Online role-playing games Essay Example

Online role-playing games Essay Online role-playing games facilitate communication with fellow players to encourage players to talk and establish social networks. The most popular online games such as World of Warcraft and EverQuest impede group efforts such as guilds and group quests, so that players make several online friends and communicate for a significant part of the time, working together for team battle and competition purposes. Online computer game players that used to bring their friends to their rooms to be able to play together no longer have to do so. All they have to do now is create an account in an online game and log in to talk to people who they are close to or people who theyve never even seen before. The online communication factor is particularly attractive because online players already all share a common feeling: they all love online games very much. This shared feeling gives other players a sense of ease in their communication with other players because they share a common interest. Since so many players can be found online at any given time, other players will not get lonely and can always socialize with other online players if they cannot find their usual acquaintances. We will write a custom essay sample on Online role-playing games specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Online role-playing games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Online role-playing games specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer This ongoing socialization between other players is one aspect of the game that makes it so immersive for players. Players can ignore their real lives and concentrate on their online characters and his social relations instead of their own. This is one of the many reasons why online game players that build social networks inside the game would extend their subscriptions to the game and play longer. Players that are part of guilds or other social gatherings play to be part of their group. Since they do not want to fall behind in their status, they would be required to play for longer periods of time to advance in level and catch up to the other players in their group. Guild leaders, especially, would have a large amount of pressure to play because of their numerous responsibilities. One female player says, I worry about my game life as much as I worry about my real life. If I am late getting on, I feel like people will be disappointed with me. As a guild leader, when conflicts arise people come to me to resolve them. People look to you to have events, help them get things, quest, etc I try to please everyone, but it is unrealistic to think you can be everywhere for everyone, keeping them all happy. It gets to be a heavy burden to bear, and sometimes I end up in tears out of frustration. I am an addict. Will I quit? No. Why? Because I love it. 4 Females, especially, have been found to be interested in a game mostly because of the social interactions between players. 5 Males, on the other hand, mostly seemed to be interested in popular MMORPGs because of the attraction of a status of high power. The leveling of their players to become more powerful drove males to play for longer periods of time. Extensive online gaming is only recently being seen as a serious issue. Because of some extreme cases involved in players who play extensively, China has implemented control regulations of the time that players can remain online in their games. 7 Chinese players can now remain online for three hours before their in-game benefits will be cut down. In terms of the games, this would mean reducing the value of equipment found within the game, or lowering the power of the players character. After five hours, players will be warned that their in-game benefits will be cut down to zero and their avatars health will be damaged if they continue to remain online. The most popular online games agreed to the playing curbs; although they did not have much choice as they need the governments support to offer online games. However, many critics and moderate online players feel that the system is not enough. This is because of the significant loopholes in the regulations. Players can just play until their time is up and then switch characters to another profile. This is feasible for the large number of addicted Chinese players. Control of online video game addiction is essential for many caught up in the games. Many extreme cases of violence have occurred because the players were addicted to the games. For example, one child whose gameplay was interrupted by his little brother proceeded to kill his younger sibling with a hammer because he had interrupted his game play. 9 One man, Shawn Woolley, shot himself to death after a tragic loss occurred in his game. 10 These are not isolated cases. Reports of video game violence are frequent and are far from over. There are many reasons why players may resort to such extremes. Online games, perhaps, in their violent gameplay, may confuse players about the consequences of killing and death. Since addicted players tend to spend so much time away from reality and their friends and family, they may begin to forget about how important these people are to them, and when they become isolated from their games they lose sight of what to do and how to respond to others. One psychologist from Stockton became so wrapped up in the game in trying to study it, that he frequently entered all-night sessions with the game before forcing himself to quit. 11 He says, Here I was in a good position to understand the problem and yet I really did have to struggle to beat this thing I can imagine that somebody with less knowledge of these kinds of issues would really have a hard time understanding what was happening to them. Many players would become confused at the priority shift brought into by the games, and some react by ignoring their real lives and instead focus solely on the game. Many online video game players find themselves unable to lead the rest of their lives, even if they have made the changes necessary to rid themselves of the game. This is because of many reasons. Players who have become immersed in the games find themselves experiencing withdrawal symptoms when they are away from their games. Also, players have poor health and little to no social skills. It becomes very hard for gamers to lead social lives and develop platonic and romantic relationships outside of their online games. Players who have a history of extensive gaming find it hard to react to what others say to them and usually have little confidence. Most are unable or unwilling to develop romantic relationships because of commitment issues or a poor sense of self-worth. These gamers find it difficult to confront people face-to-face because they have not done so for such a long time. Gamers find it hard to attract others of the opposite sex because they do not feel confident talking to others if they are not on their computers. Some may even lose the ability to speak practically, because they have become so accustomed to speaking in terms of the game and with other online gamers who speak in the same style. Additionally, players in high school may lose the rest of their lives because their extensive gaming has ruined their chances to enter university or college. Some players lose the drive to do well academically and essentially squander their future by playing video games. One adult player explains the trouble that his addiction to the game has cause for his profession and life, I am addicted to EQ and I hate it and myself for it. When I play I sit down and play for a minimum of 12 hours at a time, and I inevitably feel guilty about it, thinking there a large number of things I should be doing instead, like reading or furthering my education or pursuing my career. But I cant seem to help myself; it draws me in every time. I have been out of work now for over a month and now find myself in a stressful, depressed state that is only quelled when I am playing EQ, because its easy to forget about real world troubles and problems, but the problem is when you get back to the real world, problems and troubles have become bigger, and its a bad, bad cycle. 12 This is another significant reason why so many players feel that their online games have ruined their lives. Some players may not get the chance to redo their years of high school and end up with a mediocre job. Others may not even attain to that level. Because so many players are able to immerse themselves in their games without other distractions, they tend to forget about the importance of their real lives. Players tend to neglect their friends and family, just so they can play their games for a few more hours. It is undeniable that online games have ruined millions of peoples lives and something must be done about it. However, the attitudes and behavior of the player prior to introduction to the game must also be analyzed. Players that suffer from ADHD and other psychological disorders may tend to become more involved in these kinds of games because it allows them to escape from their real lives. Players with poor self-image and low self esteem also react the same way. For some of the addicted players, the game may not be entirely at fault. This is the main reason why so many psychologists and addiction experts refuse to classify online video game addiction as the real thing. Many still believe it to be a joke that only happens in extreme cases. For now at least, they may be right. However, it is also important to consider the gaming culture of many countries. South Korea and China are two of the most heavily gaming countries in the world. China alone had a video gaming revenue of $633 million in 2005. 13 For many technology-oriented countries such as China and South Korea, gaming is a way of life. Thus, it seems obvious that most of the severe cases of online video game addiction would occur in these countries. In China, for example, skipping school to go to Internet Cafes is a regular habit for thousands of high-schoolers. 14 This kind of behavior starts social trends that escalate into bad habits for other students. It is not uncommon for adults to go to Internet Cafes after work to play online games. It may be even more unacceptable for adults and especially parents to be gaming online excessively. Parents may introduce their children or spouse to the game, creating a family-friendly environment for the child and spouse to play online together. This is especially dangerous for the child because then the child feels safe playing online, and feels that it is the right thing to do. Children at a young age can become easily addicted to online games because it is new and exciting to them. Children of a young age fantasize about being in charge, and having superhuman powers. Therefore, when the child gets both from a video game, the child generally becomes enthralled and wants to continually play the game instead of focusing on their life. This leads to bad habits later in life. If the child gets used to gaming on a regular basis, he will usually want to continue to do so later in life as his priorities change and his responsibilities increase. Given the issues at hand as a cause of extensive video game play, possible solutions should be considered as well. In the case of the Chinese effort to decrease addiction in online game players, a good effort was made. However, other countries have not fared so well in their attempts, if any, at facing this problem. One possible solution could be to change the dynamics of the online games slightly, so that the player finds it less rewarding or engaging. One way to follow through with this idea would be to decrease the value or number of rewards given to players, similar to the efforts made in China. According to an extensive study conducted by Nicholas Yee in 2001, the second most popular reason why Ever Quest (an extremely popular MMORPG) appealed to the player was because they were able to achieve goals. 15 Perhaps the game could alter their time structure such that players are not required to spend as much time to achieve goals or to gain items. This solution would be very effective, providing the player with the same rewarding experience within a shorter period of play, however, the player may simply choose to play even longer because they find it so rewarding. Therefore, an effective solution must include a way to restrain the time a player spends online. A more direct way of dealing with the threat of game addiction would be to involve parents or close family that could be educated about the game and how they can prevent the consequences of spending too much time online. This solution would coerce the player to spend more time in social interactions outside of the game. According to Nicholas Yees The Norrathian Scrolls: A Study of EverQuest, the third most satisfying experience for players of EverQuest was to establish a friendship with other online players. 16 A significant reason why players choose to play their game for so long is because they are lonely and want to make friends but do not have the self-confidence or social skills from real life so they would do so online, where it is much easier. Social interactions with family members and friends would improve their social skills and boost their self-esteem, giving them the chance to participate in activities with friends in real life. A solution that could be implemented through online gaming companies would be the monitoring of the activity of a computer, identified through its Internet Protocol address. In this way, the online gaming activity of each computer could be tracked by gaming companies, and used to limit the time to which players can stay online. This idea would not work for all players, because some may have more than one computer, or may change computers after their time is up for one computer. However, this would likely work for the majority of players, as the chance that a single person would own more than one computer is relatively small. This solution could help the Chinese government in lowering the online play time because addicted players in China would just log off their character and sign on through another account. One addicted Chinese player said, I have mixed feelings about the curbs. They might help me find different ways of passing the time. But you can get around the rules. When my time is up playing as one character, I can just continue playing as another character. So these rules wont affect the addicts. 17 Since this method involves tracking a computers IP sentence, it does not matter how many characters the player has, because the tracking of the IP address will identify the computer instead of the players current profile. After extensive research and analysis of the roles, attitudes, behaviors, and motivations of teenage online video gamers, a conclusion has been reached. The main social and ethical issues with respect to online computer gaming and teenagers are the players mental and physical health, reduced mental and physical stimulation due to addiction, financial insecurity and lack of social interaction. However, on reaching this conclusion, many unresolved questions have arose throughout the research. It is still unknown, for example, whether online gaming can be classified as a clinical addiction. Also, the debate of whether or not online gaming can be directly attributed to the game was not resolved. This is because it is undecided whether the player or the game itself has the larger role in the addiction.

