Social Learning Theory Psychology

In the field of Psychology, learning theories are there to attempt to explain how people think and what factors ultimately influence their behavior (ETR, 2007). There are various types of learning theories which all include different concepts and approaches to distinguish an understanding of human behavior and thought (ETR, 2007). The social learning theory (SLT) is just one of many theories which fall under the category of learning theories.The social learning theory, which is also commonly known as social cognitive theory, is justified in the belief that human behavior is determined by a triangular effect relationship between environmental influences, cognitive factors, and behavior (ETR, 2007). To have a proper understanding of the social learning theory, one needs to have been adequately briefed in the major contributors of the theory, a thorough description of what the theory entails, assumptions about the theory, and the developmental process and practice which has previously a nd currently taken place. Accomplishment is socially judged by ill defined criteria so that one has to rely on others to find out how one is doing (Kearsley, 2008). † This was stated by Albert Bandura, who is one of the two major contributors to the social learning theory. Bandura was born the youngest and only male of six siblings on December 4, 1925, in Mundare, Canada (Pajares, 2004). Fast-forwarding through his childhood, Bandura eventually found himself attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. His happening to fall into psychology was simply a fluke for him, for he was planning to get a degree in the biological sciences (Pajares, 2004). Bandura carpooled with peers to school who were all majors in engineering and pre-med, which entailed them to have early morning classes (Pajares, 2004). To fill his workload, Bandura had an open-morning spot to fill on his roster, which is where he fell into an introduction to psychology course (Pajares, 2004). He was instantly intrigued, which led him on his path to becoming one of the great contributors to this field. In 1949, he graduated with the Bolocan Award in psychology from the University of British Columbia (Pajares, 2004). His next task was to knock down graduate school, where he attended at the University of Iowa and received his Ph. D. in clinical psychology in 1952 (Pajares, 2004). Starting already in 1953, Bandura found himself teaching at Stanford University where he came across a well-educated student by the name of Richard Walters (Pajares, 2004). The two found themselves equally interested in the studies of explaining antisocial aggression in young males who came from wholesome households in upper-class residential areas in comparison to demonstrating that multiple opposing conditions may lead to behavioral problems (Pajares, 2004). This particular study led Bandura and Walters to co-write a book, Adolescent Aggression, in 1959 (Pajares, 2004). From there, Bandura wrote a chain of numerous books dealing with the social learning theory. Later he became a found member and elected President of the American Psychological Association in 1973 (Pajares, 2004). The second major contributor to the social learning theory came from a man by the name of Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist who was born in 1896 (Gallagher, 1999). Vygotsky was said to be a connoisseur of literature and philosophy (Gallagher, 1999). He attended the University of Moscow, where he studied and received a degree in law (Gallagher, 1999). It was not until 1924 when Vygotsky became interested in psychology (Gallagher, 1999). He had written a paper, The Psychology of Art, in 1925 which he used primarily in his thesis at the Moscow Institute of Psychology. Between the years of 1924-1934, before his death due to Tuberculosis, is when all his psychology work was practiced (Gallagher, 1999). In those 10 years of research and study of psychology, Vygotsky became an active follower of the sociocultural theory which suggests that development of a child relies on interaction with people and the tools or resources that the culture provides to help form their personal view of the world (Gallagher, 1999). The social learning theory (SLT), among others, is one of the most commonly used models currently. SLT is not a horribly complex model, for it is based around the interactions made from one another through observations, imitations, and modeling (Learning, 2008). Due to the fact that the SLT encompasses attention, memory, and motivation, it is said to be a bridge for psychologists between behaviorists and cognitive learning (Learning, 2008). The SLT focuses on the prospect that people learn through observing other people’s behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors observed (Learning, 2008). The social learning theory has three basic principles which make the breakdown of the theory very clear. The first principle is that people can learn through observation (Boeree, 2006). Bandura had conducted a well-known experiment known as the â€Å"Bobo Doll Study† (Boeree, 2006). In this study, Bandura had a set of dolls to which adult figures would interact with, in terms of gentle and/or aggressive behavior while children observed. Later, children were let into the room and were allowed to play with the same set of dolls that the adults had previously used. From observational learning, the children themselves inflicted the same type of behavior that the adults previously did. The children who observed a gentle act toward the Bobo doll reacted in the same way to pursue a more calm and loving affect toward the doll. In contrast, the children who observed aggressive behavior toward the Bobo doll also copied the same behavior of aggression toward the doll (Boeree, 2006). Bandura came up with three basic models of observational learning through conducting this study (Boeree, 2006). The first model is a live model. This involves an actual human individual who is acting out or demonstrating a particular behavior (Boeree, 2006). The second model is the verbal instructional approach. This involves giving the description and directions to acting out a certain behavior (Boeree, 2006). The third and last model is the symbolic model. This encompasses real of fictional characters. These characters are set to display behaviors in books, television, movies, or online media (Boeree, 2006). The second of the three basic principles is mental states are important to learning (Boeree, 2006). In greater detail, this involves and contributes to intrinsic reinforcement. Bandura was the contributor to this that previously noted that external, environmental reinforcement was not the only factor to influence learning and behavior (Boeree, 2006). This is where the idea of intrinsic reinforcement comes into place. This type of reinforcement is internal, which can include feelings of satisfaction, pride, and sense of accomplishment (Boeree, 2006). This is how the term of â€Å"social cognitive theory† correlates directly with the social learning theory. These types of reinforcements emphasize the internal thoughts and cognitions to help cooperate with theories of cognitive development (Boeree, 2006). The last of the three basic principles is that learning does not necessarily lead to change in behavior (Boeree, 2006). This means that observational learning does not define all observed behaviors; not all behaviors must be and are acting on (Boeree, 2006). One can learn something through observation without demonstrating the new information attained. These three main principles paved the way for more of Bandura’s work in the SLT, and the introduction to specific modeling process. The modeling process consists of four primary steps which lead to the development of understanding social learning theory. The first step is known by the word of â€Å"Attention† (Learning, 2008). This concept states that in order for an individual to learn, they have to be paying attention. It is possible for distractions of course, but anything that distracts one is going to ultimately have a negative effect on the observational learning taking place (Learning, 2008). A few examples of distractions could include being sleepy, groggy, sick, nervous, drugged, or even â€Å"hyper† in a sense can affect the learning process. All of those feelings can be competing factors with one’s attention span. Likewise, for something that may be of interest to the subject, full attention could be put into place and more dedication to observing and absorbing new information could happen (Learning, 2008). The second step is known as â€Å"Retention† (Learning, 2008). Retention is known as the storing process of observational learning. The ability or lack of to store or remember information plays an important role in the learning process (Learning, 2008). Retention, just like attention, can be affected by many different factors as well. This is also where imagery and language come into play. One is able to store information in terms of verbal knowledge or imagery knowledge, depending on the subject and situation. Later, one is expected to â€Å"bring up† the previously observed information if retention was successful (Learning, 2008). No need to say that retaining information is a vital aspect to observational learning. Third on the list of steps for the social learning model is â€Å"Reproduction† (Learning, 2008). This is where the performance of information retained is put into place. Once one has actually gone thorough attention and retained the proper information necessary, it is expected that one can perform the behavior initially learned (Learning, 2008). Of course, there are limitations to the ability of being able to perform certain tasks. For example, one can watch an Olympic gold medalist do an entire gymnastic tumbling routine on the mat, but may not have the ability to flex their body that particular way and be able to perform some of the stunts observed. This is why there is a leniency for the ability to perform tasks for the purpose that further practice may be needed (Learning, 2008). With a combination of practice of the learned behavior and continuous observation of the behavior, the performance level may have improvement and further skill advancement. The final of the four proper steps is â€Å"Motivation† (Learning, 2008). In order for most observational learning to be successful to any state, motivation is crucial to imitate the modeled behavior (Learning, 2008). There are several factors that Bandura stated to be a vital part in the motivational factor of the observed behavior performance. Reinforcement and punishment are key concepts in motivation levels (Learning, 2008). Past reinforcement, such as a reward after a proper outtake of the behavior, can motivate one to imitate the new observed behavior. In contrast, past punishment can be the same type of motivator. One who was punished previously for not conducting the observed behavior properly will make one want to conduct the new behavior successfully because they are aware of the consequences if not done properly (Learning, 2008). Also, promised reinforcements or punishments can do the same type of influence. A promised reinforcement, such as a treat, could make one strive to perform the task correctly. On the other hand, a promised punishment, such as a threat, can give the same affect (Learning, 2008).

