Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Destination Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Destination Management - Assignment Example This is done with the aim of improving the wealth of the experience for both tourists and locals as well as ensures sustainability of the environment and activities that promote tourism. When the content of this discussion are considered in line with the definition of sustainable tourism, it is evident that development is core in achieving the latter. According to the WTO (1981), sustainable tourism development has to do with meeting the desires and expectants of visitors and the host regions but also protecting the areas and the culture for posterity (p.89).Tourism should ideally be carried through careful resource management in such a way that aesthetic needs are met while cultural integrity and biological diversity are preserved. Stage of development According to Butler (1980), there are seven stages of tourism development â€Å"lifecycle †(1980, p. 6)and they will be discussed herein in relation to the city of Venice in an effort to understand its growth and changes in reg ard to the tourism industry. The first stages are exploitation then involve of locals in providing facilities which results in the place becoming a popular destination (Garay & Ca`noves, 2010). Venice being one of the oldest cities in the world underwent these centuries ago and kept rising and falling depending on prevailing regional political stability. In the last few decades, Italy recognized the potential of Venice as a tourist destination and made efforts to advertise it, the world has recognized it as such too and millions of visitors flood there every year. However, due to the high number of tourists, they have destabilized the lives of the locals by making the city crowded and making it so expensive that many venetians are driven to live elsewhere. This is the fourth stage currently most dominantly manifested by the city today. Tourism facilities may also likely start to fade, as indeed they are due to the impact of too heavy a flow and if no action is taken to restore the o ld Venice tourism in the region will likely stagnate. The tourism managers in Venice have clearly noticed this and much effort has been put in restoration especially after the flood of 1968, this is the sixth stage of restoration, it has to a large extent been successful thanks to the combined efforts of the stakeholders. Should restoration fail, Venice would decline and ultimate previously tourist supported systems would fail. Approach to destination management A workshop on report produced by UNESCO on tourism in Venice asserted on the need for a diversified and sustainable cultural tourism and improved tourism management so as to effectively prioritize the needs of the host community. The need for better destination management stems from, among others, the fact that despite hosting over 22 million guests, only about 4 million spend the night, ergo, this makes tourism in the city more of a free ride than a cultural experience (UNESCO, 2011). The former is however neither sustainab le nor healthy for the industry since â€Å"free riders† will rarely appreciate the sights and experiences enough to contribute to their growth by coming back An major managerial challenge facing the municipality of Venice ensuring a regular flow of visitors all year round to increase productivity as well as reduce the high costs of short

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay

Independent Learning For Nursing Nursing Essay Reflection is a way to look back on what a person experienced on a certain event. The purpose of this reflective essay is for me to mull over on what I have learned from my direct experience on placement. I opt to utilise on this reflective essay A Model of Structured Reflection by Driscoll (2007). This Model has three questions, what, so what and now what for me to answer and at the same time to ponder about my practice experience; hence I chose to take advantage on Driscolls model as it is very handy to apply even with or without a paper and pen, as all I need to bring to mind is the above aforementioned three questions. I will tackle what I think it matters to me most from my two weeks practice placement, share some learning needs from the learning plan and analysing whether I gained knowledge and understanding that can be applied in a new situation (Howatson-Jones, 2010). I was in the ward on my two weeks introductory period of practice experience. On my first day, the Ward Manager introduced me to her team. She had told me that my mentor was not around at that time; hence she handed me over to one of the nurses in-charge. As I came on an early shift, I have observed the patients hand over from night staff (Wywialowski, 2003). They printed out a handover sheet for each one of us. At first, I was a bit muddled up on how the night nurse was endorsing the patient, maybe because I am new, and not use to it. There are acronyms that they usually use, and I was telling myself that I have to familiarise the medical terms used so I could understand and comprehend, even I am supernumerary I want to be part of the team whilst learning (Jelphs and Dickinson, 2008). After the handover, the nurse asked me to be with the Health Care Assistant (HCA) at the moment, for me to be acquainted with the patients and adapt with the daily routine. I am fortunate that the HCA was helpful, and she taught me a lot about how to assist patient on personal hygiene. She showed me how to use the Blood Glucose monitor and plot it down on patients chart (The Global Diabetes Community, 2013). In addition, she taught me that they usually take the observation every four hourly if the patient is not on close observation. The days have gone by so quick; I was productive on my day to day experience as a student nurse. I never wasted my time just standing there without accomplishing anything at the end of my shift. With my passion of caring to patients, I become accustomed on dealing with the patient, assisted to go to the toilet, gave a hand to those who are not able to care for themselves, especially the immobilised patients. I became certain on writing down the nursing care plan of a patient (Lloyd, 2010), observed the Nasogastric tube (NGT) (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2013) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) procedures done by the staff nurse and HCA respectively (British H eart Foundation, 2013). I volunteered myself as well to get the take away medication of the patient in the Pharmacy. Furthermore, I have learned how to fill up the Nursing Assessment forms for a new patient admitted; I have done the said forms by means of communicating with the patient and family. I have mentioned the word communicating as there was a non-spoken English patient admitted because of back pain. In complying with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Professional Conduct (2010) about confidentiality, I will be using a false name for her. It was hand over to the day staff that English is not her first language; hence, Mrs. C cannot speak and comprehend well. When I went to her bedside to take her vital signs, I asked if she has any pain at the moment, she nodded her head and touched her back (White, 2005). I have seen the grimace caused of pain on her back. I reported to the nurse right away that Mrs. C is in pain, and she is due for another dose of pain killer based on her Drug Chart; as a result, Mrs. C has taken the said medication. I informed Mrs. C with the use of verbal and non-verbal gestures that she will undergo Colonoscopy to check whats causing her pain (Sully and Dallas, 2010). We waited for her nephew before accompanying them in the Gastroenterology Department as she needs somebody to translate the conversation on her behalf. Since it was my first time to watch a patient doing the procedure, I grabbed the opportunity to request from the Specialist Nurse if I can go inside and observe the procedure which she willingly accepted. I also asked permission from Mrs. C through her nephew; I was grateful when he told me his aunt wanted me to come with her in the colonoscopy room. During the procedure, I sat next to Mrs. C whilst holding her hand as she was feeling uneasy with the endoscope inserted into her anus. The Specialist Nurse has given me a few insights in relation to what she was trying to look inside the colon of Mrs. C. I was privileged for having an exquisite time of basic understanding about Colonoscopy (BUPA, 2011). After the procedure, Mrs. C has given me a hug and was thankful. I smiled and responded that it was my pleasure to help her. We went back to the ward, and before I leave Mrs. C on her bed with the assurance that she was comfortable and safe, her nephew expressed his appreciation for looking after his aunt whilst he was not around. Moreover, Mrs. C told him about me being there rubbing her back when she was in agony. I was overwhelmed on how they recognised my presence of comforting her for a short span of time and without much verbal communication. On the above scenario, I have achieved one of my learning needs, the effective communication between patient and me as a student nurse. Despite the inability of Mrs. C to express herself verbally, I was so sensitive observing her gestures and actions thus I can extend the appropriate care and assistance she needed. By intently looking at her countenance, I can interpret what she was trying to convey to me; henceforth I was able to address her needs. I have realised how vital is verbal and non-verbal communication in nursing. As a student nurse, I should be sensitive to the patients nonverbal message. I should not let language be a hindrance in giving the nursing intervention for the patient to recover and return in optimal health (Andrews and Boyle, 2008). Care of people is the priority of all nurses; this is one of the four principles of NMC Code (2010). The provision of care for the patient should be done in a holistic approach that includes the activities of their daily living (Ne wton, 1995). A simple act of care means a lot to the patient; consequently, I will put into practice again what I have learned from this in the future. Another learning need that I partially accomplished was being able to observe how to perform the Colonoscopy procedure. I partially achieved it because we have no time to explore the method used to find any abnormalities or inflammation from the patient; however, I did some informative readings about the procedure. To summarise what I have learned on my placement, I was able to see the nurses responsibilities. How they manage to give the best nursing interventions in a busy ward. How they collaborate to other health professionals for updating the patients care plan. I have proved to myself that most patients usually depend on nurses as they are the one who provide direct care on them (Altman, 2010). I do believe that nursing is a never ending process of learning; thereby ensuring that nurses are up to date with their trainings and education; otherwise the highest possible care for the patients will not be met. As a student, I have to be dedicated, motivated and inspired to achieve my ambitions in life (Maslow, 1954); continually accepting any challenges for my personal development. For the meantime, I will set my goals on what I want to learn; recognising any learning outcome on my learning plan as this will draw me closer to my aspiration, to be a Qualified Nurse (Peate, 2006). My two weeks pr actice experience was superlative. The Faculty of Nursing in the hospital provided teaching sessions that will develop us to be competent (McNiff, 1993). All the staff in the ward where I worked with were supportive and compassionate. I am looking forward for my next placement, for me to implement what I have learned from my previous one, and be able to identify new learning opportunities. In conclusion, practice placement is a day of experience, a day of new learning.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Research Fraud in Allegra Goodman’s Intuition and Carl Djerassi’s Canto

Inspiring a 2002 feature film in which Leonardo DiCaprio portrays him, Frank William Abagnale, Jr. is arguably one of the most memorable fraudsters of our time. Abagnale assumed several different identities and forged checks worth millions of dollars. This type of fraud, known as financial fraud, is what many people first think of when the word â€Å"fraud† is mentioned. There are, however, other definitions of the word. One area of particular interest to us is the use of fraud in the field of science and research. This is an issue in both Allegra Goodman’s Intuition and in Carl Djerassi’s Cantor’s Dilemma. In both novels, the characters sort of skirt around the issue (at least at first) as this is a very taboo topic no matter the subject area. However, not all scientific fraud is created equal. Goodman seems to use a much more conventional approach by demonstrating outright fraud, while Djerassi, who is more privy to the real world that sc ientists face, gives us a more subtle view. Intuition’s Cliff Bannaker and Cantor’s Dilemma’s Jeremiah â€Å"Jerry† Stafford were both expected to yield results in the experiments that they conducted. Pressures existed to complete and publish the results before other labs could do the same and, thus, be credited with the discovery. Because both scientists were working at smaller labs with fewer employees and a smaller budget, time was a very important factor in any decision that was made. Long, sleepless days and weeks went by for these men and I can only assume that this, coupled with the pressure they experienced from their superiors, contributed to the way that they dealt with problems that arose in the course of the experiments. Jerry snuck in to the laboratory to correct an er... ...detrimental effects on cancer patients who are being treated with the supposed new working method. Not to mention the possible psychological pain the false results could give them in which they think there is a new miracle cure for their condition and they gain hope which is dashed when they realize that it does not actually work. Scientific fraud is unethical, as all fraud is, and should obviously not be committed by anyone. Even ex-con Frank Abagnale, Jr. was eventually caught and now runs a financial fraud consulting company and is a consultant for the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Cliff and Stafford both move on with their individual lives after the incident and, I am sure, did not commit fraud again (as is the case with Abignale). Only an idiot or a crazy person would try to commit the same crime for which they have already been caught a second time.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Music and Racial Formation in Leroi Jones’ Essay