Should the U.S. go to War essays

Should the U.S. go to War essays The United States of America was created through warfare. Since then, the U.S. has tried to stay non-militaristic. George Washington once said that a new nation should not entangle itself in alliances, because they could result in wars. In spite of this, as our nation developed, we found ourselves in WWI, WWII, The Cold War, The Vietnam War, and the Gulf War. As technology advances, the number of casualties has been brought down, but war is still a waste of lives. Others say that history has taught us that war is inevitable because there will always be something to fight about. The U.S. went to war with Iraq in the 1990s, because it was trying to take over Iran. The war was a pretty successful for us, and it only lasted a few months. Today, after the incidents of September 11, the U.S. faces a new threat, terrorism. A year later, our news is filled with stories of Iraqs chemical and nuclear weapon arsenal; therefore, Iraq has once again become a target for the U.S. The U.S. has been trying to stop Saddams evil regime, but now it must take the appropriate actions to eliminate him. It is clear that Saddam Hussein is a threat to the U.S national security. According to A Veteran Remembers, written by Howard Zinn, war is just the slaughter of innocent lives, organized by national leaders. This was written for a newspaper editorial on Veterans Day; therefore, it made an incredible controversy. The author says that he was a WWII veteran, and tells us how WWII should have been the end of all wars. After all, 50 million died; most of them were innocents. Another veteran, Tim OBrien, writes about what war is. According to Tim, the only thing we get out of war is that those who go dont want to fight anymore. There are always some people who want to go to war, but this is usually because some political gain needs to be achieved. Most of the world views the U.S. as only fighting against Iraq is to diver...