Infancy and Early Childhood Development Paper – Week 2

Infancy and Early Childhood Development PSY/375 January 21, 2013 Infancy and Early Childhood Development During development from infancy to early childhood many changes take place. There are many factors that affect the development at each stage. Family dynamics can have a profound effect on how a child matures and develops as he or she grows older. There are three parenting styles brought forth by Diana Baumrind that influence development in a particular way. These styles are founded on four central dimensions (Berger, 2011, p. 273). Early childhood education has a significant role in cognitive development.The early years in a child’s life can influence the development of certain skills that allow a child build upon what he or she has already developmentally acquired. There are many aspects that influence a child’s development throughout life. Family Dynamics Affecting Early Childhood Development Family dynamics can have a vital role on the development of infants and y oung children. Children born into an abusive household stand a bigger risk of being affected developmentally than those born into a non-abusive family. Abuse can mean emotional or physical and abuse.Children emotionally abused can have a self-image issue where the individual may feel worthless and this can affect the way a child learns. Physical abuse can result in mental defects that can be associated with poor cognitive ability if the abuse were on or about the head of the child. Another way family can affect the development of infants and young children is through language. During infancy children learn by listening and mimicking what they observe. If a parent talks to his or her child or infant the infant is more likely to pick up on words and develop a speech pattern.It is said that most parents the world over are outstanding teachers (Berger, 2011, p. 172). Other theories regarding development of language in children come from the basis that humans are inherently social creatu res and rely on each other for happiness and the ability to survive. Infants are also thought to teach themselves. Berger  (2011)  stated, â€Å"Noam Chomsky (1968, 1980) and his followers felt that language is too complex to be mastered merely through step-by-step conditioning† (p. 174).LAD (language acquisition device) allows young children to obtain the guidelines of grammar faster and more successfully from speech heard each day, whether it is in their native language or another language. Parenting Styles Influence on Development Baumrind’s three styles of parenting include authoritarian, permissive and authoritative parenting. Authoritarian parenting means that the parents have the final word and their word is law. This means that the child obeys the parents’ instructions, requests and commands. Parents who have this type of parenting style might be considered unaffectionate toward the children.Authoritarian parenting teaches a child not to question aut hority and to follow orders. The next parenting style is permissive. Parents who use this style are often referred to as indulgent. This means that they often â€Å"give in† to their child’s wants and needs. Unlike the authoritarian style that can bring about stern penalties permissive parents use little discipline on their children. Permissive parents are encouraging and tolerant. The third style of parenting is known as authoritative. Authoritative parents have rules and guidelines in place for their children.Parents with this style of parenting are not afraid to enforce the rules and handout punishment that â€Å"fits the crime. † An authoritative parent is usually more willing to forgive a child than punish. This type of parent views him or herself as a parent and not an authority or a friend as in the first two styles of parenting (Berger, 2011). My Choice of Parenting Style The parenting style that I view as most effective is the authoritative parenting st yle. Authoritative parenting seems to be the middle ground between authoritarian and permissive.Whereas authoritative parents are usually ready to forgive, I believe that they are also willing to use discipline when needed. Authoritative parenting styles take a little of authoritarian and permissive and use it to benefit the child. This style that sets limits and also allows the child to have his or her voice heard that in turn lends to maturity. Being flexible and allowing the child to have his or her say can also teach children to respect each other as well as others. Authoritative parenting allows the children to make their own decisions because the rules and guidelines are set.The decision to abide by the rules or break the rules is completely up to the child. The authoritarian parenting style is too strict and structured while the permissive parenting style is too lenient. The middle ground would firmly be authoritative parenting by my views in the subject. Effects of Early Chi ldhood Education on Cognitive Development Early childhood education can have a profound effect on the cognitive development of a child. Early childhood education allows a foundation for children to add to and learn more throughout life.Early childhood education includes skills such as alphabet, numbers, beginning to read and recognize site words. There are many programs around set forth to improve a child’s cognitive development, some even run by our government. Children begin learning as soon as they are born and there are stages where important information can be taught to a child. It is important in early education that the children be stimulated and challenged. In early childhood development young children will go through stages where they will first need to feel secure, experience exploration.This occurs when the child becomes mobile (crawling or walking). Then, the child will want to develop a sense of identity and become more independent. The second stage is considered the preschooler years. This is the time when the child develops better motor skills and balance and also there is an increase in verbal acuity. The final stage occurs when the child hits the primary age group. Reasoning skills, problem-solving skills increase along with written communication develops quickly (Grisham-Brown,  2003-2009). ConclusionIn summation, family dynamics can affect the development of infants and young children in numerous ways. In many cases, depending on the status of a family can affect how well a child learns or comprehends information. The three parenting styles widely in use today are authoritarian; do not question the parents’ word. Permissive is where the parent is very indulgent toward the children and lacks any discipline. The third parenting style is authoritative; the parent is flexible but there are rules and guidelines set in place. Early childhood education is imperative to cognitive development.Early childhood education sets the groundw ork for the later years. Early education gives the children the tools so he or she can build upon the knowledge that was acquired early in life. Reference Berger, K. S. (2011). The developing person through the life span [University of Phoenix Custom Edition eBook]. New York, New York: Worth. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, PSY375 – Life span human development website. Grisham-Brown, J. (2003-2009). Education. com. Retrieved from http://www. education. com/reference/article/early-childhood-development/

The Back injuries prevention and safe lifting practises in JIMS Essay

The Back injuries prevention and safe lifting practises in JIMS CLEANING - Essay Example Accidental back injuries are to blame for thousands of hours of lost productivity in places of work and millions of dollars in lost returns. If you add health related costs, that including employee reimbursement claims and medical care that includes a range from simple first aid to key surgeries, and the expenditures incurred by the World’s business and industries makes them slug behind. Such kind of accidents have seen an increased number of people have their productive years and potency cut short as a result of back injuries and poor lifting practises. Introduction and Scope statement. In this final report, I aim to make available an intensive summary of my knowledge in managing the general operations of JIM’S CLEANING. This final report focuses on highlighting the key issues that have come up during the whole project period, as well as during the assessment of the developed solutions and implemented in response to such issues. Work-related injuries take place every day in workplaces. These injuries frequently arise because new employees are not properly inducted and trained in the appropriate work dynamics. One way to put a stop to workplace injuries is to set up appropriate work measures and train all staff in safe and professional job methods. Initiating appropriate work safety measures is one of the benefits of this project as it tries to initiate and discover on hand or probable job hazards and coming up with the best way to achieve the work and to decrease or eradicate these hazards. Better work methods decreases expenses ensuing from worker non-attendance and workers’ reimbursement leading to improved output. ... Work-related injuries take place every day in workplaces. These injuries frequently arise because new employees are not properly inducted and trained in the appropriate work dynamics. One way to put a stop to workplace injuries is to set up appropriate work measures and train all staff in safe and professional job methods. Initiating appropriate work safety measures is one of the benefits of this project as it tries to initiate and discover on hand or probable job hazards and coming up with the best way to achieve the work and to decrease or eradicate these hazards. Better work methods decreases expenses ensuing from worker non-attendance and workers’ reimbursement leading to improved output. It is imperative to put into consideration that the work measures illustrated in this project report are relatively biased and tend to lean towards the dynamics of JIM’S CLEANING and do not inevitably take account of all hazards, or protections for related jobs in the industry at l arge. PROJECT OVERVIEW/PLANNING. The back injury prevention and health safety project by JIM’S CLEANING is dedicated to provide its employees with the safest workplace conditions, taking into deliberation the state legislative necessities, as per the current Australian Standards in industry best practice. Safety, therefore, is regarded as the core value of JIM’S CLEANING. The company has conceptualized the project’s dream by developing firm guiding principles on safety, as shown in its health and safety policy that aims to protect not just the lives of the client, but more importantly of the employees. The company believes that the recognition of this project

Conditions Endured by the French Working Classes Essay

Conditions Endured by the French Working Classes - Essay Example Related to the plight of the French working class throughout time, from Sands fictional portrayal of the life of the working class person to the concept of the Paris Commune of 1871 as espoused by Bakunin, and the account of the Paris Workers’ Revolution as given by Marx. Each has a different perception, and likely none contributed to garnering tremendous sympathy for the very French individuals they were designed to invoke as such. The Paris Commune is predicated on the premise that the Church and the State are primarily responsible for the plight of the working class in French. As such, they should be abolished, as a society would be better off without these institutions. Take from the perspective of an Anarchist, Bakunin makes the effective argument that government exists for the elite and, apart from its complete abolition, the French people would continue to suffer under a sort of tyrannical rule. Sands’ notion of the Black City is reflective of this reality as well, as she paints a picture of French society as being largely reprehensible towards the common man. At the same time, the working class seems to have a misplaced ambition that precludes them advancing in society, held back by Marxist teaching and tendencies1. Her ambition was to support the poor and working class, and she used much of her writings to support this important objective. The Black City itself was a precursor to the newspaper that she started shortly after the 1848 Revolution. Through this fictional account, Sands presented the reality that the French Working Class have no escape from the life that they find themselves in. They have become complacent and accepting of this fact, lending to the reality that a true worker’s revolution would be the only way out of the strife and difficult that the church and state had placed them in.

The Economic Impact of the Loughor Marine Lake Development Essay

The Economic Impact of the Loughor Marine Lake Development - Essay Example The tidal lake waterfront would create opportunities for leisure activities such as sailing and boating.   Generation of electricity for the use in the development area is also included as a part of the master plan.  Ã‚   The project is expected to act as a catalyst for the economic development of the region benefiting Llanelli and Swansea as well.     The employment opportunities arising out of the project will benefit the community in Swansea and the surrounding areas such as Port Talbot, Neath, Llanelli, parts of Lliw Valley and the District of Dinefwr. The mobility on account of tourism, leisure, and other related activities would create an excellent climate for the business and trade development in the region as a whole in the long term. The long-term jobs created will be in Manufacturing and Commercial sector.   The second major sector will be Services covering retail, wholesale, distribution, personal services, tourism, and leisure.   It is proposed to construct 250,000 Sq. feet area for commercial purposes in the development project. The consortium’s interest in obtaining grants from Europe under the European Regional Development Fund for which tourism is seen as a prime means of economic regeneration.   Weaknesses and shortcomings of the project are also analyzed in this paper.   The study also covers recommendations for a comprehensive strategy to develop the region as an economic hub and a tourism spot of national importance and recommended a program of implementation.   The study analyses and reports the project in terms of its scope, limitations or shortcomings, and arrive at general conclusions and give recommendations for a comprehensive strategy for the development of the project and implementation of the program.   The Master Plan of the Marine Lake Development consists of two independent and related projects. The first one is related to infrastructure development.

HUMANITIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HUMANITIES - Essay Example the optimistic aspect of those issue schemes is applied while concluding any specific event, we come out with a positive approach towards conclusion of that event, and if pessimistic aspect of those issue schemes are applied, then appropriate conclusion towards any specific event can not be drawn. It is really essential to apply such issue scheme to any specific issue which should enable us in drawing a better conclusion. Before going into discussing impact of a historic issue on a selected event, let’s first get to know which historic issue and event are chosen for this purpose. The historic issue which has been selected is violence versus peace and the event on which its implication will be discussed is 9/11, a violent attack on the world trade center. The selected issue is a real ongoing issue in the present era and almost every country in the world is facing the dilemma of violence these days. And in opposition to that, peace is the phenomenon which has a lot of influence in settling up disputes and conflicts either among the individuals or among the nations. The event which is selected is also related to the historic issue of violence versus peace and in this assignment, we will show how much significance violence and peace has on the event of 9/11. While discussing a historic issue, let’s first get to know what violence is. To start with violence, it is those sadistic and aggressive acts done by a group or an individual whose purpose is to create fear and terror among some people or societies. We can also say that any act which creates fear and affects psychological stability of a person or society is called an act of violence. Whenever a violent act occurs, the people living in that specific area get mentally distressed and their routine life also get disturbed because of the fear that is generated due to the violent act. People, who perform violent acts, always have a motive of creating fear and distress among people. â€Å"Violent groups have an

Personal Statement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Personal Statement - Essay Example Now, I want to pursue a higher degree in the field of Global Product Development and Management to gain an in-depth understanding of all issues and concepts related to this field. My educational background has played a vital role in building my interest in pursuing a higher degree in this field. I want to become a successful manager with a good knowledge of global manufacturing and engineering design, and that can be possible if I study under the guidance of highly qualified professors of Cranfield University. Studying under the guidance of highly qualified teachers of Cranfield University would allow me to grow intellectually in a proper manner. I want to be skilled in managing product engineering and development considering internal and external business environments and market conditions. I possess almost all qualities of a successful manager, such as, creativity, intelligence, visionary outlook, assertiveness, integrity, openness, and effective communication skills. With my focus ed mind and properly planned ideas, I think my academic interest and passion would help me get admission in the MSc program being offered by the Cranfield University. Some of my core academic strengths and abilities include: In-depth understanding of different concepts of global product engineering and development Excellent interpersonal communication skills, and Passion to develop new products which can create their place in international markets.... I have no restriction in staying or working in UK as I am a spouse of a British Citizen and has obtained an ILR (indefinite Leave to Remain). Therefore, I would be able to flourish my business as much as I can while staying in the United Kingdom. However, the stepping-stone towards the achievement of my professional goals is my master’s degree. I need to do masters in order to get a detailed and up-to-date knowledge of global product development and management. Here, I would like to mention that I need some financial support to achieve my academic goals. I have come to know that Cranfield University offers a Manufacturing Masters scholarship with an associated Ford based project to a highly qualified student of the University. I believe that such a scholarship can help me a lot in achieving my academic goals. I am a self-motivated graduate seeking to undertake a full time Masters course in Global Product Development and Management. My previous academic record is the main proof of my interest in systems engineering. I possess the required level of qualification and experience for award of the scholarship. The School of Audio Engineering, Malaysia, has awarded me with a Diploma in Audio Engineering in1993. Moreover, the Ministry of Education, Malaysia, has awarded me with the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Polytechnic Certificate in General Mechanical in 1993. I have also obtained a Higher National Diploma in Engineering in 1996 upon completion of a BTEC-approved program at Coventry Technical College. Following my interest in engineering, I took admission in Bachelor of Engineering program offered by the University of East London. I completed my graduation from the university in 1999 with good marks in all subject related to systems engineering.

Personal Investment, Finance and Portfolio Management Essay

Personal Investment, Finance and Portfolio Management - Essay Example of the propository issue might be regarded as a complex study, I would like to initially address the motive of individual investors regarding investment in the UK. We, as individuals always decipher a motive for earning huge finance within a short period of time. Even as we refer to the cultural analysis of the UK, it can be evidently observed that the societal structure is more inclined towards short-term orientation (The Hofstede Centre, n.d.). Therefore, it can be stated that UK individuals decide upon their investments with focus on yielding greater returns in the short term period which often possesses high risk factors. Undoubtedly, this particular tendency of the UK investors influences the personal investment market to be significantly volatile with limited scope of anticipation in relation to the returns obtainable from the investments made owing to the prevalence of high risks thus making it a matter of ‘good fortune’ (King, 2013). Equities, funds, bonds, preferential shares and similar other high return investment options have been thus listed among few of the mostly preferred investment tools in the UK (Evans, 2010). A ccordingly, it shall be quite pious to state that individual investors in the UK personal investment market always tend to be inclined towards either assumptions or scientific judgements regarding their investment patterns. It is in this context that the investment patters observed within the UK personal investment market tends to be strongly influenced by two prominent factors. One of these factors can be identified in terms of the investors behavioural traits or their risk taking attitude while the other influencing element signifies the role of economic conditions which ultimately determines the returns to be expected from the personal investments made (Collard, 2009; Kohler & Drury, 2011). In my further arguments, I would like to focus on understanding these factors in the UK market scenario so as to determine if we can attribute

U.S. foreign policy on Mexico Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

U.S. foreign policy on Mexico - Essay Example U.S. foreign toward its Mexico can be analyzed as driven by promoting free market reforms and enforcing market prohibitions. This means tightening controls over prohibited cross-border economic flows and at the same time promoting a borderless free trade area.U.S. drug and immigration control strategies focus primordially on curbing the foreign supply and secondarily on identifying the sources of demand: consumers of drugs and employers of migrant workers. In a nutshell, US efforts have confronted the demand side of the problem--America's inherent dependence on both.As US scramble to beef up border controls on Mexico, puny efforts are given to tide down the powerful economic forces that drive so many Mexicans to illegally enter the United States. The Border Patrol can only do so much by making life much harder for illegal border-crossers. The underlying push-pull factors that motivate illegal labor migration remain stronger than ever. On the pull side, important sectors of the U.S. e conomy, such as agriculture and the garment industry, rely on illegal workers. The US government crackdown on employers using illegal aliens is weak, poorly designed, and minimally enforced.The first priority should be to raise and enforce labor standards. Genuine enforcement of existing workplace rules such as the implementation of minimum wages, overtime, and environmental, health, and safety regulations will make it difficult for employers to engage in the exploitation of workers, hence, denying them their most important incentive to hire illegal labor. These efforts should especially target sweatshop employers who are despicable for their abuse of workers and disregard of labor standards. This strict emphasis on raising labor standards by tightening workplace controls would contribute toward addressing the root of the problem than simply tightening border controls. US domestic efforts on the pull side is combined with initiatives to address the conditions in growth of small-and medium-scale labor-intensive industries in rural regions, where most of the job displacement is occurring. These measures require active state intervention in managing the economic transition in the countryside rather than the current laissez-faire approach. The Mexican government had no strategy for handling the millions of workers who are being displaced as a result of market reforms. However, the United States has a strong interest in cooperating with Mexico to devise and promote development programs and social safety nets that minimize the incentive for workers to cross border to the US. Multilateral institutions like the World Bank can assist these efforts by including migration concerns centrally into their programs. The IMF and the World Bank have not considered migration issues in their policy management. Indeed, many of the market-based reforms they support end up fueling migration both in the short and medium term. The main goal of the NAFTA is to spur economic development so that migration pressures will be reduced in the long run. The US can help Mexico manage the difficult process of economic restructuring by helping it cope with the mass displacement of Mexican labor. This requires active government involvement rather than faith in market solutions. The market solution tends to be that of exporting the labor surplus to the United States. For example, Mexico can be encouraged to increase the minimum wage to begin closing the wide wage gap between the two countries. The United States and Mexico can unite to slow down the growth of the border region, since this area has traditionally served as a magnet for northward migration. The United States can encourage Mexico to implement its agricultural reforms to encourage the people to stay in the country. The US can help Mexico through tax incentives and financial and technical assistance. The Mexico experience shows that the free market reforms can also free up the drug

