The Nursing Shortage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Nursing Shortage - Essay Example The nursing shortage problem is made worse through poor retention strategies of healthcare institutions. Taken as a whole, nursing professionals expressed better job and career satisfaction than professionals from several of the other fields. Finally, the average age of RN’s is on the rise. Moving on to the action required for easing the pressure on RN’s and preventing the shortage of RN’s in the long run, the authors recommend finding the means to eliminate the poor workplace environment for nurses; take measures to improve the contributions made by nursing to patient safety and quality of care of patients; maintain a long term perspective in all these aspects; take steps to enhance the capacity of nursing education programs; and accept that the nursing work force can change for the better. In conclusion the authors suggest that complacency on the issue of nursing shortage should be avoided, and that nursing professionals can be assured of the recognition of soc iety for their contributions, which would lead to society taking measures for improvement in work related issues of RN’s. ... act on nursing, the changes required, and the transformational leadership that is required for leading the requisite changes in the profession of nursing. Nursing is an embattled profession in the U.S.A. fighting the battle of nursing shortage. Yet, the policy solutions that have been set forth do not provide any positive feeling. In the opinion of the author this may be due to the negative nursing affectivity with which the problems faced by nursing is perceived. What is required is to perceive the requirement for nursing professional as a consequence of the generational changes that are occurring in American society. and the opportunity that it presents for nursing. An opportunity has been presented to nursing, but by living in the past of complaining about the shortage of nurses, and crying for more nurses, nursing is missing the boat. Nursing leadership needs to recognize that there have been changes in the health delivery systems that have enhanced the complexity in the health d elivery system. Consequently nursing has to change accordingly by arming itself with better expertise and competencies. This is the transformation thinking that is required in nursing leadership. The challenge can be met only by thinking out of the box, so that the profession is transformed into one capable of meeting the diverse and complex needs of society. These diverse and complex needs include on one side profit of shareholders and return on investment on one side and cost considerations for the healthcare service users on the other hand. In conclusion the author opines that inculcating humanistic values with a focus on patient well-being is the need in the modern healthcare system. Nursing in collaboration with the medical profession is in a position to balance cost effectiveness with

HMVs E-business Performance Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

HMVs E-business Performance - Case Study Example During the early years, HMV was a brand name known to every music lover and became synonymous to music retailing. This helped HMV to expend its base out of London to all most every corner of Britain. The first major period growth came in the sixties, when fifteen new stores were opened in grater London and south east and then again in the following years it becomes customary affair for HMV. Store sizes of HMV have been increasing to accommodate the vast range of music videos, computer games etc. In October, 1998, this process culminated in the opening of HMV in new 50,000 sq feet flagship store at 150 Oxford Street, listed by the Guinness book of records at the time as the world's largest record store. In later years, HMV continued to launch its flagship standard superstores all over UK. The UK based chain was also able to successfully export the branch to the rest of the world and retail chains were established in North America &South East - Asia. HMV continued to lead the way in mu sic retailing into the millennium and launch HMV - direct in 1992, its mail order operation and in 1997, its own website WWW.hmv.co.uk shows its commitment towards adopting new technologies and to cater the opportunities which lie ahead. Now HMV has developed into one of the world's leading ret... HMV is dedicated to provide its customers the widest range possible of music, films and games across all formats. Recently, the music industry specially has seen the revolution in the form of digital music which has the capacity to be offered at any time, anywhere in the world through number of channels. This has increased capability to reach out vast number of audiences. "Electronic commerce is often thought simply to refer to buying and selling using the Internet; people immediately think of consumer retail purchases from companies. But e-commerce involved much more than electronically mediated financial transactions between organization and customers. Many commentators refer to e-commerce as all electronically mediated transaction between an organization and any third party it deals with. By this definition, non-financial transaction such as customers' requests for further information would also be considered to be part of e-commerce (Chaffey, 2004). The HMV group operates form approximately 680 shops in 7 countries and total retail floor space of 3.6 million square feet. For the full year ended April 2007, HMV group had a turnover of 1,894.5 million pound and operating profit of 57.3 million pound. HMV UK & Ireland sold 78 million CD & DVD units and water stone's 58 million books in the financial year ended April 2007. The acquisition of Ottakar's for 62.9 million pound brought together two businesses similar to each other i.e. book selling and music, video & games selling. Waterstone and Ottakar are both specialists offering a wide range of titles. This step has been taken by the company to accommodate customers' requirements. Book selling in UK has been impacted by intensifying competition form

