Environmental Science in Today’s World Essay

Humans so dominate today’s world that there is no ecosystem on earth that has not been influenced to a greater or lesser degree of human activities. And, as long as humans remain on earth, such influence will not end. Sustainability will depend on learning to channel our efforts so that we play a positive supporting role as opposed to a destructive role toward ecosystems (Nebel & Wright, 1993). Environmental risk is a reality of today’s world. The seemingly endless supply of synthetic chemicals, consumer goods, energy, and waste create new risks through chemical contamination, pollution, and environmental degradation. Environmental disasters such as chemical spills or explosions threaten millions of people living in the vicinity of manufacturing or storage facilities. The uncertain risks of global warming and ozone depletion loom ahead. A central factor of environmental risk is that it is usually involuntary. People do not choose to ingest chemical pollutants such as pesticides or industrial solvents in their food and water, to undergo workplace exposures to dangerous chemicals, to breathe polluted air, or to experience radiation exposure from nuclear fallout or faulty nuclear power plants. These environmental risks pose a unique problem to regulators charged with protecting the public health. Limited information may be available on the health effects of these risks. Consequently, in an effort to protect the public’s health, various government agencies study these potential hazards to determine the level of risk they pose. This effort to understand these risks, and to quantify their impact on human health, is the field of risk analysis (Moore, 2002). The scale of human occupation and transformation of the environment is now truly global. The adverse health effects of this ignorance may have been limited, as the environmental damage was on a local scale. However, in today’s world our activities are having an impact at a global scale, and global environmental change will become a major theme in public health research, social policy and development, and political advocacy in the 21st century. The conceptualization of the environment as a global public good for health should go some way not only in increasing an appreciation for this heritage and dependency, but should also enhance the interface between research and policy. This increased awareness and interface between key stakeholders might lead to effective action to ensure a sustainable future for current and future generations (Hester & Harrison, 2002).

Values and Interest

Step 1: Values, Interests and Skills Review the following information related to the importance of Career Self-Assessment. http://www. job-hunt. org/career-change/self-assessment. shtml Write one paragraph reflecting on your values. I value life and life itself and the lives of my family and the people who are close to me. I also value religion and the guidance that it portrays. I value my education and professional career because it has helped to make me what I am today. I work because I not only have to, but because I want the experience and the knowledge that I will gain from a life of work.I want to be able to use this knowledge to not only help myself and my family, but to also help and teach others, and to also make a different so that I can leave and everlasting impression on whoever I may come in contact with. I also value the ability to speak and to speak freely. I value my ability to be self motivated in whatever task that I may be given. Write one paragraph reflecting on y our interests. I am interested in having a career in the heath care administrative field, may it be information, quality control, managed care, finance, marketing etc.This has always been a passion of mine to work in this type of environment because I feel as though these are the areas in health care that are really being overlooked and neglected, and I really want to make a different in organizing and using my knowledge and skills to improve upon these various areas. I enjoy working with people and I don’t have a problem working alone. I love to work in environments that are outgoing and organized and process the ability to grow and be exposed to different things. Write one paragraph reflecting on your favorite skills.My favorite skills are the ability to analyze and research along with effective communication. I also apply information creatively to specific problems or tasks that I may be faced with or assigned to along with sort data and objects, compile and rank informati on, identify alternative courses of action, set realistic goals and follow through with a plan or decision, manage time effectively, predict future trends and patterns, and accommodate multiple demands for commitment of time, energy and lastly set priorities. Step 2: Personality Assessment Review the information at http://www. myersbriggs. org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/Include each of the four letters of your code below. Use one line for each letter. After reviewing the meaning of each letter, include your interpretation of this information and what this means to you. (Your response should be a minimum of two sentences. ) I I prefer to keep to myself and not let matters or issues in the outside world effect how I live my life. NI love to interpret reason and analyze things. I tend to use these skills when I am learning something new and researching TI am a thinker. I prefer to think about things logically before I go ahead and make any major decisions on anything.P or JI use both perceiving and judging because I like to make decisions but I am also open to new ideas. Step 3: Reflection Now that you have completed a reflection of your values, personality, skills and interests write one to two paragraphs indicating how this information ties to your career. Be sure to consider all four elements you reflected upon. The purpose of this assessment was to reflect on finding out who you as a person, what are your interest, values and the skills that you possess. All of these are factors that will be needed in order to build a successful personal and professional life.The assessment also helps you to figure out your likes and dislikes that you may have regarding various activities. The personality assessment also helps you to find out what type of person you are, and this may also consider what type of people you or what type environment you may work best in. Such as being in tuned with yourself or the outside world, being a thinker or follower, a self start er or person who likes to told what to do. The purpose of the self assessment tool is that people who share similar interests will also enjoy the same type of work and how important different values are to you.Examples of these values, which play an important role in one's job satisfaction, include autonomy, prestige, security, interpersonal relations, helping others, flexible work schedule, outdoor work, leisure time, and high salary. In addition to determining what you're good at, the skills assessment also helps you figure out what you enjoy doing. The skills you use in your career should combine both characteristics. You can use the results of the skills assessment to make some changes by acquiring the skills you need for a particular career.

Eschools as Organisations Post 16 Options for Young People and Adults Essay

1. 2 Explain the post 16 options for young people and adults: – Once a young person has reached year 11 there are a number of choices to make about their future, this could be choosing a new course at school or college or entering employment and training. These options will give them a good base on building a future career. Post 16:- Continue in full time education either sixth form or at a local college. Depending on their results they can choose from the list below:- Post 17:- If they have just completed a one-year course, following Year 12, they may decide to continue their studies full time or look for jobs and training:- Post 18:- Following Year 13, they will have a number of choices to make about their future. They may decide to continue their studies full time or look for jobs or training. List of options for post 16, 17 and 18. Course at entry level- Entry level courses do not require any exam passes and usually take one or two years to complete, a course at this level is an – Entry Level Certificate. Course at Level 1(foundation Level) – Foundation level courses do not usually require any exam passes. Depending on which course they do it usually takes either one or two years to complete. Examples of courses at this level are: -Introductory Certificates/Diplomas -National First Award (level 1) -National certificate/Award (level 1) -GCSEs -NVQ Level 1 Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (foundation Level) All foundation Level courses can lead to higher level courses or work and training. Courses at level 2 (intermediate level) – Intermediate Level courses may require two or three passes at grades D–G and they usually take two years to complete. Examples of courses at this level are: – GCSEs – First Certificates/Diplomas – National Certificates/Awards (Level 2) – NVQ Level 2 – Foundation Apprenticeship – Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (Intermediate) All Intermediate Level courses can lead to higher level course or jobs with training. (Providing they get the grades required). Courses at level 3 (advanced level) Four or five GCSEs at grades A*- C or equivalents are usually required for entry. Depending on the type of course, they generally take either one or two years to complete. Examples of courses at this level are: – AS/A levels, including applied A levels – National Diploma – International Baccalaureate – Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (Advanced) †¢ NVQ Level 3 – Apprenticeship. All Advanced Level courses can lead to higher education or jobs and training (providing they get the grades required in the appropriate subjects). Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification:- The Welsh Bac is now becoming available to more learners throughout Wales in schools, colleges and work-based settings. It allows for more flexibility in their studies. They will also develop skills and learning styles that prepare you for further and higher education, as well as the world of work. The Welsh Bac consists of two parts: Core – consisting of five components: – An Individual Investigation (which is like a project) into a subject of their own choice. – Wales, Europe and the World – Key Skills – Work-related education – Personal and social education. Options – where they choose from course/programmes that are currently offered, for example: – GCSE – AS/A levels – VCE (Vocational A levels) – NVQ – BTEC – OCR-*- New Principal Learning and Project Qualification will also be available as option within the Welsh Bac. Apprenticeships: Apprenticeships bring them formal qualifications and highly specific work skills. They must be employed so they will be earning while they learn. They can also use Apprenticeship as a stepping stone to higher qualifications. As an Apprentice, their skills and role are respected, many top managers started out by learning a trade and understanding how the organisation works from the ground up. To gain access to an apprenticeship applicants would need: — Four or five GCSEs at grade C or above are usually needed. – They’d be paid while they learn the skills that employers are looking for. – They’d gain an NVQ Level 3 qualification as an Apprentice or a Level 2 qualification as a foundation Apprentice. Higher Apprenticeships are also available at a Level 4 or above. Traineeships: If the student was leaving school or college a Traineeship could help them get the skills needed to get a job or progress to further learning at a higher level, for example Apprenticeships or further education. In most cases they can start on a Traineeship at any point during the year and they don’t need any formal qualifications to access the programme. There are different levels of Traineeship. (Post 18) †¢ Engagement: If they are finding it difficult to find the right job, get into work or develop their skills and learning, this level will help prepare them for the world of work or full time learning. This level can include work placements, community projects or training. Level 1: If they know what career they want to follow and are ready for full-time learning at Level 1, this level will allow them to progress their skills further in their chosen subject and can also include work placements and community projects. If they have successfully completed a Level 1 and are still out of work, they maybe eligible to start learning at Level 2. Voluntary work: As well as doing something worthwhile and rewarding in its own right, voluntary work can also be a good way of gaining skills and experience, especially if they don’t find a job or training right away. It also looks good on a CV. Youth Gateway: If they need some extra help and support before applying for a course, job or training, Youth Gateway is a short programme run by Careers Wales to help them with identifying and developing skills, job search, making applications and choosing suitable courses. Information on this can found at the local Careers Wales Centre. Direct. Gov [15 April 2012] www. education. gov. uk [1 April 2012 wales. gov. uk [ 1 April 2012].

