Thursday, November 28, 2019

Multicultural Counseling Theory

Abstract This paper addresses the various issues associated with multicultural counseling theory. The pros and cons of multicultural counseling theory were analyzed with regards to factors that affect the work of multicultural counselors. People have ceased from being confined in their regions because of the scarcity of opportunities.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Counseling Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People from various backgrounds are meeting in countries that have cultures that far much different from theirs. They encounter difficulties while trying to adjust themselves to the changes. The challenges affect them at varied intensity depending on their age, gender and religion. The multicultural counselors must be ready to tackle such difficulties in order to assist their clients overcome these obstacles. He/she should act as the role model of his/her clients. Both the couns elor and the client must undertake their responsibility appropriately. The counselor must stick to the ethics of being a counselor. There are some personality traits that should be portrayed by a qualified counselor. The clients expect the counselor to be open minded rather than being reserved. Besides that the counselor should pay close attention to the progress of their client and if they realize that the problem has remained persistent they should consider other alternatives. These are some of the issues that have been analyzed in this paper. Introduction Counseling entails giving people advice concerning their problems and the professionals who offer this advice are called counselors. When one is faced with difficulties and he/she does not know how to handle it or what steps to take, they are expected to consult a counselor. A counselor’s job is very demanding because he/she must change the thoughts of the client. This job can further be complicated when the counselor dea ls with clients from all walks of life. Counselors are expected to deal with people from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, thus leading to the concept of multicultural counseling theory. This paper reviews the pros and cons of multicultural counseling. Today our communities have been mixed up because the increase in human population has forced people to relocate to other countries in search of work. This is owing to the fact that the resources in their nations could hardly sustain them hence when they secured opportunities in foreign nations they decided to settle there.Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Although they exist in foreign land they continue to exhibit their cultures which make them unique. However, multicultural counselors must be acquainted to the cultures of their clients because that way they will be in a position to understand their multi cultural clients better (James, 2008). Pros and Cons of Multicultural Counseling Theory The pros and cons of MCT are attributed to factors such as ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and religion. The following are the strengths of MCT: (1). is flexible and takes into consideration different cultures; 2. It is in itself a theoretical model; 3. Understanding it helps counselors to deal with people from different cultures; and 4. several alternatives can be applied using MCT. On the other hand, the limitations of MCT include: 1. the counselor need to understand different cultures; 2. there is need to understand the underlying concepts of MCT; 3. the theory has little research in relation to analytical evidence; 4. it neglects traditional therapies; and 5. It is generally difficult for counselors to adopt MCT. In this light, the following section discusses the factors affecting multicultural counseling and the qualities required by a multicultural counselor. The factors are discussed i n relation to the mentioned pros and cons of MCT. Factors Influencing Multicultural Counseling MCT outlines that when a counselor is giving advice he/she must not compromise the culture of his clients thus he/she should appreciate their differences. If the clients feel that their counselor does not understand them, such as why they do certain things or why they behave in a certain way, they will opt for a counselor who belongs to their ethnicity and thus multicultural counseling will loose its meaning. The best strategy towards the success of multicultural counseling is to have customized approaches to client issues which might help solve their problems. If a counselor applies a uniform approach in solving clients’ problem he/she will not solve their problems in a satisfactory manner. This is because people understand things differently and their thoughts are influenced by their backgrounds and cultures. It is unacceptable for a counselor to speak negatively about the culture s or ethnicity of his/her clients. If the clients came to realize this they would loose the pride that they have towards their culture and this may result in hatred.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Multicultural Counseling Theory specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Pedersen (2002), counselors should promote the tolerance of cultural diversity by appreciating their clients regardless of their background. If a counselor must discourage against a given cultural practice he/she must bring the point home in a polite manner because using rude language will make it sound like an insult. The counselor should establish a friendship based on trust with his/her clients. For this trust to be realized, the counselor must prove to his/her clients that what they share is confidential because if they feel that their secrets are not safe they can’t dare to share vital information with the counselor. Thi s information is important because it makes the client to provide the relevant information that could be the root cause of their problem. This means that the counselor should be neutral while dealing with his/her clients because if he discriminates some of them the others will come to realize in one way or another and this will have a negative impact on the integrity of the counselor. This implies that a multicultural counselor should have strong interpersonal skills to enable him/her handle situations involving people from different cultures (Gladding, 2009). Counselors must be familiar with the cultural values of their clients and also understand how the people of various backgrounds interact with the rest of the world. This refers to their likes and dislikes which is greatly influenced by their cultures. Failure to understand their tastes may cause the counselor to apply inappropriate approach to their problem. The above stated scenario occurs quite often and that’s why yo u will hear clients saying that they sought professional help from a given counselor and it was not effective while another client may praise the competence of the same counselor. This could be due to the fact that the two clients are from different origins and the counselor in question could be familiar to the culture of one of them hence he was able to offer appropriate help. When people from different cultures and races come together their differences become their identity. Pope-Davis and Coleman (2001) suggest that these differences are important because they give them a sense of belonging. Assuming that we were all different from each other, interaction would be impossible. When people from various cultures occupy the same habitat there are two possible outcomes