Is It Real to Live Well with Dementia Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Death of young and only son of David Wright - a 65 year old fun-loving and creative visual artist - had given considerable shock and depression to Mr. Wright. Since, then he started experiencing state of depression and sadness all the time, and he behaved in a pessimistic way wanting to stop all his life activities. For one year after death of his son, he did not create any painting and started experiencing some domestic and economical issues (Bourgeois and Hickey 2009). Additionally, he started taking anti-depression pills. He decided to start his own bakery shop, but his wife Allen who helped him a lot in recovering from the grievance of his son's death encouraged him to continue with his artistic job of painting and sketching. Consequently, he quit the idea of starting bakery and went back to his painting and sketching job. In Mr. Wright s case, it has been noticed that he stopped taking food properly and increased his alcohol dose after his son's death, although his wife convinced him a lot to quit drinking and start eating properly, but he did not listen to her about this and kept of loosing weight and stamina day by day (Bourgeois and Hickey 2009). Consequently, he started showing symptoms of medical disorders as his body was suffering from a chemical imbalance due to the increased amount of toxin (drug) and malnutrition. We will write a custom essay sample on Is It Real to Live Well with Dementia or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Day by day he was getting weak, and his better half was also suffering badly due to his declining health condition. Unfortunately, after three years his wife Allen also passed away due to a heart attack leaving him with his only eldest daughter, who was practicing law outside London.

Types Of Conflict Spiral And Avoidance Spiral - 940 Words

Since conflict is made up of individuals with their own perceptions it only makes sense that there lie different paths that conflict can take. Some of the different paths that are destructive in nature are the â€Å"escalatory spiral† (Hocker Wilmot 29) and â€Å"avoidance spiral† (Hocker Wilmot 32). These spirals are made up of not only speech but physical actions that mean to damage another or seek to lessen the relationship between themselves. It is important to recognize what type of conflict spiral is happening so you may view the situation clearly and see what the next step is to possibly fix this problem before it escalates past the point of repair. Recognizing that you are in an escalatory spiral is simple because it is categorized as a state where both parties involved take action to â€Å"get even† (qtd. in Hocker Wilmot 31) with the other person(s) involved. An escalatory spiral is a destructive means people take when there are â€Å"[misunderstand ings], discord and destruction (Wilmot 1987)† (Hocker Wilmot 30). The interaction between those in conflict during an escalatory spiral becomes less about understanding and fixing the conflict and more about how to emotionally harm the other person involved. In an escalatory spiral, there is only one path for those that are engaging in it and that is â€Å"upward and onward† (Hocker Wilmot 30). For those that find themselves in an escalatory spiral they may find it difficult to get out of it because the original issue becomes buriedShow MoreRelatedCorporate Systems Area Of Humana3650 Words   |  15 Pagesleadership of IT had determined that new leadership was needed within the Corporate Systems space and after working as a project manager on the project I was asked to lead the teams that had been working on the failed project. 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To confine in a person one must be wiling to show their most vulnerable side, and not doing so made me have unhealthy relationships with the people around me. Causing me to portray a false imageRead MoreConflict Management2100 Words   |  9 PagesORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 1. ABSTRACT Organizational conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests between people working together. Conflict takes many forms in organizations; there is the inevitable clash between formal authority and power and those individuals and groups affected. There are disputes over how revenues should be divided, how the work should be done and how long and hard people should work. There are jurisdictionalRead MoreConflict Between Conflict And Conflict Management1772 Words   |  8 Pagesopinion there will also be a chance for some form of conflict to arise. To resolve and manage conflict, any organization or persons’ must try to understand the causes, theories, approaches and strategies of conflict management. Resolving conflict requires a great deal of attention and thorough understanding in seeking resolution. In this review, conflict management will be explored in general from different perspectives in light of how conflict effects teams or groups, workplace relationships andRead MoreThe Doctor Essay2112 Words   |  9 Pagesthroughout the remainder of the film. Within minutes of his diagnostic procedure, Jack learns that his symptoms are due to a serious condition, necessitating immediate treatment. Jack quickly transitions from doctor to patient, becoming subject to the same type of treatment he had been giving, for years, to patients of his own. Not only is Jack surprised that his medical prowess and, in his opinion, â€Å"good looks† have no influence on his medical condition and treatment, but he is shocked to overhear his colleagueRead MoreEssay on Team Behavior2336 Words   |  10 PagesTeam Behavior The organizational structure is compromised of groups and teams. Organizational behavior theory examines individual and group behavior types in relation to performance, organizational structure, ethics, and conflict resolution. Extensive research has been done in the field of development and application of team behavior and the positive or negative impact it has on accomplishing organizational objectives. Tuckman’s team development theory, Mintzberg’s study of organizational politics

Personal and Professional Development Managing Professional Developme

Question: Discuss about the term for Personal and Professional Development. Answer: Introduction Organisations today are considering their human resources as their most precious assets as they help the company achieve its goals and attain competitive advantage(Blandford, 2012). To meet the dynamic needs of towards marketplace organisations need employees who possess multiple skills and can add value to their knowledge academy(London, 2011). Thus, to be successful in todays dynamic business environment individuals need to evaluate their existing skills and formulate ways of continuously improving them and adding new skills to achieve desired career goals. Leadership skills and time management skills are the two essential skills that play a vital role in personal and professional development of an individual(DuBrin, 2012). Personality traits play an important role in defining an individuals behaviour and being aware of own strengths and weaknesses(Fisher-Yoshida Geller, 2009). Thus, I have undertaken self assessment activities related to leadership, personality traits and time management. Analysing the results of these self assessment activities helped me in identifying areas of professional development and planning towards the development of my Professional Development Plan (PDP). Indulging in different self assessment activities has helped me in identifying the gap between by current skills and desired skills. Leadership Self Assessment Leadership is defined as the process of developing ideas and vision, living by values that support those ideas and vision, influencing others to live by values and making tough decisions when required(Hellriegel John W. Slocum, 2011). Thus, ideas, vision, values, influencing others and decision making are the five key attribute of leadership. Leadership skills are essential for the growth of an individual in personal as well as professional life. Organisations today want employees(DuBrin, 2012) who possess strong leadership skills and can support them in achieving their goals. Undertaking the leadership self assessment helped me in identifying my strengths and weaknesses as a leader. After answering 18 questions related to different aspects of leadership I have achieve a total score of 50 which indicates I am doing just OK as a leader there is good room for improvement. I am emotionally stable but too practical owing to which I have scored low on people-management and empathy aspect of leadership. I am a hard worker and prefer self-managed learning so I expect the same from other which is not always possible owing to individual differences and different learning styles(Throop Castellucci, 2010). As my work experience is comparatively less I often doubt myself and my ability to succeed with is a big drawback as a leader(Jarvis, 2010). I need to work on increasing my self-confidence. Being a perfectionist I sometimes expect people to deliver top-notch results only which presents me as an autocratic leader. I am very imaginative and open to new experiences thus I feel team performs well when they learn new skills and perform challenging tasks. An analysis of the leadership self assessment results shows that I need to work hard on improving my leadership skills and people management skills. Big Five Personality Self Assessment Personality has a direct influence on individual behaviour at work and in other aspects of life (Friedman, 2013). It also has an effect on individuals level of motivation and ability to develop interpersonal relationships(Frey Fisher, 2011). Undertaking the big five personality self assessment helped me in knowing my personality better and identifying areas of improvement (Aspin, 2008). An analysis of the self assessment result shows that I have scored an average in the extroversion section which means I need to work hard on improving my social skills, assertiveness and gregariousness. I comfortable being around different people however owing to low self confidence and weak communication skills I avoid talking much. I have scored well in openness section owing to the fact that I am imaginative, creative and open to new ideas. I like accepting new challenges and learning new skills. I have scored average in conscientiousness section, I am hardworking and quite dependable however I ha ve to become more organised and learn to prioritise my work. I often concentrate on learning so much that I miss some of my tasks and at the end mess up things sometimes. I have scored average in agreeableness section owing to the fact that I prefer being competitive which often lands me into conflicts. I am not manipulative and often speak what is correct and ethical. I have scored. I have scored well in neuroticism section which shows me as an emotionally stable person. I understand and respect others feeling however I feel it is good to be practical to succeed. I experience less mood swings and do not get irritated easily. The results of big five personality self assessment shows that I need to improve my conflict management skills and communication and interpersonal skills Time Management Self Assessment Time management is the act of allocating right time to right activity which not only help an individual succeed in professional life but also maintain a perfect balance in personal life(Burnard, 2013). Undertaking the time management self assessment has helped me in identifying the gap between my existing time management skills and desired time management skills. Analysis of the self assessment shows that I need to really work hard on improving my time management skills as decision making skills as I am unable to prioritise my tasks effectively owing to which I find myself completing tasks at last moment and often asking for extensions. Areas of Professional Development Based on the results of the self assessment activities I need to improve my leadership skills, people management skills, time management skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, conflict management skills and decision making skills to achieve desired career goals. Professional Development Plan Objectives Priority Activities Resources Target date Evidence of achievements Remarks Leadership Skills High Enrolling in a part time course related to leadership. Talk to different people to improve my self confidence. Develop a positive attitude and outlook Finances and Time April 2016 Continuous Certificate of course completion Feedback from peers People Management Skills High Enrolling in a 3 months part time course on people management Finances and Time August 2016 Certificate of course completion Communication Skills High Enrolling in a 4 weeks part time course on communication skills. Attending seminar on communication skills. Taking part in public speaking events Finances and Time September 2016 Certificate of course completion Feedback from peers Time management skills High Enrolling in a Four day online session on time management Time and availability of course May 2015 Course certificate Interpersonal skills Medium Work on my listening skills, emotional stability, empathy, use of humours and social skills Time Continuous Feedback from peers Conflict Management skills Medium Reading materials on conflict management and negotiation skills. Participating in relevant seminars Time and Finances Continuous Reduced conflicts and improved feedback from peers Decision making skills Medium Reading materials on decision making skills. Participating in relevant seminars Continuous Improved decisions and perceived as a mature person by peers Conclusion A professional developing plan based on the finding of self assessment activities will help me in monitoring, improving and revising my activities on a regular basis and eventually reducing the gap between existing skills and desired skills. As a professional it is essential to keep on upgrading existing skills and adding new skills to achieve desired career goals. References Aspin, D. N., (2008) Philosophical Perspectives on Lifelong Learning. Hamburg: Springer Science Business Media. Blandford, S., (2012) Managing Professional Development in Schools. New Jersey: Routledge. Burnard, P., (2013) Teaching Interpersonal Skills: A handbook of experiential learning for health professionals. Hamberg: Springer. DuBrin, A., (2012) Leadership: Research Findings, Practice, and Skills. New York: Cengage Learning. Fisher-Yoshida, B. Geller, K. D., (2009) Transnational Leadership Development: Preparing the Next Generation for the Borderless Business World. New York: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn. Frey, N. Fisher, D., (2011) The Formative Assessment Action Plan: Practical Steps to More Successful Teaching and Learning. New York: ASCD. Friedman, A. L., (2013) Continuing Professional Development: Lifelong Learning of Millions. New Jersey: Routledge. Hellriegel, D. John W. Slocum, J., (2011) Organisational Behaviour. New York: Cengage Learning. Jarvis, P., (2010) Adult Education and Lifelong Learning: Theory and Practice. New Jersey: Routledge. London, M., (2011) The Oxford Handbook of Lifelong Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Throop, R. K. Castellucci, M., (2010) Reaching Your Potential: Personal and Professional Development. New York: Cengage Learning.