Managing strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing strategy - Essay Example However, the ever evolving industry of tourism in Europe has meant that there were several factors in the external environment that were impacting the tour operators. This report will analyze those factors using the PESTEL model and Porter’s Five Forces. PESTEL Analysis Political The major political problem that struck the European tour operator industry was the September 11 attacks in the United States of America. The debacle was not just detrimental for Europe but for everywhere around the world. One of the industries that suffered most was the tourism industry. The sense of fear among people grew and that brought a big halt to the number of travelers around the world. The countries had implemented strict policies on visas and entry of foreigners in their lands. Among countries, there was increased scrutiny as the after effects of the attack on the US. There was lack of trust because of the security troubles. Every foreigner was scrutinized. Policies were made strict and thi s was one major reason why tourism industry took a big hit after the attack (United States, 2006). Economical The attacks did not just affect the political landscape of the world but it also had a direct impact on the economies of several regions. Businesses came to a halt and export and import was severely affected. This meant that businesses were not making as much money as they would in normal times. Because of this, there was a severe lack of profit which led to businesses running out of capital (Beaver, 2002). There were a lot of jobs lost and unemployment was on the rise. The overall spending power of the common man went low because of which the expenditures on luxuries such as traveling was also cut down. This had a direct impact on the European tourism industry because people started become more concerned about their well being rather than spending heavy and travel and leisure. An enormous decline was seen in the amount of money being spent in tourism (Hall & Lew, 2009). Mat ters were also made worse when the global economic crisis hit the region in the last 2000s. The world became rife of liquid money and economies were collapsing. This meant that the overall economic situation was not healthy. Companies were suffering as well with many big names being forced into shutting down their businesses. All in all, it was a tough environment to operate in for the European tourism industry. Social The positive aspect in the external environment for the European tourism industry, however, was that the people of Europe generally liked traveling. It was taken seriously and people considered it as their passion. This meant that when political and economic conditions in the region improved, people went back to investing in their travels and this was something that immensely benefited the tourism industry in Europe (Davidson, 1998). Technological Technology had a big part to play in the European tourism industry. For tour operators especially, technology was proving to be a menace. This was because their direct competitors, who would be the hotels and airlines themselves, started selling their products and services through the internet. During the last 2000s, sales through internet surpassed all other mediums. Technology provided a more convenient and easy access to people who wished to book flights and tours. Airlines as well as hotels both were now providing packaged tours for their customers, something the tour operators in

Management in Healthcare Organizations Term Paper

Management in Healthcare Organizations - Term Paper Example Modern evidence through research shows that using lean clinic design has the potential of improving the general productivity of a building. Using the Clearview Cancer Center in Huntsville, Alabama as an example, there is enough evidence to suggest that the design has led to improvement in patient flow as well as a reduction in the amount of time that it took patients to journey from one point within the clinic to the other to receive care (McKee, Figueras and Chenet, 1998). In effect, the Clearview Cancer Center in Huntsville is a clear evidence of how lean clinic design has increased patient throughput and ensured longevity for patients. It is against this background that the current proposal is being presented for the board’s consideration of implementing clean clinic design as has been recommended by the architect of The Fallon Clinic in Massachusetts. Improvement in Patient Flow When patients visit the clinic, they are expected to move from one point of service to the othe r. This is because at The Fallon Clinic in Massachusetts, there is currently not a centralized patient serving process that permits patients to receive integrated service at only one point of call. Patient flow therefore involves movement for services such as admission, confirmation of insurance card, checking in to the consulting room, taking prescription to the pharmacy, visiting the laboratory among others. In an emergency situation such length of flow, if not minimized can be highly threatening to the health of patients (Healy and McKee, 1997). Meanwhile with a lean clinic design, the benefit will be towards the reduction of time spent to and from one point of service to the other. There are two major ways by which the lean clinic design is assured to bring about the improvement in patient flow. In the first place, the design will ensure that service centers are brought close to each other and that there are connected services being taken from the same premises or room. The seco nd form will be to ensure that there is visibility with service points, where patients will not have to use meandering routes to find their ways to service points. Access to care and efficiency Clearly, as easily as patients are able to reach service providers in a real cut down in time frame, the next benefit that will be expected will be improved access to care. Generally, access to care involves the reception of health care when it is most needed (Kaser, 2007). This means that when a patient approaches the clinic and is severe need of a particular health care service, any condition that denies the care at the very urgent time that the service is needed hinders access to care. A typical example of access to care can be cited with a pregnant woman who comes to the clinic and is in labor. At that time, access to care should ensure that she receives the services of midwives who will ensure that there is an immediate safe delivery for her. If this pregnant woman does not receive this form of care but its left alone to go through labor by herself, any form of care that will come will not constitute access to care at the time she entered the clinic. Meanwhile with a lean clinic design in place, the type of free flow of patients and accessibility that employees are going to get, there is enough evidence that care will reach patients when it is most n

Charlotte Perkins Gilman v. David Foster Wallace Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman v. David Foster Wallace - Essay Example Many believe that depression can lead to mental disorder which is not true but it can affect a person’s perception and attitude. The author states that the girl feels neglected as her parents are more concerned about â€Å"scoring petty points of each other† (P). It makes her feel that her parents have abandoned her with no help and or concern. The author further shows that a depressed person looks for support and comfort, which can help her gain confidence and strength to fight the situation. In the book the girl’s therapist finds that the â€Å"depressed person’s support system† comprised of girls who happen to be her childhood friends and few other who helped her at â€Å"various stages of her school career† (P). She calls these acquaintances in late nights to get support and â€Å"some realistic perspective on the day’s despair† (P). The context in which the author mentions the girl’s situation gives the readers a cle ar idea that depression cannot be purely called as a mental illness. Often situations lead a person to a sense of despair which causes emotional stress and trauma. There should be a proper approach to the depressed persons in order to get them out of that situation. They often feel that they are boring and blame themselves for being in that situation. This might be due to lack of proper support system required for an individual in the situation of emotional agony. Giving the example of the situation the girl is in, the author says â€Å"the depressed person always apologized for dragging them down or coming off as boring or self-pitying or repellant or taking them away from their active, vibrant, largely pain-free long-distance lives† (P). They also think that talking to others during depression can make others feel bored. Therefore, most of the depressed individuals like to be alone and isolated. More interaction with such people can help to improve their situation. A great deal of compassion and emotional attachment should be there to deal with depression. Many people are of the notion that depression is a kind of mental illness. This might be because they hear lot of stories and news on depressed people doing weird and horrifying acts. Therapists believe that depressed people do not like to mention their situation in details. They sometimes give only the outline of their emotional agony. People suffering from mental illness always suggest that others are being too harsh in this situation and most of them eventually break down in tears. The author further tells the audience that â€Å"her support system often told the depressed person that they just wished she could not be a little less hard on herself, to which the depressed person responded by â€Å"bursting involuntarily into tears† (Wallace 58). A person in depression is most vulnerable and any comments can affect their mental situation badly. Frequent talking to friends in such situations can make them feel bored and less responsive. Eventually, the depressed person will get a sense of shame talking to their so called support system and there will be an â€Å"inadequacy the depressed person experience about calling members of her support system† (Wallace 58). How to tackle this kind of situation is a big challenge. Besides, continuous depression can make the people in the support system feel bored. Sometimes, their gestures or â€Å"

Buyer behaviour and communication strategies BB644 Assignment

Buyer behaviour and communication strategies BB644 - Assignment Example Moreover, the Toyota Prius family including Prius 1.8, Prius C and Prius V wagon will provide consumers with more models to choose from. The main goal is to create awareness of the hybrid technology developed by Toyota in the form of Toyota Prius family. By advertising and promoting the product, we wish to position Prius as a comfortable yet powerful car for the fun-loving and family-centered individuals alike. The communication channels are meant to draw interest and instigate a desire among consumers to make a purchase. The advertising should effectively create the desired image on the minds of the consumers in order to generate brand awareness which can productively be converted into sales. Moreover, the intended purpose of using communication channels is to stimulate buyer readiness through knowledge dissemination which educates the public about the damages of conventional fossil fuel engine cars and the new hybrid technology which has been stylishly designed in the form of Toyota Prius series. This notion is intended to trigger consumers to consider a change in their automobile preferences in order to try out th e hybrid car series by Toyota which is both, energy efficient and cost effective, as compared to other cars by the competitors. So, the main focus can be said to highlight the novel attributes of the Toyota Prius family and its hybrid technology. Also, the economic perspective of the Toyota Prius series is pivotal in convincing consumers that the cars have been made to suit the needs of everybody including families, individuals, and adventurous youths. Communication strategy is an important phase of strategy development and marketing products. In particular, it is critical to the segmentation, targeting, and positioning of the Toyota Prius family in the minds of the target consumers. The image any particular brand conjures up in the mind of the consumer is significant in determining

The Concept of Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Concept of Globalization - Essay Example Businesses and markets across the world are now linked such that a business in one country can have customers from any part of the world. This is as a result of expanded business operations and easy access of world markets resulting to globalization of markets. Advancement in IT has aided in removing physical barriers like boundaries. Factors of production are central in the globalization process since nations exhibit differences in quantity and quality of these factors (Lechner, 2009). Nations that have less of one or more factors e.g. labor tend to seek it from others while they export what they have in surplus e.g. food in case land is put into proper use. Due to this interaction global institutions have emerged e.g. UN, IMF and The World Bank among others that control interaction between nations (Haugen and Mach, 2010). Some offer credit, others ensure peace and stability while others ensure credibility of international trade. Globalization has turned the world into one big marke t place where nations showcase what they have in plenty and seek what they are short of. Consumers are now free to shop for commodities from any part of the world. In the process goods and services, money and culture are exchanged making the world to be one big community. References Haugen, D. M. and Mach, R. (2010). Globalization. Greenhaven. Lechner, F. J. (2009). Globalization: The making of world society. Wiley-Blackwell.

