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The most effective method to Write a Book Review A book survey is a portrayal, basic investigation, and an assessment on the quality, which ...

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ebay and Market Entry Challenges - Essay Example eBay maintains the seller platform much like the United States that is set on fixed auction philosophy, which limits real-time discussion with sellers. GMarket is also more innovative in setting up excitement with buyers and sellers, acting as a middleman for various lottery schemes that provide more incentives (Ihlwan, 2006). eBay attempted to simply export in its market entry strategy, using the same business model that had found success in the United States. In a market where GMarket was an innovator creating incentives-based packages, eBay was having a tough time being the dominant auction and selling site of choice. eBay’s fixed price selling concept was considered unfavorable by Chinese customers used to more direct sales tactics between buyer and seller. The use of mobile technology in China is also limited based on distribution of cellular technology and cultural adoption of this modernized selling format. Therefore, the ability to gain more market share through mobile technology sales was limited or eBay (Chan, 2007). Lack of ability to use mobile sales and marketing in this region limited the brand visibility of eBay with potential target markets and thus made it difficult to establish brand loyalty for eBay. The inability to use technology to improve the competitive position of eBay posed significant expansion problems. Pricing was another reason why eBay found difficulty in Asia, where the fixed price auction format made it appear to buyers and sellers that product listing costs were much higher than competition. The ability of sellers to contact customers and the flexibility of GMarket gives the buyer the ability to instantly reduce prices or add certain incentives, which makes eBay look rigid in pricing structures that is a turnoff to the price-sensitive Chinese buyers. Thus, it should be said that place, product, price and promotion were all negatively impacted by competition and the current sales platform being used by eBay. Simply export ing American talent and technology to this market was a poor market entry strategy since the Chinese online sales environment differed culturally than in the United States. It was a mistake to think that Chinese buyers would maintain the same market characteristics and therefore eBay entered this market without adaptable tools to better fit market conditions and buyer/seller attitudes and brand familiarity with other auction and sales competition. eBay simply did not have any quality tools to differentiate the business from competition other than mobile marketing which is not a common sales practice in the Asian markets. References Chan, Isabelle (2007) â€Å"EBay Has Its Eye on Southeast Asia â€Å", 29 Oct 2007, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2007/gb20071029_295570.htm Ihlwan, Moon (2006) â€Å"Gmarket eclipses eBay in Asia†, 28 June 2006, Business Week. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from http://www.businessweek. com/globalbiz/content/jun2006 /gb20060628_910393.htm?chan=search RUNNING HEADER: Google and Asian Online Censorship Google and Asian Online Censorship BY YOU YOUR SCHOOL INFO HERE DATE HERE Google and Asian Online Censorship In Asia, Google faced many problems with establishing a market presence and gaining consumer revenues associated with its search engine business. In China, the government censors much of

Persuasive presentation Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive presentation Speech - Essay Example generates 160 million tons of trash, in particular, the legally dumped garbage. This amount of garbage constitutes adequate metal that may be used to fabricate two million automobiles; paper that can publish America’s daily newspapers; wood that can build a million homes; and bulk aluminum sufficient for rebuilding American air fleet a couple of times. It is apparent that the American population is drowning in Trash. Americans have a responsibility to counter the current trends by recycling the trash; otherwise, there will be no tomorrow for us. As such, recycling is the most appropriate method for tackling the problem. A. Recycling concept fits appropriately in the current waste situation in U.S. as well as other parts of the world. The perceived recycling attempts are yet to achieve the requisite standards. People’s misconceptions about the process such as recycling being time consuming as well as a bother are some of the reasons why Americans lag behind in recycling their wastes (Saddleback Educational Publishing 5). C. The negative effects of landfills to the environment are attributable not only to their closure but also to implementation of recycling as an appropriate alternative. It is apparent that landfills result in serious water and air pollution (Griff 2). E. Recycling contributes to reduction of pollution, and saves energy. Several countries, including Japan are enjoying substantial benefits relating to cost-effectiveness and reduced energy consumption, by recycling their waste. It appears that recycling is turning out to be the next big thing internationally. Different institutions and the public are increasingly adopting recycling as an alternative method of disposing waste or trash. Recycling household commodities is considerably easy and requires little time. It is the responsibility for all to promote environment sustainability. As noted, disposal of waste in landfills is detrimental to the environment; therefore, it is important to

