Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Debate & MySpace Essay

The motion here today is that Social networking sites can actually cause more harm than good. We do not however deny the fact that in today’s society, these social networking sites do bring benefits to our daily life and also in the ever growing business industry. For example, it helps us connect with our loved ones who are halfway round the globe, or even a marketing platform for business developers with its vast consumer reach. On the other hand, what we are affirming today is that despite it upsides, it can bring about MORE harm than good. It is an increasingly untenable fact, especially with the ease of access to the internet to virtually anyone, that these social media can have more negative effects than good. This is Veronica, she will be speaking about the negative effects that it will bring to our health and financial fraud. Secondly, Hema will elaborate further the effects on business risk and personal risk. Thirdly, Nazrul will touch on the topic of productivity and cyber-criminal activities. Last but not least, Joshua will briefly wrap up about this debate. This is a 5-round debate, and we look forward to challenging our opponent in this controversial topic. Social networking sites are websites that facilitate communication between 2 or more individuals. When we are communicating with 2 or more individuals, many fail to realise that we are essentially putting out information on ourselves out there on the World Wide Web. There are obviously a lot of privacy issues at hand when this happens. I’m certain that the opposition will argue that we have control of what we share over the internet, and we can prevent these issues from happening. Even if we are very careful on what information we share, we still cannot prevent all forms of privacy violation  from happening. An article on The Guardian UK states that Facebook users are unwittingly revealing intimate secrets – including their sexual orientation, drug use or political beliefs. A research shows that just by looking at a user’s â€Å"Like† activities, they can predict information about the user. Researchers are able to predict a user’s characteristics, race, religion, beliefs and political views with up to an accuracy rate of a shocking 88%. Even if we do put in controls, data on these sites are still accessible to anyone, especially those with expertise in the IT arena. A student from the University of Georgia is suing her university of $2 million dollar over the misuse of her Facebook picture. The University have pulled out a picture of her in a bikini from her social media account for a district-wide presentation campaign raising awareness on what not to do on social media. Incidentally, this student has set her privacy settings to only allow her friends to view her pictures. These examples here gives a fair indication of how our personal information can be accessed by almost anyone regardless of the measures that we took to protect our information. And if the opposition party would like to argue that it is the user’s decision NOT to put anything on the social sites, then I think that it would be considered as NOT USING these social media sites in any case, and as such, would be irrelevant to the topic of today. Another issue that I would like to address today is Cyber Bullying. Cyber bullying is a very serious problem because it’s very harmful to younger generation psychologically and also physically. Most bullies don’t think about what they say or do have an enormous effect on others. A very famous case sparked the attention of many people to realize that cyber bullying does have a very negative effect. The case of Amanda Todd shocked the world as she posted a video before committing suicide. In the black & white video, Amanda tells the world her story of years of bullying. I now would like to pass on to my fellow colleague who will go on to the second point. Cyber Bullying Amanda Todd http://www.abc4.com/content/news/top_stories/story/Girl-Commits-Suicide-After-Being-Cyber-Bullied/qIO2h9LBhUaCEB_3oQlbzg.cspx Jessica Laney http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/social-media-blamed-teen-suicide-article-1.1218550 Eden Wormer http://abcnews.go.com/US/bullied-teen-commits-suicide-posting-loves-haterz/story?id=15887174 http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/mar/11/facebook-users-reveal-intimate-secrets http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/student-sues-school-district-for-using-her-facebook-bikini-picture-in-school-wide-presentation/ http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/selfies-damage-relationships-study-article-1.1424830 http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/internet-is-bad-for-kids-mental-health-237178.html In Wake Of Teen Suicides, Ask.fm Faces A â€Å"Myspace† Problem

Visual Rhetoric in Persepolis

Nils Tangemann Josh Holland English A SL C-Code Section: Part 3 Works read: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon. New York. 2003 Question: How and why is a social group represented in a particular way? The Display of Revolutionists in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis there are several important social groups that all play a role towards creating the whole picture that describes little Marji’s everyday life in 1970s Iran. The nature of the revolution during that time created a huge divide between the different social groups.This was dominated by different opinions that were expressed using violence, intimidation and other mental and physical threatening methods. Satrapi uses visual representation and plot devices in her graphic novel Persepolis to expose the hypocrisy of the Islamic revolution. First of all, the author displays all members of the army and Islamic revolutionary groups without any distinction from each other; they are o ne homogenous group. Secondly, a story about the corruptness of policemen and government officials is used to demonstrate how detached those people act towards their fake values that they preach to other people.Lastly, the fact that the army is recruiting new soldiers through a method that is obviously aimed at non- or less-educated youth shows that the regime is scared of the higher educated population knowing that they will not have a chance in recruiting this social group because of their opposition. An aspect of the novel that comes to mind immediately when reading the text is Satrapi’s choice to display the members of the revolutionist Islamic regime in a different way than the family or friends of ten year old Marji.While the individuals that are a direct part of Marji’s social life are displayed in great detail, the revolutionists are always shown in a more general fashion, therefore not distinguishing those characters. An example of this can be found in the cha pter â€Å"The bicycle† when the burning down of a cinema by police forces is described (Satrapi 14). Using this technique, the followers of the regime are displayed as individuals that do not have an individual opinion, but rather blend into the crowd of people and go with the mainstream ideology hat is prevalent during the current political situation. This makes this social group stand out in such a way that the reader considers them generally as less educated and unable to question the political views that society has. The fact that Satrapi shows the persons that lean towards the more communistic political opinion in greater detail than revolutionists shows her political beliefs, therefore furthering the idea that this novel can be considered a memoir. In addition, the policemen of the revolutionary regime are depicted as corrupt and detached from their values.When the family almost gets caught having alcohol in their house, the policemen accept money from Marji’s f ather and leave again without checking his flat (Satrapi 10). If the actual religious core values of the regime were important to those policemen, they would not have left the site without checking, since the possession of forbidden substances is obvious to them. This depicts how separated the followers of the regime are from their own values that they promote.Satrapi tells the reader this story because she wants to expose the hypocrisy with which the government officials and therefore also the police operates. In this case, the author uses a plot device to express her political opinion. She makes the conscious decision to include this memory in her novel because it illustrates her opposition to the government and demonstrates a strong reason why using these policemen as bait. Similarly, in Marji’s description the army uses techniques that clearly aim for the less educated and poor people to join the military.A plastic key on a chain is distributed to the less educated in ord er to convince them that they will go to heaven if they fight for their country. Satrapi uses the dialogue between her mother and their housekeeper to indicate how upset the upper social class us about the strategy that the government uses to persuade the innocent youth of Iran (Satrapi 99). The government clearly aims for the young adults that do not have much of a choice other than joining the army and dying at a young age.On top of that, they are also naive enough to believe that the key will bring them to heaven. Mrs. Nasrine tells the story of how her son is being convinced to go to the army (Satrapi 100). The family helps to convince Mrs. Nasrine’s son that the government is spreading lies (Satrapi 101). Marji’s mother is debunking the myths of the government in front of everyone’s eyes. The author uses this technique to express her own, negative opinion for the government and the manner in which they treat the young adults and not caring about their lives .In conclusion, certain techniques of visual rhetoric and plot devices can be detected in the novel and are utilized to express the personal opinion of the author whilst displaying the revolutionary government as incompetent and unqualified. The followers of the regime are displayed homogenously without distinct characteristics or an individual opinion. The police that is associated with the government is corrupt and the methods of recruiting new soldiers for the army are only intended for uneducated and naive people because others cannot be tricked into the belief of going to heaven.The author makes great use of this technique not only when describing the revolutionists, but also when she is delivering her own opinion about how women were treated in Iran during her childhood. When deciphering these methods and finding the hidden comments on the social structure we really see the author in her mid-forties who is writing. The novel far expands from the view of a ten year old and is n ot only a story of a childhood, but also a critical commentary on moral issues and personal opinion. [Word count: 958] Citation: Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Pantheon. New York. 2003.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Computerized Auditing Essay