Leadership In The Tata Group

Leadership In The Tata Group Introduction: Leadership is integrated part of our life. According to corporate chief and former US presidential candidate Ross Perot, the principles of leadership are timeless because, in a rapidly changing world, human nature remains a constant. We all experience leadership in our life from early childhood in our families, through friendships, social and sports activities, school higher education, to politics government and of course in our work, we all recognize leadership in other people and often in ourselves. In government, global corporations and small businesses alike, the leadership role is becoming more demanding, more open to scrutiny and more difficult [Roger Gill]. The development of leadership theory also parallels the development of organizational theory. The bureaucratic form of business organization is characterized by laissez-faire leadership whereby so-called leaders tend to avoid taking a stand, ignore problems, not follow up, and refrain from intervening or transactional leadership, in which leaders practise management by exception, focusing only on deviations from what is required, and contingent reward, rewarding people (either materially or psychologically) for achieving what is required. The emergence of the post-bureaucratic form of organization in the late nineteenth century reflects the development of the concept of transformational leadership. Theory Approaches to Leadership: Many Leadership theories and approaches have been evolved around Style, Trait, Behaviour, Situational and Charisma. Many researchers made efforts linking some of the theories across these leadership approaches. However each leadership model has its merit, assumptions and limitations. Most recent researches are conducted on Situational Transformational leadership styles. Various leadership Gurus presented new models as variations to the already existing models. Max Weber, MacGregor, Bass, Bennis Nanus are some of the most important researchers in the area of transformational leadership. However the difference between transactional and transformational leadership is vital in getting the whole concept of transformational leadership theory. In general, a relationship between two people is based on the level of exchange they have. Exchange need not be money or material; it can be anything. The more exchange they have the stronger the relation. Managers expects more productivity from employee in order to give good rewards. In this way, if something is done to anyone based on the return then that relation is called as Transactional type. In business, leaders announce rewards in turn to the productivity. These relations are all about requirements, conditions and rewards. In life, at one point of time, things happen without expectation from other side. Transformational Leaders work toward a common goal with followers; put followers in front and develop them; take followers to next level; inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests in achieving superior results [wordpress.com]. Table 1, given below shows Basss full range model of leadership. Table 1 Leadership Approach in TATA Group: TATA Group founded in 1868, is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, India. The Group has more than 500,000 employees spread over six continents (more than 80 countries). TATA Group current market capitalization estimated worth $80bn and is the largest private corporate group in India. TATA Group is biggest employer in UK, employing more than 50,000 people. TATA Group has main interests in communications, IT, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Its current chairman, Ratan Tata is the most influential business leaders in Indias and the worlds most influential person right now. The Tata Group is known for its valued business ethics and corporate governance. TATA Group has long standing leadership program in its system. Their leadership program is based in British administrative service model. TATAs leadership development programme aims at grooming the managers of today into the leaders of tomorrow. The leadership development programme conceived by JRD Tata, the late chairman of TATA group in 1950s. The idea behind the leadership programme known as Tata Administrative Services (TAS) was to select and groom young managers, provide them opportunity for professional growth, and make them leaders of tomorrow. This is TATAs in-house programme and has goal is to provide training to high performers, act as a cradle of change and develop the leadership qualities. Most of the TATA Group companies are traditionally led by these groomed leaders. The TATA Group leadership style has been quite consistent since its existence way back to 1868. The TATA Group has incorporated more leadership changes which are essential in current environment to drive towards to be more competitive. In terms of leadership style, TATA Group has adopted a team-led culture and collective approach. With Ratan Tata as leader of the Group, the management style of the entire TATA Group has changed considerably; trust became a huge facet and theme of the group. Ratan Tata has put a complete organisational restructuring when he took over in 1991 as leader of the TATA Group, by taking a more matrix-style approach building teams. These changes would have obviously transformed a lot in the business, senior managers would have had to be on their toes and flexibility and adaptability became essential qualities to have. The leadership changed from a centralised, command centre to a much more distributed form with employees and all managers enjoying greater respo nsibility and knowledge about the Group, which would have in turn; motivated them to work harder and as a group. From distinctive leadership models available such as the McGregor Theory X and Y; where a theory X manager believes workers dislike work, are not creative and avoid all responsibility while a theory Y manager believes that workers get as much enjoyment from work as they can derive with leisure, accept responsibility and are creative; it can be seen from this, that Ratan Tata wanted all his managers to be modelled as closely to Theory Y and he himself could be called a Theory Y manager. He encouraged managers to be innovative and share all their ideas, consulting actively with them and giving them more responsibility and importantly encouraged team-working. Five Factor Model (Big Five): Emotional Stability: Ratan Tata has very low anxiety within him and has great sense of security with his future leadership. Extraversion: Even being a bachelor Ratan Tata is very sociable. He has produced very positive affect on future leadership of TATA Group. Openness: He believes in originality and versatility. By making  £1200/- car he has shown his great interest with and innovation seeking personality. Agreeableness: Within his management team Ratan Tata is well trusted and very friendly. Conscientiousness: He is very dutifulness. He spent most of his life working for TATA Group without any self-interest. He is very well organised as well. Style (Behaviour) Theory in TATA Group: As per style theory, there are three types of leadership models are evident in leadership. These are as follows. Autocratic Democratic Laissez-faire Ratan Tata is a leader who engages more democratic style of leadership approach. However at previous occasion has used other two kind of style as well. He is more democratic because he always encourages his group leadership to be creating good communication and participation. Future leadership are well informed about future strategy and they are very well engaged in decision making process. Most of the group long-term and short-term strategies are formulated by the lower rank of the leadership. They are treated as stake holders. Until now TATA Group has got leadership within them. Ratan Tata has occasionally shown some form of autocratic style of leadership. Sometimes when needed especially when quick and informed decisions have to be taken, but he is never too commanding in his nature, being a man of few words and being more of a man of action, this is evident from the manner he aggressively pushes for bold international deals, such as during the global acquisitions of business powe rhouses such as Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley Tea. One of his senior leadership team member, Muthuraman( Executive Director) refers him Ratan was the chief architect of the Corus deal. I was worried about the magnitude and the amount of money. But he instilled confidence. In daily routine matters and in developing the leadership, Ratan Tata also uses facets of the Laissez-Faire model such as the delegation of important duties and decision-making, he also does not in any way interfere with any managers functioning, he might make a broad strategic assessment but he does not interfere in operational issues and details, this shows that he has complete trust and faith in his managers and believes in their ability, this quote from Gopalakrishnan, an executive director of the company, shows how much value Ratan Tata places on his trust, this can be highly motivating for managers and workers alike, I remember what Ratan told us at a meeting. He said that he will continue to trust all his managers, but once they lose that trust, he will go after them. I think that is a very fair deal. Max Webers Leadership Model in TATA Group: Looking at Max Webers Transactional and Transformational Leadership models, where a leader is classed in three forms which are Bureaucratic, Charismatic and Traditional, where a bureaucratic leader is one who is always bound by the set rule and does not want to go beyond them; a Traditional leader is one who does and follows everything from a long past or history and always loyally obeys these traditions; a Charismatic leader is one who uses his own laurels or abilities to inspire and is one who can be described as radically opposed to administrative rules and legal principles. From these models, Ratan Tata falls into the Charismatic form because he is one who leads by example, coming up with highly innovative ideas such as  £1200 (Rs. One Lakh) car the Nano, budget hotels or low-end watches, he brought radical change to the Tata Group as a whole, changing it from its Traditional mindset to new more flexible and adaptive cultural mindset. Bennis Nanus Transformational Leadership Model in TATA Group: We can see from Bennis and Nanuss Transformational Leadership model that the transformational leaders groom their followers into self-empowered leaders and their main focus is to articulate vision and values clearly so the newly self-empowered leaders know where to go. Their traits include logical thinking, persistence, empowerment and self-control. Benniss and Nanus has evolved the model which emphasis on the four Is of Transformational leadership, which are Idealised Influence (being a role model) Inspirational Motivation (creating a team spirit, motivating and provide a challenge) Intellectual Stimulation (innovation and creativity) Individual Consideration (mentoring and providing support for followers) Ratan Tata, Chairman of the TATA Group has been proved a true transformational leader. We can see all Is built-in in Ratan Tata. He is the leader with great vision hence he knows right approach to groom future leadership. He has implemented the team spirit in whole group at every level. He empowers all his managers and executives and has complete faith in them, he is extremely innovative and is credited for much of the Groups new products, he places a great deal of importance to his RD department and he definitely cares deeply about the welfare of all his employees and managers. During the Mumbais terrorist attack in Taj Hotel, he took front line in leading at the time of crises. In his vision statement he articulated One hundred years from now, I expect TATA Group to be much bigger, of course, than it is now. More importantly, I hope the Group comes to be regarded as being the best in India. Best in the Manner in which we operate, best in the products we deliver and best in our valu e system and ethics. Having said that, I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India, that we become a global group, operating in many countries, as Indian business conglomerate that is at home in the world, carrying the same set of trust as we do today [Tata Group Article]. As a leader of a global business group, Ratan Tata knows the fierce competition experienced by his business empire. He makes all effort to make his business competitive at global level. Through transformational leadership process TATA Group has made their processes and technology up to date. Once Ratan Tata said to his managers in his vision speech A company or business which remains static is a business that will die; a company that constantly changes and accepts that there are better ways to do things than the way they are done today, is a company that will survive in the global market that we face. From this statement we can infer that he knows the importance of developing a good leadership within group to take TATA Group to new heights. Ratan Tata involves strategy in leadership. He is a deep thinker and a brilliant strategist as is described by one of his Executive Directors, Alan Rosling, He is a deep thinker and extremely strategic. He is always 2-3 steps ahead. Ratan Tata is a man of strong integrity, ethics and valued principles. He cultivated the same across the TATA Group companies. One of his companies CEO said Tata has shown that there is no other way he will do business other than do it ethically. He believes in strong value based leadership approach in doing business. Ratan Tata has led the TATA Group to transforming from local business group to become a global leader. Conclusions: Ratan Tata of the Tata Group is a more kind of transformational leader. He made Tata Group as global brand. He has provided inspiration to leaders within his own company. In Tata Group leaders are engaged in decision making at every level. Ratan Tata has successfully led and motivated its CEO/MD of the group companies to be ambitious. He has always adopted a ethical approach in group business. Ratan Tata has adopted a management by consensus style. He stated once When a number of persons are involved I am definitely a consensus man, but that does not mean that I do not disagree or that I do not express my views. Basically it is a question of having to deal with individual men heading different enterprises. You have to adapt yourself to their ways and deal accordingly and draw out the best in each man. If I have any merit it is getting on with individuals according to their ways and characteristics. I have dealt with a hundred top directors and I have got on with all of them. At times it involves suppressing yourself. It is painful but necessary. To be a leader you have got to lead human beings with affection. Ratan Tata has ability to spot the talent. And once he has confident that a manager will perform, he gave him a long rope. Appendix: Reference List Roger Gill, Theory and Practice of Leadership, Sage Publication, 2006 http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/transactional-leadership-vs-transformational-leadership/ http://business.outlookindia.com/inner.aspx?articleid=682editionid=22catgid=70subcatgid=464 http://www.tata.com/company/Articles/inside.aspx?artid=YJbf7uiUY0M= John P. Kotter, A Force For Change: How Leadership Differs From Management (New York: The Free Press, 1990). OTool, James. Leadership from A to Z: A Guide for the Appropriately Ambitious, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999. Visionary Leadership: Creating a Compelling Sense of Direction for Your Organization (Jossey Bass Business and Management Series): Burt Nanus Tata Steel Group Annual Reports (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10)

Handguns in America: To Ban or Not to Ban Essay -- argumentative, persu

Handguns in America: To ban or not to ban. Americans should be able to have, own and carry handguns if they feel the need to protect them. It’s a statement that is a topic of major debate and has been for years. There are proponents and oppositionists with regards to handgun laws and rights. Both sides have strong, seemingly valid arguments. In the end, we should have that choice. One of the strongest arguments for banning handguns: An increase in the availability of handguns equals an increase in crimes using handguns. â€Å"Handguns were used in murder more than all other weapons combined.† Page 75 (Every handgun is aimed at you) Josh Sugarman is for banning handguns arguing, the higher number of handguns, and the higher number of crime. That fact may be accurate according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports. However, who is to say about the likely hood of the murder occurring regardless if the gun was available or not. If someone has a gun, they are more likely going to use it. But if someone is murder-minded, they will commit the murder, regardless of the weapon. To argue this point further, John R. Lott Jr. in his book The Bias Against Guns, mentions a study from 1977 to 1992. The research showed that the states that adopted right to conceal laws had a decrease in crimes with guns immediately following the passing of those laws. (pg 228 the bias against guns) Suicide and handguns: â€Å"†¦.the ready availability of handguns in the moments of despair takes thousands of lives each year.† (page 35 Every handgun is aimed at you) The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states that: â€Å"Firearms account for 50 percent of all suicides. Death by firearms is the fastest growing method of suicide.† Just as the murder-minded individual h... ...ection of this site, deals specifically with statistics on firearms and suicide rates. Sowell, Thomas. "RealClearPolitics - Judges, the Constitution & Gun Control Laws." RealClearPolitics. Creators Syndicate Inc., 29 June 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. The author is a general columnist and writes political articles including publishing weekly articles in Forbes magazine. He is a respected top economist. His article shows the author’s view on how stricter laws will increase gun violence. Sugarmann, Josh. Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns. New York: New, 2001. Print. The author is the executive director/founder of Violence Policy Center. He has published two books on the subject of guns and has written many articles for several newspapers across the country. This book looks at gun violence in America and why we should completely ban handguns.