Monday, October 28, 2019

Assessment and Learner Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Learner Essay This discussion paper is part of a series being published and disseminated by the Office of the Queensland School Curriculum Council. The purpose of this series is to encourage discussion on various issues concerning assessment and reporting. Teacher observation is one of several types of assessment techniques recommended by the Council in its Position and Guidelines on Assessment and Reporting for Years 1 to 10 and in its syllabus documents for the key learning areas. Other assessment techniques include consultation, focused analysis, peer assessment and self-assessment. The Position and Guidelines state that: ‘Observation involves teachers in observing students as they participate in planned activities. Teacher observation occurs continually as a natural part of the learning and teaching process and can be used to gather a broad range of information about students’ demonstrations of learning outcomes’ (p. 16). Teacher observation has been valued as an important assessment technique in the lower primary school, but has in the past received less attention in later year levels. Secondary schools especially have favoured formal testing and structured assessment tasks rather than in-situ observation, although there has been some movement towards in-situ observation in some subjects in recent years, even in the senior years. The Council’s Position and Guidelines and syllabus documents elevate teacher observation to a more prominent position in the range of assessment techniques that teachers might use. Other techniques have been identified as consultation and focused analysis as well as peer and self-assessment. Focused analysis includes more formal assessment procedures such as set tests and set tasks. However, these categories of assessment techniques are not necessarily distinct. For example, as this paper explains, observation may be employed in association with focused analysis, especially where what is observed is student performance on a set task. This discussion paper is not an official policy statement of the Council. Rather, it represents the views of the author, Dr Graham Maxwell, of the School of Education, The University of Queensland. As such, it offers a personal perspective on the issues. Dr Maxwell has been involved in research and consultation on assessment for many years in Australia, USA and UK, ranging over all sectors and levels of education. He has taught courses and conducted workshops on assessment for pre-service and in-service teachers for 30 years. He has also been involved in recent Council deliberations on assessment and reporting. The audience for this discussion paper is professional educators, especially schoolteachers and administrators who must deal with assessment and reporting practice in classrooms and schools. Such people already know a great deal about assessment and reporting theories and practices, and this discussion paper builds on that knowledge. The hope is that the discussion paper will serve as a basis for professional debate, development workshops and collaborative planning. iii The Office of the Council would be pleased to have your reactions to and comments on the discussion paper, as well as any examples of ways in which the discussion paper may have helped to clarify or resolve any theoretical or practical problems you are facing in the implementation of Council syllabuses. These reactions, comments and examples would assist the Office of the Council in deciding what further assistance it might be able to provide on these issues. JE Tunstall Director Queensland School Curriculum Council October 2001 iv CONTENTS Preface Introduction Arguments for valuing teacher observation Collection and recording of evidence Planning for teacher observation Factors affecting validity of teacher observations and what to do about them 1. Prejudgments and prejudices 2. Selective perception 3. Providing inadvertent clues 4. Inappropriate inference 5. Inconsistency Conclusion Some useful references on teacher observation iii 1 2 5 7 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 v Teacher Observation in Student Assessment INTRODUCTION Teacher observation is one of the assessment techniques recommended in the Position and Guidelines on Assessment and Reporting for Years 1 to 10 of the Queensland School Curriculum Council (the Council). For the implementation of Council syllabuses, assessment is seen as involving a variety of school-based (teacher-enacted) techniques for profiling student demonstrations of learning outcomes. Teacher observation, that is, observation of a student by a teacher, is one of those techniques. It can be used in conjunction with other techniques. 1 Teacher observation has been accepted readily in the past as a legitimate source of information for recording and reporting student demonstrations of learning outcomes in early childhood education. As the student progresses to later years of schooling, less and less attention typically is given to teacher observation and more and more attention typically is given to formal assessment procedures involving required tests and tasks taken under explicit constraints of context and time. However, teacher observation is capable of providing substantial information on student demonstration of learning outcomes at all levels of education. For teacher observation to contribute to valid judgments concerning student learning outcomes, evidence needs to be gathered and recorded systematically. Systematic gathering and recording of evidence requires preparation and foresight. This does not necessarily mean that all aspects of the process of observation need to be anticipated but that the approach taken is deliberate rather than happenstance. It is necessary, at least, to know in advance both what kinds of learning outcomes are anticipated and how evidence will be recorded. Adequate records are essential for good assessment. Teacher observation can be characterised as two types: incidental and planned. †¢ Incidental observation occurs during the ongoing (deliberate) activities of teaching and learning and the interactions between teacher and students. In other words, an unplanned opportunity emerges, in the context of classroom activities, where the teacher observes some aspect of individual student learning. Whether incidental observation can be used as a basis for formal assessment and reporting may depend on the records that are kept. Planned observation involves deliberate planning of an opportunity for the teacher to observe specific learning outcomes. This planned opportunity may occur in the context of regular classroom activities or may occur through the setting of an assessment task (such as a practical or performance activity). 2 †¢ 1 2 Other possibilities for collecting evidence by observation exist, including observations by another teacher, observations by other students, and student self-observation. This paper concentrates on teacher observation and does not consider these additional forms of observation. Ultimately, the teacher must judge the validity and relevance of all forms of evidence, so these alternative forms of evidence involve similar principles of assessment to those applicable to other forms of evidence, including teacher observation. ‘Classroom’ should be interpreted liberally. It may include settings outside the school, such as field excursions, public presentations and work experience. What matters is the presence of an assessor, typically the teacher, to observe and record the event. 1 Discussion Paper on Assessment and Reporting ARGUMENTS FOR VALUING TEACHER OBSERVATION Teacher observation is an important but underutilised assessment technique. It is sometimes argued that teachers are unable to make appropriate and dependable assessment judgments from observations of students in natural settings. The table (below) details some of the claims of this viewpoint, together with some relevant rebuttals. Handled carefully, teacher observations can provide important evidence for assessment judgments. In some cases, they provide the only way of obtaining evidence about particular learning outcomes, especially those involving practical techniques, performance activities, ‘real life’ projects and group work. Table 1: Arguments against teacher observations and rebuttals of those arguments Arguments against teacher observations Lack of representativeness Students may not demonstrate all relevant learning outcomes in natural settings. They may know or know how but the context may not prompt them to demonstrate this. Lack of observation Teachers may not observe the demonstration of a learning outcome when it occurs, either because their attention is els ewhere or because they fail to recognise it. Lack of control of influences The student can derive unintended cues and prompts from the setting, even from the teacher, and these can be unnoticed by the teacher. Student performance may then be misinterpreted. Lack of standardisation All students do not undertake the same tasks under the same conditions. Teacher judgments of student demonstrations of learning outcomes are therefore undependable. Lack of objectivity Teacher judgments are subjective and prone to inconsistencies. Too much is left to the discretion of the teacher. Possibility of stereotyping Subjective judgments allow the possibility of stereotyping of students in terms of other performances or characteristics. Possibility of bias Subjective judgments allow the possibility of conscious or unconscious bias for or against particular individuals or groups. Rebuttal of those arguments Learning outcomes that have not been demonstrated can be deliberately prompted. Assessment should be planned as well as incidental. Teachers can ensure that assessment is comprehensive. Over time, teachers have many opportunities for observation. It is not critical if particular opportunities for observation are missed. Some observation is deliberate and focused. No single occasion is sufficient for judging a student’s demonstration of learning outcomes. Multiple opportunities and a variety of contexts allow cross-checking the robustness of the student’s performance. Quality requirements for teacher judgments are ‘evidence-based’ and ‘defensible’. Tailoring and adaptation allow optimum student performance and holistic interpretation of the evidence (taking contextual factors into consideration). All assessment involves sequences of subjective decisions; mechanistic marking schemes reflect earlier design decisions. Procedures to strengthen and verify teacher judgments can be introduced. Stereotyping is not inevitable. Each assessment occasion can be approached as a fresh opportunity to test hypotheses derived from prior impressions. Conscious bias is unethical. Unconscious bias requires constant vigilance. It is difficult for bias to survive evidence-based justification to students and their parents (a form of accountability). 2 Teacher Observation in Student Assessment An important argument in support of teacher observation is that teachers have access to a rich and diverse range of evidence on student learning outcomes from observations of their students; and that the capability of teachers to collect and interpret this range of evidence should be respected. Otherwise, a rich source of evidence on student learning outcomes is being ignored. In any case, the issue is not whether teacher observations should be used — since they are necessarily used informally during teaching — but how teacher judgments can be strengthened and improved so that they can be used for formal purposes, especially for reporting and certification. A strong justification for using teacher observation in assessment is its capacity to enhance assessment validity. By extending the range of possible assessments, teacher observation allows assessment to be more: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ comprehensive — ensuring recognition of all desired learning outcomes, especially those not otherwise assessable than in classroom contexts; connected — situated within familiar learning contexts and closely related to curriculum frameworks, learning experiences and pedagogical planning; contextualised — sensitive to the effects of context on performance and deriving assessment evidence from a variety of situations and occasions; authentic — interesting, challenging, worthwhile and meaningful to students; holistic — emphasising relatedness and connections in learning and involving performance on complex wholes rather than separate components. All of these characteristics can be supported as important for high quality learning and assessment. Assessments with these characteristics have better representation of, clearer relevance to, and stronger consequences for desirable learning outcomes. Appropriate representation, relevance and consequences are often now recognised as the requirements of valid assessments. Past practice in assessment, particularly in secondary schools, has not accorded much recognition to teacher observation for formal purposes. Some people have argued that while teacher observation is necessarily a component of classroom teaching, a clear distinction should be made between informal and formal assessment. For example, some educators argue that assessment situations should not be confused with learning activities. 3 This draws too firm a distinction. Certainly, there should not be strong accountability for first attempts. Also, reports need to indicate the progress made by students at the time of reporting. However, a firm  distinction between assessment situations and learning activities stems from over3 This is argued by Caroline Gipps in her book, Beyond Testing: Towards a Theory of Educational Assessment, The Falmer Press, London, 1994. 3 Discussion Paper on Assessment and Reporting concern for comparison and ranking. Where the aim is to map the student’s profile of demonstrated learning outcomes, standardised comparison is not the issue. The question is simply what justifiable evidence is there for concluding that the student has demonstrated a particular learning outcome. This does not require students to be ‘tested’ under controlled — and artificial — conditions. An alternative vision is one where assessment becomes incidental to and indistinguishable from learning activities. This allows for the strongest connection between pedagogy and assessment and, as already argued, a strengthening of the quality of the learning and the validity of the assessment. It can be argued that unless there is a strong connection between pedagogy and assessment, the assessment will be disembodied and discriminatory, that is, unconnected to any means for improving student learning and privileging students with existing cultural capital. Such an approach focuses on the student’s best performance over time and values the progress they are making (similar to ‘personal best’ in athletics). Howard Gardner puts it this way: ‘Rather than being imposed â€Å"externally† at odd times during the year, assessment ought to become part of the natural learning environment. As much as possible it should occur â€Å"on the fly†, as part of an individual’s natural engagement in a learning situation. Initially, the assessment would have to be introduced explicitly; but after a while, much assessment would occur naturally on the part of student and teacher, with little need for explicit recognition or labelling on anyone’s part. †¦ As assessment gradually becomes part of the landscape, it no longer needs to be set off from the rest of classroom activity. As in a good apprenticeship, the teachers and the students are always assessing. There is also no need to â€Å"teach for the assessment† because the assessment is ubiquitous; indeed, the need for formal tests might atrophy altogether. ’ 4 4 ‘Assessment in context: The alternative to standardized testing’, in B. R. Gifford M. C. O’Connor (Eds), Changing assessments: Alternative views of aptitude, achievement and instruction (pp. 78119), London, Kluwer, 1992. 4 Teacher Observation in Student Assessment COLLECTION AND RECORDING OF EVIDENCE All assessment requires the collection and recording of evidence of student learning. For the implementation of Council syllabuses, it has been recommended that the evidence focus on the demonstration of learning outcomes. Evidence is documentation that records, illustrates or confirms student demonstrations of learning outcomes. Collection and recording of evidence is necessary for two reasons: accountability — justification of the assessment judgments; and verification — confirmation of the assessment judgments. Accountability and verification are key factors in assuring the quality of assessments. †¢ †¢ Accountability (justification) means being able to explain and defend assessment judgments to students, their parent(s) and other teachers. Verification (confirmation) means being able to revisit the foundations for assessment judgments — being able to check their completeness, relevance and veracity. Teacher observations are primarily directed at the observation of events, performances and activities. In some cases, an artefact may be produced as a consequence of the event, performance or activity. In other cases, no artefact is produced and the event, performance or process iself is the sole focus of attention. An artefact is something constructed by the t student, for example, a worksheet, a piece of writing, a design, a painting, a composition, a webpage — in other words, a product of some kind. Teacher observation is not primarily concerned with the artefact itself but with the way in which the artefact was produced, that is, with the process. 5 Evidence of process, whether or not there is a resultant artefact, may involve either direct record or written record. These two types of record have different characteristics. A direct record keeps a ‘trace’ of the event through an audio-recording, a video-recording or a sequence of photographs. The activity or event might be, for example, a speech, a dramatic presentation, a group activity or a practical task. The term ‘trace’ emphasises that the record is not the same as the event itself. At best, it allows some features of the event to be represented and recalled. Some features of the event may be lost, such as the ‘feel’ of the occasion or the ‘spark’ between presenter and audience. Some features of the event may be filtered or distorted by the medium of recording, for example, through positioning and handling of the 5 In some cases, a sequence of artefacts may be produced and these may provide a progressive record of stages of production. These could involve, for example, a sequence of written drafts, initial designs, trial compositions, or tentative frameworks. In this case, the artefacts indicate milestones of development towards the final product. It is important to keep the total sequence of artefacts, together with annotations about contextual factors, such as the way in which the student has made use of comments and suggestions, so that a complete interpretation of what the student has done can be made. 5 Discussion Paper on Assessment and Reporting recording device. It is important, therefore, to realise that such a record offers only partial representation of the event. Nevertheless, such ‘traces’ are better than having no record at all. A written record can take the form of an observation sheet or a logbook (diary of events). Observation sheets can be more or less structured: at one extreme they contain checklists of learning outcomes; at the other extreme they contain broad categories for writing on-the-spot comments or annotations; and in between these extremes is a combination of them both. 6 A logbook provides a record of critical incidents or key comments (sometimes referred to as an anecdotal record); for accuracy of recall, entries need to be made as soon after the event as possible. The student’s name and the date also need to be clearly recorded. A sequential collection of such records is sometimes called a ‘running record’. When keeping an observation sheet or a logbook, written entries can be (relatively) high inference or (relatively) low inference. ‘High inference’ means that a judgment or interpretation is made, whereas ‘low inference’ means that the specifics of the event are described (without any attempt to interpret what they signify). Thus, using a checklist of core learning outcomes would involve high inference, whereas providing a descriptive account of student performance without direct reference to core learning outcomes could involve low inference. In the latter case, judgments relating to the demonstration of learning outcomes can be delayed until a variety of evidence has been collected. The advantage of low inference observations is that they are more ‘objective’ or ‘transparent’ and can provide a ‘closer-to-the-event’ basis for later verification; the specifics of the event are more easily accessible. The advantage of high inference observations is greater ease and efficiency in record keeping, but the specifics of the event are not then retrievable from the record. It is possible to record both a judgment (high inference) and a description (low inference), thus retaining some of the benefits of each. Descriptive accounts can include written commentary on student performance under specific headings on an observation sheet; critical incidents or significant events recorded in a logbook; and key performance features recorded in a logbook. Critical incidents and significant events are particularly noteworthy instances of the demonstration of particular learning outcomes (or the lack of it), especially those observed for the first time or demonstrated in a particularly dramatic or unexpected way. Key performance features are salient features of an observed performance whether or not they are particularly ‘critical’, including evidence that strengthens or confirms early judgments relating to student demonstrations of learning outcomes. When an artefact, direct record or descriptive account is kept and placed in the student’s assessment portfolio, the artefact, direct record or descriptive account can be referred to again at a later time in order to retrieve the specifics of student performance. This allows assessment judgments to be delayed until a convenient time or allows assessment judgments to be 6. Rating scales are not mentioned here since arbitrary distinctions of quality are not part of the assessment position espoused by the Council. However, the sequences of core learning outcomes (arranged in levels along a developmental continuum) provide quasi-rating scales. It is a matter of convenience and style whether a sequence of core learning outcomes is characterised as a quasi-rating scale (showing where the student is positioned along the developmental continuum) or simply an expanded checklist (showing which core learning outcomes the student has demonstrated). 6 Teacher Observation in Student Assessment verified on a subsequent occasion, for example, for purposes of moderation. It is difficult to verify written records of judgments without an accompanying artefact, direct record or descriptive account as a reference point. 7 Table 2: Summary of types of teacher observation evidence Focus on product — keep artefact(s) Focus on activity — record process †¢ Direct record (‘trace’) o Audio-tape o Video-tape o Photographs Written record o Observation sheet  § Checklist (high inference)  § Description (low inference) o Logbook  § Description of critical incidents  § Description of key performance features †¢ PLANNING FOR TEACHER OBSERVATION Teacher observations cannot be useful without planning. Different types of evidence require different types of planning. An essential requirement for  all types of evidence is anticipating the kinds of learning outcomes that may be demonstrated. This is particularly important where observation is incidental and where judgments (rather than descriptions) are recorded. Council syllabuses provide a framework of learning outcomes that serve as the perceptual reference points for recognising the characteristics of student performance. The framework of learning outcomes makes available to the teacher concepts and language for recognising and describing what a student knows and can do. Learning the structure, language and concepts of the framework therefore is a key aspect of planning for teacher observation, as it is too for teaching. Incidental observation necessarily involves little additional planning, apart from the normal planning of classroom learning activities for students. Incidental observation is opportunistic, 7 Where there is no supporting evidential record for the judgment, verification of the judgment is strictly impossible. The record of judgment needs to be considered in the context of other evidence collected from different times and events. Where it corroborates other evidence, the judgment is strengthened. Where it contradicts other evidence, more evidence may be needed. Ultimately, the weight of evidence is what matters. ‘Other evidence’ could include the judgments of other observers, that is, other records of judgment of the same event. 7 Discussion Paper on Assessment and Reporting  capitalising on revelations of student learning during regular classroom learning activities. In this sense it cannot be planned. It is essentially unanticipated. It can only be recorded through descriptions in a logbook. Although there may sometimes be an artefact to provide corroboration for the teacher’s observation, any process details depend on teacher description. Incidental observation is therefore the weakest form of teacher observation and would preferably be used only as supplementary evidence to support other forms o evidence. f Relying on incidental observation alone would be unsatisfactory (see caveats below). Planned observation can involve planning  for ‘in situ’ observation (in learning situations) or planning for set assessment tasks. There is little to distinguish these two situations in practical terms. However, as assessment becomes more important, particularly in Years 8 to 10, students may need to know when they are being assessed, since they may otherwise choose not to show their actual capabilities. Absence of demonstration of learning outcomes might not indicate incapability of demonstrating those learning outcomes but lack of appropriate challenge or opportunity. Formal assessment occasions would appear to become more important in the secondary school than in the primary school, at least for the present. 8 For all planned observations, whether ‘in situ’ or set tasks, thought needs to be given to how the event and/or the observations will be recorded. Consideration needs to be given to whether a direct record will be kept and what form of observation record will be made. The validity of teacher observations is strengthened by preparing an observation sheet that allows systematic recording of observations and judgments. An observation sheet may include checklists of learning outcomes and/or categories for describing student activities and performances. Learning outcomes might be made more explicit by listing their elaborations, components or criteria, that is, by providing more detail on the characteristics of the desired learning outcome. The advantages of prepared observation sheets include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ opportunity to share learning expectations with students in advance encouragement of student self-monitoring and self-assessment clarification of the desired learning outcomes to guide learning focus on the desired learning outcomes to guide teaching cuing of attention to the full range of relevant learning outcomes having available an explicit and standard recording format ease of recording of student performance characteristics structured means of providing feedback to students. 8 In the long term, taking up Howard Gardner’s vision (see footnote 4), a more natural approach to assessment would require that classrooms become more like normal work environments. This does not necessarily mean that the student (as the worker) is under constant surveillance but that there are  opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities in situations that really matter (but are preferably ‘authentic’ rather than ‘artificial’). The necessary shift in assessment practice to support this is from ‘one-off testing’ to progressive demonstration of ‘best (sustained) performance’. Reformed assessment practice would place more onus on the student to demonstrate the desired learning outcomes (and to indicate when they think they are doing so) together with specific ‘invitations’ to students to demonstrate their level of development in relation to sequences of learning outcomes of increasing complexity. 8 Teacher Observation in Student Assessment  Disadvantages of prepared observation sheets include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ the need to allow for several levels of learning outcomes on a single sheet it can be difficult to anticipate all the learning outcomes that might appear it is possible that other serendipitous learning outcomes will be missed students’ learning may be constrained by listed learning outcomes. The disadvantages are outweighed by the advantages. They can be overcome, in any case, by careful design of the observation sheet, tailoring it to the current stage of student development, and allowing space for additional observations to be recorded. Observation sheets should be used as a tentative organising structure for recording teacher observations rather than a limiting framework for the actual observations. Space also needs to be provided on the observation sheet for including descriptive details of the context. These details need to include any characteristics of the setting or the occasion that could have influenced the student’s performance, either positively or negatively, and that might be relevant in making a judgment about whether the student has demonstrated particular learning outcomes. The details can be physical (e. g. , uncomfortable surroundings), psychological (e. g. , personal attributes in stressful situations) or social (e. g. , other events in the life of the school or the student). Through all of this, it must be remembered that any written record  of observations is necessarily selective. Only certain features of student performance are likely to be noticed and can be recorded. Therefore, having a clear understanding and ready access to the framework of expected learning outcomes is essential. One technique for reducing the cognitive demands of open observation is ‘spotlighting’. This means targeting specific learning outcomes (across several levels of a strand) on particular occasions. This has the added advantage of ensuring systematic coverage of all relevant learning outcomes. However, it should not be pursued so religiously that evidence of other learning outcomes outside the spotlighting target is ignored. 9 FACTORS AFFECTING VALIDITY OF TEACHER OBSERVATIONS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM Teacher observations will be valid to the extent that the evidence is appropriately recorded and interpreted, that is, whether: †¢ †¢ the recorded evidence accurately represents the observed student performance the interpretation (judgment) of this evidence is justifiable. Accurate recording requires transparent and unbiased perception of the student’s performance. Justifiable interpretation requires careful consideration of what the student’s performance signifies, in terms of learning outcomes, taking into consideration any factors 9 Margaret Forster and Geoff Masters discuss ‘spotlighting’ in Performances: Assessment resource kit, Camberwell, Victoria, Australian Council for Educational Research, 1996. 9 Discussion Paper on Assessment and Reporting that may have influenced the performance. The use of the term ‘justifiable’ here emphasises that there may not be a single unequivocal interpretation of the evidence but rather that the interpretation should withstand challenge as being reasonable and defensible. There also may be a requirement that the interpretation be consistent with the interpretations of other teachers. 10 The following discussion covers some factors that can affect the accuracy of the recorded evidence or the justifiability of the interpretation or both.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Policing Of Gangs In Rural And Urban Areas Criminology Essay

