, The Gurus (meaning religious leader) are not worshipped. Their teachings are recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book. The 2001 census recorded 336,000 Sikhs living in Britain. Britain is becoming more and more multicultural and there are more Sikhs now than ever before. As Britain is predominantly Christian, many Sikhs face difficulties in practising their faith. Like some other religions, Sikhs are often discriminated against in Britain today. The war on Iraq brings with it an increase in hostility towards those who wear turbans making it hard for some Sikhs to show pride in their religious clothing. The turban has become an important symbol of the Sikh faith. Most Sikh men wear a turban as well as some Sikh women. Sikhs may experience slurs, isolation, hostility and sometimes even assaults just because of their appearance. Many British people are racists and are unable to accept anybody who are of a different race, this must make it very hard for Sikhs to feel normal and at ease in the place that they live. Some Sikh traditions include not cutting your hair and using tobacco. Sikhs don’t cut their hair because they believe God created you with hair so that is the way he must want you to look. In Britain some people may associate very long with being dirty and/or untidy, and this could also lead to more discrimination against the Sikhs. Male Sikhs wear turbans to cover their hair which can cause problems with certain types of jobs. Due to health and safety you have to wear a helmet/hard hat on a construction/building site. If you’re a Sikh, you are not allowed to take off your turban and the helmet won’t fit over the top of it therefore any strict Sikhs will not become builders or anything associated with construction/building sites. In older times bus conductors were made to wear caps whilst working. Men with turbans were not able to wear this hat so they were not allowed to become bus conductors. Officers in the police force are also required to wear a cap/hat whilst working. Sikhs have been turned down due to refusing to take off their turbans so that they can work as a police officer. The UK Police have spent one hundred thousand pounds trying to adapt a hat that will fit over the Sikh turban. Until then Sikhs are not allowed to join the force unless they are willing to take off their turbans. Schools in Britain teach very little on Sikhism today. The ‘network of Sikh orginisations’ expressed the views of the Sikh community that teaching of Sikhism is being pushed out even in schools where the majority of the population are Sikhs. Apart from a handful of schools there is little provision for pupils to undertake any qualifications in Sikh religious studies. There are many sport professions that Sikhs are unable to take part in such as swimming and football. As a lot of Britain are sport fanatics this must be hard for Sikhs as they cannot take part in any of it. The law has been lifted against helmets for Sikh motorcyclists, so that they can now ride bikes with just a turban on. Many Sikhs are vegetarians. This could be quite difficult in certain situations such as children in school or certain restaurants. Those who are not vegetarians will only eat meat where the animal has been killed in a certain way, unless the Sikhs know that the animal was killed correctly then they will not eat the meat. Eating in restaurants would be tricky because they’re unlikely to have killed their meat in the way Sikhs require. Sikh men and women who are full members of their religion (Khalsa) wear the five K’s. These represent the five articles of faith which distinguish individuals as Sikhs. The five K’s described under Khalsa are KESH, KANGHA, KARA, KIRPAN and KACHERA. The Khalsa was a brotherhood of fighters who would dedicate themselves to the Sikh cause and were given certain distinctive features to identify them as Sikhs. There are five of these features, which Khalsa Sikhs wear today. They are: KESH OR KESHAS: long hair usually worn under the turban to symbolise holiness. KANGA: small wooden comb to keep the hair tidy and symbolise purity. KARA: steel bracelet/bangle worn on the right wrist to protect the sword arm and symbolises eternity. KIRPAN: a small sword symbolising readiness to fight oppression. KACHA or KACHERA: shorts worn as an under garment, to symbolise modesty and sexual restraint. In Britain it is illegal to carry the kirpan identical to the original in public as it is seen as dangerous. However the ‘criminal justice act’ (1996) allows anyone to carry a blade exceeding the length of 3 inches for religious, cultural or work related reasons. The 2003 discrimination act safeguards the Sikhs to carry a kirpan. Some Sikhs wear a necklace that contains charms of the kanga and kirpan so that they do not look threatening. There is a case of a girl from South Wales who was suspended from school for refusing to remove her Kara. The school claimed that her bracelet was against school rules which were set a long time ago. The girl refused to take off her kara as she was proud to wear it because it reflected which religion she was part of. The school was taken to court over the suspension and was declared guilty of indirect discrimination. Sikh temples are known as Gurdwaras. There are not many Gurdwaras in Britain where Sikhs can go to worship. This is a difficulty for the Sikhs to practice their faith as in India part of a Sikhs ritual would include attending the Gurdwara. Religious festivals such as maghi and diwali may not be attented by certain Sikhs due to work. Some jobs may not offer them the time off as Britain is more Christianity orientated with time off for Christmas and easter etc. In Conclusion I think that being a Sikh in Britain must be difficult and hard to practice and will take some getting used to. Those who were born in Britain will not know any different anyway so they will be well adapted to the way in which they live. I think it is probably very hard for those who have emigrated from Asia to adapt to a new way of living.