Analysis of Salome Dancing before Herod by Gustave Moreau Term Paper

Analysis of Salome Dancing before Herod by Gustave Moreau - Term Paper Example Herod, on the other hand, is in love with his own daughter, but of course, Salome does not love Herod in that fashion. Hence, to enforce her father to get John’s head, Salome dances for Herod in a way of seducing him (Nermeena 1). This painting by Gustave Moreau came out quite differently from the facts in the Bible. Critics found the astonishing, superhuman Salome to be an overpowering fascination portrayed from that canvas painting. Also, the watercolor known as the Apparition was fairly screaming. This was how Huysmans, a French novelist, wrote about Moreau's Salome in his book, A Rebours (1884). The theme was tremendously popular in the figurative arts, music, as well as literature, towards the end of the century. The theme concurred with the misogynous attitude of the Symbolists. In the interpretation given in Huysmans’ text, people can view Salome as a vicious female who seduces Herod, her own father, in order to get John’s head. ...The unicorns are symbols of purity, as well as chastity. The work also suggests a feeling of serenity, as well as comfort, in the mythological subject matter. The painting was completed in 1875, and it adopted the style of symbolism (Moreau 1). Also, it is classified under the religious genre. The painting used oil technique on canvas material, and its dimensions are 61cm by 92cm. The room the painting is placed in is extremely spacious with regards to the size of the painting (Moreau 1). The room’s dimensions were 870 by 700 cm. This is adequate space for the painting. A painting, in its showcase, needs adequate room, as well as lighting. The room is also painted white (Moreau 1). Hence, the dark color of the painting makes it stand out. The artificial lighting is, hence, not needed. Other two paintings that caught the eyes of many viewers were the â€Å"Jupiter and Semele†, as well as the Dream. The latter work was done by Gustave Moreau and the first work by Pierre Puvis de Chavannes.

The Great Gatsby Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Great Gatsby - Research Paper Example An analysis of the novel ‘Great Gatsby’ is imperative without taking a closer look at the character of Nick as it is through him that the reader gets to meet and know about the other characters as well as understand the mysterious life of Jay Gatsby. This paper analyzes on whether Nick is a morally upright honest narrator who gives the reader an unflinching look at the consequences of decadence or if he is untrustworthy and blinded by his admiration of wealth and glamor? Fitzgerald uses Nick as a point of reference to all the other characters in the novel and its setting. The novel kicks off in the summer of 1922 when Nick moves to New York. He is originally from Minnesota and moves to the city to learn on the bond business. He rents a house in the fictional West Egg district of Long Island which gets displayed in the novel as unfashionable (Fitzgerald 2). The area is populated by a newly rich group of individuals who have made their fortunes just recently (Fitzgerald 18). This group of the newly rich is not shy to show off their wealth. Living next door to Nick in a gigantic gothic mansion is Jay Gatsby who is mysterious and throws lavish parties every Saturday night. Unlike the other populace of West Egg, Nick is socially connected in East Egg, a more fashionable are of Long Island and home to the established upper class. his cousin is Daisy Buchanan who is married to Tom, a classmate of Nick’s at Yale. Nick is introduced to Jordan Baker, w ith whom he starts a romantic relationship, by Daisy and Tom. Through Jordan, Nick gets to learn of Myrtle Wilson, Tom’s love. Through the progression of the summer, Nick gets invited one of Gatsby’s legendary party’s where he finally gets to meet him. As a cousin to Daisy Buchanan and next door neighbor to Gatsby, Nick proves the perfect choice of narrator for the novel. He is at a position where he is able to

Critical Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical Review - Article Example It is essential therefore for a financially responsible college or university to have a balanced budget within which expenditures remain contained in the available revenues available. A significant reduction in the available net assets of such an institution thus becomes a cause of concern and might signify financial instability. This paper summarizes the ideas expressed in an article done by Dr. Houston Davis. It focuses majorly on higher education, accounting and how technology has affected budgeting in these institutions. Biography of the author Dr. Houston Davis, a native of Clarksville was recently named as the university system of Georgia’s new chief academic officer and executive vice chancellor. Over the years Dr. Houston has been identified for his valuable experience combined with his fine ability in providing leadership in pertinence to the system’s core academic mission purposing to create a twenty first century educational model. He holds a PhD from Vanderb ilt University, Nashville; a Master’s in education from Tennessee state university and a bachelor’s in political science from the University of Memphis. He is and has been continuously involved in writing and research projects in areas of governance, higher education access, accountability and fund management in higher education and economic development. He serves on several national and regional advisory groups in higher education policies academic preparation, accountability and degree completion. Dr. Houston Davis has served in the educational sector for quite some time. In (2001-2005) he worked in the field of academic leadership for Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. In addition to these professional duties he served in the role of director for the National Educational Needs Index between 2004 and 2011. This initiative was aimed at measuring educational, social, economic and intense population pressure among the 50 states which affect policy and planning in national, regional and local levels. Following this until 2007, he worked in the same field serving as associate vice chancellor for Academic affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents. He had also worked previously worked in the Tennessee higher education commission in the areas of fiscal and academic affairs between 1997 and 2001. It is recorded that he worked as a regional student recruitment and advancement representative in the University of Memphis. (1995-1997) Summary of the article Accounting With reference to a 1996-1997 data from the national center for education statistics, net revenues in public institutions have their source in four main channels; tuition and fees (19%), state funds (36%), sales and services (22%) and federal funds (11%). Private institutions on the other hand receive their revenues from the same categories though in different degrees; tuition and fees (43%). State funds (2%), sales and services (21%) and federal funds (14%). Although a significant amount does come from the government in public institutions, both the public and private sector have increased their reliance upon revenues from tuition and fees for their improvement funding (National Center for Education Statistics, 2000). With expenditures majorly being