Policing Of Gangs In Rural And Urban Areas Criminology Essay Gang related crimes and activities are being exported to rural communities and gangs are migrating to more rural areas. Social reasons and drug trafficking are the primary reasons for the spread of drug use and why gangs are developing in rural areas. When concerning the exporting or spreading of urban crimes to rural areas, the migration of gangs and their criminal activities plays a large role. Police strategies make it hard for gangs to stay inside of the metropolitan areas, so gangs are moving their operations to places less known to the police. Gang members find a base for their operations and seek out troubled or lost youth to join their gang. When concerning the methods of policing, policing strategies, and crime, there is a big difference between rural environments and urban environments. Gang Identification There are significant indications which identity gang members in a particular group or gang. These indications are specific tattoos, graffiti tags, gang colors, and self identification by youths (Weisheit Wells, 2001). Law enforcement officials rely on visual impressions when determining whether or not a youth, or any individual is in a gang. When gang members try to keep a low profile, this can make it especially hard for law enforcement to identify them individually or as a group. Gang members keep low profiles by not getting tattoos that signify their gang, by not wearing any specific color in their dress, and by withholding the use of gang signs. Many suburban and rural communities are experiencing rises in gang related crimes and violence. However, the impact of gangs is worse the mores densely populated areas, especially areas with populations of 50,000 people or more (Howell, 2006). However, gangs are attracted to rural communities because this way they can grow their drug distribution areas, they can hide from or escape from police, and recruit new members into their gangs. Relocation of Gangs Gangs use tools to recruit new gang members and one of these tools is the Internet. The Internet makes communication between them and other gang members in other parts of the country or even in other foreign countries possible. These gangs commit about 80% of the crime in many communities (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2009). Reports of gang related homicides are mainly concentrated in the largest cities in the United States, because gangs are more persistent in these large cities. Youth gangs are also responsible for a disproportionate number of homicides (Howell, 2006). Some of the more common kinds of gang related crimes are smuggling aliens, armed robbery, assault, auto theft, trafficking drugs, fraud, identity theft, home invasions, and murder (National Gang Intelligence Center, 2009). Gangs deal with the trafficking of illicit drugs such as marijuana and cocaine in most suburban communities. The impact of gang migration on local gangs is not as large as once thought, but it is still an issue. According to a 2004 National Gang Youth Survey study, which involved information they received from law enforcement of gang member migration, the results showed that a small number of agencies had reported that more than half of the documented gang members had migrated from other areas (Howell, 2006). Of the agencies that experience a larger percentage of gang migration, 45% reported the reason behind the migration was due to social reasons, such as family. They also reported that 23% was due to the drug market, 21% was due to evading law enforcement, and 18% was because of other illegal ventures (Howell, 2006). Social reasons or issues are the driving force behind gang migration. Gangs spread out into smaller regions or towns because the access to transportation is easy to obtain. The easy access to transportation makes it easier to traffic drugs. Gangs are attracted to trafficking drugs out from small rural areas because of the large profits they can make off of drugs in smaller towns. The street value of drugs in smaller towns is two to three times higher than the value in metropolitan areas (Donnermeyer, 1995). These gang members establish or set up drug dealing businesses or franchises in these rural communities because they can move drugs more securely and safely and because the latest and most popular drugs are available more speedily (Donnermeyer, 2005). Even though there is a focus on urban street gangs in rural areas, biker gangs have a history of criminal activity in rural settings (Muhammad, 2002). It is also easier in rural areas for gang members to get the local drug dealer(s) to cooperate with them in drug transactions. Gangs not only migrate from urban settings or regions to rural areas, they also migrate from rural regions to urban areas. These types of gangs are generally known as hate groups. These hate groups include white supremacist groups. There are many members of these white supremacist groups such as Members of the Aryan Nation and Skinheads that are born and raised in rural areas (Donnermeyer, 2005). Since these white supremacist gang members are born and raised in rural areas, they are more likely to first establish gang operations in these rural areas. Once they have their drug franchises established in rural areas, they then reach out and get connected with gang members in the larger cities and then are able to move and set up their operations in the larger metropolitan areas (Donnermeyer, 2005). Once they are settled into the urban area, they have easier access to and can target minority groups. Urban Gangs and Rural Gangs There are many similarities between metropolitan and rural gangs. Metropolitan and rural gangs both are strongly connected with social stability and they both are molded by characteristics of the population (Weisheit Wells, 2001). According to a study or survey based on police reports on gangs between the years of 1996 and 1998, among the agencies in nonmetropolitan areas; 22.6 percent reported persistent gang problems, 57 percent reported a persistent absence of gangs, and 20.4 percent reported transitory gang problems (Weisheit Wells, 2001). The biggest difference in urban and rural gangs is the role economic issues have on these groups. Economic factors are more important to gangs in urban areas than gangs in rural areas. Gang activity in metropolitan areas has a different relationship to poverty as compared to gang activity in rural areas (Weisheit Wells, 2001). Gangs are more likely to be reported in nonmetropolitan areas that are growing economically. Police Response to Gangs The practices of policing are different from one jurisdiction to another and being able to gain information on the different styles of police behavior can bring about a detailed look into the role of the police in urban and rural communities. There are various types of policing styles when it comes to different rural regions. These differences change from region to region and from one jurisdiction to the next. In one region police may be more involved dealing with illegal immigration and in another region police may be more involved with drug trafficking and/or illegal crops. There are specific issues that influence law enforcement operations in rural communities. These aspects are the informal social control among individuals in the rural community, rural citizens not trusting the government, and keeping their inside problems to themselves (Falcone, Weisheit, Wells, 1994). Citizens in rural communities are less likely to report crimes and because of this, there is less information gathered on the precise number of crimes that happen in these rural communities. One way police deal with or respond to gangs in their jurisdiction is through gang training. Police have training on technical assistance thatà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s needed when dealing with gangs and when concerning forming task forces. The most frequent response to gang activity is suppression through strict enforcement, such as the zero tolerance policy, which is more associated with urban police (Weisheit Wells, 2001). It has been suggested that zero tolerance strategies are easier to implement in smaller communities where gang members were easier to identify. Police use the community and stress the importance of prevention when it comes to gangs and gang activity (Weisheit Wells, 2001). When it concerns youth in gangs and that have stronger bonds with the community, police tend to focus more on family pressure than on prevention. Conclusion There are differences in crimes and policing concerning gangs in rural regions and gangs in urban regions. It seems that the differences of gang related crimes and policing efforts in various jurisdictions and regions may be decreasing but the spread of gang related crimes is finding its way into rural regions. There needs to be more research on rural gangs so rural law enforcement can better understand, be better trained, and be better equipped to deal with these gang members and to be able to prevent and reduce gang related activities. Even though law enforcement agencies in rural areas may be lacking when it comes to tools and resources, rural police agencies seem to be more efficient and more respected by the public. .