Nursing Home Abuse Essay

Approximately 1.4 million elderly people reside in long term care facilities, such as nursing homes. The families that admit their loved ones to these long term care facilities believe that excellent care is being provided to them. Many of the residents in nursing home settings receive adequate health care, but a numerous amount of other residents are subjected to abuse and neglect. It is believed that nearly one-third of all nursing homes have residents that are subjected to abuse either by staff or other residents (Masters in Health Care). Definitions of elder abuse vary. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what actions or inactions constitute abuse. Besides a variety of definitions, the major types of abuse that occur in nursing homes are categorized into physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, financial or material exploitation. The solution to such nursing home abuse is rather simple. To prevent the inhumane treatment of the elderly in nursing homes, the nursing shortage needs to be addressed. The scandal of elder abuse in nursing homes appears to be new phenomena, but in reality this god forsaken crime has occurred for decades. Due to an elder’s physical and cognitive make up, they are not able to defend themselves from the heinous acts of abuse by their caregivers. Abuse in nursing homes is mainly thought of as physical aggression, but the elderly are subjected to psychological abuse also. One would think that no man or woman could commit abuse onto a helpless individual; however the issue of elderly abuse in nursing homes has been a growing problem. In 2003, there were 20,673 complaints of abuse, gross neglect, and exploitation on behalf of nursing home and â€Å"board and care† residents (American Association for Justice). By 2010 the number of elderly abuse complaints rose to a number between one million and two million (National Center on Elder Abuse). A study prepared by the staff of the Special Investigations Division of the House Government Reform Committee found that thirty percent of nursing homes in the United States (5,283 facilities) were cited for almost nine-thousand instances of abuse over a recent two year period. The common problems of the study included untreated bedsores, inadequate medical care, malnutrition, dehydration, preventable accidents, and inadequate sanitation and hygiene. These common problems can be categorized into the major types of elder abuse in nursing homes. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect, abandonment, and financial exploitation are considered the major types of such abuse. Physical abuse is defined by the use of physical force that may result in bodily injury, physical pain, or impairment. Physical abuse may include but is not limited to such acts of violence as striking (with or without an object), hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, shaking, slapping, kicking, pinching, and burning. In addition, inappropriate use of drugs and physical restraints, force-feeding, and physical punishment of any kind also are examples of physical abuse (National Center on Elder Abuse). Nearly sixteen-percent of nursing home abuse cases involve physical abuse (Brent & Adams). An article published by ABC news interviewed Helen Love, a 75 year-old grandmother of three that was a victim of nursing home abuse. Helen told ABC, â€Å"He choked me and he went and broke my neck. He broke my wrist bones, in my hand. He put his hand over my mouth.† Two days after the interview, Helen Love died. Nursing home officials did not report her beating to a state official who was at the nursing home at the time. Ultimately, though, Love’s attacker served a year in prison. An investigation revealed that he had been fired by two previous nursing homes for aggressive behavior. A report by the Senate Select Committee on Aging found that many nursing home abuse cases are not immediately reported to law enforcement official (Robinson). In fact, a recent report indicated that one in fourteen incidents of elder abuse where not reported to the authorities (American Association of Justice). Emotional or psychological abuse is defined as the infliction of anguish, pain, or distress through verbal or nonverbal acts. Emotional/psychological abuse includes but is not limited to verbal assaults, insults, threats, intimidation, humiliation, and harassment. In addition, treating an older person like an infant; isolating an elderly person from his/her family, friends, or regular activities; giving an older person the â€Å"silent treatment† and enforced social isolation are examples of emotional/psychological abuse (National Center on Elder Abuse). Almost twenty percent of reported elder abuse cases involve emotional abuse (Brent & Adams). With emotional abuse being the most abundant, it is also the most difficult to define. Emotional abuse is purely subjective which therefore is difficult to reprimand nurses against these crimes. The other major crimes however are objective, and are more easy to identify, such as neglect. Neglect is defined as the refusal or failure to fulfill any part of a person’s obligations or duties to an elder. Neglect may also include failure of a person who has fiduciary responsibilities to provide care for an elder (e.g., pay for necessary home care services) or the failure on the part of an in-home service provider to provide necessary care (National Center on Elder Abuse). According to Brent & Adams, twelve percent of abuse cases involve caretaker neglect. Neglect typically means the refusal or failure to provide an elderly person with such life necessities as food, water, clothing, shelter, personal hygiene, medicine, comfort, personal safety, and other essentials included in an implied or agreed-upon responsibility to an elder (National Center on Elder Abuse). The Federal Bureau of Investigation published an article in May of 2012 about a case of nursing home neglect. The owner of three Georgia nursing homes, George Dayln Houser, was convicted in Atlanta of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid for $32.9 million dollars. To receive Medicare and Medicaid payments, Houser agreed to provide his residents with a safe and clean physical environment, nutritional meals, medical care, and other assistance. Houser not only failed to maintain a nursing staff sufficient to take proper care of the residents but did not pay food suppliers or providers of pharmacy and clinical laboratory services, medical waste disposal, trash disposal, and nursing supplies (FBI). Neglect, alongside physical abuse, are the most detrimental to a residents health. Not only do caregivers subject their residents