With the introduction of computers, conventional accounting systems and methods using papers, pens and abacuses have undergone drastic changes, therefore exerting a great impact on internal control and audit trails in following audit procedures. Also, the introduction of computer has brought an immense increase in the availability of electronic resources. My topic is entitled auditing in a Computerized Information System (CIS). One purpose why this topic is included in auditing is due to the rampant changes that are happening in our society. We could say that every day, everything around us is going through the† process of evolution†. Example, the government structure, educational structure, social structure, technological structure, economic structure and others are going into extensive and widespread changes. Work nowadays involve the usage of computer, hence, the need for computerized information system in auditing erupted. Around the world, computer plays an important role in the development of one’s country. That is why, here in the Philippines, we are trying to muddle through by with the drastic and radical changes in order to be globally competitive. In fact, technology experts stated that when it comes to new enhancement and improvement of technology, the Philippines is not far behind, but rather one of the fastest country to acclimatize and adopt in this unbelievable wave of changes. With the rapid progress in technology in recent years, computer information systems have become feasible and practicable, perhaps essential, for use even in small scale business operations. Almost all entities now use computers to some extent in their accounting systems. The widespread use of computers has offered new opportunities for professional accountants and had also created some challenging and exigent problems to auditors. Additionally, in auditing, the need for computer is now more important and significant because of the increasing and growing demand of auditing. Without computer, then auditing would not be able to deal with this growing demand. Ever imagine, conducting an audit without the usage of computer, isn’t it that it will be very difficult for the auditor because we all know, we human beings are immersed and innate with errors. Incorporating CIS in auditing is tough. This is because; there are technical and methodological matters that an auditor doesn’t have any idea with, for instance, the software, such as operating program, utility program, etc. Auditors do not have any idea of these things, that’s why auditor tries to broaden their knowledge in order to be competitive. The result of that leads to the flourishing of auditing. Time and time again, auditing will continue to evolve. Having said all that, this topic contains a lot of different things which cannot be found in normal manual auditing. The overall objective and scope of an audit does not change in a CIS environment. However, the use of a computer changes the processing, storage and communication of financial information and may affect the accounting and internal control systems employed by the entity. Accordingly, a CIS environment may affect: a. ) the procedures followed by the auditors in obtaining a sufficient understanding of the accounting and internal control systems; b. ) the consideration of inherent risk and control risk through which the auditors arrive at the risk assessment; and c. ) the auditors’ design and performance of tests of control and substantive procedures appropriate to meet the audit objective. Anyways, regardless of the extent of computerization or the methods of data processing being used, the establishment and implementation of appropriate internal control systems rests with the management and those charged with governance. The auditor’s responsibility is to obtain an understanding of the entity’s internal control system to be able to assess control risk and determine the nature, timing and extent of tests to be performed. Before tackling the important details of my topic, let us first define what is meant by Auditing and Computerized Information System (CIS). So, what is auditing? PSA 200 defines auditing by stating the objective of a financial statement audit, that is, to enable the auditor to express an opinion whether the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. A more comprehensive definition of auditing is given by the American Accounting Association: â€Å"auditing is a systematic process of objectively obtaining and evaluating evidence regarding assertions about economic actions and events to ascertain the degree of correspondence between these assertions and established criteria and communicating the results to interested users. On the other hand, computerized information system pertains to the usage of computer to develop and collate the information derived in an audit for the need of the auditor and third parties related. Another definition of Computerized Information System (CIS) includes, is often a track within the computer science field studying computers and algorithmic processes, including their principles and doctrine, their software & hardware designs, their applications, and their impact on the general public. (http://www. quora. om/Information-Systems) I would just like to give a brief history of Auditing in a CIS Environment. It began as Electronic Data Process (EDP) Auditing and developed largely as a result of the rise in technology in accounting systems, the need for IT control, and the impact of computers on the ability to perform attestation services. The last few years have been an exciting time in the world of CIS auditing as a result of the accounting scandals and increased regulation. CIS auditing has had a relatively short yet rich history when compared to auditing as a whole and remains an ever changing field. The introduction of computer technology into accounting systems changed the way data was stored, retrieved and controlled. It is believed that the first use of a computerized accounting system was at General Electric in 1954. During the time period of 1954 to the mid-1960s, the auditing profession was still auditing around the computer. At this time only mainframe computers were used and few people had the skills and abilities to program computers. This began to change in the mid-1960s with the introduction of new, smaller and less expensive machines. This increased the use of computers in businesses and with it came the need for auditors to become familiar with EDP concepts in business. Along with the increase in computer use, came the rise of different types of accounting systems. The industry soon realized that they needed to develop their own software and the first of the generalized audit software (GAS) was developed. In 1968, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) had the Big Eight (now the Big Four) accounting firms participate in the development of EDP auditing. The result of this was the release of Auditing & EDP. The book included how to document EDP audits and examples of how to process internal control reviews. Around this time EDP auditors formed the Electronic Data Processing Auditors Association (EDPAA). The goal of the association was to produce guidelines, procedures and standards for EDP audits. In 1977, the first edition of Control Objectives was published. This publication is now known as Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (CobiT). CobiT is the set of generally accepted IT control objectives for IT auditors. In 1994, EDPAA changed its name to Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). The period from the late 1960s through today has seen rapid changes in technology from the microcomputer and networking to the internet and with these changes came some major events that change IT auditing forever. The formation and rise in popularity of the Internet and E-commerce have had significant influences on the growth of IT audit. The Internet influences the lives of most of the world and is a place of increased business, entertainment and crime. IT auditing helps organizations and individuals on the Internet find security while helping commerce and communications to flourish. (www. trustsoft. com/pp_ha_1. php) In terms of needed skills and competence of the auditor; he/she should have sufficient knowledge of the CIS to plan, direct, supervise and review the work performed. The auditor should consider whether specialized CIS skills are needed in an audit. These may be needed to a. ) obtain sufficient understanding of the accounting and internal control systems of the CIS environment, b. determine the effect of CIS environment on the assessment of related risks, c. ) design and perform appropriate tests of control and substantive procedures. In planning the portions of the audit which may be affected due to client’s CIS environment, the auditor should acquire an understanding of the implication and complexity of the CIS activities and the availability of data for use in the audit. Such matter that needed understanding are the following; a. ) the significance and intricacy of computer processing in each significant accounting application, b. the organizational structure of the client and the extent of concentration or distribution of computer processing throughout the entity, c. ) the availability of data (e. g. source document, computer files). Computerized information systems have essential and vital characteristics that distinguish them from manual processing system. These are the following: a. ) lack of visible transaction trails, b. ) consistency of performance, c. ) concentration of duties, d. ) ease of access to data and computer programs, e. ) vulnerability of data and program storage media, f. Systems generated transactions and g. ) Potential for increased management supervision. As regards to lack of visible transaction trails, in manual system, it is normally possible to follow a transaction through the system; by examining source documents, entity’s records, and financial reports. In a CIS environment, data can be entered directly and unswervingly into the computer system devoid of supporting documents. Furthermore, records and files may not be printed and cannot be read without using the computer. The absence of these visible documents supporting the processing of transactions makes the examination of evidence more difficult. In relation to the consistency of performance, CIS performs functions exactly as programmed. If the computer is programmed to perform a specific data processing task, it will never get tired of performing the assigned task in exactly the same manner. Because of this capability of the computer to process transactions uniformly, clerical errors that are normally associated with manual processing are eliminated. On the other hand, an incorrect program could be very devastating because it will result to consistently erroneous data processing. Third, concentration of duties, in here proper segregation of duties is an essential characteristic of a sound internal control system. However, because of the ability of the computer to process data efficiently, there are functions that are normally segregated in manual processing that are combined in a CIS environment. As a particular example, in manual processing the function of recording cash disbursements is incompatible with the responsibility for reconciling cash disbursement. Since one of these functions serves as a check upon the other, assigning both functions to one employee would enable and permit that employee to commit and conceal errors and irregularities. A properly programmed computer, on the other hand, has no tendency or motivation to commit irregularities or conceal its errors. Hence what appears to be an incompatible combination of functions may be combined in a CIS environment without weakening and dwindling the internal control provided suitable and appropriate compensating controls are put in place. Fourth, ease of access to data and computer programs, in a CIS environment, data and computer programs may be accessed and altered by unauthorized persons leaving no visible and detectible evidence. It is important, therefore, that proper and appropriate controls are incorporated in the system to limit the access to data files and programs only to authorized personnel. Fifth, vulnerability of data and program storage media, in a manual system the records are written in ink and substantial paper. The only way to lose the information is to lose or destroy the physical records. The situation is completely different in a CIS environment. The information on the computer can be easily changed, leaving no trace of the original content. This change could happen inadvertently and huge amount of information can be quickly lost. Another, systems generated transactions; certain transactions may be initiated by the CIS itself without the need for an input document. For example, interest may be calculated and charged automatically to customers’ account balances on the basis of pre-authorized terms contained in a computer program. Lastly, potential for augmented management supervision, CIS can offer management a variety of analytical tools that may be used to review and supervise the operation of the entity. The availability of these tools may enhance the entire internal control structure. There are certain advantages and disadvantages in using computer in the conduct of audit. Take note that the characteristics of computer information system already tackled above pertains to some advantages and disadvantages of CIS. Advantages of it includes, it avoids computational errors commonly done by human; eases up and alleviate the work of auditor especially when it comes to timeliness; faster and efficient in processing of information; generation and creation of accounting documents like invoices, cheques and statement of account are automatic; more timely information can be produced; With the larger reductions in the cost of hardware and software and availability of user-friendly accounting software package, it is relatively cheaper like maintaining a manual accounting system; no more manual processing of the data hence all data are automatically been posted to the various ledgers/accounts and others . On the other hand, the disadvantages of CIS are the following: it removes part of the audit trail; subject to manipulation especially to unauthorized personnel; the need for back-up files, could result into more cost, especially if computer is susceptible to power interruption and from infectious softwar e; danger of computer fraud if proper level of control and security whether internal and external are not properly been instituted and others.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Historical Presidents Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Historical Presidents - Research Paper Example The Emancipation Proclamation played a central role as it freed several slaves (Guelzo 4). Abraham Lincoln’s personality, leadership skills, communication skills and the time he governed played a central role to his success. First, he was a leader with charisma and unique storytelling ability. He could initiate conversations whenever he saw a group of people gathered. Moreover, he was a hardworking leader who made sure that he strived to succeed in everything and anything he did. His determination enabled him to pass the Emancipation Proclamation that saw an end to slavery in some states. In addition, he can be regarded as an empowering and persuasive leader; this enabled him to address public gatherings. The time he governed enabled him to made remarkable accomplishments. He became an American President at the height of abolitionist movements that aimed at ending slavery (Guelzo 5). During his tenure, Roosevelt persuaded Congress to pass the Economy Act, which reduced government spending by 25% and cut the pay of the army and government employees by 15%. The New Deal saw the passing of the Beer Act on 20 March 1933; this did away with prohibition. The beer raised government revenue; this revenue financed government projects. Other accomplishments of the New Deal include the Emergency Banking Act of 1933, National Industrial Recovery Act, Agricultural Adjustment Act, and National Labour Relations Act of 1935 (Haugen 69). By 1939, the New Deal had made remarkable accomplishments; it improved peoples lives, especially those who had suffered from the great depression. The New Deal also set the pace for the federal government to engage in social and economic affairs of the nation. Roosevelt can be regarded as a dynamic leader whose personality was notably amicable. Besides, he can be regarded as a leader who was engaging; this personality trait played a central role