Pension Fund Fiduciary Duty and Non-Financial Considerations Essay Example

Pension Fund Fiduciary Duty and Non-Financial Considerations Paper The fiduciary duties of loyalty and prudence have often been seen as presenting an impediment to the consideration of so-called non-financial factors, in particular ethical, environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in investment strategy. In reality, it would be more appropriate to think of these ‘non-financial factors’ as not-yet-financial factors, thus acknowledging that currently non-financial factors may become financial as relevant legislation is introduced and public perception develops. This subsection discusses why so-called non-financial factors have been seen as offlimits for pension fund fiduciaries: briefly, the duty of loyalty has on occasion been interpreted as requiring fiduciaries to focus solely on immediate financial returns from investments; courts have at times interpreted the duty of prudence in such a way as to encourage fiduciaries to adhere to the status quo, discouraging innovation in investment (including looking to factors other than traditional financial considerations). Critics oppose the consideration of non-financial issues on the basis that such consideration may indulge the political motives of trustees at the expense of financial earnings for beneficiaries. Public pension funds, in particular, may be vulnerable to ill-judged, politically motivated investment decisions. This reasoning, if applied to climate change, paints pension funds’ consideration of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change in investment strategy as contrary to fiduciary duty, at least in so far as their inclusion is unconventional compared with industry peers. Part of the reason for the perpetuation of the perception that fiduciaries should not have regard to non-financial factors in their investment approach is the lack of recent case law directly on point. The main cases in both the US and the UK were decided in the 1980s, and in both places, the questions usually had to do with ethical and political questions regarding investment in then-apartheid South Africa. No case has tested the issue of whether specifically environmental factors may be taken into account in pension fund investment decisions. Certainly, no case has yet dealt with the question of whether pension fund investment strategy may have explicit regard to the risks and opportunities assoc iated with climate change. We will write a custom essay sample on Pension Fund Fiduciary Duty and Non-Financial Considerations specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pension Fund Fiduciary Duty and Non-Financial Considerations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pension Fund Fiduciary Duty and Non-Financial Considerations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer There have been recent attempts to clarify the status of non-financial considerations in pension fund investment strategy on both sides of the Atlantic. Unfortunately, neither country has succeeded. In the US, recent Department of Labor Bulletins intended to clarify the Department’s position have in fact confused the issue further. Some commentators from within the institutional investment industry have interpreted the bulletins as requiring strict avoidance of non-financial consideration in investment decision-making; many regard them simply as confused, confusing and contradictory. In the UK, comments from parliamentary debate in 2008 indicated some support for the view that ESG factors may legally be integrated into pension funds’ investment strategies. However, no legislative change was made, and as a result the comments are in no way binding. For these reasons, the uncertainty surrounding the requirements of fiduciary duty with respect to non-financial considerations remains, and creates a perception amongst trustees that it is safest not to test these waters. Without legislative clarification, it is likely that many pension funds will avoid the issue altogether by ignoring the question of climate change. US Case Law and Recent Commentary US cases considering trustees’ regard to non-financial factors in investment decisionmaking have produced mixed outcomes. In Board of Trustees of Employee Retirement System of the City of Baltimore v City of Baltimore, the City of Baltimore had passed ordinances requiring the city’s public pension funds to divest from companies that had business dealings in South Africa. The trustees of the funds sued the City, arguing that the ordinance restricted their ability to properly diversify by reducing their investment universe. This, they argued, unlawfully affected their duty of prudence. The trustees also argued that the ordinances unlawfully affected the common law duty of loyalty by diluting the trustees’ focus on the exclusive benefit of beneficiaries through the inclusion of social considerations. The Court of Appeal found that although the ordinances did reduce somewhat the universe of potential investments for trustees, ‘a diversified, [South Africa Free] portfolio can be managed consistently with the duty of prudence’. Furthermore, the court did ‘not believe that a trustee necessarily violates the duty of loyalty by considering the social consequences of investment decisions.’ Instead, the court stated that ‘a trustee’s duty is not necessarily to maximize the return on investments but rather to secure a â€Å"just† or â€Å"reasonable† return while avoiding undue risk.’ By contrast, in University of Oregon v Oregon Investment Council, the Court of Appeal of Oregon refused standing to the University of Oregon students associations who sought a declaration that the state could not invest endowment funds in companies operating in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The students had challenged the Oregon Attorney-General’s view that such divestment amounted to a probable violation of fiduciary duty. The court stated that the students ‘do not allege any legally recognized injury, and neither agreement with plaintiffs’ opposition to apartheid nor the desirability of encouraging students to become concerned with social and moral wrongs and to seek to right them can turn the alleged â€Å"injuries† into legally recognized ones.’ The findings in these two cases (as well as other contemporaneous cases) suggest that whether or not non-financial considerations are permissible depends on the specific facts at hand. Surprisingly, there have been no significant recent US legal decisions to shed further light on these questions. Contradictory views about the status of non-financial considerations also appear in US commentary surrounding the issue of non-financial considerations in pension fund investment. The comments to se ction 5 of UPIA, which applies to public pension funds in almost all states, say that no form of so-called ‘social investing’ is consistent with the duty of loyalty if the investment activity entails sacrificing the interests of trust beneficiaries – for example, by accepting below-market returns – in favour of the interests of the persons supposedly benefited by pursuing the particular social cause. The UPIA comment suggests that there can be no trade-off between financial and non-financial gains in pension fund investment strategies. By contrast, the US Department of Labour’s position vis-à  -vis non-financial considerations by private pension funds is less clear. In 1998, the Department stated that fiduciary duties under ERISA do not preclude consideration of collateral benefits, such as those offered by a ‘socially-responsible’ fund, in a fiduciary’s evaluation of a particular investment opportunity. However, the existence of such collateral benefits may be decisive only if the fiduciary determines that the investment offering the collateral benefits is expected to provide an investment return commensurate to alternative investments having similar risks. Then, on 17 October 2008, the Department released two interpretive bulletins that further muddied its stance on non-financial considerations in institutional investment. The first bulletin provides ‘supplemental guidance relating to fiduciary responsibility in considering economically targeted investments’ (‘the ETI bulletin’). The second bulletin provides clarification on ‘the exercise of shareholder rights and written statements of investment policy, including proxy voting policies or guidelines’ (‘the shareholder rights bulletin’). The bulletins are intended to reiterate and clarify the Department of Labor’s ‘longstanding view that workers’ money must be invested and used solely to provide for retirements and not for political, corporate or other purposes’. The ETI bulletin states that ERISA establishes a clear rule that in the course of discharging their duties, fiduciaries may never subordinate the economic interests of the plan to unrelated objectives, and may not select investment on the basis of any factor outside the economic interest of the plan. However, where t wo or more alternative investments ‘are of equal economic value’, fiduciaries are permitted to ‘choose between the investment alternatives on the basis of a factor other than the economic interest of the plan’. The bulletin highlights the Department of Labor’s belief that fiduciaries who rely on non-economic factors to make investment decisions will find it difficult to prove compliance with ERISA ‘absent a written record demonstrating that a contemporaneous economic analysis showed the investment alternatives were of equal value’. The shareholder rights bulletin states that the fiduciary duties described in ERISA require that in voting proxies, regardless of whether the vote is made pursuant to a statement of investment policy, the responsible fiduciary shall consider only those factors that relate to the economic value of the plan’s investment and shall not subordinate the interests of the participants and beneficiaries in their retirement income to unrelated objectives. The shareholder rights bulletin also reinforces that all proxy voting guidelines in statements of investment policy must comply with fiduciary duty. As such, these ‘may not subordinate the economic interests of the plan participants to unrelated objectives.’ While Department of Labour bulletins are only binding upon pension funds that are governed by ERISA and do not affect general trust law, they are nonetheless likely to influence judicial interpretation. Shortly after the publication of the bulletins, the Social Investment Forum, (‘SIF’), wrote an open letter to the Department criticizing inconsistencies and ambiguities in the bulletins’ language. The bulletins appear to have confused, rather than clarified, the US Department of Labor’s views with respect to the inclusion of non-financial factors in decisionmaking. In short, US legal cases, legislation and Department of Labor commentary present pension funds with unclear guidance about their obligations with respect to the consideration of non-financial issues in investment strategy. UK Case Law and Recent Commentary The case that has had the greatest influence, somewhat undeservedly, on the issue of non-financial considerations in pension fund investment decisions in the UK is Cowan v Scargill. In that case, the five Board-appointed trustees of the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme sued the other five (union-appointed) trustees over their refusal to agree to an investment plan unless it was amended ‘so as to prohibit any increase in overseas investment, to provide for the withdrawal of existing overseas investments at the most opportune time, and to prohibit inv estment in energies which are in direct competition with coal’. The Court found that the union trustees were in breach of their fiduciary duty in refusing to accept the diversified investment plan. Megarry VC held that: When the purpose of the trust is to provide financial benefits for the beneficiaries, as is usually the case, the best interests of the beneficiaries are normally their best financial interests. He went on to explain that trustees must put aside their social, political and moral views when making investment decisions on behalf of the trustees: In considering what investments to make trustees must put on one side their own personal interests and views. Trustees may have strongly held social or political views. They may be firmly opposed to any investment in South Africa or other countries, or they may object to any form of investment in companies concerned with alcohol, tobacco, armaments or many other things. In the conduct of their own affairs, of course, they are free to abstain from making any such investments. Yet under a trust, if investments of this type would be more beneficial to the beneficiaries than other investments, the trustees must not refrain from making the investments by reason of the views that they hold. Pension funds have often cited this case demonstrating that the ‘best interests’ of beneficiaries coincide with their financial interests and that non-financial considerations are likely to breach fiduciary duty. Therefore, the belief that trustees must seek to maximise profit at the expense of all other considerations has held currency with many institutional investors. However, this interpretation has been challenged. A number of commentators, including Megarry VC himself, have argued that the Cowan v Scargill decision has been overly influential and has been interpreted too widely. Writing in an academic paper in 1989, Megarry expressed surprise at amount of attention his decision had received (that was twenty-two years ago, and the decision is still the primary case on the matter). This view was reinforced in Martin v City of Edinburgh District Council, in which Lord Murray said ‘I cannot conceive that trustees have an unqualified duty †¦ simply to invest trust funds in the most profitable investment available.’ Under the Occupational Pension Schemes (Investment) Regulations (2005), a pension fund’s statement of investment principles must detail ‘the extent (if at all) to which social, environmental or ethical considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention and realisation of investments’. On 7 October 2008, the UK legislature debated whether legislation should go further and establish a general rule that certain non-financial issues could inform pension fund investment decisionmaking. In speaking about a proposed amendment to the Pension Bill, Lord McKenzie stated that ‘there is no reason in law why trustees cannot consider social and moral criteria in addition to their usual criteria of financial returns, security and diversification’. Lord McKenzie went on to say that: It follows from this that it may be appropriate for trustees to engage in these considerations with companies in which they invest. This may include disinvesting from such companies if, acting in accordance with their fiduciary duties and the objects of their trust, they consider that this is right and in the best interests of their members. These comments were not, however, followed by any legislative clarification of the issue in the UK. Indeed, they were intended to demonstrate that no legislative sanctioning of socially driven investing was necessary, with Lord McKenzie going on to say: It would not be appropriate for the Government or Parliament to impose any guidelines that might restrict the trustee’s independence in carrying out its overriding duty to members, although governments have a role in engendering a climate which fosters ethical investment and in ensuring that legislation does not act as a barrier to those who are committed to this. In 2005, the United National Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) released a report that examined the issue of institutional investors’ tre atment of ESG factors in investment decision-making. The report surveyed the legal landscape in both common law and civil law jurisdictions and came to the conclusion that: It is not a breach of fiduciary duties per se to have regard to ESG considerations while pursuing the purposes of the trust. Rather, in our opinion, it may be a breach of fiduciary duties to fail to take account of ESG considerations that are relevant and to give them appropriate weight, bearing in mind that some important economic analysts and leading financial institutions are satisfied that a strong link between good ESG performance and good financial performance exists. Despite the sanguine views of UNEP FI, neither recent case law nor legislation has appeared to confirm or deny either their assertions or those of Lord McKenzie. Nor has the US Department of Labor’s recent commentary been tested. With the recent entrance of the Obama administration, it is possible that the commentary will undergo further change before there is an opportunity for it to be tested. Therefore, the legal position with respect to pension funds’ consideration of non-financial factors in investment strategy remains unclear in both the US and the UK. As the law currently stands, the inclusion of the risks and opportunities associated with climate change as a factor in investment decision-making may be perfectly acceptable. On the other hand, it may put pension funds at risk of violating their fiduciary obligations: until legislation or case law clarifies the point, funds will not know. And, until the advent of such a case or of relevant legislation, pension funds will be wary of amending their investment strategies. It is this uncertainty, rather than fiduciary duty itself, that acts as an impediment to the consideration of non-financial factors at present. Next Page – Fiduciary Duty’s Paradox: Incrementally Flexible Previous Page – Fiduciary Duty as a Perceived Barrier to Change