of their interactions. First, one culture might be eliminated by another. Either of the two cultures may be eliminated, that is, the host culture or the foreign culture, but this process depends on the one that dominate s the habitat shared by the two cultures. For instance, if the foreigners outnumber the hosts, the culture of the foreigners is likely to be reserved while that of the host is scrapped off.Advertising Looking for research paper on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, the two cultures may be reserved but this happens when there is a balance between the hosts and the foreigners. In addition, some people are very conservative hence they can’t allow their cultures to be eliminated and thus they will do anything to ensure that their culture is recognized wherever they are located. This poses a greater challenge to counselors. But this depends on how individuals feel about their culture. This is because there are some cultures that are seen to be enslaving people hence when the generation that introduced them dies, those who remain abolish it gradually. For instance, female circumcision among some African communities was a mandatory rite of passage but of late very few people continue to practice it because people are now aware of the dangers that come with it. Multicultural counselors should also understand the differences of gender and sexuality, that is, men and women. Cormier, Nurius and Osborn (2008) explain that this is because both genders respond to situations differently. Furthermore, men and women have different attitudes. These elements are influenced by their genetic composition. Women tend to be emotional hence they are more delicate than men. On the other hand, men are physical and that’s why when a man breaks up with his spouse its easier for him to move on with his life compared to the woman who takes more time to heal the wounds. Besides, counselors should familiarize themselves with clients of various sexual orientations. By doing so, they will be able to provide appropriate advice to their clients irrespective of their gender or sexual orientation. This is because misunderstanding might cause the counselor to apply the wrong procedure towards solving the problem of the client. For instance, the counselor might recommend a strategy that is best suited for men to a female client hence it may not be effective. Additionally, we all know that men and women possess different characteristics. For example, we know that women have mothering ability hence they are the ones who can best monitor their infants than the fathers of their young ones. Prochaska and Norcross (2007) reckons that counselors must appreciate their clients’ sexual orientation regardless of whether they are gay or lesbians hence when they are dealing with such people they must try their best not to show their hatred towards people who are of unacceptable sexual orientation but instead focus on the matter at hand. For example, when a counselor is dealing with a client who is bisexual and is suffering from HIV/AIDS, he/she should not blame the orientation of that client for his sickness but should rather help the client to cope with the stigma that is associated with the ailment in question. Some people are troubled by small issues such as being under the leadership of a woman. This could be due to the fact that women are not supposed to assume leadership as far as the client’s background is concerned. In order to understand issues that are related to gender it would be best if the counselor inquired from the client what her/his community expects from each gender. This implies that the counselor should engage the client in analyzing the roles that are supposed to be played by men. The other most important aspect in multicultural counseling is power analysis. It is a simple method that is used by counselors to enlighten the clients about the powers that are entitled to them and the reasons why they are allowed to exercise the same powers. The power in this case is limited to the client’s life with regard to what they own and what they can’t do. Counselors must learn how to deal with people of different ages. This entails learning how they behave at various ages. This helps the counselor to find out which measures are best suited for teenagers, youths, and the elderly. This is because people have different thoughts at different ages. For instance, teenagers think that their parents are too old hence they perceive them to be outdated and come to realize later in life that their parents were actually right. Moreover, teenagers tend to be rebellious hence when a counselor is making suggestions he/she should be patient with them. The elderly on the other hand are fond of forgetting things very fast hence they have to be reminded frequently. This means that the counselor must be patient with them and also be gradual with them instead of rushing things. Another group of people that is delicate comprises of the disabled. Skovholt (2001) explains that counselors must watch their tongues while conversing with such people because they are easily offended by negative remarks that could be unintentional. People with disabilities don’t like it when they are given special care due to their condition hence when a counselor is assisting such a person he should mention that it’s done to everyone. Besides, counselors must be acquainted wit h the issues that affect the disabled and their families. Religion and spirituality also influences the effectiveness of counseling. The counselors must get used to handling clients from various religions. Religion comprises of believes and faith which are crucial in counseling. Some recommendations that are made by counselors could be against the religion of the client hence there will be a conflict. The counselor should analyze the beliefs of his/her clients before he gives counsel because that way he will establish measures that are suitable to people of a particular religion. When counseling goes against the beliefs of the client, it will make the client feel guilty because to some people religion is so dear to them. When a counselor is dealing with a huge group of people from various backgrounds its important to select those that share the same cultural values and isolate them from those who are extremely different from each other. The counselor should then revisit each clientà ¢â‚¬â„¢s background information to establish the best possible solution. It is also necessary to consider the thoughts of the client in relation to those whom he/she interacts with on a daily basis. The counselor should inform the client that changes are part of life because different people do things differently hence some of the things that are acceptable in their motherland may be unacceptable in the foreign country. Besides, when a counselor is obtaining information from a client who hails from a different culture he/she must ignore the mistakes that may be on the speech of the client such as incorrect grammar. This will make the client to feel at home and thus give more information pertaining to his/her problem (Safran and Muran, 2000). The counselor should allow the client to set the things that are more important and relevant to him/her. The counselor should handle cases differently just as they are brought by different people. Some counselors assume they already know where t here client is headed hence they misinterpret their client’s statement. This is most common in cases where the counselor and the client are from the same background. This generalization and