ECON WEEK 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ECON WEEK 1 - Assignment Example Macroeconomist analysts use gross domestic product figures to derive business cycles and investigate their cause. Macroeconomic analysts measure unemployment using rates that show the number of people available in the labor force who do not find work. These analysts observe that unemployment rates fall with progressive growth in the economy (Mankiw 26). Progressive economic growth manifests in the growth rate of a country’s gross domestic product. Rising gross domestic product indicates an increase in national output, hence, the need for many laborers to sustain the increased level of production. Employment reports impacts trends in different sectors of the economy including the currency and bond markets (Rittenberg 530). Inflation is the rate at which prices of goods and services in a country rise. Macroeconomic analysts measure inflation using the consumer price index and the gross domestic product deflator. The consumer price index captures the prices of a given number of goods at a given time (Mankiw 13). The gross domestic product deflator is a fraction of the nominal gross domestic product and the real gross domestic product. A rise in the prices of services and goods results from an instance where the nominal gross domestic product is bigger than the real gross domestic product. A change in the consumer price index corresponds to a change in the gross domestic product deflator with a difference of less than one percent (Rittenberg

History of Architecture Essay Example for Free

History of Architecture Essay 1. Comparing and contrasting Minoan and Mycenaean architecture, describe how the two architectures are different and why. Minoan architecture was characterized by a number of structures that acted as epicenters for religious, commercial, and administrative lifestyles. In the recent past, archeologists discovered tombs, palaces, towns, and roads in Crete which symbolized the Minoan landscape. All this evidences the pre-historic culture that survived in the Aegean Sea. Minoan palaces were used to hold gatherings, workshop for artists and food stores. The palaces were multi-storied buildings with impressive exterior and interior staircases. The tombs were built in round shape with a flat wood-framed roof. It was not until Neopalatial period, 1700-1400 BC that Minoan towns started to emerge and easier linkage between the towns and palaces, roads were developed via the interior of the island (Marquand, 2008). On the other hand, Mycenaean architecture came into being in the Mycenaean period and most of their architecture is indebted to architecture of Minoans of Crete. An outstanding characteristic feature of Mycenaean architecture comprises of megaron, usage of exceptionally large stone blocks, corbel vaulting, and large fortification walls. Besides, the Bronze Age Cities’ plan and layout on the mainland resembled that of palaces of Crete to a large extent. Some of the major Mycenaean architectural projects were huge tombs, city planning, and palace. Palaces in the Minoan period had an open, vast courtyard whereas in Mycenaean megaron –indoor hall. Mycenaean architecture is also said to have been characterized by professional engineering works -evidenced by size of stone blocks used in constructing walls. Later their work was referred to as Cyclopean architecture by the Greeks and another distint feature from from the Minoans was the technique used in corbel vaulting. Therefore, Mycenaeans can be said to have been more technical in the architectural works as compared to the Minoans (Marquand, 2008). 2. Discuss the evolution of the Greek temple form from its early days as a megaron to how it is represented in the Hellenistic period. How and why did it evolve in the way that it did? A number of earliest Greek Temples are up to date the orientalizing and geometric periods. The temple had a votive model which in most cases was found in tombs and the basic geometric style of an ornament. The persistent advancement of the Greek Temple was was characterized by an addition of more columns, increased size, and inclusion of general underlying base of three steps. Therefore, the columnar screens and base generated a symbolic and visual transition from the normal world to the space of the temple. The progression of the Greek Temple involved a number of stages: the first stage is the megaron –indoor hall- which saw it being used as temple and it was initiated in the Mycenaean period; second stage was characterized by initiation of peristyle and an increased size; stage three was evidenced by completion of the peristyle, integration of the monumentality of Egyptian temple, symmetrical construction, and architectural design in conformity with requirements of Golden Se ction (Marquand, 2008). The Greek Temple has therefore totally remained to be a monument and it does not seem to combine its setting with the Mycenaean and Minoan designs. The temple is also a major achievement by human beings to have accomplished and the Temple represents an exceptional object from the natural environment. Consequently, the Temple has continued to serve as a commemoration of the geographical sacredness and provision of sanctification through a terrace that acted as the temple’s pedestal. It is also worth noting that the aforesaid column parts of the Temple does not match to natural forms such as plants or trees since the basic assumption was to evoke a human rationale and reasoning as opposed to monumentalism. The masterpiece of Greek architecture continued to evolve into classical designs (500-323 BC) and Hellenistic designs (323-27 BC) and it was evidenced by improved engineering skills applied in constructing towers (Ibid, 2008). 3. Describe the sensory experience of the Panathenaic Procession that would lead you to the Acropolis and up into the complex. It is quite evident that when one takes a closer look in the historical books of ancient Greek and during the Classical period that there was a direct relationship between religion, politics, and art or architecture. Historians have established that first temples were created to house cults and in particular to facilitate religious practices in the community. Parthenon as a temple was spectacularly placed in the ‘Holy City’ of Acropolis and hence acted as a means with which people could link the temple to their past. A notable feature is the Panathenaic Procession as it represented the religious and social lifestyles of the Athenians. Besides, the Procession was part and parcel of festivities that honored Athena, panathenaea which was commemorated annually. The procession comprised of ritual presentation of new cloaks or peplos to the ceremonial Athena statue (Neils, 1992). After every four years, a presentation of a huge peplos was made to the Grand Panathenaea within the Parthenon. Subsequently, every other successive year, Panathenaic Procession was marked by peplos presentation to Athena within the Erechtheum. As a formality, the Panathenaic Procession was started at Diployn Gate and traversed Agora with the final destination being in Acropolis. The activity of most importance to the women as during the period they performed a lot of activities such as weaving and presenting huge peplos to Athena every fourth year in Pathenon and smaller peplos to Athena in Erechtheum on yearly basis. Phases of Procession were represented by the frieze of the Parthenon that extended to a length of about 160 Metres. It stretched from the South West end of the Temple –with horse riders- to the North and West sides before heading to South, West sides (Neils, 1992).