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Microbiology Unknowns Lab Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Microbiology Unknowns Lab Report - Essay Example Spurious results may be obtained in some cases that departs from the expected norms for a particular species, may be attributed to strain differences within the given species. The unknown samples are required to be handled with care and precision. Identification procedures adopted, identified four bacterial species in the unknown samples, they are: Enterococcus faecalis, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Streptococcus pyogenes Microorganisms are ubiquitous and they provide benefit or show their harmful impact on the human/ animal or plant population in varied ways. The body of knowledge that has accrued since these early years has been instrumental in making clinical microbiology a major component of laboratory or diagnostic medicine. It is essential to have an understanding towards these microorganisms for this isolation and identification of these infectious pathogens is imperative. This understanding aids in rapid diagnosis and treatment of the disease, prudently, intelligently and rapidly. Many experiments are being carried out that have relevance with their application in the clinical microbiology. These experiments encompass, isolation and identification of unknown cultures, the use of selective and differential media and various biochemical tests used to separate and identify various microorganisms (Messeley, 2003). The first step to onset the experiment is to perform Gram staining procedure. This segregates the gram positive and gram-negative organisms. This is followed by the streak-plating to observe the colony characteristics. The next step is the use of selective media for the preparation of pure cultures followed by the performance of biochemical tests. The present study was performed to apply all the methodologies learnt in the microbiology laboratory class designed for the detection of an unknown bacterium (Messeley, 2003). Prepare Nutrient agar broth subculture of unknown sample and refrigerate

Saturday, July 27, 2019

What Effect did the 442nd Battalion Have on the Allied Success in Research Paper

What Effect did the 442nd Battalion Have on the Allied Success in World War II and America - Research Paper Example They went through injustices whereby their business and homes were taken away from them and bank accounts frozen forcing them into an economic and financial crisis. In addition, most Japanese-American religious and political leaders were illegally arrested and wrongfully detained while their whereabouts were kept secret. In 1942 during the Second World War American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave a directive that required most of the Japanese-Americans to be confined in isolated camps where they guarded and denied their rights and freedoms until after the war. However despite the injustices and prejudices that the Japanese-American citizens went through, they are credited for the major role they played in the Second World War. This paper therefore explores the impact the Japanese-American soldiers especially the 442nd Battalion had on the Allied success in the Second World War and America. Introduction The 442nd Battalion was a United States Army that was mainly composed of the Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe especially in Italy, Germany and France during the Second World War. ... Pearl Harbor Attack The Japanese bombing of the U.S Army base at Pearl Harbor that brought America into the War. Even though the attack was viewed as a stunning tactical victory to Japan, the attack resulted in an eventual victory for United States after the Second World War. The attack was a remarkable military success, brightly executed by the Japanese that caused eight American war ships to capsize. The Japanese attack on the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor changed everything. A county that was originally diverse with tensions became unified with the aim to wage war against its global especially on Japan that had planned the bombing attack at Pearl Harbor. The nature of the attack followed by revelation of the injustices committed to the Americans of Japanese descent aggravated the situation. Internment of Japanese-Americans Soon after the Japanese bombing on the United States Army base at the Pearl Harbor all Japanese-American citizens were viewed as a threat to the security of Uni ted States. In February 1942, as a way of trying to revenge on the attack and beef up security following the bombing, the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the War Department to set up military bases in the western region of the country where all American citizens of Japanese descent especially men were rounded up and confined so as to be monitored of any suspicious acts. Following the directive from the president, more than 110,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans living in the United States were detained in isolated camps where they were restricted from leaving and their rights and freedoms violated. In the camps the

Friday, July 26, 2019

Installation Art as the Newest Form of Expression Essay

Installation Art as the Newest Form of Expression - Essay Example The essay "Installation Art as the Newest Form of Expression" analyzes the form of expression in contemporary art, the Installation Art. The sublime element is, by its very nature, shapeless and indefinable and therefore cannot be placed within a specific visual form, the visual form, by its very nature, must suggest some element of the sublime. Every visible form is capable of suggesting some deeper meaning to an audience at varying levels of meaning regardless of the intentions of the artist. This is because art is not the static element it was once perceived to be. Instead, it is a constant interaction between the artist and the viewer, between what the artist created on the canvas and how the viewer interprets these forms based on his or her own experiences, understandings and context. The postmodern movement, with its emphasis on illuminating the sublime, brought these ideas to the forefront leading eventually to today’s trend to engage more of the viewer’s senses in this interaction. â€Å"The political and the aesthetic are inseparable, simultaneously present, faces of the postmodern problematic. Understanding this concept of the eternal relationships between content and sublime, artist and audience, is essential to understanding today’s movement toward installation art through artists such as Damien Hirst, Jenny Holzer and Sarah Lucas. One of the charges to today’s artists is to discover how to produce ‘incommunicable statements’ to modern society without resorting to the conformism.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

INDIAN NEGOTIATION STYLES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INDIAN NEGOTIATION STYLES - Essay Example A break from socialist policies to a capitalist oriented economic structure has been cited as one of the contributing factors to the country’s economic growth. Western countries have increased their levels of interest in the country for purposes of economic partnership. India’s high population estimated at over a billion has attracted foreign investors who seek market for their products or cheap labor. However engaging with India demands a deeper connection with the culture, attitudes, and philosophies underlying their business practices. The Problem Multinationals and other global business entities that have attempted to establish their businesses in India have been faced with unique challenges that demanded the understanding of the corporate climate. The levels of success or failure in Indian business are directly related to the manner in which international players adjust to the unique character of Indian culture. Studies have established a strong connection between culture and business in the Indian context. Past and recent analyses on Indian negotiating style show that the styles adopted in Indian business environment are largely consistent with their cultural believes, social values, and attitudes towards life in general (Stephen, 2010). Indians embrace family values and respect the aspect of honesty, respect, order, and hierarchy. Indian culture also features a strong element of interpersonal communications and relationships. The individual is never separate from the deal. They view the negotiation in human terms rather than strictly technical business processes. In essence, Indian negotiating styles combines the values of culture honesty and details in ways that focus largely on the results rather than the processes. It is therefore important for business theorists to establish ways of establishing ways through which the synergies of culture, attitudes, and values can be incorporated into business practice. The Problem Background In India business is considered as a culture and not simply a means towards profits. Success and failure are assessed in terms of the character and ability of agents rather than logical outcomes of strategies and processes (Martin, & Chaney, 2009). In the context of international business, the negotiation process in India is considered, in many circles, as a process of balance of power and an adjustment of equilibriums between the presumed cultural greatness of the west and Indian culture. Cultural balance and cultural universalism acquire more prominence to challenge the negative assumptions resident in theories of cultural relativism as understood in business context. Indian negotiating styles significantly rely on the details (Zubko, & Sahay, 2010). Issues are broken down into their constituent parts and analyzed in accordance with the manner in which they relate to the bigger picture. In essence, the process entails the realization of a range of issues that connect with outcomes. Usually , the focus begins with the bigger picture before attention is given to the driving factors and the specifics of the deal. Clarity and order in the details of the deal becomes necessary for purposes of assessing the feasibility of the deal. Naturally, Indians prefer the guidance of clear data and mathematical procedure towards the attainment of a given goal. This trait is consistent with the cultural attachment to matters of mathematical and scientific importance.