Television shows Essay Example for Free

Television shows Essay For the present society, television shows are almost considered as a part of the lifestyle and culture of the modern people. Almost every individual in the society have their own favorite television program which they patronize which varies basically due to the factor of preference, time availability, morality and others. Each television program in the modern broadcast industry as their own theme and cultural nature that the show creatively explores to entice the interest and enthusiasm of the public. For the broadcast networks, having a rated television program which the general public patronize is a good investment as this can promote their main line of revenue namely paid advertisement. By critically analyzing the television program in the present broadcast industry, one can actually see that majority of these programs tackle current social issues and trends however, these are presented in a different view. Usually, television programs offer a symbolical perspective on the subject making it more interesting and captivating to the audience as its offers a somewhat imaginative scenario where the public can relate with. A good example of this program nature is the primetime hit television show entitled â€Å"Lost†. The television program entitled â€Å"Lost† was actually written and designed to produce an imaginative scenario of surviving a plane crash and being stranded on a mysterious island that has an unknown location. While in isolation, the survivors must struggle against the environment for their survival, against themselves for personal development and against the mysterious inhabitants as their search for a way to communicate with the world. By critical observation, one can learn that the main objective of the show is to show a different view towards dominant social issues such as unity, cooperation, system of leadership and others through the eyes of the small community of the survivors. In this show, the large global community with cultural diversity and other issues has been minimized through the contingent of the survivors as they establish a mutual relationship between each of them and their temporary home. In this show, there are several examples of reality warp or presentation of mystery. For example, the presence of a polar bear in a tropical island, uncharted location of the island, and the presence of laboratory hatches in an isolated place produce certain mysterious characteristic to the program. As the story develops, other mysteries are also explored such as the reason for the plane crash and the nature of the island and its native inhabitants. Much of the story is presented through the use of symbols. General concepts and ideas in the show are mainly represented through certain materials and items that are explicitly used in the program’s story. Foe example, the item of guns and other armaments represent power in the issues of struggle between the plane crash survivors and the inhabitants of the mysterious island. Another is the item of wireless intercom or â€Å"walkie talkie† presents the idea of difference between the two struggling factions making the inhabitants more sophisticated and better organized than the survivors as they have a mean for communication. All throughout the program’s story, each episode is centralized on a certain character wherein several flashbacks in his or her life will be presented to explain his or her present ideology or philosophy while in the island. Through this approach, viewers will better understand the story characters and their personal reason as to why he or she did his or her decision. Regarding the program advertisements, by analyzing the selection of products and/or services that are commercialize during the program’s timeslot, once can actually argue that the show is intended for general viewing mainly on the adult bracket making them the main marketing target for this program’s advertisement. Some specific commercials are cars, dress or fashion accessories, children’s apparel, technological gadgets and household products which are generally products for economically-capable adults. In general, the television program entitled â€Å"Lost† is a show that offers an alternative scenario in a creatively enhanced reality. Surviving plane crash and being stranded on a mysterious island is indeed a captivating storyline for the adult society who are basically looking for some thrills and adventures in the routinary life. Through this program, viewers are offered an interesting experience to witness how to survive in an island, establish harmonious and cooperative relationship in a group and struggle against forces that are more advance and familiar with the environment while struggling to be rescued and competing against oneself for personal development.

Influence And Persuasion Are Important Leadership Tools Psychology Essay

Influence And Persuasion Are Important Leadership Tools Psychology Essay Influence can have a major impact on a persons life by how well one is able to influence others and how others influence the individual. By using specific techniques and methods one can greatly increase their level of influence on others. The first step is to assess ones own level of influence to identify personal areas of weakness. The second step is learning and understanding the roots of power in the workplace. The third is learning the strategies of influence and learn the methods of influence and persuasion. The final step is implementing these strategies in life and work to influence others and avoid being influenced. This report is intended to motivate individual(s) to perfect a better understanding of influence and persuasion and be able to implement these facets in life. Influence and persuasion are two of the most important skills required by successful leaders in the workplace today. A good working knowledge of influence and persuasion can help one person to change anothers attitude, beliefs, or actions. This knowledge can also help one to avoid being influenced or persuaded by another. Influence and persuasion can be used in almost all aspects of daily life, whether dealing with family, buying something at a store, or performing tasks at work. Social influence can be found in any environment where multiple people exist or anywhere there is interaction between people. Understanding it is essential for prosperity. In many situations, social influence and persuasion can represent the difference between success and failure. To be successful, one must also understand the relationship between power and influence and how to use power and self-empowerment. What is influence and persuasion? Influence investigates the causes of human changewhether that change is an attitude, behavior, or a belief. Inducing a change in behavior is called compliance. Inducing a change in attitude is called persuasion. Inducing a change in belief is called either education or propagandadepending on ones perspective3. Persuasion attempts to win the heart and mind of the target. Thus persuasion must induce attitude change, which entails affective (emotion-based) change. Although persuasion is more difficult to induce, its affects last longer because the target actually accepts and internalizes the advocacy3. Knowing these definitions create a foundation for learning and implementing tactics for both influence and persuasion. An effective leader must be able to influence and persuade others. This can be done by understanding how to assess ones own level of influence, finding sources of personal power, learning strategies of influencing and persuading people, and learning how to implement those strategies. Assessing Your Level of Influence: When accessing ones ability to influence and persuade, a collection of data must be gathered about the different areas involved with both topics. The collection of data is typically through questionnaires, surveys, or quizzes regarding the subject matter. These methods garner the opinions and ideas of the individual. In order to practice these ideas a person must know and understand the tactics, strategies, and how to implement both into the workplace. The information gathered consists of four main topics related to influence and persuasion. First, the individual needs to display information pertaining to gaining power. Gaining power can be in two forms: personal characteristics or positional characteristics. Personal characteristics explore topics like an individuals appearance, hygiene, or charisma in the workplace. Positional characteristics explore how an individual is perceived throughout the corporation. After gaining power in the workplace it is essential to evaluate how well does one exercise influence in the workplace. Implementing influence in the workplace is crucial. It is vital to evaluate how well an individual avoids using threats and manipulation when trying to influence others. When influencing or persuading does the leader emphasize reason and factual information in their approach, instead of tactics that are opinioned based? Another related topic that would be helpful in assessing is, how well the leader uses rewards when implementing influence. Does the individual reward where needed, do they never use the reward system, or do they reward when its not warranted? Finally, the assessment chain of thought deals with the idea of increasing authority. When one tries to increase authority does the individual try to convince upper management that the idea or issue at hand will benefit or hinder the entire organization if its not focused upon? While on the job how well is the person at stepping out of the normal realm of problems that deal with and taking on job tasks that go beyond their typical scope of work? The four areas of assessment are valuable to determine what level an individual is able to persuade and influence others in the workplace. During the assessment phase, an individual is examined about what their thoughts and ideas are on topics like gaining power, resisting influence, and how they exercise influence in the workplace. Power in the Workplace: Power in the workplace is the ability to influence others to do what you want them to do, when you want them to do it, and in the manner that is required. Power is directly related to control, especially in the work environment. For example, power can stem from an individuals charisma and skill set or the individuals position, can be exercised or not and directly or indirectly at a persons will. There are two types of power: positional power (formal authority) and personal power (acquired authority). Sources of positional power are divided into four categories, formal authority, centrality, flexibility, and visibility. Formal authority is the power directly given to you by your position; reward and penalties: having the ability to give rewards or penalties to other people in an organization. Centrality is where everyone needs you to get their job done because you are central to the organization. Flexibility is having the ability to improvise and innovate in a position and visibility always visiting other members of the organization and always being seen. Sources of personal power are also divided into categories of attraction, effort, expertise, and legitimacy. Attraction is having charisma or behavior that attracts other people to you. Effort describes when one constantly works to get ahead; giving consistent and hard work to do whatever it takes to get a task done. Expertise works related knowledge and through education or other means that other people in the organization may not have. Lastly, legitimacy is having the work done be accepted by others so that everything the person does and the person himself is legitimate to the organization. By following a few steps, a leader can greatly increase his/her power. These steps include: align your goals, ideals, and values, with that of the organization, develop a sense of obligation and accountability, encourage open communication with your co-workers, nurture creativity and innovation in your work environment, provide and welcome opportunities for personal development, demonstrate a high level of working knowledge and expertise, demonstrate trust and confidence in your co-workers, and give recognition to others for their work. Another aspect of power that a leader should remember is the ethics involved in the implementation of power. It is crucial to remember that the goals of the organization come before individual goals. Also, power should not be used to intimidate or coerce people into doing tasks. Strategies for Influence and Persuasion: Many scientists and psychologists have studied the areas of influence and persuasion and have found many sections, disciplines, tactics, clusters, and other descriptive words for the different items people have found. The strategies of discussion are the three types of influence, techniques for handling people, and lastly the continuum of influence. Across the board, there are three generally accepted types of persuasion. The first is Retribution, or command, which is forcing others to do what one says by means of intimidation or coercion1. Retribution is usually based around formal authority. A manager can threaten his/her employee directly to do a task or be fired. He/She can also indirectly force an employee to do something because of consequences at work by not following a superior. Advantages include quick and direct action by subordinates. Disadvantages include loss of creativity, resentment, and need for greater threats in the future. The second is Reciprocity, which is helping others want to do what one says through bargaining or ingratiation1. In this method, the main object is to satisfy the interests of both parties, even if you have to give something up. This is usually used when both parties have the same level of power. Advantages include low resentment and no requirement for justification. Disadvantages of this method include expectations of rewards or gifts to do work and it makes people feel that anything is open for negotiation. The third is Reason, which is showing others that it makes sense to do what you say though presenting facts or appealing to values and goals1. This method is the most powerful used most frequently in the work place. Leaders use this by trying to suggest and convince the other party they are right. Advantages includes the need for surveillance being enhanced. Disadvantages include the time it takes to develop trust and requires both parties having similar values and goals. Another strategy for gaining power and influencing people is described in Dale Carnegies, How to Win Friends and Influence People. He discusses the fundamental techniques in handling people. The first technique is to not criticize, condemn, or complain to the person. For example, if a manager wants an employee to perform a particular task he/ she should not condemn the subordinate for doing the task incorrectly, perhaps the instructions were unclear. According to Carnegie, instead of condemning people, try to understand them. Try to figure out why the employee does what he/ she do. The second technique described is to give sincere appreciation. People want to feel appreciated and recognized for what they accomplish. There are several ways to recognize a person through rewards whether monetary or non-monetary, verbal affirmation, or perhaps, find out how the employee prefers to be rewarded. Carnegie states that the big secret in dealing with people is to make them want to do what you ask. This concept is easier said then done because people have a tendency to forget the power of influence and appreciation. The influence of an alliance is often greater than the sum of the influence of individual allies. In building an alliance, you strengthen your power base and increase the force of your proposals through a network of supporters. Discreetly build the alliance through a series of one-on-one contacts, letting prospective allies know that you need their support and possibly mentioning who else is on board. Ensure that prospective allies agree with your purpose or at least have something to gain by helping to achieve it. Alliance can be hard to form. They require time and energy to maintain. However, members of successful alliances tend to be more receptive to future alliances. Appealing to Friendship Appealing to friendship (asking for assistance based on friendship or membership in a group) relies on the natural human tendency to help friends. We are inclined to grant the request of people we feel similar to. This tactic is powerful but it is hard for some people to use and can damage relationship if overused. Appealing to values Appealing to values is a way to influence people based on their values, feelings, and emotions. You make such an appeal by conveying a strong vision (of excellence, achievement, etc.) or by presenting your case with enthusiasm and conviction: We can achieve our goals if we believe in ourselves and set our own standards higher than anyone expects us to. This tactic can be highly influential and it can reach a large number of people at once. Its good for stimulating extraordinary efforts. However, it takes great skill to do it. Consulting Consulting is influencing through collaboration- inviting the prospective participants to contribute to the approach, concept, proposal, or strategy. When people contribute to the plan, they feel some ownership of it and are more committed to it. You can use consulting by asking for someones advice on solving a problem and then asking or encouraging them to implement their recommendations. This form of consulting is especially effective when senior people use it with more junior people. Exchanging is trading something of value for the support or cooperation of others. In other words, it is negotiating as a form of influence. You ask a person to do something for you and offer an incentive: If you will support my reorganization proposal during the next meeting, I will work over the weekend on your financial analysis and have the figures for you on Monday. Legitimizing is using authority to influence. Authority includes customs, laws, organizational rules and procedures, regulations, traditions, and various symbols of authority (uniforms and badges as well as formal dress). You can also legitimize by citing higher authorities. Legitimizing is the easiest form of influence if you have role power. It can result in quick compliance. But it can also appear heavy-handed and will not work with people who resist authority. Stating is possibly the simplest influence tactics of all. It means, simply, saying what you want or what you think. Gain cooperation by making polite but a direct statement of what you want or what while asserting your position with confidence. Please review and sign this travel request. Remember to leave no room for negotiation or refusal. Avoid tentative phrases like I think, I feel, I was hoping you would, if you dont mind, etc. dont phrase your statement as a question (would you mind, dont you agree, can I ask you, etc.). Resist the urge to be overly polite or apologetic. Clearly stating your needs, wishes or intentions helps to eliminate misunderstanding.