Youths and Gangs in School: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Youths and Gangs in School: Causes, Effects and Solutions The correlation between youths and crime is well documented in the available literatures. Research shows that a huge number who regularly get involved in criminal activities are youths. According to Home Office (2011), Home Office commits approximately  £18m of the entire funding solely to curb young individuals from engaging in criminal activities. Such statistics clearly demonstrates the magnitude of the problem caused by youth gangs justifying the need to integrate mechanisms to adequately address the issue. There is no universally accepted definition for gangs considering the many definitions that have been advanced by scholars. Due to lack of universality of gang definition, there have been little consensus concerning what should constitute a gang and the precise definition of a gang member. Esbensen et al (2001) asserted that experts have reported faults with almost all definitions of a gang. Thrasher (1963, p, 40) boasts for being the first person to provide a comprehensive definition for a gang. He defined it as an interstitial group initially formed spontaneously and eventually integrated through conflict. Thrasher characterised gang with certain features, including milling, meeting face-to-face, conflict, movement through spaces as a unit, and planning. Nonetheless, criminal activities vital to many researchers understanding of gangs was virtually omitted from Thrashers definition. Thrasher had failed to integrate elements, including law violating behaviour and delinquent as a criterion for gang. Despite Schools being some of the most common socialization places for the youth across the world, they are increasingly becoming vulnerable to incidences and effects of youth gangs, especially in the United States. Background Schools are some of the most common socialization places for the youth across the world. In this respect, schools are vulnerable to incidences and effects of youth gangs, especially in the United States. Statistics indicate that about 24% of all public-school students report the presence of youth gangs in their individual schools (Smith, 2011). Recent surveys reveal that more than 45% of high school students acknowledge the existence of active youth gangs in their campuses. Empirical studies also demonstrate that group operations are more pervasive in urban schools than suburban schools (Mayer Furlong, 2010). However, gang operations in suburban schools have been growing at an alarming pace over the recent years. It is disturbing to note that scholars, education administrators, and security agencies have underestimated the implication of these statistics. Arguably, these stakeholders have shown little seriously about young gangs due to lack of well-defined criteria for assessing the elements of a youth gang. The reluctance to notice the prevalence of gang operations in schools have been attributed to the fear of public perception and politicization of the issue. The presence of youth gangs in communities poses serious problems for school going children. Reports show that schools form suitable grounds for recruitment, intimidation, and boasting (Smith, 2011; Howel, 2007). Concurring with this debate, Mayer, and Furlong (2010) added that the idea of gang activity creates an environment of anxiety and incompliance. Fear and incompliance interferes with classroom order and reduces the academic performance of non-gang students. Undoubtedly, the existence of youth gangs in schools disrupts the learning environment, inculcates fear among students and educators, and accounts for increased violence in schools. Research shows that young gang activity is positively associated with the increasing episodes of bullying, violence, and intimidation in schools (ODonnell, Egley Howell, 2009). Smith (2011) also reported a strong correlation between the existence of gangs and the availability of guns and drugs in schools. Cases of students having weapons, as w ell as, students reports of availability of illicit drugs are more rampant in schools where youth gangs are prevalent. Therefore, violent victimization rates are higher in schools with operational youth gangs than in schools without gangs. It has been noted with great concern that young gangs are characterized by ever-changing structures, thereby surpassing the stereotypical perspectives on traditional gangs. People always believe that modern youth gangs operate within the confines of urban settings. Research shows, however, that the contemporary youth gangs are rapidly growing and spreading to suburban areas and villages (Egley, Howell, Moore, 2010). The fact that young gangs are present in most of the urban high schools is a clear indication that schools are growingly being infiltrated by gang activities that are engineered in local communities. As mentioned earlier, the purpose of schools has extended beyond academic and co-curriculum development to include drug markets and recruiting grounds. Moreover, schools where notifiable gang operations are not addressed often register higher victimization rates. The failure to address gang operations imply that the potential indicators of gang activity are not being recognized as expected. In most cases, this failure leads to a compromise of the school security in the broad-spectrum. It is on record that teachers and school heads show little commitment to recognizing the prevalence of youth gangs in their schools due to fear of victimization. Studies have also found that students and police officers are more likely to report the existence of youth gangs in schools than both teachers and parents (NCES, 2010). These important facts support the need to explore the motives behind youth gang formation, awareness of key indicators, and risk factors linked to participation in the same. According to the National Center for Education Statistic (NCES, 2010), youth gang formation does not consider age, gender, or race. Scholars claim that pov erty and high costs of living explain the formation of a majority of youth gangs in schools (Estrada, Astor, Benbenishty, Gilreath, De Pedro, 2011). Estrada, Gilreath, Astor and Benbenishty (2013) reported that all children are becoming growingly vulnerable to the attraction of local youth