assumption is bad because the situation may not be close to what the counselor thinks. The response of a counselor should not be protective. This means that if the client explains his/her problem the counselor should not make a remark that implies that the problem is not that serious. For instance, if a client expresses how he/she was humiliated in a public gathering just because he is of a different ethnicity, the counselor should not make statements such as â€Å"you will get used to it†. According to Freire (2005), a counselor should never victimize people who belong to a race that is perceived to be hostile to others or criminals even when he himself has encountered their discriminating traits or his relatives. For instance, a black American might feel uncomfortable when dealing with Native Americans when she knows that her father was brutally murdered by a Native American. To deal with this problem a counselor should know that when he/she is offended by someone from a different community it does not mean that everyone from that race is a criminal or something close to that. MCT requires that the counselor should seek to know the cultural background of the client. The counselor should employ an approach that is appropriate. This means that the question about the client’s racial background should be introduced indirectly. This is necessary because some clients don’t like it when someone asks them about their ethnicity because they fear that they will be handled according to their background. This fear is owed to experiences of the client in question. Counselors should encourage their clients to mingle with the people who are of different cultures from others. This will help the diverse people to accept each other and thus live in harmony. The client should be informed that going back to their mother land is the last option hence they should get used to seeing things being done differently as opposed to what they would expect. For counseling to be effective both parties must play their parts well. The client should follow the counsel of the counselor and the counselor must provide the appropriate counsel. There are counselors who go against the ethics of counseling. They do this by sharing information concerning their clients with others. This suggests that such a counselor does not have the interests of his/her clients at heart. Gladding (2009) advises that a good counselor should be honest when dealing with clients. They should not lie to their clients. Lying can mislead clients and when they realize that the person whom they trusted with their problems and secrets is untrustworthy they will look for another reputable counselor. Some counselors lie to their clients even when they know very well that whatever they are sa ying could be dangerous. If a counselor is not sure about something he/she should be sincere while giving advice. Lying occurs when some people want to portray themselves to know everything. A counselor should be caring to his/her clients. A counselor should caution his/her client about the consequences of any affirmative action that the client wishes to take. There are times when clients have fallen victims of dangerous consequences at the hands of their counselors. Such counselors are only interested on the money that they are paid by their clients. A counselor should be flexible such that if the measure he/she recommends to the client does not work he/she should have another strategy ready for implementation. Some counselors are not flexible because they stick to the same strategy for a long time just because it worked for a few clients while it does not work for the rest. There are usually several ways of doing something to achieve the same results. A counselor should have a cle ar objective towards helping the client’s problems. A counselor should overcome the hurdles that arise in the course of helping the client. He/she should consider doing anything possible to assist the client. Sometimes the counselor has to make sacrifices towards the success of his/her client. This means that the client is given the first priority. There are counselors who put money before their clients to an extent they can’t listen to the problems that are being passed across by the client unless money is put on the table. A good counselor should be patient with his/her clients. This means he/she should give the client some time to get used to the measure they intend to implement on the client. A counselor should know that since the problem of the client did not develop in one day it’s not possible to eliminate it in one day. Healing is a gradual process because if it happens abruptly it might cause drawbacks. Diller (2007) argues that a counselor should not s how any sign of weakness even when it seems the situation is getting out of hand. Showing weakness will make the client loose confidence in him/her because the client expects him to offer the necessary support that is needed by the client. It is during such occasions that the counselor should provide warmth to the client which is meant to encourage the client to continue soldiering on. Conclusion Multicultural counseling theory demands a lot of efforts in cultural diversity and thus its limitations overweigh the strengths. This paper has discussed the pros and cons of multicultural counseling with regard to factors the influence the theory. The factors include ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and religion. I essence, a multicultural counselor should have compassion over his/her clients. This aspect goes hand in hand with love for people because without love a counselor cannot make a single sacrifice towards the wellness of his/her client. In addition, the counselor should exercis e caution over sensitive issues that concern his/her clients. He/she should consider the consequences that are most likely to occur when sensitive issues that are highly valued by the client fail to bring the desired results. Therefore, a multicultural counselor should have dealt with many people from diverse cultures for him/her to have broad knowledge of carrying out multicultural counseling. References Cormier, S., Nurius, P. Osborn, J. (2008). Interviewing and Change Strategies for Helpers: Fundamental Skills. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Diller, J.V. (2007). Cultural Diversity. 3rd Ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson, Brooks/Cole: Freire, P. (2005). Education for Critical Consciousness. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. Gladding, S.T. (2009).Counseling: A comprehensive Profession. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. James, K.R. (2008).Crisis Intervention Strategies. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole. Pedersen, P. (2002).Counseling Across Cultures, London: Sage Inc. Pope-Da vis, B. Coleman, L.H. (2001).The Intersection of Race, Class, and Gender in Multicultural Counseling. California: Sage Learning. Prochaska, J.O. Norcross, J.C. (2007.). Systems of Psychotherapy: A Transtheoretical Analysis. 6th Ed. Pacific Grove, CA: Thomson Learning. Safran, J.D., Muran, J.C. (2000).Negotiating the Therapeutic Alliance: A relational Treatment Guide. New York: Guilford. Skovholt, T.M, T.M. (2001).The Resilient Practitioner: Burnout Prevention and Self-care Strategies for Counselors, Therapists, and Health Professionals. Boston: Allyn Bacon. This research paper on Multicultural Counseling Theory was written and submitted by user Kimberly Whitley to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Aristotles Tragedy essays