Malnutrition among people older than 65 years Essay

Malnutrition among people older than 65 years - Essay Example The study â€Å"Malnutrition among people older than 65 years† investigates the psychological effects of malnutrition among the elderly and their caregivers. Despite the recent attention given to malnutrition among elderly people, politicians have been painfully slow in taking the issue seriously. Finding a way to solve this issue forms the basis for this paper. In medical terms, malnutrition is either effect if illness or a cause of illness. Malnutrition can be a result of another disease like cancer. For instance, people undergoing cancer treatment are usually nauseated and their appetite is usually low. The disinterest in eating can lead to leads to malnourishment if it goes on for a longtime. Malnourishment can lead to exhaustion, confusion, and increases the risk of infections due to a weak immune system as well as increasing the risk of falling due to muscle weakness. Psychological factors such as depression and social isolation can also lead to under-eating. Health prom otion theory usually helps in in capturing the nature of health promotion in a way that provides a framework for analyzing and describing the processes, activities and contents of health promotion. Health promotion model studies health promotion framework, practice and design intervention. There are several models of health promotion such as Beattie’s model, Tannahill’s model, Holland and Caplan’s model, Pender’s model and Tone’s model. The public is more aware than ever before about the dangers of malnutrition among the older people.

Compare contrast and analyze the coastal management and its effect on Research Paper

Compare contrast and analyze the coastal management and its effect on the population in both ghana and South Africa - Research Paper Example The destructive activities performed by individual lead to destroying of the coastline resources of the countries. In this paper, the coastal management systems of South Africa and Ghana have been discussed precisely by considering all the significant facts about its coastal areas. The reasons for the destruction of the coastal areas of Ghana and South Africa have been explained and how those have impacted on the people and business located there, are also discussed. 2.0 Coastal Management Coastal management comprises of the coastal resource management, coastal zone management and integrated coastal zone management that relates to formal or informal practices, economies, rules, technologies as well as interaction among natural resources and humans who are located near sea coast. The coastal management also includes the way through which the resources are utilized and protected1. In the coastal management process, there are five phases such as identification of issue as well as evalua tion of baseline. The second phase includes the preparation as well as adoption of coastal resource management, in the third phase there is an action plan along with implementation of project. The fourth phase is the monitoring and evaluation, and the last phase comprises of information management, outreach and education1. The term ‘Coastal Management’ came into being after United States Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 was implemented. According to this act, sectoral management approach was not operating effectively, that was developed to focus on the individual resources such as fisheries, and other activities such as transport. Then the idea came to develop a coastal management approach with definite plans that primarily focus on particular issues related to national along with local importance. From that period new coastal management approach was applied in various situations all around the world2. The activities of coastal management takes place both in the dire ct land-sea border as well as in wider area of indirect influence of sea on land as well as land on sea. It also involves organizing the production of intertidal organisms and co-ordination of various sectors along with management agencies that have a direct along with indirect influence on the coast. The management of coast facilitates synchronization between the sectors and agencies. It also helps to develop the capability for integration of coastal consideration to the particular work2. Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) is considered as inter as well as trans-disciplinary approach of management, which was first initiated from the year 1970. The main objective was settlement of the conflicts of coastal stakeholders and to attain sustainable coastal development. Integrated coastal management is referred as the process by which several marine as well as coastal environments are managed in order to provide broad range of needs of bio-diversity protection along with sustainable use by facilitating the stakeholders to participate in the management programs3. MPA (Marine Protected Areas) is considered as an essential component of integrated coastal management program. They help in the protection of biodiversity as well as ecological

Case Briefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Case Briefs - Essay Example ision in the Court of Appeals and stated â€Å"commercial nature of the parody rendered it presumptively unfair under the first of four factors† (LII p.4). However, the Supreme Court ruled that the Appeals Court had error in its judgment. Therefore, case the case went from district court, to Appeals court and eventually to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court reasoned that the decision ought to be reached upon consideration of several factors. One, the character and even the purpose of that use; two, the amount of the work used in the creation of a parody. Finally, the effects and the nature of the copyrighted material. This case was filed at the district court in Texas involving two firms where mascot characters were the center of the issue. Barney was a character associated with the Lyons partnership while Ted Giannoulas had a chicken as its mascot. The plaintiff complained that the defendant had false association trademark-dilution as well as unfair competition (Texas paralegal Journal p.2). In the first hearing, the district judge rule that the plaintiff was not able to proof beyond reasonable doubts how the defendant had infringed on trademark. The plaintiff’s concern was that the defendant’s portrayal of Barney as weak and relied on the chicken for dancing lessons was tantamount to unfair competition. When the judgment was delivered, the plaintiff was dissatisfied and appealed the ruling (Texas paralegal Journal p.4). The issues raised by the plaintiff at the district court included by using a Barney-like mascot, there would be consumer confusion hence unfair competition. Additionally, the firm complained of portraying it in bad light by misusing a barney-like mascot on the stage. Apparently, the mascot would be slapped, kicked and even stood on. The district court ruled that there was no evidence sufficient to sustain a consumer-confusion case. This was reached after it was ruled that the defendant’s use of barney-like mascot was a parody. In