Learning and Cognition Relationship between Learning and Cognition

Learning and Cognition Relationship between Learning and Cognition Learning starts from the very first days of a human life. People learn how to walk, how to perform complicated tasks and how to cooperate with other individuals. People have tried to understand what learning is throughout centuries. There are various approaches to this issue. However, all researchers agree that learning is closely connected to such concept as cognition.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Cognition: Relationship between Learning and Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Though, there are researchers who challenge this assumption stating that there are cases when learning is possible without cognition. To understand the relationship between cognition and learning, it is important to take a closer look at the concept of learning. Firstly, it is necessary to provide a proper definition for the concept of learning. Some people see learning as â€Å"an outcome of the social experiences in a nd out of schools to which young people are exposed† (Yates McLeod, 2011, p. 230). However, it is clear that learning goes beyond classroom environment. People acquire knowledge and gain new skills in a variety of settings. Ellstrom (2011, p. 238) provides a more comprehensive definition of learning, â€Å"learning is a process of knowledge acquisition through experienced-based changes in cognition or action†. Therefore, learning happens in various settings, but it is associated with certain changes, i.e. acquisition of knowledge and skills which is, in its turn, connected with cognition. It is necessary to note that behavior plays an important role in learning. For instance, active people can be exposed to a great amount of information which can be learnt easily (Ellstrom, 2011). At the same time, some people find it rather difficult to concentrate as they are often distracted by numerous things. Lack of concentration can lead to difficulties while learning. Notably, those who are less active are not exposed to new information as they tend to be in settings they know perfectly well, i.e. they remain on the safe side. Interestingly, behavior and learning are regarded in terms of the evolutionary approach (Ellstrom, 2011). Ability to acquire knowledge and actively use it is associated with ability to survive in the animal world. This can also be applied to the contemporary world as people who acquire more knowledge have lots of opportunities, e.g. they get better jobs and get more resources, etc.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from different types of behavior, there are two types of learning. Thus, learning can be explicit and implicit (Yates McLeod, 2011). Explicit learning is often associated with education. People are explicitly exposed to certain information. They try to use a variety of strategies to facilitate learning. For instance, students try to memorize data and they train the skills they have acquired. Adult people also have to learn new skills, e.g. professional, communicative, leadership skills, etc. As far as implicit learning is concerned, it happens without training or extra effort. As has been mentioned above, people are often exposed to a lot of information. They memorize facts, faces, places without extra effort. This is a characteristic feature of human cognitive ability to perceive and process information (Shanks, 2010). Therefore, the two types of learning help people gain knowledge and develop cognitive abilities. Clearly, learning and cognition are interrelated. Researchers claim that there can be no learning without cognition (Shanks, 2010). Admittedly, people learn things after they have processed information cognitively. It is easy to provide an example to this concept. A 5-year-old child can be given a task to build a toy house. The child will be given major parts of the house, i .e. 4 walls and the roof. There will be no difficulties and the child will be able to build the toy house as he has the necessary experience, i.e. he/she has seen lots of houses. However, if the child will be shown (and given instructions on) how to build the toy house quickly, he/she will spend less time building the house as the child has seen how to do it, i.e. have acquired experience. Thus, the child looks at and touches the parts of the house and gets information about the material and shape. The child pictures houses he/she has seen in his/her life. This enables the child to put the parts of the house together. Next time, the child will be able to complete the same task much faster. Admittedly, if the child had not had the instructions and certain experience, he/she would not be able to perform the task. Nonetheless, some researchers claim that cognition is not an indispensible part of learning as learning without cognition is also possible (Shanks, 2010). However, these theo ries are yet to be researched and grounded. To sum up, it is possible to note that learning and cognition are interrelated. People get the vast majority of knowledge due to their cognitive abilities. People perceive objects and gain experience through learning, implicit or explicit. It is also important to add that behavior plays an important role in learning, especially when it comes to implicit learning. However, further research is required as there are lots of learning mechanisms which are unclear. It is also necessary to take a closer look at the correlation between learning and cognition.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Learning and Cognition: Relationship between Learning and Cognition specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference List Ellstrom, P.E. (2011). Organizational learning. In V.G. Aukrust (Ed.), Learning and cognition in education (pp. 229-235). San Diego, CA: Elsevier. Shanks, D.R. (2010). Learning: F rom Association to cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 61(1), 273-301. Yates, L., McLeod, J. (2011). Gender and schooling. In V.G. Aukrust (Ed.), Learning and cognition in education (pp. 229-235). San Diego, CA: Elsevier.

Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essays

Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essays Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essay Of Gifts and Goodbyes Essay Alicia J Mrs. Miller English 2, 4th Period 7 November 2013 Of Gifts and Goodbyes Phew. Panting, I hoisted my bright orange luggage bag out of the trunk of my grandmas car and lug it across the airports marble floor. It seemed heavier than I remember. And to think that I had to take some stuff out last night because Dad said I put too much stuff in it and there is a possibility of my bag bursting somewhere along the trip. The wheels squealed under the weight in carried and I winced. Shh! The airport buzzed with activity. People scurried about like mice, a middle aged oman consoled her crying baby, a tall man in a business suit yakked into his cell phone. I narrowed my eyes and squinted slightly, scanning the crowds for familiar faces. My shoulders slumped a little. None. Subconsciously, my hand reached up to tug on the black beanie I put on to hide my messy hair. My phone vibrated, I froze and, my hand hung in mid air. Once. Twice. Buzz buzz buzz. Walking to the nearest vacant bench, I sat down to reply to the text messages I received. All of them bore the same question, Hey, where are you? I chuckled to myself. In a matter of seconds, I tapped out my reply and got up after pressing send, casually strolling to Starbucks when I really wanted to sprint over. Effortlessly, I maneuvered through the sea of people and sat down at an empty table, located at the far end. Since it was still early and to avoid appearing awkward, I scrolled down my phone mindlessly while waiting. The enticing aroma of brewing coffee and roasted coffee beans filled my senses and I smiled to myself. I thought of getting up and ordering a cup of semi-sweet, warm, mouth watering goodness and a croissant to go with it but shrugged it off. My friends arrived one by one and I greeted them all with a smile. Oh, dont mention it, they replied with a grin when I thanked them profusely for setting aside some time to come see me before I boarded my plane. Candy, flowers, cards and various trinkets were held out in my direction and I smiled. A stack of letters made me squeal in delight. I arranged them neatly in my backpack and tucked the letters in a compartment that wont wrinkle or crush them. We sat down and snared a tew laughs. Looking back, the stupid things we did, taught s a lesson or two and none of us seemed to regret it. My cousin bought me ice cream. Dont worry about it, kiddo. Its my turn to buy you something this time, he chuckled and ruffed my hair though he knew that I hated it whenever he did that. We made something for you, Aaron, my brother-from-another-mother declared. He held up a long black roll. His face was solemn, I couldnt help but giggle. The black roll turned out to be a large black card and I fell quiet. The word Memories was written at the top. I was at a loss for words. The card was decorated with various roup photos, old movie stubs and a portrait of me, drawn from a photo of me taken a week ago. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. Everyone had the time of their life, laughing and dancing- hula dancing to be exact, under the stars. Aaron played the ukulele onstage and sang his rendition of Jason Mraz Im Yours. The waves seemed to catch the beat and crashed against the rocks, accentuating the performance. Sand got into our flip flops but no one seemed to care. Someone pulled me aside. Hey A1! Look at you, with those flowers on your head. You look great! I looked at the neon pink tank top I paired with a pastel green wraparound. Take a picture, itll last longer, I replied playfully while adjusting the flower crown that sat on top of my head. He whipped his phone out and his finger hovered over a button. Say Hawaii! We took a number of photos together and my cheeks literally hurt from all the smiling. Never smiling. Again! I exclaimed, rubbing my aching cheeks a few times for emphasis. The time passed quicker than I thought it would and it was actually time for me to go. I hugged and was hugged- tightly. I felt my eyes getting wet but I blinked them back. No one else was crying. Dont you be the only one crying. I hugged my grandma the last and I saw that her eyes were red. Tears sprang into my eyes again and my voice broke when I told her that I would be back soon, and that she had to take care of herself well. Well miss you! everyone called out before I disappeared into the domestic gate. I waved at them until they were out of sight. My heart soared. My head spun. Im leaving today! Throughout the year, daydreams werent unusual for me. I have been dreaming of eaches, tanned skin and a fabulous life ever since I found out that I would be flying to the United States to continue my studies. Just the thought of it made me giddy with excitement. It felt Just like it was yesterday that I was dragging my feet, knowing that the day I would be leaving seemed like a few light years away. Now it seemed as if I couldnt take big enough strides. I Just couldnt wait. I buckled my seatbelt before the safety announcements came on and sat back. It wasnt a full flight so I had all three seats to myself. I sat near the window and put my ag on the seat next to me. My fingers tugged at the zipper on my bag and I dug inside for the stack of letters. The pilot started talking and went through a few announcements but my mind was back home. Tears burned the back of my eyes, my throat swelled and it hurt to swallow. My vision blurred and a tear ran down my cheek. It quivered for a moment on the tip of my nose, then splashed onto my light colored sweater, leaving a small, dark circle. More tears followed as I let it all out. My shoulders quaked and I tried to keep silent and pretended to be fascinated by the view out the window. IVe been here all my life, I realized. IVe met all kinds people, blessings and curses. These people have helped mold the person I am today. I also realized that I might not see these people ever again. A part of me is relieved because IVe been scarred by many, like everyone else. But I do believe that people step in and out of ones life for a reason. Be it a blessing or a curse, I hope I become a blessing for many. I closed my eyes and leaned back, the letters strewn on my lap. A small smile tugged on the corner of my lips. This is a new beginning.

Google Map Java Script ( produce a program code) Assignment

Google Map Java Script ( produce a program code) - Assignment Example ce for such data is Government of India’s census data available at census.gov.in .The last census being only completed recently it suits my application very well .The only preprocessing I had to do was obtaining the data for select cities and rank them according to population.There can be no other dataset better than this The architecture used was the simplest ,as I mapped only the population. It required only a web map with the locations marked and infowindows showing the population and rank. Next time I would like to put economic data ,religion data ,literacy and education data also .These data will be placed on different maps which can be selected from links in The toughest job was finding a java script with Google map API. A map has to be created , markers has to be generated for each location and info windows had to be filled with the data. I found Google map API V2 better suited for the purpose than the V3 as it offered a lot of flexibility with info windows. I obtained a suitable script at Mikes web pages(Mike Williams 2009) and modified it If I had more time I would have incorporated more cities and urban agglomerates and for each city other than population, religion, education and economic data would be included. If possible I would have given provision for searching the map for each kind of

Society gender differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Society gender differences - Essay Example The present research paper concentrates on the works of Richard Rodriguez and Malcolm X in a comparative way in order to find out similarities and dissimilarities they present in their valuable writings. The works reveal the very fact that both the writers have depicted their views on the significance of education and learning in the life of individuals. Both the authors belong to divergent racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds with absolutely different parentage and socioeconomic status. In addition, both the writers, under study, had experienced quite different socialization process, atmosphere and environment during their learning process. Even then, the most dominant of the similarities between the two include their passion and eagerness regarding quench their thirst for knowledge and wisdom by studying more and more and seeking new dimensions of awareness, vigilance and insight from the books offering depth of knowledge and wisdom to them. Both Rodriguez and Malcolm X have identified the existence of racial discrimination in their society, where the population as well as ethnic group, other than the White Anglo Saxon Population (WASP), is looked down upon by the overwhelming white US majority. Richard Rodriguez, in his essay the Achievement of Desire exclaims how his Spanish background had become a grave hurdle on his way to learning and seeking knowledge offered at American schools in English language. Similarly, Malcolm X also views education as the way of broadening one's views and eliminating racial prejudice and biased attitude towards other groups and communities of societies, though he also looks annoyed and irritated because of the hatred of the white people towards the minority races, particularly towards the blacks.Human societies, in all parts of the globe, have been divergent since ever; this diversification is on the foundation of caste, class, clan, community, region, religion, race, gender and socioecon omic status. Though all the above-given bases of differentiation polarize the societies into different groups, yet racial background and socioeconomic status play the most influential role in unraveling the individuals from one another. Hence, all man's belongings, schooling, education, financial activities and life-style determines to which class he has come from. An individual can facilitate himself and his family on the foundation of his resources. If he is well-to-do and earns money in plenty, he can offer his family a comfortable and luxurious life. On the other hand, if he has to work hard to make both ends meet, his family will also sure to suffer and is forced to lead a miserable and sorrowful life. Both Rodriguez and Malcolm X discuss the problem of social discrimination in their works; Jonathan Kozol's "Savage Inequalities" also portrays the same while keeping special attention towards school children belonging to different socioeconomic status.Jonathan Kozol is a renowned American writer, researcher, educationalist and reformer. In his award-winner book "Savage Inequalities", he has described the pathetic condition of innocent school children at the school

Stories about miracles Essay Example for Free

Stories about miracles Essay Stories about miracles are an obstacle to faith for modern people. Discuss. The whole concept of miracles is rooted in the fantastical, improbable and downright outrageous. So its not particularly hard to see why modern, enlightened people might consider them an obstacle to faith. However, stories about miracles are part of religious lore; so if they are an obstacle, theyre certainly not insurmountable. Indeed, for some they can be said to enhance the idea of a loving, divine God. But exactly how loving can a God that is so indifferent to the suffering of those he doesnt deem worthy of his miracles be? A willingness to believe in Gods benevolence must be present in order to ignore the unfair nature of miracles, and in these literate, informed times, it proves incredibly difficult to have such faith. An important religious perspective on miracles is that of St Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas believed that God can manipulate creation in any way he/she desires. His definition of miracles is those things done by divine power apart from the order usually followed in things. This idea is useful for those inclined towards faith because it encompasses a vast spectrum of events, ranging from a spontaneous apparition of someone dead to an unlikely, but possible occurrence such as a fast recovery from a curable ailment. But this definition of miracles presents some problems. For example, John Macquarie argues that because interpretation of supposedly miraculous events varies, it is nonsensical to ascribe religious meaning to acts that are quite possibly random and lucky. How are we to distinguish between coincidence and an act of God? Surely God cant be responsible for every last one of the unlikely fortuitous events that happen in the world? The Bible appears to fail to provide any answers- it si mply asserts that God exists and his miracles occurred, evidence be damned. In spite of this, the miracles in the Bible can be said to support faith for modern people, as they demonstrate the power and benevolence of God. A prominent example would be Isaiah 38:8, when God stops the Sun for King Hezekiahs benefit. Another would be when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Miracles such as these can evoke powerful religious feeling. The implausible nature of these acts, however, makes them a very real roadblock on the path to faith for many discerning, intelligent people. Rudolf Bultmann addressed this by attempting to demythologise Christ. By doing this, he thought he could both enable faith for modern people while allowing them to maintain their suspension of disbelief. He offered rational explanations for the miracles of Christ; for example, when Jesus fed the 5000, there may have been a concealed cave behind him, or he may have simply inspired the others around him to share. This approach is better than the literal interpretation of Biblical miracles because it offers a logical, contemporary solution for Jesus supposedly divine acts whilst maintaining their essential goodness. But it can also be said that by demythologising Christ you take away the power of his sacrifice- his divinity is integral to Christianity. David Hume provides a less liberal definition of the miraculous. He limits miracles to a transgression of a law of natureby a particular volition of the deity. This essentially means that nothing that happens within nature should be labelled miraculous. Hume does not outright reject miracles, but he instead uses the fact that they are impossible to prove to support his criticism. If we are to adhere to Humes staunchly rationalistic stance, concluding that miracles are an obstacle to faith would be inevitable, as there is no evidence for them. However, Humes argument is not entirely without its detractors. For example, his parameters can be described as too restrictive. He arrogantly claims that the only credible witness to a miracle is a well-educated, reputable person. But if a miracle genuinely occurs, why are the eyes of an academic more reliable than those of a farmer? John Hick also points out that Hume is assuming that we are privy to all the laws of nature. They certainly appear to have been broken before, only for it to be found that certain things thought imp. Hicks conclusion is that observing things we do not understand does not constitute breaking natures laws; we simply need to broaden our understanding of nature. Arguably the most compelling argument against miracles was devised by Maurice Wiles. Wiles premise is that a God willing to perform arbitrary miraculous acts is unworthy of worship, because he/she seems indifferent to the suffering of others. Why does God heal some people, but let others suffer unbearable agonies? The intervening God of Christianity turned water into wine, but remained indifferent to the suffering of six million Jews. Of course, one could argue that greater, celestial rewards await the dead for their pains, but it is my belief that no reward can justify such torture. For some, the concept of a miraculous God allows for a small degree of security and comfort in the knowledge that, despite the dangers of this harsh, brutal world, someone is taking care of you. It would, for them, seem quite cynical to say that miracles are an obstacle to faith. Despite this, I cannot fathom the idea of an arbitrary, indifferent God, saving people based on whimsy. Faith is obviously a very personal thing, but in these enlightened, intelligent times I am forced to conclude that an intervening deity is both illogical and outdated.