Aristotles Tragedy essays Aristotle defines Greek tragedy by the presence of a great mistake performed by the protagonist due to particular flaws, which leads to an inevitable sequence of events. One of the flaws is that of Hubris, the capital sin of pride, and thus the antithesis of two ethics that the Greeks valued highly. Aidos (humble reverence for the law) and Sophrosyne (self-restraint, a sense of proper limits). In Greek Literature, hubris often afflicted rulers and conquerors who, though endowed with great leadership abilities, abused their power and authority and challenged the divine balance of nature to gratify their own vanity and ambition. Aristotles Poetics both described and prescribed the structure of drama as it had evolved by the fourth century BC . One of the passages consists of this; The best plot...will consist in a change of fortune... from prosperity to misfortune, occasioned not by depravity but by some great mistake... Tragedy having this construction is the finest kind of trag edy from an artistic point of view. Aeschylus Agamemnon accompanies the description of tragedy very well, due to Agamemnons actions (which include mainly the great mistake), lack of Aidos and lack of knowledge. He fell from extreme prosperity from returning home after the war, to extreme misfortune, being killed by Clytaemnestra. The play Agamemnon fits this poetic very well and lies within the relationship of the protagonist to the inevitable sequence of events. The inevitable sequence of events starts with Agamemnon having a tremendous flaw that plagued him throughout the story of the Trojan War as well as his return to his home. This flaw starts his downfall to death by allowing him to perform the great mistake. That flaw was Hubris, the capital sin of pride. In Greek Literature, hubris often afflicted rulers and conquerors who, though endowed with great leadership abilities, abused thei...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Religion and Politics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Religion and Politics - Research Paper Example The strife that exists between the Israelites and the Iranians, for example, are always involved in the conflict. Israel is a Christian country while Iran is Muslim. The two countries differ a lot in terms of how they are governed and that, sometimes, attracts conflicts. Religion has a significant effect on politics of any given society given that it plays an important role in shaping the concept of power and how it is exercised on people. Before delving deeper into the topic, it is critical that the paper defines the two concepts that the discussion will be revolving around. Religion is not new. It is stated that people started believing there was a deity or rather a force more powerful than the humans since the discovery of fire. It was believed that  fire was something of the gods, bringing about the concept of religion and consulting a deity. The main religions on the planet are Christina and Muslim, both of which share over half of the world’s population. Simply put, religion is a system of symbols that formulates conceptions on the general order of human existence (Wald & Calhoun-Brown 23). Politics, on the other hand, is a subject that is as old as history can itself be. People do not perform very well if they are not governed. More often than not, productivity is closely linked to the level of manning or rather supervision involved. In the case of people living in harmony, then that may not be possibl e if they do not have a higher authority governing what people should and should not do in regard to relating with each other. A brief definition of what politics means is that it entails the activities that are associated with the governance of a particular country. Religion and politics are part and parcel, and they are inseparable. The society is run by several important tenets most of which are determined by the governance of that society and the religion practiced by the people.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Adding value through marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Adding value through marketing - Essay Example In today’s world, consumers are being bombarded with a multitude of products and services with the entailing cacophony of messages that vie for attention. The result is an increasing confusion and indifference on the part of the buying publicEvaluate the extent to which a sustainable and green approach to marketing can add positively to the bottom line in an age of consumer confusion and possible indifference. In today’s world, consumers are being bombarded with a multitude of products and services with the entailing cacophony of messages that vie for attention. The result is an increasing confusion and indifference on the part of the buying public. This can breed consumer discontent that, in itself, is becoming increasingly difficult to address. According to Kaptan (2003), if this confusion, indifference and discontent are not dealt with successfully, any relief created will be transitory and that later on new symptomatic issues and complaints would arise. (p. 45) Ther e is, hence, a need to introduce products and services and build brands that aim to rise above the rest. This objective is best served by adopting sustainable and green approach to marketing. The Concepts Essentially, green marketing is the holistic marketing concept wherein production, marketing consumption and disposal of products and services happen in a manner that is less detrimental to the environment, especially with growing awareness and consideration to prominent environmental issues like global warming, non-biodegradable solid waste, harmful impact of pollutants, and so forth. (Chandrasekar 2009, p458) Sustainability follows and reinforces the same principle, and is characterized by activities that seek to change existing framework in favour of sustainability. (Saren et al., p205) Pursing this strategy is significant to consumers for several reasons. The most important of these include: its contribution to the consumer’s â€Å"empowerment† since it allows the consumer to make a difference by using â€Å"green† products and services; and, it provides credibility since sustainability related claims can make consumers believe and trust in the product. (Ottman 2011, p110) The gist of the benefits of sustainable and green marketing is that their associations with the positive impact to environment provides a product or brand a mantle of uniqueness and responsibility that adds value in the eyes of the buyers. Successful sustainable and green campaigns include the Levi’s recently launched Eco line of 100 percent organic cotton jeans; Wal-Mart’s â€Å"Green† push consisted of diverse initiatives such as reducing energy waste, opening green supercenters, stocking more organic products, and working with suppliers to get them on board as well. (Hawkins & Mathersbaugh 2010, p102) Ottman emphasized that sustainable and â€Å"green† products offer tangible and direct benefits that are actually meaningful and importa nt to a number of consumers. (p110) Making a Difference The principles at work here is that green products can rise above the din of commerce that are peppered with superficial solutions to individual needs. Slater pointed to the social dilemma that emerges as a consequence. In his view, the production of more goods and services that provide false satisfactions to human needs in greedy pursuit for profit contribute to the increasing disorganization, disorientation and confusion not just with regards to their needs but also their identities. (p126) In the past, marketing and advertising could have gotten away with it with what Slater called as: an innumerable series of images are forced upon the individual, like mirrors, seemingly empathetic and totally credible, which bring their secrets to the surface and display them there. In these images, people are continually shown the unfulfilled aspects of their existence. The illusion ingratiates itself, promising satisfaction; it reads des ires in one’s eyes, and brings them to the surface of commodity. (p126) The problem now is that consumers have been satiated with these messages and strategies. This and the crass materialism had not satisfied many people’s innermost desires. (Sattar 1992, p. 41) One may say that, today, the average buyer is both aware and confused about the way products are pandered to him. Slater