Young Parenthood And Teen Fathers Social Work Essay

Young Parenthood And Teen Fathers Social Work Essay Much of the researches available on young parenthood have focused on the experiences of teenage mothers and mainly those separated from the young fathers. Subsequently, efforts have been made to ascertain the proportional involvement of fathers in various aspects of parenting and the distinctive contributions of fathers (knight et. Al, 2006). There are significant gaps in the provision of service for teenage fathers (Cater et al 2006). Practitioners wishing to offer support for the young fathers face a number of barriers such as the difficultly in finding young fathers, the lack of adequate support for young fathers when they are identified, complicated family issues, educational difficulties and the negative attitudes of individual professionals. Despite the growing research on young fathers, there remains a dearth of research that recognises the wide diversity of young fatherhood and the different needs young fathers may have (e.g. young fathers in care, young fathers in prison, non-resident fathers, young fathers from ethnic minority groups). Young fathers are invisible as a group, yet they are more likely to require support services and be affected by unemployment, poor housing, and a lack of education (Speak et al., 1997). It is therefore not surprising that little is known about the expectations and experiences of young fathers in accessing support and the barriers they face. The study arose from the observation that there is limited information available in current research on the views and experiences of young fathers in Outer London Borough. Much of the research that is available on young parents focuses on the experiences of young mothers. This study sought to establish, from the perspective of young fathers and the organisations that worked with them their expectations and experiences in accessing support and the effectiveness of the support available. Research questions How accessible and effective are the support available to young fathers in meeting their socio-economic needs in Outer London Borough? Aims The aims of my research are: to identify which organisations are offering support to young fathers and how they worked with them; to explore young fathers view of support available to them and the obstacles they face in accessing it; to establish, from the view point of young fathers and the organisations that worked with them the effectiveness of the support. Research methodology The qualitative paradigm aims to understand the social world from the viewpoint of respondents, through detailed descriptions of their cognitive and symbolic actions, and through the richness of meaning associated with observable behavior (Wildemuth, 1993). The research would be undertaken using the following qualitative research techniques: Desk scoping. Structured interviews with young fathers and service providers. Case study review of projects and initiatives that provide practical support to young fathers. Desk Scoping Desk Scoping focused on investigating into the existing evidence. This included searching the following sources: An extensive search was made of all relevant databases, libraries and journals for literature sources pertaining to the project issue. In addition a comprehensive review of internet based literature and resources were made. Using the London South Bank University library online resources via http://library.lsbu.ac.uk, ASSIA (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts), an electronic resource, was searched, 51 results were found using the term young parenthood (search was from 2001 to current), 33 results were found using the term teenage father (search was from 2002 to current to reduce the search result to a manageable number) and 9 results were found using the terms young father and support. ASSIA covers English language journals in applied social sciences and includes health, economics, social issues social policy, organisational behaviour and communication. Relevant governmental organisations websites were searched for information gathering. As relevant reports were identified through these avenues, the references within these reports were followed as a way of further identifying relevant research reports. Interviews The most common forms of collecting qualitative data are participant observation and in-depth interviewing (Kenworth, Snowley Gilling 2004). Cohen Manion (1993) interviews are initiated by the reviewer for the specific purpose of obtaining research-relevant information and focused by (her or) him on content specified by research objectives of systematic description, prediction or explanation. 7 semi-structured interviews will be conducted with service delivery personnel from those organisations offering specialist support to young fathers (social services, connexions, parenting support, parentingUK, first housing, health agency, and employment support). These interviews would be conducted by telephone to identify common/different support practices and to evaluate their perceived effectiveness. In addition to the interviews, local service providers would take part in informal meetings. Some would be interviewed at the start of the study and provide information on the local context. Others would provide ongoing dialogue during the time of the study, particularly those from maternity services in the study localities. A roundtable dissemination event would be held towards the end of the study to discuss findings and their relevance for local practice and policy. A minimum of 10 semi-structured interviews would be held with young fathers (young fathers in care, young fathers in prison, non-resident fathers and young fathers from ethnic minority groups) who have either received or not received support. Due to the delicate nature of these interviews and the potential vulnerability of the participants, an appropriate qualified researcher, following the strictest ethical guidelines, will sensitively conduct interview. Prior to any interviews, the researcher will update their Child Protection Training to ensure that s/he is fully aware of current relevant issues. The core themes to be explored through the structured interviews are: identifying the support needs of young fathers; local services available to young fathers, both practical and emotional; partnership working among agencies that provide young fathers with support; opportunities and challenges to providing practical support to young fathers. Interview will be conducted in the participants homes and supported by adult family member or friend. Parental/guardian consent will be confirmed prior to the interview and all interviews will be recorded digitally. Data will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Their names and other identifying information would be anonymised in the presentation of finding. The young people taking part would be assured in writing and verbally that the narratives they shared would be treated in confidence and that confidentiality would be breached only in the event of disclosure or child protection concerns being revealed regarding issues not already known to the relevant agencies. A semi-structured interview will be used by the same researcher to ensure consistency; all interviews will be digitally recorded with consent and lasted between 20 and 60 minutes. Digital recording the interviews would enhance the reliability of the interview. Using semi-structured interviews in this study enables the interviewer to be guided by the participant who should be encouraged to talk freely, even though the interviewer may have certain points to cover. Participant will be recruited in the following way: Young fathers who have used organisations offering specialist (social services, connexions, parenting support, parentingUK, first housing, health agency, and employment support) support will be contacted via a list to be provided by the agencies and invited to join the study only after securing the young persons agreement and parental/guardian consent. For others who have not used specialist services, would be recruited through their childrens mothers or via local contacts and word of mouth. Young fathers will be encouraged to participate in the study, through awarding a  £10 ASDA voucher to all participants. Should sufficient participants be identified, selection through criteria including age, gender and ethnicity type will be made to ensure a broad representation of demographic groups. Case Study To explore in more depth the experiences of young fathers and to understand more fully the practice of those organisations offering activities to young fathers, three case studies were reviewed. These case studies are examples of projects or initiatives that provide practical support to young fathers. The aim of the review was to explore the range of approaches that have been developed to support the practical needs of young fathers, highlighting successes, challenges faced and lessons learned. The findings reported here centre mainly on the experiences of becoming and being a father from the viewpoints of the young men involved in the case studies. Additionally the report includes some young womens perspectives on the young men as fathers. Research design It is anticipated that in order to complement existing longitudinal survey data, the current study will employ primarily qualitative methods to explore the young fathers expectations and experiences in accessing support and the effectiveness of the support they receive. The aim of a qualitative researcher is to explore peoples experiences, feelings and beliefs so that statements about how people interpret and structure their lives can be made (Holloway Wheeler 1996). The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach would be used for this study and will provide an insight and understanding of young fathers expectations and experiences in accessing support and the effectiveness of the support. IPA was chosen over the Grounded Theory approach (Glaser Strauss 1967), as we do not want to develop a theory but to understand and explore how the participants understood their personal and social environment and what experiences and events meant for them. It is envisage that a retrospective, life-history approach, including a range of groups (e.g. young fathers in care, young fathers in prison, non-resident fathers, young fathers from ethnic minority groups and practitioners) will give insights into young fathers expectations and experiences in accessing support and the effectiveness of the support they receive. I expect the sample to reflect a sufficient range of potentially significant variables such as gender, age, ethnicity and social background. The ethical committee within the London South Bank University (LSBU) would consider the study for approval. All participants would be given information sheets explaining the procedure. Before giving signed consent, participants would be advised that they were free to leave at any time. Pilot studies would be done of the questions being asked to check the clarity of the language. Beck Hungler (2001) suggest that four ethical principles must be considered when participating in research: (1) the right not to be harmed, (2) the right to be fully informed on all aspects of the study, (3) the right to decide to take part or not (and the right to withdraw at any time) and (4) the right to privacy, anonymity and confidentiality. Qualitative research commences during the process of data collection. While the researcher processes the information patterns are then looked for during the interview and then select a theme to follow. The data analysis continues throughout the interviews and also once data is collected. Two researchers will independently undertake the analysis and checked and re-checked with each other for emergent themes. Diversity within the sample would allow for the exploration of young fathers experiences across a range of circumstances relating to their age, locality, education and employment, living arrangements, relationships with their partner, support from family and friends, contact with formal services, etc. Social work and qualitative research share the mutual goals of dealing with subjectivity, describing the complexity of lived experience, and appreciating realities where intuition is valued. Qualitative methodology is, therefore, in my view a suitable method to be employed in researching the expectations and experiences of young fathers in accessing support. Researchers would take necessary steps not to introduce bias by accidentally reporting their interpretation of participants feelings. At the beginning of the study researchers would declare and record their feelings. The researchers would also ensure that the level of subjectivity remains at a relatively neutral level. Ethical issues are important and would be considered at every step of the research process. This is not just about obtaining ethical approval for a study but also ensuring the rights of participants are not violated. When reporting the findings of the research, participants anonymity and confidentiality would not be breached. The role of the interviewer is to encourage participants to discuss their experiences of the phenomenon. It is possible that in the cause of the interview participants could inadvertently discuss personal information that they had not planned to reveal, or that may rekindle tragic or uncomfortable experiences related to this study. Researchers would continue to negotiate with participants to ascertain whether they wish to continue with the interview or not. Psychological support would be in place to manage any emotional distress that may result from the interview. Everything would be done in the course of the study to protect the rights of vulnerable respondents. The researchers would not make any exaggerated claims as to the significance of the research and implications for practice, and further research would be located in the studys findings. Moreover, the researcher would relate the findings of the study back to the original research purpose, and illustrate whether or not it has been adequately addressed (Thorne et al., 2005). The researchers would conclude by placing the findings in a context that indicates how this new information is of interest, and its implications for social work. These conclusions would reflect the studys findings and ideally would offer recommendations as to how they may be developed. The most common criteria used to evaluate qualitative research studies are credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability (Lincoln et al., 1985). It is therefore important that the readers are able to identify the criteria used and are able to clearly follow each step of the research process. To ensure the credibility of the study process, the study would address the issue of whether there is consistency between the participants views and the researchers representation of them. The participants would be consulted at every stage of the study and they would be allowed to read and discuss the study findings. The researcher would also describe and interpret his experience as a researcher. The study would provide evidence of a decision trail at each stage of the research process. Future researchers would clearly be able to follow the trail used by the researchers and potentially arrive at the same or comparable conclusions. The researchers would demonstrate how conclusions and interpretations have been derived from the data. Its hoped that the findings would be transferable to other context outside the study situation and people who were not involved in the research study would find the results meaningful. One of the shortcomings of a qualitative research based study of this nature is their lack of objectivity and generalisation of their findings. The study has been designed to seek answers to how persons or groups make sense of their experiences. In my view small qualitative studies can gain a more personal understanding of the phenomenon and the results can potentially contribute valuable knowledge to the community. Hamilton (1980) asserts that the value of a study is established by reference to the phenomena it seeks to comprehend and the understandings it aspires to develop. Stake (1980) suggests that using qualitative methodology in this type of study may be in conceptual harmony with the service users experience and thus be a natural basis for generalization. Liiicolii Y, Cuba E (1985) Nainrnlisik /nijiiir). Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA Koch T (2l)06 Establishing rigour in qualitative research: the decision trail. J Adv Nurs 53(1): 91-100 Tobin G, Begley C (2004) Methodological rigour within a qualitative Framework J Adv Nurs 48(4): 388-96 Thorne S, Darbyshire P (2005) Land mines in the field: a modest proposal for improving the craft of qualitative health research. Quality Health Research 15(8): 1105-13 Myers, M. (2000). Qualitative research and the generalizability question: Standing firm with Proteus. The Qualitative Report, 4(3/4).   http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR4-3/myers.html