Request for Proposal Essay

To Whom It May Concern: This letter is a Request for a Proposal for your company to provide our staff with training of Microsoft Office Programs. Background: Our Company has recently purchased an upgrade to our current systems that will come with the most recent version of Microsoft Office programs included. In order to maximize our investment with this upgrade we would like to train our staff on how to use these programs. Review services to be provided: 1. Train staff of 35 office and sales professionals on the following Microsoft Office programs: Word, Outlook, Power Point, Excel and One Note. 2. Complete training is five groups of 7 individuals over a two month time frame starting on August 15, 2010 and ending October 15, 2010. 3. Training company on site to train and be available to staff two days a week for classroom training and one day for in office assistance as the team puts their training to work. 4. The training staff will submit a report to the Manager of this project on Friday of each week to update the progress of the training. 5. Our staff will complete individual feedback on each trainer at the end of the project. The response to this RFP should include the cost for your services, a schedule of the training, and completion dates. Training Budget: Our budget for this training is $7500. Submission and Selection: Proposals for the Microsoft Office training must be submitted by July 1, 2010. You may submit the proposals by registered  mail to our office. Our leadership team will review each proposal and then schedule interviews with the finalists. The interviews will take place the week of July 14, 2010. Once all interviews have been completed, we will make our final selection on July 31, 2010. If you require additional information please contact my office at 1-866-555-5555. Other Matters: Please provide references. We are looking forward to working with you, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions.

Persuasive Essay: Men and Women are not Equal Essay

Men and women are not equal. This phrase has been floating around in one way or another for hundreds of years it is only recently that the United States got rid of this long–standing discrimination. There are many obvious and not-so-obvious reasons why women should be considered equal to men. It is a common misconception that men are smarter and more competent than woman. The reason why this misconception is so popular because men have enjoyed rights that women have been forbidden. In the United States women are paid 22 percent less than man. This inequality in wages can only be attributed to a preconceived notion of the value of women. Whether or not it is intentional, it is the unfortunate reality. Education, experience, and potential seem to have no effect on this inequality. Companies should appreciate the unique impute and experiences of women because they differ so vastly from that of men. Women can bring a new point of view and mentality to the company that will ultimately be beneficial to its end goal. In fact, there are occupations for which women could arguably be better suited, such as therapists and teachers. The natural nurturing traits that women possess make them ideal for occupations that demand support and encouragement. The women’s rights movement in the United States did away with the blatant vialotions of women’s freedom. Unfortunately some countries in the world still have not taken the necessary steps to mirror the United States. Arab countries, in particular have yet to make the change. Women cannot leave their homes without the permissions of they’re husband, they must wear a veil to cover up most of their faces, they cannot own property, or have a voice in society and government. The most obvious and logical defense of women’s freedom is the simple fact that they are human and deserve every right that comes with that title. They should not have to fight for their freedom. It is something that is given to all humans at the moment of their birth. With regards to countries that do not respect the freedoms, they do not realize that having such an archaic view of women reflects badly on them as a country. It suggests that they are not willing or able to move forward with an evolving world. As a result of preconceived notions some women have even become to think  that they are inferior to men. Because of this, domestic violence has become a women’s issue, more specifically unreported domestic violence. This is an issue that need to be addressed because of two reasons. The first is to draw attention to the unreported incidents and to persuade these victims to acknowledged their rights and realize their worth. The second is to expose these unreported attacks as a violation of women’s rights as opposed to a typical irrelevant crime. In conclusion, the modern day women are constantly fighting for her place in society. Whether its salary, freedom, or identity the struggle is a reality with which she must live. However her resilience and perseverance are among the reasons why she deserves to enjoy the rights she possesses. Without a doubt she will overcome any remaining prejudices and obstacles left in the world to be recognized as an equal.

3 Not Only . . . but Also Errors with a Choice of Solutions

3 Not Only . . . but Also Errors with a Choice of Solutions 3 Not Only . . . but Also Errors with a Choice of Solutions 3 Not Only . . . but Also Errors with a Choice of Solutions By Mark Nichol One of the most persistent and pernicious types of syntactical errors is the misuse of the point-counterpoint â€Å"not only . . . but also† construction. For each of the following three sentences, the discussion that follows offers not only one revision but also an additional option. 1. The loss or theft of intellectual property not only could undermine a company’s ability to compete but damage its brand and reputation in unanticipated ways. A minor but common error here is the omission of also in the â€Å"but also† setup for the counterpoint. The more significant problem is that if the verb associated with â€Å"not only† follows it, â€Å"but also† must be followed by a repetition of the verb or by a different but corresponding verb. Alternatively, move could to precede â€Å"not only,† and it can serve â€Å"but also† as well without the need for repetition: â€Å"The loss or theft of intellectual property not only could undermine a company’s ability to compete but also could damage its brand and reputation in unanticipated ways.† (Could can, alternatively, intervene between but and also.) or â€Å"The loss or theft of intellectual property could not only undermine a company’s ability to compete but also damage its brand and reputation in unanticipated ways.† 2. It is imperative to not only design and  implement appropriate corporate governance processes  but also to assess the  risks businesses can reasonably expect to face in the future. If to precedes the â€Å"not only† point, it also applies to the â€Å"but also† counterpoint, so the to immediately following â€Å"but also† is extraneous. If that other to is to be retained, the first one must be moved to follow â€Å"not only† to be in parallel to the one that follows â€Å"but also†: It is imperative to not only design and  implement appropriate corporate governance processes  but also assess the  risks businesses can reasonably expect to face in the future.† or â€Å"It is imperative not only to design and  implement appropriate corporate governance processes  but also to assess the  risks businesses can reasonably expect to face in the future.† 3. Not only does the product clean lint on clothing, but also the interior of handbags, lampshades, curtains, furniture, car seats and flooring, animal fur, broken glass, and so much more. Here, both revisions also involve a slight rewording of the initial proposition and the follow-up so that readers do not get the mistaken impression that the product cleans lint from everything listed; the lint-removal aspect pertains only to clothing, though the product cleans everything else. Both revisions clarify that distinction, but the latter version is also more direct: â€Å"Not only does the product remove lint on clothing, it also cleans the interior of handbags, lampshades, curtains, furniture, car seats and flooring, animal fur, broken glass, and so much more.† or â€Å"The product not only removes lint from clothing but also cleans the interior of handbags, lampshades, curtains, furniture, car seats and flooring, animal fur, broken glass, and so much more.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Synonyms for â€Å"Leader†50 Idioms About Arms, Hands, and Fingers"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?

Exploring The Novel Sula By Toni Morrison Essays - Sula, Free Essays

Exploring The Novel Sula By Toni Morrison Essays - Sula, Free Essays Exploring The Novel Sula By Toni Morrison A Strong Woman is Outcast Melody Carter Women in 20th Cen. Lit. Prof. Fiona Paton Paper 2- Nov 10, 2000 In the novel Sula, by Toni Morrison we follow the life of Sula Peace through out her childhood in the twenties until her death in 1941. The novel surrounds the black community in Medallion, specifically the bottom. By reading the story of Sulas life, and the life of the community in the bottom, Morrison shows us the important ways in which families and communities can shape a childs identity. Sula not only portrays the way children are shaped, but also the way that a community receives an adult who challenges the very environment that molded them. Sulas actions and much of her personality is a direct result of her childhood in the bottom. Sulas identity contains many elements of a strong, independent feminist character. However, the people in Medallion do not see Sula in a positive light. When she returns to Medallion as an adult Sula is seen as evil and regarded with much fear. The reason Sula outcast from the community is specifically due to the fact that she is a woman who refuses to contain herself in the social norms set up for the town. She refuses to marry and frequently sleeps around. The characters that exist around Sula serve as a point to compare the different ways the community treats those who are different. Specifically the way the characters, Shadrack and Hannah are treated by the community can be compared to the way the community treats Sula. In one way or another, Sula, Shadrack, and Hannah are outcast from the community in the bottom. Shadrack and Hannah however are not regarded with near as much fear or resentment the town feels towards Sula. The difference between the way the town treats Hannah and Sula is particularly alarming. After the death of Sulas father, Hannah has no real relationships with men. She sleeps only with the husbands of her friends and neighbors husbands. Although Hannah sleeps with married men the people in Medallion have a certain respect for her. The men, surprisingly, never gossiped about her. She was unquestionably a kind and generous woman...(p 2013). Hannah has affairs with the same men over and over again. Because of this most often the wives of those men take it as a compliment when Hannah sleeps with them. Hannah is Sulas mother and has indirectly taught a young Sula to view sex as a source of pleasure. Seeing her step so easily into the pantry and emerge looking precisely as she did when she entered, only happier... (p2013). This affects directly the relationships Sula has with men in her adult life. She too sleeps with only the husbands of other women. Sula has never witnessed a healthy relationship between a man and a woman. This is regarded by the community as terrible. Sula uses the men she sleeps with for pleasure, taking no consideration as to how the men feel. She refuses to have such patriarchal relationships as Hannah did. Hannah may indeed have received pleasure from the men she slept with but she remained the submissive participant in her relations. Hannah rubbed no edges, made no demands, made the man feel as though he were complete and wonderful just as he was- he didnt need fixing... (p 2012). Sula, on the other hand, has a need to feel in control right down to the mechanics of her affairs. And there was the utmost irony and outrage in lying under someone, in a position of surrender, feeling her own abiding strength and limitless power. (p2048). She not only took sex from men as pleasure, but sought out to claim power over them. Sula was trying them out and discarding them without any excuse the men could swallow. (p2044). This made the women upset and furthered their hatred for Sula. Sula had power by sleeping with these very same men who held power over submissive wives. The town regards all of Sulas actions as evil. They called her a roach and a bitch, but above that spread a nasty rumor that she slept with white men. There was nothing lower she could do, nothing filthier.