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights Essay -- Emily Bronte Wuthering Heigh

Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "Wuthering Heights," we see tragedies follow one by one, most of which are focused around Heathcliff, the antihero of the novel. After the troubled childhood Heathcliff goes through, he becomes embittered towards the world and loses interest in everything but Catherine Earnshaw –his childhood sweetheart whom he had instantly fallen in love with.—and revenge upon anyone who had tried to keep them apart. The novel begins with a few short introduction chapters which Bronte had most likely used to illustrate how incompetent the character of Lockwood was, and to foreshadow what was to come in later chapters. After these, it begins to immediately demonstrate to the reader the plight of Heathcliff’s childhood and how hard a time he had had of it. The very first time that Heathcliff is mentioned, he is described as â€Å"A dirty, ragged, black-haired child, big enough both to walk and talk†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [Wuthering Heights, Chapter 4] and is referred to as â€Å"It.† Mr. Earnshaw claimed to have found him starving, homeless, and abandoned on his trip to Liverpool. This sounds incredulous to say the least, considering that Mr. Earnshaw had made the trip on several other occasions without bringing back any ‘surprises’, and that the cities of London at the time were practically crawling with Orphans. While it never outright states so within the novel, it appears as if Heathcliff is in fact Mr. Earnshaw’s illegitimate child. If this was the case, it would also p...

Friday, October 25, 2019

Pluralistic Extension System :: Politics, Government Programs

Definition Pluralistic extension system is provision of extension services for a community which is conducted by more than one source of extension services (Okorley, Grey, & Reed, 2010). According to Rivera & Alex (2004), pluralistic extension system may hold complex providers like non-governmental organizations, private companies, farmers’ organizations, commercial individuals, extension specialists’ associations, and public extension services at municipal, state, and national. Non-pluralistic extension system, by definition, is single provider of extension service which is conducted by only public extension agents. It is clear that pluralistic extension system do not eliminated the public extension workers from the system, but the system adds other potential extension agencies along with the existing public extension agency. Why is it necessary? There are several reasons why pluralistic extension system is required. One of the reasons is that previous single provider of extension system, mainly Training and Visit (T&V system) was criticized for its limited advantages. As the case in India, the T&V system was blamed for only boosting commodity and supply-driven but not generate income. It was also criticized as the cause of the fall of commodity price, disintegration among sub-sectors, and poor focus on farmer organization development (Singh & Swanson, n.d.). Former extension system was occasionally considered as inefficient, having unclear and incompatible objectives of state intervention, vague rules for implementation; it also provides limited incentive for extension workers, and lack of financial transparency (Rivera & Alex, 2004). Moreover, the pluralistic extension system is expected to reduce financial burden of national government due to large institutional structures and perceived ineffectiveness of former extensio n system (Swanson & Rajalahti, 2010). Earlier extension system was also blamed for not giving much attention in involving farmers to define and solve their own problems, while having poor linkage of extension-research-farmer system (Davis, 2008). The support of farmers’ group as possessing power for extension provider comes from Davis’ research in Kenya (n.d.), in which she found that farmers’ groups were considered by local farmers as credible source of agricultural information provider (Davis, n.d.) What are the main dimensions? Rivera & Alex (2004) maintain, â€Å"extension is not necessarily a government program, but rather the complex set of institutions whereby rural people obtain new knowledge and information† (p. 339-340) and it allows the possibility of differences extension system among different countries. This proposition has led to the implication that the dimension of (pluralistic) extension system could cover variety of issues like policy implementation (for rural change or mobilization), information collection, particular salient issues (like health problem: HIV/AIDS, etc.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Amalgam Model