Cultural Diversity In Schools :: Education Culture Socioeconomic Status Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since early American history, schools, like society, have addressed cultural diversity in different ways. In the colonial days, some attempts to adjust to cultural differences were made in the New York colony, but the dominant American culture was the norm in the general public, as well as most of the schools. As America approached the nineteenth century, the need for a common culture was the basis for the educational forum. Formal public school instruction in cultural diversity was rare, and appreciation or celebration of minority or ethnic culture essentially was nonexistent in most schools. In the 1930's, the educators were in the progressive education movement, called for programs of cultural diversity that encouraged ethnic and minority students to study their heritage. This movement became popular in many schools until around 1950. Now, these days in education, the term multicultural education never escapes a teacher's thoughts (Ryan, 26).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What does the term "multicultural education" mean to you? It means different things to different people. For instance, to some minority communities, it means to foster pride and self-esteem among minority students, like the progressive movement in the 1930's. Another example would be in the white communitites, that multicultural programs are designed to cultivate an appreciation of various cultural, racial, and ethnic traditions. Cortes defines multicultural education by the process by which schools help prepare young people to live with greater understanding, cooperation, effectiveness, and dedication to equality in a multicultural nation and inerdependent world (Cortes, 16).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I observed at Madison Elementary in December, I expected the school would be multicultural in the sense of ethnic or racial backgrounds. Instead, I was very surprised to discover that the school was predominately white students, with only a handful of African American students in each classroom. I did find out that the Wheeling Island area was in very low status pertaining to income. Not only did over half of the students receive free or reduced lunch, but the students academic skills were below the national norm. I never realized what an effect of economic status can affect a student's academic progress. Of course there are out lying factors, the parent involvement was at a minimum because most families consisted of only one care taker. To make ends meet the single parent had to spend most of his/her time working for money to buy clothes, food, and to keep their children healthy. Madison Elementary had made great strides to improve their efforts to better the students academic progress. The school had instilled different programs like A-Team, Pre-K classes, Reading Recovery, various health services, outreach to families, and many more to ensure