gangs and indoctrinated with gang practices. Anti-gang analysts have suggested that the aspiration for love, security, improved social status, and a feeling of empowerment always promote gang formation. Academic failure, alcohol and substance abuse are other motivations to join a gang. Estrada, Astor, Benbenishty, Gilreath, and De Pedro (2011) contributed to this issue arguing that the ineffective and discriminatory nature of the existing social systems, including families and schools account for the rise in youth gangs in schools. Based on this argument, one can state without doubt that socio-economic predicaments are both predisposing factors and outcomes of the prevalence of youth gangs in the society. Professionals from across various quotas have contended that there is a difficulty in addressing gang pervasiveness. The problem which emanates from identification has been compounded by the lack of identifiable traits. The availability of identifiable traits would make it rather easy to differentiate between gang-affiliated students and non-gang students. Although other recognizable characters should be analyzed, gang members commonly use a different language, mannerisms, and dressing codes. The use of hand gestures, certain color displays, and signs are typical of youth gangs. However, blame has been pegged on educators and school administrators for overlooking such actions. Teachers and administrators have no option when it comes to learning and acknowledging the key indicators of youth gangs in schools. More importantly, educators lack knowledge of the risk factors that drive the formation of youth gangs. Battin-Pearson, Guo, Hill, Abbott, Catalano, and Hawkins (1997) categorized the possible risk factors into the family, school, peer, community, and individual circumstances. Dysfunctional families bring disaffection in children, thereby providing a primary motivation to join a gang. When one is separated from the community, he or she may seek acceptance in peer groups. These peer groups would then make joining a gang more appealing to the socially isolated young person. Therefore, exposing children to various risks increases the probability that they may accede to forces of youth gangs. Problem Statement It is evident that the explosion of youth gangs and gang-related violence has continued to skyrocket since the late-1990s. Global records show that the United States harbors about 30,000 distinct youth gangs made up of not less than 800,000 members. It is believed that these figures may be higher because people have imperfect information on what constitutes a gang. Incarceration of gang members and complicated legal procedures are other justifications of the variations in the estimates. Per the most recent surveys, more reasonable estimates comprise of at least 20,000 respective gangs with over 1,000,000 associates. It is worth stating that the more these gangs spread throughout a country or region, the more devastating their implications on public schools and learners become. The severity of effects of gangs in the contemporary society has exceeded historical levels. In other words, both the presence and activity of youth gangs in schools have raised concerns such as academic disrup tion, the decline in discipline among students, and increased cases of violence. The primary problem is that in most cases, teachers and school administrators fail to identify in time and mitigate gang problems in schools sufficiently. However, analysts do not blame educators and administrators entirely for their reluctance to recognize the presence and effects of gangs in school environments. In that essence, the contribution of public and political perceptions to their reluctance cannot be overlooked. On the contrary, the absence of official gang training in the pre-service and in-service professional development activities. Scholars have projected that when gang operations go unnoticed and unmitigated, such outcomes as increased gang activities, uncertain learning conditions, and ineffectiveness of campus security become more pervasive (Egley, Howell, Moore, 2010). The underlying issue is not just the recognition of key indicators and risks factors but the ability and capacity to recognize them in such a manner that facilitates mitigation and eradication of gangs from schools and the local communities. The situation may worsen in the near future if appropriate recognition methods and interventional measures are not implemented as fast as necessary. Solution to Gang Related Problems in School Before addressing the possible solution to gang related problems, it is imperative to address some of the risk factors promoting gang violence in a school setting. Understanding the root cause of gang related violence is key to addressing the issue of youths and gangs in schools. Howell (2011) documented some of the factors likely to prom youth gangs in a school setting. These factors are classified into individual, family, and school related factors. The individual risk factors include alcohol and drug abuse, antisocial behaviour, victimization, mental health problems, and negative life events. Howell (2011) contended that antisocial behaviour was one of the prim factors promoting youth and gang in schools. Howell asserts that children whose antisocial behaviour progressively worsens are more likely to join various gang groups. Antisocial behaviour includes aggression, alcohol and drug use, early dating, and violence without a weapon. In adolescence, other forms of violence do emerge, including attacking someone with a weapon. Therefore, antisocial behaviour is one of the prime causes of youth gang violence in a school setting. This implies that effort to address the issue of gang violence should be geared towards addressing the issue of antisocial behaviour in schools. Another individual factor contributing to youth and gangs in school include alcohol and drug abuse. Many students who are drug addicts are more likely to join gang groups (Huizinga Lovegrove, 2009). According to Howell (2011), alcohol and drug abuse are among the leading triggers of youth and gangs in schools. In fact, where drug involves marijuana, the probability of joining gang group is extremely high. Besides alcohol abuse, mental health also constitutes problem compelling an individual to join gangs in school. Despite