to the atrocious crimes of neglect, but they also exploit them financially and materially. Financial or material exploitation is defined as the illegal or improper use of an elder’s funds, property, or assets. Examples include, but are not limited to, cashing an elderly person’s checks without authorization or permission; forging an older person’s signature; misusing or stealing an older person’s money or possessions; coercing or deceiving an older person into signing any document; and the improper use of conservatorship, guardianship, or power of attorney (National Center on Elder Abuse). In 2009, a Chicago nursing home worker faced financial exploitation and aggravated identification theft charges for allegedly stealing $4,008 from a Illinois nursing home. The criminal remained free on bail and was fired from the Illinois nursing home. Authorities acknowledge that the criminal had a previous criminal conviction for forgery (Nursing Home Blog). The major types of nursing home abuse have a direct correlation to inadequate staffing levels. A recent statistic by the American Association for Justice, found that ninety-percent of United States nursing homes had staffing levels too low to provide sufficient care. Residents of those nursing homes falling below minimal staffing standards are much more likely to develop bedsores and experience excessive weight loss than those in other nursing homes. This is because enough staff must be available so that all residents who cannot eat by themselves receive help. Also, unless immobile elderly residents are repositioned frequently, they may develop bedsores. To add to the problem, understaffing contributes to low morale and frustration among employees, decreasing their ability to deal with residents patiently and respectfully. According to the American Association for Justice, a series of reports revealed that many nursing homes do not have enough staff to meet the levels recommended by federal officials (3.45 nursing hours per patient daily) and nursing home experts (4.55 nursing hours per patient). Insufficient hours per patient hosts all sorts of potential problems for nursing care, the most problematic being neglect. Many nursing home residents need constant nursing attention to ensure that they do not develop medical problems. In many cases, residents need to be turned, moved, or given skin assessments to avoid developing pressure ulcers or from forming deadly blood clots. John A. Fisher, Ph. D, said there have been an alarming amount of recent cases in which New York nursing homes have been found liable for elder abuse after a resident died or was injured due to inadequate care. In every case, inadequate staffing was named as a contributing factor to the cause of the abuse. With inadequate staffing being the undeniable cause of nursing home abuse, how does the projected nursing shortage effect this issue? The projected nursing shortage in the United States is expected to intensify as baby boomers age and the need for health care grows. â€Å"In the July/August 2009 Health Affairs, Dr. Peter Buerhaus and coauthors found that despite the current easing of the nursing shortage due to the recession, the U.S. nursing shortage is projected to grow to 260,000 registered nurses by 2025. A shortage of this magnitude would be twice as large as any nursing shortage experienced in this country since the mid-1960s. In the article titled The Recent Surge In Nurse Employment: Causes And Implications, the researchers point to a rapidly aging workforce as a primary contributor to the projected shortage (American Association of Colleges of Nursing).† In some instances today, nurses are forced to attend to 20 patients at a time, and that is at the lower part on the nurse- patient spectrum. Federal law requires Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes to have an registered nurse (RN) director of nursing (DON); an RN on duty at least 8 hours a day, 7 days a week; and a licensed nurse (RN or LPN) on duty the rest of the time. However, there are no minimum staffing levels for nurse’s aides, who provide most of the day-to-day care. Instead, nursing homes are required â€Å"to provide sufficient staff and services to attain or maintain the highest possible level of physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each resident. (Elder Law Answers)† If a nursing home met only the federal nurse staffing requirements described above, a resident would receive 20 minutes of nurse time per day. In 2000, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that the preferred minimum staffing level was when nursing home residents received three hours of total staff time per day — two hours of nursing assistant time and one hour of licensed nurse time. The optimum staffing level, according to the CMS, is one hour of licensed nurse time and three hours of nursing assistant time (Elder Law Answers). Most states have standards that are higher than the federal requirements, but still fall short of the levels recommended by the CMS. According to a recent study, the key to improving nursing home staffing levels is increasing state standards. The study by Charlene Harrington, a UCSF School of Nursing professor, found that states with the highest standards for nursing staff levels are the only states where nursing homes have enough staff to prevent serious safety violations. According to the study, the act of raising the state minimum staffing ratio has a direct impact on the quality of care nursing home residents receive. With such an impact that state and federal standards have on quality of care, how can the state enforce nursing homes to follow such mandates? According to an article published by nursing home reality endorsed by Aaron Delurey, the best way to ensure that residents are receiving an ample amount of care is for state officials to introduce these three procedures: Have each state mandate an increase in the percentage of surprise inspections that must take place outside of regular business hours on weekdays. Second, require management personnel to work staggered shits all the time, not just when the state is in their building. Why require this change? When the management is out of the building the quality of care given often suffers. Third and foremost, when the state shows up for an any kind of inspection, the inspectors should immediately seize the payroll data to verify staffing levels for the 14 continuous days immediately prior to the inspection. The inspectors should also insist that while they are in the building that no additional staff can be called in. These procedures would ultimately address the nursing shortage, therefore depleting the abuse within nursing homes.

Motivating Employees in an Organisation Essay

Motivating Employees in an Organization S Santosh Contents Chapter 12 Chapter 25 Chapter 310 Chapter 415 Chapter 1 Motivation: Concepts and Theories Defining motivation The word â€Å"motivation† comes from the Latin word movere – â€Å"to move. † And managers often view motivation in exactly those terms (â€Å"I need to get my people moving! â€Å"). Motivation is the psychological feature that arouses an organism to action toward a desired goal; the reason for the action. General motivation is concerned with effort towards any goal, whereas effort towards Organizational goals reflects work-related behavior. Many contemporary authors have also defined the concept of motivation. Motivation has been defined as: the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction (Kreitner, 1995); a predisposition to behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs (Buford, Bedeian, & Lindner, 1995); an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994); and the will to achieve (Bedeian, 1993). For this paper, motivation is operationally defined as the inner force that drives individuals to accomplish personal and organizational goals. We mainly deal with the motivating employees in an organization towards the organizational goal for the benefit of both the organization and the employee. Understanding what motivates employees and how they are motivated was the focus of many researchers following the publication of the Hawthorne Study results (Terpstra, 1979). Motivation Theories and concepts While there are many theories on motivation, the seven major approaches that have led to our understanding of motivation are the following: †¢ According to Maslow, employees have five levels of needs (Maslow, 1943): physiological, safety, social, ego, and self- actualizing. Maslow argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need would motivate employees. †¢ Herzberg’s work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygiene (Herzberg, Mausner, ; Snyderman, 1959). Motivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction. †¢ McClelland’s Theory of Needs which focuses on three needs, namely need for Achievement, Need for power, Need for affiliation.

A Simple Heart - Flaubert essays

A Simple Heart - Flaubert essays Within the text of A Simple Heart, by Flaubert, readers find themselves face to face with a simple character. The character is named Felicite. Felicite, according to parenthood.com, means fortunate; Felicity, being off the root of Felicia, means happy. However, Felicites life path turns out to be very mocking to the name she was given. Throughout this book, readers have a hard time finding any fortune or happiness within the context of Felicites simple life. From an outsiders view, Felicites life is not fortunate by any stretch of the imagination. At an early age, Felicites parents died and she was essentially left without a family. She was taken in by a farmer where she was mistreated and beaten and then fired for a crime she did not commit. After this point, she met a man who wooed and romanced her, only to be abandoned by him. Her life was not happy, as the story depicted. At this point, she gave way to a burst of extravagant grief. She threw herself on the ground, cried aloud, called on the good God, and groaned, all alone in the country till sunrise (Flaubert, 6). She was eventually taken into Madame Aubains residence, where she spent most of the passing of this book. Madame Aubains residence is the perfect place for her, and thusly it melted her sorrows. She spends the beginning of her time there playing with the children allowing them to ride on her as if she were a horse. Madame Aubain eventually suggests that she not kiss the children so frequently and so plentifully. Flaubert writes, Madame Aubain told her to stop kissing them all the time, which hurt her deeply (Flaubert, 7). Felicite, in her simplicity, was full of love for people as well. At one point, Felicite, Madame Aubain, and her two children, Paul and Virginie, were confronted with a bull. Rather than run and cause the bull to stampede, Felicite retired steadily...

Connecting with the Community essays

Connecting with the Community essays Stolen Summer: Connecting with the Community The movie, Stolen Summer is a film that highlights the idea of connecting with the community. A little boy allows his family and another family to connect with each other and the surrounding community. The movie is about a large Catholic family with several sons and daughters who live in one home, and survive off the basic things. They do not get extras, and even the father hates to admit that he cannot even send his oldest son to college. The parents send their children to a private Catholic school, where they are taught by nuns and learn to live without sin. One boy, Pete, gets himself into a lot of mischief at school, and is constantly misbehaving in class. The nuns constantly reprimand him and tell him that he will go to hell if he keeps his behavior on a constant level. Pete decides that he must go on a quest to redeem himself in the eyes of God, and he chooses to convert Jews to Christianity. At first, Pete tries to make a lemonade stand in front of a synagogue. He tries to sell it for free and lend people Christian advice at the same time. Although he had bad luck with this, he was still very persistent. While he is marketing his Christian lemonade, Pete meets Ra bbi Jacobson. Although a lot of the Jews in the community find the lemonade stand offensive, Rabbi Jacobson feels that this will be an enlightening experience for Pete OMalley. Petes father is a firefighter. One day while at the Christian lemonade stand, Pete is joined by one of his older brothers. They hear sirens and see Rabbi Jacobson abruptly run to his car and speed away in the direction of the sirens. It turns out that Rabbi Jacobsons home was caught on fire with his son, Danny, and the synagogues secretary as Dannys babysitter inside the house. Luckily, Petes father, Mr. OMalley, hurries inside and rescues the son before the home collapse. Unfortunately, t...