Reliable Resources – Gen/200c

When doing research and determining which resources are reliable and relevant there is one thing to keep in mind; not all information is created equal. Information can come in many forms and distinguishing the good from the bad can sometimes resemble walking through a mine field. One wrong source and your whole paper can explode. Sure it may not be that dramatic but the bottom line is good information will strengthen your paper; bad information will weaken it. If the resources used are not accurate or irrelevant, it can invalidate your argument or viewpoint.If you utilize a source that has been referenced numerous times or compare information from various sources that can strengthen your work. Sources found on educational or government sites can reinforce your writing because it is corroborated by documentation. Other sites should be avoided since the information found there is tough to substantiate. In order to determine if a source is reliable, you should consider where the informa tion originated, research the author, and evaluate all sources.Oftentimes, common sense and knowledge of a particular subject matter can be vital in deciding whether or not a source is reliable and uncovering author bias. Does the information seem objective? Is it contradictory or inconsistent? Does the writer have an obvious agenda? Is there more emotion in the writing than facts? These are questions to ask when determining bias. Also, check to see if the author can substantiate his/her claims with evidence. After finding information that supports your topic or argument, investigate the author(s) to verify credentials.If the article is written by an educator, go to the university or school’s web page and confirm employment. If their work is in a peer-reviewed journal then it is considered to be reliable. Each article in the journal undergoes an arduous review process and is assessed for accuracy by peers and experts. These journals include an expansive bibliography which cit es other reliable sources solidifying the credibility of the article. However, it is sometimes necessary to verify the other sources to make sure each one is used in context to your research. . References Farooq, S. U. , Rehmani, R. , & Afridi, S.A. (2010,  June). Enhancing productivity and efficiency with time management. European Journal of Scientific Research,  43(2), 252-255. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. This is an article covering the importance of attitude in time management. It discusses how time management is a personal commitment and focuses on accountability. It outlines goal setting, establishing priorities, communication, and avoiding procrastination as important aspects of effectively managing time and enhancing productivity. Radar, L. A. (2005,  Jan/Feb). Goal setting for students and teachers. Clearing House, 78(3), 123-126.Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. This article discusses the importance of teaching goal setting to students in order to guide them t o success. It points out six steps that can lead students toward accomplishing their goals and communicates ways to overcome obstacles. Ellis, D. (2011). Becoming a master student (13th ed. ). Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 67-83. According to Ellis (2011), â€Å"The purpose of this book is to help you make a successful transition to higher education by setting up a pattern of success that will last the rest of your life† (p. 1).

All ideologies are broad churches Discuss with reference essays

All ideologies are broad churches Discuss with reference essays An ideology can be seen as a rational and complex science of ideas which offers some form of political and cultural schemata for certain social orders, in an attempt to explain how society should work ultimately aiming for the implementation of a form of utopia. Political ideologies are largely concerned with both the allocation and systematic usage of power, and are thus subject to public scrutiny and evolve with changes in modern day society and culture. Different interpretations of these evolutions often lead to the formation of different ideological structures, and similarly, single ideologies which may be seen as a whole are actually comprised of many different substrands which have developed from their counterparts. As a result, it can be said that no ideology is finite, and that ideologies are always going through periodical and progressive changes in correlation with societys. The phrase broad churches refers to this idea, that within a body of political or philosophical t hought, there are a variety of co-existing (and competing) ways of thinking. One example of this is liberalism. Liberalism is viewed as the dominant modern political ideology, embodying a common sense approach to its analysis (Hall 1986). It identifies the individual, aiming to maximise freedoms, and social equality. However, despite similar labels, liberal parties across different nations differ tremendously. Developed in the 17th century, its initial standing was to challenge the dominance of the monarchy and to establish a stable society in which individuals could exercise their own rights. Among the main developments were Lockes social contract theory, identifying the notion of consent and authority and its role in legitimising governmental actions. As society evolved into the industrial revolution in the 18th century, liberalism adopted an economic focus and the notion o...