The Garden Party :: Free Essays

Looking at the plot in a garden party The Sheridan family is arranging a Garden Party a beautiful sunny day. In the poorer neighbourhood across the street, a young man gets killed in an accident. When the young girl Laura hears about this, she wants the garden party cancelled to show some respect for the exposed family. Laura speaks with her sister and her mother about cancelling the party, but she is not taken seriously by them. Laura is put into rather tough situation, when both her mother and sister opposes her. She tries to consult with her somewhat older brother, but he draws the attention from the accident to Laura's new enchanting hat. She is greatly flattered. Laura tries to repress the accident, by saying to herself that she would think of it after the party. She tries to enjoy herself, but you can sense that she 'enjoyed herself'; with a rather bad conscious, probably thinking, 'What have I done? Why didn't I stop the party? What will the family of the killed man think?'; After the party there are some leftovers. Mrs Sheridan suggests that they can give the exposed family some food to show some sympathy. Laura isn't sure if this is the right thing to do, but she gets the task to give the basket filled with sandwiches to the poor family. Laura isn't certain if the poor family will appreciate the gift. When walking to the house, she is afraid of their reaction. This isn't something she is used to do. She hasn't been in touch with people in poverty before. What will they think? A well dressed upper class girl, coming to their house and thinks that a basket of sandwiches will replace a dead husband? But she continues her walk to the house. She meets with the young widow, and her dead husband. Laura looks at the young man and understands that he didn't care about the garden party or the load music that it caused.

Decline of Indian Southwest Essay -- Native Americans History Papers

Decline of Indian Southwest Lord Acton said, â€Å"The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by its minorities.† In the late 1800’s the security of the minorities in the southwest was in serious jeopardy. For the Apache’s the security was promised but rarely upheld by the American government. The minimal security the Navajo enjoyed vanished by 1846. Men like Kit Carson desired but often failed to maintain the peace and security for these Indian tribes. Kit Carson’s actions and the actions of others began the deterioration of the Indian culture in the southwest. The decline of the Indian southwest was caused by the idea of Manifest Destiny, which led to Indian confinement to reservations and the decline of Native American society. The idea of Manifest Destiny led the Americans to war with Mexico. In 1846, America gained control of what is now the Southwest. With this acquisition, America inherited years of Navajo-Mexican warfare. The Mexicans became American citizens; the Natives, being Indians, did not. Therefore, Indians were punished for attacks on Mexicans but not vice-versa (Brown 14). General Stephen Watts Kearney put it this way, addressing the Mexicans: 'The Apaches and the Navajos come down and carry off your sheep and your women whenever they please. My government will correct all this. They will keep off the Indians, protect you in persons and property " (L. Bailey 2). American officials, in an attempt to halt conflict between the Indians and the new settlers, prevent expensive wars, and open up lands to white settlers, created reservations for the Indians, crowding the Indians into areas and constricting them from finding or growing food. Wi... ...hwest might still thrive today. Bibliography Bailey, Lynn. The Long Walk. Pasedena: Socio-Technical Books, 1970. Brown, Dee. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Chicago: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970. Debo, Angie. Geronimo The Man, His Time, His Place. University of Oklahoma Press, 1976. Hurtado, Albert L, ed. Major Problems in American Indian History. Lexington, Massachusetts, D.C. Heath and Company, 1994. Quaife, Milo Milton. Kit Carson’s Autobiography. University of Nebraska Press, 1935. Simmons, Mark S. â€Å"Kit and the Indiansâ€Å" University Press of Colorado, 1996. Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago, 1868. Utley, Robert M. The Indian Frontier of the American West 1846-1890. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984. White, David. It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own: A New History of the American West. University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. Decline of Indian Southwest Essay -- Native Americans History Papers Decline of Indian Southwest Lord Acton said, â€Å"The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by its minorities.† In the late 1800’s the security of the minorities in the southwest was in serious jeopardy. For the Apache’s the security was promised but rarely upheld by the American government. The minimal security the Navajo enjoyed vanished by 1846. Men like Kit Carson desired but often failed to maintain the peace and security for these Indian tribes. Kit Carson’s actions and the actions of others began the deterioration of the Indian culture in the southwest. The decline of the Indian southwest was caused by the idea of Manifest Destiny, which led to Indian confinement to reservations and the decline of Native American society. The idea of Manifest Destiny led the Americans to war with Mexico. In 1846, America gained control of what is now the Southwest. With this acquisition, America inherited years of Navajo-Mexican warfare. The Mexicans became American citizens; the Natives, being Indians, did not. Therefore, Indians were punished for attacks on Mexicans but not vice-versa (Brown 14). General Stephen Watts Kearney put it this way, addressing the Mexicans: 'The Apaches and the Navajos come down and carry off your sheep and your women whenever they please. My government will correct all this. They will keep off the Indians, protect you in persons and property " (L. Bailey 2). American officials, in an attempt to halt conflict between the Indians and the new settlers, prevent expensive wars, and open up lands to white settlers, created reservations for the Indians, crowding the Indians into areas and constricting them from finding or growing food. Wi... ...hwest might still thrive today. Bibliography Bailey, Lynn. The Long Walk. Pasedena: Socio-Technical Books, 1970. Brown, Dee. Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. Chicago: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1970. Debo, Angie. Geronimo The Man, His Time, His Place. University of Oklahoma Press, 1976. Hurtado, Albert L, ed. Major Problems in American Indian History. Lexington, Massachusetts, D.C. Heath and Company, 1994. Quaife, Milo Milton. Kit Carson’s Autobiography. University of Nebraska Press, 1935. Simmons, Mark S. â€Å"Kit and the Indiansâ€Å" University Press of Colorado, 1996. Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago, 1868. Utley, Robert M. The Indian Frontier of the American West 1846-1890. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984. White, David. It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own: A New History of the American West. University of Oklahoma Press, 1991.

Symbols and Symbolism in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby  Ã‚   In The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald presents a novel with intricate symbolism. Fitzgerald integrates symbolism into the heart of the novel so strongly that it is necessary to read the book several times to gain any level of understanding. The overtones and connotations that Fitzgerald gives to the dialogues, settings, and actions is a major reason why The Great Gatsby is one of the classics of the 20th century. Three themes dominate the text of The Great Gatsby. They are time / loss, appearance / mutability, and perspective. Most of the novel's thematic structure falls neatly into one of these categories. In order to satisfactorily understand the novel, we must examine the roles of these three themes. The word time appears 450 times in the novel either by itself or in a compound word. Fitzgerald obviously wanted to emphasize the importance of time to the overall design of the book. Time is most important to Gatsby's character. Gatsby's relationship with time is a major aspect to the plot. He wants to erase five years from not only his own life but also Daisy's. Gatsby's response to Nick, telling him that he can repeat the past, is symbolic of the tragic irony that is behind Gatsby's fate. Gatsby exclaims on page 116, "Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!" Gatsby cannot accept Daisy until she erases the last three years of her life by telling Tom that she never loved him to his face. Gatsby fully believes what he says and thinks (or desperately hopes) that that is true about Daisy. At one part of the story he actually tells Nick how, as soon as Tom is out of the picture, he and Daisy were going to go to Memphis so they could get married at her white house just like it were five years before hand. In another scene, when Gatsby and Nick go to the Buchanans' for lunch towards the end of the book, Gatsby sees Daisy's and Tom's child for the first time. Nick describes Gatsby's expression as one of genuine surprise and suggests that Gatsby probably never before believed in the girl's existence. Gatsby is so caught up in his dream that he becomes vulnerable to the world's brutal reality. Fitzgerald masterfully creates a time symbolism in the scene when Daisy and Gatsby meet for the first time in five years.