Inmates perspective Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Inmates perspective Law - Research Paper Example This essay focuses mainly on the features like the challenges in the prison, causes for violence with a detailed discussion of the constitutional rights entitled by the inmate prisoners. Life Inside the Prison As the number of crime increases with the technology in its growth, a number of sophisticated crimes is reported very frequently whose punishment is often awarded with the confinement in isolated unitary cells for round the clock locking up. Real stories of the prisons reveal the hardships of the prisoner s in the super-maximum security centers with the real-life effect of a mythological hell. A majority of the prisons were meant for inflicting sensory deprivation on the inmates. They were locked up for the whole day within a congested cage with a direct exposure to direct lights and unpleasant noises causing acute levels of sleep deprivation. As Kamel and Kerness (2003) point out, most of this isolation was constituted as a result of the situation of life threat to the prisone rs as expected by the jail authorities. Apart from the peripheral woes of isolated prisoners, a large number of prisoners are subject to physical and mental harassment of the organized groups of existing prisoners who largely target on political prisoners. In some other cases, there are serious threats of violent behavior from gangster prisoners who target new inmates for assault. Gruesome incidents of sexual abuse of female prisoners and homosexual harassment of young male prisoners are common miseries apart from the routine torture at dining halls and bathrooms of American prisons. Many a prisoner complains about the cruelty of the jail guard using mechanical and electrical devices for torture, beating and shackling in painful positions and sleep deprivation. Many of such extreme tortures results in deaths or at least permanent disfiguration or physical disability. Amidst the strict laws of regulation of constitutional ways of the punishment with guaranteed rights to the inmate pr isoners, prisons are filled with various negative elements that badly affect the lives of inmate owing much to the lenience of the jail authorities. Overcrowding in Prisons Increased number of reported crimes is the indicator for the excessive influx of the prisoners in recent years. The government is ignorant about the fact that the prison supervision and healthy lives of prisoners cannot be guaranteed if the prisons are overcrowded. The impact of this scenario is intensive as the prisoners are deprived of their constitutional rights of health and sanitation, and in most of the cases, their lives are at stake as the supervisory authorities do not maintain a strict control of discipline among violent inmates. â€Å"Overcrowding directly affects prisoners’ mental and physical health by increasing the level of uncertainty with which they regularly must cope† (Prison Overcrowding, p.3). A continuous exposure to unpleasant situations results in aggravated demoralization am ong the target groups inside the prison. Moreover, overcrowded situations inside the prison account for the imposition of cognitive and emotional strain on them. Repeated sessions of heavy physical strains of performing the tasks assigned by the authorities as well as the deprivations of their rights accumulate frustration among them. As such, even a minute case of

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Managing Teams Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Teams - Research Paper Example Apart from all this factors, the leader of the team is an important and powerful determinant of the success of the team. A leader who is openly cynical, ineffectual, apathetic and interpersonally hostile is less likely to maintain a positive, forward-looking team. A team leader belongs to a team and operates within it. He takes the responsibility of providing vision and mission to the team and sometimes also, represents the whole team to the organization. The main responsibility of the team leader is to ensure that the team is functioning well and also, acts as an involved member of the team (Hayes, 2002). This paper mainly focuses on the importance of teamwork in working environment, leadership and ways of building a leading and effective team. Teamwork in a work environment The use of the concepts like, workgroups and team, within the organization has increased rapidly in the Western Industrialized world. The rise of quality circles and dominance of self- managed teams has come to exemplify this movement throughout the work organizations. These concepts have gained importance due to the lack of customized form of work and flexibility, which have reduced the competitive ability. Teamwork has been introduced in the organizations for effective recruitment and better utilization of the employees in order to achieve organizational goals. Team work has also helped the employees in accomplishing their need by controlling the work environment (Doorewaard, van Hootegem & Huys, 2002). It is not unheard that a successful teamwork influences the success of a business. Kets De Vries (1999) has emphasized on the fact that research has proved that effective teamwork is one of the fundamental elements that facilitates a high performing business. The business that continues to perform successfully is largely dependent on teamwork as it is a significant basis for day to day operations. Increased employee morale, effective and efficient communication, flat management structure, client focus, quality enhancement and productivity are the main aspects of team-oriented business. Research scholars have indicated that many of the organizations described themselves as highly team-oriented but in reality, they need to create team-oriented culture within their organization to gain success. Creating an effective teamwork environment depends on flexibility of the organization, leadership styles and management structure. Scarnati (2001) has proposed that employees are less likely to work in a team unless the purpose, condition, arrangement and structure of the firm support their team effort. Once the team gets established, it is not only the responsibility of the management to nurture the effectiveness and efficiency of the working team, but is also the responsibility of the team members to perpetuate the success of the team. The managers are required to select and employ highly skilled individuals who can contribute to the teams’ environment and lead it to su ccess. Teams are a strategic practice of the management to conduct their business in order to provide flexibility to their employees, under a certain work structure. These individuals are expected to make informed decision within the team, take responsibility

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Apperendi V. New Jersey Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apperendi V. New Jersey - Assignment Example fore in this case was whether the Due Process Clause as contained in the Fourth Amendment of the U.S Constitution that requires that a factual determination to increase a prison term by more that between ten to twenty years be determined by a jury after a proof of beyond reasonable doubt. This case was important to the criminal justice system is that it found it unconstitutional for a legislature to purport to remove from the jury the assessment of the facts which makes an increase in the range of penalties to which a criminal defendant is liable for. It should therefore be clear that the facts have been established by a proof beyond reasonable doubt. The Supreme Court affirmed the rights of an accused to liberty and the following of the due process of law, which guarantees a public and speedy trial, carried out by an impartial jury as well as the application of the standard of proof of beyond reasonable doubt in criminal cases in order to limit error. However, in a dissenting opinion, the honorable judges found that the courts by deciding so had limited the power of the legislatures to define criminal offences and the punishment for them (Reuters, 56). As a prosecutor, my role would be to ensure that criminal cases are proved beyond reasonable doubt, as it is the prosecution that subjects the defendant to the possibility of losing liberty on conviction, which would certainly stigmatize him in the