How to Handle Disapproval of Interracial Relationships

How to Handle Disapproval of Interracial Relationships If youre in an interracial relationship, you may be crazy about your partner but dismayed that others disapprove. So, what’s the best way to handle the objections? Communication and boundary-setting are key. Above all else, take the steps necessary to protect your relationship in the face of ongoing negativity. Don’t Assume the Worst For your own mental health, assume that most people have good intentions. If you notice eyes on you and your significant other as you walk down the street, don’t automatically think  it’s because the passersby disapprove of your interracial union. Perhaps people are staring because they consider you a particularly attractive couple. Perhaps people are staring because they applaud you for being in a mixed relationship or because they belong to a mixed couple themselves. It’s quite common for members of interracial couples to notice similar couples. Dont Give the Haters Any of Your Time Of course, there are times when strangers on the street are openly hostile. Their eyes really do fill with hate at the sight of interracial couples. So, what should you do when you’re on the receiving end of their glares? Nothing. Just look away and keep going about your business, even if the stranger actually shouts out an insult. Getting into a confrontation is unlikely to do much good. Moreover, your choice of mate is absolutely no one’s concern but yours. The best thing you can do is not give the haters any of your time. Don’t Spring Your Relationship on Loved Ones No one knows your family and friends as you do. If they’re open-minded liberal types or have had an interracial relationship or two themselves, they’re unlikely to make a fuss upon meeting your new partner. If, in contrast, they’re socially conservative and have no friends of a different race, let alone dated anyone of mixed race, you might want to sit them down and let them know that you’re now a part of a mixed couple. You might frown upon this idea if you think of yourself as color-blind, but giving your loved ones advance notice that you’re in an interracial relationship will spare you and your partner from an awkward first encounter with your friends and family. Without advance notice, your mother might grow visibly flustered, or your best friends might ask if they can speak to you in the next room to grill you about your relationship. Are you prepared to have these kinds of awkward encounters? And how will you react if your partners feelings are hurt because of your loved ones’ behavior? To avoid drama and pain, tell your loved ones about your interracial relationship in advance. It’s the kindest move to make for all involved, including yourself. Dialogue With Disapproving Family and Friends Say you tell your friends and family that you’re now  part of an interracial couple. They react by telling you that your children will have it hard in life or that the Bible forbids interracial coupling. Rather than angrily labeling them ignorant racists and dismissing them, try to address your family’s concerns. Point out that mixed-race kids who are raised in loving homes and allowed to embrace all sides of their heritage don’t fare any worse than other children. Let them know that interracial couples such as  Moses and his Ethiopian wife  even appear in the Bible. Read up on interracial relationships and the common misconceptions that surround them to put to rest the concerns your loved ones have about your new union. If you shut off communication with your loved ones, it’s unlikely that their misconceptions will be corrected or that they will become more accepting of your relationship. Protect Your Partner Does your partner really need to hear every hurtful remark your  racist relatives  have made? Not in the slightest. Shield your partner from hurtful comments. This isn’t only to spare the feelings of your significant other. If your friends and family ever do come around, your partner can forgive them and move forward free of resentment.   Of course, if your family disapproves of your relationship, you’ll have to let your partner know, but you can do so without going into excruciating detail about race. Yes, your partner may have already experienced racism and the pain of being stereotyped, but that doesn’t mean he or she no longer find bigotry unsettling. No one should grow accustomed to  racial prejudice. Set Boundaries Are your friends and family trying to force you to end your interracial relationship? Perhaps they keep trying to set you up with people who share your racial background. Perhaps they pretend as if your significant other doesn’t exist or go out of their way to make your mate uncomfortable. If you’re experiencing any of these scenarios, it’s time to set some boundaries with your meddling loved ones.   Let them know that you’re an adult capable of choosing an appropriate mate. If they don’t find your mate appropriate, that’s their problem. They have no right to undermine the decisions you’ve made. Furthermore, it’s hurtful for them to disrespect someone you care about, especially if they’re only doing so because of race. Set Ground Rules Which ground rules you set with your loved ones are up to you. The important thing is to follow through on them. If you tell your mother that you won’t attend family functions unless she also invites your significant other, stick to your word. If your mother sees that you’re not going to let up, she’ll decide to either include your mate in family functions or risk losing you.

Comparison Study of Computer Operating System (between Mac OS and Research Paper

Comparison Study of Computer Operating System (between Mac OS and Windows) - Research Paper Example The significance of the problem is that choosing a reliable and performing operating system makes the difference between comfortable use of the computer as opposed to a use that is punctuated by frequent breakdowns and crashes that can impair productivity of the user. Hence, choosing a good operating system is in the best interests of the consumer and this report attempts to provide a guide to selecting a reliable and performing operating system. The report surveys the existing literature on the comparison between the Windows and Mac OS and also relies on some firsthand observations that have been made by experts who have compared these two operating systems. The point of comparison is in terms of the factors listed above and I have referred extensively to the available information as far as comparison of these factors is concerned. The project methods that have been used to gather information include interviews, review of studies and published material from reputed trade and academic journals and the forums discussing the relative merits and demerits of these two operating systems. My qualifications for doing a comparison between Windows and Mac operating systems is that currently I am using both (Mac OS on my laptop and Windows OS on my PC) and this gives me unique insights into the way each of the operating systems operate. In this report, I use my practical experience as well as the reviews of each of the operating systems from trade journals and websites dedicated to the operating systems to compare the pros and cons of each operating system. The report would focus on how I have gained from using the different operating systems and how the other categories of users have responded with their views. A further point is that I am majoring in related fields to the topic and hence this review falls within my subject area as well as area of interest. I hope

Conduct a comparison between latest Intel and AMD chips Research Paper

Conduct a comparison between latest Intel and AMD chips - Research Paper Example The chips increase the performances of various technical materials like laptops, desktops and servers. Intel chips helps in raising greater capabilities in processors in terms of improved quality for the purpose of offering superior products to the customers (Intel Corporation, n.d). Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. introduced advanced chipsets for serving its broad base of customers globally. The chipsets of the organization have been designed in order to compete with Intel in the global market. AMD processors have been noted to be less expensive as compared to Intel and possess greater operational performance (Mueller, 2011). Based on the above discussion, the paper intends to conduct a comparison between latest Intel and AMD chips in terms of their advantages as well as disadvantages, value creation, costs along with affordability, reliability and expected future. Discussion Advantages of Intel Chips The various advantages of Intel chips can be viewed in terms of satisfying its broad base of customers globally, resulting in increasing sales and enhancing profitability along with productivity. One of the major advantages of Intel chips has been noted to be its deliverance of advanced technological and quality products to the customers through which effective performance can be ensured. The chips like Intel H57 and H55 Express are capable of delivering various extensive features incorporated with advanced technologies that embrace various features like High Definition (HD) graphics, Remote PC Assist Technology and Rapid Storage Technology. Another disadvantage of Intel chips is that with the assistance of the latest chips belonging to Intel, it is quite possible to acquire high quality graphics, view videos and listen to audio systems with advanced technology. Intel Rapid Storage Technology chipsets are regarded as quite significant as these chipsets are capable of storing additional data. Moreover, these chipsets are also capable of increasing performance of the laptops and desktops as well as possess lesser consumption of power. Additionally, these chips are so powerful that valuable information can be protected, in case of any failure in hard disk drive (Intel Corporation, 2009). Disadvantages of Intel Chips One of the crucial disadvantages of Intel chips has been noted to be its price. It has been apparently observed in this particular context that the price of Intel chips is quite expensive as compared to others like AMD. Another disadvantage of Intel chips is the heat factor. It has been viewed that the chips belonging to Intel generates huge quantity of heat that requires multiple fans for cooling (Aries Technology Inc., n.d). Advantages of AMD Chips In order to determine the advantages of AMD chips, it has been viewed that AMD chips or processors are capable of facilitating the users with efficient visualization and sharp as well as clear video features. These chips are also power efficient and enable in greater processing with apply ing advanced technological features. The longevity of the battery of AMD chips is much longer that possess the capability of storing high quality graphics (Advanced Micro Devices, 2013). Disadvantages of AMD chips One of the disadvantages of AMD chips is the technology. It can be affirmed in this particular circumstance that Intel uses certain advanced technological advancements which ultimately makes the organization more powerful as compared to

Immigration to USA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Immigration to USA - Assignment Example Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCI) and the Bureau of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE). The jurisdiction and oversight of these agencies was transferred from the Justice Department to the DHS (Rudolph 6). All these were supposed to keep the American security at the realm. The reorganization brought together some or all the 22 federal agencies that formed a cabinet agency called the department of homeland security (DHS). These agencies included the US immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). This department had been part of the department of justice, but was later divided into three new agencies which were housed within the DHS. This restructuring process created the largest restructuring of the executive-branch functions since the establishment of the department of defence after the Second World War (Perrow web). The immigration policy is supposed to ensure aliens and criminals do not gain access to the United States. The officers in the immigration department ar e involved in issuing identification papers and citizenship to the people who meet the requirements of citizenship in the United States. The immigration policy has been tasked with offering service and enforcing sections of the immigration policy in America. There is however a difference between immigration policy service and the immigration policy enforcement. ... While both of these are important elements of the policy, enforcement has been given more emphasis than service. Most people confuse that the work of the immigration policy is just to enforce the policies which is not the case. Mostly, we do not hear about the service function of the policy as the news entirely covers the enforcement section of the policy alone. There has been a huge objection to the law like the Arizona SB 1070 which allows a legal enforcing officer to arrest and detain a suspect if the officer can prove that the person is an alien. However, those in objection point out that it is hard to tell who exactly is an illegal immigrant and who is not. Thus, the law has been deemed to target the Latino tribe of the people in the country. There are various pros and cons to this law. The law has been described as a means of profiling and narrowing down the number of suspects by the criterion of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion (â€Å"National Conference of State Leg islatures† web). This has helped to narrow down the number of suspects. As a method of racial profiling, narrowing down the field of suspects is legal as it helps identify suspects easily. However, the law has its bad side since the law enforcing officers can decide to target a particular race like the Latino. It also makes a certain tribe feel alienated from the rest of the society. Moreover, this law is not only discriminative but also delays justice imposing danger to the suspects. Since the law is targeted at identifying and arresting suspects, there is the likelihood of increased arrests made by the officers. Since the law requires an officer to make an arrest in case they suspect the person to be in the country illegally, the number of arrests is likely to be more and therefore less