Consequentialist theory of punishment Essay Example

Consequentialist theory of punishment Essay Example Consequentialist theory of punishment Essay Consequentialist theory of punishment Essay This essay is going to concentrate on the second type of modified consequentialism: Societal Defence. The underlying problems produced by the consequentialist theory of punishment have proven short-lived within the modified theories of consequentialism. The pure consequentialist theory provides four main concepts in which it acts to punish an individual who has committed a crime. The concepts cover incapacitation, deterrence, reform and rehabilitation. According to the modified consequentialist theory, punishment is used as a deterrent upon the individuals use of threats or physical force in defence of her/himself or others1. Farrells describes this idea that punishment is essentially a matter of self-defense2. The discussion in the section concentrates on the fact that threats of harm is used as a deterrent, and the possible consequences of severe punishment are inevitable if it is disregarded. Relating back to the question, we can see that even though there are problems within the pure consequentialist theory of punishment. The modified theories have not ascertained the extent of the problems, which it needs to be adhered to. Presently we can see that the pure theory has the main concepts (as seen above) that it uses in order to punish an individual. By using these forms of punishment it has not been able to proportion the severity of crime in relation to the crime itself. By deterring future crimes it was not able to sustain the original concept of why it was formed. Its original aim which was to deter future crimes had a minimal effect as some forms of punishment were failing. Rehabilitation is a form used that has raised many criticism as to its effectiveness. Martinsons view clearly demonstrates this, with a few isolated exceptions, the rehabilitative efforts that have been reported so far had no appreciable effect on recidivism3. There has been little change in criminals re-offending again as the rehabilitation process does not seem to operate as it should in minimising re-offending behaviour. Originally established to cure the individual and reinstate them back into society. It has been scrutinised as it only concentrates on the individual and does not consider external factors like their background and social standing. Punishment should be in the form of inflicting the individual not helping the individual to overcome his unmoral sub-standard in society. This in turn did not give adequate punishment to offenders who deserved proportionate sentencing. An offender does not merely require to be adjusted to conform back into society, but also needs to have appropriate sentences given to them which they deserve. The rehabilitation process has proven to be unsuccessful time and time again, and in return crime rates have increased instead of declining4. The pure theory has no doubted failed to uphold its purpose in preventing offenders from committing crimes. This seems to be one of its biggest downfalls in relation to the prevention of crime. The consequentialist approach does try to intervene on this issue by adjusting its approach in concentrating punishment solely on the offender, by redirecting pain to fall on the offender. It still does not completely remove the issue of being proportionate to the crime committed. Farrells concentrates on deterring the individual defensively and not by using them as an example to society. Originally deterrence was a means to prevent offenders from re-offending, but by the offenders being guinea pigs their sentence was not proportionate to their offence. The public is perceived not to commit a crime if the sentence is extremely harsh, as explained by Clarkson: The punishment of the offender is aimed at the public at large in the hope that the example and threat of punishment will deter them from crime5 From this we can see that individuals are being treated unfairly as they receive disproportionate sentences for the crime they have committed. This theory of deterrence has shown to be unsuccessful as it does not justify the sentences essentially being handed out. Individuals in this sense are normal citizens who up-hold the law and abide by it. The offenders are criminals intent on causing harm and disturbing the peace. Farrell tries to modify this theory by raising the issue of self-defence in relation to deterring an offender. In order to deter an offender, threats of harm has to be posed at them. Before the offender can commit an offence aimed at the individual there has to be communication of a threat, of what will occur if that offender continues his offensive act. The state is removed from this notion of deterrence and the weight is shifted to the individual. The individual has to communicate an effective threat or warning to the offender if they are seen to possibly commit an offence upon them. For the threat to be perceived to be valid the individual must act on his threat, otherwise the credibility of the threat proves to be invalid. In other words the proposed victim threatens the attacker, as the attacker ignores the threat the victim must carry out the original threat made and impose it on the attacker. This theory differs greatly from the pure consequentialist theory of punishment as it is the individual who acts in self-defence before an offence upon them, and not the state in relation to an offence that has occurred after-wards. Farrells consideration of deterrence in this matter means that it acts more justifiably. Compared with the original deterrence concept, where there was no proportionality in relation to the crime committed and sentence received. The offender according to Farrell, essentially knows the outcome of his actions and can perceive the threat fully. By knowing what they will receive in committing the particular act, means that distributive justice is more apparent in this context. He shows us this by saying: self-defense is typically a matter of the distribution (or redistribution) of harm, or of the probability of harm, and hence that the justification of self-defense must at some level involve, even if only implicitly, an appeal to considerations of distributive justice6 This theory evidently makes the offender aware of the out-come and unlike the pure theory gives them a proportionate punishment. Another issue which this theory aims to rectify is that it tries to place the burden of evil on the offender. This new concept provides the offender to rethink his actions much more clearly. Crimes usually happen without any coherent thought. This provides the offender to be controlled in a way as he is made much more aware that there is a definite retaliation measure in force if they proceed with the offence. Before it was a matter for the criminal to be apprehended, as they would think that there is a chance they will not get caught. This on the other hand provides a definite course of action by the individual, making it clear that retaliation will take place by providing the threat. According to Farrell this places the burden of evil on the perpetrator making it less desirable to commit the offence. Ultimately Farrell does this by ensuring appropriate proportionality is sustained throughout the handing out of threats used. Maintaining a thorough degree of proportionality was the main problem in the pure theory of consequentialist punishment. Farrell sees to this by maintaining a balance of the threat used to keep the offender from committing the offence. He does this with the use of limits, in that a certain level of threat is used in proportion to the offence about to being occurred. He says: limit depends entirely on the contingent features of each case: as long as one does not threaten in order to deter the relevant harm, one has not threatened too much7 By this he means that in order to deter someone from committing a certain offence a certain degree of threat should be used in proportion to it. One cannot threaten someone who is about to steal for example with death as it will not be appropriate or proportionate. A justification of enforcing that threat also needs to be paid attention to as a threat not undertaken will lead the offender in thinking that the proposed victim is merely trying to call his bluff. Not enforcing a threat can mean continuous re-offending by the perpetrator who will just ignore all threats made and continue with their offence. An enforcement of a threat needs to be justified in the first instance, as a threat to take someones life if they try and kill you is a threat none the less. A failed attempt by the offender would mean carrying out the threat and the problem arisen here is if it is justified to carry out the threat. This poses a problem within this theory as self-defence would mean literally that, which you should defend yourself. By using a threat to deter an offender, in stating for example that you will kill him if he tries to kill you. This would mean that if the offender tries to kill you but fails, is it justifiable to proceed with your original threat of killing that individual. Here lies the problem of how far self-defence can proceed, in order to protect oneself, one may have to kill to preserve their life. Explained more coherently by Montague he provides: Aggressor is the only one who can prevent himself from being killed by victim, and he can do so only by killing victim; and aggressor can kill victim without killing anyone else8 Here the explanation is that the victim can fight back but the aggressor has no right in the first instance to cause harm to the victim. Thus going back to Farrells theory that in order for threats to prevail one must see to it that they uphold their threat and complete it. Farrells concept of an automated retaliation device only goes so far in causing as much harm as was intended by the offender to cause. This itself causes problems as to the extent of exercising an individuals power. It is impossible to assess limits imposed on an offender given to by an individual. The law cannot control the extent of harm that is going to be caused by the individual to the offender. If the individual carries on his threat in retaliation to an attack and kills, the question of whether or not he/she is liable to that particular offence arises. We can see that even though the pure consequentialist theory of punishment has its fair share of problems, theorists still find it hard to overcome this. By showing that rehabilitation has proven cumbersome in that it has failed to prevent offenders from re-offending. It has nonetheless tried to reform the individual without proving successful. Offenders are re-offending without taking heed to the fact that it is a form of punishment that should be taken more seriously. More external factors should be taken into account when trying to rehabilitate the offender as it is the persons social background as well as themselves that need to be paid attention to. From the deterrence point of view we have noted flaws in that system also. By handing out severe sentences there has been an increase in crime. As offenders tend to effectively weaken the system by taking advantage of the fact that others are handed out disproportionate sentences and they are not. There is an increase of what seems to be inhumane in relation to this. Rights of offenders are being infringed as they are not being treated fairly. Even though crime has been committed and sentencing has been passed it is not proportionate to their overall crime. Theorists have tried to overcome this issue by suggesting that alternative methods of deterrence should be used but this still does not address the complete issues and flaws within the system. By using forms of threats it is difficult to ascertain the level needed in proportion to deter an offender from offending. Farrell has tried to overcome the issue of deterrence. He has not done this successfully as more problems have arisen within his own theory. The problem of the amount of threat or warning that a person needs to convey cannot be justified fully, as the person also needs to carry out their threat. The use of a automated retaliation device theory in itself was trying to cover the problem of proportionate punishment. Farrell did accomplish this to the extent that there needed to be a proportion of punishment in relation to a crime committed. Punishing the offender no more than was necessary according to the crime, meant that proportionality was restored. This increased the other then problems of justifying the distribution of harm, which was a threat initially, meant that a person had to see it through. To conclude we can see that theories of consequentialism have failed to overcome the enduring problems created by the pure consequentialist theory of punishment. The problems of pure consequentialist theory have been in some aspects been able to be resolved by theorists. This has not meant that all of the theory has been resolved, there has now been an addition of more problems within the new theories themselves. The enforceability of deterring attackers and using a much more enhanced way of self-defence has meant that there could be a thin line between criminals and citizens. In that someones perception of an attack will be different for each individual. Some individuals will essentially take an offender (who in the future) attacking them, may perceive an assault to be one that requires the person to be put to death. In this example there is no real way to assess the amount of punishment which is sufficient to deter an attacker through the use of a threat.