Gulf War between Iraq and Kuwait Essay Example for Free

Gulf War between Iraq and Kuwait Essay This paper that in intensively researched, will examine on the reasons that led the Gulf war between Iraq and Kuwait, Saddam Hussein war invasion to Kuwait, Relations between Kuwait and Iraq, causes and effects of the war, the characteristics of Saddam Hussein, and the reason why he need money. According to the western sources especially from the USA, Saddam Hussein, a complex political leader, is portrayed as the â€Å"axis of Evil† in the Middle East. . He practiced cruel methods of leadership skills, his motivations, perceptions and decision making on behalf of the Iraq’s and his country neighbors for example the Kuwaitis. He has been pursing the development of weapons of mass destruction, despite the UN sanctions and terrorizing his associates especially in Kuwait. This information was gathered through the following sources. Information about â€Å"The Gulf Syndrome† www. geocities. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Information about â€Å"The profile of Saddam Hussein† www. mideastnews. co. Retrieved on 6th April 2009, Majid K. â€Å"War in the Gulf 1990-1991†, Information on â€Å"Persian Gulf War† www. encarta. msn. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009, Jerrold M. (2002), â€Å"Saddam Hussein of Iraq: Apolitical Psychology profile† and Information on â€Å"The characteristics of Saddam Hussein† www. qrmapps. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 The historical background of Iraq and Kuwait Iraq was created under the British rule in 1932. The formation of this state under single administration resulted to third pole power in that region leading to unstable combination of people with collective influences that might lopsided its neighbors to the south. State of Kuwait northernmost emirate of Arabian isthmus dates its history as a take apart geopolitical body back to the founding of Kuwait City in 1710. It became independent from British. Following the 1973 oil crisis, the soaring oil prices brought with it extraordinary wealth to this small country. Relations between Kuwait and Iraq As Kuwait was declared a sovereign state, Iraq voiced objections to its admission to the Arab league but instead declared it an Iraq territory. In 1963 Iraq dropped the objectives and in 1980 they enjoyed close ties during war against Iran as Kuwait supported Iraq. Causes of the war The border between these two counties has been in question. Nominally, Kuwait was part of the Ottoman Empire from the 18th century. In 1899, it asked for and received British protection in return for autonomy in its local affairs. It was granted independence in 1961 and this lead to Iraq claiming that Kuwait had been governed as part of the Ottoman province in southern Iraq and was rightfully Iraq’s. It only recognized Kuwait in 1963. But since then, there have been occasional clashes between the two nations. The Iraq troops invaded Kuwait in August 2nd 1990 taking the emirates by one day headed by the strongest leader in this region, Saddam Hussein. The 150,000 of his troops from Iraq overwhelmed the 20,000 Iran’s troop staking control of the capital city of Kuwait and then controlled the whole country. Effects of war It had a vast impact to the oil industry and affects the future of the civilians in Iraq. This has reduced it from affluence to a third world status. This led to a large number of the US and British forces stationed in Kuwait and other gulf states as well as Turkey. There is an increasing rate of a multinational task force of warships patrols the red sea and the Persian Gulf which tries to prevent the illegal export of oil from Iraq. The war led to many environmental hazards such as the destruction of marshes, burning of hundreds of oil wells, hence polluting the global environment. Characteristics of Saddam Hussein He is a dictator who saw Iraq as a great country and as an extension to himself. He saw himself as the successor of Nebuchadnezzar. He once said that â€Å"Our nation has a message,† he once proclaimed. â€Å"That is why it can never be an average nation. Throughout history our nation has either soared to the heights or fallen into the abyss through the envy, conspiracy and enmity of others. † He is self-centered. He saw the Iraq treasury centered to himself. During the Gulf war, the Kuwaitis investigated on Iraq’s assets by Kroll Associates, a New York firm and the detected that he had $2. 4 controlled deposits which spread among 50 banks which were controlled by Hussein’s family. He used to skim five percent of the Iraq’s annual oil income and did business with other external firms in foreign territory. He is an exalted self concept. â€Å"Saddam is Iraq and Iraq is Saddam†. He made sure that he built a cult of himself allover Iraq. This can be proved by his images everywhere in Iraq. His name is linked to hundreds of public works projects. For example the Saddam housing companies and also the â€Å"Saddam Line† in Iraq. He named part of Kuwait to himself the moment he took over Kuwait. When he appears in public, he has created an environment where people cheer, clap, and even kiss his hand when he appears in a public gathering. He killed whoever who did not show enthusiasm to the great leader. He killed by imprisoning them, helicopter crashes, tortured to death, sealing their bodies to the coffins. He used a secret police unit to achieve his ordeals. He used his Messianic to achieve his ambition of political power. He is malevolent. He has cold canning behind his every action. His ruthlessness was found to be terrible leading to cruelty, for fun, leadership style of Vlad the Impaler. He was stupid because the boasts were proved to be hollow. His lies were proven false quickly His is also portrayed as the madman of the Middle East and his name means the one who confronts. He is a paranoid in decision making His achievements were the transformation of the country where he built new roads, improved housing standards; food was brought to the people’s tables, cut illiteracy by 11% according to the official estimates. The cultural aspects of Muslims were relaxed allowing women equal pay for equal work. Reasons as to why he needed money The oil money allowed him to accumulate the largest and best equipped military machine in the Arab world. Most of them were Soviet, French and from other nations. Most of them were first rated. He had an annual budget of $12. 9 billion which was an average f $721 per Iraq citizen ye the average annual per citizen was $1950. He therefore equipped his army to distress the regional balances by ruthless mass killings, He was the veteran in army in the region. According to Jordanian newspaper ad-Dustour, Saddam â€Å"awakened the desire in every Arab soul for a glorious Arab stand,† Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator who was used to terrorizing his neighbors and gassed his own subjects. He normally followed his mafia rules which were not well understood by many in the world including the United States of America. He grew up as a thug and a hired gun, yet he has a soaring popularity in the Arab world. The differences between a Totalitarian and Authoritarian leader A totalitarian political power is in the hands of a few groups while the authoritarianism refers political power is in the hands of one person. Hence Saddam Hussein can be equated to both an authoritarian leader and a totalitarian according to the definitions and his leadership skills. Reference Information about â€Å"The Gulf Syndrome† www. geocities. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Information about â€Å"The profile of Saddam Hussein† www. mideastnews. co. Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Majid K. â€Å"War in the Gulf 1990-1991. New York: McMillan. Information on â€Å"Persian Gulf War† www. encarta. msn. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009 Jerrold M. (2002), â€Å"Saddam Hussein of Iraq: Apolitical Psychology profile† New York: Pearson’s Education. Information on â€Å"The characteristics of Saddam Hussein† www. qrmapps. com Retrieved on 6th April 2009

Pro Social Behaviour And Islamic Spirituality Religion Essay

Pro Social Behaviour And Islamic Spirituality Religion Essay Spirituality has been defined as that which gives people meaning and purpose in life. Spirituality can be achieved through participation in a religion, but can be much broader than that, such as belief in God, family, naturalism, rationalism, humanism, and the arts. Islam is a religion based on a total submission to the will of the Almighty. The real place for the growth of the spirit is in the midst of life through carrying out all deeds and actions, both spiritual and worldly, as per the will of Allah. As the Quran mentions Those who spend in prosperity and in adversity, for those who curb their anger and those who forgive people. And Allah loves the charitable. In Islam there is significant emphasis on pro-social behaviour as a means to carry out the will of God. It is however seen that this aspect has not been emphasised either in formal training or informal socialisation in the practice of Islam. Accordingly a number of commentators have remarked that some of the ills presently afflicting Muslims in the sub-continent have been due to the neglect of the pro-social behavioural aspect. The present paper is an attempt to throw light on the importance given to pro social behaviour in Islam. Religion Spirituality, definition by psychologists, Islamic phil Pro social behavior, definition, altruism, giving etc Prosocial links with spirituality, other religions, and Islamic spirituality Conclusion: judeo-christian, why not in norms and moral imperative, not there, so conflicts, unhappiness in society, therefore promote spirituality, true meaning of life From an evolutionary perspective, early humans survival relied strongly on the processes of giving and helping. Religious practice has also been associated with prosocial and helping behaviors, as helping is often considered a religious obligation. Weight on giving and helping in the Judeo-Christian culture can be considered a primary reason that prosocial behavior is a social norm and moral imperative in Western Culture today  [2]  . Similar is the case with other religions where prosocial behavior is encouraged although to what extent it has percolated down to becoming a social norm is a debatable issue. The universal presence of prosocial behavior amongst humans has long been a significant puzzle in the social sciences  [3]  . Prosocial