Counseling Theory: An Amalgam Model, 2008, Name, affirms that science proves what the Bible has long understood and says about man or human nature; that Scripture alone has the correct diagnosis of the sickness and potential outcomes of his endeavors and challenges as well as the results especially, of a fallen nature. The author uses the scientific researches that show how the truths of Scripture are explained and made manifest in the lives of men and women.Practitioners who make use of this model that there is neither competition nor confusion as to the pre-eminence of Scripture; rather, it presupposes that science complements what the Biblical writers as revealed, have long known the real and lasting solutions to the â€Å"sicknesses† that man ahs encountered. I. Introduction Psychology has made great strides in the development of principles and methods and the discovery of facts which find useful application in various aspects of everyday life.The objectives of psychology are : (1) to understand human behavior; (2) to predict human behavior by means of observation and experiment; (3) to influence or alter the behavior of he individual or group in desirable ways so that he can achieve the goal he desires. Behavior is described and analyzed. On this basis, an attempt to predict behavior is possible, and although this may not thoroughly and completely be accomplished in some endeavors, the basic understanding then is that there are certain expectations concerning how any person would act or decide upon things that are within his conscious awareness.Psychology is of great importance to man since psychological problems are common to group relations, in whatever framework a person or group of individuals come from. The thrust of this paper is to develop my own theory of behavior and putting these in the context of the helping relationship. It starts with a basic understanding of human behavior coming from various viewpoints or perspectives. Then it discuss es the reasons why an individual becomes mentally sick or develops unhealthy patterns of behaving towards anything that affect him.This includes the maladjustments that are usually prevalent in a person’s day-to-day functioning especially if and when he has not learned or developed the skills of rightly apprehending the tests of life, so to speak. The work of a counselor is a privilege since the counselee or client will be unfolding his life and makes himself vulnerable to a stranger. It is not an easy choice to make hence, all the training and knowledge would be indispensable to help the client reveal and trust himself to another. Counseling is not a very easy job.But it can be facilitated well when there is a clear vision of what and how it unfolds in the relationship that is established with the client. II. Discussion The paper is divided into different parts and meant to answer to the requirements stated as follows. A. Summary of my overall approach Psychology is the scie ntific of human behavior and mental processes; a study which is of considerable interest to almost all people. In the pursuit of this study is the important feature of understanding the goals or objectives.To describe, explain and predict behavior and if possible control or modify it, are the main objectives of this scientific discipline. These objectives confine as well as broaden student’s approach towards a deeper perspective of the field in the sense that he/she will have a grasp on the variety of subject matters that psychology provides, the advances or breakthroughs it has attained, its inadequacies and shortcomings, as well as forthcoming challenges the discipline faces. Since human individuals are complex and changing, the study is fascinating yet possesses a certain degree of difficulty.Fascinating because it explores all the facets of being human and possessing a certain degree of difficulty because of its multifarious sub-disciplines. Sigmund Freud offered a psycho analytic viewpoint on the diagnosis and understanding of a person’s mental health. Other perspectives, the behavioristic paradigm offers to see this in a different light. The psychoanalytic perspective emphasizes childhood experiences and the role of the unconscious mind in determining future behavior and in explaining and understanding current based on past behavior.Basing on his personality constructs of the Id, Ego and the Superego, Freud sees a mentally healthy person as possessing what he calls Ego strength. On the other hand, the behavior therapist sees a person as a â€Å"learner† in his environment, with the brain as his primary organ of survival and vehicle for acquiring his social functioning. With this paradigm, mental health is a result of the environment’s impact on the person; he learns to fear or to be happy and therein lies the important key in understanding a person’s mental state.Considering that the achievement and maintenance of mental health is one of the pursuits of psychology, the following is a brief outline of what psychologists would endorse a healthy lifestyle. The individual must consider each of the following and incorporate these in his/her day to day affairs: 1. The Medical doctor’s viewpoint – well-being emphasis than the illness model 2. The Spiritual viewpoint- a vital spiritual growth must be on check. 3. The Psychologist’s viewpoint- emotional and relationship factors in balance.4. The Nutritionist’s viewpoint – putting nutrition and health as top priority. 5. The Fitness Expert’s viewpoint- Exercise as part of a daily regimen. The theory I have in mind then is an amalgamation of several approaches, primarily the integration of the Christian worldview and the theories set forth by Cognitive-behaviorists and psychoanalytic models, and biological/physical continuum. There are other good models but a lot of reasons exist why they cannot be â€Å"good enough; † a lot depends on my own personality.Being authentic to who you are, your passion, is effectively communicated across an audience whether it is a negative or positive one. The basic way of doing the â€Å"amalgamation† or integration is that the Christian worldview takes precedence over the rest of the approaches. Although many of the concepts and premises of each theory mentioned are sound and at times efficacious, when it clashes with the faith-based theory, the former must give way to the latter.It is understood then, that I thoroughly examined each of the theory and set them against the backdrop of spirituality. Interpreting a problem that a client suffers for instance, entails that the theoretical viewpoint that I am convinced with, has better chances of properly understanding the maladjustments that the client had been suffering. To come up with the balanced worldview (an integration in other words), the balance between the realms mentioned, including the true fr ame of human individuals and the true nature of God (or theology) are properly considered.Thoroughly accepting the fact that there is no contest between the natural and the spiritual; only that troubles arise when one realm is overemphasized at the expense of another. This thin line or slight tension between the two levels is best expressed in the personhood of Jesus Christ, who was a perfect man as well as God. If we start to equate ourselves with that notion (which is usually happening) and we start to think that we are balanced, then we surely lack understanding or real self-awareness of the fact that we are deeply and seriously out of balance and this is one reason why we need help.B. Philosophy and Basic Assumptions ~What does a mentally healthy person look like and how are his traits different from those who are mentally ill or are developing a certain form of illness. Personality is more than poise, charm, or physical appearance. It includes habits, attitudes, and all the phy sical, emotional, social, religious and moral aspects that a person possesses. However, to be more precise, the explicit behavioral styles covered in the course, perhaps, best captivate an individual’s personality and how he/she is understood.With the different behavioral styles, an overall pattern of various characteristics is seen. Like a â€Å"psychograph,† a person’s profile is pulled together and at a glance, the individual can be compared with other people in terms of relative strengths and weaknesses. The term mentally ill is frightening to many people. Movies, books, and magazines often depict mental illness in frightening ways. In some cases, adolescents suffering from a mental illness do act unpredictably or even dangerously. With proper diagnosis and treatment, most of the symptoms of mental illnesses can be controlled.It is tempting to distinguish healthy adolescents from adolescents with mental illness problems. However, there is often a fine line b etween mental health and mental illness. It is important to understand that mental illnesses vary in their severity. For example, many adolescents suffered from various levels of anxiety or depression. Others have suffered from serious mental disorders with biological origins. Education about the adolescents` mental illness is vital for those with mental health problems as well as for the adolescents` friends and family.Many of the disorders or mental illnesses recognized today without a doubt have their psychodynamic explanation aside from other viewpoints like that of the behaviourist, or the cognitivists. From simple childhood developmental diseases to Schizophrenia, there is a rationale that from Freud’s camp is able to explain (Kaplan et al, 1994). ~ What constitutes a mentally/emotionally healthy person and what causes a person to become dysfunctional? The Christian point of view argues that man is not necessarily or inherently good and that starts him off to a bad star t.The environment further either encourages that innate evil or tones it down. However, the basic idea is that there is a spiritual aspect and this is addressed in what the Christian Scriptures declare as the â€Å"renewing of the mind. † Because this is an integrated approach, it recognizes the work of science with the concept or understanding that it only confirms what Scripture recognizes or identifies all along. Psychology reminds us of the differing opinions of experts in this field. It talks about personality which represents all that the mind, or the mental and affective aspects of a person.People talk a lot about personality or behavior as if it’s such an uncomplicated and unfussy concept, but they end up having difficulty defining it when asked. They are apt to say that it (behavior or personality in general) is something a person â€Å"has. † They describe the behavioral components of particular people in words like â€Å"friendly,† â€Å"nice, † â€Å"forceful,† or â€Å"aggressive,† to paint a picture of what they mean by the term and as a result end, instead, in vague descriptions of how a person usually behaves with other people.On the other hand, when we base our descriptions on concrete and observable actions that people commonly do or adapt, we come up with what experts call as â€Å"behavioral profile. † There are different styles of behavior as well as there are no right and wrong profile. When we come up with correct profiling, the expected result is that we develop ways of getting to know a more concise and accurate picture of ourselves, or people in general. Personality is more than poise, charm, or physical appearance. It includes habits, attitudes, and all the physical, emotional, social, religious and moral aspects that a person possesses.However, to be more precise, the explicit behavioral styles covered in the course, perhaps, best captivate an individual’s personality and how he/she is understood. With the different behavioral styles, an overall pattern of various characteristics is seen. Like a â€Å"psychograph,† a person’s profile is pulled together and at a glance, the individual can be compared with other people in terms of relative strengths and weaknesses. A healthy personality does not mean it does not have any difficulties at all. It means that a person has the capabilities to withstand any turmoil or stress that come his way.He has learned the skills to make him adjust to the internal and external stresses; minimizing conflicts from within and without but in a healthy and normal functioning way. ~ How does personal growth occur in the context of your therapy? Personal growth occurs in the context of self-insights; insights concerning the workings of one’s mind in relation to the structures and stimuli around the person. He self-insight is very significant and crucial to the client for him to be able to work well with t hose who are there to assist in his recovery and eventual personal growth. †¢ What makes your theory work?Christian counselors are prepared to help their clients sort the distinctions and similarities between psychology and the Christian faith? This is important because basic to therapy success is that when therapist and client share similar worldviews, the therapy may then advance. Moreover, do Christian counselors and those in this kind of profession really pursue real interest and deep thirst for a systematic and regular study of the Bible? If they do not do so, they will be deficient of the overall grasp of the Bible’s structure and content and lack a working knowledge of basic biblical doctrines.A deep and thriving relationship and commitment to an equally gifted Bible – believing church will also benefit the counselor in his/her personal life and practice, thus a necessary requirement,. C. Key Concepts ~ Explain the primary points of your theory as if you we re to summarize it quickly for someone The Psychodynamic perspective is based on the work of Sigmund Freud. He created both a theory to explain personality and mental disorders, and the form of therapy known as psychoanalysis.The psychodynamic approach assumes that all behavior and mental processes reflect constant and often unconscious struggles within the person. These usually involved conflicts between our need to satisfy basic biological instincts, for example, for food, sex or aggression, and the restrictions imposed by society. Not all of those who take a psychodynamic approach accept all of Freud’s original ideas, but most would view abnormal or problematic behavior as the result of a failure to resolve conflicts adequately.Many of the disorders or mental illnesses recognized today without a doubt have their psychodynamic explanation aside from other viewpoints like that of the behaviourist, or the cognitivists. From simple childhood developmental diseases to Schizophr enia, there is a rationale that from Freud’s camp is able to explain (Kaplan et al, 1994). In the psychodynamic theory, the following three assumptions help guide a student of human behavior or an expert in this field determine the underlying factors that explain the overt manifestations of specific behaviors.These assumptions therefore, help guide the diagnosis of the presence or absence of mental illness. They are the same assumptions that guide the therapist in choosing what treatment that will better help heal, cure or alleviate the symptoms. These assumptions are: – â€Å"There are instinctive urges that drive personality formation. † – â€Å"Personality growth is driven by conflict and resolving anxieties. † – â€Å"Unresolved anxieties produce neurotic symptoms† (Source: Kaplan et al, 1994). The goals of treatment here include alleviating patient of the symptoms which specifically works to uncover and work through unconscious c onflict.The task of psychodynamic therapy is â€Å"to make the unconscious conscious to the patient† (â€Å"Models of abnormality†, National Extension College Trust, Ltd). Employing the psychodynamic viewpoint, the therapist or social scientist believes that emotional conflicts, or neurosis, and/or disturbances in the mind are caused by unresolved conflicts which originated during childhood years. In the psychodynamic approach the treatment modality frequently used includes dreams and free association, at times hypnosis (as preferred by either the therapist or by the client).The therapist actively communicates with the client in the on-going sessions. The scenario appears that a given patient may have up to five times a week session and runs up to five years in length (Rubinstein et al. , 2007). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy postulated primarily by Ellis and Beck â€Å"facilitates a collaborative relationship between the patient and therapist. † With the idea tha t the counselor and patient together cooperate to attain a trusting relationship and agree which problems or issues need to come first in the course of the therapy.For the Cognitive Behaviorist Therapist, the immediate and presenting problem that the client is suffering and complaining from takes precedence and must be addressed and focused in the treatment. There is instantaneous relief from the symptoms, and may be encouraged or spurred on to pursue in-depth treatment and reduction of the ailments where possible. The relief from the symptoms from the primary problem or issue will inspire the client to imagine or think that change is not impossible after all.In this model, issues are dealt directly in a practical way. In the cognitive approach alone, the therapist understands that a client or patient comes into the healing relationship and the former’s role is to change or modify the latter’s maladjusted or error-filled thinking patterns. These patterns may include wi shful thinking, unrealistic expectations, constant reliving and living in the past or even beyond the present and into the future, and overgeneralizing. These habits lead to confusion, frustration and eventual constant disappointment.This therapeutic approach stresses or accentuates the rational or logical and positive worldview: a viewpoint that takes into consideration that we are problem-solvers, have options in life and not that we are always left with no choice as many people think. It also looks into the fact that because we do have options then there are many things that await someone who have had bad choices in the past, and therefore can look positively into the future. Just as the cognitive-behavioral model also recognizes the concept of insight as well, this is only a matter of emphasis or focus.In behavioral/cognitive-behavioral therapies the focus is on the modification or control of behavior and insight usually becomes a tangential advantage. Techniques include CBT thr ough such strategy as cognitive restructuring and the current frequently used REBT for Rational Emotive-Behavior Therapy where irrational beliefs are eliminated by examining them in a rational manner (Corey, 2004; Davison and Neale, 2001). Whereas in insight therapies the focus or emphasis is on the patient’s ability in understanding his/her issues basing on his inner conflicts, motives and fears.Coaching the patient on the step by step procedure of CBT is a basic and fundamental ingredient. Here the client is enlightened as to the patterns of his thinking and the errors of these thoughts which bore fruit in his attitudes and behavior. His/her thoughts and beliefs have connections on his/her behavior and must therefore be â€Å"reorganized. † For instance, the ways that a client looks at an issue of his/her life will direct the path of his reactivity to the issue. When corrected at this level, the behavior follows automatically (Rubinstein et al. , 2007; Corey, 2004). D. Therapeutic Goals~ What are your general goals in therapy? Christian counseling admittedly embraces in reality, a basic integration of the biblical precepts on the view of man and psychology’s scientific breakthroughs in addressing the dilemmas that beset human individuals. Depending on the persuasion of the practitioner, especially whether he or she comes from either the purely theological or â€Å"secular† preparation, Christian counseling can either lean to certain degrees of theology or psychology. According to Larry Crabb, â€Å"If psychology offers insights which will sharpen our counseling skills and increase our effectiveness, we want to know them.If all problems are at core spiritual matters we don’t want to neglect the critically necessary resources available through the Lord by a wrong emphasis on psychological theory† (Crabb in Anderson et al, 2000). Dr. Crabb’s position certainly ensures that science in particular, has its place in counseling in as much as theology does. He made sure that all means are addressed as the counselor approaches his profession, especially in the actual conduction of both the diagnostic and therapeutic or intervention phases (Crabb in Anderson et al. , 2000).Trauma inducing and crisis triggering situations have spiraled its occurrence and in its primacy in the US and in many other countries in recent years. Its broad spectrum ranges from the national disaster category such as that of Hurricane Katrina or the 911 terrorist strikes in New York, Spain and England, to private instances such as a loved one’s attempt at suicide, the murder of a spouse or child, the beginning of mental illness, and the worsening situation of domestic violence (Teller et al, 2006).The acute crisis episode is a consequence of people who experience life-threatening events and feel overwhelmed with difficulty resolving the inner conflicts or anxiety that threaten their lives. They seek the help of counse lors, paramedics and other health workers in crisis intervention centers to tide them over the acute episodes they are encountering. These are defining moments for people and must be adequately addressed else they lead lives with dysfunctional conduct patterns or disorders (Roberts et al, 2006).