Antiseptics ( 70%, 91% Isopropyl and Iodine) on Ecoli growth Lab Report

Antiseptics ( 70%, 91% Isopropyl and Iodine) on Ecoli growth - Lab Report Example The E coli bacteria are among the most significant bacteria in the human digestive system. However, E coli bacteria have a number of genera that cause human diseases such as Shigella, Salmonella, and Yersinia (Todar 1). Physiological research has indicated that e coli bacterium is versatile and its habitat characteristics enable a perfect adaptation of the bacteria. E coli grow despite the presence or absence of oxygen and the wild type has no growth factor necessities. E coli respond to various environmental signals such as surrounding temperature, pH of the medium, chemicals, and other environmental factors because of the characteristics that make it a unicellular organism. E coli bacteria have multifaceted mechanisms, which they use to detect the presence of chemical in their environment such as antibiotics and antiseptics making it possible to synthesize enzymes to metabolize the chemical compounds leading to increased resistance of the bacteria to antiseptics. What is the effect of 70% concentration of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 90 % concentration of iodine on Escherichia coli (E coli) growth? The experiment seeks to find the environment that best suits the growth of E coli bacteria and the reaction of the bacteria towards different concentrations of disinfectants. In addition, there are hypothesis that the experiment to test, which include the null and alternative hypothesis. In the quest to investigate the effect of concentration on the growth of E coli, if the percentage of the chemicals is increased, that is, the percentage of isopropyl alcohol and iodine is increased from 70% to 90% leads to a slight decrease in the growth rate of the E coli bacteria Medics have applied a wide range of products and methods used to treat, avoid, and control E coli bacteria. The use of chemicals such as antiseptics (isopropyl rubbing alcohol and iodine) has

Flying the flags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Flying the flags - Essay Example The airline industry is significant considering that it is one of the largest capital intensive industry segments and in addition to its contribution to the GDP it also provides employment options to a large number of individuals. The airline industry is prone to various external aspects like oil price, government regulations and market distortions. However the airline industry has shown signs of revival with all the major economies in Europe being put back on the path of economic growth. A report by Mott McDonald pegs the present value of the airline market in Europe would increase by approximately 2.3 percent by the year 2025 (Mott McDonald, 2011). Another significant aspect that has changed the shape of the aviation industry is the advent of Low Cost Carriers (LCC) following the de regulation of the aviation industry by the European and US governments. These players have grabbed a significant market share owning to their aspect of low cost which has provided them with a competitiv e advantage (European Commission & United States Department of Transportation, 2010, p.3). Mergers and acquisitions have become one of the most vital strategies that have been adopted by market players across the world including Europe to increase their market share as a means to improve the product mix (Siebert, 1989, p.10-11). Review of the EU Airline industry Europe constitutes one of the most important markets for the participants of the airline industry. The mammoth size of the European aviation market can be analysed from the fact that there are approximately 450airpots in the region which ferried approximately 751 million passengers in 2009 alone. The market has about 150 scheduled airline companies including full service and low cost carriers. In addition to this fact the aviation industry provided direct employment to about 500000 individuals and had an approximate turnover amounting 100 billion Euros as of the year 2009. The aviation industry apart from being a significant contributor towards the economy and growth of the region also serves as a means to bring together people from different regions and provides integration or all the member states of Europe as well as with the rest of the world (European Commission, 2011, p.5). Figure 1: 20 Year forecast for the Airline Industry (Source: Mott McDonald, 2011) The figure above shows the forecasted growth rates in both cargo as well as passenger segments of the European aviation market. It is clear from the figure that the airlines industry in Europe is expected to show growth rates of 5 percent and 6.1 percent in the passenger and cargo sections respectively by the year 2026 on a year on year basis. This is even more significant considering the fact that the European airline market was severely impacted by the terrorist attacks in US in 2001 as well as the financial meltdown in the recent years. The recovery of nations in the European Union has again created hopes for the resurgence of the European air line industry. Figure 2: Major Market Players in Europe and their levels of consolidations (Source: Buttner & Burger, 2008, p.8) The major market players in the European Union are shown in the figure above. The major airlines of the EU are trying to aggressively expand their business by undertaking consolidations by using strategies like mergers and

Urban Regeneration in the East of Manchester Essay

Urban Regeneration in the East of Manchester - Essay Example Introduction According to Cochrane (2006), urban regeneration is an important precondition for restructuring a local economy and to eliminate all forms of social exclusion. Many cities and towns all over the world face numerous issues and challenges in devising effective strategies and policies that can enhance and sustain economic development besides achieving better correlation between people’s needs and the opportunities generated due to this economic development. The evolution of electronic era has introduced an additional dimension into this complexity. There is a clear increase in the scope and speed of the changes required while there is also a need for new approaches to identify and mitigate all potential risks that may arise due to these dynamic processes. History After years of post-industrial era decline, the city of Manchester, especially the eastern parts, has witnessed some renewed economic growth which has been growing steadily alongside social issues like poverty and unemployment. Hebbert (2009) says that Manchester has the highest incidence of child poverty across the United Kingdom (UK) and stands at the third position in the list of cities with multiple deprivations. The fact that East Manchester has been experiencing rapid economic growth together with social degradation is threatening its long-term sustainability and economic growth. The Manchester City Council has identified ways such as investment in business opportunities, infrastructure development and home constructions to overcome this contrasting discrepancy. Carley (2007) says that the council also plans to utilize Information and Communication technologies (ICT) as part of its economic development framework to enhance the skills and competencies of local citizens and reduce unemployment. Most of these efforts have been based on a prior analysis of the local needs and aspirations of specific areas and a clear mapping between requirements and opportunities. One of the best examples of the City Council’s efforts in the urban regeneration of East Mancheste

Flying the flags Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Flying the flags - Essay Example The airline industry is significant considering that it is one of the largest capital intensive industry segments and in addition to its contribution to the GDP it also provides employment options to a large number of individuals. The airline industry is prone to various external aspects like oil price, government regulations and market distortions. However the airline industry has shown signs of revival with all the major economies in Europe being put back on the path of economic growth. A report by Mott McDonald pegs the present value of the airline market in Europe would increase by approximately 2.3 percent by the year 2025 (Mott McDonald, 2011). Another significant aspect that has changed the shape of the aviation industry is the advent of Low Cost Carriers (LCC) following the de regulation of the aviation industry by the European and US governments. These players have grabbed a significant market share owning to their aspect of low cost which has provided them with a competitiv e advantage (European Commission & United States Department of Transportation, 2010, p.3). Mergers and acquisitions have become one of the most vital strategies that have been adopted by market players across the world including Europe to increase their market share as a means to improve the product mix (Siebert, 1989, p.10-11). Review of the EU Airline industry Europe constitutes one of the most important markets for the participants of the airline industry. The mammoth size of the European aviation market can be analysed from the fact that there are approximately 450airpots in the region which ferried approximately 751 million passengers in 2009 alone. The market has about 150 scheduled airline companies including full service and low cost carriers. In addition to this fact the aviation industry provided direct employment to about 500000 individuals and had an approximate turnover amounting 100 billion Euros as of the year 2009. The aviation industry apart from being a significant contributor towards the economy and growth of the region also serves as a means to bring together people from different regions and provides integration or all the member states of Europe as well as with the rest of the world (European Commission, 2011, p.5). Figure 1: 20 Year forecast for the Airline Industry (Source: Mott McDonald, 2011) The figure above shows the forecasted growth rates in both cargo as well as passenger segments of the European aviation market. It is clear from the figure that the airlines industry in Europe is expected to show growth rates of 5 percent and 6.1 percent in the passenger and cargo sections respectively by the year 2026 on a year on year basis. This is even more significant considering the fact that the European airline market was severely impacted by the terrorist attacks in US in 2001 as well as the financial meltdown in the recent years. The recovery of nations in the European Union has again created hopes for the resurgence of the European air line industry. Figure 2: Major Market Players in Europe and their levels of consolidations (Source: Buttner & Burger, 2008, p.8) The major market players in the European Union are shown in the figure above. The major airlines of the EU are trying to aggressively expand their business by undertaking consolidations by using strategies like mergers and