Monday, July 22, 2019

Psychopathic Behavior Essay Example for Free

Psychopathic Behavior Essay The Psychopath Understanding and Treatment Abstract Mental health disorders are among the most complex disorders to understand. Persons with these types of disorders are not commonly accepted into society. Psychopaths are among some of the most difficult disorders to treat. These persons most often come from a background lacking structure and continuity. Proper treatment is heavily debated. Report It is a popular belief that psychopaths are considered to be individuals that are as brilliantly charming as they are morally insane. However, the tendency to refer to the psychopathic behavior as â€Å"morally insane† is a misconception. Regardless of scientific discoveries, psychopathy is a disease which results in a physiological deficiency. The brain of psychopaths is believed to fail in generation of proper wave activity. Waves emitted are generally slower in individuals suffering from psychopathic behavior. This fundamental incompetence is responsible for a lower degree of arousal when these persons face a threatening situation. Their lack of anxiety and consequent careless behavior in any situation is commonly referred to as lack of conscience. These individuals lack the plethora of emotions that arise in the â€Å"normal† individual; that is, the ability to feel, to anticipate the breaking of the law, or to feel sorry when they break these laws. They are deprived of a conscience which organizes the moral notions of good and bad. In normal behavior, acts are constrained by external laws at work in society. The conscience of average individuals are able to anticipate any destructive action which could obstruct the law. Psychopaths don’t have such a capacity. They are leading a life which ignores external impediments. This fundamental unawareness is directly related to a slower activity of waves at work in the brain. This abnormality blocks the entire process of learning. The lower waves produce a decreased response of anxiety which causes the psychopaths to not be anxious or afraid of punishment when they perform a reprehensible action. According to Cleckley’ s definition of psychopathic behavior in the Mask of Sanity , (1988) when one of them breaks the law, he or she does not experience a sense of shame or guilt. When psychopaths are faced with any form of punishment – it could be physical pain or punishment regardless of the deliberate breaking of laws- they do not react with as much anticipation as the average individual. This is because they lack a part of the neurological process which allows them to avoid pain; that is, the adequate rise in palmar sweat gland activity which generates the adequate stimulus. Therefore, the psychopath will reproduce the same harmful actions again and again. In 1954, Ellington’ s experiments showed that between 31 % and 58 % of psychopaths showed some form of electroencephalogram abnormality located in the temporal lobes of the cerebral hemispheres. Another experience regarding the lack of anxiety in psychopaths was lead in 1965 by Robert Hare. In that experience, psychopathic and non-psychopathic subjects were told that each time they would see the number eight in a series of number from one to twelve, they would receive an electric shock. Non-psychopathic individuals showed higher rates of anxiety when they knew the number eight was about to come. On the contrary, psychopathic individuals remain perfectly calm at the sight of the feared number. These results are important since they show that it is a physiological deficiency rather than deliberate insanity that is responsible for the psychopath’s criminal behavior. Another perception largely spread among the population concerns the traditional representation of the psychopath who is figured out as a habitual pleasure seeker, constantly searching for the next big thrill. In the movie the Silence of the Lambs, such a personality is embodied in Hannibal Lector, a frightening psychopath who, by his compelling need of strong experiences, breaks the boundaries of decency. The portrayal of this character embodies the collective myths referring to the mental scheme of the psychopath. The representation is romanticized in order to play with society’s fascination for the violation of laws. However, the popular myths have captured one of the most fundamental features of the psychopathic personality as described by Cleckley, cited in p. 479 of Abnormal Behavior. Most psychopaths become bored quickly with the humdrum of everyday life. They search constantly for new thrills and experiences daring robberies, impersonations, confidence games, new varieties of drugs and deviant sexual behavior†. The psychopath occasionally needs to receive a stimuli stronger than the average person in order to be aroused and, eventually, find â€Å"the game† exc iting. Therefore, psychopath’s brain activity is not always below the average. Otherwise, this decreased activity would have it made difficult to explain the energy the psychopath shows in order to catch his victim. When an immediate reward is offered, impulsivity of the individual suffering from psychopathic disorder increases through an immediate responsiveness to the appealing stimulus. From a neurological point of view, the slow brainwaves are balanced by a peak of specific waves located in the temporal area and linked to the individual’s impulsivity; which, in that case, appears every time there is a promise of instantaneous reward. In 1993, Patterson and Newman conducted a test, the purpose of which was to analyze the reaction of psychopaths when they were confronted with instantaneous rewards. The results where puzzling. While the non-psychopathic individuals, conscious that they were losing their money, stopped to play, nine out of ten psychopaths continued to play even though they had lost money on nineteen of the twenty trials. In that case, the immediate reward which was money functioning as a powerful stimulus, constituted the new thrill. Since psychopathic behavior violates the laws at work in society, the view commonly held among people is that, from an early age, environmental factors cause the psychopathic disorder. The characteristics underlying psychopathy are denial of the society’s rules or simply lack of concern for the other fellow men. It can be asserted that, at some point in their life, the maturation of a psychopath’s self has encountered several barriers which, in turn, have resulted in a distorted ego in the young adult. The psychopath is unable to avoid the satisfaction of his primary impulses as well as not feeling the guilt associated with the breaking of a given rule. All these processes were part of the values that, as a young child, the individual has internalized through particular schemes. These schemes referred to as cognitive schemes essentially lie in the emotional responses which are provided by the external world. Through these cognitive clues, an entire world of tenderness and care provides the baby with identifiable marks necessary to his present and future well being. These cognitive schemes are mediation processes between the individual and the world in the sense that, through them, the child distinguishes the good from the bad. Little by little, he is able to build his consciousness of the surrounding world. But, because either the psychotic child has been stopped from doing so at some point of his life or that, generally, these signs have been distributed in spare quantity, the individual will develop psychopathic tendencies since he lacks the ability to relate himself to the world in a proper way. One quick look at the background of Charles Manson is enough to understand the role played by environmental factors in his rearing and the consequent deviant personality he developed through the years. In the book abnormal behavior on p. 488, it is showed that Manson’s mother â€Å"modeled a life of prostitution, irresponsibility and crime. She probably provided little in the way of cognitive structuring about rules, consequences, or values. † For the young boy there was little left to model his life on. What he became later has been certainly influenced by the poor education he received which, in turn, resulted in a subsequent failure to internalize society’s prohibitions. The biological approach provided the theory of environmental factors as shaping the future personality with a number of interesting clues. Franz Kallman found that a high percentage of children of psychopaths ended up themselves with psychopathic disorders. The main reason was that their parents were indeed institutionalized for psychopathic symptoms and once left alone, these children experienced the deprivation of external warnings consequent to the familial structure’s withdrawal. As a result of this lack of guidance, they ended up psychopaths. Moreover a study focusing on children who spend their early years in institutions where there is less love offered than in a family structure, revealed that they later showed an aggressive behavior toward both humans and animals. However, the assertions have to be manipulated cautiously in the sense that if those children later isplayed a criminal behavior though vandalism, truancy and antisocial activities, not all of them ended up psychopath. Seventy to 85 percent of individuals classified as criminals meet the criteria for anti- social personality disorder. By contrast only 15 to 25 percent of convicted criminals meet the criteria for psychopathy. All experiments stated above have sh own how the characteristics of psychopathy as a disease are dramatically profound. Generally, the subjects’ clear lack of conscience diminishes dramatically their concrete chances of effective treatment. Nevertheless, science has built its success on an attempt to improve on common limitations, constantly challenging even the most irremediable cases. In that perspective, through the years, several approaches to the treatment of psychopathy have been designed. From a biological point of view, if we assume that psychopathy is a disease which has its physical causes in an abnormal brain activity, that physiological deficiency can be corrected by drug treatment. However, the implications of such treatments have to be considered carefully for whoever is aware of the ethical implications involved by such manipulations. For a long time, psychopaths have been treated with a variety of drugs such as dilantin, sodium, and amphetamine sulfate. Occasional recoveries have been reported. However, the lack of follow-up studies once the subject stopped taking the medications has called into question the overall efficiency of the treatment. Generally, patients do show improvement while taking their medications as prescribed. Moreover, if the drug treatment effectively alleviates the pain, it involves a passive approach to that disease. Indeed, to give a psychopath a pill for lack of real structures adapted to his particular disease represents an â€Å"easy way† to deal with the problem. One illustrative case concerns the use of such drugs treatments in the late 70’s. In that time, assuming that psychopathy was an incurable disease, certain institutions distributed those drugs â€Å"too generously†, which, in turn, led the patients suffering from psychopathic symptoms to experiencing a general apathy. This process raised an ethical question: 1. To what extent should the pain be alleviated? 2. Were these drugs dministered in order to help the patients or simply to put them in a great situation of passivity, making sure they would not hurt anyone? Still, this passivity was believed to be better than the manifestation of psychopathic symptoms in which the patient could have an uncontrollable outburst of rage. However, drug treatment generally tries to stabilize the situation rather than look for dy namic solutions which involve an active participation both of the doctor and of his patient. In any case, the use of mediations has to be manipulated cautiously in order to avoid such excesses. Doctors should use them only when it has been established case per case that the violent behavior is clearly related to a brain dysfunction. From a psycho dynamic perspective, the treatment of psychopathic disorders through psychoanalysis is believed by many to be inadequate. Psychoanalysis tends to analyze the conflicts between the id, the ego and the superego. These internal conflicts are at the basis of the personality. On the contrary, a psychopath doesn’t experience these underlying conflicts. He has become psychopath precisely because he lacked a superego which could have provided him social standards . Whereas most of us are able to sit in an armchair and express our remorse, the psychopath is not likely to expand himself in sorrowful complaints about all the damages he caused to his surroundings. In fact, if his disease is a result of a poor internalization of moral values, he is not able to be lucid and clear about himself. This lack of clarity related to a lack of conscience is one of the reasons why Freud refused to cure a certain category of patients, precisely those who manifested a clear distortion of reality although they were fully aware. Among this category were the schizophrenics but also the psychopaths. Similarly, in Mask of Sanity, Cleckley concluded that psychotherapeutic treatments to treat psychopathy have been disappointing in the sense that they failed to provoke changes to the psychopath’s daily behavior. Therefore, the best approach to the treatment of psychopathy is that which takes into consideration the environmental factors and attacks the problem from its basis by providing the child with psychopathic tendencies a secure environment where he can learn to anticipate his negative instincts by developing a positive sense of the self. Some believe that the control of psychopathy lies in institutional programs. From January 1954 to February 1955, a study at the Wiltwyck School In New York was conducted. The institutional program at work in the school emphasized a loving permissive environment which gradually replaced permissiveness by efforts to teach social control and responsibility. As a result, the children developing psychopathic disorders responded positively to the treatment. They showed an increase in the internalization of social standards which allowed them to re- experience feelings of guilt and shame. In conclusion, considering the fact that there is no real treatment which has proven to be effective on a larger scale, it is dangerous to let the psychopaths operate in everyday life by lack of social structures. Hare notes the connection between psychopathy and domestic abuse. Psychopaths are generally intelligent and superficially charming enabling them to exploit others’ weaknesses. In a culture that promotes superficial values, the psychopath will thrive.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Treatment of Transgender People in India