In many ways, music is inseparable from culture. In the context of those cultures that have been dominated and marginalized by others, music takes on a special significance. Leroi Jones’ Blues People fit into the framework of trying to understand the role that music plays in the cultural lives of people who belong to displaced communities. In his book, he identifies the ways in which genres in music culture develop, which may be linked to Omi and Winant’s (1994) conception of racial formation. As Omi and Winant (1994) observed in their seminal theory on racial formation, â€Å"We define racial formation as the sociohistorical process by which racial categories are created, inhabited, transformed, and destroyed† (p. 55). The authors debunk the accepted notions that race is either biological or an illusion, suggesting instead that it is a distinctly sociological phenomenon. Race is also identified as based on a power hierarchy, definable in terms of â€Å"the pattern of conflict and accommodation which takes place over time between racially based social movements and the policies and programs of the state† (p.78). This model of racial formation may be applied to Jones’ text, particularly in terms of their assertion that â€Å"racial formation is a process of historically situated projects in which human bodies and social structures are represented and organized† (pp. 55-56). In Blues People, the author examines how the process of being enslaved affects the people of Africa, situating the racial conflict in terms of geographical as well as historical contexts. Jones’ thesis rests on the concept of difference. He outlines the manner in which the slavery of Africans in America was different from other kinds of slavery. An important point that Jones raises is that slavery was prevalent in Africa as well, long before the whites arrived. He likens the process to the way in which the Greeks treated their slaves, showing us that in every other system of slavery, the enslaved people were allowed to retain their sense of cultural identity, but not so in the case of African slaves on the American plantations: Melville Herskovits points out, â€Å"Slavery [had] long existed in the entire region [of West Africa], and in at least one of its kingdoms, Dahomey, a kind of plantation system was found under which an absentee ownership, with the ruler as principal, demanded the utmost return from the estates, and thus created conditions of labor resembling the regime the slaves were to encounter in the New World. † But to be brought to a country, a culture, a society, that was, and is, in terms of purely philosophical correlatives, the complete antithesis of one’s own version of man’s life on earth — that is the cruelest aspect of this particular enslavement. (p. 1) As Jones points out, it was extremely difficult for Africans, who later became â€Å"African-Americans,† to retain a sense of cultural identity in a foreign culture that refused to give any validity to something it did not understand. According to Omi and Winant, racial formation may also be linked to the â€Å"the evolution of hegemony, the way in which society is organized and ruled† (p. 56). In such a hegemonic society driven by concepts of hierarchy and social superiority, the identity of a marginalized class may become problematic. Jones opines that music such as jazz and blues was in some ways the only medium through which Africans could try and retain a sense of who they were. In this context, the integration of music into their existence as slaves allowed Africans to retain a sense of the past, and also come to terms with the effect that the process of being enslaved had had on their psyches. Cultural domination was an insidious process of identity-negation, and music culture was one of the prominent ways through which the enslaved people could enable themselves to survive within a hostile foreign culture. In Blues People, an interesting aspect of performance is brought in when the author shows us a ‘typical’ American reaction to the African native in the form of an excerpt from the actress Frances Anne Kemble’s Journal of a Residence on a Georgia Plantation: The only exception that I have met with yet among our boat voices to the high tenor which they seem all to possess is in the person of an individual named Isaac, a basso profundo of the deepest dye, who nevertheless never attempts to produce with his different register any different effects in the chorus by venturing a second, but sings like the rest in unison, perfect unison, of both time and tune. By-the-by, this individual does speak, and therefore I presume he is not an ape, orangoutang, chimpanzee, or gorilla; but I could not, I confess, have conceived it possible that the presence of articulate sounds, and the absense of an articulate tail, should make, externally at least, so completely the only appreciable difference between a man and a monkey, as they appear to do in this individual ‘black brother. ’ (pp. 2-3). The actress’ biased and judgmental perception of the natives places them in such a position as not to be considered human at all. Interestingly, she examines their tones of voices as indicative of the degree to which they are ‘human,’ or not; they all have voices of a high tenor. She says this is the manner that one might say that all dogs bark, or all lions roar. Language is almost completely redundant in this context. Unable to understand the languages of Africa, Kemble contents herself with ruminating on the tones in which the foreigners speak. The ‘exception’ to the other slaves is determined by Kemble on the basis of the fact that he has a bass voice, while the others use higher tones of voice. Even in this exception she says that it is only the absence of a tail that reluctantly, albeit wonderingly, forces her to accept that he is a human being and not an animal. Even under this extreme racial perspective, it is the musical tones of voice that the actress and performer relies upon to make her judgments.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

3 Idiots Essay

3 Idiots is a bollywood film that released worldwide on 25th December 2009. It was produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and directed by Rajkumar Hirani. The film has three actors playing the lead roles, hence the film is named 3 Idiots. The three lead actors are: Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan. These three are the brilliant students of their respective high schools. While Boman Irani portrays the role of the college director of the college which these three students join after graduating from their high schools. Also, there is a small role played by Kareena Kapoor. She is the leading lady of the film and plays the role of the director’s daughter. The film displays the importance of learning and education in our lives. The film deals with the education system in India and how the students are unable to cope up to the pressure because of the excessive amounts of exams and assignments. 3 Idiots is a story of three bright students who have acquired a GPA of 10.00 (on a scale of 10.00) in their high schools. They enter the most prestigious college for engineering in India: The Imperial College of Engineering. Rancho is a character played by Aamir Khan. He loves machines and that is the reason he wants to pursue mechanical engineering. Raju, the character played by Sharman Joshi doesn’t live life to the fullest. He is scared of the assignments and exams. He wants to work very hard and get a good job as he comes from a poor family and he is the only one to support his family. Farhan is the name of the character played by R Madhavan. Farhan wants to be a wildlife photographer but he joins the college of engineering because his father wants him to be a mechanical engineering as he has very good grades in his school. While Viru Sahastrabuddhe is the director of the college which is played by Boman Irani. Viru is a very strict professor and maintains his pressure upon his students. There is an incident in the film which shows that a student commits suicide because he doesn’t provide sufficient time to him for completing the project. The students are unable to take such pressure and they believe that it’s time for them to end their life. This is a true situation and such pressure exists in most of the colleges in India. Rancho loves engineering so he doesn’t have problems with the exams and assignments. While Raju and Farhan are unable to get good grades as they feel the pressure of the education system. Rancho asks Farhan to change his field of study from engineering to wildlife photography as Farhan always wanted to become a wildlife photographer. He advises Raju to  put away his fear and it would help him to succeed in his exams. In the third year of engineering recruiters hire students. Viru says that Raju and Farhan would only be able to get the jobs only when they pass with good grades in the final exam. To purposely fail them he sets the paper himself, increasing the difficulty level. Viru’s daughter Pia comes to know about this, so she informs Rancho. Rancho tries to steal the paper and is caught by the director. He decided to rusticate all the three for their act. Pia informs his father about the real reason that took her brother’s life. Viru thought that his son had died in a car accident but later he comes to know that he committed suicide as he didn’t want to pursue engineering. He was forced by his father to become an engineer while he wanted to study literature. This is the reason why he committed suicide. Knowing this truth he decides not to rusticate the three students. This film is based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat titled Five Point Someone- What Not To Do At IIT. Bhagat’s novel also involves the same three lead characters but with different names. The title of the novel â€Å"Five Point Someone† is based on the five point scale which is used to calculate the GPA at the Indian Institute of Technology. Chetan Bhagat is being regarded as the ‘biggest selling English author in India’s history’ (Chandrakar). Chetan Bhagat feels very proud t hat his book and his message have received a wider audience because of the film. People nowadays are less likely to read a book. So, the message of the author is spread throughout the world where the film would be released. Chetan Bhagat is a prominent Indian writer who has written several other bestselling novels such as 2 States, One Night at a Call Center and 3 Mistakes of My Life. All of these are being made into different movies. The film 3 Idiots finely portrays the education system of India by showing exactly what happens with the students of a particular engineering college. Students have to cope up with high amounts of pressure to pass the exams. Committing suicide is not a solution to the problem, but fighting against the system to improve it can solve the problem to a certain extent. This film shows that Rancho argues with the director to make him understand that the way of teaching is incorrect and he blames the system for this. During an academic year students have several exams to take which involves vast syllabuses and also projects need to be completed within a short span of time. The film also motivates people to study what they like and not what  their parents would ask them to. The director of the film makes an effort to display the critical condition of the education system of India in the form of a brilliant movie which is entertaining and a lso sends an important message out to the viewers.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Ten Arguments Against Teen Abstinence