Harry Potter and Culture Industry Essay Example for Free

Harry Potter and Culture Industry Essay Harry Potter – this name is familiar with all the age groups in the world today and the reason behind it is well known to all of us. The Harry Potter book series written by a single mother J. K. Rowling, who wouldn’t have imagined in her wildest dreams that a story she thought of while travelling in a train, would gain so much popularity. So much so that her character and her name would become a household name across the globe! J. K. Rowling Harry Potter books came into the market in 1998. The first part called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone gained a lot of popularity with the kids and slowly with the adults too. Due to its huge success it was converted into a motion picture as well and so the first movie when on to release in the year 2001. Subsequently the other parts (books) were out in the market and the movies started releasing as well. Of course it was after the stupendous success of the initial books that J. K. Rowling was encouraged to write on the further parts. So what is it in Harry Potter that attracts so much attention? Or what is it that makes people want to read a 600-700 pages long book again and again. This isn’t just a single book we are talking about, but every book in the series is read all over again by people repeatedly. These books tell us the story of an orphan, Harry who lives with his aunt Petunia and uncle Vernon, and not to forget his huge sized cousin Dudely with a nut sized brain. He leads a miserable life until the he turns 11, when he realizes that he is actually a wizard. He is admitted to the Horgwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So follows his journey of magical experiences. Very unique but impressionable characters are introduced in the book in Rowling’s own style. The books detailing his experiences at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry have bred passion, obsession, creativity, and a new or renewed interest in reading throughout the world. JK Rowling has created an elaborate cast of characters and an environment for them to inhabit that appeals to adults and children alike. The fantasy aspect of the wizarding world expands the imagination, and transports the mind to new and exciting places; introducing magic opens new realms of possibilities within the plots. Anything could happen. Her intricate stories contain strands of the believable and unbelievable, altering the predictability that readers commonly encounter and endure in fiction. Harry Potter Movie Poster These factors contributed to the â€Å"Harry Potter Phenomena† which actually swept across the world as soon as the movie series became huge hits! Young children started identifying with Harry’s shy but brave character. The terrifying Lord Voldemort and how he is after Harry’s life, after having murdered his parents when Harry was a baby. The innocence of school life along with the mixture of magic, hit children’s minds like the Magic Bullet Theory, wherein, the information seen by audiences hits their minds like bullets and penetrates within. At the same time, the themes driving the stories resonate with classic literature, offering mature readers tales that wear like a comfortable pair of shoes, while introducing younger readers to concepts they will encounter throughout their lives. The main theme of the series is the subject of many theories, including, but not limited to: good versus evil, prejudice, love, death, sacrifice, friendship and loyalty. In actuality, all of these elements contribute to the timeless nature of the stories. As and when the books started getting really famous with a specific target audience, the first big leap that was taken to expand the entire Harry Potter concept were the movies. When the movies were made they went on to click with the younger as well as the older audiences. One part after the other, the movies became darker slowly loosing the initial happy and bright appearance. They now started seeming more â€Å"real† and â€Å"practical†. There was a feel of â€Å"there is more to Harry Potter† than what you expect. The covers of all books started having two versions, one which was bright and the other dark and mysterious so that the books would appeal to adults as well. Slowly there was Harry Potter everywhere! There was Culture Industry starting to take place because of the entire Harry Potter concept. By Culture Industry we mean that suddenly a particular thing which is extremely popular is produced in front of us in many different ways. It is â€Å"claimed† by the respective producers that their product is unique and adds more to a particular franchise. This concept focuses on media and marketing. Max Horkheimer and Theodor W. Adorno define the Culture Industry through its focus on the media and mass marketing. This industry is unique in that it does not reflect economic processes and essentially becomes homogenous; thus, variation is meaningless. The Culture Industry is characterized by three specific ideas: Monopoly, Mass Production, and Technology. So there is lesser control over production of certain products and lesser control in the market. Hence when a certain product is newly launched in the market, people rush to purchase it and explore that particular product. So what happens when the novelty of that product wears off? Simple, another product is launched in the market and promoted on its â€Å"unique† properties. But the actual catch here is that every product is almost similar to one another, but it is sold as being different from the previous one. Hence people are urged to buy them. This also gives them another product in place of the previous one. This is termed as â€Å"Pseudo Singularity† rightly meaning false singularity. This is how the culture industry also called as Mass Industry works. When Culture Industry meets something like Harry Potter, what is created is a huge successful mass industry which becomes immensely lucrative and popular. Also when the subject is like Harry, who mainly appeals to people due to his emotional appeal, his belief in friendship, love and braveness. These are the factors on which various products apart from movies like merchandise are publicized to people. There are Harry Potter theme based amusement parks, the costumes, competitions to test your HP knowledge, digital games and websites like Pottermore where you actually live Harry’s life. You are sorted into different houses just like in the book and you face different adventures like Harry. There are things taken from the book which will entertain and amuse people. Like the broom used to play the game Quidditch again an imaginary concept of a game like football but you are actually flying on broomsticks. Harry Potter wands, cards, hats, glasses and the famous scar which Harry have all became commodities and we are expected to purchase them. The main objective here is to make people feel like Harry himself. Examples of various Harry Potter Merchandise So even if J. K. Rowling has completed her set of books, producers still want to reap the profits from this subject. Hence, even after she officially completed her books, due to tremendous response and popular demand she wrote another book where people know what happens after Harry defeats Lord Voldemort and finishes his studies from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So much is the popularity of Harry Potter. Not only Harry, but other main characters like Hermoine and Ron (Harry’s best friends), Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, Sirius Black etc have gained a connect with the audiences. There is a feeling generated that â€Å"my best friend to needs to be like Ron† or â€Å"I wish I could study magic†. This feeling of longingness is usurped but the producers to contribute more to the culture industry! These feelings are then used by the people to generate more and more profits, hence trips to the castle where Harry Potter was shot are arranged. Though a particular location is not used continuously in the movies, they keep changing, but so much is the craze that people travel all the way to Scotland just to see where their Hero spent this school days. All in all a different culture itself is created and we don’t realize it. Such is the nature culture industry and it prevails n today’s world to a much greater extent. The main feeling of Love always triumphs over the evil makes Harry Potter what it is. I would like to end my putting in a famous citation in the book- It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore This is one of the most famous quotes from the series and rightly, it is our choices that make us who we are. People chose to love Harry Potter even though the entire concept being imaginary because it has appealed to their hearts. It is this emotional factor which makes us give in to the ‘market and producers’ but in the end, they are our choices, aren’t they?