Review of Literature of Risk Analysis in Portfolio Management

REVIEW OF LITERATURE * Ananth N Madhavan (2003) once a fairly esoteric subject, risk analysis and measurement have become a critical function for both portfolio managers and traders. Yet accurate measurement and analysis of risk presents many practical challenges, including the choice of risk model, portfolio optimization pitfalls, horizon mismatches, and out-of-sample testing. This detailed overview of recent developments in risk analysis and modeling focuses on practical applications. While risk management tools can provide invaluable insights as to portfolio risk, they must be applied with considerable care. Risk analysis, as it stands today, is as much an art as a science. * Peter Brooke (2009) suggested that  the easiest way to build a very diverse portfolio is via investment funds. The choice of funds is now enormous and nearly every asset class is covered by them. This means it is very easy and inexpensive to put several funds together and have a very broad spread. There are now some very good ‘multi asset' funds which provide exposure to all of these different classes in one professionally managed place. These multi asset managers may also be able to access some funds which are still not available to the retail investor, such as private equity. Peter Brooke is a financial planner to the English speaking expatriate community. This article (Portfolio Construction) was published in the July 2009 edition of Dockwalk magazine * Anita Bhoir, (2011)Portfolio construction& services offered by banks and brokerages to face heat ; MUMBAI : Regulators may put an end to discretionary portfolio management services offered by banks and brokerages after a series of frauds, including high-profile ones at City and Standard Chartered, said a person familiar with the thinking. You can read also Portfolio Management Quizzes RBI, SEBI and a sub-committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council are working on the proposed guidelines for portfolio management, said the person requesting anonymity. â€Å"RBI is likely to ask banks to stop discretionary portfolio management,† said the person. * RaghavanR. S, (2011) -Core and satellite portfolio construction& evaluation a popular investment method ; the seznsex has not been in the pink of health for a week now. The steep fall in the global indices and teetering economies have been weighing on the Indian quity market, which, in turn, has dented the value of equity portfolios. It's in times like these that the benefits of the core and satellite strategy towards investing become obvious. How it works the core and satellite portfolio management is a popular form of investment strategy with money managers and their clients. * ET Bureau, (2011), How to pick a portfolio construction ; evaluation scheme; Equity portfolio management schemes (PMS) are today quite attractive from the perspective of high net worth individuals (HNIs) or ultra HNIs. However, investor and distributor awareness of this product category is quite low and one must understand the benefits of using this mode for investing. Typically, the minimum application size in PMS products is rather high? With the minimum being Rs 10 lakh and some even having ticket sizes running into crore. Most equity PMS products could involve a slightly higher degree of risk as they are offered to investors who desire that extra bit of return.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Zero Dark Thirty and Torture