Monday, November 18, 2019

Information Technology for Business Innovation Essay

Information Technology for Business Innovation - Essay Example As far as technology is concerned, there have been great advances in the movie industry and any company needs to stay abreast with these technologies in order to thrive. Blockbuster has, as stated earlier, used such technologies as streaming video on demand, kiosks and DVD-by-mail to distribute it products. There are various technologies that the company has put in place to ensure that it reaches its global customers as far as marketing and distribution are concerned. To start with, the company offers DVDs on a mail platform whereby movies are send to the consumers on request by mail and on a rental basis. For this technology, consumers request for movies of their preference or the ones they wish to rent and put them in a queue. The company then sends the ordered movies as soon as they become available. The movies are actually send in a postage paid envelope and come with a postage paid return envelope so what the consumers do is to watch the movies, put them into the accompanied pos tage paid envelopes and drop them in them mail then wait for their next ordered movie to be delivered. The only disadvantage of this technology is that customers can not be able to exchange the movies immediately after they watch them. Due to the fact that its customers are distributed globally, another disadvantage may be the high cost of delivery as compared to online method (Hayes 2005). Secondly, the company uses an online streaming technology whereby customers log on to the service which is based on a pay as you access plan then they can access movies of their tastes. As if this is not enough, the company offers free movies on a trial basis or after activating the media players then afterwards one has to pay to watch the subsequent movies. In 2003, blockbuster eventually launched their rental subscription program which allowed members to rent an unlimited number of movies during the duration of their subscription without the worry of any late fees. Basically, majority of the mo vies cost from $2.00 to $ 3.00. Examples of the online streaming services offered by blockbuster include; Vudu and Amazon on demand. It also has contracts with some movie distributors in order to receive movies quickly than the Netflix or their other competitors, Redbox; this betters its customers since it has locations globally. It also strongly emphasizes on new releases which means that their customers always receive the latest products in the market. The company also offers Blu-ray disks which offer advanced features like high definition and storage capacity as compared to DVDs. Has Blockbusters approach been successful? Although blockbuster tried to offer all its services at a friendly manner such as free movies on trial basis and home delivery of their products, it has still not been that successful. This is because it is faced by a lot of competition from its competitors such as the Netflix, movie gallery, and Hasting Entertainment and Red box. When it comes to online streami ng for example, a company like Netflix out did Blockbuster by the fact that its payment plan was friendlier than that of Blockbuster. To be more precise, the company (Netflix) offers unlimited online streaming at the cost of $7.99 per month which is reasonable far much cheaper than Blockbuster’s $ 2.00 to $ 3.00 for every movie. The deal offered by Netflix is even made better