Review Of Related Literature And Studies Psychology Essay

Review Of Related Literature And Studies Psychology Essay This chapter includes discussion on related foreign and local studies, reviewed by the researcher which provides relevant facts about Self-Perception and relationship of CEU Nursing Student with Broken Family. Navarro (1990) revealed that solo parenting is a difficult road, though at the end youre glad you saw it through because the real rewards are having a happy, healthy kid and being a better person for it. Solo parents want to be reassured that they are not damaging their children. Some experts are reassuring, as in an article that appeared in a professional journal. This review of social psychological research into female-headed families conducted between1970-1980 concludes that theoretically, children do not need the presence of the same sex/opposite-sex parents in the family in order to develop sex-role behavior. Children in female-headed families are likely to have good emotional adjustment, good self-esteem except when they are stigmatized, intellectual development comparable to others in the same socio-economic status. It is possible for a solo woman or man to satisfy all of a childs parental needs? Its an important question these days because there are more and more such families. The largest number, of course, is those headed by women who are separated. And relatively small but growing of women are choosing to raise a child their own or an adopted child-without the help of a partner. We can learn something about the best ways solo parents to raise their children if we first consider how children benefit from the presence of both parents. Boys and girls learn to think, feel and behave primarily from identification with their parent of the same sex, particularly when theyre between the ages of three and six. We see this in the way boys imitate their fathers and girls imitate their mothers, but children are leaving other important lessons as well. Through their interaction and partial identification with their parent of the opposite sex (and the inevitable romantic attachment that they go through at this age), children begin to acquire some of their intuition and understanding about the opposite sex. And as children see how their parents live together, their future ability to have good relationship with the opposite sex- not only as lovers, but as friends and co-workers is influenced. But even in nuclear families children are inspired by adults than their parents- whether its teachers, coaches, sports figures or other idol they latch onto. What does all of this mean for the parents raising her children on her own? And what factors can contribute to her success? Lets first consider the case in which a solo father lives within visiting distance and is concerned with fulfilling his responsibility to his children. Children can gain a great deal from their father even though he lives apart from them if they are able to visit him regularly or if he maintains frequent, steady contact through letters and phone calls. Fostering such closeness is the most effective and easiest way for a mother to make-up for the fathers absence. Foreign Literature In the United States, the effects of single-parent family life on children fall into two categories: (1) those attributed to the lower socioeconomic status of single parents and (2) the short-term consequences of divorce that moderate over time. Four factors are predictive of U.S. childrens adjustment to the divorce of their parents: the passage of time, the quality of the childrens relationship with their residential parent, the level of conflict between parents, and the economic standing of the childrens residential family. In the first few years after a divorce, the children have higher rates of antisocial behavior, aggression, anxiety, and school problems than children in two parent families. However, some of these problems may be attributed to a decrease in available resources and adult super-vision; many of the negative effects disappear when there is adequate supervision, income, and continuity in social networks (McLanahan and Sandefur 1994). In mother-only families, children tend to experience short-and long-term economic and psychological disadvantages; higher absentee rates at school, lower levels of education, and higher dropout rates (with boys more negatively affected than girls); and more delinquent activity, including alcohol and drug addiction. Adolescents, on the other hand, are more negatively affected by parental discord prior to divorce than by living in single-parent families and actually gain in responsibility as a result of altered family routines (Demo and Acock 1991). Children in single-mother homes are also more likely to experience health-related problems as a result of the decline in their living standard, including the lack of health insurance (Mauldin 1990). Later, as children from single-parent families become adults, they are more likely to marry early, have children early, and divorce. Girls are at greater risk of becoming single mothers as a result of nonmarital childbearing or divorce (McLanaha n and Booth 1989). Although the research findings are mixed on long-term effects, the majority of children adjust and recover and do not experience severe problems over time (Coontz 1997). A common explanation for the problems found among the children of single parents has been the absence of a male adult in the family (Gongla 1982). The relationship between children and non-custodial fathers can be difficult and strained. Fathers often become disinterested and detached from their children; in one study more than 60 percent of fathers either did not visit their children or had no contact with them for over a year. The loss of a father in the family can have implications beyond childhood (Wallerstein and Blakeslee 1989). However, the lack of a male presence may not be as critical as the lack of a male income to the family. The economic deprivation of single-parent family life, in combination with other sources of strain and stress, is a major source of the problems experienced by both parents and children. 1 Religious Involvement and Childrens Well-Being: What Research Tells Us (And What It Doesnt) According to Lisa J. Bridges, Ph.D., and Kristin Anderson Moore, Ph.D., Prosocial and Moral Values and Behavior Research findings from early adolescence are consistent in supporting a positive association between religiosity and socially beneficial (or prosocial) and altruistic attitudes and behavior. 2 Religions and religious organizations generally promote the ideas of helping others and concern for the greater good by providing opportunities for community service. 3 Moreover, acceptance of the moral tenets of a religious faith may be instrumental in the development of a healthy sense of responsibility and even guilt that may lead adolescents to avoid wrongdoing or to make amends when they have done wrong. 4 Other findings seem less clear-cut. For example, one study found a somewhat stronger association between religious involvement and altruistic behavior than between religious involvement and altruistic values. 5 This may be due, in part, to the frequent inclusion of service activities within religious education and youth fellowship programs. For some adolescents, altruistic behaviors (such as participating in charity events, and donating time and effort to helping others) may reflect participation in a group (such as a church youth group) in addition to, or rather than, a personal commitment to helping others. In other words, religious activities may represent a pathway to prosocial behavior. Personality and Mental Health Research is thin on the relationship between adolescents involvement in religion and personality and mental health. Theoretically, religiosity is expected to be linked to better mental health and emotional well-being. Religious beliefs can serve as a resource for coping with lifes difficulties (The Lord never gives you more than you can bear); moreover, belief in Gods love and feelings of acceptance within a religious community may enhance ones sense of selfworth. Relatively few studies have been conducted in this area, however. And those studies that do exist find that the association between religious involvement and belief and adolescents self-esteem (the most frequently examined topic) is generally small and frequently not statistically significant.23 However, while the evidence that being religious has a positive effect on adolescents mental health and personality tends to be fairly weak, there is no indication in research studies of negative effects of religiosity on any aspect of well-being. Methodological Concerns Current measures of religiosity in childhood and adolescence are inadequate. As noted earlier, most studies of religiosity in adolescence (and the very few studies of religiosity in childhood) use snapshot measures of religious practice and beliefs, which do not allow for tracking behavior or making comparisons over time. Further, no measures of religiosity unique to younger children were found in our review, which explains our emphasis in this brief on adolescents. In the rare studies that do include preadolescent children, measures tend to be adaptations of the same measures used with older adolescents and adults. The almost exclusive reliance on responses to questionnaires represents another limitation of existing research studies on religiosity and wellbeing. Moreover, the questions used to tap religiosity vary widely across different surveys,28 suggesting that the research literature would benefit from greater standardization of terminology and measures (although, given the inad equacy of current measures, it is too soon to determine which existing measures, if any, may be most useful). Also, frequently the questionnaires used include only one or a few questions (for example, how often respondents attend religious services or how central they consider religion to their life). Information derived in this way may not be able to capture the varying levels of religious belief and practice or the complexity of the religious experience in respondents lives. The lack of longitudinal studies limits understanding of the importance of religiosity in childhood and adolescence in a number of ways. In order to fully address the individual, family, and community influences that predict religiosity or to examine the extent to which religiosity in childhood and adolescence promotes future well-being studies are needed that follow individuals across time. The dearth of such long-term studies means, for example, that we currently cannot say that participating in religious activities when an adolescent is 13, for instance, is related to how well or how poorly that adolescent will do at age 21 on varied measures of well-being. Few studies have used multivariate analyses that take account of confounding factors that may be associated with both religiosity and outcomes. (Multivariate analysis is a method for examining three or more variables at the same time.) Lack of consideration of such factors may lead researchers to overestimate the effects of religious involvement on well-being. For example, being involved in religion may be affected by family and neighborhood factors, such as family structure, risks in the neighborhood, and poverty. These can influence proximity to houses of worship and the capacity to attend services frequently and become actively involved. Few studies have considered possible differences in the impact of religious involvement on subgroups of adolescents. The strength of the effects of religious involvement on adolescent well-being may be influenced by gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or neighborhood characteristics. However, few studies to date have s ystematically evaluated the effects of the characteristics of adolescents and their environments. Failure to do so may lead to over- or underestimation of the importance of religion for different groups of adolescents. For example, in a study described earlier, it was found that religion had a stronger positive influence among adolescents living in distressed neighborhoods than among adolescents living in more stable neighborhoods. 6 The responsibility of raising the children alone carries the stigma of a failed marriage. The chances of succeeding professionally let alone attaining a position of leadership seemed difficult to imagine. According to Reyes it was more advantageous to be a solo parent, in the sense that there is more harmony in their home. To them, there is only one policy and one discipline they were following. Being solo parent is a tough job, he said. The responsibility of shouldering the double burden can be physically and emotionally draining. For other people, being a solo parent may be disadvantageous especially on financial side. In addition to what Reyes started, many parent with financial problems, find them overworked, tired, and as a result become more easily upset and irritable. Bringing up children is a delicate issue; one has to go by instincts in dealing with them. For example, one policy may work for one child but not for the others. Some children can be easily persuaded or motivated while others need to be intimidated, so others usually play it by ear. For some parenting tips Pijuan advised that parent should let their children know that they loved. So that no matter how angry the parent are, no matter how much discipline those parents tried to instill, they will understand that it is for the sake of discipline and not because parents hate them. According to Robert Kilpatrick (1992), he was simply showing love for his daughter, giving her his time and trying to see the world through her eyes. Mothers, fathers, bring a unique presence, a special strength to raising children, says Ray Guarendi, a clinical psychologist and a writer of books entitled Back to the Family. Guarendis book (1993), shows that traditional values, rooted in the bed rock of mutual trust, truth and unconditional love, are still the keys for successful childbearing, and in this setting, fathers bring special gifts to parenting. Sometimes fatherly instincts come easily; sometimes, they have to be cultivated. Culled from real life experienced, is what kids need most from a dad. Someone who shows his love for them. Someone who will spend time with them.Guarendi noted that some of the most important memories kids latch on to about their parents evolve from routine moments in family life. Someone who can see the world through a childs eyes. This is one of the most overlooked rules for a father. Someone who will set limits. Parents reluctant to discipline their children have forgotten an intuition that kids have about discipline and freedom. Furthermore, Liza Ang(1994) said that fathers and mothers can best promote the development of their children in three major ways: Understanding a childs basic needs; Motivating the child behavior and; Serving as models of appropriate behavior. In the study made by Elizabeth Adeva (1994) on the parenting behavior of parents, there should be a better understanding between parents and children, researching out must come both ways. Parents should continually be interested in their childrens welfare. On the other hand, Grace Estanio (1994) found out that parents who show genuine concern for their childrens emotional welfare may find it relatively easier to open lines of communication in the home. Another related study is that Elizabeth Ortega (1995) she pointed that a common parental crime is the lack or even absence of respect for childrens feelings. High regards for our youngsters, sensibility ought to be given prime consideration. In the study made by Nord (1982), after