The organizational culture for results Research Paper

The organizational culture for results - Research Paper Example The research revealed the existence of several cultures and subcultures in Widney Cabs Ltd that matched the theoretical models developed by both Schein in the three level of classification i.e. Assumptions, Values and Artefacts and Denison's classification that outlines four attributes namely: Involvement, Consistency, Adaptability and Mission. This study will evaluate and assess the different aspects of organizational culture that exist in Widney Cabs Ltd. The study examines these culture(s) and sub cultures in light of the relationship with models or classification from academic literature, existing knowledge and theories on organizational culture. Jacques (1951) defines organizational culture as the customary or traditional ways of thinking and doing things common to most members of an organization. There exists a significant level of formal knowledge on the subject of culture(s) and sub-cultures that exist in organizations and their effects on the organizational behaviour. Founders and leaders of organizations create these cultures, which are then developed and sustained by people. Organization's executives generate and impart the organization's ideals. They also promote the core values that convey inclination to certain behaviors or effects. Norms on the other hand express acceptable ways of achieving set goals. Studies have shown that the development of organizational culture requires interaction within the membership. (Louis, Posner, and Powell 1983). According to Schein (1985), there are three levels of culture,the basic being Assumptions that form the foundation of culture. Assumptions Espoused values Artefacts (Beliefs, thoughts) (Goals, strategies e.t.c) (Visible manifestations) Fig 1. These assumptions are unconscious beliefs, thoughts, perceptions, and feelings. Next to these are the espoused values that consist of goals, philosophies. Lastly are the artefacts, which are physical manifestations, which may not be obvious to a lay observer of organizational behaviour and process. Schein's model has had a wide acceptance and has in many ways allowed insight on culture. However the model raises some questions: Who is unconscious about these assumptions It is presumed that the researcher will be aware but not the organizational members. What happen to the presumption when the organizational members learn about the Assumptions It is important that leaders learn about the underlying links that hold artefacts; values and assumptions together so that they can better understand the usefulness of this model in creating positive organizational change. Research by John VanMaanan and Steven Barley (1984) shed some light on the nature of interactions. They found out that intera ction was "cognitive and behavioural". New personnel learn from the established workplace community the conventional occupational behaviours and practices that are acceptable across the board. In organizations

Arab Oil Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Arab Oil - Case Study Example The Egyptian and Syrian political leaders, President Anwar Sadat and President Assad had made their final decision to attack Israel on October 6, at 2:00 P.M. As a response to the decision of the Arab leaders, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko began evacuating Soviet civilian personnel and their families from Egypt and Syria. The Soviet Union government headed by Leonid Brezhnev did not fully approve of the decision of these two Arab countries. Israel was headed by Golda Meir during the armed conflict. (Israelyan, 1995) The Yom Kippur, or Ramadan War, which started on October 6, 1973 was due to the frustration of the Arab countries with Israeli failure to evacuate occupied territories and to support UN resolutions. (Morse, 1999) These frustrations had been aggravated by persistent perceptions among Arab leaders that the United States was strongly supporting Israel in violation of the Arab situation. Prime Minister Assad of Syria informed the Soviet authorities that the Syrian and Egyptian leaders had decided to prusue a joint attack against Israel on October 6 at 2:00 P.M. This crucial decision had been made on October 4. Both countries had relied on the Soviet Union for understanding and support. (Israelyan, 1995) The combined military forces of Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Yom Kippur which was a religious holiday for Israelis, the Day of Atonement. On the Golan Heights, 150 Israeli tanks battled 1,400 Syria tanks and in the Suez area, about 500 Israeli soldiers faced 80,000 Egyptian soldiers. The Israelis were obviously outnumbered. However, the Israeli army called up reserves and engaged the two countries in strategic counter-offensive military actions. (Morse, 1999) Furthermore, the act of using oil as a weapon was enhanced by the efforts of the five Arab OPEC members on October 17 to enlist the support of the oil ministers of Egypt, Syria, Libya, Bahrain, and Syria in order through a Conference of Arab Oil Ministers. The meeting had a political purpose; the ministers mutually agreed on how to use the oil weapon to encourage the United States to re-examine its unwavering support for Israel and to force the evacuation of occupied territories. The outcome of the October 17 meeting was a resolution specifying the appropriate processes steps need to be taken. Nine countries signed the resolution. The members decided that the oil weapon would be deployed as follows: the nine signatory countries would decrease their oil production levels by at least 5 percent from the actual September 1973 levels. Then in the succeeding months, a similar reduction will be applied. The Arab countries will guarantee that friendly states will not be included in the redu ction.The oil production cuts would continue until Israel had moved out of the occupied territories and the basic and legal rights of the Palestinian people were upheld. The decision on the production cut was then changed on November in which the reduction of oil production were raised to 25 percent below the September level. This was to be followed by another round of 5 percent reduction in December. The different categories of oil-consuming countries were prioritized accordingly. First, the most favored countries would receive their full oil