Money - I Want It :: Free Essay Writer

Money - I Want It I cannot wait to finish college and begin baking my economic cake. Everyday you here about someone making it big in the stock market, some one winning the lotto jackpot or some idiot cleaning out some other idiot in court. There is only one thing that those people have that I want, and it’s money. I’ve learned at a very early age the value of the â€Å"all mighty buck†. I grew up in a poor single mother home, and when I saw all the kids with cool toys, and I had squat, I realized that if I want something I have to get it for myself. I had my first job at age five, but I also had the toys I wanted too. The world revolves around money, just a pure and simple fact. There is plenty of money out there and I want more than my share of it. If money was a drug then call me a junky, I’m addicted to money like a welfare cheat is addicted to crack. I’ve also learned at an early age that you’re not going to make any money with out a college education. In high school I never planned on going to college because my parents didn’t have money, and after high school I had to fend for myself. I bounced around from low paying job to low paying job. At age 19 I got a dishwashing job at this figure skating camp that was owned by the same people who owned the hockey rink where I played at for the last 9 years. The only reason I got the job was because the staff knew me from the other rink and had basically watched me grow up, I was there so often. It was a seasonal job just for the summer. In that summer I learned about hard work and what kind of stuff it takes to be a hard worker. I worked so hard there, the boss gave me more and more hours until I was full time. By the end of that summer I was considered one of the hardest workers there. Well out of everyone in the kitchen staff, I was the only one offered another job at ice rink. Sure it was only for a snack bar attendant, but at least it was a little more money and responsibility .

Exceptionalism: Native Americans in the United States and Pew Research Center Essay

The idea of American exceptionalism is not a new one. Thomas Jefferson spoke of civilizing the Indians many believed they were savages. Surely the Native Americans thought the white newcomers were the savages. The white men forced the Natives off of the â€Å"new† land and proceeded to murder them. The United States continues this tradition today, going into countries where we are not welcome, and trying to change them, make them more like us. What I can gather from reading Wilfred McClay’s, The Founding Fathers, is that he believes America is what is because of our past. From the time the Europeans came to America to settle, we have believed we are superior. Mr. McClay states that we need to stay connected to past and learn from those who discovered our great Nation (McClay 2006). Following his writing was not easy, it did not seem quite clear. It seems as though he feels Americans place themselves on a pedestal, but that is why our country is so great. Americans justify their actions by making our own stories; we teach people what we want them to know, not what truly happened. Howard Zinn does not feel Americans should insist on exceptionalism (Zinn 2005). The United States does not have the right to push its beliefs on the other nations of the world. He discusses the issues of American Superiority in his article, The Power and Glory. According to Mr. Zinn, there is a growing trend among Americans who refuse to accept that we are a superior people. A 2011 Gallup Poll confirms this statement. In 2002 approximately 60% of Americans believed our culture was superior to others (Pew Research Center 2011). In 2011 number dropped to 49% (Pew Research Center). I agree with Howard Zinn in that Americans are not exceptional, we are from other people, just as each individual is different. Although many believe we are better because we have so much freedom, and we are the land of opportunity, we are not. We have homeless people, our politicians are corrupt, and children go to bed hungry. The United States bully’s other countries for our own self-interest. Decisions are made to take control of other countries. What other military has bases all over the planet? The United States needs to take care of its own people, and then it will be exceptional. I have been to other countries, and in my eyes, they seem to be doing it right, but I am sure they have their own issues as well. Bibliography McClay, Wilfred M. 2006. The Founding Nations. First Things. March 2006. Accessed January 24, 2015. http://www. firstthings. com/article/2006/03/the-founding-of- nations Pew Research Center. 2011. The American-Western European Gap. Pew Research Center. November 17, 2011. Accessed January 29, 2015. www. pewglobal .org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/ Zinn, Howard. 2005. The Power and the Glory. Boston Review. June 1,2005. Accessed January 25, 2015. http://bostonreview. net/zinn-power-glory.

Divorced Parents Essay

My parents are divorced and have been since I was very young. My mother was initially granted custody, but I was placed in a foster home when she became disabled and could no longer support us. My father was then granted custody, and I went to live with him, his wife, and her kids. My stepmother hates me, heaps abuse on me, and wants my father to get rid of me. Starting in my junior year of high school, my father told me that he would no longer support me, and that I was going to have to pay rent if I wanted to continue to live with him. So I started working forty hours a week while I was attending high school to pay for my food, rent, and clothing. When I graduated from high school my father and his wife kicked me out of the house. My friend’s parents took me in and provided me with shelter. When it came time to apply for college, my father initially agreed to help me pay for school. When the Student Aid Report came back, however, he tore it up and refused to help. I was able to go to a local community college with my savings from work, but now he’s refusing to fill out the FAFSA. I am doing everything I can to pay for school, but I’ve exhausted my savings, and without any financial aid I’m going to have to drop out. Is there anything I can do to get myself declared independent? I’m self-supporting and haven’t lived with my parents for three years, but I don’t satisfy the federal definition. Please help!

The Federal Government in the United States

The Federal Government in the United States Federalism and policy development The federal government has some powers over the States in the United States (Dye, 2010). In this regard, it makes choices on a range of aspects.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Federal Government in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The idea that the federal government has far-reaching powers over a number of issues raises questions regarding the extent to which the government should interfere with some aspects. Once the federal government decides on issues, in a way, it influences the behavior or the rights of individual citizens. Based on this, it is noticeable that federalism heavily influences policy making in the United States. Using the same line of thinking, the federal government sets the underlying regulations regarding public policy making. It is evident that the federal government decides the procedures or the rules that State governments have to observe regarding some activities. As an illustration, the federal government sets the percentage of revenue that the State governments retain as well as that that they remit. It is clear that the amount of revenue that States collect influence the level of development that States are able to carry out. As such, when the federal government policy puts demands that certain percentages be remitted to the national budget, it influences the developmental agenda of the States. If this holds, then it should also be noted that the State governments are in charge of certain functions at State level. These developmental activities affect the lives of the citizens at the State level. Since the federal government influences the activities, the States engage in, it also affects the lives of citizens. It is thus reasonable to conclude that federal policy activities affect the rights of citizens. Public Policy and Opinion Polls Political processes influence public policy in different ways (Dy e, 2010). Political processes may include elections, campaigns for elections, opinion polls, constitution making, etc. These political processes have varied effects on the policy making process although in unexpected ways (Gray, 2004). Regarding elections, it is noticeable that political parties give clearance to individuals who seek political office (Brown, 2009). As a rule, each political party has its policy agenda.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More By way of illustration, the conservative party leans towards American conservatism as reflected by its pragmatic approach to several issues. Concisely, each party has a policy line it seeks to implement upon assuming office. Additionally, upon winning elections, political parties appoint senior office holders in the country. Although, the leaders or office bearers run offices using set procedures, political affiliation may influence the decisions they make. Based on this illustration, it is discernable that the election process may influence policymaking. As presented in the case regarding political processes, public opinion is unstable. Public opinion changes within short spells and may have various degrees of influence on policymaking. As an illustration, it is established from the above point that public policy is a function of elections and the election process. It is noticeable that public opinion heavily influences elections. As an example, when the United States is at war, the public may hold a certain perception regarding the government. Such wars as the one against Vietnam led the public into holding divided views on the role of the government. If the public holds the view that the government is unjustified in engaging in a war, it is likely that the government would be voted out in the subsequent elections. Concisely, it is noticeable that public opinion affects the election process. In turn, election outcomes influence policy making as illustrated above. Reference List Brown, E. (2009). Public opinion and penal policymaking: An examination of  constructions, assessments, and uses of public opinion by political actors in New York State. State University of New York at Albany: ProQuest. Dye, T.R. (2010). Understanding public policy (13th ed.). Longman: Pearson Prentice Hall.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Federal Government in the United States specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Gray, J. (2004). Public Opinion and Polling Around the World: A Historical  Encyclopedia. New York: ABC-CLIO.