behavior can be defined as voluntary actions intended to help or benefit another individual or group of individuals. Prosocial behavior occurs when someone acts to help another person, particularly when they have no goal other than to help a fellow human. Actions that benefit other people or society as a whole are classified as prosocial behaviours. One of the characteristics of prosocial behaviour is that helping does not benefit the helper. It is opined that prosocial behaviour is often accompanied by a cost. Thus the decision to help others is often at a cost to the doer. Prosocial behavior has come to be seen as key in harmonious interpersonal and group interactions. A few terms and concepts frequently overlap in any discussion on prosocial behaviour. Terms like philanthropy, altruism, spirituality, volunteerism, charity, giving, and forgiveness etc are used while discussing prosocial behaviour. It would be useful to throw light on these concepts for a fuller understanding. Philanthropy is voluntary action for the common good, including voluntary giving, serving, and association. The key mechanisms that have been identified as determinants of philanthropy are: (1) awareness of need; (2) solicitation; (3) costs and benefits; (4) altruism; (5) reputation; (6) psychological benefits; (7) values; (8) efficacy. One of the explanations of prosocial behaviour is that people are motivated to behave in ways that help them attain some goal. Often ones own image becomes the prime mover in prosocial behaviour. Thus considerable prosocial behaviour is motivated by reputational incentives. Altruism on the other hand is performed without any reputational incent ives. However personal gratification as a reward cannot be ruled out even in altruistic behaviour. It is also seen that societal pressures and norms impact peoples choice of behaviour. Often people evaluate their lives and find that there is a need to make it more fullfilling by engaging in prosocial behaviour. Giving is viewed as a positive thing to do, especially when giving reduces inequality and when giving is less costly, recipients are not to blame, and is more effective. Giving may contribute to ones self-image as an altruistic, empathic, socially responsible, agreeable, or influential person. In addition, giving is in many cases an almost automatic emotional response, producing a positive mood, alleviating feelings of guilt, reducing aversive arousal, satisfying a desire to show gratitude, or to be a morally just person. There is ample evidence from studies on helping behaviour that helping others produces positive psychological consequences for the helper. There are several reasons why humans may have pleasurable psychological experiences upon giving: people may alleviate feelings of guilt (avoid punishment), feel good for acting in line with a social norm, or feel good for acting in line with a specific (prosocial, altruistic) self-image. Clary and Sneider  [4]  proposed a mod el identifying the factors that initiate volunteerism. They found that it is a combination of the desire to be altruistic, wish to be part of a group, wish to reduce guilt, and the desire to acquire knowledge and skills. Religious texts of all major religions encourage prosociality amongst their believers. The hypothesis that religions facilitate costly behaviours that benefit other people has been variously tested and commented upon. It has also been pointed out that the acute human sensitivity to prosocial reputation is a psychological mechanism, originating unrelated to religion that evolved to facilitate strong reciprocal cooperative bonds within groups  [5]  . It is seen that the threat of being found out therefore became a strong motivator for good behaviour. Norenzayan Shariff  [6]  point out that religious devotion is expected to be context-sensitive, with clear boundary conditions and religious situations habitually facilitate prosocial behaviour. It has also been seen that if religiosity is related to prosocial behaviour in some contexts, it is possible that having a prosocial disposition causes one to be religious. Spirituality is a universally accessible state of mind. It is inexplorable tied to the concept of religion. Pergament  [7]  discussed the question of what makes religion special and concluded that it is the unique substance and function of religion that makes it special. Thus the defining essence of religion is the sacred that refers to things set apart from ordinary life because of their connection to God, the holy, the divine; to transendent forces, Ulitmate truths and Utlimate reality. As Baumgardner and Crothers  [8]  put it, religion is not just a set of beliefs and practices; it also involves how these beliefs are used to answer lifes most profound questions and cope with lifes most difficult challenges. Pargament defines religion as a search for significance in ways related to the sacred and spirituality as a search for the sacred. Religion and religious behaviours represent the many ways in which the search for the sacred becomes organised and sanctioned in society. T hus spirituality becomes a means to address lifes most important questions. It would be interesting to examine the definition of spirituality as proposed by Hill et al  [9]  who define it as the feelings, thoughts, and behaviours that arise from a search for the sacredà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ people can take a virtually limitless number of pathways in their attempts to discover and conserve the sacred. These pathways to the sacred may also be described as spiritual strivings, which include personal goals associated with the ultimate concerns of purpose, ethics and recognition of the transecndent. Prosocial behaviour as it is understood can be classified in two broad groups on the basis of motivation, one a purely secular prosocial behaviour where actions to benefit others originate purely out of secular and personal concerns with no obvious and material benefit to the giver / helper. On the other hand a religiosity driven prosocial behaviour is where there is definite benefit to the individual in the form of promised salvation or pay offs as a result of following strict religious injunctions and duties. Let us take the example of Islam to examine how religious injunctions and prescriptions enjoin upon its followers to engage in behaviours that could be termed as prosocial behaviour. Islam is a religion based on a total submission to the will of the Almighty. According to Islam, Allah has appointed the human soul as His Khalifah (vicegerent) in this world. He has invested it with a certain authority, and given it certain responsibilities and obligations for the fulfillment of which He has endowed it with the best and most suitable physical frame. (Maududi). In his capacity as the vicegerent (Khalifah) of God, man is answerable to Him for all his activities. It is his duty to use all the powers that he has been given in accordance with the Divine will. He should utilize to the fullest extent all the faculties and potentialities bestowed upon him for seeking Allahs approval. In his dealings with other people he should behave in such a way as to try to please Allah. In brief, all his energies should be directed towards regulating the affairs of this world in the way in which Allah wants them to be regulated. The better a man does this, with a sense of responsibility, obedience and humility, and with the object of seeking the pleasure of the Lord, the nearer will he be to Allah. Islam rejects and condemns the ascetic view of life, and proposes that the spiritual development of man would take place not outside this world but inside it. The real place for the growth of the spirit is in the midst of life and not in solitary hibernation. In Islam, spiritual development is synonymous with nearness to Allah. Distance from Allah signifies, in Islam, the spiritual fall and decay of man. Maududi  [10]  points out that what will distinguish the actions of the secular and religious will be the nature of their relationship with Allah and the aims behind their actions. Whatever a religious man does, will be done with the feeling that he is answerable to Allah, that he must try to secure Divine pleasure, that his actions must be in accordance with Allahs laws. A secular person will be indifferent towards Allah and will be guided in his actions only by his personal motives. This difference makes the whole of the material life of a man of religion a totally spiritual venture, and the whole of the life of a secular person an existence devoid of the spark of spirituality. Thus spirituality is linking of actions to the purpose of life. Actions on their own, without using this framework are just actions or material constructs. The Islamic road to achieve spirituality passes through several stages, starting from Iman (faith) and progressing towards It~at (obedience, subservience), Taqwa (piety, Allah consciousness), to Ihis~an (Godliness). Faith (Iman) in Islam is a state of happiness acquired by virtue of positive action and constructive conceptions as well as dynamic and effective measures (Hammudah AA  [11]  ). According to Islam, true faith has a decisive effect on the spiritual and material lot of man, and also on his personal and social behaviour as well as his political conduct and economic life. There are numerous references in the Holy Quran and traditions of the Prophet on this aspect. The laws of practical ethics in the holy Quran rest largely upon the principles of justice, but charity, philanthropy, generosity, gratitude and sincerity are also recommended. Strict honesty is demanded in business dealings, with just balances, and upright intentions. Lies of all kinds are condemned, the taking of bribes is strictly forbidden. This is especially the case in regard to trusts concerning orphans. Wrong to the orphan is held to be a grievous sin, and in many Suras of the holy Quran there are one or two verses which say in effect Do not touch the property of orphans. Charity and philanthropy occupy a very important place. There are several commands like Pray, give alms, and the good which you do will find with God, who sees all your actions (Patrick, 1901). Thus we see that one the one hand, Allah commands man to follow all is commands and injunctions, yet at the same time prescribes a prosocial behavioural path for him to follow. In essence, the spirituality of Islam is in fact the righteous and prosocial behavior with the knowledge that it is being done with the pure intention of pleasing Allah.