Which Do You Prefer?

Every person has their own ways of living life. When an individual starts to make decisions, the quality of life is always considered. People resides in different parts of the world and the lifestyles varies from where they came from. Determining for the best place to live could give a greater impact in one's life as there are two options that are worthwhile to consider. For any reasons, an individual can freely choose the lifestyle of either in urban and rural living providing the advantages and disadvantages from both places. Urban and Rural settlements affects the lifestyle of a person as it differs from the kind of education, employment opportunities and the environment they live in. Education plays an important role to a successful career depending to the quality of education a person can acquire to learn. In rural areas, poverty is one of the main problems that affects the educational outcome of the students. This often leads to individuals dropping out school just to support and provide for their parents and to also help them manage the household. Moreover, not many children living in less developed villages have the opportunity to study, especially in college. Countless amounts of people may not have the opportunity to have the future they dreamed of due to the fact of where they grew up or certain circumstances in their life that disabled them from their goals. Distance is another problem have to face because of the lack of transportation. Although many struggle to get to places due to lack of transportation, those who live in the rural area struggle more. A teacher also faces many challenges in rural schools. Teachers in rural areas are paid with low salaries and the lack of teachers is another huge obstacle on the way to education. Teachers are extremely important because they give the students a foundation to work from and help the students build their way up in life. So the lack of teachers would make a huge impact on the students life and future. In urban areas, by contrast, an advantage manifested by urban students usually takes place in advanced country and economy. All of the students can get access of the wealth and social opportunities that big cities can offer. Urban schools are usually larger in size and they particularly have the resources and facilities that the rural area tends to lack. Most of the schools in the cities have advanced and qualified teachers as they get ahold of continuing trainings and workshops. The range of employment options must be considered when choosing a kind of job. In Urban areas where the population is high and extremely populated, most people intend to apply for jobs where they can get a good salary. According to the research from Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA), â€Å"the most high-skilled, high paying occupations tend to cluster in urban areas. Urban centers tend to specialize in knowledge-based work with high concerns of Technicians, Engineers, Scientist and Executives, while in rural areas have larger concentration of Machinist and Makers, which generally require less skill and receive lower salaries.† (Florida 2012).In rural areas, residents do not have enough employment options due to the lack of job opportunities and most people has an inverse relationship with agriculture. In contrary, urban areas are developed in an a planned and systematic way in terms of industrialisation. A division of labor is always present in the urban settlement for job allotment and because of the great opportunities for growth and the concentration of people, urban areas are preferred for developmental programs where the business are most likely invested. Environmental conditions gives an impact on an individual's quality of life. People living in remote places is usually described as a quiet and peaceful paradise which is a perfect place to unwind and escape from hustle and bustle of the city life. Besides rural areas are less crowded because there are not many people and cars. The scenery in rural areas are beautiful and well- conserved thus the people can enjoy the nature and have a peaceful mind. In contrast with the city dwellers, who lead a hectic life and often feel annoyed due to great stress in the daily life such as traffic, dealing with higher rates of crime and paying higher taxes. With regards to the nature, the trees are cut in urban areas for construction of roads and buildings that results to the lost of agricultural lands. The pollution and the deforestation has led to environmental imbalance and health problems, which shadow the future of urban living. Urban settlements are determined by the advanced conveniences, opportunities of education, facilities for transport, and business while the rural settlements are based more on natural resources and events. For a person who plans to reside on a specific place and get the kind of dream life however, will note the contrast between the settlement options along with how it differs in the quality of education, employment options, and the environment in both rural and urban areas.