How to Create the Perfect Administrative Assistant Resume

How to Create the Perfect Administrative Assistant Resume If you’re already an administrative assistant (or you know much about the field), you know that the admin is often the person who keeps the trains running in a busy office. You’re the keeper of schedules and files, as well as providing support in any number of administrative duties. Administrative assistants have a very special career path in that they’re found in just about every industry. Skills you learn as an assistant in one industry can carry you through to another field altogether, which means you have tons of career flexibility. And you’re in good company: in 2014, there were nearly four million administrative assistant jobs in the country, per the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. But how do you break into this field- or if you’re already in it, how do you start moving up to your advantage?As with most career advancement questions, the answer lies in a document we all know and love: the resume. Your resume is your foot in the door, so you need to make sure it accomplishes three things:It should represent the best of who you are, career-wise.It should show how qualified you are for the specific job opening at hand.It should be formatted in a way that’s clear and easy to read.For more on the overall job search for administrative assistants (current or future), TheJobNetwork has tons of great resources on the hunt and the career path. For now, let’s  focus specifically on the resume.1.  What type of resume should you use?2.  How to format the resume3.  Combination resume4.  How to wrap up the resumeWhat type of resume should you use?The reverse-chronological resume (the kind where you start with your basic information like contact information, objective, and education, then work backwards through your job history and related skills) has been the gold standard for a long time. Now, however, with recruiters and hiring managers getting resumes in all sorts of formats, your options have gotten a little more diverse. That means you can pick a format that works best for your career and your status as a job applicant.Entry-level applicantsIf you’re just getting started (after graduating or starting over as a career change), you might want to consider a skills-based resume. This means that instead of launching into your work history, you have a bulleted list of professional skills. This kind of resume takes the spotlight off of your experience (which you might not have tons of yet) and puts it on the skills you bring to the new job. A skills-based resume might be the best option for you if you have any of these going for you:You have very few relevant jobs (and don’t want to list that table-waiting gig that got you through summers, or the internship that ended up having nothing to do with your eventual goals).Your previous jobs are so similar that the detailed bullets about each job would be virtually the same.The Muse has more on the skills-based resume format , if you’re still on the fence about whether this is the right format for you.If you go with the skills-based resume, it’s extra important to customize your resume for each job application. before applying, do your research:Which tasks/skills are specifically outlined in the job description?What background information can you find about the company’s values? (company websites often have mission statements, or brief summaries of the company’s values and goals.)Does anyone in your network work at this company? If so, the benefits are twofold: this person could help get your resume in the right inbox, but he or she could also give you some insight into what the company’s culture is like, and what qualities would be most welcomed.Once you have as much info as you can find, create your â€Å"skills† showcase to reflect what the company is seeking for this particular position. For the work history that follows, you can keep the individual job hist ory bullets very basic (company name, job title, dates).Mid-career or job change applicantsEven if you’ve had administrative assistant job(s) before, it’s still a good idea to rebuild your resume from scratch for new opportunities. You want it to be the snapshot of your career at this moment, not some cut-and-paste throwback to one or two jobs ago.If you have great experience, then the traditional reverse-chronological format is totally fine. But you might also want to consider a hybrid of the two, a combination resume. In this kind of format, you lead with an overview of your most relevant skills, followed by detailed bullets walking back through your work history.How to format the resumeIf you want to use an existing template, there are lots of good sites that do the heavy lifting for you- all you need to do is cut and paste your info into the template. Some great resources for resume templates include myPerfectresume and Best-Job-Interview.If you’re more into DIY, and want more control over how the information is presented, you can also use these guidelines to help you build your best administrative assistant resume.For a traditional reverse-chronological resume, we’ve got your back. ResumeGenius also has some straightforward examples of how to format the standard resume. If you’d like to branch out from that established format, let’s look at the skills-based resume and the combination resume for someone applying for an administrative position.  Skills-based resumeLet’s say this candidate has only been out of college for about a year, but wants to emphasize the skills s/he’s amassed through work, internship, and volunteer experiences. The skills-based resume would be the way to go. Here’s an example of how that would look:Terry Robinson14 West Street, Apt. 2bHartfordrd, CT, 45454  · (000) 999-9999 trobinson@emailclient.com  · LinkedIn: www.linked.in.com/trobinsonObjectiveAdministrative pro fessional seeking to leverage skills and experience into a senior office manager position.Skills summaryOffice management skills:Scheduling and coordinating meetings for senior managersMaking travel arrangements for team membersManaging travel and expense reports for team membersWorking independently with minimal trainingProject management skills:Spearheading the transition from a paper filing system to digitalManaging intern training programsCommunication skills:Managing correspondence for executives and senior managersCreating and distributing a company-wide newsletter to generate awareness of team accomplishmentsLiaising with a variety of clients, in-house teams, and vendorsMultilingual: english, french, spanishSocial program planningComputer skills:Expert in the microsoft office suiteCertified in quickbooksProficient in social media and corporate communicationsExperience Administrative Assistant, The Forrest Group (Hartford, CT) – May 2015 – PresentIntern, Ogilve Groves (New Haven, CT) – June 2014 – August 2014After School Program Coordinator, Gene Autry Elementary School (West Hartford, CT) – April 2012 – Present (volunteer basis)Education University of New Haven, New Haven, CT – Bachelor’s Degree in Education, 2015. 3.7 GPA.Combination resumeNow let’s say, a few years later,  this  candidate  is further along in his or her career as an administrative professional. S/he still wants to emphasize skills, because the job description for which he’s applying at educorp calls for someone with strong office management and communication skills.Terry Robinson14 West Street, Apt. 2b, Hartford, CT, 45454  · (000) 999-9999 trobinson@emailclient.com  · Linkedin: www.linked.in.com/trobinsonProfessional experience The Forrest Group, Hartford, CT – Administrative Assistant,   February 2011 – PresentServed as primary administrative assistant and office manager for the sales gr oup, including direct secretarial support for the executive vice president.Ogilve Groves, New Haven, CT – Receptionist, May 2006 – January 2011As the front-office representative for a top advertising firm, handled correspondence and incoming phone calls, filing, training interns and junior staff, and coordinating schedules with clients and vendors.Skills summaryOffice management skills:Scheduling and coordinating meetings for senior managersMaking travel arrangements for team membersManaging travel and expense reports for team membersWorking independently with minimal trainingProject management skills:Spearheading the transition from a paper filing system to digitalManaging intern training programsCommunication skills:Managing correspondence for executives and senior managersCreating and distributing a company-wide newsletter to generate awareness of team accomplishmentsLiaising with a variety of clients, in-house teams, and vendorsMultilingual: English, French, Spani shComputer skills:Expert in the Microsoft office suiteCertified in QuickBooksProficient in social media and corporate communicationsEducation University of New Haven, New Haven, CT – Associate’s degree in business, 2006Both formats are similar, but allow the applicant to use more discretion in what he or she presents. You may have been taught that resumes should have a rigid format, but it’s not true- your experience isn’t one-size-fits-all, so why should your resume be?How to wrap up the resumeRegardless of what format you choose, there are important elements to make sure you’ve hit in your resume:Contact informationObjective (optional)Skills/certificationsWork historyEducationHow you structure those is largely up to you- you want your strongest points to show clearly and concisely, so that the reader can identify those qualities up front. If you wait until the interview to show off your skills, for example, you might never get to that stage. The best way to figure out what’s best for you is to look at lots of examples, to see what feels right for your level of experience.It’s important to find a balance between showing a stable work history (or volunteer, internship, or educational history) and emphasizing the skills you’ve learned along the way that will make you a great candidate for this job.And as always, proofread the heck out of your resume. Have someone else read it after you’ve come up with a draft, so that their fresh eyes might pick up on a typo or weak point that you didn’t see because you’re so familiar with the material.Go forth and revise, and good luck, current and aspiring administrative assistants!Interested?   apply here

Personal understanding of crime commission Essay

Personal understanding of crime commission - Essay Example Mr. X is an experienced marketing executive in a midsize inventory-distribution firm. He is well admired by the management for his outstanding performance in marketing and customer retention. He has played a pivotal role in enhancing company’s turnover by expanding the business area and by providing excellent customer service. As far as his social life is concerned, the person is well recognized for his commitments in social, political, and religious institutions. As the situation is too complex to stand, he would seek the best but practical alternative. He understands that the only way to obtain money is to defraud his employer. However, $4000 is not a small amount to take away without the knowledge of the employer. Although he gets good amounts of daily collection that exceeds 4000 dollars, he is answerable to the accounting section for each expense. At the same time, Mr. X does not have access to any other source except the amounts he collects from customers. Once the source is determined, the person would analyze the possibilities of avoiding immediate impacts of the act on him as well as on the organization. The mode of operation is exceedingly important to him because he wants to lessen the subsequent effects of the action. He does not want to spoil his career and social status or to put his company in trouble. The sole objective is to deal with the present situation. Mr. X takes the list of debtors and identifies the customers who are most liable to the company. Company allows credit to a certain limit as the part of its fiscal policy toward potential customers. Balance collection is not an easy task; and moreover inappropriate approach might result in customer dissatisfaction. As the market is highly aggressive, allowing credit is essential for customer acquisition. Mr. X knows that if 4-5 customers remit their due amounts, it would easily meet his requirement. However, it is not reasonable to force them for an immediate

Strategic Planning for Tourism in Abu Dhabi Essay

Strategic Planning for Tourism in Abu Dhabi - Essay Example However, the primary aim of this paper is to identify role of Masdar in improving the travel and tourism industry Masdar City and to develop a set of plausible and actionable strategic recommendations to the company that will help it in this respect. Currently, the company has five units i.e. Masdar City, Masdar Power, Masdar Carbon, Masdar Capital and Masdar Institute (Masdar-b, n.d). This paper will attempt to deal with the company’s Masdar City as this unit is engaged in infrastructural development that lead to the growth of the travel and tourism industry. This unit strives to develop a â€Å"global clean-technology cluster† called Masdar City which is situated â€Å"17km from downtown Abu Dhabi† (Masdar-c, n.d.). Masdar City can be developed as a major tourists’ destination. The company is aiming to develop this city backed with renewable energy and it is well designed with 40,000 residents. The primary essence of the Masdar City is on innovative tech nologies through R&D. United Arab Emirates (UAE) is now focusing on its tours and travel industry. The UAE Government has aimed to develop its important cities as a popular tourist attraction. For example, in Dubai, the leisure and hotel industry has grown significantly. The travel and tourism industry of Masdar City has a direct competition with Dubai. Moreover, other Gulf countries like Saudi Arab, Kuwait, and Oman etc are also trying to develop their travel and tourism industry. On the other hand, Middle East courtiers like Egypt are major tourist destinations and they are the major competitor of Masdar City in travel and tourism industry (Deulgaonkar, 2011). Tourism and travel industry primarily belong to global market as it targets entire global population. Therefore, the competition in travel and tourism industry is very high. 1.2. Communications Analysis The Masdar is highly respectable company of UAE and it has developed a higher corporate image in the market. The company is a focus-point for the entire nation as it is one the most developed renewable energy company. It has been continuously working for the development of the entire country especially for Abu Dhabi. One of the major tools for the company is its communicational and promotional activities. Its corporate website is critical medium for developing communication with its target audience. In order to develop ‘two-way’ communicational system, it has partnered with several social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. It is also using its website for its advertising strategies and for delivering market signals. The organization generally communicates with target audience to spreading awareness regarding renewable energy, its projects, recent developments etc. Its communicational developments can play a very significantly role in developing the Masdar City as major tourists’ attraction. 1.3. Issue Analysis The Masdar has been successfully maintaining its public relation with its target audience through media partnering and through its corporate website. However, in order to develop the tourism industry of Masdar City in the global market, its communication is not unique and effective. It must be taken into consideration, that for competing in the global market, its communication must reach to global market.