Flavor Principles: Theory of Preferences and Rejection

Flavor Principles: Theory of Preferences and Rejection Food, as defined by the dictionary is a substance that provides nutrients for maintenance and growth when consumed. The term itself is general and could be seen from different point of views, thus, creating other function words such as feeding and eating. The word feed is usually utilized when animals is involved, while the word eat is utilized when humans are involved. Feeding and eating is distinguished by its functions; feeding itself merely involves the gathering of food, while on the other hand, eating does not only involve gathering of food, but also cultivating and raising livestock. Due to this reason, some foods are only available to certain groups, allowing the development of customs that decides between the edible and inedible as well as the manners involved during consumption. (Kittler and Sucher, 2004) Food on its own does not only function as source of nutrients. Food could define an identity of a person, functions as symbols in religions, as well as defines a culture. As an example; in Muslim countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, a person who consumes pork would be Chinese. If the person is not categorized as Chinese, the person might be Buddhist, Catholic, or other religion that do not limit these people to consume. It is undeniable that there is relationship between the food that people eat, perceived value of others as well as the way in which people characterize themselves. (Kittler and Sucher, 2004) Stein and Nemeroff (1995) support this with their research which involves college students which were to rate profiles of people based on their diets. Diets were termed as good foods and bad foods. Good foods are the foods that are categorized as healthy and contain less fat such as fruit, salad and whole wheat bread. While on the other hand, bad foods are the foods that are categorized as unhealthy such as steak, hamburgers and french fries. The result showed students who eat good foods are judged generally to be fit, active and is perceived as more attractive, quiet and more analytical than those who consume bad foods. The way of processing food within certain group that includes every step of the process; starting from selection, distribution, preparation and consumption creates similar pattern which are unique towards their eating behavior. These patterns are known as food habit. (Kittler and Sucher, 2004) Basically, there are different factors that affect individual food habits and these factors are interrelated. Conner (1993) created a basic model that determines individual food intake. Adapted from Understanding Determinants of Food Choice: Contributions from Attitude Research by Mark Conner, 1993 The food characteristic in the diagram consists of the physical and chemical properties as well as nutrient content of the food. It plays as one of the basic roles to food choice due to the fact that it is often related to physical wellbeing; whether there will be allergic, discomfort or long term outcome that might affect growth, weight or even diseases caused. (Falk et al, 2001) Economic factors consist of price and availability. Price determines the economic situation of a country, which estimates behavior of the consumers. While on the other hand, availability simply determines the food consumed by each individual (Rozin, 2007). There is clearly a relationship between food consumption and economic condition (Ozimek and Biemans, 2011). In their studies is mentioned the structure of food consumption on Poland, which is determined by its economic development. They showed that in the early 1990s, consumers reduced their expenses on dairy products due to increase in price (Kramer, 1993). As there is constant increase each consecutive years, the share on food expenses fell; dropped from 41.3 percent in 1989 (Bywalec, 2000) to 20.3 percent in 2008, especially among the basic foodstuffs such as milk, eggs, rice and grains when compared to 2007 (Central Statistics Office, 2008). Nevertheless, although generally the share dropped, there is different consumption leve l of substitute among the socio-economic groups. As an example, in 2008, there is an increase in consumption of fruit juice and vegetable juice among those with highest income. While there is an increase in bread, flour and milk among those with lowest income. On the other hand, social factors consist of culture, religion practices, media and social pressures through parents and friends. Food habit is mainly determined by culture. In fact, human is the product of interactions between biology and culture (Poulain, 2009). Thus, in Poulain context, culture is involved both biologically and socially. Biologically, culture is already written in the genetics. Rozin (1991) studied the correlation in food preferences between parents and child, and found the correlation to be very low. While socially, human grow up in the environment that is determined by that certain culture. This is supported by the statement made by Mead (1943) who perceives food habits as systematically interconnected food behavior of individuals that has been raised within that certain cultural tradition. Other components such as religion practices (e.g. Pork are banned among the Muslim), media (e.g. children exposed to fictional characters such as Popeye) and social pressures (e.g. social status) are attached to the environment where each individual is raised. While economic and social factors do not seem to be interrelated, Poulain (2009) studies the relationship between the two. In his study, Poulain mentioned that each individual has the ability to control resources through their demand, due to the value created in the social life that each individual is raised in. This creates ecological constraints by changing the environment, as an example; through irrigation, sanitation and pollution. The ecological constraints created affect the availability on resources. This, thus, affects the country economically. Food characteristic and economic/social factor are the factors that shape individual perceptions in terms of sensory, physiologically and psychologically. In a way, these factors automatically program a certain individual to behave according to the environment that they have been raised at. Sensory is the perception of appearance, smell, taste and texture. Kittler and Sucher (2004) mentioned that every individual has the ability to predict the sensory characteristic of a certain food and decide whether these characteristics would be acceptable. This ability is usually obtained based on foods that are culturally acceptable. As an example; in West Africa, there is preference towards bright orange color obtained from sweet potatoes as their staple food. Thus, the first time they are exposed to colors that are contradictory, there is tendency to reject the food. age In additional to that, age also plays important role in adjustment of taste. This is due to the fact that preference of taste differs as individual matures. Human has the ability to detect flavors, texture Drenowski Gomez (2000), Stubbs et al (2000), Anderson (1995) and Burch (1992) in Kittlers book, mentioned that during infancy and childhood, individual has better preference towards sugars and fats. The preference will peak in early teenage years, and will then subside in the later years. This explains the reason for coffee preference for individual in later years. While sensory forms attitude towards food, physiological factor is one of the individual characteristic is the process that happens in the body itself (Rozin, 2007). These processes act as stimulant to motivate each individual to consume the food. The processes happens in two forms; metabolic and neural. Metabolic process takes place in the body by processing the nutrients composed in the food. In this case, nutritional information is stored in individuals nervous system. On the other hand, neural process takes place in the brain. The information stored during metabolic process is integrated together with factors that lead to food consumption such as ambience, environment and others. On the other hand, psychological factor is all the aspects that relates to individuals behavior psychologically in regards to food. It includes two components; individuals attitudes and perceived social pressures. Attitude is internal and estimates the benefits, personality, mood, preferences and other factors that affect it. Usually, it is affected by beliefs regarding the outcome after performing that certain behavior, whether good or bad. (Shepherd, 2007) As an example; any contact with pork is believed to be sinful for Muslims. Thus, no Muslim consumes pork. While on the other hand, perceived social pressure is external. It includes others perception of performing that behavior such as parental influences, peer influences and the media as well. (Rozin, 2007) ACCULTURATION PROCESS It is undeniable that food characteristic, economic and social factors plays major role in shaping early individual eating behavior. Nevertheless, this does not imply that eating behavior will stay the same. In fact, eating behavior changes over time due to events and experiences. When an individual that belongs to a certain ethnicity is moved to a place with different cultural norms, they undergo an acculturation process. Acculturation is the transformation process that an individual experience when transferred to a place with different cultural norms. The transformation may occur at two different level; micro and macro. Within micro level, the transformation reflects in individuals attitudes, beliefs and behavior. While on the macro level, the transformation may reflect physically, economically, socially or politically (Satia-About a et al 2002 in Kittler and Sucher). Acculturation at micro and macro level may develop steadily based on length of stay. Nevertheless, acculturation of food habits works in a different way. Food habits do not develop steadily; it does not change early food habits to general food habits of the majority of the population (Kittler and Sucher, 2004). Natives may or may not experience acculturation in food habits; whether it is in term of frequency of daily meal intake, local dishes consumed or food preferences. Kim and Chan (2004) studied the acculturation of dietary pattern of Korean Americans. In their studies, they found that 87% of middle aged Korean still prefer to consume Korean food rather than American food after migrating to the USA, but 51% presume changes in their dietary habits. In fact, changes in diets and type of meals consumed are found in individuals who were born or stayed longer in the USA instead. The theory of acculturation could be further explained with another conceptual model of food choice. The components involved in the model may be similar to the basic model. Nevertheless, it could be utilized to understand the theory of acculturation. Psychology of Food Choice by Richard Shepherd Based on the model on the previous page, the main component of food choice starts with life course. Life course involves individuals experiences events and turning points in life. When individuals encountered different environments (socially or culturally), situations and experiences with food, they build their own life course that entails both past and current eating experiences. This enables them to have standard expectations of food in the future, which automatically develops their perception of certain food over time (Sobal et al in Sheperds, 2004). Within an individual life course there are always three components involved; thoughts (trajectories), turning points (transitions) and time (timing). Thoughts play as the base, as it defines the decision made when it comes to food. However, it changes over time due to turning points and time. Trajectories This is basically individuals perception of food choice within their life course. It involves individuals attitudes; thoughts, feelings and actions throughout their lifespan (Devin et al, 1998 in Sobals). It is created in the early childhood based on types of food exposed, and thus, develops reference for individuals when making decisions regarding food in the future. In short, it is interchangeable. Nevertheless, due to early exposures of food, the decisions made often involve the same food selections regardless of the situations encountered (e.g. ageing and changes in health) (Paquette and Devine, 2000 in Sobals) Transitions T his is the modification in individuals life that changes their trajectories (Devine et al, 1998 in Sobals). It could be minor events that lead to small detour in life or even radical events that acts as turning points that changes life the opposite way. Nevertheless, these events have the ability to redesign new food trajectories. Examples of these events are changes in employment, illness and migration to a place with different culture (Devine, 2005 in Sobals) Timing This represents the timing that these transitions happen within the life course of an individual. Timing places an important role as it determines the level of influence in the change of food habits (Devine, 2000 in Sobals). As an example; during bird flu, people tend to eat less poultry to avoid the virus. Nevertheless, people may not adapt no bird diet without the flu. Influences, on the other hand, provide factors that contribute in the change of trajectories. These factors act as support for individuals to change their perception towards food. Without these factors, individuals may not experience change in their food habits. Contexts Context is basically the surroundings in which people make food choice. Views could be seen environmentally (climate), socially (standardized behavior), biologically (nutrients) or economically (availability). A simple example would be the availability of ingredients due to weather. Not all ingredients are available during certain season. It is undeniable that surroundings changes constantly through different views. Thus, it also affects the construction of food choices. (Avery et al, 1997 in Rozins) Resources (Tangible and Intangible) Resources determine the availability of ingredients, materials and other sources involved in the process of food choice. Tangible resources may be in a form of money, equipment, transportation and storage space. On the other hand, intangible resources are in a form of time, skills and knowledge. It could also be in a form of advice and emotional support (Senauer et al, 1991) Ideals Ideal is the set of thoughts that defines the acceptability level of food. It plays an important role through thoughts about proper meals, manners and health. In addition to that, it also determines the way in which individual should eat. The flexibility of ideals are determined by the social factors of food. (Sobal, 1998 and Devine et al, 1999b) Social Factors Social factor determines food choice through relationships that each individual builds. Through relationships, individual determines the place, the time, the type of food and the way in which they should adapt to eat. (Sobal, 2000) Personal factors Personal factor involves internal factors that influence food choice. Based on figure 1, this involves all the factors under individual characteristics. The last component that contributes to food choice is personal systems. Personal system is a process whereby people apply all the factors under influences into practice. Individuals, in this case construct values and classify foods and situations based on the values that was perceived before. Nevertheless, values perceived by individuals vary differently. Values perceived could be in form of taste, convenience, cost and health (Connors et al, 2001). Personal system allows individuals to involve their emotions and develop strategies pertaining to food selections in different situations. (Falk et al, 1996, Furst et al, 1996, Connors et al, 2001 in Kittler and Sucher) Taste Taste is basically the first impression a person considers during consumption. Perception of taste could be described as appearance, odor, flavor and texture. Nevertheless, taste has the tendency to change overtime (Sobal et al, 2004). Convenience Convenience involves time, ability, mental or physical involvement in preparing, consuming and cleaning up after eating. Justify more for each points Cost Cost represents monetary involvement that includes the level of monetary value. This determines sensitivity towards certain product. Individuals with unlimited income may still be sensitive towards price due to its monetary value. Health Health involves thoughts and considerations regarding physical wellbeing. As an example; foods that may result in digestive discomfort, allergic reactions will not be considered to be consumed. Based on the components involved in food choice, acculturation process happens within the life course, when there is alteration in trajectories. Trajectories alter when there is match between aspects under influences and personal system. Influences construct trajectories at the beginning as well as during transitions. Early exposure during childhood that involves influences such as friends, family, culture and environment sets the base of individuals thoughts. It creates individuals identity and personal systems based on values taught by the environment that individuals develop in. This initial programming in trajectories usually shapes individuals eating skills, table manners, social activity relating to the food and also determining the social group that individuals are categorized in (Poulain, 2009). Kim and Chan (2004), in their research, thus, proves that Koreans who are born and lived longer in Korea tend to have higher level of food acculturation, which is related positively with language, media, friendship, food. They speak more English, follow American diet and associates with American-style friends. Relating to the theory of acculturation, these individuals have been exposed to this type of environment. Thus, the values taught differ as well to their native values. During transitions, individuals are exposed to different forms of influences. They tend to associate with new friends and new environments. This happens in events such as migration, change in employments, illness or even accidents. With these changes, individuals automatically adapt to the new situations. Exposure to new thoughts, perceptions and environments widen up individuals thoughts and values. Theoretically, values obtained through these influences are processed into the personal systems to see whether it match the aspects. With addition of timing involved, such as length of stay, acculturation will then happen and produce new trajectory. Olsen and Wandel (2005), in their research, prove that acculturation in food happens among Pakistani immigrants women in Oslo, Norway. Resources are one of the reasons that change their food habits. Fish, meat, chicken could be obtained in everyday lives in Norway, whereas in Pakistan, these meats tend to be included as status food, and could only be obtained once a week. Thus, there is increase in meat consumption after the migration. Paratha is no longer consumed for breakfast, but bread is utilized instead. This is because it is considered to be unhealthy as it could give digestion problem due to the cold climate in Norway. The result obtained by Olsen and Wandel (2005) could be related to the relationship between influences and personal systems. Consumption of paratha moves to bread after few years, although women experience hard time at first. This is because both paratha and bread are considered as bread. This, thus enable them to match the requirement from the influences towards the personal system they have built in their initial programming. COMPONENTS INVOLVED TO DETERMINE FOOD HABITS To fully understand food habits from different cultures, the basic models have been developed by researchers. However, these models basically categorize components involved in food habits that need to be compared between different cultures to further understand food habits (Kittler and Sucher, 2004). Core and Complementary Foods Adapted from Food and Culture Kittler and Sucher (2004) Based on the diagram that is adapted above, the most inner layer of the model represents the type of food that is most consumed in individuals diet, followed by the least. In this case, core food is the type of food that is most consumed. Basically, this is due to the fact that core food represents the staples. These foods could be rice, wheat and corn. These types of foods will not be omitted in an individuals diet and consumed on daily basis. On the other hand, complementary foods are the food items that are consumed to enrich the palatability of core food in terms of taste, texture and smell. The types of food could be meat and vegetables, ranging from different types of cooking method. Usually, the types of core and complementary foods consumed determine the identity of the culture that an individual belongs to. Secondly, secondary foods are the type of food that is consumed less frequently. The items involved in this could be meat, vegetables and fruits. The items that are included under this type may also be categorized under complementary food, depending on the frequency of consumption. As an example; a persons diet includes rice and chicken daily. Fruits are consumed thrice a week. Thus, chicken is the complementary food, while fruits are the secondary foods. Lastly, peripheral foods are the food that is preferable towards individuals, but are not included in the cultural diet. Kittler and Sucher (2004) mentioned that changes in food habits often happens with this type of food more rather than core foods. Kocturk and Runefors (1991) design a model that explains the process of retaining and changing food habits in relation to the core and complementary model. The model involves two major components; identity and taste. Identity is created due to exposures towards the same ingredients, flavors, textures since early childhood. When individuals retain its cultural eating habit, they consider identity first and taste later on. Whereas, when individuals change their food habits, they consider taste at the beginning. Kocturk and Runefors (1991) Adapted from Changes in Food Habits among Pakistani Immigrant Women in Oslo, Norway by Olsen and Wandel (2005) The statement is supported by Verbeke and Lopez (2001) who compares the food attitudes between the Belgians and the Hispanic (Latin-American) group living in Belgium, based on aspects on attitudes and perception on the food. Among all the aspects included, taste and texture are involved as well. The foods of the Hispanics were termed as ethnic food. Result shows that the Belgians perceive taste, appearance and authenticity to be important aspects when consuming ethnic food. While the Hispanics, consider other criteria towards Belgian foods. Kocturk also mentions that incorporation of new diet starts with the accessory food. Comparing to the previous core and complementary food model, accessory food is basically the combination of peripheral and secondary food. Fruits, dairy products, fats and nuts are considered under accessory food. This is because, these foods is often categorized as additional to a certain meal. In contrast to changes in complementary food, accessory food takes much lesser time to adapt. On the other hand, core food stays as it is for generations. Kocturk did his research among Iran immigrant in Uppsala. Result shows that changes are seen most on accessory food. This is shown in the change of type of snack consumption from dried fruits and nuts to potato chips; dairy products from fresh cheeses and yoghurt to sweet milk and aged cheese. While on the other hand, Swedish bread as staples that has resemblance towards Iran bread stays as its core food Flavor Principles Flavor principles in every meal involve pervasive and distinctive seasonings which enable the society to characterize a certain cuisine (E.Rozin, 1981 in Pliner). Raw ingredients are exposed to different herbs, spices, marinades that suit the society culturally during preparation, creating certain characteristic of taste, texture and smell of the food (Kittler and Sucher, 2004). As an example; Japanese cuisine involves soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar. On the other hand, Korean cuisine involves fermented paste such as Kochu-Jang. These seasonings are used in every meal, exposing the society to the flavor principles itself, creating trademark of each cuisine and acceptance towards individual. Kittler and Sucher (2004) add to the statement by mentioning that the principles of flavor within a culture, is not so much of a question of preparing the food. In fact, preparation and seasoning of food is placed second to the initial selection of the ingredients. This is because, during selection process, there are certain aspects that play major roles; weather, soil texture, source of water, drainage system, natural minerals contained in the soil itself, and other environmental factors involved. These aspects may affect the taste of the ingredients. As an example; wine products tend to have different taste when it comes from different countries and even regions within the country itself. Thus, the issue of acceptance of flavor principles of each individual of a culture is still relating back to the factors that were mentioned in the general theory of food choice, regardless whether socially, biologically and environmentally. The early exposure towards cultural food started the environment, which determines availability; biologically, in the wombs and written in the genetic (Poulain, 2009); strengthened by social influences through parents, friends and media (Conner, 1993). In short, the general view of a society perception of flavor principles is still relating back to one, which is exposure. Due to the exposures towards certain flavors culturally, individuals often have problems in incorporating new flavor principles to their diet. The neophobic attitude presents in every human program individuals to keep them in the safe track, preventing them to alter their programmed flavor principles against flavors that are familiar (Schulze and Watson, 1993 in Pliner and Salvy). Nevertheless, just as how individuals obtain their initial flavor principles culturally, the theory of obtaining other flavor principles stays the same, based on the general theory and/or acculturation process. Strategies may be utilized to improve individuals preferences towards new flavors; such as repeated exposures and evaluative conditioning. These strategies affect one familiarity and preference towards the food. Repeated exposures Studies show that there is higher probability that individuals acquire preference towards the food when repeated exposure is involved. This is due to the fact that, exposures transform negative reaction to positive reaction (Zajonc and Markus, 1982). As an example; Mexican children are not born with preference towards chili peppers. However, Mexican mothers season its ingredients with chili peppers. With the same exposures towards the same taste, children tend to grow up by overcoming their fear towards chili pepper and grow fond of it (Rozin and Schiller, 1980 in Zajonc and Markus). Evaluative conditioning Evaluative conditioning involves pairing of taste and appearances with flavors that are mostly preferable (e.g. sweet taste) (Rozin and Zellner, 1985 in Kittler and Sucher). As an example; by pairing coffee (bitter taste) with cream and sugar (sweet taste) enables individuals to increase their tendency of preference towards coffee (Rozin, 1996 in Eeertmans et al). Flavor Principles (Theory of Preferences and Rejection) The theory of explains the process that leads to individuals perception of flavor which will affect individuals programmed principles of flavor. In this case, there are two behaviors involved; affective responses (feeling of pleasure) and cognitive behavior, which analyze the surroundings. Cognitive behavior, identify the features, benefits of a certain object and evaluate them, which will then determine the type of response (Zajonc and Markus, 1982).. In this case, flavor is perceived through taste, smell, appearance, texture, fat content, temperature and sensations. Taste is then related to each of these components for evaluation, and produce affective responses (usually determined by the amount of sucrose and fats) (Eertmans et al, 2001). On the other hand, disgust/rejection is obtained through the negative oral experience (Rozin in Shepherds, 2006). The response is termed as distaste response. Usually, individual experience distaste response due to the nature of the food, which could not fit to individuals flavor principles. Determinants of a Meal Elements that constitute a meal vary based on culture. It could be types of staples, order of dish, alternate meals, frequency of eating and serving size. These elements are grouped under meal patterns and meal cycles (Kittler and Sucher, 2004). With the variation of elements involved, meal patterns and meal cycles automatically vary as well depending on the culture. Meal patterns involve elements that persuade individuals within a culture to consider it as proper meals. These elements could be types of core and complementary food, its method of preparation, dish order (appetizer, main course and dessert), snacking options and types, celebration and portion size (Kittler and Sucher, 2004). As an example, in Asian cultures, starch such as rice must be included in a meal to be considered as proper meal. Other form of starch such as noodle could be utilized as a substitute as well. Nevertheless, for some Asians, these substitutes could not be utilized. Rice is one of the elements that is a must within a meal. Meal cycle, on the other hand is basically the timing that meals occur. It involves the frequency of meals and the right time as to when it is consumed. These times could be within a day (involving breakfast, lunch and dinner) or during events such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. During acculturation process, perception of taste is not the only aspect that changes, although in one of the models of acculturation, only taste and identity are involved. In fact, meal patterns and meal cycles is affected as well. In the studies by Olsen and Wandel (2005), Pakistani immigrants alter their meal consumption from 3 times of hot meal per day to 1 hot meal after staying in Norway; substitute paratha with bread; and increase its consumption of fish. Kittler and Sucher (2004) did a similar study by comparing meal cycles and patterns of few nationalities before and after their stay in the USA. Korean meals for example; consists of three traditional meals, however, after their stay in the USA, Korean meals consists of American foods for breakfast and lunch, while their dinner remains the same. FOOD HABIT IN MALAYSIA Influence of Foreign Culture in Malaysian Cuisine With the multiethnic races that are present in Malaysia, Malaysian cuisine is the product obtained from the influence of these races. The influence is traced back through the history, during British colonial, whereby the biggest migration was from India and China. As a result, the Malays living in Malaysia currently are the combination of proto-Malays, Indians, and Chinese. Other migration comes from Indonesia. This results in the strong influence towards their cuisine (Yoshino, 2010). In addition to that, the country itself is located next to Thailand (West Malaysia) and Indonesia (East Malaysia). In the North of West Malaysia, it is

twiggy :: essays research papers

Custom Papers English Foreign History Miscellaneous Movies Music Novels People Politics Religion Science Sports Technology Information Questions? Search results for 'mark and twain' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Match: AllAnyBoolean Format: LongShort Sort by: ScoreTimeTitleReverse ScoreReverse TimeReverse Title Refine search: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Documents 1 - 10 of 527 matches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can't find it with this search, try this one! Mark Twain's Life in His Writings In Mark Twain's two major works, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and it's sequel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he develops and displays his humoristic abilities by concealing within them deeper meanings, ultimately producing a satire of the region in which he lived. Examined within this paper are ... Mark Twain Mark Twain "Man is made of dirt †¦ Man is a museum of diseases, a home of impurities, who begins as dirt and departs as stench."(1) -Mark Twain When Most people think of Mark Twain, they think of the Mississippi, or gold mining, or such things. But few people have come to realize the free ... Mark Twain Racisim Part 2: Was Mark Twain a Racist? For over thirty years critics of Mark Twain have called attention to the racial epithets in Huckleberry Finn as an example of the inherent racism of the author. African Americans in particular have objected to the book and in many school districts (most recently in Dallas ... How Mark Twain lived his life as an author during the late 1800's Question: How Mark Twain lived his life as an author during the late 1800's? Title: Mark Twain's biograph. I. Introduction A. Background 1. Childhood 2. Education 3 Professional life B. Problems: 1. Jobs 2. Literary works 3. Financial conditions II. Body A. Life style B. Family life C.General information ... Mark Twain Censorship The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book written by Mark Twain. This book has been scrutinized, censored, and argued over since it’s publication. There are many ways to look at Huckleberry Finn. One can look at it as a derogatory book, focusing on the stereotyping of Negroes and the excessive use ... Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens, or None of the Above Mark Twain was one of the most popular and well-known authors of the 1800’s. He is recognized for being a humorist. He used humor or social satire in his best works. His writing is known for â€Å"realism of place and language, memorable characters, and hatred of hypocrisy and oppression† (Mark Twain 1 ... mark twain Mark Twain, a Racist?Mark Twain was a man that was way ahead of his time. In a time when people were judged on color,Mark Twain grew up in Florida, Missouri (Mandelbrot, Twain).

Communicating Between Men and Women Essay -- CommunicatingLanguage Rel

Chromosomes Can't Explain This It's no secret that men and women often have difficulty communicating with one another. How many times, for example, have small disagreements combusted into gigantic tragedies with the exchange of only a few words and frustrated expressions? Despite the fact that male and female bodies were obviously made for clear interaction, our respective linguistic capabilities appear to have been scrambled. Some people may wonder how in the hell the human race continues to propagate given the disparaging gap separating the sexes. In an effort to peel away the layers of confusion forged between men and women, authors such as Deborah Tannen, John Gray, and Susan Page have worked to help couples deal with the strain of miscommunication. These authors present their viewpoints and offer their advice in their written work, offering reeling couples a chance to piece together the fragments of their relationship. While certainly not without their critics, these authors have taken steps to show both men and women how they can work towards better understanding what his or her mate is saying, and how to properly respond. "He doesn't understand!" Men have been traditionally chastised by their female companions for lacking the ability to communicate on an emotional, empathetic level. Oftentimes women do not understand why men can't relate to them as well as they'd like. Tannen, Gray, and Page cite different explanations for this phenomenon, and each suggest ways for men to overcome their natural disposition in effectively connecting with their special ladies. Tannen, first of all, proposes the notion that men communicate on a different basis than women. According to Tannen's book, You Just Don't Understa... ...rrestrial metaphor, criticizing him for blurring fiction with fact as a cornerstone for his popularity. Finally, Gleick insinuates that Gray thinks of himself as something of a messiah that would one day use his skills as a negotiator to parley world peace. Whether these authors, or their critics, can be taken for their word is left to each individual to decide. Tannen, Gray, and Page have endeavored to untangle the complex web of miscommunication between men and women. By the same token, their critics have worked to find fault in their arguments and perspectives. Nonetheless, their work has provided a basis from which all manners of people can begin to evaluate their own lives and relationships. Regardless of whether their advice is accurate or not, perhaps the words of these authors can be something to consider during that next fight with the significant other.

Ethics Competency

Also, cases Like stealing are hard to report since collecting evidence Is not always easy unless the act is captured by a security camera or another employee witnesses the same situation. 2. Waste My answer to this question was NO, as I feel that waste is hard to be defined and measured. Waste can be as simple as waste of paper, wasting valuable work time where tasks can be performed or wasting resources such as not matching up employee's potentials with the type of work performed. Waste of paper is something very simple and can be quickly corrected by setting up an environmental awareness policy at the workplace.But, waste of valuable work time or resources Is more serious, especially If It affects everyone else on the team (I. E. ) deliverables to the client and would have to be reported to a superior. 3. Mismanagement My answer to this question is YES, as mismanagement might lead to waste of resources and time. This also leads to frustration amidst employees as they might have to repeat a task over and over again due to mismanagement of Information or work long hours due to miscalculation of time.This should be reported to a superior as mismanagement over time leads to economical problems in an organization as more money has to be spent to fix something that should have been done right in the first place. Safety Problems 4. My answer to this question Is YES, as workplace safety Is top portly as It affects the life of employees, productivity of the team and also costs an employer a lot of money in worker's coma and employee's compensation. Workplace safety is very important and needs to be reported as the damages caused by safety issues might involve one or several people and may turn out to be fatal if neglected. . Sexual Harassment and quality of work. Many employees may not report this issue for fear of losing their jobs, but it is important to report such behavior to stop the issue from occurring gain and to protect the overall morale of the team. It is g ood to collect evidence, such as taped conversations or emails so that the person is unable to deny his/her behavior. 6. Unfair Discrimination My answer to this question is YES, as the corporate culture today is very diverse and people from various countries and cultures work together. Unfair discrimination on the basis of race, religion, culture, sexual orientation etc†¦ s very demoralizing and brings down an employee's morale. Unfair discrimination also leads to stereotyping as the group or individual who faces discrimination feels that no matter how good hey perform, it will never be acceptable. Unfair discrimination needs to be reported as it squashes good talent, new ideas and innovation. Good support from superiors above managers is necessary to curb discrimination. It is also helpful to collect evidence in the form of emails or support from other employees who have experienced similar discrimination. Legal Violation and Financial Reporting 7.My answer to both of these is YES, as legal and financial violations both face serious consequences from the Judicial system and the company might incur huge fines as a result of these violations. Companies can even get shut down as a result of legal violations and financial reporting issues and both of these must be taken seriously and reported. Types of Retaliation 1 . Coworkers not associating with person. I have not witnessed this yet as many of us on my current team confide in each other and discuss common issues, we maintain an open dialogue and do not dissociate with a person who brings up an ethical issue.We collectively work and support each other to resolve the issue. 2. Pressure from co-workers to stop complaint. I have personally not witnessed this till date, but have seen it in other cases where there co- workers have persuaded another co-worker to not complain against my boss as several other people who complained before about similar issues were let go. My boss being the director of the departmen t has the support of the UP of our department who can influence HRS decisions even if a person chose to report to HER.It would be nice to have a non biased and approachable person heading the department or a HER manager or UP who was open to review issues. But the key is collect adequate and relevant evidence to support the case. I have witnessed this in work environments where people have been with the organization for a very long time and consider any new hire or entry to be a threat or challenge to their position. Ego, insecurity and narrow mindedness play a key part in this issue, as people feel that though they have done a task inefficiently for several years, it is right as nobody has pointed out otherwise.If a person new to the team points out the inefficiency, egos flare up and hostility begins. 4. Poor performance appraisal. This happened to a co-worker of mine who no longer works for the organization as my boss felt that he was a threat to her position as he was very knowl edgeable and ride to suggest new processes for existing tasks (I. E. ) new ways of doing things more efficiently. His probation was extended during his review stating that he did not complete his tasks on hand in a timely manner, did not communicate effectively etc†¦ Which were all false accusations.He did have adequate evidence to go to HER to report my manager and chose not to come back to an environment of hostility but was well compensated by the company for the entire mental trauma he went through and for the time he spent on the issue. 5. Verbal harassment or intimidation. I did witness this in several situations at different workplaces. In my current workplace (I. E. ) in the case I mentioned in the previous item (#4), my ex-coworker had to put up with verbal harassment from my manager who would snap at him for reasons unknown or would confront him on issues in staff meetings and try to put him down.In another case at a previous workplace, my immediate manager would alwa ys give one of my co-workers a hard time as she was recently promoted to a Project Meg's position but he expected a lot out of her and offered no help to mentor her. He loud constantly criticize her work and would lower her morale with his demoralizing comments. She finally resigned after feeling intimidated and threatened by her superior. This type of issue hampers team work and lowers the teams morale as people get scared to present new ideas for fear of getting shunned or losing their position.Tighter scrutiny of daily work by management, reassignment to a different 6. Job, reassignment to a different Job with less desirable duties and denial of a promotion. I have seen this happen in cases in my current organization when an employee rises to report a manager's unethical actions such as discrimination to higher authorities and the manager indicates hostility towards the employee as the manager is under scrutiny. s run and tries to apply for another position within the company, th e current manager starts getting hostile and indifferent as they consider a person transferring from their department to be an indication of bad management on their part. A simple dialogue and an effort to resolve the issue is all that is required which most managers tend to ignore. As stated in an article published in the Ethics Resource Center (2009) about Enron's downfall: To help avoid the fate of Enron and other companies whose ethics are called into question.