The impact of Climatic Change on the Decline of Black French Truffle

Introduction1.2 BackgroundTruffles grow under a very sensitive environment; they naturally occur in the Mediterranean region of Europe. This has been a mysterious crop grown under a veil of secrecy for years in this region of Europe (Ruffles Estate, 2013). This crop is regarded as a delicacy and has sustained its appeal to food lovers all around the world. Truffle are actually a unique edible mushroom that grows underground also regarded as a fungus and is considered a delicacy complimenting the best foods worldwide. Its aroma as well as flavour is commonly described as unique (Ruffles Estate, 2013). The most preferred quality in truffle market is the black French truffle also known as Tuber melanosporum is one of the most expensive varieties in the market and occurs naturally in parts of France also geographical referred to as the Mediterranean basin (Jolly, 2012). However, the Tuber melanosporum is becoming scarcer, and there is a common idea that this scarcity is due to global ch ange of the climate (Jolly, 2012). This has led to a sharp price increase of this rare commodity, but most of all is the concern of the gradual decline in its availability. Europe, and more so, the Mediterranean basin has seen a steady decline of this rare species over the last 40 years (FAIR, 2000). This decline has been both in quantity, as well as quality, however this paper will examine the former.1.3 Project Aims and ObjectivesThis project’s principle aim is to collect and analyse data using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the increasing decline in the production of black truffles from France also referred to as Perigord truffle and Tuber melanosporum. In this regard, the project will adopt cause-effect deductions, hypothesis testing, and observations to develop understanding this decline in truffle production and in particular whether it affects the natural occurring or cultivated truffles. A secondary aim of this project considers the reasons for the decline of production of the black French truffle. This project, through careful analysis of related research acknowledges the fact that there is a general decline in natural occurring truffle and that this decline is associated with various factors. The study seeks to identify the main reason for the decline in production and harvesting of black French truffles. The study also aims at providing recommendations to address the decline in truffle production. This study will be documented accurately in order to provide subsequent researchers with all the information necessary to further the development in this field of study. Literature Review In consideration of Truffles biological and ecological growth and development Smith and Read (1997), assert that root symbionts are most significant in checking the ecosystem function in most temperate forests of the world, and this includes the rare ectomycorrhizal fungi. Their main function is the provision of the much needed trace minerals to the truffles as well as protection from drought, disease causing agents and pests (Garbaye, 2000; Govindarajulu et al., 2005). Smith and Read (1997) further add that truffles reciprocate provision of food and protection from disease with provision of carbon to the micro-organisms. The ecology in these temperate regions is complexly interconnected, the mushrooms that are produced by the micro-organisms and are significant sources of food for the animal populations in the forests (Carey et al., 2000). However, according to FAIR (2000), the black truffles production in Europe has dramatically declined over the last half century, this is both in quality as well as quantity. Furthermore, efforts have been made to increase the vegetation that promote truffle growth, but the decline has persisted. This trend had been identified earlier by Cherfas (1991), and in his research, he claimed that the decline had begun over 100 years ago in the natural habitat, in the temperate forests. The cause of this decline in the growth and development of black truffles has been the subject of inquiries and research. There is still little explanation for these long term decline in both natural and cultivated truffle.Research is needed to help understand this decline, the real difficulty lay in understanding the underground microbial since experimental environments fail to match the necessary real world conditions (Macdonald et al., 2005). As a matter of fact Lamon et al (2009) agree that there is sca rcity of much needed extended observations of quantitative data generated from natural the natural setting. Chevalier et al. ( 2001), assert that both Tuber melanosporum and Tuber magnatum are the most valuable species in the market. These varieties are also the endangered species at the brink of extinction. Hall et al. (2001), in their findings explain that geographically, Tuber melanosporum naturally occurs in France, Italy, Bulgaria and certain areas in Europe. Martin, F. et al (2010), specifically examines the decline in the production of Tuber melanosporum, however, he also adds that they naturally occur in the Mediterranean habitat. Sourzat (2002), in the french publication, explains that T. melanosporum’s fruits best in its natural setting characterized by rocks, forests that are open that are generally warm with mild winter seasons, as well, as regular precipitation in the summers. In addition, best production is expected on the slopes where the produce receives protection from excessive cold and dry wind. According to Hall et al. (2001), research reveals that truffier es grown in rainy areas with lower temperatures and have not yielded any truffles. In fact, truffles of the T. melanosporum species grew best in climatic regions with between 600-1500 mm average precipitations, average temperatures of 18-21 degree Celsius in the summer and the winter, an average of 1-8 degree Celsius (Zambonelli & Di Munno, 1992). It seems areas that continuously have frozen ground in the cold seasons are not suited for the growth of T. melanosporum because the fruits spoil when frozen. Fontana and Bonfante (1971) in their publication introduce the idea of growing truffle fungi in an artificial environment. They explain that this idea was to supplement the deficit of the produce collected in the natural habitat. This method was developed back in the 1970s indication that the decline of truffle had already been the cause of concern in the market. By the turn of the millennium, truffle grown in orchards accounted for half of the truffle produced around the world (Hall et al., 2003). It also important to note that a majority of these orchards are developed within truffles natural geographic areas. Having highlighted the required natural habitats for the truffles, and in reference to their decline, there are several suggestions based on various research on this decline. Cherfas (1991) traces back the history of this decline by asserting that the number of mushroom species gathered in every foray dropped from 72 to 38 between 1912 and 1982 in the Netherlands. In the same publication, it is revealed that chanterelles in central European market in mid 1970s were found to have reduced in size 50 times than those in 1950s. Hall et al.(2003) in their publication reveal that, by the 20th Century, T. melanosporum in the French market had dropped to 2000 tons annually and a further decline was witnessed by the turn of the 21st Century by 150 tons. It is true that the truffle harvesting in France has been an affair by a small number of people who mainly collected them from their natural setting. As seen in the previous paragraph, there is an increase in production of truffles in orchar ds as a supplement to the dwindling natural supply. In a later publication Hall et al., (2007), affirm that the decline in natural truffle harvest has persisted and is at an all time low of between 12 to 150 tonnes per year from the 1000 to 2000 tonnes in the 1990s. The steady decline in the production of truffle has led to the rise in price per unit over the last decade with an increase in demand (Lee, 2008). The decline of French Truffle has been a point of concern in the scientific research circles with some as Hall et al. (2003) in their study, pointing at water and air pollution, in addition to other factors including, the dynamism in forest structure and the lack of knowledge in traditional gathering as a result of world wars. Similar findings have been published in a report by Amaranthus (2007) citing destruction of truffle natural habitat, urban development, among the reasons for the decline. Such factors are most likely to continue reducing the production figures and specifically those in their natural settings (Amaranthus, 2007; Hall et al., 2007). Garvey and Cooper (2004), in their report further allude that this decline in natural habitat has resulted in the production of truffles on cultivated farms where the trees or truffieres are inoculated. However, these remedies cannot beat the native oak and hazel vegetation as the major producer of the French black truffles in France. In the recent years, the decline in truffle has been experienced in many regions of the world and especially the fast declining French black truffle or the Tuber melanosporum. However, it appears that most researchers are turning to climate as the main culprit. Buntgen et al.(2012) in their study on drought induced truffle decline explains the effect of climate on the production of truffle. They claim in their research that the effect of climate can either be directly or through the truffles symbiotic host vegetation. This literature review delves much into this article because of its relevance to the topic. Buntgen et al. (2012), provide in depth review on the yearly inventory of regional collection of truffle from Spain consisting of Aragon, France mainly a Perigord or Tuber melanosporum, and Italy a combination of Piedmont and Umbria. In this analysis, they indicate that the change in truffle production between 1970 and 2006 was similar between the species from Spain and France that is Aragon and Perigord respectively. Their analysis also found a lack of similarities in changes of production between Perigord and Piedmont–Umbria from France and Italy respectively. This observation from the regional-scale coherency is consistent with Sourzat (2002) observation that western mediterranean basin is the home of truffle fruiting. In addition, the harvests of Aragon and Perigord have revealed significant correlation, this the authors relate to the similarity in summer precipitation, whereas lack of correlations was found between Piedmont and Umbria production and precipitation (Buntgen et al., 2012). The difference in levels of sensitivity here is understandable because the Piedmont and Umbria experience double summer precipitation than Spanish Aragon with Perigord ranging in between (Zambonelli & Di Munno, 1992). The average of the three, truffle production outcomes, their regional mean correlated both positively and negatively at higher significant lev el of 99.9 percent with between June and August rainfall totals as well as maxima temperatures. The authors, Buntgen et al.(2012), posits in their analysis that both the natural and the cultivated truffles in the Mediterranean are seasonal and are subjected to the season between November and February a claim supported by Mello et al., (2006). In addition, this is dependent on the summer condition with rainy and cold weather instrumental in the fruit body development as supported by Gallot, (1999) in his publication more than a decade prior to Buntgen et al., (2012). Buntgen et al. (2012) postulate that given the relationship between fungi and host vegetation, there is bound to be competition for moisture due to the amount of rainfall in this season and this correlate significantly at 99.9 percent level with the yield. Fischer and Schar, (2010) present a suite of a dozen climatic models leading to rise in mean temperatures and decrease in rainfall totals for the Mediterranean region until the end of the 21st Century. This is indicative of the increased summer evapotranspiratio n. It is interesting to note that the simulated southwest European climatic conditions representing the last ten years are consistent to the drop in the production of truffle harvest (Buntgen et al., 2012). Nonetheless, Buntgen et al. (2012), state that it is unclear whether the truffle will reach tipping points as a result of the projected shift in climate, this is regard to their physiological and biogeochemical fruit body development. In their assumption, the expected or projected summer dryness will result in a sustained decline, in truffle yield, while the regions north of Alpine arc are most likely to provide suitable habitat for the truffle due to their calcareousness. Based on their observations, Buntgen et al.(2012), are inclined to the idea that climatic change and more so reduced summer precipitation and increased temperatures are the cause for truffle yields in the Mediterranean basin the natural habitat of T. melanosporum. Mello et al. (2006), in their analysis claim that the reduction in future summer rainfall coupled with summer aridity will result in drought resistant strain of T. melanosporum within its natural setting or distribution range. Samils, et al, (2008) in their research predict that the expected drop in truffle harvest in the Mediterranean region, will have a significant impact not only on the local tourism, but the agriculture as well as the global prices of this valuable commodity. This is most likely to increase the value of other varieties with artificial metabolism and not specific to the requirements of their ecological niche as the T. melanosporum (Mello et al., 2006;Gallot, 1999). This might see an increase in T. aestivum cultivation in areas where traditionally T. melanosporum was predominant as well as an increase in demand of truffle from non-traditional T. melanosporum producing regions outside Europe (Buntgen et al., 2012). Splivallo et al. (2012), in their analysis of the Burgundy truffle, suggest that the change in climatic conditions that were said to have begun a century ago has no impact on the current burgundy truffle distribution. However, they concur with Buntgen et al.(2012) on the impact of climatic change on species with narrower ranges such as the French black truffle, Perigord or Tuber melanosporum, and Italy a combination of Piedmont and Umbria. They support this by claiming that if the climate fails to restrict the distribution of these two species, then even a slight temperature increase in northern Europe as predicted by Buntgen et al. (2012) might result in its northern expansion. They confirm what Chevalier et al.(2001) had outlined that rainfall, soil composition are also factors that contribute to the decline in the production of Perigord. Splivallo et al. (2012), concur with Buntgen et al.(2012) assertion that other options will be needed to avert the looming shortage of this truf fle species, success cultivation lies in orchard farming as a change from the current empirical practices. They claim that cultivation of truffle in a bid to mitigate the effects of climate change which is a major cause of the decline should be based on scientific evidence. Therefore, the rise in temperature, in its self, will not be sufficient for the shift of truffle production in the northern European region (Splivallo et al., 2012). Methodology and Procedure3.1 Research DesignThis study will adopt a mixed methods research design. This process entails collecting and analysing data using both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the research problem comprehensively. When both qualitative and quantitative methods are combined in research, they supplement each other allowing a comprehensive analysis of the research problem (Tashakkori & Teddlie, 2003). According to Charles & Mertler (2002), quantitative methods deal with numerical data using cause-effect deductions, hypothesis testing, and observations to develop an understanding of the research issue. On the other hand, qualitative methods require the researcher to develop a complete picture of the research issues by conducting an in-depth analysis of words, as well as, compiled reports by the study participants. In this approach, the researcher adopts a constructivist approach to have a complete understanding of the problem centred on different conte xtual aspects (Charles & Mertler, 2002). In the mixed research methods, the uses pragmatic philosophy by affirming that truth is what works. Therefore, mixed methods integrate both text and numerical data to give a clear overview of the research problem. In this regard, this study will use surveys and interviews since they are the most popular data collection research tools (Creswell, 2002). In the first step of data collection, a web-based survey will be used, and data analysed using discriminant function. The qualitative method will involve semi-structured interviews to collect textual data from people to regarding the decline of Truffles.3.2 Research SampleThe target population sample will be about 1,200 environmentalists and hoteliers in France regarding the decline of truffles. These individuals are people who have been working in the hotel and environmental sectors in France. For the first quantitative stage of the research, a convenience sample will be chosen comprising indi viduals studying truffles decline, locals, and environmentalists, as well as, hoteliers. For the qualitative phase of the research, a smaller sample will be used to understand the main issue regarding the decline of French truffle (Creswell, 2002, p. 194). This is to ensure the selected participants will give appropriate answers to the research questions. Besides, for the qualitative part of the research, participants will be notified of their selection for voluntary follow-up individual interviews. Given the use of mixed methods research in the study, selection of participants for the qualitative part will rely on the outcomes of the quantitative stage. The use of this approach will ensure the researcher gets a multidimensional outlook of the research problem. For this research, the participants will be chosen centred on the statistically significant difference outcomes of the discriminant function analysis.3.3 Data CollectionFor the quantitative phase of the research, a cross-sec tional survey will be used; this implies that statistics will be gathered at one point in time (McMillan, 2000). The survey used for this research will be of different formats including multiple choices, yes/no questions, self-evaluation items, and open-ended questions. The questionnaire will comprise twenty four questions divided equally into six sections. The first section will contain questions regarding truffles and the participant’s understanding of truffles measured on a 7-point Likert scale. The second part will evaluate the participants’ awareness regarding the decline of truffles using a 7-point scale. The third part will provide information regarding the factors participants believe to cause a decline in truffles. The current issues regarding management of truffles will constitute the fourth part while the fifth segment will provide data answering how ecological factors influence truffles survival. Demographic questions will be in the sixth part of the survey regarding data about the participants’ age, residency, gender, and employment among others. Besides, the final question in the survey will be open-ended asking for additional information about truffles decline in France. The survey will be web-based accessible through a URL address given to the participants. For the qualitative method, in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews will be used to collect data. Half of the research sample will be interviewed regarding the research question. Historical texts will be further used to validate the data collected from the interviews. The interviews will include twenty open-ended questions pilot-tested before the interviews. The interviews questions will be formulated based on the results from the quantitative method. During the interview, the participants will be debriefed to obtain reliable information for the interview questions though, they will be issued with the questions prior to the interviews. The interviews will be tape recorded with the participants’ consent and a copy of the transcript emailed to them after the interview. The respondents will also be allowed to review their answers for the interview transcripts to ascertain their correctness.3.4 Data AnalysisPrior to the statistical analysis of the survey results, the data will be screened on both univariate and multivariate levels. This will help the research detect any multicollinearity in the collected data. Any data that shows a high probability in another category will be excluded during the analysis since they may give a poor model fit (Tabachnick & Fidell, 2000). The research’s data screening will entail descriptive statistics for the variables, linearity and homoscedasticity, normality, multivariate outliers, multicollinearity and singularity. The descriptive statistics will be tabulated, and a frequency’s analysis conducted to determine the validity of the survey questions. The discriminant function analysis will be used to determine the proportion by which the variables differ, and classify the functions into predictable groups. The results will then be reported in the form of discussion. Nonetheless, all the statistical analyses will be conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) version 11.0. In most qualitative research, data collection and analysis progress concurrently. For the qualitative analysis, data collected from the interviews will be coded and analysed for premises using the Qualitative Software and Research (QSR) N6 for qualitative data analysis. Furthermore, a visual data display will be used to identify the relationship in the data collected from the interviews. Data analysis for this phase of the research will involve creating a comprehensive description of the results; the researcher situates the cases in its context to make the case descriptions, and premises related to particular activities in the study’s outcomes (Creswell & Maitta, 2002). The researcher will construe the meaning of the results and describe them in the discussion section of the research proposal. Bibliography Amaranthus, M., 2007. Independent Truffle Expert’s Report in Product Disclosure Statement for the Oak Valley Truffle Project. Oak Valley Project. Buntgen, U. et al., 2012. Drought-induced decline in Mediterranean truffle harvest. Nature Climate Change, 2, pp.827-29. Carey, A.B., Colgan, W., Trappe, J.M. & Molina, R., 2000. Effects of forest management on truffle abundance and squirrel diets. Northwest Science , 76, pp.148–57. Charles, C.M. & Mertler, C.A., 2002. Introduction to educational research. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Cherfas, J., 1991. Disappearing mushrooms: Another mass extinction?. Science, pp.254: 1448. Chevalier, G., Gregori, G., Frochot, H. & Zambonelli, A., 2001. The cultivation of the Burgundy truffle. In Proc Second Intl Conf on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms. Christchurch: Crop & Food Research Limited. pp.1-12. Creswell, J.W., 2002. Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative approaches to research. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Pearson Education. Creswell, J.W. & Maitta, R., 2002. Qualitative research. In N. Salkind, ed. Handbook of research design and social measurement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. pp.143-84. FAIR, 2000. Improvement of the organoleptic quality of European truffles (EUROTRUFFE). Cooperative Research Measures. Fischer, E.M. & Schar, C., 2010. Nature. Geoscience, 3, pp.398–403. Fontana, A. & Bonfante, P., 1971. Mycorrhizal synthesis between Tuber brumale Vitt.and Pinus nigra Arnold. Allionia, 17, pp.15-18. Gallot, G., 1999. La truffe. INRA. Garbaye, J., 2000. The role of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis in the resistance of forests to water stress. Outlook on Agriculture , 29, pp.63-69. Garvey, D. & Cooper, P., 2004. Increasing the productivity of truffieres in Tasmania. RIRDC. Govindarajulu, M. et al., 2005. Nitrogen transfer in the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Nature , 435, pp.819-23. Hall, I.R., Brown, G.T. & Zamboneli, A., 2007. Taming the Truffle. The History Lore and Science of the Ulimate Mashroom. Timber Press. Hall, I., Byars, J. & Brown, G., 2001. The Black Truffle: Its History, Uses and Cultivation. Christchurch: New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Limited. Hall, I., Yun, W. & Amicucci, A., 2003. Cultivation of edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms. Trends in Biotechnology, 21, pp.433–438. Jolly, D., 2012. $1,200 a Pound, Truffles Suffer in the Heat. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/business/global/is-climate-change-shrinking-the-luxury-truffle-crop.html?_r=0 [Accessed 2 December 2013]. Lamon, L. et al, 2009. Environmental Science Technology, 43, pp.5818–5824. Lee, B., 2008. Taking Stock of the Australian Truffle Industry. Barton: Canprint. Macdonald, R.W., Harner, T. & Fyfe, 2005. Macdonald, R. W., Harner, T. & Fyfe, J. Sci. Total Environ. J. Sci. Total Environ., 342, pp.5–86. Martin, F. et al, 2010. Tuber melanosporum. Nature , 464, pp.1033–38. McMillan, J.H., 2000. Educational research: Fundamentals for the consumer. 3rd ed. New York: Addison-Wesley Longman. Mello, A., Murat, C. & Bonfante, P., 2006. FEMS Microbiol.. Lett, 260, pp.1–8. Ruffles Estate, 2013. An Internationally Recognised Gourmet Experience. [Online] Ruffles Estate Available at: HYPERLINK â€Å"http://canberratruffles.com.au/† http://canberratruffles.com.au/ [Accessed 2 December 2013]. Samils, et al, 2008. Econ. Bot., 62, pp.331–40. Smith, S. & Read, D.J., 1997. Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. London: Academic Press. Sourzat, P., 2002. Guide pratique de trufficulture. Station d’experimentation sur la truffe. Le Montat: Lycee professionnel agricole et viticole de Cahors. Splivallo, R. et al., 2012. Is climate change altering the geographic distribution of truffles. Front Ecol Environ, 10, pp.461–62. Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S., 2000. Using multivariate statistics. New York: Allyn & Bacon. Tashakkori, A. & Teddlie, C., 2003. Handbook on mixed methods in the behavioral and social sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Zambonelli, A. & Di Munno, R., 1992. Indagine sulla possibilita di diffusione dei rimboschimenti con specie tartufigene: aspetti tecnico-colturali ed economici. Ministero dell’Agricoltura e delle Foreste.