Managing and leading people across cultural borders Essay

Managing and leading people across cultural borders - Essay Example Globalisation has brought the entire world on one platform.Most of the countries of the globe are interacting on a regular basis in order to compete in the world markets.The managers are thus under a lot of pressure in these organisations for the purpose of the development of the long term goals and in order to conduct business To manage the global economy cross cultural communication has become essential. This is mainly because of the fact that a company in order to be multinational have to cross the national borders of the headquarters and has to make its presence in the different parts of the world in order to have a wider access to the world markets. The success of a company depends on the multicultural competence it possesses. This means that the company should be able to accommodate all the types of cultures in a particular location so that there are fewer problems to combat the global competition. Theoretical Background of Cross Cultural Communication Significant numbers of sc holars have contributed to the issues of cross-cultural communication. One of the main proponents who have contributed to the issue is Geert Hofstede. According to Hofstede, the variety of skills of management would vary across organisations. This means that for a company that is located in one particular country would have a distinct culture which would not match will the culture of an organisation that is located in a different continent. Thus natural cultures are unique. People are the most important part of an organisation. Since the humans build the companies it is imperative that the culture and the backgrounds in which the people are based would also mould the culture of the organisation which is being built. Thus the type of Management that is practised by the so called Western Countries like the United States would be different from that of Germany or Netherlands. Again the Western culture would be different from that of the Asian countries or the Middle Eastern countries w here a more conservative type of organisation culture prevails (Hofstede, 1984, pp. 81-99). According to Hofstede in the process of management the employees in the organisation would make use of the technical as well as economic resources in order to attain the desired outcomes. Thus the societies of the world are characterised by different set of cultures. Hofstede had shared his experience of working in IBM in the later phases of his life. There are various aspects of the theory of Hofstede. He explained the concept of power distance in the context of the organisation. In most of the organisation the control of the decision making would lie in the hands of the senior management and the employees across all hierarchy generally accept this unequal distribution of the power. The concepts of Collectivism as well as Individualism are other important aspects of the theory put forward by Hofstede. Most of the organisations have factions in the internal environment and the people involved form either a part of the group or may stand for themselves in the entire decision making process (Schein, 1992, pp. 45-64). The organisations may also have varying tolerance level for uncertainty as well as avoidance. Some of the conservative organisations prefer to remain safe by taking the more certain pathways as they are risk averse. On the other hand many other organisations may be willing to accept this kind of situations and take up risky ventures. The studies conducted by Hofstede also reveal that the organisations may be either masculine or feminine depending upon the kind of culture that it exhibits. While the masculine organisations would display the features like ambition, competitiveness, power as well as assertiveness, the feminine organisations would rely more on the proper management of the relationships

Software for my customers system Essay Example for Free

Software for my customers system Essay Asynchronous Notification, which speeds up performance and increases the battery life of a CD-Rom. Â  It has Click Connect, which ensures that it does not come loose from the motherboard. Â  Hot Plug, allowing the user to add and remove SATA drives on-the-fly without taking the system down. Â  Link Power Management, which helps to conserve power. Cheaper. However, the cons of choosing it are: Arent capable of working for long hours. Â  Not very reliable. 2. On the other hand, Bob could choose a SAS Hard Disk Drive. The pros of choosing it are: Â  Has high speed data transfer. Â  Cost effective. Â  Reliable. Fast Running Speed. Â  SAS has tagged command queuing. SAS has higher signalling voltages. The cons of it though are: Â  Noise levels can rise. Small memory. Â  Expensive. I would advise Bob to choose SAS as his business is only small, but he does need to have a fast computer, to be able to keep the customers happy. Software Software that is required As for what system Bob is going to use, I am going to advise him to use Windows Vista. It is far better than Windows XP SP3. It is much better performance wise, has a highly praised security system and has better enhancements to the user interface. In Vista, the search is much improved and better. Also, the 3D graphics are great and is much faster starting up and shutting down. Therefore, I would advise Bob to choose Windows Vista, as it is better in quality. As for what programme Bob is going to use there are two options; he can either use Excel or QuattroPro. For very simple reasons I think he should have decided to use Excel. This is because I actually dont have access to QuattroPro. In addition to this, Excel is compatible with the operating system, as both are made by Microsoft. But, the problem with QuattroPro is that this software is not widely used. In addition to this, I am not experienced with QuattroPro. So, if I would have to use QuattroPro I would need to get training. This can be very time consuming and costly. SO, in conclusion, I am going to use Windows Excel, as I find it to be easier to use as I have past experience with it. Moreover, Windows Excel has many features that will be beneficial to the business. One feature is the use of formulas. The use of formulas within Excel is very essential. It allows calculations to be done with apparent ease. In addition to this, the formulas in Excel automatically update results if the values are changed. This will highly reduce the chances of mistakes and will make the system more reliable. Windows Excel also has the Mail Merge feature. This feature is useful as it allows the user to create reports and hand outs for the company. Also, this feature is quite important as it allows the user to create receipts and invoices from a word template. Conditional formatting is also a very useful feature in Excel. You could programme the system to alert you when certain conditions have been met. An example of where this is very useful is when you can set it to alert the user when the budget has been used up or has been exceeded. Another feature that is highly incorporated into Excel is the use of Graphs. They give a visual representation of data. This will make it easier to see how the business is performing, which areas need improving, help forecast profits and whether or not the business is financially viable. Another feature that will help the business is Macros. The use of macros will help the user to perform commands very easily and there is no need to input commands manually. Therefore, I am going to advise Bob to choose Windows Excel as not only am I more experienced with it I also find it to be highly useful.

Vietnam War - Social Movements :: Vietnam Conflict

The Vietnam War (1965-1975)was fought between the North and South Vietnam. The North was called Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the South was the Republic of Vietnam which was supported by the United States. On August 2nd, 1964 the USS Maddox was on a secret intelligent mission on the North Vietnamese coast where in the Gulf on Tonkin they were attacked by torpedo boats. The USS Turner Joy was attacked in the same area two days later. Due to the second attack Congress declared the Gulf of Tonkin resolution which led to air strikes.In 1959 there were 5,000 guerilla fighters and in 1964 the numbers jumped to 100,000. At Pleiku on March, 1965 U.S Marine barracks were attacked causing the three stage escalation bombing of North Vietnam to begin. The 3 year lasting bombing was used to force North Vietnam to stop supporting the "National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam" by destroying their industrial infrastructure and Vietnam's air defenses. Unfortunately this did not stop th e North's support for the NLF. The U.S. Air Force bases were constantly being attacked so the U.S. on March 8, 1965 the 3,500 U.S. Marines was deployed to South Vietnam. At this point in time, the U.S. public supported the dispatch because the Vietnam War had been portrayed to the American people as a war against the spread of Communism. Johnson was president at the time and he kept adding more and more troops as the war went on. As the draft quotas increased, the American public protests started. When Nixon came into presidency his policy towards the Vietnam War was "peace with honor" in other words he wanted to widen the war. After more bombing and fighting, on January 27, 1973 the Paris Peace Accords was signed, restoring peace in Vietnam and U.S. forces pulled out. Nixon stopped all American attacks on Vietnam. The condensed summary of the Vietnam War is to see what presidents were involved in this war (Johnson, and Nixon) and what foreign policies were taken towards Vietnam mos tly before the protests began. Social movements have been a huge influence in shaping U.S. foreign policy. I would like to focus on the Vietnam War and how social protests changed its route. The constant and organized protests done by the American people is definitely a factor that pushed Nixon to take the American troops out of Vietnam, when those weren't his intentions when he was elected for president.