The Benefits of Torture Over the decades, people have viewed torture has horrifying. Inhumane, and excessive. In the movie, Zero Dark Thirty, directed by Kathy Biggest, it was mainly used for interrogations to obtain information from the detainees about certain people. In the film, there are many scenes that display the superficial layers of enhanced interrogation and gives the viewers an automatic response that torture is bad.While many viewers see that enhanced interrogation has many bad aspects, did they ever wonder about the good ones? How it helped to save many lives? How it helped to kill Osama bin Laden? Why it's needed to prevent further troubles? Did people ever consider the role of the torturer who suffers from conducting the acts? With much speculation, this topic has become an intriguing argument. Without changing the side of the viewer, what people must understand is that although our society perceives the thought of torture as being violent and unjustifiable, there are actually good parts to It.For example, If the affiliates of terrorists are being interrogated, aren't speaking, and have plans to bomb certain places but you don't now when, it seems necessary to use some form of action to make them feel vulnerable enough to speak because as an interrogator, one is being pressured to get the information as soon as possible to prevent any plots. Despite all the details regarding the bad aspects of enhanced interrogation, it should be reconsidered by society to ruminate the good points. Torture allows higher authorities to obtain information in a more efficient way.In the movie, Zero Dark Thirty, Dan was able to successfully attain bits and bits of information that would soon lead to Osama bin Laden. He used many methods such as hanging his extended arms to the ceiling while standing, playing loud music, depraving the subject of food and water, weatherboarding, humiliation, threatening, light effects. And putting the victim in a box. With the use of t hese methods, Dan did succeed in getting Intel from the detainee, which is why torture is useful and beneficial especially when it helps to save many lives.From the book, The Phenomenon of Torture, William Schulz mentions that â€Å"prolonged constraint or exertion, sustained deprivation of food or sleep, etc. Often becomes patterns to which a subject adjusts by becoming apathetic ND withdrawing into himself, in search of escape from the discomfort and tension† and as a result, when the interrogators use those techniques of deprivation, it could be used to lower the person's physiological resistance which will then lower the person's psychological capacity to the point where the subject withdraws.Just making the subject withdraw or talk Implies more than that, It's about power and Imposing one's will on another. One side Is absolutely powerful while the other coerced party Is totally powerless and undependable. One side can ask and answer, act and react,

George Herbert: Shaped Poems Essay

George Herbert’s style in his collection of religious poetry, The Temple, is very short, clear, concise, and gets to the point. Different from John Donne, Herbert structures his poetry around biblical metaphors and his struggle to define his relationship with God. Herbert places himself in church through many poems that are styled in an architectural form, however his emphasis is always on the soul’s inner construction. Rather than voice his fears about being saved by God or sinning as Donne had, Herbert faces his fearful behavior by focusing on his relationship with Christ. In order to do this, Herbert focuses on architectural motifs and how one’s soul is constructed to become a better person. Since Herbert is a metaphysical and religious poet, his poetry always ends with a metaphysical conceit. A metaphysical conceit is an extended metaphor that structures the entire poem. Usually, these metaphors deal with spirituality, intellectual ideas, and are supposed to teach one to be a good, or better Christian (Miller). The metaphysical conceit is one way in which a poem is structured, formed, or as Herbert writes, is used as an architectural form. In each of his poems, Herbert has a conceit that sums up the poetry. In other words, it serves a moral and we, the readers are taught a lesson. Another way architectural structure takes place in poetry is by the use of figurative language. For example, Herbert’s poetry is written with metaphors, similes, and his poetry is usually wrapped around the AABB and ABAB rhyme scheme. We see the use of these rhyme schemes in The Altar and Easter Wings. Architectural imagery takes place in a number of Herbert’s poetry. In The Temple, the opening poem is titled The Altar and the very shape of the poem suggests an altar of worship. The poems structure is in an AABB rhyme scheme and has many metaphors. In Lines 1-4, Herbert announces in his poem his intention to build an altar to the Lord. He states â€Å"†¦ Made of heart, and cemented with tears/As the hand thy framed; No workman’s tool hath touched the same†(1-5). This very quote gives the reference to building a relationship with God and it is given away in the poem that the altar is actually the human heart. This here is an example of the metaphysical conceit. He is using the broken altar as a metaphor for the heart and how one should sacrifice and offer himself to the lord. The altar Herbert is making to God in this poem is also made of â€Å"broken† material, not actually out of stone, but it is â€Å"Made of a heart, and cemented with tears†(2). Here, Herbert is building a sacrifice that is pleasing before God-an altar made of broken material, but the brokenness is from the soul, and the altar and offerings are of himself. We know this because he uses the first person narrative in lines 14-16. Herbert writes: â€Å"That, if I chance to hold my peace, these stones to praise thee may not cease. Oh let thy sacrifice be mine, and sanctify this altar to be thine† (14-16). His poem speaks about the internal emotions he has with God. He is comparing his cold, empty heart to a cold, hard stone. Herbert writes: â€Å"A heart alone is such a stone, as nothing but thy power doth cut†(5-8). This quote may suggest the cold and empty feeling he has because of God’s absence. He wants his heart to praise God, but feels like he cannot because he has to be part of a sacrifice as he states in lines 15-16. â€Å"Oh let thy blessed sacrifice be mine, and sanctify this altar to be thine†(15-16). Only by sacrificing his broken self will God accept and help him. However, The Altar is not the only poem in which architectural styles occur. Easter Wings, also takes on the metaphysical conceit and exhibition of architectural styles. Herbert’s poetry is meant to teach people to be good Christians, and by constructing the poem around biblical metaphors, the message is received. The point of having these biblical metaphors is to gain knowledge and define the relationship with God through Herbert’s eyes. In Easter Wings, Herbert structures his poem in the shaped verse. The four stanzas are shaped in two sets of angel wings. In terms of rhyme scheme, Herbert uses ababacdcdc in both stanzas. Each stanza represents a different relationship between God and man. Herbert’s poem deals with man’s suffering as the result of his sins and his repentance to God through the end of the poem. The poem starts with the idea that when God created man, man was given what is necessary to survive: â€Å"Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store† (1) God created man with an abundance and wealth of items needed to survive in this world, but man takes God’s gifts for granted ends up losing what was given to him. The greed that man had leads to the falling of man until the wealth given to him by God is nearly gone: â€Å"Decaying more and more, / Till he became / Most poor:† (3-5). Here, the structure of the poem is set up with man having all he needs, but by being greedy, he has fallen. This particular poem is amazing it terms of how it addresses the journey of man from his sin to God redeeming him. Each stanza discusses man’s self-destruction and how God eventually helps him. The language of loss and faith comes to play when God comes in. The poem is structured in a way that it starts with man having the most of things and goes to least of things when man sins and loses. For example, the second stanza moves from discussing man’s falling and focuses on man’s redemption through God. Herbert writes, â€Å"With thee / O let me rise / As larks, harmoniously,†(7-8). In these lines, man is giving himself to God and hopes that God will allow him to have what he had before: the items needed to survive. Similarly, by stanza three and four, we see the repeated pattern of man’s sin and the road to redemption from God. In a way, the structure of the poem is set up so that the reader realizes that the poem uses the ascending to descending to ascending again theme. It can be inferred that the person in the poem does good, but falls into sin, yet does good again and is eventually saved. Again, the third stanza addresses the sin of man: â€Å"My tender age in sorrow did begin: / And still with sickness and shame / Thou didst so punish sin, / That I became / Most thin† (11-14). Here, man discusses how God has punished him for his sins. When man sinned early on he was punished with sickness. Not only did God take away his wealth, but he also became sick, causing man to become â€Å"thin†. However, by stanza four, man hopes for redemption. Herbert writes: â€Å"With thee / Let me combine, / And feel this day thy victory, / For, if I imp my wing on thine, / Affliction shall advance the flight in me† (16-20). Here, Man wants God to become a part of him. As the word imp implies, man wants to attach himself to God so God can see how he is now devoted to him. Man speaks of attaching himself (imp) to the wing of God as a means of flying back towards being saved. Man will be taken under Gods wing and will be guided towards the path of righteousness. By doing this, man takes into account all the suffering that he has endured as a result of being punished for his sins. By reaffirming his devoutness to God, man hopes to redeem himself. In the poem, the words are not the only things that provide meaning. The poems shape also gives meaning. Although the language itself describes the sins and redemption of man, the shape of the poem is what really describes what is being said. As man’s destruction is described, the poem’s line lengths become smaller, and as man’s salvation is described, the line lengths become longer. This is what gives the image of two sets of wings, which symbolize man’s fall and eventual redemption towards the end of the poem. Here, the metaphysical conceit suggests that the wings are the actual salvation of man. The wings are being compared to a human characteristic, salvation. By recognizing his sins, man realizes that the only way he will be forgiven is if he goes towards salvation. It can be inferred that the message of this poem is to be grateful for what you have because it can be taken way in a blink of an eye. However, with repentance and devotion to God, you will be forgiven. In summation, Herbert’s use of architectural styles is what helps a reader generate the poems meaning. In almost all of his poems, Herbert’s use of architecture helps aid him in exhibiting the larger meaning. Usually, his ending message is that people must sacrifice what they have if they want a better, blessed life.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