Friday, November 15, 2019

Businesses going green with IT

Businesses going green with IT In todays ever changing world, there is an increased amount of pressure to become more environmentally conscious in they we live go about our daily lives. Some examples of environmental impacts on individuals may include trash recycling, choosing eco-friendly consumer products, vehicle purchase, as well as basic house hold energy management. We could also apply this to an industry service. Businesses in the architectural / engineering world perform construction services in the form of site development. Companies in this industry are designing and making decisions on behalf of their client based on the latest regulations to ensure all the environmental requirements are met while striving for sustainability. Sustainabilitys advancement in society has reached a new level for business organizations. Companies are not only providing services externally that need to comply with environmental regulations. They are also assessing their own internal corporate operations and its environmental impact. Maddens (December 2009) article on sustainability software brings attention to the emerging â€Å"green† software market and how companies are looking to apply this technology both internally and externally to comply with the challenging environmental laws while increasing its corporate image and profitability. Software vendors are now developing applications for businesses to track â€Å"greenhouse† gas emissions (GHG), water and other energy usages, paper waste, and improved materials for services among some of the examples. One of the leading software applications in this group is called carbon emissions accounting or Enterprise Carbon Accounting (ECA). ECA software enables a company to perform analysis and reporting of its GHG emissions. According to AMR Research in Maddens (2009) article, the carbon auditing software market has reached $3.6 billion and could see levels as high as $9 billion within the next couple of years. The validity of the market share has grown since being joined by large vendors such as Computer Associates, Microsoft, and recently merged SAP/Clear Standards. California based company, Enviance, is rated as one of the market leaders in this emerging industry. Their environmental enterprise resource planning (ERP) services include web based and on premise automation of tracking and reporting of health and safety, greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental factors. Their mobile platform involves personal digital assistants (PDAs) and tablet PCs for reducing the amount of paper used in meter reading, inspections for hazardous materials and environmental discharges, and auditing. Data is entered on site through the PDAs and uploaded directly to the incorporated environmental ERP system, which yields a seamless flow of information in real-time throughout all levels of an organization. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software functionality is better known for its sales, production, planning and financial data management that allows the business process to be viewed throughout an organization. It executes its objective typically through a suite of software modules integrated for the business process. One of the challenges sustainability software faces both before and after implementation is whether its verifiable. In Maddens (2009) sustainability software editorial, referring to environmental ERP implementation, Larry Goldenhersh (CEO of Enviance) conveys the detail that accounting for carbon data is not equivalent to financial data on a balance sheet. Regulatory environmental laws can be very complicated. Mr. Goldenhersh states, â€Å"Customers (companies) need to trust that the solutions they have in place will be defensible on many levels regulatory and reputational† (as cited in Madden, December 2009). In contrast to business professionals contribution to (ERP) software development, Mr. Goldenhersh goes on to explain that if sustainability applications are to have any credibility, they will need to be developed with environmental experts in hard sciences such as physics and chemistry as examples. We can also add professionals in other areas such as architectural and engineering with environmental accreditations. Green software users are employed in other sectors within an organization besides executive and management. At the design and production levels, employees can use the applicable data to create improvements for their own facilities management operations or for outside design services. Using the construction trade example mentioned earlier as it relates to the content, Maddens (2009) article explains how CADD (computer aided design and drafting) software vendor Autodesk is providing solutions to their clients enabling them to meet â€Å"green† initiatives. Autodesk has been developing green tools built into their software as well as providing an online web based environmental service. One example of a built-in tool added in their desktop software Inventor is the Sustainable Materials Assistant (SMA), which is applied in manufacturing and process engineering. The SMA application used in digital prototyping focuses on providing feedback for intelligent material selection in the design process with respect to environmental compliance. Their internet based solution is known as the Green Building Studio. This web service uses the Ecotect platform software to enable architects and engineers to perform a building analysis, generating a design that is more energy efficient and account for the overall carbon footprint in the end product (a building system). The information technology applied in this green software service incorporates many factors in this trade including carbon emissions reporting, water usage, amount of daylight, site positioning, and even a detailed weather analysis among several of the examples. Using Enviance CEOs comments on green software creditability as a parallel reference, the Green Building Studio web service was evaluated under ANSI/ASHRAE standards for this genre of computer analysis and is certified by the U.S. Department of Energy, (according to the Autodesk website) making the service verifiable. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), information technology was predicted to create the â€Å"paperless† office but has yet to deliver. Analysts report that companies are still using far more paper than originally predicted for business operations today (stated in Madden, 2009). The consumption of paper contributes to the impacts paper mills and logging have on the environment. Hewlett-Packard one of the leading suppliers of office equipment and supplies has strategically partnered with Capella Technologies to provide an Intelligent Print Management (IPM) software solution. The on demand printing solution allows the company to monitor and track documents and to ensure they are printed on the correct devices thus reducing costs and allow companies to become more eco-friendly. Another example of reducing paper consumption through the use of information technology in Maddens (2009) article is the Quik suite product. Efficient Technologies markets this software to automate forms and incorporate the use of digital signature technology for e-signing. The goal is to have companies fully embrace this technology to reduce its paper consumption by half or greater. There will always be a debate regarding the validity and magnitude in regards to sustainability and other environmental agendas. Maddens (2009) two part editorial suggests these issues are having an impact on information technology and the way organizations are applying them. With the ever increasing environmental regulations and public awareness, companies are becoming more sensitive to their corporate image with the consumer as well as with potential clients. Businesses are utilizing â€Å"green† software technologies enterprise wide in their internal operations as much as they are in their commercial trades to strategically position their public profile while they increase profits and reduce operating costs. References Madden, Ned. (2009, December 1). Sustainability Software, Part 1: Its Easy Being Green. TechNewsWorld. Retrieved from: http://www.technewsworld.com. Madden, Ned. (2009, December 8). Sustainability Software, Part 2: Cutting the Paper Chase. TechNewsWorld. Retrieved from: http://www.technewsworld.com. Enviance ®. http://www.enviance.com. Autodesk ®. http://usa.autodesk.com

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Icons of Ambivalence in Bless Me Ultima Essay examples -- Bless Me Ult

Icons of Ambivalence in Bless Me Ultima  Ã‚        Ã‚   The portrait of Mexican Americans is layered in shades of ambivalence. Aside from the fact there is evidence that they can not really be classified as a migratory culture in that the land where they tend to migrate once belonged to Mexico, they can also lay an earlier claim to the land as Native Americans. The Spanish Europeans who settled in the area that became Mexico evolved as the dominant culture over the oral culture of the Native Americans. Nevertheless, there is evidence of ambivalence among the Native Americans to the dominant culture of the Spanish in what is arguably one of the Mexico's basic texts, the story of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531. The Virgin of Guadalupe does not fit the usual model of the Virgin as she appears to believers, the biggest change being her native appearance. She is of the dominant culture's religion, and yet she is not. Her appearance is one of only eight worldwide that have found acceptance by the Catholic Church (Apparition 48). Moreover, she is a symbol of the native culture as well and has reverence in the eyes of both Mexicans and Mexican Americans that remains evident to date. Notably as well, Bless Me Ultima, a modern work of fiction set in New Mexico, depicts not only ambivalence toward the dominant culture of the United States, but also remnants of the same ambivalence toward the Catholic Church found hundreds of years earlier in the native culture of Mexico. Ultima, one of the principle characters in the novel, practices the ancient art of Curanderismo, an approach to healing which encompasses the body, mind and emotions along with the soul and the spirit (Curandera 1). Ultima practices the four ... ...Robert C. Broderick, ed. New York: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1987. 48. "Blessed Juan Diego: Model of Humility". 29 Oct. 2000. http://ng.netgate.net/~norberto/juandiego.html. "Blessed or Evil. 5 October 2000. http://www2.cwrl.utexas.edu/sheila/314f95/projects/group5/curan2.htm "Curandera Elena Avila. 5 October 2000. http://www.ph-webnet.com/ph_a/articles/duval-8.htm de Vega, Bechiller Luis Lazo. "History of the Miraculous Apparition of the Virgin of Guadalupe in 1531." The Heath Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Paul Later. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. 475-82. "La Curandera: Blessed or Evil." 5 October 2000. http://www2.cwrl.utexas.edu/sheila/314f95/projects/group5/curan.htm "Scapular." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Revised and Updated. Robert C. Broderick, ed. New York: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1987. 543.      