Treatment of Transgender People in India Summary Transgender people are people who have a gender identity that is different from the one which is assigned to them by birth. The cultures of India include transgenders as a third gender, referred to as Hijra in Hindi. Ancient Vedic texts referred to transgenders as napumsaka to denote the lack of reproductive ability, and believed them to have the power to confer blessings on people on auspicious occasions. Hijras were highly respected in the Mughal period where they were considered as guardians of the harem, but after the onset of British Raj, they were criminalized and denied civil rights to an extent that long after the Independence of India, local laws still reflect the prejudicial attitudes against them. They are still treated as social outcasts in modern India, and hence the most common livelihoods for a modern-day Hijra mainly includes begging and prostitution besides their ceremonial task of blessing auspicious events. After almost half a century after Independence, the govern ment of India granted Hijras the basic civil rights of every citizen but not yet fully accommodated to vote. Welfare policies were also introduced by the state governments, and transgenders were finally declared as a socially and economically backward class entitled to reservation, and also prohibited discrimination against them. Ironically, homosexual intercourse is still a criminal offence under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The transgenders are being empowered steadily by the rise of various famous personalities like Kalki Subramanian, the first transgender woman to star in a motion picture; Padmini Prakash, India’s first transgender to anchor a daily national and Manabi Bandyopadhyay, the first transgender to become a college principal, amongst countless others who still struggle to rise from the social stigma society has weighed upon them. 1. Background Transgender, in definition, is a term used to define people who may act, feel, think or look different from the sex they were assigned at birth. Actually, transgender is an umbrella term, since it covers a wide variety of people including from anatomically bisexuals (intersex) to cross-dressers (heterosexual men who occasionally wear clothes, make-up and accessories that are associated with women in that culture). In India, the word transgender has been loosely associated with the hijras a term particularly used to describe people who are born physically male, but live as women, including dressing and socializing as female, and also go by the terms Aravani, Aruvani or Jagappa. According to the 2011 census, in which the third gender was recognized for the first time, the total population of the third gender was reported to be 4.88 lakhs, with Uttar Pradesh having almost 28.1% of them. Fig 1. Statistics of the population of transgenders in various states Often, transgenders and eunuchs are used interchangeably whereas the meaning of both the terms is very different.   2. History In Ancient India, the section of third sex loosely included infertile ladies, eunuchs, impotent men and bisexuals/intersex, which is affirmed by the recorded confirmation in the compositions of ancient India. The expression napumsaka has been instituted by the early Vedic literary works to denote the nonattendance of procreative capability, introduced by implying physical distinction from the masculine and feminine. In the Mughal period, Hijras occupied some of the most acclaimed positions such as generals, administrators, political advisors and also had the additional responsibility of guarding the harems. They were considered trustworthy, quick-witted and fiercely loyal to their rulers, and hence had free access to all spaces and sections of population. Hijras were also the occupants of high positions in the Islamic religious institutes, and were responsible of guarding Mecca and Medina, the holy places of the Muslims. In the start of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent, Hijras were secured by some Indian provinces and were granted privileges in the form of land, nourishment and a small amount of cash from agricultural households in exact areas. Be that as it may, these benefits were finally eliminated through British legislation since the inheritance of the ancestral land was commanded to the blood relations whereas Hijras were physically unequipped for mating and creating posterity.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Hijra community was eventually criminalized and denied social equality by the British colonial administration in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Criminal Tribes Act, 1871 incorporated the Hijras who were involved in hijacking, castrating and mutilating children and dressed like females to dance in public places. They were subject to an abundant amount of scrutinization from the Europeans since records of early European explorers demonstrated that they were repelled by the sight of Hijras and couldnt comprehend as to why they were given such a great amount of regard in the royal courts and other institutions. The Criminal Tribes Act, however was revoked in 1952, a couple of years after India announced autonomy from the British, yet tragically, the legacy of the act proceeded and numerous local laws mirrored the biased states of mind against specific tribes, including against Hijras. 3. Religious background 3.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hinduism Transgenders were periodically acknowledged in the ancient sacred texts in Sanskrit and the religious works of the rishis. The erotic sculptures on ancient Hindu temples at Khajuraho and Konarak, and the sacred texts in Sanskrit constitute irrefutable evidence that a whole range of sexual behaviour was not an alien concept for the ancient Hindus. The tradition of representing same-sex desire in literature and art continued in medieval Hinduism. Lord Rama, in the epic Ramayana, was embarking for the forest after being expelled from Ayodhya for fourteen years, addresses to his devotees and asks all men and ladies to retreat to the city. Among his devotees, the hijras alone did not feel bound by this course and choose to remain with him. Inspired with their faithfulness, Rama granted them the ability to confer blessings on individuals on propitious events like child birth and marriage, and furthermore at inaugural functions which, it was supposed to set the phase for the custom of badhai in which hijras sing, dance and bless. Aravan, the progeny of Arjuna and Nagakanya in the epic Mahabharata, offered to renounce his life to Goddess Kali to guarantee the triumph of the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war, on the sole condition that he was to spend the last night of his life in marriage. Since no lady was ready to wed the one for just one night, Krishna assumes the form of a beautiful lady called Mohini and married him. The Hijras of Tamil Nadu considered Aravan their begetter and call themselves Aravanis. 3.2  Ã‚  Ã‚   Islam The Islamic society fundamentally took for granted that everyone was either male or female, and for occasionally children whose anomalies in sexual physiology made it impossible to determine whether the person was male or female, they were assigned to the sex whichever could explain their sexual physiology better. Jurists believed that the seminal fluid of the dominant sex resulted in the offspring having the dominant sex, and in case of a tie, the child would be a hermaphrodite (khuntha). But the khuntha was still monitored for any signs which would firmly tie it to one of the sexes until puberty was achieved. Finally, if puberty failed to assign khuntha mushkil into the sexes, Islamic jurists had the final call to declare the gender, which was irreversible and permanent. 3.3  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christianity Christianity bundles together a variety of views on transgenderism and issues of gender identity, ranging from considering transgender acts as sinful to seeing it as morally acceptable, and these views are also different for each individual within a denomination. An individual is also not bound to support their church’s views on transgenderism as their own. Although the Old Catholic Church accepts transgender members and the LGBT community in general, but it also considers sex-change procedures as superficial and external in the sense it does not change the personality and the essence of a person’s soul and hence does not change a person’s gender in the eyes of the Church. The New Testament presents eunuchs as acceptable candidates for evangelism, absolution and also eligible to be the members of the clergy but they are not considered valid candidates to marry. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Socio Economic Status Hijras are treated as social outcasts in modern India despite the fact that they formed an ancient social group which has been recognized for roughly four thousand years and depicted in India’s epic literature and temple sculptures due to degradation of the status of the Hijras during the colonial period, when several laws criminalizing them were enforced. Little has changed since the post-independence era, since the most common livelihoods for a modern-day Hijra include begging, dancing and engaging in prostitution although they still are regarded as harbingers of good luck at auspicious events such as a marriage or the birth of a child. The major foundation of social structure among the Hijras is the relation between a guru and their chelas, which is modeled both on the Hindu joint family and on the relationship of spiritual leader and disciple in Hinduism. The guru is synonymous to both a teacher and an elder in a family, who is expected to take care of the chela’s material needs, whereas the chela is expected to show deference and obedience to the guru and offer the guru her earnings. An effective measure of social control prevalent in the Hijra community over its members is mainly through the rigorous monopoly over the opportunities of work by the Hijra elders. Hijra members are required to pay compensation to the particular guru in whose territory she wants to earn her living in, and they have to forfeit this right to earn when they are thrown out of the particular territory. An outcast Hijra has virtually no source of income since she will neither be able to perform in any auspicious event or ritual, since all Hijra performances are mandated by a guru, nor be able to beg in another guru’s territory. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Politics Hijras have been perceived by the legislatures of both India (1994) and Pakistan (2009) as a new gender section, the third sex. Consequently, the government has conceding them the essential social equality of each native. They can now distinguish themselves as a eunuch on official government documents and passports, but contesting in elections is still an impediment for Hijras since candidates contesting for elections have to clearly identify themselves as either of the two genders accommodated by the redundant governmental laws. The Election Committee of India denied the candidature of three Hijras in the 2009 general elections on the basis of non-identification of the candidates into the binary genders. The first transgender to be elected in public office is Shabnam Mausi Bano, an elected member of the Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2003. 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Transgender Rights After the official recognition of transgenders as a â€Å"third sex†, welfare policies were introduced first in the states Tamil Nadu and Kerala, where transgender people could access free sex reassignment surgery, free housing, admission in government colleges with full scholarship and alternative sources of livelihood through formation of self-help groups. On 15th April 2014, the Supreme Court of India declared transgender people as a socially and economically backward class entitled to reservations in Education and Job, and also directed union and state governments to frame welfare schemes for them, On 24 April 2015, the Rajya Sabha passed the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 guaranteeing rights and entitlements, reservations in education and jobs (2% reservation in government jobs), legal aid, pensions, unemployment allowances and skill development for transgender people. It also contains provisions to prohibit discrimination in employment, prevent abuse, violence and exploitation of transgender people. Sadly, Homosexual intercourse was made a criminal offense under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. This made it an offence for a person to voluntarily have carnal intercourse against the order of nature. The Ministry of Home Affairs also stated its opposition against the decriminalization of homosexual activity, stating that in India, homosexuality is seen as being immoral. 7. Famous Transgender Personalities 7.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kalki Subramanian Kalki Subramaniam is a transgender rights activist, artist, actor, writer and entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu. In 2011, she starred in the Tamil film, Narthagi. She is the first transgender woman in India to do a lead role in a motion picture. In 2008, she founded the Sahodari Foundation, an organization that advocates for transgender people in India. She has postgraduate degrees in mass communication and in international relations. Subramaniam founded Sahaj International school in 2017, which is dedicated to serving transgender students ages 25 through 50 who have not been supported in mainstream schools. It is the first school specifically designated for transgender students in India and is located in Kochi, Kerala. 7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚   Padmini Prakash Padmini Prakash is India’s first transgender to anchor a daily television news show, emerging as a prominent voice for the neglected community. She is an avid Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancer and acted in a television serial. She has also been awarded Miss Transgender of India. She has been a vocal activist for transgender rights, and has been protesting against the discrimination, harassment and stigma that the sexual minority faces in India. 7.3  Ã‚  Ã‚   Manabi Bandyopadhyay Manabi Bandyopadhyay is the professor and first transgender person in India who has completed Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Bandyopadhyay was associate professor in Bengali at Vivekananda Satobarshiki Mahavidyalaya and took charge as principal of Krishnagar Womens College on 7 June 2015. She is Indias first openly transgender college principal, and began work as such in 2015 at the Krishnagar Womens College in Nadia district. Manabi is a devotee of Sarada Devi and she was initiated in spiritual life by Swami Atmasthananda. 8. Conclusion The report analyzes the history and the present situation of the transgenders in India. From being revered and respected in ancient times, they became social outcasts in modern times. In spite of the government implementing numerous welfare programs and declaring reservations in government jobs and services, a huge percentage of the Hijras are still trapped in slums on the margins of the cities, engaging in prostitution and begging, bereft of these benefits. A better implementation of the welfare schemes and strict criminal action against people who exploit, discriminate and alienate transgenders is sorely required for the social and economic upliftment of the Hijras. 9. Bibliography https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenderhttp://www.lawctopus.com/academike/case-studies-statistics-survey-hijras/http://www.census2011.co.in/transgender.phphttps://controversycourse.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/sanders-ungendered.pdfhttp://www.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/hijras_transgender_in_india_hiv_human_rights_and_social_exclusion.pdfhttp://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/islam/islam/hijrahttp://www.trp.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ARSS-Vol.4-No.1-Jan-June-2015-pp.17-19.pdfhttp://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/175/what-does-hinduism-say-about-third-gendered-peoplehttps://thetech.com/2016/08/25/hijra-communityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)