Ten Arguments Against Teen Abstinence Continued from the article 10 Arguments For Abstinence - Pros and Cons of Abstinence, Part I Ten Arguments Against Abstinence Telling teens to be abstinent isnot realistic at all said Bristol Palin, daughter of 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, in her first interview after giving birth at 18.Abstinence means different things to different people, and some forms of abstinence can still spread sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Teens who abstain from vaginal intercourse but engage in oral sex, mutual masturbation or anal sex can still be infected by STDs. Any skin-to-skin contact including genital-to-genital, hand-to-genital or mouth-to-genital can spread disease.Abstinence only works if teens stick to their pledge. But according to researcher Janet E. Rosenbaum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Taking a pledge doesnt seem to make any difference at all in any sexual behavior.Over the past five years, several major studies have found that abstinence-only education has no effect in stopping or delaying sex. According to Emerging Answers 2007, commissioned by the nonpartisan N ational Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, there does not exist any strong evidence that any abstinence program delays the initiation of sex, hastens the return to abstinence, or reduces the number of sexual partners. Teens who break their vows of abstinence are much less likely to use contraceptives than those who do not pledge abstinence. A report published in the January 2009 issue of Pediatrics found that teens who break their pledge are less likely to get tested for STDs and may have STDs for longer periods of time than teens who do not pledge abstinence.Since teens who pledge abstinence are much less likely to use contraceptives if they break their pledge, their risk of becoming pregnant is significantly greater. A sexually active teen who does not use contraception has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year.The declining in the rate of teen pregnancy nationwide is now recognized as due to increased use of contraception, and not abstinence. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Recent research concluded that almost all of the decline in the pregnancy rate between 1995 and 2002 among 18–19-year-olds was attributable to increased contraceptive use. Among women aged 15-17, abou t one-quarter of the decline during the same period was attributable to reduced sexual activity and three-quarters to increased contraceptive use. Abstinence sends the wrong message to girls and young women. Author and womens issues advocate Jessica Valenti argues, While boys are taught that the things that make them men - good men - are universally accepted ethical ideals, women are led to believe that our moral compass lies somewhere between our legs....Virginity and chastity are reemerging as a trend in pop culture, in our schools, in the media, and even in legislation. So while young women are subject to overt sexual messages every day, theyre simultaneously being taught - by the people who are supposed to care for their personal and moral development, no less - that their only real worth is their virginity and ability to remain pure.The states with the highest teen pregnancy rates and teen birth rates in the U.S. are either states that do not mandate sex education or HIV education or stress abstinence-only as the primary method of preventing pregnancy.Teens who realize that they may engage in sexual activity take resp onsibility for preventing pregnancy by choosing a method of contraception in advance. For sexually experienced females age 15-19, nearly all (99%) used some form of contraception at least once during sexual intercourse. Sources:Boonstra, Heather. Advocates Call for a New Approach After the Era of Abstinence-Only’ Sex. Guttmacher Policy Review. Winter 2009, vol. 12, no. 1.Bristol Palin: Abstinence for all teens not realistic. CNN.com. 17 February 2009.Sanchez, Mitzi. Teen Pregnancy: No Contraceptive? 90% Chance Of Getting Pregnant. Huffingtonpost.com. 15 February 2012.Vilibert, Diana. Jessica Valenti Debunks the Purity Myth. MarieClaire.com. 22 April 2009.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Jones-Blair Case Anaylsis Essays

Jones-Blair Case Anaylsis Essays Jones-Blair Case Anaylsis Paper Jones-Blair Case Anaylsis Paper Strategic Issues and Problems: The Jones Blair Company competes in a 50-county country throughout Texas. Oklahoma. New Mexico. and Louisiana. Their major concern and fiscal centre is located in 11 county Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan countries. Jones Blair Company is a in private held corporation that produces and markets paint under the Jones-Blair trade name name. A big part of the maturating pigment industry. $ 10 billion. is established from architectural coatings and the one-year growing rate is expected to be that of general rising prices in the coming old ages. Dollar gross revenues have increased at an mean one-year rate of 4 per centum per twelvemonth over the past decennary. The company has been really successful in keeping their borders even with increased research and development stuff and labour costs. A little figure of regional pigment makers have competed successfully against pigment maker that distribute their merchandises national. Major manufacturers of pigment fo r the architectural coatings sections account for 60 per centum of gross revenues in the architectural coating sections. The competition is reasonably stiff when it comes to private shop trade names or forte shops. Even with the turning success of Jones Blair it is non adequate and in order to make their concern ends at a clip when growing is nonexistent. Jones Blair must take immediate action and billow their gross revenues squad and alter their gross revenues energies. Mass merchants pose a serious menace to the hereafter achieved gross revenues degrees of Jones Blair Company. Jones Blair Company is presently looking for solutions for deriving more consumers through marketing their architectural coatings and sundries in the southwesterly United States. Market Segmentation The market of Jones Blair can be divided to two groups: Dallas-Fort Worth country and Non Dallas-Fort Worth. Among these two countries. there are the contractors. the DIY families and the professional painters. From reading instance. I gathered that the estimated dollar volume of architectural pigment and allied merchandises sold in Jones Blair’s 50 states service country in 2004 was $ 80 million ( excepting contractor gross revenues ) . The DFW are accounted for 60 per centum or $ 48 million. while the staying 40 per centum or $ 32 million is sold in the other countries outside the DFW country. 70 per centum of the DFW gross revenues are accounted for by do-it-yourselfers while the other 30 per centum is sold to professional painters. In the other countries outside of the DFW country 90 per centum of gross revenues are accounted for by do-it-yourselfers while the other 10 per centum is sold to professional documents. ( See Exhibit 2 ) . This would means the per centum of the market section is as following: DFW ( $ 48 1000000s ) Non-DFW ( $ 32 1000000s ) Professional Painters 70 % ( $ 33. 6 1000000s ) 30 % ( $ 9. 6 1000000s ) DIY households 30 % ( $ 14. 4 millions1 ) 70 % ( $ 22. 4 1000000s ) Plan of Action The senior direction squad has examined the pigment industry. particularly the architectural pigment markets. and they have yet to come to a decision. The president of Jones Blair. Mr. Alexander Barrett. is be aftering to hold another meeting with his executive squad where they will each show their suggestions and he has exclaimed a determination must be made. Recommendations Jones Blair executives have developed four options to alleviate the company’s selling job ( which are outlined as follows ) : a ) Cut monetary value by 20 % B ) Spend extra $ 350. 000 on corporate advertisement ; degree Celsius ) Hire one extra gross revenues representative vitamin D ) Do Nothing ( Status Quo ) a ) Cut monetary value by 20 % Compared to other taking national trade names. Jones Blair is priced comparatively high. This is based on the highly high quality and public presentation of the merchandises. By cutting monetary value. Jones Blair will be able to remain competitory in monetary value with other the other merchandises on the market. B ) Spend an extra $ 350. 000 on corporate advertisement This money will be used to increase consciousness. Most of it will be spent on telecasting ads targeted chiefly in the Dallas Fort Worth ( DFW ) country at the do-it-yourself market. Brand image is of import to consumers and telecasting ads are a great manner to acquire their name out. Most of this population is cognizant of this merchandise and merely some of this population would buy it. degree Celsius ) Hire an extra gross revenues representative Hiring an extra gross revenues representative will let Jones Blair to concentrate on new markets. These markets should be outside of the DFW country and let for new metropoliss and provinces to acknowledge Jones Blair. vitamin D ) Do Nothing ( Status Quo ) Since Jones Blair has continually seen net incomes each twelvemonth ; they should keep their current selling aims and make nil. Jones Blair has done an first-class occupation of this in the past by watching the borders and commanding costs. By making nil. the company will non necessitate to pass any extra money. vitamin E ) Alternate Recommendations a. ) Cut monetary value by 20 % In 2004 architectural merchandise gross revenues volume was $ 12. 000. 000. Jones Blair has a current net net income of $ 1. 14 million. and to remain profitable it must keep this sum. $ 12. 000. 000* . 35= $ 4. 200. 000 If Jones Blair reduced its monetary value by 20 % the part border will drop to 15 % . ( $ 12. 000. 000 ) * . 15 = ( $ 1. 800. 000 ) If the company drops the monetary value by 20 % the company will see a 33 % addition in gross revenues. ( $ 1. 800. 000 * . 33 ) = $ 4. 200. 000 ( $ 594. 000 ) Strength: Jones Blair will sell more merchandises. because it will be able to vie with its rivals in monetary value. WEAKNESSES: May non be able to sell plenty in volume to cover cost of goods sold. If the monetary value is more competitory with other companies it may non be looked at as superior quality. b. ) Spend extra $ 350. 000 on corporate advertisement. The selling section proposes a telecasting run targeted at the DFW do-it-yourself market. This will be an extra $ 350. 000. but will significantly increase the consciousness of Jones Blair merchandises. Research has proven that trade name consciousness is a major factor in buying determinations. If Jones Blair does hold to utilize this method the company will necessitate to do at least $ 122. 500 to interrupt even and cover the cost of this new publicity ( $ 350. 000/ . 35= $ 122. 500 ) . Most of the DFW consumers are do-it-yourselfers. so a telecasting ad will be good in this market. Strength: Consumers will go cognizant of Jones Blair. Do-it-yourselfer’s history for 70 % of volume in the DFW country. Ad is proven to increase consciousness. and consciousness is a critical factor in consumer buying determinations. Failing: About duplicating current advertisement costs ( $ 360. 000+ $ 350. 000 ) . This recommendation requires a big budget and has small warrant of consequences b ecause about 75 % of the sing audience does non purchase pigment. Consumer purchasing procedure shows family purchasers choose a shop foremost. non a trade name ; hence. concerted ad is required. non trade name advertisement. c. ) Hire an extra gross revenues representative. Gross saless outside of our place district DFW are important for keeping competition in the market. A gross revenues rep would be the company $ 60. 000 a twelvemonth. So the company would necessitate ( $ 60. 000/ . 35 ) about $ 171. 428. 58 of extra net incomes to cover this. 120 retail merchants are located outside of DFW. If we look at our current dollar sum needed to remain profitable $ 4. 200. 000 and split that by shops $ 4. 200. 000/120= $ 35. 000 So $ 171. 428. 58/ $ 35. 000 = about 5. So the company would necessitate a new gross revenues rep to get at least 5 new histories a twelvemonth to breakeven. STRENGTHS: New clients may convey more chance to the tabular array through word of oral cavity. Doesn’t cost the company a important sum of money to make. WEAKNESSES: Does non assure new clients. It’s merely concentrating on most profitable market. DFW. d. ) Do nil ( Status Quo ) Jones Blair will non alter any of their selling schemes. Strength: Does non be the company any excess money to keep current aims. Jones Blair is presently doing money. why alteration? WEAKNESSES ? Jones Blair will non ever be profitable in the hereafter ; the cost of research and development will merely increase. Needs to remain competitory in the market and non looking into long term vision of the company. Concluding recommendation Jones Blair needs to look into the hereafter and envision the company viing with rivals. Its best stake is to concentrate on the consumers in its chief place market. DFW. If they can derive consciousness of the place market. sooner or later word will distribute throughout all of their markets and concern will din. Making a $ 1. 000. 000 minimal income expressions like pocket alteration. Right now Jones Blair can afford this and still hold a $ 400. 000 net income. Target Market The mark market for Jones Blair is consumers in its chief place market. DFW. Specifically the consumers in their architectural coatings and sundries arena. Marketing Mix Promotion: Jones Blair Company advertisement can potentially hike their patronages conveying more consciousness to the DIY section in the southwesterly country of the United States. This was basically the aim of the executive meeting and advertisement is proven to increase consciousness. and consciousness is a critical factor in most consumer buying determinations. Topographic point: The Company distributes its merchandise through 200 independent pigment shops. timber paces and hardware mercantile establishments. With the expanded advertizements Jones Blair can spread out to their selling range linking with more consumers. particularly in the southwesterly country of the US. Monetary value: About duplicating current advertisement costs ( $ 360. 000+ $ 350. 000 ) . advertisement would be the best manner to make the multitudes in the parts that are traveling unnoticed. Merchandise: Architectural coatings and sundries supplied throughout the southwesterly United States.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Torture Is Never Justified

Torture Is Never Justified Torture through the History The concept of torture is at the base of many conflicts that take place throughout the country. In fact, it began in ancient times with the Romans and Greeks forcing their prisoners to participate in some of the worst forms of torture we’ve ever known. Since that time, countries around the world have used everything from ‘the rack,’ tar and feathering, stoning, waterboarding and much more to torture others whether for the purpose of gaining information or simply as a method of slowly killing a prisoner. For any purpose, however, torture has never been able to be justified, at any point in our history and most definitely will not be at any point in our future. Torture Is Often Useless Many claim that torture can be justified because it comes down to the safety of the people. They believe that torturing someone in order to gain information that could potentially save lives is acceptable or even reasonable, however, this is not the case. In fact, torture is often used on those labeled as ‘traitors’ for this very purpose but is not often as effective as many would have us believe. This is because those who are being tortured, those who may know something that we would want them to divulge, are also highly trained to ignore the torture and to fight through it as long as they need to until death. As a result, the torture is being done on an individual for no purpose but perhaps a level of sadism on the part of the captor. Despite what we may be told, there is little if anything to be gained by the process. Yet another problem that arises with the concept of torture is at what point does it end? In many countries, torture is allowed for different types of crimes. In the United States, only those accused of being terrorists or prisoners of war are allowed to be tortured, yet only the accusation and not actual proof is needed. In other countries, crimes less than terrorism can be punished by torture and in still others, a crime is not even needed to enact torture on the basis of a simple belief. How could it be possible to even for those who believe in torture in some instances to say that torture is allowed in all  instances per justice? And this is where the struggle begins. Because the more that torture is defended and allowed in one situation, the more others will clamor for it to be allowed in all situations. After all, every criminal situation is looking to help people, to protect people. Want to know more? Go here: When Is Military Force Justified? Single-Parent Children Behaviour Causes of Human Errors in Aircraft Accidents Human Dignity   Sample Essay about Happiness What Is the Value of Human Life? The truth of the matter is that it is not only the government that participates in torture. There are also many instances of vigilante justice where the people of a country or area will join together to enact some type of vengeance on a person they perceive to have done something wrong. These individuals could be tortured with no more evidence against them than public opinion and yet, by attempting to justify torture in some senses, we are opening the door to these types of torture in any sense. The most important matter, however, that arises in this question, is that of human life. The value of human life, of human wellbeing, is written into the Constitution of the United States, ‘the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ The life and ‘pursuit of happiness’ for all people is important to us and has always been. But through torture, we strip individuals of their life and their liberty and their pursuit of happiness with the thought that, because we believe them to have done something bad, they are somehow less human. When viewing this issue of torture it is important to remember that there have been changes to it throughout time. Originally, very little was needed in order to implement torture on anyone. Over time, we have narrowed down the reasons and this is a step in the right direction. However, we have not eliminated the process altogether and this is an important next step for us to take. Torture cannot be allowed to continue in any nation that would call itself civilized because, despite what we may be told, there is no justice to be found in torture.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Operational Planning Coursework 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operational Planning Coursework 1 - Essay Example The situation where executive protection is needed: The situation for which security arrangement is required is the visit by one of a renowned author from the US to Peshawar in Pakistan, which has recently undergone severe security problems and has been labeled as a terrorist country. The author is a renowned dignitary and, thus, has an executive status. Therefore, he requires executive protection. â€Å"Executive protection is an approach, using common sense, awareness, personnel, procedures, systems and advanced technology to protect an individual or group of people. Executive protection is not a confrontation driven program, but rather an anticipated and projected response to an unavoidable situation. Stopping an attack, avoid confrontation and keeping the principal out of danger and harm’s way is the task of the executive protection officer† (Hunsicker, 2007, P.160). Even though Pakistan is known as a country which cherishes literature and poetry, and has a large nu mber of renowned authors and poets in the country, the recent terrorist activities require that executive protection should be provided to the author. Here, the client is a VIP as he is a well known personality. Therefore, he requires executive protection. ... The task of providing security begins from the New York Airport, from where the author begins his trip to Pakistan on March 1 2011 and last till March 5, 2011. The executive protection service needs to be maintained till the March 6, 2011 when the author is out of the New York airport at 8 am in the morning. Pakistan has the record of terrorists targeting foreign dignitaries’ and, therefore, executive protection is mandatory for the author who visits from the US. All expenses for the executive protection will be paid by the client himself and the author’s circle that he runs. Therefore, the security advisor’s role is imperative and it is very important to prepare an operational plan in order to execute the task in an organized manner. The task of providing executive protection needs careful planning and meticulous operation. This operational planning calls for an appropriate integration of manpower, equipments and carefully designed guidelines for execution. Defi nition of the Operational Plan: The operational plan is a portrayal of the mission, vision and goals of a task or an organization. In brief, the operational plan should have clear and well defined objectives of the task. The activities which are necessary to accomplish the task must be mentioned in detail. The operation plan contains the resources needed in order to complete the task like the manpower and other resources needed to complete the task. The operational plan also needs to analyze the risk involved in the successful completion of a task. Such a plan is the most important element of a business plan. It is also a strategic plan which explains to the reader in what steps, using what resources, the estimated

Friday, October 18, 2019

Digging Deeper into Tony Kushners Angels of America Essay

Digging Deeper into Tony Kushners Angels of America - Essay Example As the paper outlines, Kushner discusses the complexity of the gay identity towards the closure of the 20th century and highlights how the emergence of HIV served to heighten the complexity. Moreover, the playwright uses the play to criticize the Reagan era politics. An understanding of the playwright’s identity is critical in order to analyze why he chose to address the issues that he brings out in the play. Kushner admits that he harbored gay instincts since he was six, but the fact that he was homosexual eventually sank in at the age of eleven. The cultural setting and the societal resistance surrounding homosexuality compelled him to keep his identity closeted (Nielsen 5). Therefore, the playwright‘s identity proves his familiarity with the issues that he brought out in the play. Moreover, HIV/AIDS was prevalent among gay people and was considered as a scourge for the gay only. Kushner experienced the political conditions that defined Reagan’s regime. The conc lusion of the millennium brought along new realities such as the emergence of a gay community that existed in a closeted system, but later some members openly declared their sexual orientation before the public. The gay community faced rigid resistance from society for defying the societal norms outlined in the gender sexual roles. In his play, Kushner painted the picture of the experience of gay people. He introduces the reader into the realities surrounding a homosexually-oriented man. He developed his themes using a gay couple made up of Prior and Louis and a heterosexual couple made up of Harper and Joe Pitt. Other important characters supporting the themes are Roy, a lawyer, and Belize, an influential nurse. In part one of his play, the author introduced the sad reality that Prior, Louis’ Lover, contracted the human immune deficiency virus (HIV). From the start of the play, the playwright bombards the reader with the reality of the HIV scourge from the experience of Prio r. The victim faces devastation because of the status and also abandonment by his lover (Bloom and Hobby 7). The decision of Louis to abandon his lover is a typical reaction exhibited by many people after the realization that their partners had contracted the virus. In addition, the playwright sought to enlighten society on the inner battle faced by homosexuals. Apparently, the rigid construct of the society did not present an opening for the gay community to exercise the civil rights that they demanded. In Kushner’s play, he presents two characters that preferred keeping their gay identity closed in fear of the inherent resistance from society and the association of the homosexual orientation with the deadly virus that has just been described (Bloom and Hobby 10). Joe Pitt is a representative of the internal battle fought by individuals in their bid to analyze their sexual orientation and embrace it. Although married to Harper, Joe was living a lie because he had nurtured ho mosexual feelings for a long time. In fear of how society would perceive his identity, he opted to suppress such feelings and strived to express his heterosexual identity through his marriage to Harper. However, his encounter with Louis weeping over his lover’s condition, Joe got an opportunity to express what he thought was his real sexual orientation.  

Biology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biology - Research Paper Example Therefore the hypothesis is that "Light deprivation during fetal development and infancy affect the brain function during adulthood". Since this experiment cannot be performed on humans, we need to test this hypothesis in rat model for light deprivation. There will be three sets of experiments, viz., 1. Light deprivation of mother during fetal development (pre-natal). 2. Light deprivation after birth (post natal) for 6 weeks. 3. Light deprivation during fetal development and after birth (both pre-natal and post-natal). Pregnant mothers will be either reared in dark. The pups born to these mothers will be either grown in dark (group 3) or normal light cycle, i.e., 12 hours light followed by 12 hours dark (group 1) for six weeks. Alternatively, pregnant mothers will be reared in normal light and the pups born to these mothers will be reared in dark for six weeks (group 2). All other variables like room temperature, humidity, access to food, quality of food and water will remain constant. After six weeks, the animals will be tested for learning behavior, by a T-maze. In a T-maze, the reward (food) can be placed at on e end and the hungry rat is allowed to choose the arm several times. The number of trails it takes the animal to choose the correct arm gives a measure of its learning capability. Atleast 6-8 animals will be tested in each group and the number of trails recorded.

Diversity at Work ( race and religion) Research Paper

Diversity at Work ( race and religion) - Research Paper Example In order to exploit this opportunity for the peaceful labor relations and growth of the company, the management should establish long term diversity goals with the aim of improving employer-employee partnership on a long term basis. Thiederman (2008, p. 188) states that although entering into conversations about diversity-related tension and bias can be challenging and frightening, the benefits far outweigh the risks. More than anything else, such conversations serve an important educational function. The unique qualities and strengths of the different groups enhance the enterprise value of an organization, if they are harnessed to increase overall efficiency in an organization. Therefore, management strategies should aim to facilitate exchange of information through proper communication, discussions and conversations within the organization. According to the Wall Street Journal, the management should provide diversity training in the workplace and all employees should understand tha t hiring decisions are based on finding the best candidate and not by quotas. This will enhance the confidence level among the employees. In the wake of globalization and liberalization in various countries of the world, the business undertakings need introspection into their human resources management strategies. ... 2) state, â€Å"In 2000, 19% of the US resident population was non-white; in 2020, 22.4% is expected to be non-white; †¦Ã¢â‚¬  When it is analyzed with reference to employment in the organizations, data related the government departments or establishment will be useful and reliable because they are maintained in accordance with a set of government rules to highlight the representation of different sections of the society and minorities in employment. US General Accounting Office (2003, p. 2) in its report stated that according to the USPS data, in the USPS career employee workforce the representation of minorities and women in the workforce remained fairly constant, about 36 and 38 percent, respectively. (Appendix – II, USPS Career Employee Workforce Representation by Race/Ethnicity and Gender, Fiscal Years 2000 through 2002) Therefore, the representation of various social groups in employment reflects the progress in this area for the nation as a whole. A company shoul d formulate its human resources management strategy taking into account the environment and its relative position within the industry in the area of diversity at work. Proper mix of the labor need to be worked out based on the product and customer profile, the geographical spread of the business and the existing management structure. Diversity goals   Measuring the success of an organization in achieving its diversity goals is based on several factors such as retention level, labor turnover in various social groups in the organization, absenteeism, proportion of various social groups in the management positions. (Appendix – I, Diversity Indicators) Diversity at work is not restricted to the lower levels but include all levels in the management

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Persuasive paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive paper - Essay Example I want to argue for the strict adherence of school uniforms in school campus and this paper analyses various factors in favor and against the implementation of school uniforms. â€Å"The school uniform is the single-most visible element of any school. Students in school uniform are in fact walking advertisements for a school, giving an impression of the school for good or for bad throughout an entire town or city.† (School Uniform) The school uniform actually is the talking symbol of the educational level and the discipline in the school. Only the reputed schools will be more particular about strictly implementing or maintaining dress codes in schools. Casual dresses in schools will never help the students in focusing their studies since they will take education also casually. The wearing of school uniform will create a sense among students that they are going to place called schools and the purpose of their journey is to acquire knowledge. On the other hand casual wears will never encourage children to think in that way. Moreover in schools if some students bring attractive casuals then the whole attention of other students will be on their colleag ues’ dresses rather than concentrating in the class. Moreover such expensive dresses will encourage other students to persuade their poor parents to purchase such expensive items for them. The safety argument is that school uniforms make it more difficult for unwelcome outsiders to infiltrate the school grounds (Those disgusting School Uniforms) Implementation of school uniform would help to identify the intruders in the school compound and hence the violent crimes can be reduced. In most of the schools the outsiders are responsible for creating problems. If the school uniforms are not there it is difficult for the authorities to identify the intruders and hence the chances of crimes will be increased. ‘School uniforms can help in;

Analysis on how gasoline prices are determined Term Paper

Analysis on how gasoline prices are determined - Term Paper Example The world’s challenges are to keep production going at a constant rate, and try to increase. At the same time, producers, with assistance from OPEC and respective governments have to keep high inventory levels to offset a period of zero production. Furthermore, the governments of various countries should consider allocating a heavier budget to oil exploration. In my opinion, the price of gasoline would increase, at least in the foreseeable future. Although the world is undergoing a severe recession, the prospects for recovery and growth are high, and consumers would be confident of a quick recovery. Furthermore, the proposed changes such as full capacity utilization would take time to accomplish. Also, the political tensions in the Middle-East look to intensify in the near future and that can disrupt supply. Even with the technology that is available, adapting to other forms of energy would be a difficult task for businesses and individuals alike. For instance, if CNG is used, it would take some time before America and other countries have easy access to CNG, since investors won’t take a risk of opening too many retail locations. All in all, I feel that the future can be bright and crude oil can be utilized to the fullest cheaply, but extra effort would have be exerted by governments to regulate the price of gasoline.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Persuasive paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persuasive paper - Essay Example I want to argue for the strict adherence of school uniforms in school campus and this paper analyses various factors in favor and against the implementation of school uniforms. â€Å"The school uniform is the single-most visible element of any school. Students in school uniform are in fact walking advertisements for a school, giving an impression of the school for good or for bad throughout an entire town or city.† (School Uniform) The school uniform actually is the talking symbol of the educational level and the discipline in the school. Only the reputed schools will be more particular about strictly implementing or maintaining dress codes in schools. Casual dresses in schools will never help the students in focusing their studies since they will take education also casually. The wearing of school uniform will create a sense among students that they are going to place called schools and the purpose of their journey is to acquire knowledge. On the other hand casual wears will never encourage children to think in that way. Moreover in schools if some students bring attractive casuals then the whole attention of other students will be on their colleag ues’ dresses rather than concentrating in the class. Moreover such expensive dresses will encourage other students to persuade their poor parents to purchase such expensive items for them. The safety argument is that school uniforms make it more difficult for unwelcome outsiders to infiltrate the school grounds (Those disgusting School Uniforms) Implementation of school uniform would help to identify the intruders in the school compound and hence the violent crimes can be reduced. In most of the schools the outsiders are responsible for creating problems. If the school uniforms are not there it is difficult for the authorities to identify the intruders and hence the chances of crimes will be increased. ‘School uniforms can help in;

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Ethics of Information Communication Technology Dissertation - 1

Ethics of Information Communication Technology - Dissertation Example For the gathering of information and knowledge, the instrument that is required by all human beings is ICT, and security in this regard should be guaranteed to them as their basic right. However, throughout the world, the rights of humans are violated one way or the other. Violation of these rights has created new problems in the human social system like cybercrime, digital divide, digital security and privacy concerns for all of them. Round the globe, all of this has affected the lives of the people directly or indirectly (Sembok, 2003). This shows that due to the rising facilities of the global world, the related crimes are also increasing in the numbers. This increasing rate of the cyber crime has put the privacy and security of the individuals at stake. With such backdrop, this paper will discuss the types of cyber crimes and the upcoming frauds that are done by them. The objective of this paper is to highlight the effects of this crime and under the light of this crime, see the effects it has created on the economy of the United Kingdom. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of cyber crimes on the citizens, businesses, government, and the relevant interventions to deal with it. The range of cyber crimes is much diversified; so the paper will shed light on crimes such as child pornography, identity frauds to the individuals, tax and benefits fraud, NHS frauds, pension frauds, and local government and central government frauds faced by the government. The most affected sector is the business sector; so a major portion of the paper aims to cover this segment and discuss frauds like IP theft, industrial espionage, and online theft. Literature Review The literature review section initially discusses the general use of internet and the need of using this technology; it also talks about the crimes that result from this under the light of different kinds of literature. Then limiting to the topic, the paper aims at discussing the keyword: ‘Cyber Crime’. According to Nelson (2009) cybercrime is referred to as ‘the undertaken activities by the criminals for the financial gain’. He says that ‘such kinds of activities are used to take advantage of the vulnerabilities that are in use of the internet and other electronic systems. These systems illegitimately attack or access the information that is used by the businesses, citizens, and government.’ In this light, the paper will discuss the types of cybercrime and also talk about the ways these cyber crimes are taking place. A number of studies and researchers have been done in order to investigate the topic under discussion. However, this area needs to be researched more so that more valid and authentic conclusions can be drawn from the studies and the results could be applied to the society. The topic is chosen for my research, keeping in view its significance in the field and also, because of its importance in society. As it has been observed i n the societies that as people are getting more aware of the alarming nature of this issue and are interested in finding ways to help overcome this problem, more research work is needed in this area.  

Monday, October 14, 2019

Beck Depression Inventory vs. Hamilton Depression Scale Beck

Beck Depression Inventory vs. Hamilton Depression Scale Beck The revised Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), published in 1996 was authored by Aaron Beck, Robert A. Steer, and Gregory K. Brown. Similar to its predecessor, it consists of 21multiple choice questions that assist in determining the severity of depression. Each item consists of four statements arranged in order to ascertain the severity of a certain symptom of depression. BDI-II conforms to the DSM-IV criteria for depression. Clients who are presented with the BDI-II are asked to answer each question based upon the way they have felt for the past two weeks in order to accurately conform to the DSM-IV criteria. The BDI-II is intended for adolescents and adults and should not be administered to those under the age of thirteen. Scoring The BDI-II consists of twenty one questions, all of which correspond to a particular symptom of depression. Each item consists of a four point scale ranging from 0-3. Items 16 and 18 consist of seven items which are used to indicate an increase or decrease in both sleep patterns and appetite. A total score of 0-13 is considered minimal range, 14- 19 is considered mild, 20-28 is considered moderate, while 20-63 is considered to be severe (Beck, Steer and Brown, 1961). The BDI-II may be scored by hand or by using a software program such as Q Local, where the scores may be recorded and monitored by the clinician. The test may be administered frequently, as it is intended to monitor symptoms that have occurred within a two week range. Reliability Becks Depression Inventory II has been used for many years with great success. Its reliability is still questioned by some. Sprinkle, Lurie, Insko, Atkinson, Jones, Logan and Bassada (2002) state that Although the BDI-II manual (Beck, Steer, Brown, 1996) and various other reports (e.g., Dozois et al., 1998, and Steer, Kumar, Ranieri, Beck, 1998) have offered substantial evidence for the instruments commendable split-half internal consistency (with reported coefficient alphas of .91 and slightly higher), there are only two published reports to date on the instruments test- retest reliability (par.6). Sprinkle et al., (2002) further report Beck, Steer, and Brown (1996) reported on 26 outpatients (no diagnostic information is offered) who were administered the BDI-II at the times of their first and second therapy sessions (approximately one week apart), producing a test-retest correlation of .93 (par 6). Validity Validity of the BDI-II appears to be favorable. A study conducted by Storch, Roberti and Roth (2002) examined the psychometric properties of the BDI-II. 414 students from two separate universities participated in the study. Their results supported BDI-II two-factor structure measuring cognitive-affective and somatic depressive symptoms (par.1). They concluded that the validity of the BDI-II was supported by favorable results with self-report measures of depression and anxiety (par.1). The results of this study duplicate past research of a college sample which supported the reliability and validity of the BDI-II. Arnau, Meager, Norris, and Bramson (2001) also conducted a psychometric evaluation of the BDI-II using primary care patients. The study consisted of 340 primary care patients (7 of which were eliminated due to incomplete responses). 68.8% of the participants were female and the age group tested ranged from ages 18-54(M = 36.5, SD = 10.1, Arnau et al., 2001). The average score from the participants was 8.4 (SD = 9.7). They reported that scores of 14 or higher, suggesting at least a mild level of depression (Beck et al., 1996 as cited in Arnau et al., 2001) were observed in 23.2% of the sample (p.3). Arnau et al., (2001) also found an alpha coefficient of .94, which they considered to be excellent internal consistency. They concluded that the BDI-II yielded strong evidence for the factorial validity of the BDI-II in a primary care setting (p.6). They found that the BDI-II could easily be implemented into the primary care setting without disrupting patient flow. BDI-II Reviews Arbisi and Farmer, reviewers of BDI-II indicate that the BDI-II is easy to administer and requires approximately five to ten minutes to complete. Arbisi states concern however, that there are no validity indicators contained on the BDI or the BDI-II and the ease of administration of a self-report lends itself to the deliberate tailoring of self-report and distortion of the results (Beck, Steeler Brown, 1961 par. 5). Arbisi and Farmer concur that the manual BDI-II was well written and provides a multitude of supportive information regarding norms, factor structure, and notably, nonparametric item-option characteristic curves for each item (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 4). They contend that the BDI-II has improved upon the original by updating the items to reflect contemporary diagnostic criteria for depression and utilizing state-of-the-art psychometric techniques to improve the discriminative properties of the instrument (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 10). Although the reviewers have noted their concern regarding the lack of room for diversity, Arbisi and Farmer appear to approve of its use as a depression assessment tool. Hamilton Depression Scale The Hamilton Depression Scale (abbreviated as HDS, HAMD or HAD) is used to measure the severity of symptoms of depression. For many years it was considered to be the gold standard. It was developed by Max Hamilton in the late 1950s and was used to evaluate the performance of the first antidepressants. It was released in 1960. Upon its release, Hamilton acknowledged that it had room for improvement (p. 56). He revised the HDS in 1967. The HDS consists of 21 multiple choice questions. The first 17 questions determine the severity of the depression symptoms, while the additional four questions address the areas of paranoia and obsession and their relation to depression .The HDS can be administered to both children and adults. It is considered to be easy to read and interpret; it is recommended that the HDS be administered only by a licensed professional. Scoring The HDS was intended to be administered by an experienced clinician by conducting a clinical interview.   Scoring and administrating the scale may be considered cumbersome as Hamilton did not provide structured guidelines for this purpose. No standardized probe questions were provided to elicit information from patients and no behaviorally specific guidelines were developed for determining each items rating (Health Care Technology Systems, 2010). Seventeen items are rated on a 5-point (0-4) or a 3-point (0-2) scale. Overall scores of 0-6 are considered normal. Scores from 7-17 are indicative of mild depression. Scores from 18-24 represent moderate depression. Scores that are greater than 24 are representative of severe depression. Reliability Bagby, Ryder, Schuller, and Marshall (2004) state that Clinician-rated instruments should demonstrate three types of reliability: 1) internal reliability, 2) retest reliability, and 3) interrater reliability (par.4). They contend that the internal reliability of the HDS estimates ranged from 0.46 to 0.97, and 10 studies reported estimates 0.70 (par.5). They further contend that the majority of items contained in the HDS indicate sufficient reliability .Per their testing, the following items were met in each sample: (Guilt, middle insomnia, psychic anxiety, somatic anxiety, gastrointestinal, general somatic) and an additional five items met the criteria in all but one sample (depressed mood, suicide, early insomnia, late insomnia, work and interests, hypochondriasis) (par.6). A potential problem was suggested with loss of insight, as it had the greatest number of variables. Interrater reliability was considered to be poor. Cicchetti and Prusoff (1983, as cited in Reynolds and Kobak, 1 995) state in a study of interrater reliability of a 22-item version of the HDRS found low levels of reliability for individual items, with 14 of the 22 items demonstrating intraclass correlation coefficients of less than .40 (par. 4). Retest Reliability Scores for the retest reliability of the HDS ranged from 0.81 to 0.98. Williams (1998 at cited in Bagby et al., 2004) argued in favor of using structured interview guides to boost item and total scale reliability and developed the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (par.8). Doing so increased the retest reliability to 0.54 in spite of the fact that only four items met the necessary criteria for reliability; i.e.: depressed mood, early insomnia, psychic anxiety, and loss of libido (par.8). Validity The Hamilton Depression Scale is comprised of 1) Content, 2) Convergent, 3) Discriminant, 4 Factorial, and 5) Predicative Validity. Content validity is determined by examining scale items to determine correspondence with known features of a syndrome (Bagby et al., 2004 par. 9). Convergent validity is sufficient when a scale indicates Pearsons r values of a minimum of 0.50 in conjunction with measures of the same syndrome. Discriminant validity is determined by indicating that groups that differ in diagnostic status may be separated through the use of the scale. Predictive validity of symptom severity measures such as the Hamilton depression scale is determined by a statistically significant (p HDS Reviews Bernard Carroll wrote a letter to the editor of the American Journal of Psychiatry in December, 2005 entitled: Why the Hamilton Depression Scale Endures. He offers three reasons why the HDS remains the gold standard. First of all, he contends that Hamiltons HDS focused on patients burden of illness (par.1). He suggests that this is the reason why the HDS contains examples of anxiety that are present in depressive episodes, but are not part of the diagnosis for depression. He further contends that Hamilton intended the use of this scale for clients that are well known by the clinician. In this light, the HDS displays a range from mild to extreme illness (par. 1). Second, Carroll contends that the demand for a revised scale based upon modern criteria of major depression is not realistic. Carroll believes that Current definitions of major depression, instantiated in DSM-IV, for instance, are deliberately atheoretical nominalist conventions that lack unifying constructs, predictive validity, and explanatory power (par.2). He believes that this is the reason why those who are diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria for major depression are so contrasting. He adds: In the future, we might add biomarkers or endophenotypes to clinical symptoms in assessing depression, but that day is not here (par.2). Third, Carroll does not believe that the HDS has been outmatched in performance. He does not believe that the HDS is insensitive to changes in the severity of depression symptoms. When compared to the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, he believes that the Hamilton Depression Scale is superior in its sensitivity to change and in detecting early change with treatment while having the advantage of far more comprehensive symptom coverage (par.3). Carroll concludes his letter by stating The endurance of the Hamilton depression scale is remarkable, considering how many unauthorized, nonvalidated, mutant versions now circulate (Hamiltons original 17 items have expanded to 28 at my last count). This is not progress, however, because the text versions and procedural use in many contemporary treatment trials are corrupted (par 4). Paul C Burnett, a reviewer of the HDS contends that the manual is extensive and comprehensive (par.2). The instructions for administering the test are clear and contain examples of the scoring process. All of the symptoms contained in the test are described and provide examples to be used in the interviewing process. He believes that the symptoms contained in the test conform to the criteria listed in the DSM-IV. The manual, which contains a sample of 202 depressed patients, is comprised of 76% inpatients, 24% outpatients, and 69% female (par.3). The manual contends that the demographics are fair, despite the fact that no data is provided to support this. He contends that the manual did not include data to support the procedure that was utilized to select this demographic. Burnett states that Internal consistency estimates were found to be .79 and .81 for the clinical and self-report forms respectively, indicating moderate reliability (par. 4). Other studies suggest that the internal consistency range from .45 to .95, which is stated in the manual as consistent with the results from the verification sample (par.4). Burnett does not consider a range of .45 to .81 as acceptable internal consistency. Burnett concludes that the HDS consists of a well written and concise manual, which clearly describes the administration and scoring process. He finds that the two scales have moderate internal consistency, sound concurrent validity, and relatively consistent and stable factor structures (par. 7). His only complaint is that the verification sample is minimal and does not sufficiently describe the manner in which it was selected. The Stronger Assessment Tool Both Aaron Beck and Max Hamilton have created an assessment tool to determine the severity of the symptoms of depression. While Hamiltons Depression Scale was considered to be the gold standard, and may be administered to both children and adults, one would have to conclude that Becks Depression Inventory-II is the stronger of the two assessments. It appears that the BDI-II can be administered with ease and does not require an interviewing process. The BDI-II has been revised to monitor the severity of symptoms of depression for the last two weeks, while Hamiltons HDS does not state such strict guidelines. It also appears as though the BDI-II contains a stronger internal consistency with an alpha coefficient of .95 as opposed to the HDS internal coefficiency of .79 and .81. Another reason for this conclusion was the original intention of use of the scales. Hamiltons HDS was developed to evaluate the performance of the first generation of antidepressants, while Becks Depression Inventory was developed to determine the nature of the severity of symptoms of depression without the use of medication. Becks BDI-II appears to have surpassed the HDS as reviewers have considered this assessment tool as utilizing state-of-the-art psychometric techniques to improve the discriminative properties of the instrument (Beck, Steer Brown, 1961 par. 10). It appears as though Becks BDI-II is the preferred choice among todays clinicians.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

The Nation of Israel Essays -- Hebrew Israel Religion Religious Essays

The Nation of Israel The nation of Israel has played a critical role in the formation of Western and Eastern ideologies and has had an unmistakably profound impact upon the theological and cultural evolution of mankind. Former U.S. President John Adams, commenting on the historical importance of the Hebrews, once said the following: "I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations †¦ They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern (Aish).† The Hebrews are not only of undeniable historical significance but also a key factor and concern in contemporary politics. In order to begin to understand the nature of Israeli politics it is important to understand the rich history of the Hebrews and also the events surrounding and leading up to the formation of the nation of Israel. We will begin our investigation into the politics of the nation of Israel by reviewing key historical contributions and events pertaining to that nation and its people. The most significant and widespread impact of the Hebrew culture can be seen in its spread of monotheism to essentially polytheistic cultures. This theological ideal served to both lay the foundation and perpetuate the formation and evolution of the world’s three major monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Isl... ... Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00i60 XIX. â€Å"A Critique of the Israeli Basic Laws† Israeli Basic Law 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.gongfa.com/zuigaoyuanduizgyihui.htm XX. â€Å"Parties represented in the fifteenth Knesset running for reelection in 2003† Israeli Government (Sixth Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0mt10 XXI. â€Å"Results of Elections to the 16th Knesset – Jan 28,2003† Israel Government (Seventh Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0n130 XXII. â€Å"The Judiciary: The Court System† Israel Government (Eighth Reference) 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH00gz0 XXIII. Gordon, Evelyn. â€Å"Is it Legitimate to Criticize the Supreme Court?† Azure 18 Nov. 2003 http://www.shalem.org.il/azure/3-articles2.html

Saturday, October 12, 2019

The Trail of Tears :: essays research papers

The Trail Of Tears Gloria Jahoda, the author of The Trail of Tears talks about how Indian populations dropped and how white people are the ones responsible for the drop of their population. The white men are not responsible for the drop of the Indian population. Johoda makes all Indians sound like defenseless children. Johoda is making excuses for Indians because Indians let the white man take over their lives and life style. Indians would do everything that was asked of them by the white man instead of standing up for themselves. The Choctaws were granted citizenship in the exception of them not living their everyday life style. Under citizenship, the tribal government of the Choctaws was abolished. Choctaws was given heavy fines and even jail time if the Choctaws dishonored the demands of the white man for their citizenship. Chief Moshulatubbee was shocked so he decided to run for congress. Mississippians took Moshulatubbee wanting to run for congress as a joke. Moshulatubbee lost. The lost started a civil war among the Choctaws. No matter what the Choctaws did they did not get their way. When leaving Mississippi some of the Choctaws died of diseases and of hunger. So the Choctaws gave in and again let the white man take control of them. One of the presidents of the United States, Andrew Jackson went to war with Indians hopping to get rid of the Indians. Black Hawk was a 62-year-old Indian who hated Americans. Black Hawk says that American promises are empty. When ever Americans told Black Hawk that they would do something for the Indians the Americans would never do what they promised. Black Hawk decided to take the side of the British. When ever the British said they would do something for the Indians the British would always do what they promised. Black Hawk always carried a British medal around his neck he respected the British a great deal. Andrew Jackson the president of the United States at the time came face to face with Black Hawk. The president asked Black Hawk, â€Å"why did you go to war,† Black Hawk did not answer. It was said that maybe the sac chief did not understand the question, but I say it’s just another excuse for Indians being naà ¯ve and letting the Americans do what they would l ike with the Indians. This book educates the audience on how there were brave Indians.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Gender Identity Paper Essay

The determination of gender identity is much deeper than whether a person is born a male or a female. The exact identifier that separates gender identity is currently unknown but researchers believe that genetics, hormones, reproductive organs, biological, and environmental factors all play a role in distinguishing a person’s gender identity. A person’s physical gender and their sense of gender are formed at two different times in two different parts of the body. A person’s gender is whether they are born male or female, but the way they identify themselves may be the opposite, which is not uncommon and has occurred since the beginning of time. In culture males are known to be the stronger, more aggressive sex, while females are the fairer, more nurturing sex. Usually, by the age of four, individuals have identified their gender identities aside from what gender they were born as physically. Throughout this paper, I will discuss the biological factors of gender i dentity (nature), environmental factors (nurture), and the role between hormones and behavior, and how these interactions all affect the determination of one’s gender identity. Gender identification begins to develop while the fetus is in the beginning stages of development. Between weeks six and twelve of gestation is when the fetus begins developing reproductive organs and that is when the fetus takes on the role of male or female. Hormones are produced in both the nervous system and the endocrine system and are transported through the blood stream. Specifically, hormones are chemicals that combine and respond to certain cell receptors. Hormones like testosterone and androgen are mainly found in the male gender while estrogen is mainly found in the female gender. Testosterone is a contributing factor to behaviors like aggression. â€Å"Gender identity, an individual’s self-awareness of maleness or femaleness, and gender role, are programmed for the child within his mother’s womb,† (Institute of Medicine, 2006). Evidence has shown that the female gender is likely to excel in verbal skills and muscular coordination when their production of estrogen is high rather than when it is low. For men, they are stronger and more aggressive when their testosterone levels are high and they are able to perform better in actions that require physical performance. The nature side of the theory relies on prenatal hormones that modify the brain and peripheral tissue and the development of male or female external genitalia. Although a person may have a certain physical gender, their gender role is the adoption of masculine or feminine behavioral traits that are appropriate for that specific sex. Gender identity differs from the gender role because it is an individual’s personal sense of sex, which is not necessarily their physical gender. There are multiple stages from childhood to adulthood when hormones are present that are identifiable of a specific gender. The pituitary gland (or hypophysis) secretes many hormones during puberty including adrenocorticotropic hormones, growth hormones, gonadotrophins, prolactin, and thyroid stimulating hormones. Gonadotrophins, which include luteinizing and follicle stimulating hormones, stimulate sex hormone production in the ovaries or testes and also lead to egg and sperm maturity. Prolactin stimulates milk production and adrenocorticotropic hormones stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete steroid hormones like cortisol. All of these hormones play a major role in sexual development and an individual’s determination of gender identity. Environmental factors of gender identity arise as soon as the individual is born. Everything from a female child wearing a pink dress to a male child having a sports themed blanket can play a role in their gender identity. Sociologists believe that by the age of five years old, females show a preference for dolls, arts and crafts, and playing dress up while males prefer cars, blocks, tools, and outdoor play. â€Å"The environment has a direct relation to personality traits, because characteristic adaptations are always involved in expression,† (Nature over Nurture, 2000). At a young age, children who are taught that traits and activities are appropriate or inappropriate for them to perform because of their gender tend to absorb those teachings and are influenced by them later in life. For example, young girls who are raised believing boys are innately better at sports than girls, may disclaim their interest in sports and go on to believe they are not good at them without pract icing them to their full potential. Both males and females have proven to be great athletes but if at a young age, a girl is told she will never be as good as a boy she may never give sports and athleticism a chance. Young children learn by observations, if a young girl witnesses her mother performing the acts of a man then she will repeat those acts and believe that is what is appropriate for her. The same goes for the male gender, if a little boy observes his father doing something that a woman is more likely to do like sewing or interior decorating then that is what the little boy will believe is expected of him upon adulthood. â€Å"For instance, the way in which one educates children, how children in institutions such as orphanages are raised, and the kinds of day-care are considered optimal have all been influenced by one’s understanding of the interaction of biology and environment regarding gender identity,† (Kowalski & Westen, 2005). The previous statement is very true because children observe many things that one may never think would make any difference but in reality they do. Nature factors include everything from what kind of parents raise the child, what roles they perform, the culture, and even the color of paint on the child’s walls all make a difference in the child’s personal gender identity. I believe that between nature and nurture and their influence on gender identity, nature has a greater influence. For example, if a perfectly healthy little girl with no hormone disorders is raised with a single father and only brothers with no immediate influence of females, she is more likely to become a tomboy and take on the gender identity that resembles that of her father’s or brothers’. The same reference goes for a boy raised with a single mother and only sisters with no immediate influence of a male figure in his life. Matthew Wolfe-Meyer makes a valid point when saying, â€Å"nature and its contestation is a dominant strategy†¦ unfortunately nurture fails to receive similar scrutiny and culture is more often used as an explanatory device than deeply interrogated for its logistics.† Often times when a child is going through puberty and takes on the role of the opposite gender, many people jump to the hypothesis that there may be something wrong with their hormones or a chemical imbalance but before jumping to that conclusion, they should look at their home life, how was the child raised, what was their environment like and from there they will find many answers. All children naturally comply with the demands of their internal sense of gender without effort. If the child becomes confused with their gender then they often refer to behaviors of adults near them and they learn what actions are appropriate for them relatively quick. Environmental factors bear a critical amount of effectiveness in gender identity but because environmental factors are ever changing, it proves that the nurture theory is a substantial factor. Currently, psychologists and researchers do not know the exact causes of gender identity and individuals taking on the opposite roles. But there are many factors that support both sides of the nature versus nurture argument. The male and female genders each have differences in many areas both physical and emotional but neither is â€Å"better† than the other. By the age of four years old each child already has an idea of who they are and what gender they belong to. Gender confusion is normal but most children are able to look at parents or acting influences in their lives and see what the appropriate actions are for their gender. Nature versus nurture has and will continue to be a strong argument. References: McCrae, R. R., Costa, P. r., Ostendorf, F., Angleitner, A., HÃ…â„¢ebà ­Ã„ kovà ¡, M., Avia, M. D., & †¦ Smith, P. B. (2000). Nature over nurture: Temperament, personality, and life span development. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 78(1), 173-186. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.78.1.173 Matthew Wolf-Meyer. (2007). Complexities: Beyond nature and nurture. Anthropologica, 49(2), 325-327. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214174663?accountid=35812 Money, J. (1971). Differentiation of gender identity and gender role. Psychiatric Annals, 1(4), 32-37,42-43,8-9. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/894195162?accountid=35812 (2006). Institute of medicine (us) committee on assessing interactions among social, behavioral, and genetic factors in health. Washington DC: National Academies Press (US). Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19934/

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Crime Prevention Coalition of America Essay

Crime Prevention Coalition of America is the crime prevention program that this paper will cover. During this paper I will attempt to discuss what Crime Prevention Coalition of America is and what their philosophy is. It will also show the element or elements of the crime triangle that the Crime Prevention Coalition of America program seeks to address. This paper will analysis how the Crime Prevention Coalition of America works, it will also including statistical support, of the success of the program in affecting crime. A critical analysis of the effectiveness of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America. Commentary on the impacts of societal factors that deals with the Crime Prevention Coalition of America. Then I will attempt to make a prediction concerning the technological advancements of the program and the resulting success or failure based upon those advancements. â€Å"The Crime Prevention Coalition of America is a nonpartisan group of more than 400 national, state, federal, and community-based organizations united to promote citizen action to prevent crime. Established in 1980, its members include youth development organizations, municipalities, law enforcement agencies, federal and state government representatives, state crime prevention associations, and community-based groups† (NCPC, 2012). The Crime Prevention Coalition of America works with all these groups to ensure a way to make safe communities. â€Å"The philosophy of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America believes that: Preventing Crime Is * Everyone’s business * More than security * A responsibility of all levels and agencies of government * Linked with solving social problems * Cost-effective Preventing Crime Requires * A central role in law enforcement * Cooperation and collaboration by all elements of the community * Education * Tailoring to local needs and conditions * Continual evaluation and improvement† (NCPC, 2012). Under the philosophy of Crime Prevention Coalition of America it is everyone’s job to help prevent and control the criminal element. This group believes that each of us should do are part in preventing crimes and making sure that the people who are committing crimes are held accountable. The Crime Prevention Coalition of America brings the community and law enforcement together, because this group knows that law enforcement can’t control the criminal element alone. The crime triangle is made up of three different things they are: target, desire, and opportunity. All of these have to be present of a crime to be successful. The element or the elements of the crime triangle that the Crime Prevention Coalition of America are all three of the elements that make up the triangle. â€Å"The first element of the crime triangle is desire. That is the criminal’s drive, intent and motivation. There is nothing you can realistically do to curtail or eliminate that desire. Once he has the desire, he is looking for a target and an opportunity. A target is anyone who appears to be an easy victim. A target appears not to be aware of their surroundings and appears easy to overtake or overpower. An easy target, by definition, will not put up any resistance. The next element is opportunity. You control this by paying attention to your environment. Are you in a bad area of town? Are you walking in an unlit area? Are you in a secluded area? Are you letting strangers in too close to ask questions – not defining personal boundaries? Limiting opportunities is about being aware of your environment and your intuition to remove yourself from a questionable environment once you sense danger† (Women’s Self-Defense Institute, 2002-2012). With the knowledge that the Crime Prevention Coalition of America gives people in the community and the knowledge that it gives to the law enforcement group it allows people to be aware of the three elements of the crime triangle and it allows you to remove the ones that you are capable of changing. Of the three elements of the crime triangle you can’t do  nothing about the desire part because that is all up to the criminal, however you can change the way you are looked at as a target and the opportunity of becoming a victim. These two parts of the crime triangle you can be taught to manage and be aware of. The way that this program can teach you about the desire part of the crime triangle is that it teaches you to the observation of the people around you. With knowing who is around you, you will be able to see how a person who is acting weird and maybe up to no good. The Crime Prevention Coalition of America works to prevent crimes in many ways; it will also show the statistical support to show how effective they are in this area if there is proof and with the success of the program in affecting crime and crime rate. â€Å"In October 2007, the National Crime Prevention Council, in partnership with the Crime Prevention Coalition of America and the U.S. Department of Justice, hosted the 8th National Conference on Preventing Crime: Helping Build Safer Communities, in Atlanta, GA. CPCA members received a member discount of $50 off their registration fees for the conference. The conference offered more than 65 educational sessions presented by the nation’s leading crime prevention specialists on topics such as emerging trends in crime prevention, bullying, Internet safety, community preparedness, Neighborhood Watch, gang prevention, fraud prevention for senior citizens, and more. The conference provided a forum and training for all crime prevention practitioners to identify and learn about emerging trends and issues and ways to address them; to network with colleagues from across the country, sharing experiences and successes; and to renew commitments to prevention as a priority in reducing crime. The National Conference on Preventing Crime has proven to be a driving force in disseminating crime prevention information nationwide and promoting crime prevention issues to policymakers at the national, state, and local levels†( The Crime Prevention Coalition of America, 2007). â€Å"The Crime Prevention Coalition of America has developed a number of strategies to help carry out its mission of making crime prevention a grassroots community movement and a national priority. The Coalition has worked to * Develop and implement a crime prevention action initiative to enlist individuals, businesses, faith communities, community groups, and governments to implement prevention strategies, tactics, and programs, building on the success of the National Citizens’ Crime Prevention Campaign * Identify, develop, and promote  community-level programs, projects, policies, and approaches that have proven successful in reducing crime * Establish substantive themes for community action initiatives * Foster shared responsibility among Coalition member organizations to encourage prevention-focused reporting on crime * Enhance the structure and operations of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America to help its member organizations provide leadership in the effort to reduce and prevent crime * Create Coalition member task groups to focus on specific issues of concern to member organizations * Strengthen the National Crime Prevention Council, the secretariat of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, to be the nation’s primary source for crime prevention information† (NCPC, 2012). These are the strategies that the Crime Prevention Coalition of America has put into place to try to get its message across and away to provide people with the knowledge to keep themselves and their love ones from becoming a victim of criminal active. According to the Bureau of Justice Assistance there are still things we don’t know about the effectiveness of these programs and if they are the true cause for the drop in the crime rate â€Å"While there is some evidence of the effectiveness of some community-based programs, there is still much to learn about the impact of these programs on crime. To date, there are relatively few methodologically rigorous evaluations of these programs. As a result, researchers have often not been able to establish whether the program or other factor(s) were responsible for the observed outcomes. Isolating a community crime prevention program’s effect has been particularly difficult due to factors such as: * program evaluation costs; * identifying appropriate comparison areas; * implementation of multiple programs in a community; * small samples; * individualized nature of the intervention; and * Data collection problems (e.g., refusal of stakeholders to support data collection efforts). Despite some positive results to date, evidence of crime reduction or prevention attributable to community-based crime prevention programs is limited. Until more methodologically rigorous evaluations are conducted, it is not possible to determine whether the lack  of positive results is due to flawed program theory, weak evaluation designs, or poor program implementation†(2008). So with this evidence it is hard to determine if the program works or not. There is a lot that goes into a successful program and it is like anything else that is successful in this world, it is going to be a lot of hard work and it will require a lot of time to go into it to make it a success. There is an old saying that anything worth having is worth working for and nothing comes easy. This includes crime free communities to have a crime free community you have to work hard at it. Societal factors that deals with the Crime Prevention Coalition of America are the fact that normal everyday people are willing to stand up and hold people accountable for their actions whether it be someone you know or a person that is a complete stranger to you. â€Å"Citizens need to work closely with local law enforcement serving as the eyes and ears of the community. Dr. Warr suggests three ways to better align perceptions with actual risk: 1) Educate people about the context of crimes that are reported in the media 2) Educate them about the facts surrounding likelihood of victimization 3) Address the environmental cues to danger All these efforts are mainstays of crime prevention, which the Crime Prevention Coalition of America defines as â€Å"a pattern of attitudes and behaviors directed both at reducing the threat of crime and enhancing the sense of safety and security, to posi tively influence the quality of life in our society, and to help develop environments where crime cannot flourish.†(Crime Prevention Matters, 2008). The prediction concerning the technological advancements of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America and the resulting whether they will be successful or failures based upon these advancements. â€Å"Under the umbrella of the new strategic plan, NCPC will continue to supply resources, tools, and training to reduce the opportunities for crime. In the fall of 2007, through the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department Justice, NCPC released Volume 3 of Crime Prevention Presentations, a CD-ROM for use by CPCA members. These presentations are in PowerPoint format and cover topics such as online predators, preventing violence in the workplace, prisoner reentry, and keeping information safe in the technology age. Volumes 1 and 2, which include presentations on 15 crime prevention topics, are available free online. Each presentation is designed to educate, increase awareness, and teach prevention strategies. These presentations are  ideal for CPCA members who are not able to travel to training events due to budget or personnel constraints†( The Crime Prevention Coalition of America,2007). With their program changing to stay up with the advancements in technology the program seems to me like it has insured its survival for now. As long as you can change your program just enough to adapt to the changes in the world around you then you will ensure the life of your program. With the every change world of technology and the evolving world of crime these crime prevention programs will have to continue to change to stay up with the changes in our every changing lives. The Crime Prevention Coalition of America is a crime preventing program that has been around for a while now and with its longevity it has partnered up or help create other organizations to help people prevent or fight crime in their neighborhoods. The Crime Prevention Coalition of America was established to teach people and to show people what will and can happen if crime sets up shop in their communities. This program is a successful one because it not only focuses on prevent crimes but it also can help people who have been victims regain control of their lives. â€Å"He who does not prevent crime when he can, encourages it.†Ã¢â‚¬â€Roman philosopher, Seneca (Crime Prevention Matters. 2008). References Bureau of Justice Assistance. (2008). BJA. What Have We Learned From Evaluations of Community-Based Crime Prevention Programs?. Retrieved 10 December 2012, from https://www.bja.gov/evaluation/program-crime-prevention/cbcp2.htm. Crime Prevention Matters. (2008). NCPC. Crime Prevention Matters. Retrieved 10 December 2012, from http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/misc/crime-prevention-matters.pdf. NCPC. (2012). National Crime Prevention Council. About. Retrieved 9 December 2012, from http://www.ncpc.org/programs/crime-prevention-coalition-of-america/about NCPC. (2012). National Crime Prevention Council. Crime Prevention Coalition of America. Retrieved 9 December 2012, from http://www.ncpc.org/programs/crime-prevention-coalition-of-america. The Crime Prevention Coalition of America. (2007). NCPC. Mobilizing the Nation to Prevent crime, Violence and Drug Abuse. Retrieved 10 December 2012, from