buy custom Chlamydia essay

buy custom Chlamydia essay Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that is transmitted sexually. The disease is very common in the United States, with 5% of adults population contracting it and about 10% of sexually active youths, being infected by the same disease. The disease is common among young adults below 25 years of age, people in urban areas, African American and among those people of low social class. Chlamydia is caused by a bacterium called Chlamydia trachomatis. The modes of transmission includes sexual contacts or from mother to child during birth through the birth canal. In newborns Chlamydia can cause pneumonia and serious eye infections. The symptoms of Chlamydia are dependent on gender. About 70% to 80% of women any do not show any symptoms. However, some women bleed after sex or between monthly periods, experience pains in the lower abdomen and during urination and discharge from vagina. Few men display the symptoms such as pain during urination, discharge from the penis and inflammation of ducts in the testicles. The testicles become tender and painful. When one experiences suchsigns it advisable to visit a doctor, since the disease can develop to serious levels if it is not treated. In women it can lead to inflammation of the pelvis, which can cause sterility. During diagnosis of Chlamydia, physical examinations may be carried out. In women, tenderness in the sexual organ, pus from vagina and fever could indicate infection. In men discharge of pus from genital area is an indication of infection. Diagnostic tests may involve taking samples of discharge and examining them under the microscope, to determine the causative organisms. Samples of urine may be tested for the presence of the causative bacteria along other sexually transmitted infections. Antibiotics are used to treat Chlamydia. This includes azithromycin which is a single dose pill, or doxycycline which is taken twice daily. The two drugs have a high curing rate for the infection. The dose regime should be completed as directed by the doctor. One should ensure that their partners are not infected, and they should be retested after treatment to ensure that they are completely healed. To pprevent infection from the disease, one should use a condom during sexual intercourse and also avoid risk with multiple partners. Infected partners should be treated before any other sexual activity with them. If not treated, Chlamydia can develop various complications. It can cause pelvic inflammation disease in about 10% to 40%. 5% of these women with this disease develop perihepatitis. Women also develop chronic pain in the pelvis which can cause sterility due to blockage of the fallopian tubes. Fallopian tube allows the egg to move down to the uterus. Men may develop sexually acquired reactive arthritis or Reiter syndrome. In his article on genital herpes, Davidson has explained very well about the disease. He has touched on the cause, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. He has also clearly stated the appropriate time to see a doctor and the follow up of treatment. He has also explained on prognosis of genital herpes. However he has failed to indicate the specific medications used in the treatment of the disease and also he does not tell us the signs associated with herpes Buy custom Chlamydia essay

Free Essays on 2 Bullet Theory

On November 20, 1963 President John F. Kennedy, along with his wife, Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and Johnson’s wife, was headed to Texas for the sole purpose of trying to gain votes from the Texas Democratic Party before the election of 1964 (World Book Encyclopedia pg. 267). On November 22, 1964 the presidents plane landed in Dallas after a trip to Fort Worth. The president and his partners were to drive I a limousine through the streets of Dallas to the Dallas Trade Mart. As the president’s limousine proceeded down the streets, the crowd cheered for him very loudly. At about 12:30 p.m. the president’s car had approached the last leg of his ride through Dallas when gunshots rang out. The president’s head slumped down and had been apparently shot. President Kennedy was taken to an area hospital where doctors worked desperately to save him but their efforts failed (pg.267). John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been assassinated. Now the secret service had a murder to investigate. They began on the case immediately. Officials talked to many witnesses which all told them they saw a man with a gun on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository (pg. 268). Then the agents began to search for a man whom had ran out of that building shortly after the shots were fired. Police Officer J.D. Tippet recognized a man whom looked liked the suspect. He approached the man and tried to arrest him. This man, Lee Harvey Oswald, shot and killed officer Tippet with a revolver. A short while later Oswald was arrested at a theater and charged with the murder of Tippet and JFK (pg. 268). He was convicted and believed to have been a lone gunman. Some of the American public believed this case to be done and over with. I do not believe to this day that it is. I am going to prove that Oswald was not a lone gunman but that another person actually shot JFK from a manhole and in front of the president’s head. IF a person was to look... Free Essays on 2 Bullet Theory Free Essays on 2 Bullet Theory On November 20, 1963 President John F. Kennedy, along with his wife, Vice President Lyndon Johnson, and Johnson’s wife, was headed to Texas for the sole purpose of trying to gain votes from the Texas Democratic Party before the election of 1964 (World Book Encyclopedia pg. 267). On November 22, 1964 the presidents plane landed in Dallas after a trip to Fort Worth. The president and his partners were to drive I a limousine through the streets of Dallas to the Dallas Trade Mart. As the president’s limousine proceeded down the streets, the crowd cheered for him very loudly. At about 12:30 p.m. the president’s car had approached the last leg of his ride through Dallas when gunshots rang out. The president’s head slumped down and had been apparently shot. President Kennedy was taken to an area hospital where doctors worked desperately to save him but their efforts failed (pg.267). John Fitzgerald Kennedy had been assassinated. Now the secret service had a murder to investigate. They began on the case immediately. Officials talked to many witnesses which all told them they saw a man with a gun on the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository (pg. 268). Then the agents began to search for a man whom had ran out of that building shortly after the shots were fired. Police Officer J.D. Tippet recognized a man whom looked liked the suspect. He approached the man and tried to arrest him. This man, Lee Harvey Oswald, shot and killed officer Tippet with a revolver. A short while later Oswald was arrested at a theater and charged with the murder of Tippet and JFK (pg. 268). He was convicted and believed to have been a lone gunman. Some of the American public believed this case to be done and over with. I do not believe to this day that it is. I am going to prove that Oswald was not a lone gunman but that another person actually shot JFK from a manhole and in front of the president’s head. IF a person was to look...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Individual Leadership Approach Paper Essays

Individual Leadership Approach Paper Essays Individual Leadership Approach Paper Essay Individual Leadership Approach Paper Essay The major research approaches to studying leadership are the trait approach, the behavior approach, the power-influence approach, the situational approach, and the integrative approach. The trait approach studies natural leaders who never get tired, have precise intuition, predicting foresight, and powers to help others believe the leader’s approaches. The personality, motives, values, and skills attributes, of this approach, are better examined when studying leadership behavior and effectiveness before researching the values of the leader, related to ethical leadership. The behavior approach has two general subcategories. One subcategory researches managers’ activities, responsibilities, functions and meeting demands and overcoming challenges and limitations of their duties. The management methods consist of data collection from observing, keeping daily journals, job description questionnaires, and anecdotes obtained from interviews. The other subcategory of the behavior approach consists of a behavior description survey design. The power-influence approach specifies the influential process of leaders in comparison to other individuals. This approach analyzes the leader perspective with the constant situation of leaders acting and followers reacting. Leadership effectiveness related to leader power is important. The power controls subordinates, peers, superiors, clients, and suppliers. The way followers behave is also controlled from the actions of leaders. Influence tactics are the liaison between the power-influence approach and the behavior approach. One of the tactics is the participative leadership that is closely related to sharing of power and empowering the followers. This is also entailed in the behavior research. Another tactic is ‘consultation and delegation to give people a sense of ownership for decisions† (Leadership in Organizations, Seventh Edition, Yukl, 2010). The situational approach focuses on followers’ characteristics, the type of work in the leader’s unit, the specific industry, and the company’s customers. This approach also has two major sub-categories. One sub-category discovers the similarities and differences organizations’ levels of management and cultures. The other subcategory of situational research is the relationship of leader attributes (i. e. raits, skills, behavior) to his/her effectiveness. This relationship is â€Å"a contingency theory† of leadership. An integrative approach integrates all approaches as variables, i. e. the variables are the traits, behavior, influence processes, situational variables, and outcomes of the situation. â€Å"An example of the integrative approach is the self-concept theory of charismat ic leadership, which attempts to explain why the followers of some leaders are willing to exert exceptional effort and make personal sacrifices to accomplish the group objective or mission. (Leadership in Organizations, Seventh Edition, Yukl, 2010) The major research approach to studying leadership is the integrative approach. The strength of the integrative leadership approach is its reliability because of its inclusiveness of many aspects of the leader’s style, which goes along with being a well-rounded leader. Reliability is specific to the approach’s correctness and accuracy from a logical, mathematical, and statistical perspective. Another strength of this approach is that the selected leaders would be exceptional in most tasks related to their personal and work life. They would be the most admired leaders and would be the perfect example of how a leader should be. The major weakness of this leadership approach is that it would take a considerable amount of time to evaluate someone’s leadership ability and there would be less people to select from for the leadership role. Hence, the diversity in the leadership role would be less present. The distinction between the strengths and weaknesses of the integrative leadership approach is very narrow because the weakness shows the difficulty of being selected as a leader and being even greater of a leader from past well known leaders of all periods of time. Organizations use the integrative leadership approach during selection of managers and during creation of mission statements for the companies to make the most profit possible. The government uses the integrative leadership approach to study the leadership style of a particular leader. The technical industry uses the integrative approach to studying leadership before they hire their employees. They are the most talented employees and all of them are exceptional leaders.