Ancient Potters essays

Ancient Potters essays Our knowledge of ancient science and technology is based entirely on what we have uncovered at archeological sites. When researchers first started finding things belonging to ancient peoples, they formed ideas about how those people lived and operated in their society. As more information came to light, many ideas had to be changed. New discoveries enabled researchers to get a clearer picture of how certain areas of the ancient world practiced their trade. Many of the new discoveries had to do with pottery. There is now an abundance of information telling us about ancient potters, concerning how they produced their wares and to where these wares were sold. Apart from the progression from open fire to the use of kilns, more specific elements of the pottery process were revealed. With the use of modern technology, researchers realized that the ancient potters were not just using whatever clay was available but were using certain kinds. As the craft developed, the potters learned which clay to use for its strength and color. We now know that it is the levels of iron and calcium contained in the clay that determine these things. Also, it was discovered that, contrary to popular belief, paint was not used to illustrate the pottery. Instead, a mixture of clay and water, called a slip, was used. The slip was added before the clay was fired. To get the change in color desired, the potters (probably unaware of the chemistry involved) deprived the fire of oxygen at one point in the process and then reintroduced it. Another big discovery was the terra sigillata molds. These molds were used to mass-produce a certain kind of pottery. The pottery was called Samian ware. Samian ware was the ancient equivalent of fine china. It was all red and had a glossy shine to it. And, usually when a potter would make this stuff, he would add his trademark, his symbol. The symbol became a mark of excellence. But, even in these ancient...

What I Learned from English 102 Research Paper Example

What I Learned from English 102 Research Paper Example What I Learned from English 102 Paper What I Learned from English 102 Paper ENG102 Prof 11/24/11 Reflective Essay When the semester began I thought to my knowledge that my writing was that of good quality. Though I had a good basic understanding of the format of an essay or letter I still had a lot to learn. My writing changed in many ways such as learning to eliminate unnecessary wording in my thesis, the use of synonyms, analyzing quotes and writing abstract to concrete thoughts or ideas. This Class not only helped enhance my writing abilities but to also better evaluate the writings of others and forced me to acknowledge the rigorous work of future courses in college. The thesis was and still is at times a task for me. I have always had the right perspective when it came to my thesis yet it was always very broad. I learned, though my thesis was pointed in the right direction I had to eliminate the unnecessary wording and make my statement clear and to the point. For example before the revision my thesis was â€Å"It is human nature to attain freedom at any cost than to live in madness or misery and the life of torture†, after my acquired knowledge I edited my thesis to â€Å"It is human nature to attain freedom at any cost than to live in madness or misery†. I acknowledged my bad habit and a run on of thoughts which I have come to correct. At times I find it funny that I couldn’t figure it out myself. The usage of synonyms was a concept I had to remember from grade school. It was pointed out to me that I had a repetitive use of words in my writing. In one of my previous essays I used the word freedom a bit too often, so I had to edit and make changes from â€Å"Madness can be an imprisonment that forces one to seek freedom† to â€Å"Madness can be an imprisonment that forces one to seek autonomy†. This was better when used synonyms because it keeps the reader interested. The use of synonyms creates the play of words, keeps the reader enlightened as they go along and helps the writer broaden their own vocabulary on an intellectual level. When a writer has analyzed a quote then he has analyzed the book itself. Issues can arise if a quote is not correctly evaluated. You must be positive that what you are saying coincides with your work for example in â€Å"The story of an Hour† the doctors said â€Å"she died of heart disease-of joy that kills†. When one is looking at this, one does not actually think there is a disease as such but there is a deeper meaning to it. I took this and realized the meaning by going back to the story. I could tell by the characters actions after the news of her husband’s death that happiness and freedom were emitting off her as never before. I had to envision this characters emotions to her joyous relief which made me appreciate the doctor’s quote. Going through the process of understanding a character helped me to comprehend the deeper meaning of certain quotes in the books I have been reading. This procedure aided me to incorporate this information into my essay as a developing writer. Writing abstract to concrete thoughts or ideas is very important. To speak about love which is abstract, one would have to express the emotion given by another that would be concrete as hugging or kissing. I found this to be very significant because when reflecting on abstract thoughts I learned to be specific and by evidence or explanation so to be concrete. In my paper â€Å"Price of freedom† I stated â€Å"madness can be an imprisonment that forces one to seek autonomy†, that is an abstract thought but it was made concrete by the verified information from the book â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†. I stated from my understanding of the book that â€Å"a women is isolated and told to rest by her husband†. â€Å"She descends into madness and construes the hallucinations of the wallpaper being real†. I made clear of my abstract thought to be concrete. I learned this helps the reader to better acknowledge the perspective of the writer. This class not only help me improve my writing skills but also prepare me for the painstaking work of future courses in college. Being able to read, write and discuss multiple books or documents on an intellectual level is more than a requirement; it is necessity for any and all students who would want to advance in today’s world. I do not believe one would be hired for a professional job if that person is speaking on a mere fifth grade level. I take great pride in the knowledge I have gained here. I can look at another student’s paper and discuss whether or not it is well written or needs improvement; that is an accomplishment in it of itself. In conclusion to the reflective look back on my journey, I can see how far I have come. I have come to appreciate writing, yet more so for reading because there was a time where I would dread the idea of reading, but I have come to recognize that reading is more enjoyable when it is something I favor. Writing has become very important in my life and at times it is my only way to speak. I am thankful for the great professor I have had a chance to work with because a good teacher makes the difference between professional advancement and utter failure. I can truly say I have learned much and am stronger to take on the educational system.