What Is Career Planning Commerce Essay

What Is Career Planning Commerce Essay Destiny, faith, dreams, these unstoppable ideas are held dip in the heart of men. As long as they are people who seek freedom in this life, this things shall not vanish from the earth. But most people die without realising this ideas. Would you let that chance pass you by? So i have to stand up and stop thinking like a scalar multitude (having a point of magnitude without a direction) but act like a vector (having a direction and a point of magnitude) i.e. doing a great career planning for myself. Firstly, what is career planning? The act of choosing a career path. In most cases it is done during adolescence and early adulthood. But it is often modified as changes in the self, the world or work change in the course of an individuals life. In other words career planning could be defined with different terms such as; career vocational counselling, vocational guidance and career guidance. Career planning could also be defined as the means through which we achieve our objectives and move closer to our goal. Career planning could be divided in to the vertical and horizontal direction. Horizontal career planning is based on the ways in which i will use to acquire the knowledge and skills of my dream job. In the other hand vertical career planning is based on the knowledge i have on the industry i wish to work for and how they have evolve over time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For a start, what is my point of magnitude? My point of magnitude is the pick of my dreams, which is becoming a branch manager in an international bank. To reach this goal i have to go through some steps. Firstly, gaining my necessary skills needed for the job. So to gain these skills i have to be orientated on how to gain a strong educational background on my career. I will start from the level of achieving an advance level certificate in social science with a good grade (mathematic, Economics, Geography and philosophy). This will lead me to the next step in achieving an HND certificate in banking and finance. From this step i will try to gain work experience by doing my internship for a bank under the customer service department. In addition, I will strive on having my bachelor degree in business management. At this point, I will look forth on holding the position of a cashier in a bank that has a promising career growth like Lloyds TSB. Whi le trying to match up with this new responsibility, I while look on having a master degree in business management. I will try to impress my employer by showing my vocation for my job and putting in my knowledge in relation to my task in other to gain promotion in my career as a head teller which is the first line manager. After having my master degree in business management and obtaining the post of head teller in the bank, I will aim for a step forward. That is, being the vault custodian in the bank which is next to my point of magnitude. And finally, due to hard work, determination and devotion in my job, my chasse comes to an end when I am being promoted to the branch manager of the bank. All this steps sounds easy in writing or in word but actually, it is not what it seems to be. Yes they are obstacle that I will meet on my way to the top and not forgetting that the dream is not only mine so they will be competition on the way too. Looking in to the post of customer service. After having my HND in banking and finance at the age of 21, I will aim for an internship in the bank. This should be under the department of customer service in a bank. The point of view of an overall banking process, customer service plays a very important role in a banks income and revenue. The functions of this department mainly include dealing with returns, exchanges and complaints. Basically, our goal is not only to help the customers deal with their problems, but also offer them a service that exceeds their expectations. Several key points are listed as follows: 1. Know your product Know what service we are offering to customers completely. Make sure you can answer every question the customer asked correctly and explain every process in our service programs. 2. Body Language Most of the communication that we show to others is done through body language. Make sure to look your customers in the eye while they are speaking. It shows that we are listening to them. Also, talk with a smile is never bad. 3. Anticipate What Customers Needs It can make customer have a feeling of We care about them everywhere then improve their trust about our service. A customer service experience can change my perception of the customers: what do they want? What do they need? How can we help them? The most important is how to do an effective communication with customers. It is the so called commutation skill. Because of this is my first job, I can also learn how to get on well with each other: those who manage me, those who I manage, my colleagues, especially my customers. With these new skills I will look on to the next step, which is to further my education and career by gaining a bachelor degree in business management and trying to secure the post as a cashier in a bank which has a promising career growth like Lloyds TSB. Moving forward, what is a cashier? A cashier is a person who receives money or card payment from the customers for the goods purchased. Wherever any purchase of goods or services involved in every institute minimum of one cashier is employed. The number of cashier employed can be varied due to the range of work and the size of company. The more a smooth transaction between a customer and supplier a cashier deals the more expert he is. His responsibilities is not just limited to the collection money, they may vary depending upon the type of employment. Bank cashiers are the front line officers for the enquiries of customers entering a bank branch. So I will be responsible for the face to face interaction with the customers usually using customised computer systems to process transactions and deal with account enquiries. I am also entitled to undertake many of the day to day routine and administration tasks. As I will be a fresh officer or often be called new entrant may start my job as a clerk helping the seniors in paperwork and administration in the back room of the bank to progress the bank cashier on the front desk dealing with customers accounts and enquiries. Senior bank cashier may supervise branch assistants, helping the customers in completing loan and mortgage applications, authorising loans or working in the foreign exchange section. This session will come to me whenever I will be able to promote myself from junior to senior. In the modern competitive financial services provision banks are operating a huge range of role. Bank cashiers are expected to market and sell financial products and services to customers. Cashiers should acquire a comprehensive knowledge of products and services offered by the bank. To promote myself in the position of a bank cashier the previous experiences and knowledge needed will come from the customer care officer as I will have been serving for six months in the same banking field. To be a bank cashier the following skills and qualities I must have: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Communicative skills with a wide range of people à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Play a role as a part of a team. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ be honest and reliable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The ability to pay attention to accuracy and detail ins and outs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increased level of confidence in selling and marketing products to customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Knowledge in computer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Be aware of confidentiality issues i.e. I must not disclose the inside information of the bank. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide a high quality and customer driven service. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide personalized, friendly and efficient cashiering service and also have temptation treating the customers fairly at the heart of their values. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Have a desire in acting as the first point of contact for customers in order to identify and address their needs and assist the bank in the achievement of its plan. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To succeed in the role, I am likely to enjoy relating to others whilst following a routine and adhering to procedures. The day to day basic duties and tasks as a bank cashier that I will be performing are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Collect and check the working cash at the start of the day from Branch Manager and counter. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Check deposit slip with accuracy before receiving the deposits in the form of cash or checks. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Verify the customer signature on the cheques and account details and then process to the cash withdrawals. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prepare travellers cheque, cashiers cheque and personal money order. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Explain the foreign currency regulations and fees before carrying out foreign currency exchanges. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Receive and verify the payments of loans, mortgages or any utility bills. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Record the transactions accurately, promptly and in a standardized format. Also issue transaction receipts to the customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Process the transactions like term deposits, retirement savings plan contributions, automated teller transactions, night deposits and mail deposits. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Respond to the enquiries of the customers about their accounts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Attempt to resolve issues in the customers account. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Explain and promote banks products or services like travellers cheques, savings bond, money orders and cashiers cheques to existing customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organize the money received in the cash box and coin dispenser as per the denominations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Compute the financial fees, interest or service charges applicable to the customers account. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ At the end of the day or shift, I will have to balance the currency, cash and cheques in the cash drawer. In order to carry out all the above mentioned duties effectively, I must possess strong arithmetic skills, customer service orientation, proficiency in computers and related software, problem solving skills, honesty and integrity and stress tolerance abilities. My academic qualification for this position: Generally, there are no formal entry qualifications. Some employers specify four GCSE (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English and Maths. Personal qualities are often equally as important as qualifications. Previous experience and knowledge in the similar field is also necessary. As I am graduating now in BBA from a renowned university, I must qualify for this position. I also have a good result including Maths and English in my GCSE. My desired hours and work environment: As I can see many cashiers working in the bank, so my expected working hours will be 9 to 5 from Monday to Friday including Saturday on a rota system. The most of the bank cashiers usually work behind a glass fitted screen with a number of customer services at desks in the front office of the branch. Bank cashiers are provided with a corporate uniform. Cashiers may be posted to other locations temporarily, where several branches exist within a town or area. Expected Annual Salary and Benefits: As a new bank clerk my salary will start between  £8750 and  £10500 depending on the size of the bank. In the course of my experience I will be earning between  £10,500 and  £16,000 a year. As a senior cashier or specialist customer service adviser I may earn between  £13,000 and  £23,000. Many banks have profit-related bonus schemes. Other benefits can include subsidised mortgages, loans, pensions, share options and insurance cover. Opportunities: As a bank cashier I may be promoted to senior bank cashier, a specialist customer service advisor, trainee manager and then branch manager. I have also some opportunities at the head offices of banks in the treasury, training, information technology and human resources departments or in merchant or investment banking and international divisions of the larger banks. With recent advances in IT and communications technology, there are many opportunities available in regional processing and call centres. Taking the next step of my career as Head Teller, this is the first line manager directly responsible for the tellers although they perform the same tasks this person has more experience in this field and has hands on knowledge of the job so the other tellers refer to her if they have any suspicions or queries about a particular transaction. She has to authorize transactions for above a particular amount of money which is usually set by the branch manager or head of operations. She usually has the highest amount of cash in her custody and if the other tellers need cash she transfers it to them rather than the vault custodian having to go to the vault every now and again depending on how busy the branch is. She is also responsible for the well being of the other tellers when it comes to taking their breaks, the tidiness of their work stations and to ensure that they abide by the rules and regulations of the bank. THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD HEADTELLER (KSA) You must always act professionally, set international standards, remain focused and work hard, accept results within your territory, be open to coaching, respond positively to feedback, compete effectively and win so that together we can celebrate success. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very honest with an impeccable character. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Has a friendly personality. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is meticulous and pays attention to details. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Works under pressure. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very conversant with numbers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Able to change at short notice and is innovative. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Is fast and able to resolve issues quickly. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very vigilant and takes all transactions serious. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Very patient and tolerant. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Respects all policies and procedures of the bank. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Quick in counting cash and at the same time able to detect bad notes. Vault Custodian; By the age of 24 year, I need to be a vault custodian. In the banking system, it is one of the most important positions where sensitive security issues are related in this position (Vault Custodian). I will have to do some creative works which are security involved. Like that I will be given promotion to go next post and that will be my dream job. I will have a lot of responsibilities to continue all baking activities properly and perfectly. Some of important activities I will have to perform those are (important activities related with this position) given down. http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_2009_07_15__03_14_54/Vault1.tgac4644f2f-ec04-4493-ae35-34081a2706d0Large.jpg Responsibilities of a vault custodian: Basically, I will have to use my skills, knowledge and abilities those are vital for doing things right. However, some essential activities, vault custodian, are mentioned bellow. First of all, In front of three people or individuals, I will have to close and open the vault at all the times. I will do compile all the security transaction records. Basically, I will be allowed to enter or go to vault. All the times, I will do delivery and receive securities like gold box, precious jewellery etc. To and from the vault. All securities will be deposited to bank and those calculations and monitoring will be my main job. Basically, I will have to write down the time when I opened and closed the vault. Because, it is really sensitive and safety issue for bank. When I will receive any types of precious things from customer then I will have to make sure that I did signature and description of the things which I have been given by the customer. Basically, I will need to write the details of the single or particular deposit. When anything will be pushed to the vault it is essential that make sure the account holder name and account number accurately. It is very important that release the deposit from the vault depositor (authorize) own decision. As a vault custodian I will have some important activities which are supervise the tillers and auditors. And, observing the all others activities of different other junior level activities. Basically, vault custodian just one step down the branch manager who needs to do almost same job like manager. Cash will be deposited overnight in main vault under joint custody of the dead teller and a designated bank staff. Finally I will strive forth to occupy the post of the branch manager of the bank.   Ã‚        Ã‚  The last stage of career plan is Branch Manager in a Bank .That is the dream job after passing through all the consecutive jobs successfully to reach in this position. Lets now look at the roles and responsibilities of a Branch Manager of a Bank.   Ã‚         The role of a branch manager is multifaceted. He is responsible for the overall leadership, sales force, operation and financial goals of the branch they manage. The branch manager must be familiar with the all the products and services offer by a bank and he should also be sales oriented. SALES:                Being a branch manager you are responsible for the success and failures of the goals and objectives. You should have Leadership qualities which influence the team members to motivate towards work; this will help to achieve the goals and objective. You should have an excellent communication skill to communicate with the employee, customers and society as you will be representing the bank with in the community. Other responsibilities include creating good budget sales and planning to monitor and act upon it. ADMINISTRATION:   Ã‚               Being an branch manager you will be responsible for making sure that work flows run smoothly .You are also responsible for the security and appearance of the branch facilities. You must be aware of employee or staff requirements .In any conflicts or if any problem arises which involves staff and customer a branch manager should be able to solve it effectively move ahead to achieve the goal. The other responsibilities of an branch manager include to keep an duplicate key of custody, to ensure the assets are in proper condition, to sanction the staff leave. FINANCE:             The role of a manager in a finance department is to ensure and to look after that the account Officer is maintaining proper books of accounts including basic accounting controls, for e.g. day to day cash in out, etc. She/he must ensure that all the expenses are incurred under the limit of the budget. Yes at last, finding my self in this position is in other words a dream come true. The dream I cultivated in my mind while still young has come to reality. It was not easy for me going though all those step due to the facts that; They was great competition in achieving that same post, they though time that I had to go out of my way to meet up with the customers demand and the expectations of the company, I had to match up my daily life and my work life, I had to put in great effort in my studies and I had to work as a team with colleagues that dont like me. To go through all this I had to be, flexible, enthusiastic, charismatic and very creative. Even at some point I had to employ characteristics which are not a part of my. Though through though times I had faith and it kept me going. And I will always give thanks to those that supported me in achieving my dreams like my colleagues, superiors, friends, family, and my profs. So go forth and chess your dream and never stop, Till it is accomplished. Dont forget destiny, faith, dreams, these unstoppable ideas are held dip in the heart of men. As long as they are people who seek freedom in this life, this things shall not vanish from the earth.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

What do you want to be when you grow up? The dreams of our youth often become the challenges of today and the challenges of today often become the blueprints of our future. Most of my childhood dreams centered around sports and they have been a big part of my life. When Teresa Wilson brought fastpitch softball to the University of Washington, my friends and I were the first to sign up for her initial summer skills camp. We all stood together, down below on the Chiefs softball field, shyly giggling and acting crazy. Teresa Wilson introduced her first UW team players and instantly Jennifer Kline became my hero and to play intercollegiate fastpitch was cemented in my heart as a dream. Kline worked with me as a catcher at the camp and she was so good, and so smart, and so patient, but most important she wasn't condescending or arrogant. She worked with me on blocking and framing and calling a game, never making me feel stupid or clumsy. The dream to play college softball expanding to coaching the game someday. I could really see how much a good coach or teacher could help a player or student. Sport teaches lessons that can translate on a larger scale to life. As an athlete I have learned the importance of teamwork. Any team is only as strong as its least prepared member. The very best player will never beat the best team. The concept of teamwork encourages members to give up the pursuit of individual glory for the success of the team. Individual statistics may bring personal pride but they rest in the shadow of the team's overall success. Sport nurtures our natural love of competition. Athletes are encouraged to practice hard, prepare both physically and mentally for the contest challenge, and then perform at their highest level. Most amateur athletes are also taught to accept victory with a certain degree of modesty and humility and to acknowledge defeat with graciousness and the added incentive to improve future performances. This is a particularly important life lesson to learn. Healthy and fair competition leads to better performances by all participants. Sport builds self esteem. The praise of coaches and the cheers of fans nurture feelings of self-worth and even criticism, when offered in a constructive way, can strengthen a players confidence in his own ability and his contributions to the team. Everyone enjoys hearing compliments but it is the criticisms that, when taken to heart, can improve the athlete and can bolster his self-esteem by supporting the belief that he brings value and effort to his sport.