Communication Studies Internal Assessment Essay

The Communication Studies course requires us as students to complete an internal assessment. The internal assessment grade will be added to the cape communication studies examination grade to produce the final grade. Not completing the internal assessment will result in a failure grade because without the internal assessment grade the examination grade will ‘Ungraded’. Relationship to Work-related Interests The theme that I choose to study for my Internal Assessment has no relation to my work related interest. Relationship to Personal Interests The theme that I chose has significant relation to my personal interest. It is my personal opinion that the police force has caused their police related killings to rise greatly over the years. Theme and Purpose THEME The theme that I will be focusing on is Police Brutality but looking in depth on reckless shooting. PURPOSE My purpose for choosing this theme is because the number of police related has made a significant rise over the years and the police’s incident reports seem to be inaccurate and unbelievable. Treatment PREFACE The reflective piece is a story about a boy who witnessed police brutality first hand. The intended audience for the piece is my subject teacher, fellow classmates and to others to whom it may concern. Reflective Piece Another week of football practice was finally over for David. He was extremely tired and had a long journey home since he lived about forty miles for school. David was a seventeen year old boy in his last year of high school. David had to take three different vehicles to and from school every day. He left school about 5:00pm and now as he was about to board his second vehicle it was 6:30pm which means he would not reach home until minutes to nine. David did not like to travel on the road at such late hours but had no choice, to remain a member of the football team, practice was a must. While travelling on the bus David was replaying what he learned at school today in his head, both at class and on the field. Because David was a strong believer that sports plus academics was the recipe for success. About to board his final transport home he hears his name being shouted from behind. â€Å"David, David!!† When he looked back it was his Uncle Sean. David’s Uncle was an electrician; he lived seven blocks away with his wife, Stephanie, and their three children, Danielle, Kayla and Donovan. David liked Uncle Sean the best because they shared the same love for football. â€Å"How was football practice David?† Sean asked as soon as David entered the car, â€Å"It was cool, learnt a new tackling technique today†, David replied. The rest of the journey they talked about nothing but football, the English premier league, the best football players in Jamaica, the world cup champions. David completely forgot how tired he was and was completely wrapped up in his intense conversation with his Uncle. Out of nowhere behind them they heard a police’s car siren. Uncle Sean, thinking that they wanted clear passage to pass, slowed down but they were not passing the car. Uncle Sean decided to stop the car and see what the problem was. The police car stopped in front of them and two police officers exited the car. â€Å"Get out of the car, this is a search†, one of them ordered. David and his uncle exited the car and watch while the one of the officers searched the car. The other went to David and his uncle, â€Å"Lift your hands in the air and spread your legs, two a inno†, he ordered. After completing his search he walked over to the other officer. â€Å"So we find weed pon yuh, yuh no say yuh can affi pay five thousand dollar or else†, one of the officers said, holding a parcel with ganja inside of it. â€Å"That is not mine; it must be yours because I don’t know where you found that. It could not be in my car†, Sean replied. â€Å"Yow idiot bwoy, a accuse yuh a accuse mi partner!† the other officer shouted. The police officer walked right up to Sean and hit him in the face. â€Å"do wah yuh want, mi nah pay yuh no money batty bwoy†, Sean screamed. The police man pointed the gun in Sean face and said, â€Å"gaan way to far† and fired the gun, twice. David ran in some nearby bushes and escaped the police. That night David’s uncle died. Again the police force had robbed another family one of their valuable members. Robbed a business one valuable employee and robbed society a valuable member. David reached home safely and told his mother everything that happened. *JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED*