Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS2 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Implications for Head Start Families Introduction Abraham Maslow was a prominent theorist that played a role in the formation of humanistic psychology. Maslow worked on a theory that would accommodate human motivation. The concept that behavior is motivated primarily by a person’s desired to fulfill a specific need. He proposed that is was our inner nature that we had basic needs that we strive to meet. Then as those needs are met we move to the next level and continue to strive to â€Å"actualize,† doing what one is fitted for.I chose to research Abraham Maslow because his Hierarchy of Needs directly aligned with the challenges Head Start Families are currently facing. His Hierarchy is a great tool to assist staff with the identification of family needs and goals. When meeting with families this past year the decline in the economy, unemployment and inflation have had major impact on the ability of families function in our communities. Some of the top issues they are dealing with include: poverty, hunger, and unemployment, finances, time, and fear, lack of transportation, inadequate housing, substance abuse, and language barriers.As we work with families and children it is important to determine where they fall in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and assist those families in accessing services to meet those needs. Biographical Information Abraham Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York, on April 1, 1908. He was the son of poor Jewish immigrants from Russia. They migrated to escape the harsh conditions and socio-political turmoil. His father, Samuel Maslow, was a cooper and his mother, Rose, was deeply religious. Abraham was the eldest of seven children and was expected to care for the younger MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS3 hildren. Maslow’s family was not intellectually oriented and quite poor. Since they had suffered so much in the past, Abraham’s fathe r pushed him to succeed in life, even in areas that were of no interest to him. This caused problems within the home, especially since Samuel regarded his son as ugly and stupid. Abraham grew up with no friends to play with and his father made him study long hours. He spent much of his time in the library and found solace in books. His childhood was unhappy and lonely. His mother complained about her ugly son, his skinny body and his general appearance.He was self-conscious about his physical appearance even to the point that he would avoid entering a subway car so that the rest of humanity wouldn’t have to look at him. Over time his hatred for his mother grew into a generalized dislike for everything she stood for, including Jewish religious practice. His hatred for her continued to grow so much that he refused to attend her funeral. Abraham was close with his uncle throughout his lifetime since his parents had practically alienated him. In later life, he eventually reconcil ed with his father.After graduating from high school, Maslow enrolled in the City College of New York. He was taking legal studies in addition to his undergraduate studies as his father desired. He hated it, so after three semesters, in 1926 he transferred to Cornell. Again he had trouble, dropping out because of grades and the high cost of tuition. Maslow rebelled; he changed his field of study to psychology and married his first cousin, Bertha Goodman. Eventually Maslow ended up at the University of Wisconsin where he earned is BA in 1930, MA in 1931, and Ph. D. , 1934 (Emrich, n. d. ).In 1928, when Abraham Maslow married Bertha Goodman, his first cousin and longtime sweetheart, he stated his life began (Emrich, n. d. ). The couple had two daughters, Ann and MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS4 Ellen. They remained happily married until his death in 1970. He died of a heart attack. Career At the University of Wisconsin, in graduate school, Maslow studied under the supervision of Ha rry Harlow. Harlow was famous for his experiments with baby rhesus monkeys and attachment behavior. Maslow wrote his doctoral dissertation on the relation between sexual conduct and dominance hierarchies in monkeys.He was never enamored with laboratory psychology. He went on to Columbia University as a Carnegie fellow where he worked with Alfred Adler, one of Sigmund Freud’s colleagues. Those days were spent in testing and measuring child and adult intelligence and their ability to learn. Between 1937 and 1951, Maslow was a faculty member at Brooklyn College. During that time he published several articles, on Human Motivation, higher and lower needs, and actualizing people . In 1947, he suffered a heart attack and was forced to take medical leave. He and his family relocated to California.He headed a division of the Maslow Cooperage Corporation, supervising men repairing wine barrels for a local winery. After he recuperated, he returned to Brooklyn College. In 1951, Abraham M aslow went to Brandeis University to serve as Chairman of the psychology department. He held this position until 1969. In 1969, Maslow accepted a resident fellowship with the Laughlin Foundation and moved to Menlo Park, California. He led a life of semi-retirement allowing him to write. Ill health plagued him until he died on June 8, 1970. Theory Early in his career and while working with monkeys, Maslow noticed that some needs take precedence over others.If you are hungry and thirsty, you can go weeks without food, but MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS5 you can only go without water for a couple of days. Thirst takes precedence over hunger and breathing takes precedence over both. Maslow took this idea and created his hierarchy of needs which he laid out in a pyramid of five layers. At the base of the pyramid are the basic needs or physiological needs, which include breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next level is safety needs. These are security o f body, employment, resources, morality, the family, health and property.The first two steps are important to survival and once these are met the person attempts to accomplish more. The third level is the need for love and belonging. After individuals have taken care of themselves physically they are ready to have a relationship with others. They are ready for friendships, family and sexual intimacy. The fourth level is esteem and achieved when individuals are comfortable with what they have accomplished. They have self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others and are respected by others. At the top of the pyramid is self-actualization.This is reached when a person reaches a state of harmony because they have reached their full potential. Very few people ever reach this level. Maslow also talked about how we can regress to a lower need level under stressful conditions. He even proposed that we may become fixated on a set of needs when we have significant problems (i. e. ex treme hunger as a child†¦as an adult we have to keep the pantry full). Summary and Conclusions Summary Implications for Future Research I think since Maslow was still writing and publishing at the time of his death he intended to continue his research.He would have tested his theory and validated it in the real world. The following areas are possibilities for future investigation: 1. As technology continues to develop, investigate and identify new and emerging areas of human need, comparing to Maslow’s Hierarchy. 2. Cross cultural studies to investigate human needs across cultures. 3. Studies to investigate human needs in a variety of contexts (i. e. living in poverty, trauma/war survivors, or refugees). 4. Apply his theory to contemporary experiences (i. e. Katrina, Jaycee Dugard, Enron families, etc. ). 5.Investigate consequences of extreme deprivation or gratification, on human behavior over time. Maslow 13 References Kenney, C. T. (2008). Father Doesn't Know Best? Pa rents' Control of Money and Children's Food Insecurity. Journal of Marriaqge and Family, 654-669. Parker, M. N. (2010). How adequately are food needs of children in low-income households being met? Children and Youth Services Review, 1175-1185. Vanessa R. Wight, K. T. (2010). Who Are America's Poor Children? Examining Food Insecurity Among Children in the United States. New York: National Center for Children in Poverty.

Lives of deaf mexicans

The movie â€Å"Lives of Deaf Mexicans: Struggle and Success focuses on the issues of the Deaf Community. Specifically the lack of government funding for education, difference in opinions regarding language, and acceptance into the hearing community. It also showed how in spite of these problems many of the people in the film had â€Å"good lives† The differences in opinion regarding the language I found particularly interesting.The National School for the Deaf taught LSI and was a residential school. Once it closed, the educational standard changed and deaf students were taught using the â€Å"Oral Method†, which consists of speaking Spanish and lip reading in day school. It was not expressed as such, but it seemed to me that those advocating teaching the oral method are thinking more in terms of assimilation Into mainstream society, and that using LSI would accomplish the opposite. The film touched briefly on those living outside of Mexico City, and their lack of acc ess to any type of school at all.However, it really did not address how to solve this problem, other than the creation of residential schools. Nor did It explain why the National school closed or why the government for a period of 1 5+ years stop funding education for the Deaf. Many of the schools In the film were day schools run by various churches. On the whole, the movie did a good Job of Introducing someone such as myself to the problems faced by the Deaf In Mexico, and It Is easy to assume hat to some degree the Deaf In America also have some of the same Issues.However, in this country there Is better access to education, and being Deaf Is not synonymous with having mental deficiencies. Mexico Is making steps toward Improving the lives of Its deaf citizens, but clearly there Is more work to be done. Oral method are thinking more in terms of assimilation into mainstream society, and problem, other than the creation of residential schools. Nor did it explain why the education for the Deaf. Many of the schools in the film were day schools run by various churches.On the whole, the movie did a good Job of introducing someone such as myself to the problems faced by the Deaf in Mexico, and it is easy to assume that to some degree the Deaf in America also have some of the same issues. However, in this country there is better access to education, and being Deaf is not synonymous with having mental deficiencies. Mexico is making steps toward improving the lives of its deaf citizens, but clearly there is more work to be done.

On the Relationship between Literature, History, and Human Beings Essay

To assume that an object belongs to a particular set entails that an object possesses similar characteristics to all the other objects in the set. In most cases, two or more sets have a tendency to intertwine with one another since some objects in another set have similar characteristics to the objects in a different set. This intermingling of different objects with different characteristics is apparent in the field of literature. Literature here ought to be understood as a written art form that allows the creation of new worlds. Such a conception of literature is based on the assumption that literary texts are fluid and malleable in nature due to the vast meanings that may be attributed to their content. This view of literature is based on the Reader-Response Theory which assumes that literary texts may only exist within the reader’s consciousness (Murfin and Ray 426). Murfin and Ray claim, â€Å"With†¦ the literary work as a catalyst of mental events comes a redefinition of the reader†¦ (as) the passive recipient of those ideas that an author has planted in a text (427). The field of literature is thereby characterized by the intermingling of different objects with different characteristics since although some works adhere to a specific form, the meanings attributed to these works change in line with the reader’s conception of a their content. In line with this, the following discussion posits that all forms of literature, regardless of their form and content, are united with one another due to their dependence on the human mind. This is another way of stating that literature is connected to human existence due to its dependence on human production as well as on its dependence on human interpretation. Such an assumption is based on several propositions. First, literature, as an art form, reflects the social and political conditions during a particular period in history, whether on the period of its production or on the period of its reproduction. Second, the function of human consciousness in determining the meaning of a work is evident in both the author and the reader’s association of a meaning to the form and content of a text. Finally, the function of human consciousness in unifying not only human experience but also all forms and types of literary works is apparent as the production and reproduction of a work manifests the creation of new meanings and hence new ways of understanding a text. These assumption merely show that the production, reproduction, and reception of a literary work throughout history involves a dialectic process wherein a literary text serves as the main referent for the opposing meanings given to a specific event and? or concept located in a literary work. Eagleton specifies the interconnection between literature and history as she posits that the definition of the concept literature continually evolves along with the social and political conditions in a particular period in history. She claims, â€Å"[W]e can drop once and for all the illusion that the category â€Å"literature† is objective in the sense of being eternally given and immutable†¦Literature reflects†¦ the ways in which what we say and believe connects with the power-structure and power relations of the society we live in† (Eagleton 10-14). Eagleton emphasizes the dependence of the association of the values and meanings used in the analysis of literary works to a predominant belief in a particular period in history. A concrete example of this can be seen in the case of Gilman’s â€Å"A Yellow Wallpaper. † Gilman’s text was only considered as an important literary work in the later part of the 20th century which may be associated with the sociopolitical conditions that allowed the equality of both men and women and hence the recognition of woman writers and their works during that time. Another example of this is apparent in the distinction between Formalism and Modernism in literature. Formalists believe that all literary works can be analyzed in terms of their form (Eagleton 3). They argued that form precedes content as they conceived of the former as a mere expression of the later, that being â€Å"content was merely the ‘motivation’ of form† (Eagleton 3). As opposed to this, the Modernists argued that the content was more important than the form (â€Å"Brief Guide to Modernism†). The Imagists, a sub-group of Modernists, for example, wrote in free verse as opposed to the restrictive forms of sonnets or villanelles (â€Å"Brief Guide to Imagism†). This distinction between Formalism and Modernism shows the evolution of the concept literature. Given that no fixed meaning may be attributed to the term literature; one may claim that a fixed meaning was presented in relation to the term in the initial part of the discussion. It is important to note however that the meaning given to the term above merely emphasizes the fluidity of literature. Such is the case since a description of literary works as texts that enable the creation of new worlds merely provides a loose definition of the term as opposed to the rigid definition provided by the Formalists. In other words, the way literature is conceived in this discussion merely emphasizes the reader’s relationship to a work, which is the reader’s ability to identify new world or new meanings in the combination of a text’s form and content. Although the looseness of the definition specified above may seem to consider all forms of written works as literary texts, it is important to note that the definition is still grounded on what is considered to be an art form. Regardless of this definition, the point which is being emphasized here is the dependence of the term literature on the sociopolitical conditions of a period. As can be seen in the case of Gilman’s text as well as in the case of the Formalists and Modernists, the way one understands literature is dependent on the predominant beliefs during the period of a literary text’s production or a literary movement’s existence. With the relationship between literature and history mentioned above, it becomes evident why human consciousness occupies a primary role in determining the meaning of a literary work. Human consciousness provides the link between literature and history as the human mind interprets specific beliefs and associates them with the content of literary works. In the case of literary critics, the human mind interprets the predominant beliefs regarding the structure of objects in society and creates a connection between this order and the form and content of literary works. In other words, the human mind ascribes meanings to literary texts. In the same manner that human beings create a bridge between history and literature, literature also creates a bridge between human beings. This relationship between history, literature, and human beings can be seen in Albee’s â€Å"The American Dream† and DeLillo’s White Noise. In the case of Albee’s play, his discussion of the American dream not only shows the association of a specific male stereotype to the dream but its association to superficial ideals. The stereotype is apparent as the Young Man, which represents the American dream, is describes as a â€Å"clean-cut, Midwest farm boy type, almost insultingly good looking in a typically American way† (Albee 112). He was further described to possess a â€Å"good profile, straight nose, honest eyes, (and a) wonderful smile† (Albee 112). This description of the Young Man shows the dependence of his existence on a specific setup in society wherein â€Å"lights fill up†¦as he steps into†¦(a) room† (Albee 112). The Young Man’s existence, as a representation of the American dream, is dependent on a society wherein external appearance is lauded in comparison to a person’s character. Note for example that the Young Man is also described to be incapable of loving anyone else (Albee 115). He is thereby an individual who is devoid of establishing a loving connection with other human beings. By representing the Young Man’s existence to be dependent on a superficial society, Albee paves the way for different ways of reading the text. One, for example, may focus on the Young Man’s representation of the Hollywood ideal in America and its connection to the American dream. In addition, one may also focus on the Young Man’s superficial existence. Albee’s text, in this sense, is fluid since no specific interpretation of the work may be given. Its interpretation is dependent on the reader and? or audience of his play. In a similar manner, DeLillo’s White Noise is also a text open to interpretation. The text also discusses an aspect of life which is also common to all men, that being death. It is a truism that all human beings are bound to die. DeLillo’s novel associates death with the rapid developments caused by the electronic age. Consider, for example, his description of white noise in the following passage, â€Å"[T]raffic washes past, a remote and steady murmur around our sleep, as of dead souls babbling at the edge of a dream† (DeLillo 4). The novel’s title, White Noise, may be understood as a representation of death. Death, like white noise, is a sound that permeates human existence. They are both representations of the nothingness that lies outside of life and activity. Notice that it was only in the graveyard, as Jack was faced with the figures of the dead, that there was no mentioned of the white noise in Jack’s surroundings (DeLillo 71). White noise, in this sense, serves as a reminder of death. It is the sound that one hears before one encounters the death of one’s own body. In conjunction to the continuous technological developments in our world, white noise is a sound of reckoning for the possible end of the world itself. In both Albee’s play and DeLillo’s novel, one notes that both texts discuss certain universal themes. Albee’s play revolves around the theme of a country’s dream. DeLillo’s novel, on the other hand, revolves around the theme of death. Both of these are universal themes as they represent certain aspects of human experience that resounds throughout time. The relationship between literature, history, and human beings is thereby apparent in both texts as they themselves present an author’s view regarding a universal theme, one which will be experienced by all human beings throughout the existence of our race. Due to its universal character, these themes, and hence both texts which are grounded on these themes, will be interpreted in different ways by all those who will read them. Human consciousness thereby determines the meaning of a work as an author and a reader associates meanings to a work’s form and content. The universal themes of all literary works provide all human beings, regardless of the spatiotemporal conditions during their existence, with a common ground for understanding literary texts. It is partially due to these universal themes that the members of the current generation are able to find a connection with the works of authors who belong to a different generation. These themes however have been reinterpreted in line with the current generation’s experiences and conception of reality. This can be seen in Frosts’ â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Rainy Evening† and Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In Frosts’ poem, one is presented with the theme of death as the poem’s persona ponders on the mysteries associated with it. He states, â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.? But I have promises to keep, ? And miles to go before I sleep† (Poe). The persona, in this sense, attempts to ward off thoughts of death since he recognizes that life has a lot more experiences in store for him. Although Poe wrote this poem in the 1920’s, its theme continues to be found in contemporary works as can be seen in Jacoby’s â€Å"The Diner. † In the text, Jacoby speaks of another form of death, one that has been brought about by the artificial reality enabled by technological innovations. He claims, â€Å"Bright bright city lights†¦? I’ll take your pale and shadowed glow,? Whatever half-light path you show†¦? I feel so close to those in here, ? I share their loneliness and fear†¦? From the probing, searching nighttime† (Jacoby). In â€Å"The Diner,† the persona speaks of the death of human interaction caused by the alienating conditions in the modern world. In this world, although men are given the innovations that should have provided them with the chance to have longer periods of meaningful interaction with one another, the artificiality of their surroundings has led them to create artificial relationships with each other. The similarity of the theme of both Frost’s and Jacoby’s texts manifest how literature may serve as a tool for portraying similar themes whose meanings vary due to the new events and? or concepts which have been associated with it. Within this context, it is evident that all forms of literature are much more alike than disparate. Human consciousness has allowed the connection of all literary works as it has enabled the form of all literary texts to correspond with one another due to its relationship to the reader who continually participates in the active reinterpretation of literary works. As McEwan claims, â€Å"Literature flourishes along the channels of this unspoken agreement between writers and readers, offering a mental map whose north and south are the specific, and the general† (41). In this mental map, human minds throughout history interact in a dialectic dialogue with one another as they conceive, interpret, and reinterpret universal themes in literature. This dialogue allows the conception of literature as an art form that continually allows the creation of new worlds and new ways of perceiving reality. Works Cited â€Å"A Brief Guide to Imagism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. â€Å"A Brief Guide to Modernism. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Albee, Edward. The American Dream: and, The Zoo Story: Two Plays. New York: Plume, 1997. Print. DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Print. Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1996. Print. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. † Poets. org: From the Academy of American Poets. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. Gilman, Charlotte. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and Other Stories. London: Courier Dover, 1997. Print. Jacoby, Peter. â€Å"The Diner. † Prof. Peter R. Jacoby’s Spring 2010 Web Site. San Diego Mesa College. n. d. Web. 15 May 2010. McEwan, Ian. â€Å"Literature, Science and Human Nature. † Human Nature: Fact and Fiction. Eds. Robin Headlam and Johnjoe McFadden. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2006. 40-62. Print. Murfin, Ross and Supryia Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. London: Bedford? St. Martin’s, 2009. Print.

Assignment 9(775) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assignment 9(775) - Essay Example This has come out clearly, and the author has been able to show some of the possible weaknesses that mine emerge as a result of an academic writer using passive voice. In the book, there has been a well illustration on the use of APA format, the guidelines and how it can help an academic drive his point to the reader at ease. The guidelines have been clearly stated and expressed in a manner that any academician who may be a pioneer or new to this type of formatting can easily follow and understand. The author has come out clearly in his explanation concerning these particular formatting styles by giving empirical findings on its usage as well as providing the websites for this format. There are a number of weaknesses that have emerged in the book the author needs to improve on in future when doing other writings of the same. He has overemphasized on the usage and relevant of APA writing format without necessarily appreciating other writing styles such as MLA, HAVARD and CHICAGO writing formats. It could look greater if the author appreciated the existence of other writing forms, despite focusing his work on APA format. Doing this would have shown the reader that the author has an extensive of the idea in other writing forms and have realized that this is most relevant for academicians. The author has emphasized on the relevance of APA writing format among other issues that academicians need to keep in mind when making an academic report. In the book, we have not been given the methods used in data collection in identifying how these concepts have worked for those writers who have followed all these. Therefore, the readers may doubt using these methods since there is no empirical evidence for those who have applied the same in the past. In future, the author needs to mention about those who have ever used these particular ideas he is emphasizing

THE REASON WHY TEENAGERS RUN AWAY Research Paper

THE REASON WHY TEENAGERS RUN AWAY - Research Paper Example Teenagers run away from their home due to many reasons and the consequences are usually very severe. There are basically five kinds of runaways, though there may be variations and overlapping within: situational, recidivist, street, chronic, and thrown away. Situational runaways constitute the largest group of youths who leave home. They usually are away for a day or two following a quarrel with parents before returning home. Chronic runaways constantly run from home and remain away for longer stretches of time, often progressing to street youth. Recidivists or repeat runaways leave home more than once, sometimes staying with friends, others living on streets or shelters. Studies show that recidivists’ runners are more likely than non-recidivists runawys to leave home due to problems involving family dynamics, substance abuse, transportation, and judicial systems among others. Street youth runaways leave home permanently and as the term suggests, tend to literally live on the streets and must fend for themselves. Some street kids also spend time staying in transitory housing such as shelters or abandoned building, and are most at risk for victimization. Thrown away leave homes as a result of dispute with parents or guardians, or are abandoned. Some thrown away youths also fall into other categories of runaways (Barri, 9). A big problem in the American household today is child abuse. Abuse comes in a variety of ways; physical, sexual, and mental. Children who experience abuse are more likely to run away from home than children who are not exposed to it. With any kind of abuse a child goes through it immediately starts to affect them psychologically. Children try to cope with the abuse at first; some are able to push it away while others wear the abuse on their face and it shows to everyone around them. Around the world an estimated forty million children suffer from

Bar Code Man Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Bar Code Man - Assignment Example The Woodland and Silver barcode can be described as the â€Å"bull’s eye† symbol made up of a series of concentric circles. Barcode was first used commercially in 1966, however it was soon realized that would have to be some sort of industry standard set. By 1970, the Universal Grocery Products Identification Code (UGPIC) was written by a company called Logicon Inc. Since then the use of barcode has been adopted by many companies and institutions. Barcode man is an exploration of how software can reveal different patterns and variations contained within single textiles. Similarly shaped black and white woven motifs are printed in similar colors to turn them into red, yellow and blue textiles (Seideman 2011) Some of the influence of barcode man in the society today incudes revolutionizing the process of inventory control. And to date they are everywhere around us keeping track of product information and inventory levels. In addition, barcode has brought more transparency and accountability to the society hence limiting fraud especially in prisons and banks. Due to barcodes, hospitals are associated with significant increase in total medication accuracy rates hence ensuring safety. In my opinion, it is the ultimate experience of transformation that has excited us most as a human race. In the last decade, we have only witnessed a small part of what is possible. Specifically the barcode technology was the preserve of the few companies and organizations who could afford it. As the technological possibility of barcode envelopes in the society, it will instill in us a sense of belief, and faith that has traditionally been associated with religion such as the number 666 in the bible. Therefore I believe ‘barcode man’ has created a sense of security and promoted coherence to the society in

Effective Talent Management Processes And Management Development Essay

Effective Talent Management Processes And Management Development Programme - Essay Example Talent intelligence refers to the insight that a company needs to capitalize on its most key asset – its employees – by capturing meaningful information on people within the organization and outside (within competitors) for appropriate action towards driving the business of the organization forward (Lawler III & Ulrich, 2008). Talent management (and development), on the other hand, refers to a body of theories (including models and empirical studies) that offer managerial insights on how to identify such talent systematically and provides mechanisms on how to nurture and utilize the talent so acquired towards fulfilling the organizational objectives (Berger & Berger, 2010). In practice, talent management requires every individual organization to design, develop, and implement its own unique and adaptive talent management strategy in line with the organization’s objectives, operations, culture and environmental influencers (Berger & Berger, 2010). Talent managemen t has become a core human resource function. Trends and Emergent Issues in Global Management Globalization has led to a radical paradigm shift in how organizations conduct their business. Similarly, managerial focus has now broadened from a restricted focus on how the organization can achieve profitability and survive within the domestic and regional market. It now includes the emergent issues in global business today and the way they affect the organization’s profitability, as well as the way an organization impacts both its internal members and the communities where it is situated. The emergence of Brazil, India, China, and Russia as economic giants has led to increased focus of industries and top quality human resource skills on these markets due to the shortage of managerial talent elsewhere. The number of excellent leaders and managers has not increase (at least not at par) while the level of companies and industries seeking these crucial human resources has (Goldsmith & Carter, 2009). Talent management has increasingly grown from the need to find individuals whose competencies ‘fit’ within the organizational agenda in times of growth and expansion. It is clear from the recent, historical effects that the globalization of former national markets has not only brought opportunities forth for economies of scale and, therefore, more profits, but also created an integrated system that channels a ripple effect, in case of a collapse of one segment of its market, onto the rest of the global system (Carnall, 2007). Global recessions like the one experienced in 2008 had the effect of cutting down jobs globally. A focus of managers now shifts to identification and development of individuals with the ability to lead during such lean times, talents which can consolidate, engage, and sustain a proactive yet consistent approach to operational business cycles. Finally, global business means that multinationals need to obtain employees with different skills and competencies, which blend together to provide synergistic benefits for the organization (Schiemann & Meisinger, 2009). The differentiation amongst individuals in terms of behaviors, culture, attitudes, and interests means that a delicate and deliberate effort is required in obtaining a harmonious fusion of all these elements (the list is by no means conclusive) that is self-sustaining and provides an environment suitable for creativity, innovation, and employee growth. Present managers have exposed a high

Models of Decision-Making Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Models of Decision-Making - Research Paper Example The Classical model of decision making can be utilized in the organization to make various business decisions (Li 1). This is a prescriptive method of decision making and assumes that managers are rational and logical in their decision making process and their decision will be governed by the best interests of the organization. My organization recently purchased new manufacturing equipments. The main problem was increasing costs of servicing the old machine, low output and raw materials wastage during the manufacturing process. The management made the decision by following the classical model since the purchase decision was rational. The management followed a clear sequential process of analyzing the costs involved in servicing the previous equipment and associated benefits (Li 2). The management also conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the new equipments by factoring all associated costs and expected output to the organization. The management also considered other alternatives incl uding upgrading the previous equipment or leasing the equipment from a third party. After the rational and sequential analysis of the decision criteria, the management found it prudent and reasonable to purchase the new equipment instead of upgrading or leasing one from third parties. The management later bought the new machine and made a follow up to ensure it met the objectives of the decision (Li 3). The administrative model is also refereed as the behavioral model or neoclassical model. There are numerous factors which determine how a problem or decision can be classified in to the classical model, administrative and political model. For the classical model, the decisions or problems will be classified in this model if the decision aims at accomplishing a particular well-known goal (Ayobami 1). The logical criteria for making the decision should be economic interest and the decision maker should be rational. There must be conditions of certainty including

Response paper about an article called ''Cuba Revolutionary Essay

Response paper about an article called ''Cuba Revolutionary Projections - Essay Example its socio-political transformation that had witnessed changing social structure of Cuba along with changing international alliances with withdrawal of American influences, including Hollywood films and emergence of socialistic culture and its coalition with Soviet Union etc. Consequently, films became the major platform to showcase transforming picture Cuba and an important way to influence the taste and preferences of people of Cuba who had become addicted to Hollywood films. ICAIC had contributed to the creative evolution of Cuban cinema despite its limited resources. It had not only helped make permanent record of the Cuban revolution but also encouraged Cuban artists and filmmakers to experiment and exploit media. In 1962, Mobile cinema had reached communities who had previously no access to films and their undiluted enthusiasm was captured in Octavio Cortazar’s short film, Por Primera vez. Eminent filmmakers had made their mark in the decade with highly creative films that had showcased the theme of revolution in bourgeois setting. Thus, films like Death of a Bureaucrat (Garcia Espinoza), Memories of the Underdevelopent, 1968 (Tomas Gutierrez Alea), Lucla (Humberto Solaz), The First machete Charge (Octavio Gomez), NOW, Hanoi Tuesday 13th, Seventy Nine Springs etc. by Santiago Alvarez etc. had brought Cuban films into the center stage of International film arena. (words:

Young Enterprise Essay Example for Free

Young Enterprise Essay Richard Branson. Sir Allen Sugar. Sir John Harvey Jones. All of these men are successful entrepreneurs that began with a thought but ended with a million. How ever they had to become a successful entrepreneur they had to enterprise. So what is enterprising? Well enterprising is a set of skills that a business man or women do that will earn him profits that he will take as his wages. However enterprising is not that easy it requires a whole range of skills that will allow him or her to enterprise successfully. The Skills required are E.N.T.E.R.P.R.I.S.I.N.G.: Effort- Effort is important for enterprising. Before selling an item or making a sufficient deal you need to put some effort in. The amount of effort you put towards your deal will determine how much you get out of your deal. Negotiable- Before selling both sides the seller and consumer have to meet at an agreeable price. You might want the price and the consumer might want it lower so therefore if you want to enterprise you need to negotiate. Time management- A good entrepreneur always has track of time. To enterprise you need to be on time for your meetings and be proficient at moving from job to job. If you are not you will be looked down by the consumer and this may effect your status. Enthusiasm- Enthusiasm is important for enterprising. If one of your team members are lacking in their job and have too much to do if you are enthusiastic then you can offer to help them. This will give you a challenge to do as well as being looked at for specific skills and qualities. Risk- Risks are important in life and especially if you are going to enterprise. You need to take some risks without being nervous and manage them. You need to have courage because in most cases risks are the little things that make the money. Performance- Performance is also key. Your performance will reflect on how successful you are. Performance is not only how much you achieve e.g. how much profit you have made. Performance is how determined you are to meet a target/ goal and how quickly you achieve it. Responsibility- If you are going to be a successful entrepreneur then you need to be reliable and consistent. You will need to complete all of you responsibilities before you relax. If you can not handle your responsibility there is a high chance of you getting fired. Intelligent- In business and enterprising you will need to be intelligent. You will need to be clever as you will be working with numbers. You will need to plan your project and think up the positive and negative sides to you plan. This can only be done by an intelligent worker. Self motivated- if you are working as a team you are set a target. As a team member you need to motivate your team as well as your self to make you believe that you are able to achieve your target. If you do not then your team would not be determined and will perform poorly. Independence- Independence is a key factor. Although you will have to work in groups you need to have independence. You will need to be able to work independently and not always with a team. Your independence will reflect you image as an entrepreneur. Neuro Linguistic- Neuro linguistic is long complex words that mean communication skills. To become a successful entrepreneur you need to have good body language and communication skills. If you are in a meeting or putting across an idea you will need good communication skills to show that you are serious and look professionals. Good ideas- If you are going to be enterprising you need to think of good ideas. You need to cover every aspect of detail before you put your idea forward. QUALIFICATIONS AND ACHIEVMENTS To become an entrepreneur you will need some achievements and academic qualifications. You will need a high standard level in maths and English in your GCSEs. If you want a better chance then higher education will help such as: Accountancy; this will shoe you profits and costs. Economics; help you studies the economies around the world and stock market. Business Studies; this will help you to manage and setup your on business successfully. Also if you want a job it will be good to show: Reference; to show your performance. Experience; to show that you are capable and you have worked in a high pressured environment. RICHARD BRANSON There are many successful entreoeuners in the U.K. However Richard Branson is one of many that have generally met the skills needed. Richard Branson left school at the age of 16 and started a student Advisory Centre. At the age of the 20 he became independent and had a good idea of setting up a record retailer in Oxford Street called Virgin. On the way he started with nothing. However he was self- motivated and his effort for hunting down singers finally paid off. Eventually he signed Belinda Carlisle, Genesis, Phil Collins and Culture Club. His record company was becoming successful and there was more responsibility for Richard Branson. After 12 years f successful enterprising Richard took his intelligence to the next level. After his great performance in virgin he took a major risk and in 1984 he opened Virgin Atlantic Airways which became the 2nd largest international airline service. This was an airline business which earned millions. Due to this he sold Virgin to EMI. However from starting selling records Richard Branson now owns Virgin Coke, Vie make-up, Virgin Vodka, Virgin Insurance, Virgin Mobile phones (which he sold for 1 million pounds in 2006) and a Nigerian based airline called Virgin Nigeria. In 2007 Branson began flights from San Francisco airport called Virgin America. Now Virgin is worth $2.8 billion. Richard Branson began with a though but ended with a couple of billion. He met most of the E.N.T.E.R.P.R.I.S.I.N.G criteria and now continues his multi billon dollar worth company. WHY IS ENTERPRISING IMPORTANT Enterprising is important to the UKs economy. It helps the U.K socialise with other foreign countries. If there is a good deal then other countries would interact and involve the U.K with other business project which will make the U.K reflect a positive image to the world.

Sub Cultures From Which Criminal Behaviour Arises Criminology Essay

Sub Cultures From Which Criminal Behaviour Arises Criminology Essay Clarke et al. describe culture as the way social relations of a group are constructed, acknowledged and interpreted by its members. A subculture differs in its focal concerns but will also share some things in common with the culture from which it derives; also known as the parent culture. Subcultures must exhibit a unique structure focused on certain activities, beliefs and so on, that visibly distinguish them. Nevertheless, as they are sub-sets, there must be significant things that bind them with the parent culture. For example, the Kray twins were part of a criminal subculture and the working class culture in East London. Subcultures can be characterized by a distinctive language, music taste, dress sense, hairstyle and lifestyle understood and shared by its members. Examples include rockers, Rastafarians or punks. Criminal subcultures on the other hand, may share most of these characteristics, but will hold an alternative value system that accepts delinquent behaviour. Richard C loward and Lloyd Ohlin state that a delinquent subculture is one in which certain forms of delinquent activity are essential requirements for the performance of the dominant roles supported by the subculture (1960: 7). Criminal subcultures are normally found among lower class young males from large urban areas (Cloward Ohlin, 1960; Croall, 1998). This essay will look at a brief history of Robert Mertons work and the input of the Chicago School and associated theorists such as Edwin Sutherland to provide an understanding of how and why American subcultural theories developed thereafter. These approaches will be looked upon in assessing the works of Albert Cohen (1955) and Cloward and Ohlin (1960). Other works will be discussed such as Gresham Sykes and David Matza (1957) and Walter Miller (1958) to critique American subcultural theories. Finally, this shall be followed by work that emerged from Britain including David Downes and the Birmingham University Centre for Contemporary Cult ural Studies (CCCS). Other key factors influencing the nature of subcultures will be raised in order to provide a substantiated conclusion. Croall (1998) and Newburn (2007) both argue that American subcultural theory emerged from research carried out by the Chicago School in the 1930s on cultures, street life and delinquent gangs in Chicago. It was found that certain subcultures in society have different values and attitudes that contribute towards crime and violence. Influential theorists such as Edwin Sutherland (1937) aimed to explain the nature and development of youth subcultures by suggesting that crime is a learned behaviour that takes place in specific groups with different behaviours, attitudes and peer group pressures. He argued further that those exposed to more criminal than non-criminal values were more likely to adopt criminal values learnt through a process of differential association. This includes the techniques of committing a crime, motives, drives and rationalizations associated with crime. This differential association may differ in terms of frequency, duration, priority and intensity. Individuals th erefore become criminal due to an increased number of definitions favourable to breaking the law over definitions unfavourable to violations (Fulcher Scott, 2003; White Haines, 2004; OBrien Yar, 2008). On the contrary, Robert Merton developed the Strain Theory (1938) to expand upon the concept of anomie first argued by Durkheim who suggested that anomie is a state of normlessness in society. Merton attempted to explain the breakdown of cultural and social structure that accompanied the Great Depression of 1930s America (Burke, 2005). Social institutions such as the mass media, education system and the state stressed that middle class material rewards and success of the American Dream were achievable goals for individuals who worked hard to attain them, as argued by Merton. Unfortunately, working class male youths had different institutional means available to them. Moreover, they were ill prepared as they were not socialized to succeed in a middle class environment. They experienced strains associated with inappropriate structural opportunities to achieve culturally defined goals. For that reason, these blocked opportunities lead some people to form a delinquent subculture as a col lective solution to pursue alternative criminal avenues. Mertons theory therefore indicates that strains do not reside within the individual but are produced by wider social processes and structures (Croall, 1998, Bilton et al. 2002). Merton developed five different ways in which individuals respond; conformism- people accept the culturally defined goals and institutionalized means of attaining them; innovation- individuals accept the culturally defined goals but lack the institutionalized means to attain them and therefore resort to crime; ritualism- people accept the naturally defined goals but cannot sustain them but continue to pursue institutional mean regardless of the outcome; retreatism- people reject both the culturally defined goals and institutionalized means of attaining them and retreat from society in different ways such as substance abuse; and rebellionism- people substitute their own cultural goals and institutionalized means in place of the conventional goals and me ans of achieving them (White Haines, 2004; Burke, 2005; Newburn, 2007). Merton is criticized for accepting the status quo and assuming that there is a consensus amongst everyone to pursue the middle class cultural goals of ambition, success and achievement, rather than acknowledging how powerful people define society and its goals. Also, the focus is merely upon working class crime thus Merton accepts the official recorded crime statistics which suggest that crime is mostly committed by the working class. This suggests that the strain theory fails to consider structural inequalities for example how the capitalist system marginalizes and labels lower classes and criminalizes their activities. In addition to this Merton ignores other crimes like white collar or corporate crimes which are equally or even more damaging to society. Finally, though there may be some strain underpinning criminal behaviour, Merton does not fully explain why some individuals respond with delinquent behaviou r and others do not (White Haines, 2004, Fawbert, 2013). A different argument is provided by Albert Cohen in Delinquent Boys (1955) who developed the subcultural theory of Status Frustration. He criticized Merton for focusing on acquisitive property crime alone. Cohen argues that lower-class boys fail to attain the middle-class standards of success, suffer cultural deprivation, unemployment, educational failure and broken homes. For Cohen, the school was where lower class youth understood their choices were constrained by society (White Haines, 2004). As a result, they experience status frustration and reject mainstream goals. A delinquent subculture is formed as a collective response to these social problems. Individuals invert middle class values and therefore engage in negativistic malicious crimes such as vandalism in search for status rather than material success (Bilton et al. 2002; Terpstra, 2006, Fawbert, 2013). This notion is supported by Paul Willis study Learning to Labour (1981). Walter B. Miller disagrees with Cohens view tha t delinquents value middle class beliefs and invert them by acting out their frustration via negativistic crime. Miller developed the lower-class cultural theory (1958) that focused on gang delinquency and argued that the lower class has a separate, identifiable culture distinct from the culture of the middle class. (p.27). He argues that it has its own value system which naturally produces crime, thus a young person who conforms to lower-class values automatically becomes criminal. According to Miller (1958) lower-class culture is characterized by focal concerns; toughness, smartness, autonomy, excitement, fate and trouble. Therefore, a criminal subculture stands independently from middle-class culture and draws its beliefs and practices from its parent lower class culture (Glick, 2005; Terpstra, 2006). Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin (1960) criticize Albert Cohen for failing to explain why different types of delinquency take different forms. They argue that all classes share the same societal goals of success and wealth, however, the working class is deprived of gaining these goals. Illegitimate opportunity structures will arise in situations where the cultural goals are still pursued, but legitimate opportunities are lacking. Cloward and Ohlin therefore accept Mertons view that denied legitimate access to available opportunities results in working class criminality. Cloward and Ohlin stress that delinquents have withdrawn their support from established norms and have invested officially forbidden norms of conduct with a claim to legitimacy in the light of their special situation (1960: 19-20). Cloward and Ohlin suggest working class youth will share their own delinquent subcultural values dependent on different environments that provide different opportunities for crime (White Ha ines, 2004; Burke, 2005; Glick, 2005, Shildrick, 2006). Cloward and Ohlin (1960) provide three different types of subcultures which are a form or adaptation from the blocked opportunities given by the dominant social order. First is the criminal subculture found in areas with a pre-existing criminal culture whereby prestige is allocated to those who attain material success via illegal means of securing income such as property theft. To succeed within this subculture, one should cultivate appropriate connectionsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦promote an apprenticeship à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦with older and successful offenders (1960: 23). Second is the conflict subculture found in areas with high gang warfare and where the aim is to acquire a reputation for toughness and destructive violence (1960: 25). The manipulation of violence allows for individuals to gain status and prestige amongst their peers. The third type is retreatist subculture and it involves those that have failed to succeed both legitimately or otherwise; a double failure. Individuals or groups engage in a hedonistic existence and are culturally and socially detached from the life-style and everyday preoccupations of members of the conventional world (1960: 25). Alcohol or drug consumption becomes a way of life. All three subcultures are alike in that norms that guide behaviour are opposite to the norms of mainstream society. Cloward and Ohlin accept that these subcultures may sometimes overlap one another but overall their theory shows how working class delinquency is not due to material gain only (Croall, 1998; Newburn, 2007; Fawbert, 2013). Alternatively, David Matza 1964 argued that subcultural theory was guilty of over-predicting delinquency and ignoring human agency by providing an over deterministic view of human behaviour as influenced by society. Gresham Sykes and David Matza (1957) developed the Delinquency and Drift Theory that rejects subcultural theories and argues that working class youth subcultures form as a way of expressing particular subterranean values such as hedonism, adventure, thrill seeking and risk. Skyes and Matza argue that these are shared with mainstream society but expressed in different contexts. Mainstream society expresses these values and deferred gratification during their leisure time, whereas delinquents express these at the wrong time and place. Subcultures are seen to disregard the work ethic and enjoy pleasures that have not been earned through work (Fulcher and Scott, 2003). Further, similar to Cohens view, delinquents do not fully reject middle class goals, but regularly use techn iques of neutralization or deviance disavowal to justify their criminal actions (Shields Whitehall, 1994). One technique is the denial of responsibility such as suggesting that their action was accidental or blame it on their parents. Second is the denial of the victim by suggesting that the victim deserved it. Third is the denial of injury which involves the criminal refuting that their behaviour caused any real harm and was just for fun. Fourth, is condemning the condemners by suggesting that the police are corrupt for example. Lastly, an appeal to higher loyalties whereby other norms other than legal ones are more important and are worth protecting loved ones even if it means perverting the law (White Haines, 2004; Glick, 2005; Newburn, 2007; Fawbert, 2013). All in all, Matza and Sykes suggest that norms and values of subculture allow for criminality but do not demand it, particularly from the lower working class. Mainstream values influence criminals, thus subculture of delinquency is loose-knit as only a few members are full time committed and most drift between conformity and deviance (Fawbert, 2013 and Skyes Matza, 1957; Croall, 1998; Newburn, 2007). On the other hand, Skyes and Matza are criticized by Newburn (2007) and Downes (1966) for denying that there are distinct groups with their own distinctive values. Instead, they suggest that all people share delinquent subcultural values. The subcultural theories that have been looked at developed in America and were not always relevant to Britain where violent or criminal gangs were rarer. British work on subcultures developed from the work by Birmingham Universitys Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (CCCS) established by Richard Hoggart in 1964, which criticized American approaches. The CCCS followed a Marxist perspective and focused on subcultures based around particular styles such as teds, rockers, skinheads and so forth. Rather than individual problems of status, the Birmingham school regarded subcultures as a working class young people solution to the problematic societal conditions. They argued that youth may face the double failure of not being able to achieve the goals of their parent culture or dominant culture as each new generation faces its own problems regarding local economic conditions. For example Stan Cohen (1972) suggested that working class youth subcultures in 1960s and 70s Britain develope d due to housing and employment changes that affected the working class as a whole. Communities broke down and many traditional jobs disappeared. Thus he argues that the latent function of subcultures is to express and resolve the contradictions unresolved in the parent culture (Clarke et al., 1976, Croall, 1998; Young, 2006). Croall (1998) argues that David Downes (1966) who carried out work on criminal youths in London found that they did not conform to the image suggested by American subcultural theorists, Cohen and Cloward Ohlin. Instead, delinquent activities were seen as fun mostly by youth with poor education and they did not display frustration at their lack of success. Rather than being opposed to mainstream values they were dissociated from middle class values within school or work settings. These youths formed a subculture where delinquent activities were an appealing solution to a leisure problem that simply occurred in their social circumstances. This is because they could not participate in middle class leisure pursuits (Glick, 2005, Muncie, 2009). In addition to this, Downes also argues that Matzas model under predicted delinquency. It appears as though crime is a working class male phenomenon, but this may be because of bourgeois assumptions about criminality. Crime statistics are measured in a positivist way and have shown that the lower working class have a greater tendency to commit crime. Moreover, it is the powerful class that puts pressure on the police and the criminal justice system to create a culture that serves their interest and not attract the label of criminality. One problem with subcultural theories as a whole is that they tend to ignore certain aspects linked to culture such as gender and ethnicity as well as the conflicts between dominant and subordinate groups. In addition to this, Heidensohn also criticizes subcultural theories for determinism, selectivity, conformity and anomie (Fulcher Scott, 2003; Young, 2006; Newburn, 2007). Other points to consider include the effect of labeling individuals as delinquent which may result in a process of self-fulfilling prophecy. One example of this is Jock Youngs study (1971) which found that 1960s hippie marijuana users, who took drugs as a social activity, developed a subculture that valued drug consumption only after they were labeled and targeted by the police. Regarding the mass media, moral panics are created through the amplified exposure of negative images of subcultures. These too exaggerate the activities of subculture and further reinforce dominant values and beliefs. Nevertheless, these theories have taken away the blame on the individual, as provided by classical theories of crime, and shifted it to social structures. Merton emphasized the strain between goals and means and the way criminal means would be used to attain goals where legitimate means such as education are lacking. Subcultural approaches by Cohen and Cloward and Ohlin, acknowledged the formation of subcultures as a response to a lack of status and opportunities supplied by cultural goals (White Haines, 2004; Clarke et al, 2006).

Health Education through Social Marketing

Health Education through Social Marketing Social Marketing According to the WHO, information and education provide the informed base for making choices. They are a necessary and core component of health promotion, which aims at increasing knowledge and disseminating information related to health. Health promotion is one of the most important components of health care and health education forms the core of such promotional activity. Health education is a process that informs, motivates and helps people to adopt and maintain healthy practices and lifestyles, advocates environmental changes as needed to facilitate these goals and conducts professional research and training to the same end. Health education is any intentional activity which is designed to achieve health or illness related learning to bring about a relatively permanent change in an individual’s capability or disposition. There are different methods of health education. For small groups the usual methods employed for health education have been health talks, demonstrations, role plays, and the use of audio-visual aids. For the general public, the health education tools have conventionally been the television, the radio, the press, films, health magazines, posters, health exhibitions and health museums. Mass media is not very effective in changing human behavior because communication is usually one-way. If health education is provided, but the products or services necessary to change behavior are not easily available, then the value of the health education is lost. It is therefore important to provide cheap and reliable services along with behavior changing health education. For instance, if health e ducation brings about an awareness in a community that the occurrence of HIV/AIDS can be significantly reduced by use of condoms, this message alone is of no value if condoms or not readily available either because of an unaffordable price or because of a difficult location. Making available these services is therefore as important as making people aware of the benefits of the services. Health education is not a substitute to other health services, but it is needed to ensure the proper use of available services. If the behavior of the individual group or community can be the main cause of a health problem, then that same behavior can be altered to serve as the main solution as well. In the world of marketing and advertisement, it is often said that propaganda is one of the most powerful instruments in influencing people. Television, radio and the popular press have emerged as the most potent vehicles for propaganda. There are three widely accepted strategies of mass communication. The psychodynamic model depends on modifying cognitive factors to influence behaviour namely the needs, fears and attitudes of the individual. The socio –cultural strategy requires persuasive messages to define the rules of social behaviour for individuals or to redefine existing ones. This method is used widely by television commercials. The meaning construction approach works differently. It identified certain unintended influences on target audience that were undesirable. Meaning construction or modification of meanings which people assign to some product, person, cause or issue can also bring about change in behaviour. Methods traditionally used to deliver health products and services in developing countries often do not reach a large portion of the population, especially those at the lower end of the economic ladder. Overburdened public health systems generally do not have enough outlets and provide services that are often not valued by the consumer. Many studies have found that when people do not pay for a service – they are less likely to value and utilize it. Marketing health generally raises awareness and increases utilization rates. This has been effective in the case of diarrhea, malaria, undernutrition, vitamin deficiency, voluntary HIV counseling and testing and reproductive services. When people pay for these services, they tend to value it better. In social marketing, two concepts are important – the exchange theory and the four P’s of marketing namely the product, the price, the place and the promotion. The product is the behaviour, program or service exchanged for a price. The price is the cost to the target audience in terms of money, lifestyle and effort of engaging in that behaviour. The place is the outlet through which the product is available or the situations in which behaviour change can be made. Promotion is the combination of advertising, media relations, promotional events and entertainment to communicate with the target audience about the product The choice of a tool for health education depends on a variety of factors – the objectives, the target audience, the time constraints and the availability of resources. The concept of Social marketing was introduced by Kotler and Zaltman in 1971. Social marketing is defined as the design, implementation and control of programs which attempt to increase the acceptability of a social idea or practice, in a target group. Social marketing is the use of commercial marketing concepts and tools in programs designed to influence individuals’ behaviour to improve their wellbeing and that of society. It draws from diverse fields like economics, psychology and medicine. Social marketing is a new approach to very old human endeavours. Attempts have always been made to inform, influence and motivate people to reinforce positive behaviour or to modify risk taking behaviour. Traditional Educational programs are found to be more effective when the target groups are involved in the planning process and participatory approach has been found to increase uptake of health services. Many studies have been found to be limited in that the evaluation of health education programs is based more on distant outcomes like morbidity and mortality rather than attitude change. For a social marketing program to be effective, two different research approaches are required to obtain the best picture about the issue being addressed, the target audience and the effectiveness of the program. These methods are qualitative and quantitative research. Both these methods have their strengths and weaknesses when used in isolation, but complement each other when combined to produce the best research results. The research has to be consumer focussed – quantitatively to produce data that can be generalised for a larger target group and qualitatively to understand the nature of pe ople’s attitude and behaviour both to the health issue involved as well as to the health services provided to them. Social marketing is a process of continuing development and testing. It has borrowed many of its techniques like focus group discussions, consumer marketing databases and intercept surveys from commercial market research, the difference being that social marketing sells ‘public health’. Issues that have to be examined are what the consumers feel they have to know, how they would like to know this and what are the barriers to change potentially harmful behaviour. Before any new educational material is launched, prototype materials have to be pre-tested with consumer focus groups Social marketing has been used for health promotion in various fields like smoking, drinking, drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer and mental ill health. Other issues like environmental pollution, education and human rights have been most effectively addressed by this process. Social marketing involves many different stake-holders – the funding agency requires outputs in terms of gains made and the target group gain the health outcome, but apart from these obvious stakeholders, there are many others involved in partnerships for the social marketing of health education. This partnership helps to maximise limited resources, promote consistent messages and also help to reach diverse audience thus maximising impact of the program. This has been shown to function well in the case of HIV/AIDS. A nationwide strategy has been organised by many developing countries. The funding agencies are international bodies that work in collaboration with local governments. Non governmental or charity organisations are identified and trained by an initial training workshop. These agencies then conduct focus group discussions and key informant interviews with those most likely to benefit from the health education program. These target groups could be those at high risk for HIV/AIDS due to sexual contact – women in prostitution, youth and adolescents. The groups are identified and their key concerns are discussed. Barriers to their seeking healthy behaviour are identified. The groups also discuss the best health education methods and techniques suitable for their unique situation. Concerns of time and place of the health education session are detailed. Target groups from conservative societies did not prefer being given in formation about HIV/AIDs in public places or in the presence of the opposite sex or their family members. They were more willing to listen to health messages that were non judgmental or coercive. All these suggestions are incorporated into the health education strategy. Along with the health education campaign, local and international agencies are involved to provide essential health services in the form of cheap but reliable condoms, doctors trained in counselling and diagnosing HIV/AIDS as well as reliable referral and treatment centres. A small sample is then identified and a pilot project is undertaken to do a field trial of the health education tools. Further changes are made as required and a large scale program is put into effect. Mid term participatory evaluation is conducted regularly using external evaluating agents to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice of the high risk group. The other stakeholders are also involved in this evaluation to see how they could furth er improve their contribution to the health education and health seeking process. Thus the process is constantly evolving. At the end of the program, final evaluation is undertaken and the results are available for all the stake-holders. This serves as a learning lesson. During the final evaluation, issues of sustainability of the project are also addressed. This approach is very different from the regular health education sessions which are primarily a top-down approach and hardly participatory. The other example of social marketing being very effective is in the case of nutritional educational programs targeting teenagers. The food intake data in countries like Britain and America indicate that the intake of nutritious food like fruits, grains, vegetables and dairy products is low while intake of foods rich in sodium, saturated fats and sugars are high. Any large scale intervention to target the scale and magnitude of this problem requires an in-depth knowledge of the target population, their food sources, their barriers to seeking healthy foods, the methods of health education available and required as well as the available resources in terms of healthy foods. Volunteers in the adolescent age group are asked what benefits they associate with increased consumption of nutrient rich food, what factors prevent them from consuming these foods, how they prefer to learn about foods and nutrition. They are also asked questions about what they think would be a ‘cool’ advertisement for food, where they usually hang out and how they would market products to their own age groups. Many of the youngsters indicate that they like yoghurt, chocolate drinks and fruits but not vegetables. They also prefer foods that are convenient and familiar while increasing scholastic and physical performance. Some of the suggestions given by the teenagers included disguising the taste and appearance of less favoured foods and improving the taste of some foods by adding other foods. They also felt that the nutrient rich foods were less available as forms of snacks and more difficult to procure and prepare. The potential channels of delivery were posters, tele vision, computers, billboards, cooking shows and radio contests. They also preferred hands on experience of preparing foods. This then leads to the next step of social marketing of the health education program with focus on the placement, pricing and promotion of these nutrient rich foods. Traditional methods of health education do not take into account many of these issues. They may be outdated and ‘out of sync’ with the new generation which might most require the educational input. Repeating the same message over and over again amounts to ‘flogging a dead horse’ and is unlikely to have the desired outcome. The media can provide very strong and contradictory messages that can confuse the audience. Many television programs may re-inforce the message that drinking and smoking is a sign of maturity or that it is fashionable. Many of these commercial advertisements are televised following extensive Market research about what attracts and appeals to the audienc e. Beauty, style, health and being better than one’s peer group are important reasons for the target audience to choose certain products. This play on psychology can be adopted to improve the health seeking behaviour of the target groups. Social marketing combines the best elements of the traditional approach to social change using the latest advances in communication techniques and marketing strategy. Though public health educators do not sell products, they use similar marketing skills to understand the consumer’s knowledge, the barriers to changing risky behaviour and the best methods of communicating. Before any new educational campaign is launched, prototype materials are pretested with consumer focus groups. This provides vital information on how well the target audience understand the materials. This knowledge can be used to tailor the educational material to suit specific target groups. Charity organisations or other funding agencies contribute to subsidise the process to make it financially accessible and available for those marginalised groups that most need them. Some Primary Care Trusts had brought out videos for public screening on key health messages as envisaged in the White Paper. These videos were screened in busy shopping areas and a qualitative study was conducted to assess the impact of the video. No baseline research was conducted and the target group was not involved in the decision making process. The study found that many people found the video irritating and intrusive; some ignored it while others thought that it was a marketing gimmick. The suggestions given were that the video be screened in places where people are more likely to be relaxed like eating places. Many people also found the video clips to be boring and inconspicuous, the suggestion being to add more colour or cartoon characters. If all these suggestions had been initially obtained and incorporated into the making and presentation of the video, the impact would have been a lot more beneficial. Thus traditional health education strategies would do well to adopt the social marketing methods before they embark on any program of intervention. Thus health education is a constantly evolving process. It does not force people to modify their behaviours, but encourages them to make their own choices for health. Health education must acknowledge the experiences and requirements of target groups. Preventive health education goes a long way in improving health of societies and the benefits gained are many, but a poorly planned and executed health education program is a waste of money and resources. Public health would gain to learn from the acumen of the market that sells products purely for a commercial purpose. The ultimate goal is for the target to use the product. This is best achieved by using social marketing skills. Thus social marketing of health education ensures maximum output to bring about behaviour change in large groups of people. This behaviour change is the basic requirement to make people responsible and responsive to their own health needs and is the only way to bring about empowerment of people for their own he alth. References Gilbert GG and Sawyer RG 2nd Edition (2000) Health Education: Creative Strategies for School and Community Health. Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Lefebvre RC and Flora JA (1988) Social Marketing and Public Health intervention Health Education Quarterly 15 299 – 315 Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Perry C, Casey MA (1999) Factors influencing food choices of adolescents. Findings from focus group discussions with adolescents Journal of the American Dietetic Association 99(8) 929 – 937 Vaughn S, Schumm JS and Sinagub J (1996) Focus group interviews in Education and Psychology Thousand Oaks CA Sage Publications. Ghai OP and Gupta P (1999) ‘Essential Preventive Medicine: A clinical and applied Orientation’ Vikas Publishing House.

Tarzan of the Apes and Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano :: Sociology Essays Research Papers

The Primitive In Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African When societies judge other cultures their judgments are often biased and ethnocentric. In Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes, Tarzan, â€Å"the perfect specimen of white masculinity and testament to the viability of white civilization,[1]† projected many ideals and views of European society. Olaudah Equiano gave a first hand account of his life from his captive into slavery through his liberation in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African. In these two novels members of the European and African society classify the other’s culture as â€Å"primitive†. These classifications lead the reader of both novels to question: What is primitive? Raised in the jungle by apes Tarzan never lived in European civilization yet he â€Å"inherited† the mannerisms and ethics of that society. Burroughs positioned Tarzan at the top of the hierarchy of civilization while he placed the African Mbongo tribe at the bottom. As Tarzan watched the cannibal rituals of the Mbongo, â€Å"[he] began to hold his own kind in low esteem[2]†. Many in Burroughs’ society disregarded the cultural practices of the Africans by writing them off as being primitive and lacking value. Overlooking the social structure and the established customs, Europeans considered the Africans primitive because they were different. Tarzan did not interact with the Mbongo he found them to be savage and uncivilized. This ethnocentric lens that created distinctions and separation transcended the cultural borders. At age 11, slave traders kidnapped Olaudah Equiano, a child who never knew any culture outside of his own. When he first encountered white people, his initial reaction showed the same culture shock and ethnocentric view displayed by Tarzan. â€Å"I came among people who did not circumcise, and who ate without washing their hands. They cooked their provisions in iron pots, and had European cutlasses and cross bows, which were unknown to us; and fought with their fists among themselves. Their women were not so modest as ours for they ate, drank, and slept with their men. But, above all, I was amazed to see no sacrifices or offerings among them.

In the Eyes of the Beholder Essay -- Music Entertainment Musicians Pap

In the Eyes of the Beholder The Contrasting Views of American Culture between Foreign and American Musicians The crowd of over 60,000 bursts into a thunderous uproar as the stadium suddenly becomes dark and anticipation rises like the temperature under a blazing Georgian July sun. After a seemingly infinite wait, one solitary image suddenly lights up from the seventy-foot video screen: an American flag. The Star Spangled Banner then booms from the massive speakers with the crowd growing frantic in the waiting for what is next. The national anthem fades out with â€Å"o’er the land of the free...† and a brief silence exists before a fierce drum beat begins, pounding away as the crowded frenzy is at an ecstatic high. A voice soon booms across the stadium, â€Å"and the home of the braaaaave† rattling it like a kitchen cupboard full of plates and glasses when a train passes by. The stage lights up and there on the massive stage set are U2. Lead singer Bono is lit up by a spotlight dressed in all black leather, sunglasses, and an American flag bandana. After a sc reeching guitar intro from The Edge, Bono breaks into the lyrics for the song â€Å"Bullet the Blue Sky,† an outsiders take on America. The show has begun. As with beauty, what actually is American life and culture is in the eye of the beholder. There is a large discrepency between the views of Americans on their own lives and that of inhabitants of other nations. The American dream of opportunity and freedom is well illustrated in its popular music. On the other hand, foreign artists usually take a more critical approach to American life with their views coming from the opposite end of the looking-glass. The contrasting views bring up an interesting que... ...is band sees is his reality and epitomizes his view of America and its culture. What is yours? Works Cited Mr. Showbiz. Wall of Sound: Tom Petty. 1997. (6 June 1998). Passengers. Original Soundtracks I. Island Records, Inc., 1995. Rolling Stone. Pop Review. 1997. (8 June 1998). Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Damn the Torpedoes. MCA Records, Inc., 1981. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Into the Great Wide Open. MCA Records, Inc., 1991. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. MCA Records, Inc., 1976. U2. The Joshua Tree. Island Records, Inc., 1987. U2. Pop. Island Records, Inc., 1997. U2. Rattle and Hum. Island Records, Inc., 1988. U2. War. Island Records, Inc., 1983.

Youth Sports

Youth Sports According to the Center for Kids First, there are more than 40 million youth athletes that play sports in America today. These youth athletes have a plethora of organizations they can pursue. From super competitive programs like the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) which includes sports like baseball/softball, basketball, soccer and volleyball to the supposedly fun programs like PAL, POP Warner, and Little League Baseball/Softball there is a league for anyone regardless of their skill level or competitive fire.The big question is do playing youth sports affect the athlete in the long run? There are many factors involved in the competition of youth sports that in the long run may push the athlete away from sports all together. Not only is it the athlete that is involved in this process, the coaches, parents, and fellow competitors play a huge role in the affect youth athletics have on its athletes. As we go along we are going to talk about some of the problems associated with youth athletics, and try to find solutions to these problems.The first thing that comes to mind when you think about problems in youth sport would be the overzealous parents. The parent that goes above and beyond to push their child to his/her limits. A study conducted by the Citizens Through Sports Alliance gave what they call a â€Å"report card† showing the results of how parents effect youth sports (Emmons). This panel of experts essentially based their results on youth sports programs with ages ranging from 6-14(Emmons). Parents received low grades in the areas of a win at all costs mentality and overall parent behavior.Executive director for the Positive Coaching Alliance, Jim Thompson said,† We really hope this is a wake-up call. This is such an important part of kid’s lives and if there is something wrong with youth sports, then we ought to start thinking about the ways we can change it. †(Emmons) The parent’s role in a child’s youth sport experience could range from being the driver to and from practices and games all the way to being the coach of the team and officiating the game itself for that matter (Hedstrom/Gould). But what is really going on?Early studies have shown that the role of the parents in youth sports has become more of a problem as time has passed. Results show that the five biggest problems that parents have involving there child in youth sports include; overemphasis on winning, unrealistic expectations, coaching their own child, criticizing, and pampering there child too much (Hedstrom/Gould). There have been documented accounts of parents arguing with coaches, confronting referees, and even unforeseen altercations while attending a youth sporting event. So how do we attempt to remedy this situation?One approach would be for the parents too fully immerse themselves into the culture of the league. Do some reading, attend informative sessions, and talk to other parents involved in the league to try and get a full sense of the philosophy and goals of the organization (Emmons). Doing this will allow for the parent to get a scope of how the league operates and see what values and goals the league holds true. It is important that the parent be involved in the children’s experience in youth sport, but it’s more important that they don’t pressure the child before, during, and after a contest.Just being there attending games, driving to away games, and joining in team celebrations will show a strong support for the child and enhance their experience in youth sports (Hedstrom/Gould). One final approach that I personally like would be at the very beginning of the season before you even have your first practice, the coach of the team should call a team meeting and have all the parents of the players attend. The purpose of this meeting would be to discuss the main objectives of the season and make sure that everyone is on the same page (Hedstrom/Gould).While run ning this meeting it is important to stress the roles of everyone involved and stress good sportsmanship. Burnout is said to be one of the biggest factors that attributes to youth athletes quitting. What is burnout? The definition from the text of the book social issues in sport tells us that burnout is the exhaustion of physical or emotional strength as a result of prolonged stress that causes athletes to discontinue competitive sports. Studies have told us that an estimated 73% of athletes drop out of sports by the age of 13 (Adkins).This is a staggering figure that as time has passed continues to grow. Not only is it the fact that the athlete may be getting burned out by playing one sport, they may just give up and quit playing organized sports all together (Adkins). There are a few main explanations that can be attributed to athlete burnout. The first suggestion is the excessive stress and pressure put on the athlete. These days there is such an emphasis on winning and being the best that we see at a younger and younger age that athletes are pressured to win at all costs (Masterson).They are pushed above and beyond what their comfort level may be and exposed to excessive stress and pressure by parents, coaches, and fellow teammates (Adkins). A second theory suggests that the athlete experience what is called entrapment. They invest all this time into their sport but is not seeing any of the rewards or benefits of all the work they have put in. basically what is happening is that the costs are outweighing the benefits which over the long run is causing the athlete to burnout (Masterson). So how do we stop athletes from burning out and eventually dropping out of youth sports all together?In my opinion, it boils down to the factor of specialization. If at a young age you push your child to just play one sport year round your child over time is going to grow tired and bored of doing the same thing every single day. I feel that it is important for the parent to encourage their child to participate in multiple sports. This will not only keep them active all year round but it will keep their mind fresh and will allow for them to find different things to do with their time. Another suggestion would be for the parent of the child to not force anything on their child, especially at a young age.In youth sport, if the parent pushes their child to compete in a sport they are not willing or wanting to compete in this will only speed up the process of burnout and more than likely cause a disconnect in the relationship between the athlete and parent (Hill). This leads me into my next problem with youth sports which is the concept of specialization in sport. At younger and younger ages children are beginning to play sports and more and more the parents are pushing their child to focus on just one sport.Specialization is defined as an athlete limiting their athletic participation to one sport which is practiced, trained for, and competed in throughout the year (Hill). There are many arguments for and against specialization in sport. Sport specialization lives by a basic philosophy, if you start them early you can narrow there focus and concentrate on one sport (Hill). With the competitive nature of sports today and the overemphasis on winning, parents and coaches are beginning to feel that sport specialization is needed for athletes to keep up with one another.Especially at the collegiate level where there is such a spot light on athletes they may feel driven to specialize in one sport to enhance their chances of getting a college scholarship. In youth sports, with the overabundance of competitive leagues children can play in year round coaches feel that if you specialize in one sport overtime you will more effectively refine your skills and master your craft through increased practice time in that sport. These are some great arguments that support the sport specialization agenda, but I feel that there are more disadvantages to sport specialization than there are advantages.Bottom line is that a young age no one is 100% positive on what their child is going to be good at when they get older. So it is important that in youth sports children diversify their experience and try many different sports. Some of the disadvantages involved in specialization include psychological burn out which we touched on in the previous section. In some cases, when an athlete specializes in one sport they miss the opportunity to play other sports which may cause them to miss the sport they are best at. So, I feel that at a young age when kids get involved in youth sports that they should try everything (Hill).For example, when I was 6 I attempted to play little league soccer and after the first week of practice I decided to retire because I felt that it just wasn’t the best sport for me. When parents emphasize specialization on their children the child could possibly miss the sport that they are fit to play (Adkins). One of the main problems associated with specialization in youth sport is that if the athlete is playing the same sport year round and using the same muscles throughout the year, those muscles are bound to break down (Masterson).This if one reason why I am a true believer in sport diversification. Athletes who diversify their experience in youth sport are regularly using different muscle groups and have a reduced risk of overuse injury. Sport diversification also does a lot of other positive things to help youth athletes (Masterson). Sport sampling, especially at a young age in youth sports provides them with a variety of options for later sport activity. They are using different skill variations that may transfer from sport to sport.There is a cushion against failure knowing that when one sport ends that another one will be starting up soon (Hill). All these factors of sport diversification are great ways in which children can stay active and fit, stay involved in youth sport, and not get burned out too quickly. Youth sports are definitely a huge force in America today. But, if were not careful the negative aspects that have been mentioned throughout this paper are going to not only drive kids out of playing sports all together, they are going to hurt high school and eventually college athletics.Sport specialization is a huge force behind youth sports burnout and by age 13 you’re seeing more and more kids drop out of youth sports all together. We need to diversify the experience children are having in youth sports and get them to play different sports year round. The trend of overzealous parents is an easy fix if we just sit down with them and clarify exactly what we are looking for at the beginning of the season and continue to stress sportsmanship. We know that there are going to be those parents that can’t be controlled but maybe if we use this method we will reduce the number of outburst and control the overzealous parent.Youth sport is and alwa ys was meant to be a fun experience for children to go out play a great game and have fun with their friends. Let’s get back to those days and rebuild our youth sports programs to the fun loving carefree atmosphere they once were.Works CitedHill, Dr. Grant. â€Å"Sport Specialization: Causes and Concerns. † Utah Sport For Life | Utah Athletic Foundation. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.  http://utahsportforlife. comAdkins, Michael. â€Å"Youth Sports Issues. † EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! How To Videos & Articles. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.  http://www. ehow. comMasterson Ph. D, Gerald. â€Å"Problems in Youth Sports. † Family Resource. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.http://www. familyresource. comEmmons/ Mercury News, Mark. â€Å"Adults Hurting Youth Sports. † Ballistic United Soccer Club. Web. 28 Nov. 2010.http://www. busc. orgHedstrom, and Gould. â€Å"The Role of Parents in Childrens Sports. † College of Education – Michigan State University. Web . 28 Nov. 2010. http://www. educ. msu. edu

Critical Review †“The Fault in our Stars” by John Green Essay

The Fault in our Stars is a young adult novel written by John Green. It is based on the remission of a 16-year-old Thyroid cancer patient, Hazel Grace who relentlessly struggles to breathe. She attends a Cancer Kid Support Group where she meets Augustus Waters, a 17-year-old guy diagnosed with osteosarcoma. They form a close relationship and constantly share their love for a book called â€Å"An Imperial Affliction† written by Peter Van Houten who resigned from writing it halfway. Upon the desperation in finding out the ending, the two protagonists set off to Netherlands to meet the author. Their journey together reveals the themes of love, grief, loss, and both physical and mental pain. Throughout the book, there are reoccurring metaphors of water and stars; water representing death and stars signifying hope, hence the name ‘The Fault in our Stars’. Each of these themes along with the repeated motifs the author creates, reaches out to the reader and causes them t o be drawn into the lives of the characters and their relation to each other. The two protagonists dread each day with the constant worry that they’d pass away any minute. Augustus and Hazel’s love for each other triumphs over struggle and hardship but â€Å"†¦ yet still [they] worried†¦ Worry is yet another side effect of dying.† The times when they are not contemplating what it means to be gone, they’re drawn into ‘An Imperial Affliction’ (AIA). John Green purposely made the characters metaphorically relatable to those in AIA so there is a meaning to the existence of the book. The two sweethearts chase their dreams all the way to Netherlands in order to meet up with Peter Van Houten, a â€Å"†¦rude, abrasive, and utterly drunk† father of a departed cancer kid. Hazel and Gus both reminded him of her, and the â€Å"circumstances that made him so cruel† and caused pain in his life. John Green intended on Peter Van Houten’s charisma to be the way he wrote it as he himself also â€Å"in tellectualize[s] emotionally painful experiences so that [he doesn’t] have to confront/process them emotionally.† Both authors are somewhat related with their thoughts and feelings. The Fault in our Stars introduced many deeper topics on various themes  relevant to today’s society. John Green â€Å"wanted to be ambiguous†; therefore he was able to accurately depict the characters in their current age, with their strong personalities, which were present through the whole novel. There are no negative aspects of the text, as every part was crucial in showing different emotions, and character traits. Hazel Grace had a strong personality, a complex train of thoughts, and thyroid cancer, as it’s â€Å"fairly similar to what [Green’s] close friend, Esther had†. The novel was mostly influenced by Esther, who died of thyroid cancer in August 2010, and â€Å"after she died, [Green] had to write [his] way through it, desperately looking for some hope in it.† The setting is also inspired by her; the problematic occurrences that cancer plays in the character’s lives. The many times throughout the novel where every character experiences love, grief, loss and pain causes you to â€Å"laugh†¦ cry, and then come back for more† – Markus Zusak. John Green does this by presenting many heart wrenching events, where physical pain is shown. The pain of Hazel suffering from breathing everyday, but the unconditional love between Hazel and Augustus over power all the sadness. He also explores motifs of stars and water, very deeply. He has metaphorical words for the stars and water. Stars representing wishes and water, representing the proximity of death, which is frequently talked about throughout the book as Hazel â€Å"†¦devotes quite a bit of [her] abundant free time to thinking about death.† Another heart throbbing novel, Looking for Alaska also by John Green is similar in a way where there are two protagonists who frequently engage in conversations, drawing them closer to each other, and allowing them to explore the different themes of love, loss and friendship. In summary, the author has successfully written a gripping novel. John Green presented situations relatable to the current teen culture by speaking in the mind of a teenager. I therefore applaud to his ability to write with every word sticking to the specific character trait each of them are supposed to portray. He has engaged the readers in every page, entitling it to being an award-winning novel.