The United States Hypocrisy

The United States hypocrisy is evident when the â€Å"land of the free and home of the brave† came at the cost of Native American cultural genocide and near physical destruction. The term genocide was first used by Polish Journalists Raphael Lenin in his book â€Å"Axis Rule in Occupied Europe.† which was published in 1944. Lenkin defined genocide as the intentional mass killing of members of a nation and/or executing acts with the intention of destroying the basic foundations of life, aiming to destroy the group as a whole. The term â€Å"basic foundations of life† refer to the culture, language, religion, established public and social institutions, liberty and personal safety, health and dignity. After coining the term, Linken petitioned the United Nations to criminalize genocide, which they did in 1948. The United Nations coined their own term. Defining genocide as the intentional killing of or causing serious physical or mental harm to members of a group, deliberately inflicting life conditions calculated to bring physical destruction to a group, preventing births and transferring children forcibly from one group or another. Both definitions are broad, but the use of â€Å"intention† has lead to controversy regarding Native Americans and the atrocities committed by the United States and their government. Whether the U.S intentionally slaughtered Natives with the intention of extermination is of great controversy. Simply because there was no official decree passed by Congress calling for their demise. However, the US demonstrated genocidal mentality on multiple occasions that resulted in the massacre of hundreds of indigenous people. This mentality was exhibited by Secretary of War, Henry Knox in 1790 when he ordered the US army to â€Å"extirpate, utterly, if possible,† a group of natives refusing to cede their land in Ohio. President Jefferson also demonstrated the same mentality a few years later when faced with the altercations with different Indians. â€Å"If we are ever constrained to lifting the hatchet against any tribe, we will never lay it down till that tribe is exterminated or driven beyond Mississippi.† Later adding â€Å"They will kill some of us, we will kill all of them.† Both the Secretary of State and President of the US made it perfectly clear extermination was the only option when Natives refused to give their land. But this was not the first case of a president exhibiting such intolerant views. In 1799 the US declared war on the Haudenosaunee tribe for raids that had set back colonial settlement. â€Å"The objective of this war was â€Å"the total destruction and devastation of their settlements. † – George Washington. In this war, the US directly murdered 200 natives (Natives). When the topic of settlers and native American interactions arise, the common legend of Smallpox infested blankets being distributed to Natives by the settlers is widely debatable due to lack of hard evidence. Some argue it never happened, but on June 23rd, 1763 Captain William Trent wrote in his journal â€Å"We gave them two blankets and a handkerchief out if the Smallpox hospital†¦ I hope it will have its desired effects. † As a result, 60-80 Native died of Smallpox (Smallpox). It is clear that from the early years' colonial settlement that the high ranking US officials possessed a genocidal mentality regarding the indigenous people who resided there first. On May 28th, 1830 Congress passed the Indian removal act. This policy, was vigorously promoted by Andrew Jackson, provided the opportunity for the US to negotiate with the natives for their land with the promise of compensation. Instead of buying the land, The US used brute force to obtain it. The five â€Å"civilized tribes', Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, creek, and Cherokee initially refused to negotiate. Many members of these tribes were trying to assimilate into American society. In 1835 self-appointed representatives from the Cherokee tribe drafted the Treaty of Echota. The treaty proposed trading of all Cherokee lands East of Mississippi River for five million dollars along with relocation assistance and compensation for lost property. The federal government agreed to these terms but most of the Cherokee felt betrayed. BY 1838 only two thousand had left for the reservation (Native), in response the government appointed General Winfield Scott and seven thousand other soldiers to handle the altercation. Their method of peace was to remove the natives and loot their homes. Afterwards, they forced the Natives to march 1200+ miles west, During this excruciating journey, they were not given food water or supplies. Over five thousand died from starvation, malnutrition and several flue epidemics including Whooping Cough, Typhus, Dysentery and Cholera. This journey was known as the Trail of Tears, and twenty-five per cent of these tribes died. Despite relocating the Native Americans and seizing land, the US still possessed presenting feelings towards natives. In the 1850s California Gold Rush natives were still being persecuted against and then enslaved. Should they not comply with treaties colonists would â€Å"make war..which must of necessity be one of extermination to many of the tribes.† stated by Californian Governor John McDougal in 1851 (Natives). A prime example of Native enslavement was exhibited on John Sutter's private mill, where gold was discovered. Sutter was one of the most influential landowners at the time, enslaving hundred of natives who resided on his property and controlling them with fear. The Natives were used for labour and as a makeshift militia to protect Sutter's 50,000 acres and trading centre. Sutter treated the native people horrendously. He was friendly at first but began to interfere with tribe customs and marriages. A former employee, Heinrich Lienhard accused Sutter of forming a Harlem and molesting young native girls. HIs method of control was fear. He was not hesitant to whip or kill noncompliant natives. Visitors noted â€Å"Sutter keeps 600-800 Indians in a complete stage of slavery†, feeding them leftover bread wheat from troughs while they slept in locked rooms without furniture. (Jeffery). The use of Native labour during the gold rush was common, even more so was the sale of indigenous people between farmers. Enslavement was a popular form of oppression during the gold rush, but it was not the only ordeal Native Americans faced. One particularly revolting act was Californian Governor John B Wells rendering funding for the Eel River Rangers. The Eel River Rangers was a group of twenty or so white men who hunted down and slaughtered Indigenous women and children. (Natives )The State government of California provided finances needed to take the lives of innocent women and children. Of course when discussing homicidal acts perpetrated by the United States one cannot forget the Indian Wars. The Indian Wars were U.S army campaigns that targeted smaller groups of tribes to send a message to the rest of the population. The U.S army intentionally slaughtered hundreds of Natives on three separate occasions. The first massacre occurred near Preston, ID in 1863. Named the Bear River massacre an estimated 384 Shoshone Indians were open fired on. The second massacre occurred January 28th,1870. Two hundred natives, mostly women and children, were murdered. The issue pertaining to their deaths was the altercation between Malcolm Clarke and Owl child when Clarke accused Owl Child of stealing his horses and whipping him brutally as a punishment. After the whipping, Owl Child gathered several allies and they murdered Clarke, fleeing afterwards. This issue led to a massive outcry and the federal government appointed Major Eugene Baker to retaliate. When looking for Owl Child and his allies, baker and his men came across a band of peaceful Indians. The band consisted of women, children and elderly men. When informed this was the wrong tribe Baker replied: â€Å"That makes no difference, one band or another, they are all Piegans (Blackfeet) and we will attack them.† On that day 37 men, 90 women and 50 defensless children were open fired on. Additionally, Baker captured 140 woman and children as prisoners. But when finding that the majority were infected with smallpox he abandoned them with no food or other supplies (Olster). Baker was clearly more focused on seeking revenge than bringing justice to the guilty. He was not concerned with what was right or wrong. He deliberately massacred defenceless people, knowing their innocence, because he despised natives. This genocidal mentality proceeded by Owl Child's cries resulted in their demise. As revolting as Baker's actions were, they were still considered mediocre to the Wounded Knee Massacre. On December 15, 1890, colonists attempted to arrest Cheif Sitting-Bull. A fight erupted and Cheif Spotted elk led the band of natives to the Pine Ridge Reservation. On December 28th natives encountered a US cavalry that escorted them to Wounded Knee Creek. After being disarmed the natives commenced a â€Å"Ghost Dance†, a ceremonial dance that they believed would protect them from the American's bullets. This agitated the US cavalry. Attempting to stop the natives resulted in a scuffle in which more than 60 women were killed. US cavalry suffered casualties of 31 dead, 333 wounded out of 500. (Olser). These massacres were messages to the larger population. Attempts to disrupt and destroy smaller members of a nation to cripple or at least communicate the homicidal intentions that would be met with further resistance or retaliation. The massacres exhibited the immense hatred the colonists possessed by slaughtering innocents as reparations for the guilty. In all cases, natives were disarmed, defenceless and completely innocent of violence against colonists. By attacking communities instead of armies the US army demonstrated intentions of destroying basic foundations fo life within the nation. When examining Native American oppression and the US government it is crucial to note the direct action US Congress took against the indigenous people. In this case, the United States established Native Americans on conditions precalculated to result in their deaths. On November 29th,1864 Cheif Black Kettle and Cheif Niwot led their band to Fort Lyon in compliance with provisions of a peace treaty established earlier that year in September. The Chiefs and their people were asked to relocate with the threat of their safety. To demonstrate friendliness to any Americans they may encounter the Natives hung a large American flag and a smaller white flag beneath it. John Chivington led the attack against the natives. Claiming â€Å"They were of the same tribes with those who had murdered many persons and destroyed valuable property on the Platt and Arkansas Rivers.† (Olster). Estimated casualties in this massacre vary, Chivington claimed â€Å"500 -600 warriors were killed.† But John S.Smith, an eyewitness general under Chivington's command estimates 135 deaths, 105 being woman and children. Smith also accounted for the scalping of women and infants and further mutilation fo the deceased. The Cheyennes lost many women and children. Chiefs White Antelope, Yellow Wolf, Big Man, and a number of others, many who advocated for peace with the colonists, were killed. Chivington had no legitimate reason to believe these natives a threat. They had flown an Amercian Flag and the universal flag for peace yet he still chose to slaughter them. his actions expose the premeditated murder of these people. Chivington had no intention of letting the natives escape, these conditions resulted in the inevitable deaths of innocent indigenous people. From scalping women and infants to completely abolishing their millage and even murdering Smith's â€Å"Hald breed † son Jack, Chivington displayed no compassion. Instead, he demonstrated brute force and barbarism towards natives. Unfortunately, the Sand Creek massacre wasn't the finale occurrence of premeditated lethal conditions. On September 28th,1862 the American Government tried 392 Idginieos prisoners, sentencing 303 to death and giving 16 prison terms. Because this trial was a military trial President Lincoln reviewed the commissioner's findings and found that 303 deaths seemed to genocidal. So he revised the criteria for the death penalty to those who had been convicted of rape, which lowered it to two. This number was still unsatisfactory so the criteria changed to those who had participated in the civilian massacres. December 26th, 1862 39 natives were sentenced to death. 38 were hanged and one was given a reprieve at the last minute. What makes this event so heinous was the conditions in which the trial was executed. The trial was conducted in English, the natives were unrepresented and unfamiliar with court proceedings. Also, the war that prompted these â€Å"war crimes† occurred in a sovereign state and those men who have surrendered were entitled to treatment of such. The disadvantages of the hearing completely abolished any chance of the natives having a fair trial and the possibility of them being found innocent. By placing them in that biased, tainted courtroom the American Government sealed their fate with no chance to defend themselves. The reason for the war? Two years prior to the trial the US failed to meet treaty obligations. In retaliation, Dakota warriors raided stole food and killed five settlers. After the sentencing and executions, it was found that two natives had been hung by mistake and a letter written by Cheif Wabasha stated the Americans had promised no innocent natives would be punished if they followed the advice of General Sibley (Trials). The Us clearly deceived the Natives, placing them in a premeditated, biased courtroom with less than fair trial conditions that would ultimately result in their deaths. In 1887, the American Government passed the Dawes Act. A policy that aimed to â€Å"safely guide natives from the night of barbarism to the fair dawn of Christian civilization.† Assimilation consisted of natives converting to Christianity, learning and speaking English, wearing western clothes and hairstyles, and living a typical American lifestyle. The act also stated that Indian Reservations were to be distributed to individuals and that land could not be sold for 25 years, land left over from distribution could be sold to outsiders. This allowed native land to be purchased by Americans as if Americans didn't have enough already. And it doesn't stop there. In 1930 the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could disperse native land without Indian consent. And in 1924 The Citizenship act was passed. This Act granted citizenship to all Native Americans. Unfortunately, the desired effects were not seen as natives were forced to send their children to boarding schools for their education. In these schools children are often taught false information and censorship reigns supreme. Other nasty consequences of this act were the denial of rights to vote and extreme poverty. Most Indigenous people residing in inadequate housing with limited healthcare. While the United States failed in completely exterminating all Native Americans, no one can deny they had the mentality to do so. And this mentality, combined with artillery support led to the demise of hundreds of Natives. But even the slaughter of their people wants enough. Not only did we take their lives and their land, but we also stole their culture. Demanding them to replace their customs with our own or face death and discrimination. The United States failed in physical genocide but was successful in the demise of a cultural genocide.