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Operational Management Theory of Constraints Essay

The theory of constraints is a management philosophy which was developed by Goldratt in 1986.   It is based on identifying the limiting factors/constraints in a system which may hinder it from achieving its intended goals.   It states that for such a system to improve, the constraint must be identified and dealt with accordingly. Question one. The major cause of the backlog at the BCMC MRI clinic is due to the low productivity of the MR machine and the heavy overtime schedule which strains the MR technologist and leads to scanning of lesser patients per hour.   Although the machine is designed to make one scan per hour, it is not meeting this target due to various limiting factors such as poor communication between the patient and the hospital scan-scheduling department which has led to booking and overbooking of patients at the wrong times.   This has resulted in the clinic having too many patients which it is unable to handle. Question two. The major problem of this process lies in the clinic’s scheduling department which makes so many mistakes when booking the appointments for the patients’ scanning.   This system unlike previous MRI providers does not handle the scheduling leaving all the workload to the scheduling department and this has proved to be quite hectic for them. Question three. According to the radiology department manager, the clinic should consider hiring another MR technologist to ease the pressure on the present technologist and improve the lead-time.   In addition, the clinic should consider introducing another shift may be in the early hours of the evening in order to ensure that more patients are attended to per day. In addition to the above recommendation, as Kevin and/or David i would recommend that more incentives be given to Jeff the MR technologist for every extra time he puts in.   This would motivate him to work more thus maximizing the number of scans he performs per day and it will help a great deal in reducing the backlog.

Friday, November 8, 2019

How to Use Dialogues in Class

How to Use Dialogues in Class Its easy to get stuck in a rut when using dialogues in class, but these teaching tools are full of potential. Here are some activities that use dialogue beyond just rote reading and parroting.   Use Dialogues to Practice Stress and Intonation Dialogues can come in handy when working on stress and intonation. Students move beyond focusing on single phonemic pronunciation issues and concentrate instead on bringing the right intonation and stress to larger structures. Students can play with meaning through stress by creating dialogues that focus on stressing individual words to clarify meaning. Use dialogues that students are familiar with so that they can focus on pronunciation rather than vocabulary, new forms, etc.Introduce students to the concept of using stress and intonation to highlight content words while brushing over function words.Ask students to highlight their dialogues by marking the content words in each of their lines.Students practice the dialogues together focusing on improving their pronunciation through stress and intonation. Base Impromptu Skits on Dialogues One of my favorite uses of shorter language function dialogues (i.e. shopping, ordering in a restaurant, etc.) for lower levels is to extend the activity by first practicing dialogues, and then asking students to act out dialogues without any help. If you are practicing a number of dialogues, you can add an element of chance by having students pick their target situation out of a hat. Provide numerous short situational dialogues for a target linguistic function. For example, for shopping students can practice exchanges of trying on clothing, asking for help, asking for a different size, paying for items, asking for a friends advice, etc.Have students practice each situation multiple times.Write each situation on a small piece of paper.Students choose a situation randomly and act it out on the spot without any dialogue cues. Extend Dialogues to full Blown Productions Some situational dialogues just call out for full blown productional values. For example, when practicing modal verbs of deduction using a dialogue to make suppositions about what might have happened makes a perfect scenario for practice. Students can begin with a dialogue to get the gist of a scenario, and then let their imaginations take over. Introduce target structure in class. Good structures for longer skits include: conditional forms, reported speech, modal verbs of deduction, speculating about the future, imagining a different past (past modal verbs of deduction).Provide a dialogue with targeted structure as inspiration.Divide the class up into smaller groups, each in the group should have a role.Using the dialogue as a model, students should create their own longer multiple person skit.Students practice and then perform for the rest of the class. Paraphrase Dialogues Paraphrasing dialogues can help students focus on related structures. Begin slowly by asking students to substitute or paraphrase shorter forms. End with more extended dialogues. Provide short dialogues to students and ask them paraphrase shorter phrases. For example, if the dialogue asks for suggestions with a phrase such as Lets go out tonight, students should be able to come up with Why dont we go out tonight, How about going out for a night on the town, etc.Hand out a few different dialogues, ask students to read the dialogue and then create another dialogue on the fly without using the same exact words. Students can take a look at the original lines, but must use other words and phrases.Ask students to read a dialogue to another pair. This pair in turn attempts to repeat the dialogue through paraphrase. As a variation to this exercises for lower level classes, students can expand their use of a wider variety of vocabulary and expressions by using gap fill dialogues. Students still have the structure of the dialogues to hold on to, but must fill in the gaps for the dialogues to make sense.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Critical Thinking Essays - Thought, Epistemology, Free Essays

Critical Thinking Essays - Thought, Epistemology, Free Essays Critical Thinking Critical thinking would be important to the well being of our society for many reasons except for the fact that hardly anyone ever uses it. If people used critical thinking all the time society would be a very different place. People would actually think about what they were going to say and what it means before they said it. It would prevent a lot of conflict because people would stop themselves from saying ignorant and offensive things. Also people would not be as easily influenced by the media and other peoples opinions because they would think about the message behind them. Society as a whole is so quick to believe what the media and/or people of authority have to say that they hardly ever take the time to consider other options. People would be much more likely to form their own opinions and stick to them with information and facts to back it up. I think that people in society would get along better if they took the time to use critical thinking. Even though almost nothing but positive things would come out of everyone thinking critically it will never happen because of the way society is. People are much more likely to follow someone elses opinion then to take the time to come up with their own.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Identify a significant problem area within American Business, or Essay

Identify a significant problem area within American Business, or Business Related Law today - Essay Example In an employment situation, for example, an employee may be being subjected to language discrimination if the workplace has a â€Å"speak-English-only† policy but the employee’s primary language is something other than English† (The Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center and the ACLU Foundation of Northern California 1). 2. Description of the Nature and Extent of the Problem in Contemporary Society In contemporary society, language discrimination still continues despite laws that were enforced regarding the need to comply with regulations imposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which states that â€Å"the mere existence of a â€Å"speak-English-only† workplace policy is evidence of discrimination under federal law† (The Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center and the ACLU Foundation of Northern California 2). Furthermore, discriminating the use of one’s native language has been found to â€Å"be a form of discrimination o n the basis of race or national origin, which are prohibited by well-established civil rights laws such as Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (a federal law), and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (a state law)† (The Legal Aid Society - Employment Law Center and the ACLU Foundation of Northern California 1). 3. ... enter) on behalf of the plaintiffs, the Filipino nurses’ employed in DRMC were summoned to alleged mandatory meetings emphasizing the need to conform to the English-only policy and were, likewise, appropriately advised and warned that surveillance monitoring systems would be installed as a means of controlling them. As such, the report indicated that even during break time, fellow staff nurses continue to barrage these Filipino nurses into complying with the English-only policy; they were also encouraged to immediately report Filipino nurses who speak in their native language. In a copy of the case brief, it was also disclosed that the discrimination targeted only Filipino nurses, and other non-Filipino nurses who speak their respective native languages were not subjected to the same discriminative rules and practices (Asian American Legal Center, "Case No. 1:10-cv-01492-LJO-JLT" 9). 4. Analysis and Discussion of Ways that the Problem Affects Life The language discrimination p roblem was reported to have caused severe emotional and psychological stress, as well as economic difficulties, which ensued due to the need to file legal charges against the hospital for violating the rights of these workers, subject to the Equal Employment Opportunities law and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to one of the nurses, who was selected spokesperson of the Filipino nurses who filed the legal action against DRMC, the organization’s imposition of sanctions created due embarrassment and lowered the morale of Filipino nurses. Despite having served the organization for a considerable length of time, the loyalty and dedication rendered were not at all acknowledged and, therefore, the language discrimination practiced causes significant stress, feelings of isolation, and being

Friday, November 1, 2019

Gender Representation of Children's Television cartoon Essay

Gender Representation of Children's Television cartoon - Essay Example from choices of clothes to toys etc. This prejudice also alters the behavior of parents for instance, for girls it can be seen that they are treated delicately while boys are usually treated discourteously. Due to the behaviors of families towards labeling children as boys and girls, within the 18 months of their birth, infants begin to learn the dissimilarities between two genders by themselves. In this way, between 18 to 20 months, the gender identity begins to be constructed. The idea of gender differences becomes clear in the minds of children by the age of two. â€Å"Although they have not fabricated a view of their own gender, they can differentiate females and males and learn to divide the world between women and men. They define behaviors of woman and man (stereotypes about sexuality)†. For instance, in a study which was conducted with the children below age of 2, children acknowledged that boys like to play with cars while girls like to play with dolls and boys like t o push whereas girls like to cry. They define activities of adults as belonging to male and female. They also define colors according to gender. At this age, children are able to determine their own gender correctly and they understand that gender is a permanent characteristic. In later years, children’s communication with friends and in their schools also leads them to construct biased attitudes towards the two genders. One of the most vital contributing factors in internalizing gender stereotypes in children is Media. Katz and Boswell (1986) identified that among children, media and peers are more effective than parents in developing gender identification. For children, many television programs are integrated with gender discrimination intensively.... For children, many television programs are integrated with gender discrimination intensively. In TV programs, it can be clearly seen that one of the two genders is posed as dominant while others are insignificant characters. A large number of programs reveal male as more dominant and powerful character as compared to female character. Many of the shows that are being shown on TV are ordinary lives of ordinary people reflected on the screen. According to Mutlu, (1999) â€Å"Shortly, television is the extension of people's common, ordinary feelings and interests on screen† (Mutlu, 1999). As Williams states, â€Å"most of the television programs are extensions of daily talk† (Williams, 1992). Therefore, it is possible that all the contents of TV programs are actually society’s beliefs, ideas and traditions that are broadcasted on TV. It is really important for parents to know what their children are watching. Television exposes children to those things from which pa rents are striving to protect the m especially drug abuse, violence etc. Along with the actual television programs, children also get influenced by what they see in advertisements during commercial breaks. There are many negative aspects of watching too much TV. Watching TV too much can cause bedtime resistance and anxiety around sleep. It is also followed by shortened duration of sleep. Another study suggested that there is a strong relationship between watching too much TV and aggressive behavior of children. Children who spend significant amount of time in watching TV during early adulthood and adolescence are more likely to act aggressively against others. Watching too much TV also causes the problem of overweight and inactiveness among children. In TV programs, gender discrimination is also actually a