little evidence on the role played by mental health problems in promoting gang violence, research shows that mental problems among young people escalates their chances of joining a gang group in a school setting. These mental health problems encompass externalising behaviours, conduct disorders, depression, and hyperactivity (Howell Egley, 2005). The study conducted by Davis and Flannery (2001) highlighted that gang members in juvenile correctional facilities are regularly admitted with histories of sexual and physical abuse, psychiatric disturbances, substance abuse, cognitive deficits, and traumatic stress disorder among others. Therefore, effort to provide robust solutions to addressing the issue of youths and gang in school should be geared towards addressing the above documented individual risk factors. Howell (2011) cited family risk factors as being responsible for compelling an individual to join a gang group in a school setting. Per Howell, parents play an incredible role in promoting positive child-development right from birth. He pointed adversities, including multiple family transitions, single-parent household, financial stress, and poverty as potential risk factors, increasing the likelihood of one joining a criminal gang. The aforementioned factors weaken effective parental supervision while disturbing proper development of stronger family bonds. In ability for parents to exercise proper parental control has been proven beyond reasonable doubt to promote children involvement in gang in various school settings. Additionally, parents history of gang involvement also plays an important role in the childs criminal behaviour. Howell (2011) posits that where a family member got involved in criminal behaviour or gang, the probability of his or her children joining gang is very high. School related factors have also been scrutinised to explore the role they play in promoting youth engagement in gang membership. However, it is interesting that study in this area have only been directed towards examining the role played by a students academic achievement in gang involvement (Gottfredson et al., 2005). The study conducted by Thornberry, Krohn, et al., (2003) found that poor school performance on mathematics subject predicted male gang involvement. Based on this study, it is apparent that poor school performance played a role in youth gang involvement in a school setting. The community risk factors have also been cited as a risk factor for youth involvement in gang violence. Pyrooz, Fox, and Decker (2010) opine that gangs always tend to cluster in economically disadvantaged and high-crime neighbourhoods. Where gangs cluster in each neighbourhood, the probability of youths joining gang group is extremely high. Some of the community related risk factors compelling youths to join gangs include widespread use of drugs and firearms, a huge number of people involved in illegal behaviours within the community, and increased alcohol and drug abuse. Solutions With respect to the rising rate of gang related violence, more so in a school setting, it is imperative to develop robust strategies to sufficiently address the issue of school youths joining gang groups. There are many strategies that can be implemented to address the issue as will be discussed in this section. Ineffective gun control strategies have been blamed to be responsible for the increased gang violence in a school setting. This implies that effort to reduce gang related violence should be geared towards implementing effective gun control policies to ensure that youths do not get access to guns. Research shows that drug abuse worsens juvenile violence in two different ways. For instance, firearm is highly prevalent among drug addicts, something that increases the chances of possessing and illegally using arms to engage in violence. Therefore, effort to reduce drug-gun related violence should be geared towards addressing the issue of drugs in community. To reduce an environment of fear and attain the highest reduction in number of youths carrying weapons, effort ought to be directed towards not only implementing effective gun control policies, but also conducting an operation to disarm the number of youths carrying the weapons. Youth involvement and community support planning and implementation are key to making the disarmament process effective. Community support programs geared towards promoting economic development is also a step in the right direction as far as solutions are concerned. In most cases, youths join gang groups because of poverty; they are unable to access adequate food. They are, therefore, forced to resort to gang violence as a strategy of achieving the end, which is using illegal methods to earn money. Therefore, community efforts should involve integrating programs that promote economic growth and development within the community. Besides the above, another effective strategy is studying students displaying antisocial behaviors. Based on this research, such students were more likely to join the school gang group. In this regard, they must be warned that any attempt to promote youth-gun would be dealt with accordingly. In some cases, promoting economic growth and development may not be effective because youth crime has always been reported to be high even in cities with a robust history of economic development. In this case, teaching school going children on the need to avoid violence behavior and the consequences associated with participating in gang groups is likely to reduce the number of school youths considering joining gangs. Scholars have suggested different strategies for mitigating the prevalence of different youth gang activities and gang-associated impacts on students. Among the most cited strategies include anti-gang education, anti-violence programs, school absenteeism and exclusion responses, positive pro-social behavior models, and inclusion. These strategies are useful in nurturing peaceful learning, coexistence, and social integration. Anti-youth gang education is a promising way of discouraging children and young adults from acquiring youth gang membership. In some jurisdictions, gang resistance education and training programs have been integrated into the curriculum. The advocates of this program argue that it enables students to have perfect information concerning