separation, the solo parent is usually glad to have the children with him or her. Everything else seems to have fallen apart, but as long as solo parents have their children, they retain their parental function. Their childrens need for them reassures them of their own importance. The mothers success as a parent becomes even more important to counteract the feelings of low self-esteem that result from separation. Feeling depressed, she knows she must bounce back for her children. Yet after a short period the mother comes to realize that her children do not fill the void by her separation. When a man separates his wife, or vice versa, a family is being broken apart. And when children are a part of that family, its not just the adults who suffer. It has long been recognized that the initial impact of separation can be extremely traumatic for children of all ages. But on the other hand, popular opinion also held that since children were resilient by nature, after the initial shock they tended to adjust or bounce back very quickly. As a result, most professional studies concentrated on the long-range effects separation had on the parents. Recently that trend has changed- it is now recognized that the greatest victims of the separation experience are the children. Kelly (1989), stated that is you are a solo parent your children have a right to love, stability and a future. You are still a family. You are not somehow less of a person because you are in a new role. To provide the environment of success for your children, you have to know you can make it. Nothing breeds confidence like success. One of the biggest problem to a mother is being depressed, worried, and self-concern. Second problem having a lowered standard of living. The concerns of being a mothers is directly affected their children. They cant able to provide the care and other necessities of their children as they felt they should. The study found that with women, earning capacity proves to be a direct determinant of happiness and well-being. Women who did not reach college and who are in the lowest income group are approximately twice as likely to become depressed as the problem of child-raising as those who are educated and hold high-paying, professional jobs, blue-collar women earning low income are three times more apt to complain of lowered standards of living than those in the higher bracket. High wage-earners, on the other hand, have a different problem. Almost a third of them claim that their involvement with members of the opposite sex is the most trying part of solo parenting. Who are in process of divorce is a one of the hardes situation to be in. sometimes happeni between couple, that concerns most people. Somehow divorce is hurtful on both partner to those who undergo, the children end up with the greatest amount of problems. This is a challenge to a child that can develop and not always seen by the naked eye, and do not always come to the surface right away. Sometimes children try to stop the divorce of their mother and father, but some of it will just accept what happened. Some of the children will tell that they are happy for what the decision they had. This is not really the case, as one would see if he or she talk with the child for a while. There are lot of things that divorce does to a family, and there are lot of things that can affect to their children. In some situation the effect are rarely positive and helpful in the perception of others. Divorce has many negative effects on the psychological and social aspects of a childs life. There are lot of psychological aspects on a childs life that can change when their parents undergo to a divorce. As previously mentioned by the researcher a child may not appear initially how they feel about the divorce, but the real feelings of that child will appear in some time. The researcher in an article of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says, children incorporate repertoires of hatred, impulsive, and violent behavior into their own behavior as a result of observing their parents responses to rage and frustration. A lot of children who are really the witness in the process of divorce of their parents. It will become natural to a child . The child naturally looks to their parents for the example of how to handle certain situations and emotions. In the process of divorce there is so much bitterness and aggression that is expressed by one of them or both parents of that child. To a child who witness this situation is not healthy for them for several reason . The main reasons is that the child can develop some attitudes that is not appropriate. For example being angry and aggression to their parents situation. One of the tools of a child in solving their problems is being angry and the aggressive felt by.. The child becomes like the parents and it has negative impact to others because of not knowing or understanding how to control these feelings. They may often violently lash out to those around him or her that can affect these feelings to occur. It really affect the childs behavior it can result to the next psychological problem that divorce has to their. One of the major effect of divorce is depression. Based on the study conducted by Hetherington, Stanley-Hagan Anderson, they emphasized that there is a greater effect on children the way their parents interact with each other rather than the actual divorce itself. In fact, it is hard to distinct the effects of divorce from a broken relationship. In this way, the bad effect of divorce may be traced back in the individuals differences before the divorce itself, unfortunately these negative effects is related to emotional conflicts and separation which can proceeds to legal divorce. In general, individuals who have experienced a family conflict have a more difficult time catching up with their studies and their extra-curricular activities in school rather than individuals who have a complete family or blended families (Carlos, 1995). However, every child has a different way on adjusting to parental divorce or separation. In some circumstances, children that is a product of a divorce family show only a small negative effect that last for a short period of time; and in few circumstances, some children exhibit a poor adjustment to the negative effects of parental divorce. According to Dacey and Travers, not all children from a broken family exhibits negative effects, some of them grow strong and healthy and later they are the one who supports their family. On what way children become more successful in adjusting to parental divorce? Based on studies conducted by Carlson and Hines, they concluded that children can easily accept the reality of having a broken family if the parents provide continues and coordinated parenting, this can be done if they continue to monitor and discipline their children. This new parenting role requires a problem solving approach, in this approach both the separated parents hide their own problems and conflicts to their children and avoids having disagreements or criticizing each other in front of their children. Accepting the idea of having a broken family can cause some emotional problems to children, this problem sometimes end up of having trouble in meeting their academic and social expectations at school. Simons, Gordon, Conger and Lorenx said that emotional aspects of divorce include feelings of anxiety, depression, guilt and aggression. In most cases, parental separation affects childrens sense of well-being and lowers their self-esteem. Many studies had conducted and reveal that a great number of couples planning to have a divorce refuse to believe that divorce can cause a negative effect on their children. A study conducted by the Institute of American Values that was released in 2002 reveals that unhappily married adults who end up in a divorce doesnt exhibit any emotional or psychological improvements compared to those couples who stayed married for the rest of their lives. According to several studies, divorce doesnt improve your emotional health but instead it makes your emotional health worse. This is due to the stress and financial burden a couple is facing during the divorce process. These are some of facts about divorce you might not knowà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 1. A study created by the Institute for American Values reveals that eight out of 10 couples who dont continue on the idea of divorce become happy couples five years later. 2. Almost half of American children see their parents break up in person. Then half of them will also witness the breakup of their parents second marriage. Many couples engage in divorce and then end up remarrying another individual without knowing the true reason of their marriage problem with their first marriage. This is the main reason why second marriage divorce rate is higher compare to the first marriage. Foreign Studies According to the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, teenagers that is raised by a single-parent or in a blended family are three times more likely to seek a psychological help within a given year. These are some of the other outrageous statistics about the effect of divorce on children: According to Dawson (Family Structure and Childrens Health and Well-being Journal of Marriage and the Family), twenty to thirty-five percent of children who are living with both biological parents are physically healthy than those from broken homes. Children who have divorced parents have greater possibility to experience injury, asthma, headaches and speech defects than those children whose parents are intact. According to Wallerstein (The Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Children Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1991), after six years of parental marriage separation, a study of children revealed that even though many years have passed, these children still feel lonely, unhappy, anxious and insecure. According to McLanahan and Sandefur (Growing Up With a Single Parent: What Hurts, What Helps Harvard University Press 1994), Children who have divorced parents are approximately two times more expected to drop out of high school than those children whose parents are intact. According to Angel and Worobey (Single Motherhood and Childrens Health), fifty percent of children with divorced parents are more probable to develop health problems than those with intact parents. According to Fagan, Fitzgerald and Rector (The Effects of Divorce On America), fifty percent of those children who are born this year with both parents, before reaching their 18th birthday, they will experience the divorce of their parents. Hopefully these statistics may ultimately cause you and your spouse to sincerely consider all the cost of divorce before you make the final choice. Based on these statistics, it becomes clear that children need secure, loving homes with both parents. There is, of course an omission to every rule, and in this case it is households where violence is taking place. Children should under no situation remain in a violent ambiance that is unsafe for them. If both of you have just grown apart, or fell out of love and if there is no violence enchanting place in your marriage, for your childrens sake, I advise you to seek out help for your marriage before you give up completely. It has been expected in the United States today that almost half of all couples that walk down the aisle will rashly have divorce, but how about the clause until death do us part? Over time, there have been many theories obtainable as to why divorce occurs and why these tolls have enlarged so radically over the last 30 years. Some think that the country may take part in a role; others suppose that the span of the courtship plays an significant piece; cohabitation preceding to wedding increases the chance that separation will result; or not cohabitating prior to marriage may add as the evolution era is too stressful; still others think that the separation progression is too simple; if laws were stricter and divorces were further hard to get, these divorce statistics would get better over era. At this era, although elevated, the separation tempo has decreased to some extent lessening the minds of the American public. There is still small hope that these information will ever diminish completely. In this fast paced civilization that we exist in nowadays, it must to be simple for us, the American public, to be aware of this phenomenon. The standard American Family has both parents in the place of work, financial stress, job discontent, children in school activities and sports, high demand lifestyles and generally small time to center on the familys group cohesiveness. Although Waite and Lillard (1991) viewed that children, especially young children, present and improve marital steadiness, environmental stressors and everyday labor are often more than a parental relationship can endure. These standard stressors alone can make much chaos, turmoil and in time lead to marital damage, argument and divorce. There is a current data which supports that stress in a broken family is mostly affecting the children. Divorce is seen, as the cause of the negative events and psychological distress to the youths. One explanation purposed by Katherine Effects on Adult Relationships Many studies show that family conflict was typically a strong precursor to divorce and lead children from divorced families to rate their relationships as having greater family conflict. Those from intact families reported more cohesion, expressiveness, sociability, and idealization and less conflict than those from divorced families. However, coming from a divorced family did not affect young adults self-esteem, fear of intimacy, or relationship satisfaction, but it did affect fears and expectations for divorce (Kirk, 2002). In-depth studies strongly indicate that the attitudes surrounding marriage and success in marriage is transmitted between generations in divorced families. Men and women from divorced families tend to score significantly lower on several measures of psychological well-being and more likely to be divorced themselves (Franklin, Janoff-Bulman, Roberts; 1990). This trend has the potential to have social impact on our culture because the evidence suggests that adult children of divorce have relationship problems that lead to divorce in their marriages as well, which could lead to a perpetual cycle of this phenomenon. Perhaps the greatest problem associated with divorce is that it does appear to be a cyclical phenomenon. An estimated 40% to 50% of children born in the U.S. in the 1980s experienced parental divorce (Fine, Moreland, Schwebel, 1983). Women who experience parental divorce have a 60% higher divorce rate than their counterparts; while men whose parents divorced have a 35% higher rate of divorce than men whose parents remained married (Glen Shelton, 1983). It seems clear that people from divorced families are more likely to be divorced themselves and therefore convey the impression that marital dissolution is more acceptable. Amato (1987) states that adult children of divorce feel more pessimistic about their chances of life-long marriage and evaluate divorce less negatively than do other young adults. Students experiencing post-divorce conflict were more likely to have engaged in premarital sexual intercourse, their satisfaction with their current relationship was lower, and they showed a decline in the parent-child relationship. These adult children of divorce also expressed more difficulty in finding people with whom they could establish relationships (Morris West, 2001). Judith Wallerstein (2004) has been one of the leading researchers on the phenomenon of divorce and its impact on adult relationships. Her 25 y