The 5 UC Application Tips You Need to Get Into University of California

The 5 UC Application Tips You Need to Get Into University of California SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re applying to one or more of the UC schools, you want to make sure you get the application right.This step-by-step guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the UC application, from the time you decide to apply to a UC school to when you submit the final piece of the application. Keep reading to learn when the most important UC application deadline is, which documents you need to submit to complete your application, if you need a separate application for each UC school, and how you can make sure every part of your application sets you apart from the crowd. Important Info About the University of California Application It’s key to know important information about the UC application early on so that you have enough time to gather and submit all the materials you need before the deadlines. Where to Find the UC Application: You can find the UC application here. This is the application for all University of California schools, so regardless if you’re looking for a UC Berkeley application, UC Davis application, etc., they all use this same application. How to Submit the Application: When you’ve completed the application, you can submit it by hitting the â€Å"Submit† button at the end of the application. SAT and/or ACT scores must be sent directly to the UC school(s) you’re applying to. When to Submit Your Application: It’s extremely important to know when the UC application deadlines are because missing one could mean your application won’t be looked at. Below are the key University of California application dates. Date Action August 1 UC application opens November 1-30 Period application can be submitted online December Self-report December test scores January-February Submit official December test score results February-March Admissions decisions are sent out March 2 Financial aid applications due May 1 Reply date for all accepted first year students July 1 Admitted students must have submitted their final high school transcript Looking at the above chart, it’s clear that the most important date is November 30th. This is the last day you can submit your UC application. UC states right on the website that they almost never accept late applications, so don’t miss this deadline! However, as long as you have your application submitted by November 30th, you can still take the ACT/SAT in December. If you choose to do this, you’ll self-report your scores in December and then send your official scores once you get them in January or February. We don’t recommend waiting until December to take the ACT or SAT because if you’re unhappy with your score you won’t have any other chances to retake it, but if you’ve taken the exam several times and want one more shot, a December test date is an option. You’ll learn if you’ve been accepted in March (occasionally as early as February), and you’ll have until May 1st to decide which school to attend out of all those you applied to. Want to build the best possible college application? We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. How to Apply to the UC Schools There are five main steps to applying to UC schools. The earlier you begin your application (as early as August 1st) the more time you’ll have to complete all the steps and the less pressure you’ll be under to meet the deadline. The steps are the same regardless of which UC school(s) you’re applying to since all UC schools use the same application (and you only need to submit one application, even if you apply to multiple UC schools). Step 1: Create an Account Your step to applying to UC schools is to create an applicant account. This step will only take about a few minutes since you just need to fill out basic information like your email, name, birthday, and if you’re applying as a freshman or as a transfer student. Step 2: Complete the UC Application After creating your account, you’ll be immediately sent to the beginning of the application.The University of California application contains eight sections: Start You’ll answer some brief questions, such as if you qualify as a resident of California and if you have a parent who works for UC. Campuses Majors You choose which school(s) you want to apply to. There are nine UC schools, listed below, and you can choose to apply to as many as you want, including all nine. Be aware though that each UC school you apply to requires its own $70 application fee. Here are the UC schools: UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Irvine UC Los Angeles UC Merced UC Riverside UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz UC San Diego You’ll next select your major. If you’re applying to multiple UC schools, you’ll need to do this separately for each school since they all have slightly different majors.Some schools will also require additional steps in this section. For example, if you’re applying to UC San Diego, you’ll need to rank the six colleges they have so the admissions committee can place you in the one that’s the best fit for you. Scholarships In this section you’ll select your eligibility for different scholarship categories, such as ethnicity, career plans, and work experience. There are ten categories, each with multiple characteristics you can select. You can select up to 16 characteristics.You’ll only select these characteristics once, regardless of how many UC schools you’re applying to. About You Here you’ll enter additional demographic information such as information about your parents’ careers and education, what your family’s income is, and how many people there are in your family. Academic History This is a somewhat lengthy section where you’ll need to enter in information about the high school(s) you attended, all the classes you took in high school, if they were honors or AP, and the grade you got. It’s basically like entering all the information on your transcript. (You don’t need to submit your official transcript until the summer, after you’ve been accepted and have decided to attend a UC school.) Activities Awards In this section you’ll discuss all the activities you participated in outside of the classroom. There are six categories: Coursework other than A-G Educational preparation programs Volunteer and community service Work experience Awards and honors Extracurricular activities The application explains which activities fall into which category, and there’s no need to feel like you need to have activities to put in all the categories, or even most of them.For each category, you can add up to five separate classes/activities/jobs/awards/etc. Test Scores Here is where you’ll enter in information about the standardized test(s) you’ve taken. NOTE: Even though you’re self-reporting