their respective schools and homesteads, thereby encouraging positive social behaviors. The mentioned program focuses primarily on emphasizing the negative effects of alcohol and drug abuse, while engaging the youth in community development programs. However, the implementation such a curriculum should be the responsibility of security officers because they are more familiar with conflict management, drugs, and criminal justice. Research shows that students who have successfully undergone an education and training programs portray more pro-social behaviors than other students. On the same note, well-trained police officers play pivotal roles in not only preventing the formation of youth gangs, but also in enforcing law and order in the community. Therefore, police presence in schools can boost educators and administrators morale in the fight against youth gangs. Anti-violence programs form another set of strategies for curbing the proliferation of gangs in learning institutions. This category of strategies consists of mentoring programs for young boys, anti-bullying campaigns, pro-diversity policies and practices, and selection of community liaison officers. Psychologists believe that anti-bullying programs such as reporting of bullying incidences make vulnerable students feel more secure and less likely to seek refuge in a gang. Per emotion experts, mentoring boys reduces violence against students having same sex relationships. Besides, racial-violence in schools can be reduced by creating and promoting race-free environments. As a matter of fact, schools are encouraged to preach cultural diversity and equality so that foreign students can gain a sense of belonging to a school community. In addition to the school community, liaison officers can also promote cultural diversity by ensuring that ethnic minority communities actively participate in youth education and well-being promotion. Additionally, curriculum reforms, creation of incentives for attendance, allowing re-entry of excluded and disaffected students, and the use of restorative justice in disciplining students are the main ways of reducing cases of absenteeism and exclusion. Those who support curriculum change posit that learning should be more vocational and practical in the sense that evening hours and weekends are devoted to recreational and talent shows. Studies have established that most students find these sessions exciting and refreshing. Elsewhere, setting a class target with the reward of an excursion has been found to potentially increase school attendance. Students can also be prepared to re-enter regular schools by taking them to alternative schools such as rehabilitation centers. Most these alternative schools have provided community service training necessary for building self-esteem in young people. Fundamentally, there is a need to streamline the interaction between parents, educators, ad ministrators, and security personnel. Effective communication in social systems harbors myriad of achieving restorative justice. Scholars have identified youth conferences as the most effective communication channel when it comes to impacting behavior change in young people. Nevertheless, other educationists have viewed the role of mentorship in preventing gang activity from another lens. The contribution of both adult and peer mentors towards behavior change has been seamlessly commendable. Adult mentors comprise of designated and proficient individuals who offer guidance, counseling, and assistance to young groups. School administrators and peer leaders can be more productive in addressing problems affecting young people such as appropriate dressing, appropriate verbiage, and understanding. Scholars have suggested different strategies for mitigating the prevalence of different youth gang activities and gang-associated impacts on students. Among the most cited strategies include anti-gang education, anti-violence programs, school absenteeism and exclusion responses, positive pro-social behavior models, and inclusion. These strategies are useful in nurturing peaceful learning, coexistence, and social integration. Anti-youth gang education is a promising way of discouraging children and young adults from acquiring youth gang membership. In some jurisdictions, gang resistance education and training programs have been integrated into the curriculum. The advocates of this program argue that it enables students to have perfect information concerning their respective schools and homesteads, thereby encouraging positive social behaviors. The mentioned program focuses primarily on emphasizing the negative effects of alcohol and drug abuse, while engaging the youth in community development programs. However, the implementation such a curriculum should be the responsibility of security officers because they are more familiar with conflict management, drugs, and criminal justice. Research shows that students who have successfully undergone an education and training programs portray more pro-social behaviors than other students. On the same note, well-trained police officers play pivotal roles in not only preventing the formation of youth gangs, but also in enforcing law and order in the community. Therefore, police presence in schools can boost educators and administrators morale in the fight against youth gangs. Anti-violence programs form another set of strategies for curbing the proliferation of gangs in learning institutions. This category of strategies consists of mentoring programs for young boys, anti-bullying campaigns, pro-diversity policies and practices, and selection of community liaison officers. Psychologists believe that anti-bullying programs such as reporting of bullying incidences make vulnerable students feel more secure and less likely to seek refuge in a gang. According to emotion experts, mentoring boys reduces violence against students having same sex relationships. Besides, racial-violence in schools can be reduced by creating and promoting race-free environments. In fact, schools are encouraged to preach cultural diversity and equality so that foreign students can gain a sense of belonging to a school community. In addition to the school community, liaison officers can also promote cultural diversity by ensuring that ethnic minority communities actively participate in youth education and well-being promotion. Additionally, curriculum reforms, creation of incentives for attendance, allowing re-entry of excluded and disaffected students, and the use of restorative justice in disciplining students are the main ways of reducing cases of absenteeism and exclusion. Those who support curriculum change posit that learning should be more vocational and practical in the sense that evening hours and weekends are devoted to recreational and talent shows. Studies have established that most students find these sessions exciting and refreshing. Elsewhere, setting a class target with the reward of an excursion has been found to potentially increase school attendance. Students can also be prepared to re-enter regular schools by taking them to alternative schools such as rehabilitation centers. Most of these alternative schools have provided community service training necessary for building self-esteem in young people. Fundamentally, there is a need to streamline the interaction between parents, educators, administrators, and security personnel. Effective communication in social systems harbors a myriad of achieving restorative justice. Scholars have identified youth conferences as the most effective communication channel when it comes to impacting behavior change in young people. Nevertheless, other educationists have viewed the role of mentorship in preventing gang activity from another lens. The contribution of both adult and peer mentors towards behavior change has been seamlessly commendable. Adult mentors comprise of designated and proficient individuals who offer guidance, counseling, and assistance to young groups. School administrators and peer leaders can be more productive in addressing problems affecting young people such as appropriate dressing, appropriate verbiage, and understanding. References 2010. Retrieved fromhttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/crimeindicators/crimeindicators2010/ind_08.asp. Battin-Pearson, S., Guo, J., Hill, K. G., Abbott, R., Catalano, R. F., Hawkins, J. D. (1997). Early predictors of sustained adolescent gang membership. In American society of criminology annual meeting, San Diego, CA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1991). Weapon-carrying among high school students: United States, 1990. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 40(40), 681-684. Blumstein, 1994. Egley, A., Jr., Howell, J. C., Moore, J. P. (2010). Highlights of the 2008 national youth Estrada, J. N., Astor, R. A., Benbenishty, R., Gilreath, T., De Pedro, K. (2011). Merging gang and school violence theoretical models: examining predictors of gang membership within California schools. In American Educational Research Association, Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. Estrada, J. N., Gilreath, T. D., Astor, R. A., Benbenishty, R. (2013). Gang membership of California middle school students: behaviors and attitudes as mediators of school violence. Health education research, cyt037.  From http://www.k12.wa.us/LegisGov/2011documents/GangsTaskForceReport.pdf. gang survey. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/229249.pdf HOME OFFICE (2011). Knife, gun and gang-related violence. [online]. Last accessed 25 April 2011 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/crime/knife-gun-gang-youth-violence/. Howell, J. C. (2007). Menacing or mimicking? Realities of youth gangs. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 58(2), 39-50. Howell, J. C. (2011). Gang prevention: an overview of research and programs. DIANE Publishing. Mayer, M. J., Furlong, M. J. (2010). How safe are our schools? Educational Researcher, 39(1), 16-26. National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). Indicators of school crime and safety: ODonnell, C., Egley, A., Howell, J. C. (2009). Over a decade of national youth gang  Retrieved from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p373416_index.html Smith, T. G. (2011). Gangs in schools task force: Report to the legislature. Retrieved   Survey research: What have we learned? Paper presented at the annual meeting of  The ASC, Annual Meeting, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Philadelphia, PA.

Swords :: Essays Papers

Swords The sword was the predominant weapon of the knight during the Middle Ages. According to the Arms and Armor Glossary, "Swords have a long tapered, usually two edged blade ranging from 32" to more than 72" In length ending in a point which was sometimes, but not always, used for thrusting." Knights used swords in battle because they were very light. In weight, ranging from 3-5 pounds. The first metal swords were made of bronze, but later they were crafted of iron. From the period of the sixth century until the fifteenth century the most popular weapon for both knights and squires was the broadsword. The broadsword is generally a two-edged sword that ranges in length from 30" to 42". This sword is 2" to 3" at the base and 1/16" to 1/8" at the point. A knight was able to fight all day with this weapon because of its light weight, yet it was heavy enough that it could inflict serious harm on anyone that was to get in it's way. The broadsword is so dangerous because it works by concentrating the force of its blow. Another popular type of sword was the bastardsword. Bastardsword is the modern word for hand and a half sword. This blade's popularity peaked during the fifteenth century. Being 44" to 50" in length this sword was longer than the traditional broadsword. Knights liked this sword because of its versatility, the extended handle allowed the blade to be used in either both hands or wielded in one hand. In general swords tend to weigh less than most people think. The pommels of many swords are thicker than they appear in most drawings and illustrations; they are heavy in order to counter the blade. Over time the sword came to possess a very strong symbolic meaning, different virtues were assigned to the two edges of the sword. "The two edges of the sword show that the knight serves both God and the people, and its point shows that all people must obey him." (Barber 36) The cross or quillion (a popular 16th century term) is another part of a sword. It was given this name because of its shape; the quillion resembles a Christian cross, which subsequently furthers the symbolism of the sword.

Case Study Essay

Why is it important to get the patient’s assessment of health care quality? Does the patient have the expertise to judge the health care he or she receives? The patient is the customer. If the patient â€Å"perceives† that the health care received is inadequate, then he or she may go elsewhere the next time these services are needed. Although patients may not have the expertise to judge some aspects of 2 health care, they can judge appearances of competence, improvements in the way they feel, how they are treated, the cleanliness and comfort of the environment, and timely responses to service requests. . How might a hospital measure quality? Measuring quality in a service setting such as a hospital can sometimes be dif? cult. One obvious way is to keep track of the number of patient complaints—or even lawsuits. Some other measures that could be used include, but are not limited to, the following:  ¦ Average time for nurses to respond to a patients’ call  ¦ Average time spent by patients in intensive care  ¦ Average recovery time after surgery  ¦ Average condition of patients upon discharge  ¦ Change in patient condition between admission and discharge  ¦ Number patients per staff member 3. Using the steps in the table in the case discuss how each might apply to FCGH. To answer this question, one must remember that the product provided by FCGH is health care. However, it must also be remembered that the hospital’s staff (nurses, physicians, lab technicians, etc. ) are the suppliers of that service. Thus, quality of service will depend a great deal on the staff—their motivation, attention to details, morale, level of caring, etc. Quality to the Customer:  ¦ Is conformance of the service provided compared to established quality standards? Is quality of the hospital’s health are service compared with that of competitors? Quality Costs:  ¦ Have the costs of quality been measured and have possible areas for cost savings been identi? ed? Design Review:  ¦ Do procedures exist to review patient treatment for quality? Are these procedures being carried out? Product Quali? cation:  ¦ Have procedures been established and followed to qualify new treatme nts before they are used on patients? Product Liability:  ¦ Has each treatment been scrutinized regarding safety and are appropriate records kept? Does a written plan exist for dealing with major problems regarding patient? Process Capability:  ¦ Has the effectiveness and risk of each treatment been measured, and is that information used in selecting treatments? Incoming Inspection:  ¦ Is incoming material inspected? Are staff members evaluated before being hired? Are records of these evaluations kept? Supplier Quality:  ¦ Are suppliers and staff members made aware of their quality responsibilities? Are records kept on nonconformance? Process Control:  ¦ Has the hospital developed policies for controlling treatments and lab tests? Have employees been trained to follow these policies? Inspection and Test Planning: Do inspection and test plans exist for all services provided and are records maintained on the results? Are all test procedures and equipment regularly checked for accuracy? Quality Performance Indicators:  ¦ Are quality performance indicators regularly published throughout the hospital and made available to employees? Employee Involvement Program:  ¦ Are employees involved in quali ty improvement through some process such as quality circles? Multifunctional Quality Improvement Team:  ¦ Has a quality improvement team covering all functional areas been established to monitor quality work and to work o improve it? Quality Business Plan:  ¦ Has quality been integrated into the hospital’s business plan—and from there into the overall strategic plan? 4. How can the value of a human life be included in the cost of quality control? Placing a cost on a human life is, of course, dif? cult. However, even companies that manufacture goods must deal with this if there is the possibility that a defective product could result in death. In a hospital setting death is always a possibility due to unforeseen complications or adverse drug reactions. The best approach for FCGH may be to follow whatever policies and rocedures will produce the least chance of patient death. 5. There are certain parallels between the evaluation of health care quality and educational quality. How are customer surveys used to evaluate the quality of teaching at your institutions? How are the results used? Are any other measures available to assess educational quality? What improvements would you suggest to the current system? Teaching evaluations are the â€Å"customer surveys† of education. They are used by faculty and administrators to improve curriculum and teaching methods, to evaluate faculty performance, and to bestow teaching awards. There is general agreement, however, that student evaluations of teaching are insuf? cient assessments of education quality in and of themselves. Students may give high marks to teachers based on personality, lax administration of the class, or the level of dif? – culty of the course (easy grades). Further, how can students (who are just learning) judge whether the appropriate material is being taught? On the other hand, the student perceptions should not be ignored. A professor who is very knowledgeable about a subject, but who cannot communicate that knowledge is of little use to the educational process. Therefore, in assessing educational quality, multiple measures of performance should be used, including:  ¦ Teaching evaluations completed by students  ¦ Peer evaluations by faculty  ¦ Surveys of employers  ¦ Surveys of alumni  ¦ Ranking of departmental performance by other deans or industry  ¦ Placement data  ¦ Overall student evaluations based on assessments of total curriculum, rather than individual courses or teachers. QUALITY CLEANERS This case can be used to address several issues and objectives:  ¦ All employees throughout the process must be involved.  ¦ Employees must be accountable for the quality of their work. In service organizations, determining the attributes that de- ?ne quality service, and the corresponding question of how to measure quality can be dif? cult, but must be done,  ¦ The student should have suf? cient understanding of SPC to determine when, where, and how it should be applied.  ¦ Small increases in prevention and appraisal cost wi ll result in large decreases in total cost of quality.  ¦ Records are kept to maintain accountability of the employee to determine bonuses, additional training required, or possible dismissal. Another problem area identi? ed would include quipment (cleaning machine, presses) not functioning properly. These records would also indicate areas where future improvements should be directed. Given below are some points that should be included in the case analysis. 1. Inspections should occur throughout the process with each worker checking his or her work and previous activities also. The astute students will also recognize the capability of using the customer as an inspector. When the garment(s) is brought into the store, the customer should be asked if there are any spots or stains that may require special attention, repairs eeded, special requests, etc. Getting this information from the customer will greatly increase the probability that the service provided meets the customer’s expectations. The counter person and the marker should be checking the garments closely for foreign objects, rather than leaving this for the cleaner, because this has the greatest potential dam age in terms of dollars and dissatis? ed customers. A load ruined by an ink pen would impact 10–20 customers and cost several thousand dollars in claims. 2. Allow for some student creativity. Possibilities would include he counter person, marker, and assembler initialing the ticket at a designated point. The cleaners and pressers could use special shaped (circle, square, triangle, etc. ) punches to punch the identi? cation tag pinned in the garment. Another option would be for the cleaners and pressers to use small plastic tags (as sometimes seen on bakery items) placed on the hanger. Whatever the solution, it should achieve the objective of accountability and require limited time and supplies cost. 3. The additional workload must be tracked over time. Time consumed must be matched with the number of complaints.

Thesis Statment

Thesis Statement: Definition: the thesis statement is the most important sentence in your essay. It is the main idea for the whole essay; it is frequently shows (directly, indirectly) the number and the content of the body paragraphs of the essay. Clear thesis statement are essential for good writing. Parts of a thesis statement: A thesis statement has two main parts: the topic and the controlling and additional one not necessary predictor. A- Topic: the subject of the essay, what the essay is about. Ex: Frank McCourt faced two obstacles.B- Controlling: what you are going to say about the topic. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles. C- Predictor: it is a third component in a thesis statement. It tells the reader how many body paragraphs there will be in the essay and what their content will be. Ex. Frank McCourt faced two obstacles lack of education and poverty. Activity 1: predict the content of the body paragraphs of the following statements circle the topic, underline the control ling: 1- As we human beings shape our environment by building and producing, we are increasingly polluting our air, water and our soil. – The main advantages of urban planning are that we can control a city's appearance, we can organize transportation effectively, and we can make sure there are enough open spaces. 3- With its winding paths, lake, and small forests, Central Park in New York City is the most important example of the romantic style of landscape architecture in the United States. Rules for Thesis Statement: 1- Thesis statement must be a complete sentence with a subject and a verb. City living hazardous to your health. (not a thesis) City living is hazardous to your health. – Thesis statement must be a statement not a question. Are dogs good companions? Dogs are good companions. 3- Thesis statement is an opinion it can't be a simple statement of fact (doesn’t need any support) I have an older brother and a younger brother. I have much in common with my younger brother than I do with my older brother. 4- Thesis statement is a statement not announcement and must state the controlling idea. This essay I'm going to talk about air pollution. Recent methods of reducing air pollution are showing some positive results 5- Thesis statement should have only one controlling idea.Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive, and it is slower than that in Tokyo. Public transportation in my hometown is too expensive. Activity: 2 state if the following sentences is a good thesis statement or not and state the rule it violates. 1- Japanese car are better than American cars. 2- A Mitsubishi is a Japanese car. 3- I'm going to show you why seat belts are necessary. 4- Are seat belts necessary? 5- Wearing a seat belt can save your life. 6- Students who work while they are studying meet a lot of people, and their professors also work hard. 7- Work-study programs an analysis. – In this essay, I will compare working on campus and worki ng off campus. Activity 3: choose 4 topics to write 4 thesis statements. 2 must have a predictor: 1- __________________________________________________________________________ 2- __________________________________________________________________________ 3- __________________________________________________________________________ 4- __________________________________________________________________________ ———————– Wild animalsendangered speciestransportationocean/ water Climate changeworld's food productioneducationforest/ vegetation