your scores in your application, you still need to submit official exam scores to each UC school you’re applying to or your application won’t be considered complete. UC schools accept both ACT and SAT scores, but for both exams you also need to take the optional essay section. Taking either of these exams without the essay won’t meet this requirement.You’ll enter in your scores for each section of the exam.If you haven’t taken a standardized test yet or plan to retake it in December, you’ll also indicate that in this section. Here you’ll also report your SAT Subject Test, AP, and IB scores, if you took any of those tests and want UC schools to see your scores.If you’re an international student, you can also report your TOEFL or IELTS scores as well as the scores of any international exams you took. Personal Insight This is the section where you’ll answer the personal statement questions. There are eight personal statement questions, and you’ll need to answer four of them. Each response needs to be 350 words or less.We recommend that you write your essays in a word document first to make it easier to review them, then paste each essay into the application once you’re done editing it. Below are the eight essay prompts. They’re also listed on the UC admissions website. 1. Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. 2. Every person has a creative side, and it can be expressed in many ways: problem solving, original and innovative thinking, and artistically, to name a few. Describe how you express your creative side. 3. What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated that talent over time? 4. Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced. 5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement? 6. Think about an academic subject that inspires you. Describe how you have furthered this interest inside and/or outside of the classroom. 7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place? 8. Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California? If you want tips on writing your personal statements, we have a guide on how to write a perfect UC essay for every prompt. Step 3: Pay Admission Fees and Submit Your Application Once you’ve finished each section your application, you can submit it, as long as it’s between November 1-30.When you submit your application, first you’ll enter in some final demographic information as well as your state of legal residence. Then you’ll review all the information you entered to make sure it’s correct. Once everything is set, you’ll pay the necessary fees. The application fee is $70 ($80 if you’re an international student) for each UC school you apply to.Then you’ll click submit, and your application will officially be sent to the UC schools you’re applying to! Step 4: Submit Your Standardized Test Scores You’ll self submit your test scores when you fill out your University of California application, but you also need to send official score reports to each of the UC schools you’re applying to.You’ll need to take either the ACT with Writing or the SAT with Essay. You aren’t required to take AP exams or SAT Subject Tests, but you can submit those scores as well if you did take those tests. As we mentioned above, it’s possible to take the ACT or SAT as late as December of the year you’re applying, but we recommend taking the tests earlier since you’ll be busy applying to colleges at that time and, if you’re unhappy with your December exam score, there will be no opportunities to make it up. We have guides specifically on sending ACT scores and SAT scores to colleges if you need more information. Step 5: (Optional) Complete Additional Materials Most students applying to UC schools won’t need to submit additional materials, but some will. This will depend on both which schools you’re applying to and what you plan on majoring in. For example, some students planning to major in a fine arts discipline are requested to submit a portfolio. UC San Diego also recommends that biological science, engineering, and physical science majors take two math/science SAT Subject Tests.These additional materials are typically only recommended, not required, but doing these extra steps can help give your application a boost. If you do need to complete additional materials, you will either get a notification in the application or receive an email outlining what you need to do, but it’s also a good idea to research your intended major at each UC school you’re applying to in order to make sure you’re not missing any important recommendations. University of California Application Checklist To recap, below is everything you need to submit when you apply to a UC school. Your application won’t be considered until the schools receive all the pieces below. UC Application Application Fee of $70 for each school you apply to SAT/ACT scores (must include Writing/Essay section) (Optional) Supplemental Materials 5 Things UC Schools Look at in Applications and How to Impress Them The UC schools are pretty open about what they look for in applicants and what an applicant needs to have to be accepted. They list the 14 qualities they judge applications on so there’s no mystery about what they’re looking for. In this section, we’ve organized those 14 qualities into five categories UC admissions looks at and explain what you need to do to excel in each one and create a standout UC application. #1: Classes You Took When UC admissions officers look at the classes you took, they’re looking at two things: the actual courses you took and how difficult they were. For the first category, UC schools want to make sure you’ve taken the classes you need to succeed as a college student at one of their schools. Their minimum requirements are: History: 2 years English: 4 years Mathematics: 3 years Laboratory science: 2 years Language other than English: 2 years Visual and performing arts: 1 year College-preparatory elective: 1 year (These courses are sometimes referred to as the â€Å"A-G subjects†). Note that this is the minimum UC schools require; most applicants will have gone well beyond these requirements. Some majors, especially those in math or science fields, require additional classes, so make sure to research the major you plan to take to make sure you’re on track. In general, it’s best to take more classes in the fields you plan on majoring in. For example, if you want to major in biology, you should take four years of science and four years of math. If you want to be a history major, you should take four years of history. Doing this shows UC schools that you’re committed to the subject and can handle higher-level classes on it. UC also looks at the difficulty of the classes you took. They’re specifically looking for honors, AP, or IB courses since these are more difficult than regular-level classes. If your school offers these classes, you should take as many as you can without overloading yourself and still maintaining a high GPA.Taking difficult classes shows UC schools that you’re focused on your studies and can handle the challenge and workload of college classes. Also, UC specifically mentions the â€Å"quality of your senior-year program† as one of the qualifications it looks at, so don’t be tempted to slack off senior year with a bunch of easy classes! #2: Grades It’s not enough just to take the classes UC schools want; you also need to do well in them. Your grades and overall GPA are another critical component of your UC application.For all UC schools, you need to have at least a 3.0 GPA in your A-G classes if you’re a California resident, or a 3.4 GPA if you’re a non-resident. Additionally, you can’t have gotten below a â€Å"C† in any of those classes. There is no requirement for classes outside the A-G subjects, but you should still aim to do well in all your classes. UC states that â€Å"the strength of your high school record is the most important component in our review† so you want your transcript to be as strong as it can be with a high GPA and record of challenging classes. Below is a table showing the middle 50% of weighted GPAs for each of the UC schools: School Middle 50% Weighted GPA UC Berkeley 4.16 - 4.30 UC Davis 3.97 - 4.25 UC Irvine 4.00 - 4.26 UCLA 4.16 - 4.31 UC Merced 3.46 - 3.96 UC Riverside 3.66 - 4.09 UC Santa Barbara 4.00 - 4.26 UC Santa Cruz 3.76 - 4.16 UC San Diego 4.02 - 4.28 To give yourself the best chance of getting in, you’ll want to aim for the higher end of the GPA range for whichever school(s) you’re applying to. For example, if you’re applying to UC Davis, your goal should be to have a weighted GPA of 4.25. You can definitely still get in with a lower GPA (since that’s the 75% marker,  ¾ of students are getting in with a GPA lower than that), but if you reach that goal you’ll have a great shot at being accepted. #3: Standardized Test Scores There is no minimum SAT or ACT score you need to get into UC schools, but again, you’ll want to aim high to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted.Below is the middle 50% range for both the SAT and ACT. Again, you’ll want to aim for the higher end of the range to maximize your chances of getting in. School Middle 50% SAT Score Middle 50% ACT Score UC Berkeley 1340-1530 30-35 UC Davis 1220-1480 26-33 UC Irvine 1230-1490 26-33 UCLA 1360-1540 31-35 UC Merced 1020-1280 19-27 UC Riverside 1130-1380 22-30 UC Santa Barbara 1270-1500 28-34 UC Santa Cruz 1210-1450 26-32 UC San Diego 1300-1520 28-34 #4: Extracurriculars Your extracurriculars are another important part of your UC application. The key to strong extracurriculars is to emphasize your passion and leadership skills. You can do this by pursuing extracurriculars in a field related to your future major, sticking with them, and achieving leadership roles in them. Some things UC states that are looking for in extracurriculars include: Special talents, awards, or achievements Leadership experience Significant experiences or achievements that demonstrate the student's promise for contributing to the intellectual vitality of a campus. They list the following examples of â€Å"strong† extracurriculars: Special talent in visual and performing arts, communication or sports Intensive study and exploration of other cultures Significant community service Significant participation in student government Don’t feel like you need to have all or even any of these experiences; they’re just given so you can get an idea of what UC schools are looking for. Basically, any extracurricular that you’re passionate about, skilled in, and have shown some leadership potential for is a great extracurricular to include on your UC application. #5: Personal Statements Your UC essays should show three main things: Who you are Why you want to attend a UC school What’s important to you Maybe you’re a lifelong nature lover who wants to attend UC San Diego to take advantage of all the different ecosystems nearby that biology students can study. Perhaps you’ve always been obsessed with space and want to attend UC Berkeley and major in aeronautical engineering. Whatever your story is, this is the place for UC to hear it, and it’s the best place in your application to show them who you really are as a person.For a more in-depth look, read our guide on how to write outstanding UC essays. Automatic Admission for California Residents If you’re a California resident, who meets at least one of the following two requirements, you will have a guaranteed spot at a UC school. You rank in the top 9% of California high school students, according to the UC admissions index. You rank in the top 9% of your graduating class at a participating high school. This is known as "Eligible in the Local Context" (ELC). Be aware that this doesn’t mean you’ll get into every UC school; it just means you’ll get into at least one, as long as space is available (which there typically is).If you're a California resident who has met the above requirements and aren't admitted to any of the UC schools you applied to, you'll be offered a spot at another campus as long as space is available. Summary: UC Schools Application If you’re applying to a UC school, you want to make sure you know every application step you need to complete.The most important UC application deadline to be aware of is November 30th. This is the last day you can submit your application. In addition to completing the application, you also need to submit your standardized test scores, transcript, and any additional materials your specific school and major require. You only need to submit one application regardless of how many UC schools you’re applying to, but you’ll need to pay a $70 application fee for every school. Regardless of whether you’re working on a UC Davis application, UC San Diego application, UC Berkeley application, etc. all UC schools look for similar qualities in students.You’ll need to complete the A-G courses, take difficult classes, have good grades, participate in extracurriculars, do well on the ACT or SAT, and have strong personal statements. Work to make your application as strong as you can across each of these areas to give yourself the best shot of getting into your dream UC school. What's Next? Want to learn more about the University of California schools?We have an in-depth guide to the UC schools to make it easy for you to compare the schools and see which is best for you. Working on your UC essays?Check out our guide on how to answer every UC essay prompt to get great writing ideas. Want to know how to make your extracurriculars stand out even more? Check out this guide to four amazing extracurricular activities and learn why they're so impressive to colleges. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: