Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Biblical Names In Toni Morrisons Song Of Solomon

People choose names for a reason, whether it is so that the child takes on a certain personality, based on who they are named after, or so that he or she may carry on the name of a beloved family member. Many names that are popular today are names from the Bible, since most of the biblical characters possess characteristics that parents would want their child to have. Names like Noah, Jacob, David, and Miriam, are names currently in the top 1000 child names in the world, and they are all biblical names. Names from the Bible are also found in many works of literature, like Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a coming of age story about a young man during the mid twentieth century. The reader is introduced to multiple characters with biblical†¦show more content†¦Both women sacrificed something valuable, Reba her diamond ring and Rebecca her family relationships, so that their children would be happy. The role of Reba in Song of Solomon is that of a motherly figure, always putting her children first and not worrying about her own needs. This description aligns well with biblical Rebecca, who sacrifices her relationship with part of her family in order to please her son, Jacob. Reba is a kinder and more selfless version of the Bible’s version of Rebecca. Reba’s aunt, Ruth Foster, has a name that is also associated with a character in the Bible, also named Ruth. In the Bible, after her husband died, Ruth faithfully stays with her mother-in-law, refusing to leave. One of Ruth’s most notable quotes from the Bible is as follows: â€Å"Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die—there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!† (Ruth 1:16-17). In this quote, the reader can see that Ruth is willing to stay by her mother-in-law’s side no matter what, even claiming that she would even die with her. Naomi, her mother-in-law, is a constant reminder of Ruth’s husband, and she refuses to leave her because Naomi is the only reminder she has of her late husband. In Song of Solomon, afterShow MoreRelated Essay on Spirituality in Song of Solomon894 Words   |  4 PagesInclusive Spirituality in Song of Solomon    When slaves were brought to America they were taken from all they had known and forced to live in a land of dark irony that, while promising life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, provided them with only misery. In a situation such as the one in which the slaves found themselves, many people would rely on their religion to help them survive. But would slaves be able to find spiritual comfort within the parameters of a religion that had been passedRead More Biblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Essay example673 Words   |  3 PagesBiblical Illusions in Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, is about a man named Macon Dead. Throughout this novel, however, he is known by all except his father as Milkman because his mother breastfed him until he was in his teens. The novel centers on Milkmans attempt to find himself. His family is a wealthy black family living in a poor black neighborhood, where Milkmans father prohibits Milkman from interacting with most of them, including his aunt. HoweverRead MoreFaith, Belief and Human Experience in Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 1756 Words   |  8 Pagesanswered was: What role does myth plays in Song of Solomon? This particular question had posed the most important and significant part of the novel. 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Essay909 Words   |  4 PagesToni Morrisons award-winning novel Song of Solomon is full of very interesting, deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed Milkman, is a very symbolic character throughout the novel. His character is not only symbolic, for so is h is name. Also, Milkmans paternal aunt, Pilate, has an extremely significannot and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away her fathers wife. Seeing that Pontius Pilate sentenced Jesus to death, the nameRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Song Of Solomon1412 Words   |  6 PagesIn Toni Morrison’s award-winning novel â€Å"Song of Solomon,† she fills the novel with deep symbolism. Macon Dead III, nicknamed â€Å"Milkman,† is a symbolic character throughout the novel. Not only is he as a character symbolic, but his name is as well. Milkman’s aunt, Pilate, has a significant and symbolic role in the novel. To her father, she represents the child who killed her own mother and took away his wife. In the Bible, PontiusRead MoreAnalysis Of Toni Morrison s Song Of Solomon 1213 Words   |  5 Pages Song of Solomon Producing the plot with a vivid image and motive allowed Toni Morrison to incorporate numerous literary works to enhance the allusions in the story. These specific allusions gave readers a more accurate understanding of certain aspects of the book. As well as this, readers are capable of searching beyond just the surface of what the words say. The common use of biblical references and myths, as well as other notations, provideRead More A Comparison of Christian Symbols in Song of Solomon, Sula, and Beloved2397 Words   |  10 PagesAlthough religion does not exist as a central theme in Toni Morrison’s work, it does set premise for a richly intertwined web of symbolism. Morrison’s novels focus on the lives of characters acting in the present day or recent past. For African Americans, events of the past are a crucial facet of culture as they seek to remember their history, the most influential of these events reaching far back into the years of slavery. Historians argue that for incoming slaves, Christianity offered a religiousRead MoreSong Of Solomon Character Analysis1415 Words   |  6 Pages Song of Solomon Topic #5 LAP Abid Ahmad Abid Ahmad 1 The names given to the characters in a book are in many cases the poetic insight to their role and their traits. In this manner, a character’s name can sometimes tell the reader more about them than any specific sentence in the book. This is very much the case with Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. The characters in the book have names that directly correlate with their role and individual traits. This is the caseRead More American Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative Frederick Douglass, Life of a Slave Girl, and Push1924 Words   |  8 PagesAmerican Dream in Song of Solomon, Narrative of Frederick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Push   Ã‚   In an era where knowledge is power, the emphasis on literacy in African American texts is undeniable. Beginning with the first African American literary works, the slave narratives, through the canons more recent successes such as Toni Morrisons Song of Solomon and Sapphires Push, the topic of literacy is almost inextricably connected to freedom and power. A closer investigation

Monday, December 16, 2019

Theory and Practice of Work with Young People Free Essays

string(241) " moral underclass discourse lays the blame for social inequalities, poverty and disaffection solely on the shoulders of the working class themselves because: ‘The problems faced are then seen not so much as structural but as personal\." ‘The group constituted an open air society, a communal gathering which had great importance socially, culturally and economically. ——— During each nightly meeting the young worker, once fully integrated, listened, questioned, argued and received unawares an informal education.. We will write a custom essay sample on Theory and Practice of Work with Young People or any similar topic only for you Order Now ’ (Roberts in Smith, 1998:24). Describing his experience of street groups in the early part of the 20th century, Roberts uses the term ‘informal education’ to describe the accidental learning that took place as a direct result of the interaction between young working men. But can what we call ‘informal education’ in the 21st century be described as accidental? Mark Smith argues that whilst: ‘Learning may at first seem to be incidental it is not necessarily accidental; actions are taken with some purpose. The specific goal may not be clear at any one time – yet the process is deliberate.’ (Smith, 1994:63). Throughout this assignment I shall be exploring the term ‘informal education’, examining its origins and meanings, its purpose and practice. Using historical information to examine the early roots of present day youth work, I shall asking whether anything has really changed in the past 150 years by exploring the issues that I face in my day to day practice as a youth and community worker. In 1755 Jean Jacques Rousseau published his work ‘A Discourse on Inequality’ and argued that as civilisations grew, they corrupted: ‘Mans natural happiness and freedom by creating artificial inequalities of wealth, power and social privilege’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rous.htm) In 1801 Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi published How Gertrude Teaches Her Children. Like Rousseau, Pestalozzi was concerned with social justice and he sought to work with those he considered to be adversely affected by social conditions, seeing in education an opportunity for improvement. (Smith, 2001). In the first half of the 20th century John Dewey published three books that built on the earlier work of educationalists like Rousseau and Pestalozzi. These works heavily influenced the development of informal education as we know it today since they: ‘Included a concern with democracy and community; with cultivating reflection and thinking; with attending to experience and the environment.’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/thinkers/et-hist.htm#theory). In 1946 Josephine Macalister Brew’s book Informal Education: Adventures and Reflections, brought informal education into the realm of youth work. This was followed in 1966 by The Social Education of the Adolescent by Bernard Davies and Alan Gibson. Since then there have been numerous works on the subject of informal education, most notably, in relation to youth work, those of Tony Jeffs and Mark Smith. So what exactly is informal education? Like many terms in use today, it is widely used to describe an enormous variety of settings and activities. In 1960 the Albermarle Report used it to describe youth work provision as: ‘The continued social and informal education of young people in terms most likely to bring them to maturity’. (in Smith, 1988:124). Houle (1980) favoured the experiential definition of informal education describing it as ‘education that occurs as a result of direct participation in the events of life’ (In Smith, 1988:130), whilst Mark Smith said ‘one way of thinking about informal education is as the informed use of the everyday in order to enable learning’ (Smith, 1988:130). In 2001 Smith went further, describing informal education that: ‘* works through and is driven by conversation * involves exploring and enlarging experience * can take place in any setting’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/i-intro.htm) And of its purpose: ‘At one level, the purpose of informal education is no different to any other form of education. In one situation we may focus on, say, healthy eating, in another family relationships. However, running through all this is a concern to build the sorts of communities and relationships in which people can be happy and fulfilled.’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/i-intro.htm). Whilst I would agree with Mark Smiths definition of informal education there is and has been an enormous diversity of opinions, theories and explanations of exactly what sort of community we need for people to be happy and fulfilled. Smith’s assertion that the role of informal educators is to work towards all people being able to share a ‘common life’ with an emphasis on: ‘Work for the well-being of all, respect the unique value and dignity of each human being, dialogue, equality and justice, democracy and the active involvement of people in the issues that affect their lives’ (Smith, 2001, http://www.infed.org/i-intro.htm) involves a commitment to anti-oppressive practice that is expounded in much of the literature surrounding the field of informal education. But this has not always been the case and can we hand on heart honestly lay claim to practicing liberating education in our work today? Whilst Rousseau, Pestalozzi and Dewey all identified structural inequalities and believed that ‘education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform’ (Dewey in Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/archives/e-texts/e-dew-pc.htm) the application of their theories were not always applied to the work of those who first began providing services for young people. Indeed early ventures into the field of youth work are often seen as controlling not liberating and as overtly oppressive instead of anti-oppressive. ‘The early youth service history in both England and Wales has been described – as a time when work with young people was characterised by both appalling social and employment conditions and by rapid social and political change caused by the development of an industrialised urban society’ (Jones Rose, 2001:27) It is within this context that intervention by middle class societies and organisations in the 1800’s was seen to be necessary in order to rescue, control and/or rehabilitate young, working class people. Concern over the working conditions of children and young people brought into being an array of groups, clubs and educational services and policies designed to rescue and protect young people from the worst excesses of employment practices and the failure of working class parents to provide a suitable and controlled home life. ‘Working class adolescents were thought to be most likely to display delinquent and rebellious characteristics – because it was widely assumed that working class parents exercised inadequate control over brutal adolescent instincts’ (Humphries 1981 in Smith, 1988:9) This moral underclass discourse lays the blame for social inequalities, poverty and disaffection solely on the shoulders of the working class themselves because: ‘The problems faced are then seen not so much as structural but as personal. The central deficit is often portrayed as emotional or moral’ (Smith, 1988:56). And it also suggests that: ‘Their behaviour, without coercion and control, will mean that they will remain unable to join the included majority’ (Payne, 2001: handout) By the end of the 19th century, compulsory education and a growing number of welfare statutes meant that youth workers focus shifted from welfare and rescue to a concern with the moral character of young people which was underpinned by the growing influence of Victorian family ideology. ‘The Victorian middle class had very definite ideas about the ideal family and the desirability of imposing such an ideal upon the whole of society.’ (Finnegan, 1999:129) This was: ‘Not just a family ideology but also a gender ideology. It was a careful and deliberate attempt to reorganise the relations between the sexes according to middle-class ways and values and then define the outcome as somehow being natural’ (Smith, 1988:4) Thompson says of this view: ‘To describe, for example, the traditional male role of breadwinner as ‘natural’ adds a false, pseudo-biological air of legitimacy.’ (Thomspon, 2001:28) This was at a time when the ‘discovery’ of adolescence by Hall and Slaughter and a biologically determined explanation of human behaviour meant that: ‘Those who saw it as their duty or job to intervene in the lives of young people, now had a suitable vocabulary of scientific terms with which to carry forward their intentions’ (Smith, 1988:9) The Biological determination of human behaviour further justified differentiated gender roles within the family as well as creating an: ‘Ideology of adolescence marked out (by) a biologically determined norm of youthful behaviour and appearance which was white/anglo, middle class, heterosexual, able bodied male’ (Griffin, 1993:18) However, just as family ideology was a driving force in determining social relations at the beginning of the twentieth century; it is just as powerful here in the twenty-first. Roche Tucker say that: ‘It is through the use of the representations (discursive messages and images) contained within ‘family ideology’ that social policies and educational and welfare arrangements are constructed and maintained.’ (Roche Tucker 2001:94) Gittins agreed: ‘Family ideology has been a vital means – the vital means – of holding together and legitimising the existing social, economic, political and gender systems.’ (Gittins in Roche Tucker 2001:94) This is significant if Driver and Martell are correct in asserting that present day ‘Labour increasingly favours conditional, morally prescriptive, conservative and individual communitarianisms’ (Driver Martell, 1997:27) which Etzioni believed would right the social problems of today that are attributable to the ‘failure of people to exercise social and moral responsibility’ (Etzioni in Henderson Salmon, 1988:22). Etzioni emphasised the role of the traditional nuclear family in inculcating in children the right moral standards and he described communitarianism saying: ‘Communitarians – call for a peer marriage of two parents committed to one another and their children’ (Etzioni in Henderson Salmon, 1988:22) Like the Victorians, present day government can be seen as equally keen to legislate into being their ideology of the nuclear family through the use of stricter divorce laws and punitive measures imposed on single parents. The decision to cut lone parent premiums from income support and child benefit in 1998 are examples of a willingness to impose their ideology on society as a whole despite the fact that what they are proposing as ‘normal’ or ‘natural’ is not bourn out statistically. ‘The ideological norm of the nuclear family is often presented as if it were a statistical norm whereas, in fact, only 23% of households follow the nuclear family pattern of biological parents with their dependent children.’ (Thompson, 2001:28) Michael Anderson also points out that despite the belief that the traditional family has only recently become fragmented, marital break up was a regular feature of 19th century Britain and is not peculiar to the 20th century. Comparing marital dissolution caused by death in 1826 and by death and divorce in 1980, Anderson concluded that: ‘The problem of marital break-up is not then new – (it) was clearly, statistically, an equally or even more serious problem’ (Anderson in Drake, 1994:73) However, this desire and determination to bring about a particular kind of society influenced by a set of morals and ideals is reminiscent of Mark Smiths definition of the purpose of informal education as: ‘A concern to build the sorts of communities and relationships in which people can be happy and fulfilled.’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/i-intro.htm). The only real difference lies in the definition of what makes for community fulfilment and happiness. Smith says that informal education: ‘Involves setting out with the intention of fostering learning. It entails influencing the environment and is based on a commitment to certain values..’ (Smith, 1999:19). It would not be difficult to describe the efforts of the middle class in the 19th century in such a way although with our 21st century eyes we now believe we can read the intended control and oppression of working class communities behind their ideals. But in the 21st century are we actually doing much better? If our suspicions concerning the intentionality behind the actions of Victorian middle class youth workers are correct, can we say our own intentionality is any purer? If intentionality can be understood as power as defined by Bertrand Russell when he says that power is the ‘production of intended effects’ (in Jeffs Smith, 1990:5), we could be accused of wielding power in order to create the sorts of communities and relationships in which people can be happy and fulfilled’ (Smith, 2001, www.infed.org/i-intro.htm), according to our own philosophies, beliefs and current hegemonic principles, in much the same way that we accuse the middle class philanthropists of the 19th century. Is the ability to wield power to effect change in the lives of others conducive with a practice that has at its heart a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice which: ‘Means recognising power imbalances and working towards the promotion of change to redress the balance of power’ (Dalrympole Burke, 2000:15). As professional workers we can also be considered middle class? All of which begs the question, have we more in common with our predecessors than we like to think? It is certainly possible that they too thought they were operating with the same ‘moral authority’ that Jeffs Smith describe as part of an informal educators role in: ‘Being seen by others as people with integrity, wisdom and an understanding of right and wrong’ (Jeffs Smith, 1999:85) Especially in their desire to provide a ‘strong guiding influence to lead them (young people) onward and upward socially and morally’ (Sweatman, 1863 in Smith, 1988:12). No doubt they would also have agreed with Kerry Young’s description of youth work as supporting ‘young people’s moral deliberations and learning’ (Young in Banks, 1999:89). But early youth workers cannot be described as concerned with equality and anti-oppressive practice. On the contrary, their work was: ‘Contained within particular class, gender, racial and age structures: a woman’s place was in the home, to be British was to be best, betters were to be honoured and youth had to earn its advancement and wait its turn’ (Smith, 1988:19) This made life extremely difficult for anyone who did not fit the stereotypical image of British youth. Tolerance and respect for other races and religious systems was not a feature of informal education and, for example, the estimated 100,000 Jewish immigrants that arrived in Britain between 1840 and 1914 had great difficulty: ‘Maintaining a distinctive culture in a climate of oppression and restriction – (coupled with) pressures – to acculturate to middle-class norms’ (Pryce, 2001:82) So what of my practice, of my intentionality? Do I operate from a moral underclass ideology that blames homeless young people for their situation or do I work from a redistributive discourse that sees the issue of poverty as central to the exclusion these young people experience? Can what I do in my day to day practice be termed informal education? Am I concerned with oppression and anti-oppressive practice? Much of what I and Nightstop as an agency do in our work involves enabling young people to live within a system that is discriminatory, unfair and biased towards a particular form of family ideology that suggests that young people should remain dependent on their parents until financially independent or aged 25 which means that they are entitled to lower rates of benefit. Even those young people who work find themselves living on lower wages than their older colleagues. Christine Griffin argued that the discovery of adolescence: ‘Emerged primarily as a consequence of changes in class relations as expanding capitalist economies demanded a cheap and youthful labour force’ (Griffin in Roche Tucker, 2001:18) Even today the notion that young people deserve less pay than their elders finds voice in the policies of the minimum wage which offers no restriction on wages for 16/17 year olds and a lower rate for those aged 18-22. Our continued involvement in teaching them to budget their reduced incomes could easily be described as an expression of an ideology that believes that it is the lack of skills these young people have that cause them difficulties in surviving the benefit and pay systems rather than a belief in the failure of the systems to provide adequate means of survival. And if this was all that we do we could not be described as informal educators if part of the formulae for informal education involves: ‘Equality and justice, democracy and the active involvement of people in the issues that affect their lives’ (Smith, 2001, http://www.infed.org/i-intro.htm) However, whilst enabling young people to develop the skills necessary to live independently we also encourage them to question the inequalities they face and the ideologies underpinning them. By engaging young people in conversation, which Jeffs and Smith say is ‘central to our work as informal educators’ (Jeffs Smith, 1999:21), and asking ‘is that fair’ and ‘why do you think that is’ we encourage them to question things they take for granted as normal and natural and involve them in what Freire described as ‘problem-posing’ education which encourages people to critically examine the world so they may: ‘Perceive the reality of oppression, not as a closed world from which there is no exit, but as a limiting situation which they can transform’ (Freire, 1993:31). I do not believe the same can be said for the work of early youth workers and much of the work they undertook can be understood as designed to maintain the status quo, to silence the witnesses to oppressive regimes and to control the masses that were beginning to organise themselves via the emergence of trade unions. Emile Durkheim described this type of education as ‘simply the means by which society prepares, in its children, the essential conditions of its own existence’ (Giddens, 1972:203), which can be understood as a form of social control. ` The process which enforces values and maintains order is termed social control` (Hoghughi, 1983 in Hart, 2001, youthworkcentral.tripod.com/sean1.htm) Again the question arises, as informal educators in the 21st century are we doing much better? Sean Hart believes we may not. Social control within a context of community work may be regarded as a process of continuity. Indeed much community work, especially that of those with right wing political ideology, involves self-help and making the best of what you have. Thus, it could be argued that this kind of work reinforces the current hegemony and deflects from attempts to challenge the oppression it creates. (Hart, 2001, youthworkcentral.tripod.com/sean1.htm) The difficulty in this for my work is that the young people with whom I work must learn to make the best of what they have and the daily grind of finding enough to eat means that they have little energy left for dismantling oppressive regimes. As Friere said: ‘One of the gravest obstacles to the achievement of liberation is that oppressive reality absorbs those within it and thereby acts to submerge human beings consciousness’ (Freire, 1993:33). And as they struggle with meeting their most basic of needs I sometimes find it difficult to justify my continuing commitment to educate them about inequality when their overwhelming deprivation is viewed from my comfortable, middle class life style. The inescapable ethical dilemma is very clear since their need pays for and justifies my existence as the manager of Nightstop. As Mark Smith says the welfare professions: ‘Provide a rich source of desirable jobs – for members of elite and middle class groups where such groups can enjoy varying degrees of power, privilege and freedom in their work’ (Smith, 1988:58). And I certainly do have power, not only within my own organisation but within local government departments who actively seek my input on the development of services for homeless young people. But in order to ensure that I do not ‘help to maintain the system which supports (me)’ (Smith, 1988:58) I now encourage those systems to interact directly with the young people for whom services are being designed at the same time as encouraging young people themselves to play an active part in service development by helping them develop their social intelligence. This can be described as: ‘An understanding of social rules which govern our interactions and an ability to follow or manipulate these to achieve our ends.’ (Graham in Hunter, 2001:75). and although this means that I favour David Clarks model of community ‘as a collection of social systems and of individuals in community as affected by different systems’ (Hunter, 2001:20) and of community development as ‘opening systems up to each other’ (Hunter, 2001:112) this does not fit with Freire’s view that: ‘The solution is not to â€Å"integrate† them into the structure of oppression but to transform that structure so that they can become â€Å"beings for themselves’ (Freire, 1996:55). However, I also believe that young people themselves have the ability to transform the structure by virtue of their active involvement within it since I do not see young people as incapable of making a vital and valuable contribution to their communities. In this I seek to avoid the accusation that I have a ‘lack of confidence in the people’s ability to think, to want and to know’ (Freire, 1996:42). The same cannot be said of the youth workers in the early 20th century who felt it necessary to improve young people but without the welfare and rescue focus found it necessary to have other ways of encouraging young people to attend. This was resolved in so far as young people were to be attracted by leisure opportunities whilst support from the ruling classes could be enlisted via the aims of moral improvement so close to their heart. Baden-Powell’s identification of citizenship as an answer to problematic youth in 1907 enabled him to offer up scouting and its emphasis on: ‘Observation and deduction, chivalry, patriotism, self-sacrifice, personal hygiene, saving life, self-reliance, etc’ (Jeal, 1995:382) Claiming this would produce a new generation of young people who would fit more closely the ideals sought. In other words he described his practice in terms likely to fit the dominant ideology of the day in order to secure the support he needed to continue the work. Again reminiscent of today since: ‘Attempts to attract changing sources of funding have usually been accompanied by promises to elicit from young people whatever behaviour was required by the particular funding body’ (Young in Banks, 1999:78). I encounter the dilemma between the needs of my organisation for funding and the desire to end the stereotypical classification of homeless young people on a regular basis as I am frequently required to describe homeless young people in terms that are labelling and oppressive in order to meet the criteria and therefore the ideology of funders which suggests that young people should be capable of independent adult life but whose efforts are actually ‘ consistently thwarted by (their) relegation to the status of a dependent underclass’ (Henderson Salmon, 1988:30). The new youth service of 1900s found that: ‘While clubs have exploited the need for recreation among working class adolescents, and combined this with their being vehicles for a conservative ideology, they did not necessarily attract large numbers’ (White early 1900’s in Smith, 1988:14). Concern with the numbers of young people attending youth provision is no less today than it was then. The continued need of sponsors, whether statutory or voluntary, for statistical information concerning the use of facilities and opportunities, means that we are ever pushed towards quantifying our work for evaluation purposes instead of concentrating on the quality of provision. Mark Smith says that: ‘Part of the reason for the failure to attract working class young people lies in the tension between social provision and improving aims’ (Smith, 1988:14) and although he was describing the dilemmas of early youth workers I believe this is also present today. If informal education has purpose then it cannot be anything other than improving, even Jeffs and Smith say that informal education works to the ‘betterment of individuals, groups and communities’ (Jeffs Smith, 1999:83). And if we are not honest and open about our improving aims, can young people be said to be participating voluntarily from a position of informed consent? The need to ‘improve’ and ‘socialise’ young people has continued to be a recurring theme throughout the 20th century within government policy. The Education Act of 1918 gave Local Education Authorities the power to spend money on the ‘social training of young people’ (Smith, 1988:34). Circular 1486, In the Service of Youth (Board of Education, 1939) which said that youth services should have ‘an equal status with other educational services’ (Nicholls, 1997:8) talked of the disruption the ’14-20 age group had suffered in its physical and social development’ (Smith, 1988:34). Circular 1516, The Challenge of Youth said the aim of an LEA should be to ‘develop the whole personality of individual boys and girls to enable them to take their place as full members of a free community’ (Nicholls, 1997:9) whilst Circular 1577 (Board of Education 1941) required young people to register with their LEA and ‘be interviewed and advised as to how they might spend their leisure time’ (Smith, 1988:35). In 1960 the Albermarle Report portrayed ‘the main job of youth work as being to help young people to become ‘healthy’ adults’ (Smith, 1988:49) although Mark Smith argues that the ‘second element of Albemarles vision for the youth service (was) the containment and control of troublesome youth’ (Smith, 1988:71). In 1966 the Home Office Children’s Department began planning: ‘Community Development Projects – to aid work preventing family breakdown and juvenile delinquency’ (Nicholls, 1997:20) which effectively takes us back 100 years. Informal education since then has taken on many guises, from concern about dwindling numbers of young people attending provision, to a growing awareness that there are young people who do not attend at all, the ‘unattached’ youth. However it is the continuing response to a problematic discourse that has characterised the series of moral panics about young people that has in the past and continues today to shape youth work. Conclusion Although a growing political awareness of the needs of young people who have been marginalised and excluded by society because of their race, gender, disability, sexuality and class etc., led to targeted work that was and is ‘issue based’, youth work has, throughout the past 150 years, maintained its associational character (Smith, 2001). However, recent work has begun to concentrate more on the individual than the ‘social groupwork’ (Smith, 2002, www.infed.org/youthwork/transforming.htm) Smith says is fundamental to informal education. The linking of the youth service to the Connexions Strategy with its emphasis on surveillance, control and containment, coupled with an individual, case work emphasis will mean that: ‘The concern with conversation, experience and democracy normally associated with informal education is pushed to the background’ (Smith, 2002, www.infed.org/youthwork/transforming.htm) Working to state led objectives and targets that are fed by a communitarianist ideology that focuses on the family mean that what informal educators do in the twenty-first century does not differ greatly from the work undertaken in the 19th and the assumption that adults have a right to intervene in the lives of young people, from a variety of hidden agendas and purposes continues unchallenged. In 1944 Paneth asked: ‘Have we been intruders, disturbing an otherwise happy community, or is it only the bourgeois in us, coming face to face with his opponents, who minds and wants to change them because he feels threatened? Or do they need help from outside? (Paneth, 1944 in Smith, 1988:37). How to cite Theory and Practice of Work with Young People, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Are You My Mother free essay sample

Hot salty tears running fast, the feeling of confusion and hope all jumbled into one, the overwhelming aching of my heart filling my chest. One question kept repeating itself in my head, over and over. Will I ever see her again? It was my biological mother who I was referring to, the woman who I had not seen for 13 years. And at 16 years old, I was back at square one with nothing to hold onto but the fading scent of her perfume. It felt as though she was leaving for the first time, like she hadn’t done this before. As if she had never given me up for foster care, instead of giving me to my dad. It left me with the strong sense of compassion coursing through my body. I knew then, her absence in my life had caused me to care more for others. My father searched for me when my biological mom gave me up, along with his old high school sweetheart who is now my mother. We will write a custom essay sample on Are You My Mother? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He received full custody when I was three months old. The facts were never hidden from me of what had occurred, which was helpful. Facts are unbiased, so my biological mother was never bashed. I didn’t have some skewed image of her as a horrid woman who selfishly gave up her child. At a young age I had come to believe that she had done it because it was the right thing to do, and I still believe that to this day. It wasnt until that summer; when I met her that her true colors came out. The colors my parents tried so desperately to conceal from me. These colors were dark, nothing bright and vibrant like I had hoped. That hot summer day things were going well until she began talking about my fathers birthday. But when mine was brought up, she mumbled something and changed the subject. She didnt know when mine was. Something snapped inside, why could she remember his and not mine? It didn’t end there though. Slowly she began moving closer to my father, conversing only with him. It was assumed, and yes, even expected that she was to be catching up on decade and some years she had missed, not catching up on the good old days. I stood there baffled, gritting my teeth at the fact that I was being ignored. It hit me then, the most hurtful thing anyone can do to me is ignore me, and it was because she had ignored me all these years. I have never been able to disregard someone, its impossible, because I would by no means want to hurt another person like that. Now I had recently found out the amount of which she pays in child support. A meager 25 dollars a month, and for 12 months for 18 years adds up to a nice sum of 5,400 dollars. But for some that is one month of child support. She had made me feel as if I was only worth that. My life had been sold on clearance, for 25 dollars. There were never any holidays such as birthdays/Christmas/Easter presents, not one single card. I was non-existent to her. This, in turn, made me hyper vigilant to those around me and their feelings. Every year I write heartfelt cards to my family members, and their tears of joy are enough to know that Ive accomplished what I had hoped to. This was to express just how much joy they bring to my life, and how much I love them. For I would never want another human being to feel as worthless as I had felt. She still doesnt know the moment that door clicked, the moment I couldn’t hear her soft steps anymore, those salty tears escaped me. Not because of how hurt I felt, but because I knew I could never hate her for what she had done and continues to do. So instead of holding a grudge, a chip on my shoulder for the rest of my life, I make it my goal to make everyone I interact with feel cared for, significant, and left feeling warm. All because of her absence in my life. Are You My Mother free essay sample Hot salty tears running fast, the feeling of confusion and hope all jumbled into one, the overwhelming aching of my heart filling my chest. One question kept repeating itself in my head, over and over. Will I ever see her again? It was my biological mother who I was referring to, the woman who I had not seen for 13 years. And at 16 years old, I was back at square one with nothing to hold onto but the fading scent of her perfume. It felt as though she was leaving for the first time, like she hadn’t done this before. As if she had never given me up for foster care, instead of giving me to my dad. It left me with the strong sense of compassion coursing through my body. I knew then, her absence in my life had caused me to care more for others. My father searched for me when my biological mom gave me up, along with his old high school sweetheart who is now my mother. We will write a custom essay sample on Are You My Mother? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He received full custody when I was three months old. The facts were never hidden from me of what had occurred, which was helpful. Facts are unbiased, so my biological mother was never bashed. I didn’t have some skewed image of her as a horrid woman who selfishly gave up her child. At a young age I had come to believe that she had done it because it was the right thing to do, and I still believe that to this day. It wasnt until that summer; when I met her that her true colors came out. The colors my parents tried so desperately to conceal from me. These colors were dark, nothing bright and vibrant like I had hoped. That hot summer day things were going well until she began talking about my fathers birthday. But when mine was brought up, she mumbled something and changed the subject. She didnt know when mine was. Something snapped inside, why could she remember his and not mine? It didn’t end there though. Slowly she began moving closer to my father, conversing only with him. It was assumed, and yes, even expected that she was to be catching up on decade and some years she had missed, not catching up on the good old days. I stood there baffled, gritting my teeth at the fact that I was being ignored. It hit me then, the most hurtful thing anyone can do to me is ignore me, and it was because she had ignored me all these years. I have never been able to disregard someone, its impossible, because I would by no means want to hurt another person like that. Now I had recently found out the amount of which she pays in child support. A meager 25 dollars a month, and for 12 months for 18 years adds up to a nice sum of 5,400 dollars. But for some that is one month of child support. She had made me feel as if I was only worth that. My life had been sold on clearance, for 25 dollars. There were never any holidays such as birthdays/Christmas/Easter presents, not one single card. I was non-existent to her. This, in turn, made me hyper vigilant to those around me and their feelings. Every year I write heartfelt cards to my family members, and their tears of joy are enough to know that Ive accomplished what I had hoped to. This was to express just how much joy they bring to my life, and how much I love them. For I would never want another human being to feel as worthless as I had felt. She still doesnt know the moment that door clicked, the moment I couldn’t hear her soft steps anymore, those salty tears escaped me. Not because of how hurt I felt, but because I knew I could never hate her for what she had done and continues to do. So instead of holding a grudge, a chip on my shoulder for the rest of my life, I make it my goal to make everyone I interact with feel cared for, significant, and left feeling warm. All because of her absence in my life.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Project Proposal Template Essay Example

Project Proposal Template Essay Project Proposal Template Cover Page United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability Project title: Name of implementing agent(s): Project location: Proposed starting date: Project duration: Amount requested from Voluntary Fund (US$): Government inputs: Implementing agent inputs: Other donor inputs: Brief summary description of the project proposal: Describe problem addressed, proposed solution, expected results, intended beneficiaries and reason(s) why assistance is requested from the Voluntary Fund. Body of Project Proposal The Voluntary Fund project proposal template has five sections: I. Background and justification of the project II. Objectives of the project III. Expected results of the project IV. Project implementation and management V. Project budget I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION This section should provide a brief introduction to the current social and economic situation related to the geographic region and beneficiaries of the project. The background should also describe:   †¢ the problem or critical issue which the proposal seeks to resolve †¢ how the proposal relates to other relevant national development strategies and policies †¢ whether there are other programmes and activities which will complement the proposal †¢ how the need for the project was determined how intended beneficiaries were involved in project identification and planning †¢ what kind of assistance the concerned governmental offices will provide †¢ what kind of resources the non-governmental community will provide If a non-governmental organization has prepared the proposal, it is important to describe how concerned governmental officials were made aware of and/or were involved in project formulation. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally, the section should describe the relevant experience and capabilities of the project Implementing Agent, and the type and level of resources that the Implementing Agent will provide for project planning, implementation management and follow up. II. OBJECTIVES A. Development objective The section should describe the way in project objectives are addressed in national development strategies and policies, in terms of specific programmes and how the proposed project will relate to these strategies and policies. The discussion should indicate the specific national social and economic objectives to which the proposal, if successful, is expected to contribute, and how this is expected to contribute to improved well being and livelihood of the project beneficiaries and the larger community. B. Immediate objectives The immediate objectives section describes what the project is expected to achieve in terms of effects among intended beneficiaries. Specifically, the section discusses what changes are expected to occur among intended beneficiaries if project operations are successful. Changes can include new and improved technical skills and knowledge, increased income-generating capacities, and greater public awareness at the community, national, regional or international levels. The section should also discuss whether project operations, if successful, will be extended to other locations as well as and whether the project experience can be applied to other sectors. III. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN A. Expected project results The section should describe the overall results that the project is expected to. The discussion should also discuss whether there may be unintended effects of the project, and how these possibilities will be addressed. The discussion should indicate in quantitative terms, to the extent possible, what the project will produce through its planned activities and budget. B. Project activities and work plan The section should describe how each immediate project objective will be carried out in terms of planned activities, their timing and duration, and who will be responsible for each activity. This can be summarized in a simple table. C. Project Beneficiaries This section describes who and how many people are expected to benefit from the project, both directly and indirectly. It should also discuss how intended beneficiaries have been involved in project design, and their expected role in project implementation and evaluation. D. Implementing agent management of project This section should describe: †¢ who will be responsible for planning and management of project operations as well as the roles of other bodies and organizations associated with the project †¢ what arrangements will be established to ensure that there will be effective coordination with other relevant programmes and activities. The section should also discuss whether project operations are expected to continue, or expand to other areas or sectors, once the current phase of assistance is completed. This could include plans for introducing self-financing provisions to ensure continued viability of operations on project completion. IV. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION This section should discuss proposed mechanisms and procedures for monitoring of project operations to ensure that activities occur as planned, that they remain directed towards stated objectives, and that appropriate orrective action is taken if required. Specifically the discussion should indicate who will be responsible for preparing periodic project progress and final technical reports and for the accounting of expenditures made from the Voluntary Fund. All projects need to be evaluated on completion. This section should also identify the party who will responsible for this task as well as how intended beneficiaries will be involved. V. BUDG ET The budget for the Voluntary Fund should be prepared in U. S. dollars. An additional budget should be prepared to describe the budget components to be financed by Government, Project Implementing Agent and other parties participating in the project. This additional budget can be in local currency, but the equivalent in U. S. dollars should be indicated. A description of the budget template line items and a budget template follow: 10. 00   Project Personnel: The resources of the Voluntary Fund can finance project personnel specialized needed to plan and carry out the project or specialized consultant services required to accomplish a specific project objective. Salaries and consultancy feeds should be reflective of local prevailing conditions. The Voluntary Fund does not prioritize projects with high personnel costs. 11. 01  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Experts: for international personnel working for more than six months on the project. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 11. 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consultants: for personnel working for less than six months on the project. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 13. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administrative Support: for clerical and related support tasks. Please note that financing of project support personnel is not a priority for the Voluntary Fund. 15. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Official Travel of Project Personnel 17. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   National Professional Project Personnel. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 20. 00   Subcontracts: This component pertains to specialized services provided the project by an outside contractor. Each subcontract will require a separate budget line; subcontractor terms of reference should be attached as an annex to the project document. 30. 00   Training: 32. 0  Ã‚   Group training and study tours: organized training programmes and study tours conducted outside the country of the project; group training normally does not exceed two months and study tours normally are one month or less 33. 00  Ã‚   In service training: cost of individual and group training organized and conducted in the country of the project. 40. 00   Equipment: 41. 00  Ã‚   Expendable equipment: i tems of equipment, supplies or training materials valued at less than US$400; 42. 00  Ã‚   Non expendable equipment: items of equipment valued at US$400 or more or which have a serviceable life of five years or more. NOTE: Normally the resources of the Voluntary Fund will only support acquisition of equipment needed for training or applied research. 43. 00  Ã‚   Premises: The Voluntary Fund will not fund costs for premises (construction, rent, utilities). This line item should only be used to indicate any contributions from other donors, the government, or the implementing agent. 50. 00   Miscellaneous: 51. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Equipment: operation and maintenance of project equipment that cannot be covered by the host government or the project implementing agent 52. 0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publications and Report Costs: report costs, which may include the reproduction of a reasonable number of copies of project technical and final reports 53. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sundry and Communications: official postage, communications and incidental supplies Project Budget Template Name of project Name of Implementing agent 10 Project Personnel 11. 01  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Experts 11. 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consultants 11. 99  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subtotal: Personnel 13. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administrative Support 15. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Official Travel 17. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   National Professional Project Personnel 9. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 20  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subcontracts 21. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subcontract #1 29. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 30  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training 32. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Group Training / Study Tours 33. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   In-service Training 39. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 40  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equipment 41. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Expendable Equipment 42. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-Expendable Equipment 43. 00   Ã‚  Ã‚   Premises 49. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Miscellaneous 51. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Equipment 52. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publications and Report Costs 53. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sundry, and Communications 59. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 99. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Grand Total Project Proposal Template Essay Example Project Proposal Template Essay Project Proposal Template Cover Page United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability Project title: Name of implementing agent(s): Project location: Proposed starting date: Project duration: Amount requested from Voluntary Fund (US$): Government inputs: Implementing agent inputs: Other donor inputs: Brief summary description of the project proposal: Describe problem addressed, proposed solution, expected results, intended beneficiaries and reason(s) why assistance is requested from the Voluntary Fund. Body of Project Proposal The Voluntary Fund project proposal template has five sections: I. Background and justification of the project II. Objectives of the project III. Expected results of the project IV. Project implementation and management V. Project budget I. BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION This section should provide a brief introduction to the current social and economic situation related to the geographic region and beneficiaries of the project. The background should also describe:   †¢ the problem or critical issue which the proposal seeks to resolve †¢ how the proposal relates to other relevant national development strategies and policies †¢ whether there are other programmes and activities which will complement the proposal †¢ how the need for the project was determined how intended beneficiaries were involved in project identification and planning †¢ what kind of assistance the concerned governmental offices will provide †¢ what kind of resources the non-governmental community will provide If a non-governmental organization has prepared the proposal, it is important to describe how concerned governmental officials were made aware of and/or were involved in project formulation. We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Project Proposal Template specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Finally, the section should describe the relevant experience and capabilities of the project Implementing Agent, and the type and level of resources that the Implementing Agent will provide for project planning, implementation management and follow up. II. OBJECTIVES A. Development objective The section should describe the way in project objectives are addressed in national development strategies and policies, in terms of specific programmes and how the proposed project will relate to these strategies and policies. The discussion should indicate the specific national social and economic objectives to which the proposal, if successful, is expected to contribute, and how this is expected to contribute to improved well being and livelihood of the project beneficiaries and the larger community. B. Immediate objectives The immediate objectives section describes what the project is expected to achieve in terms of effects among intended beneficiaries. Specifically, the section discusses what changes are expected to occur among intended beneficiaries if project operations are successful. Changes can include new and improved technical skills and knowledge, increased income-generating capacities, and greater public awareness at the community, national, regional or international levels. The section should also discuss whether project operations, if successful, will be extended to other locations as well as and whether the project experience can be applied to other sectors. III. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT PLAN A. Expected project results The section should describe the overall results that the project is expected to. The discussion should also discuss whether there may be unintended effects of the project, and how these possibilities will be addressed. The discussion should indicate in quantitative terms, to the extent possible, what the project will produce through its planned activities and budget. B. Project activities and work plan The section should describe how each immediate project objective will be carried out in terms of planned activities, their timing and duration, and who will be responsible for each activity. This can be summarized in a simple table. C. Project Beneficiaries This section describes who and how many people are expected to benefit from the project, both directly and indirectly. It should also discuss how intended beneficiaries have been involved in project design, and their expected role in project implementation and evaluation. D. Implementing agent management of project This section should describe: †¢ who will be responsible for planning and management of project operations as well as the roles of other bodies and organizations associated with the project †¢ what arrangements will be established to ensure that there will be effective coordination with other relevant programmes and activities. The section should also discuss whether project operations are expected to continue, or expand to other areas or sectors, once the current phase of assistance is completed. This could include plans for introducing self-financing provisions to ensure continued viability of operations on project completion. IV. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION This section should discuss proposed mechanisms and procedures for monitoring of project operations to ensure that activities occur as planned, that they remain directed towards stated objectives, and that appropriate orrective action is taken if required. Specifically the discussion should indicate who will be responsible for preparing periodic project progress and final technical reports and for the accounting of expenditures made from the Voluntary Fund. All projects need to be evaluated on completion. This section should also identify the party who will responsible for this task as well as how intended beneficiaries will be involved. V. BUDG ET The budget for the Voluntary Fund should be prepared in U. S. dollars. An additional budget should be prepared to describe the budget components to be financed by Government, Project Implementing Agent and other parties participating in the project. This additional budget can be in local currency, but the equivalent in U. S. dollars should be indicated. A description of the budget template line items and a budget template follow: 10. 00   Project Personnel: The resources of the Voluntary Fund can finance project personnel specialized needed to plan and carry out the project or specialized consultant services required to accomplish a specific project objective. Salaries and consultancy feeds should be reflective of local prevailing conditions. The Voluntary Fund does not prioritize projects with high personnel costs. 11. 01  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Experts: for international personnel working for more than six months on the project. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 11. 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consultants: for personnel working for less than six months on the project. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 13. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administrative Support: for clerical and related support tasks. Please note that financing of project support personnel is not a priority for the Voluntary Fund. 15. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Official Travel of Project Personnel 17. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   National Professional Project Personnel. Job description/Terms of reference should be included in project document. 20. 00   Subcontracts: This component pertains to specialized services provided the project by an outside contractor. Each subcontract will require a separate budget line; subcontractor terms of reference should be attached as an annex to the project document. 30. 00   Training: 32. 0  Ã‚   Group training and study tours: organized training programmes and study tours conducted outside the country of the project; group training normally does not exceed two months and study tours normally are one month or less 33. 00  Ã‚   In service training: cost of individual and group training organized and conducted in the country of the project. 40. 00   Equipment: 41. 00  Ã‚   Expendable equipment: i tems of equipment, supplies or training materials valued at less than US$400; 42. 00  Ã‚   Non expendable equipment: items of equipment valued at US$400 or more or which have a serviceable life of five years or more. NOTE: Normally the resources of the Voluntary Fund will only support acquisition of equipment needed for training or applied research. 43. 00  Ã‚   Premises: The Voluntary Fund will not fund costs for premises (construction, rent, utilities). This line item should only be used to indicate any contributions from other donors, the government, or the implementing agent. 50. 00   Miscellaneous: 51. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Equipment: operation and maintenance of project equipment that cannot be covered by the host government or the project implementing agent 52. 0  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publications and Report Costs: report costs, which may include the reproduction of a reasonable number of copies of project technical and final reports 53. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sundry and Communications: official postage, communications and incidental supplies Project Budget Template Name of project Name of Implementing agent 10 Project Personnel 11. 01  Ã‚  Ã‚   International Experts 11. 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Consultants 11. 99  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subtotal: Personnel 13. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Administrative Support 15. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Official Travel 17. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   National Professional Project Personnel 9. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 20  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subcontracts 21. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Subcontract #1 29. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 30  Ã‚  Ã‚   Training 32. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Group Training / Study Tours 33. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   In-service Training 39. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 40  Ã‚  Ã‚   Equipment 41. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Expendable Equipment 42. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Non-Expendable Equipment 43. 00   Ã‚  Ã‚   Premises 49. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 50  Ã‚  Ã‚   Miscellaneous 51. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Operation, Maintenance and Repair of Equipment 52. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Publications and Report Costs 53. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sundry, and Communications 59. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Component Total 99. 00  Ã‚  Ã‚   Grand Total

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Free Essays on Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato And Dante

1. Dikaiosyne – literally means justice in Ancient Greek; however there are several different interpretations as to what justice can mean. In The Oresteia by Aeschylus the definition of dike is the relationship between individuals. Justice becomes an issue of to what extent we are responsible for our actions and furthermore dike is seen as a correction of a wrong. In the Oresteia a complicated series of events plague the house of Atreus of Argos (Agamemnon, pg1) following the end of the Trojan War. Agamemnon returns from the war a hero, but upon his arrival he is murdered by his wife’s lover and his cousin. However, the reasons for his murder are not simple. The murder is only a small part of a cycle of vengeance that began between the cousin’s fathers. Aegisthus motivation for murdering Agamemnon was in retribution for the crimes committed against his father. As a result, Orestes, Agamemnon’s remaining son, is now responsible for avenging his father’s death. Orestes avenges the death by murdering his mother and Aegisthus for which he receives his mother’s curse. Orestes is th en plagued by the Furies for the murder. However, this poses the question of whether it is possible to end the cycle that this interpretation of dike establishes. A trial follows in Athens in which the cycle is finally ended with the help of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Aeschylus, through the trial, is trying to say that the old cyclical system of revenge need not continue. In a democratic society with old laws and practices, there can be tribunal and judgment can be settled with wisdom (phronesis – wisdom along with justice will work). In addition his goal was to provide a functioning system of justice that does not involve the direct intervention of the gods. Plato interprets dike as acting in accordance to one’s station in life. Plato describes his concept of justice in terms of the allegory of the metals. People are bor... Free Essays on Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato And Dante Free Essays on Aeschylus, Sophocles, Plato And Dante 1. Dikaiosyne – literally means justice in Ancient Greek; however there are several different interpretations as to what justice can mean. In The Oresteia by Aeschylus the definition of dike is the relationship between individuals. Justice becomes an issue of to what extent we are responsible for our actions and furthermore dike is seen as a correction of a wrong. In the Oresteia a complicated series of events plague the house of Atreus of Argos (Agamemnon, pg1) following the end of the Trojan War. Agamemnon returns from the war a hero, but upon his arrival he is murdered by his wife’s lover and his cousin. However, the reasons for his murder are not simple. The murder is only a small part of a cycle of vengeance that began between the cousin’s fathers. Aegisthus motivation for murdering Agamemnon was in retribution for the crimes committed against his father. As a result, Orestes, Agamemnon’s remaining son, is now responsible for avenging his father’s death. Orestes avenges the death by murdering his mother and Aegisthus for which he receives his mother’s curse. Orestes is th en plagued by the Furies for the murder. However, this poses the question of whether it is possible to end the cycle that this interpretation of dike establishes. A trial follows in Athens in which the cycle is finally ended with the help of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Aeschylus, through the trial, is trying to say that the old cyclical system of revenge need not continue. In a democratic society with old laws and practices, there can be tribunal and judgment can be settled with wisdom (phronesis – wisdom along with justice will work). In addition his goal was to provide a functioning system of justice that does not involve the direct intervention of the gods. Plato interprets dike as acting in accordance to one’s station in life. Plato describes his concept of justice in terms of the allegory of the metals. People are bor...

Friday, November 22, 2019

10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Good Pets

10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Good Pets Tired of the same old, same old dogs, cats and parakeets being offered for adoption by your local animal shelter? Well, dinosaurs also make wonderful pets, provided you treat them right and know what youre getting into. Here are the top 10 reasons in favor of keeping a pet dinosaur. (Not convinced? See 10 Reasons Dinosaurs Make Bad Pets.) A Pet Dinosaur Will Keep Your Home Safe... Theres nothing like a Beware the T. Rex sign out in your front yard to deter potential thieves, especially if they can glimpse your ravenous pet frosting up your bay window with its breath. Even better, you can simply underfeed your Deinonychus and tie him to a stake by your mailbox. Not only will this scare away miscreants, but youll never receive another bill again. ...and Youll Never Have to Deal with Pesky Salesmen If you live out in the burbs, youve probably seen your share of Electrolux huckstersyou know, those snappy-suited guys who barge into your home, spill a pile of dirt on your Persian carpet, and plug in their favorite appliance. You know how dogs go nuts when they see a vacuum cleaner? Well, imagine how your short-tempered Spinosaurus is likely to react. Purebred Dinosaurs Are Worth a Lot of Money True, youll have to shell out a pretty penny to buy a registered, credentialed Stegosaurus from your local dinosaur breeder. But if you manage to breed Butch with an equally impeccable female, every egg in the resulting clutch will potentially be worth thousands of dollars (assuming, of course, that your windfall isnt gobbled up by the hungry Oviraptor next door). A Pet Dinosaur Will Keep You Warm at Night Whats better than a pillow stuffed with feathers? Why, a dinosaur covered with feathers, the thicker and fluffier, the better. The trouble is, most feathered dinosaurs tend to be petite in size, so youll have to accumulate anywhere from eight to 10 Khaans to keep extra-cozy. Just pretend that youre a crazy cat lady, and keep plenty of litter nearby. Youll Earn Back Your Investment with Movie and TV Spots Hollywood casting agents are always on the lookout for the next Barney or Dino. If your pet dinosaur is cute, even-tempered and only slightly smarter than a lamppost, dont be surprised if you land a multi-episode sitcom deal. Just be sure to stay away from vehicles involving Tom Green, Pauly Shore or any ex-cast-members from Seinfeld. You Can Train Your Pet Dinosaur to Perform Various Tasks Okay, lets be realistic: theres no way youre going to teach your pet Apatosaurus to answer the phone or do your laundry. However, with intensive effort, you may be able to train your dinosaur to impersonate a piece of furniture, a la The Flintstones. (Were not talking complicated furniture, like a reclining chair; think more along the lines of a giant beanbag.) Youll Have Tons and Tons of Fertilizer Some time around late middle age, most people are inclined to take up gardeningeither in their backyards, on their windowsills or in high-tech hydroponic nurseries. Well, just imagine the beets, cucumbers, and tomatoes you can grow once you fertilize your garden with fresh Triceratops droppings. Youll have so much poop, you can even sell it to (or throw it at) the neighbors! A Pet Dinosaur Will Make You Look More Manly... Are you a gentle, tweed-wearing ectomorph who frequents smoke-free coffee houses and only drinks fair-trade coffee? Well, when youre out on the town with your pet Allosaurus, women will look at you like youre the reincarnation of Patrick Swayze. (In order to maintain this illusion, though, you should try not to let your pet dinosaur eat you or drag you along on its leash.) ...While a Smaller Breed Will Accent Your Feminine Wiles Even the frumpiest Kardashian turns positively glamorous when shes toting a poodle in her backpackso just imagine the pose youll strike with a Compsognathus stuffed in your Dooney Bourke handbag, or an Archaeopteryx perched on your shoulder. Just try to avoid wee ectomorphic PhDs being dragged by their leashed Allosauruses, lest the feathers fly. You Can Keep Your Pet Dinosaur Safely Outside One hundred million years of evolution have made dinosaurs remarkably self-sufficient, to the extent that you can keep your pet Iguanodon in the backyard almost indefinitely, provided you feed it every now and then. Dont have a backyard? Just knock on your neighbors door and introduce him to your pet Utahraptor; nature will take care of the rest.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Critical dairy entry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical dairy entry - Essay Example From the initial scenario that was presented in the noted lecture, one was so engrossed on the potentials for applying psychology in promoting children’s and young people’s inclusion into social circles. Theoretical Framework Spurring Interest In the course of pursuing one’s academic program, an article written by Fallon, Woods and Rooney (2010) entitled â€Å"A discussion of the developing role of educational psychologists within Children’s Services† provided the impetus for spurring enthusiasm in this endeavor. The authors initially presented a brief historical background on the origin of the role of educational psychologists (EPs) in the public educational system in the United Kingdom. Likewise, various other researches on the role of EP as it evolved were mentioned; in conjunction with reportedly increased core functions and work contexts (Fallon, et al., 2010, p. 4). In addition, with increasing news and events that focus on disturbing violence and abuse afflicted on children (either directly or indirectly), there is a paramount concern for EPs to intensify applying psychological frameworks to immediately identify the need for intervention and to prevent serious repercussions that could lead to injuries or even death. Other readings that provided greater interest and understanding on the subject included the following: (1) Robinson & Dunsmuir’s (2010) â€Å"Multi-professional assessment and intervention of children with Special Educational Needs in their early years: The contribution of educational psychology† which was published in the Educational and Child Psychology focused on delving into ways in which EP’s â€Å"participation in multi-agency teams in Children’s Centres presents opportunities to extend involvement with young children and contribute to high quality assessment and intervention† (Robinson & Dunsmuir, 2010, p. 11); (2) Byrnes’ (2012) study which was published in t he Educational and Child Psychology, and entitled â€Å"Educational psychologists in the community: Supporting parents of children with Down syndrome through times of transition† presented concerns in â€Å"six subtasks, all of which had a focus on engaging with parents at times of transition: transition from education, transition between schools, development of a database, early years groups, youth groups, and parent forums† (Brynes, 2012, p. 82); and (3) Hobbs, et al. (2012) article entitled â€Å"The professional practice of educational psychologists: Developing narrative approaches† also published in the Educational & Child Psychology and presented pertinent issues relative to providing a â€Å"a brief overview of narrative therapy and then sets out to illustrate how narrative approaches have been applied by Darlington Educational Psychology Service (DEPS) using examples of work with individuals, groups and systems† (Hobbs, et al., 2012, p. 42). Throu gh the concepts, applications, cases, and scenarios learned from these studies, in conjunction with the theoretical framework appreciated in Cline and Frederickson’s (2009) Special Education Needs, Inclusion and Divesity, the subject enabled one to gain an in-depth understanding on the relevance of EP in addressing distinct and special needs of diverse children in varied scenarios and challenging cases. Issues Raised in the Lecture There were immensely relevant issues raised in the lecture categorized as follows: (1) multiple roles for applied psychologists; such as consultants, assessors, advisers,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Business law Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business law - Case Study Example The customer or other persons should be protected from harm not only while he is performing a business transaction but also while entering and leaving the premises. This case comes under the purview of Occupier’s Liability Act 1957. The Occupiers Liability Act 1957 regulates occupiers liability to visitors or customers who pay visit to their premises. S 1(2) of the Act defines ‘visitors’ as persons who enter the premises with the permission by the occupier. The Learned Wig is a shop where visitors are invited to do a business transaction. As per the law, visitors are those persons who have the express or implied permission of the occupier to be on the premises to carry out a transaction. Therefore, Henry was a visitor to the occupier’s premises and hence comes under the provisions of this Act. If Henry was a trespasser the case would have come under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984. Section 2(4)(a) of Occupiers’ Liability Act 1957 declares that a warning will only discharge the occupiers’ duty regarding danger, but the warning should be reasonable and must possess necessary guidelines to avoid such dangers. In Henry’s case there was no warning implying Henry to keep away from the pile of books, which was going to fall on him. A simple warning like ‘do not touch’ or ‘enter at your own risk’ could not be treated as warning because it is totally insufficient to invite the attention of the visitors against the danger waiting for them. The warning provided by The Learned Wig is not specific and is a willful desistance from taking liability of injuries caused by their negligence. The warning, which the management has put, was nothing but a sign cautioning the customers, and the same had hidden motives and was not expressive to the visitor or to the customer, and hence it cannot be treated as a sufficient warning under th e proviso. The legal approach is based on the

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Improve Efficiency Essay Example for Free

Improve Efficiency Essay A very high percentage of the items selected (picked) in the distribution centers and re-stocked in the stores were in quantities of 1 case. This company’s roots were as a high volume, limited assortment retailer and distributor. Over time the business had shifted allowing the stores to reorder a higher mix of items at lower volumes. Given the companies market position as a low-price leader, this reduced profit margins. The two root causes of this shift were identified as: 1. Stock-keeping-unit (SKU) count growth outpacing sales growth, and 2. Allowing minimum order quantities from the stores to the distribution centers to drop to a quantity of one This white paper will study how this company quantified the impact of allowing its stores to order in one case quantity and then recalculated minimum order quantities for higher volume items. (For details of how SKUs were reduced see White Paper â€Å"SKU Reduction – Biggest SKLUsers†) A Supply Velocity Consultant led a team of employees through this 5 week project. The Supply Velocity consultant facilitated, but the employees did most of the analysis and therefore owned the improvements. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 2 Project Outline ? Evaluated all SKUs and the case quantity they are most frequently ordered at, to establish baseline data for how stores are ordering ? Time studied retail store shelf restocking and distribution center order selection labor to determine the negative labor productivity impact of the current ordering policy o Graphed the results in a trend chart o Determined that the greatest labor productivity improvement happens when the order quantity increases from just 1 to 2 cases ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) ? Communicated all items on the minimum order quantity to all stores through a comprehensive communication plan o Communication plan included data to show stores how increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan to ensure new items, SKU reduction and sales history will be used to update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 3 Time Study Analysis To quantify the problem, we time studied order selection in the distribution centers and shelf restocking in retail stores. We conducted a few snapshot analyses of different distribution centers to understand the current state of â€Å"order quantities†. The graph below shows that out of the approximately 2800 items, a majority are ordered in quantities of 1 case. The time study data also showed that the second case selected or stocked is essentially â€Å"free† and the same movement is used for two cases as for one case. At the outset of this project the team was worried that any increase in minimum order quantity would be viewed by store managers as an attempt to push inventory out from the distribution centers to the stores. This data showed that increasing minimum order quantity from one case to just two, gave us the greatest percentage of labor productivity improvement. However, we didn’t just want to increase all items to a 2 case minimum order quantity. Instead, a statistical tool, Multi-Variable Pareto was used to calculate the proper minimum order quantity based on a mix of inputs. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 4 Distribution Center Order Selection Quantity (# of items picked per quantity) 57% of the items in distribution centers were selected at a 1 case quantity [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 5 â€Å"Time to Select per Case Quantity† in the Distribution Centers – Based on case count per selection When selecting 2 cases of a n item, the time per case drops by 45% from 1 case. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 6 Time to Re-Stock SKUs on Shelves in Stores – Based on case count When restocking 2 cases of an item, the time per case drops by 61% from 1 case. This shows that the greatest productivity improvement occurs when going from 1 to 2 cases, which is easier to â€Å"sell† to the stores than making large increases in minimum order quantity. They can reduce labor by 37 seconds per case by ordering and stocking 2 cases of an item versus 1. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 7 Multi Variable Pareto Analysis ? Recalculated minimum order quantity for all items using Multi-Variable Pareto analysis based on: o Item unit movement o Pack-out (number of units that fit on the shelf space allocated in stores) o Shelf life ? About 20% of all SKUs had a re-calculated minimum order quantity greater than 1 case o The most conservative methods were used to ensure this project didn’t just push inventory out to stores, resulting in shrink Multi-Variable Pareto is a method that uses more than one â€Å"measure† to sort SKUs from highest to lowest performing. Normal Pareto Analysis has been used to develop guidelines such as the 80/20 rule (20% of customers generate 80% of sales). When using multiple variables, there has to be a way to normalize the data so all variables are part of the analysis. We used three variables to determine the correct minimum order quantity for an item. ? Cases sold per week on average for each item ? The number of cases that fit in the given shelf space ? Product shelf-life Each of these variables are positively correlated to Minimum Order Quantity. ? The higher the cases sold equals higher Order Quantity ? The greater the shelf space (pack-out) equals higher Order Quantity ? The longer the item’s shelf-life equals higher Order Quantity The team of subject matter experts used retail experience to determine each of these factors and their impact on minimum order quantity. Results of this analysis are shown below. The calculation was very conservative, as the results have shown. Only 466 of 2800 items have a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case. This was largely driven by two factors. Item shelf-life limited our ability to make any shelf-life sensitive item greater than 1 case. Our calculation took this limiting factor into account, to ensure we weren’t causing shrink (throwing away items that go beyond their shelf-life limit or are damaged) at the stores. In addition, lower case movement drove many items to a 1 case minimum, even if they didn’t have shelf life limitations. The lower case movement is due to SKU proliferation and was addressed by the SKU Reduction (Biggest SKLUsers) project. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 8 Results of Minimum Order Quantity Calculation [emailprotected] om Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 9 Communication Control Plan ? Communicated with all retail stores about how the minimum order quantity analysis was conducted and the resulting new plan o Communication plan included data to show stores that increasing minimum order quantity on select items would improve their labor productivity ? Created a control plan so new items, SKU reduction and sales history will update the minimum order quantity on a twice yearly basis It was critical that this project was presented as a positive for our retail store-customers. We created a communication plan that showed two key aspects of this change: ? The conservative nature of the change o only 466 of 2800 items are receiving a minimum order quantity increase ? This change is good for the stores and will improve their labor productivity To ensure that this process endures and does not get reversed over time we included a control plan. This is shown in the graphic below. As Category Marketing Managers evaluate items, adding and reducing SKUs, changes will be reflected in new pack-out quantities. This quantity will get fed to Distribution Technology who will recalculate this items’ minimum order quantity using the same Multi-Variable Pareto calculation. A control group, made up of Merchandising, Distribution and Retail Directors will review the list, make changes in the ordering system and communicate changes to store customers. [emailprotected] com Copyright: Supply Velocity, Inc. 10 Results By taking the higher sales volume SKUs and increasing the store minimum order quantity, we decreased the time per case to stock shelves in the stores and select items in the distribution centers. Using only the 1 to 2 case increase in minimum order quantity for the 466 SKUs reduced the labor time per case resulting in a labor savings of $1. 2 million. The expectation for this process is to slowly grow the number items with a minimum order quantity greater than 1 case beyond 20%. By rationalizing and reducing SKUs we should increase the shelf pack-out of remaining items, thereby increasing the minimum order quantity.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

being the youngest child Essay -- essays research papers

Being the youngest child in a family has definite advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, babies are fussed over and pampered. They enjoy special status in the pecking order and often get away with behavior that other family members can't. On the other hand, many youngest children feel that they never quite measure up to their more experienced and accomplished siblings. To borrow a phrase from a famous comedian, they get no respect. Psychologists use a variety of words to describe last-borns: affectionate, sensitive, people-oriented, attention-seeking, indulged, dependent, laid-back, tenacious, absent-minded, relaxed, fun, flaky. What family relationships might be at work molding youngest children into these diverse shapes? Relationships with parents Some parents look on their youngest child as their last chance to do everything right. In these families, the youngest may feel a great deal of performance pressure, similar to a firstborn. Other parents seem to decide that they will never allow their last child to be unhappy, ever. The predictable effect of constantly catering to the child's wishes is to make her into a demanding, dissatisfied tyrant. Psychologists sometimes refer to such a child as being "enthroned." In most families, however, last born is a relatively low-pressure position. The parents have more experience under their belts and are more likely to take a laissez-faire attitude toward such issues as developmental milestones, toilet trainin...

Monday, November 11, 2019

Freud’s Psychoanalysis in Art: Frida Kahlo’s Surrealism

One of the most influential social scientists of his time, Sigmund Freud and his theories on psychoanalysis remains relevant today in the study of human personality and the influence of the subconscious on human thinking and behavior.Freud’s ideas on the significance of dreams, which was seen by him as the expression of human being’s innermost desire, were in fact borrowed by artists ascribing to surrealism who sought to imprint the subconscious. Surrealist paintings are thus characterized with the use of symbols and often have a dreamlike quality to them, where cannot always be taken at face value or by literal translation.It is no wonder then that Freud’s ideas have been widely used in the interpretation of works of art or even of character sketches. Freud’s theory on how personalities are developed which revolves around the main ideas of id, ego, and superego, have, for instance, been used to explain how sex and libido may be transformed into other form s of energies, or how particularly traumatic life events may have a negative effect on both adults and children when not properly processed.Likewise, Freud’s ideas of sexual repression and displacement were influential in the growth and development of the surrealist school, which drew on the rich imagery of one’s dreams, wishes, and fantasies to create their art. (West 185)One of the most notable surrealist painters, Frida Kahlo, has been a classic example of an artist whose works could be interpreted using Freudian concepts and ideas. Kahlo’s tumultuous life, characterized by wild sexual affairs with both male and female lovers, a devastating divorce, and her inability to conceive children due to a series of back operations were mostly found in the bulk of her work which were fraught with symbolisms. (West 185)In her painting entitled Self Portrait with a Necklace, Kahlo painted herself wearing a necklace of thorns and a dangling humming bird, which alludes to her suffering from divorce (as symbolized by the thorns) and to her quest for new love (as shown by the humming bird which is a traditional Mexican love amulet). (Erickson, 2005). In these self portraits,Kahlo’s entire life was depicted in her paintings. She drew her own birth, for instance, and many other events including those connected with her pain and frustration. (Levine 273) Her husband Diego Rivera was also depicted in many of her paintings in different ways: in Frida and Diego Rivera (1931) which is supposed to be a painting of their marriage, she paints him as a father-figure and herself as his daughter, which is reminiscent of Freud’s Electra complex and reveals Kahlo’s insecurity at her own husband’s authority.In another painting Retablo (1943), she captures the scene of the accident that left her under intense pain for most of her life (Kahlo and Kettenman 32) which she later depicts in Broken Column (1944) that â€Å"graphically expresses h er physical agony.† (West 184)Psychoanalysis therefore plays an important role in understanding and unlocking many surrealist artwork. In Kahlo’s case, the artist has rendered her own physical suffering in the metaphoric sense, mostly through the use of portraiture, to something that is haunting and beautiful, and one which outlasts even the pain and suffering of Kahlo’s troubled soul.Works Cited:Erickson, R. (2005). Freudian thought and the surrealist world. Downloaded from Associated Content, The People’s Media Company on March 16, 2007 Kahlo, F. & A. Kettenman. (2000). Frida Kahlo 1907-1954: Pain and Passion. Taschen.Levine, M. P. (2000). Analytic Freud: Philosophy and Psychoanalysis. United Kingdom: Routledge.West, S. (2004). Portraiture. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.   

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Behavior Change Paper Essay

Imagine a world where college students can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. Imagine a world where soda machines continue to make millions of dollars per year by placing soda machines in schools and universities. Imagine a world where in our society, approximately twenty percent of today’s youth are considered obese. Imagine a world where obesity is killing more people than smoking each day. Imagine this world as our reality. Worldwide, obesity is a growing concern due to a wide range of contributing factors, and is an epidemic that can be controlled if a healthy lifestyle of regular exercise and a well-balanced diet are maintained and incorporated into our everyday life. Because obesity is so prevalent in the United States especially the southeastern portion such as North Carolina, I decided to do my behavior change project on increasing my physical activity for six weeks by exercising at least three days a week, balancing my diet, and also substituting soda s and juices for more water. With obesity on the rise, I believe that it is very important to stay fit and maintain a healthy diet. Increasing my physical activity was definitely challenging, but I learned so much about myself throughout, and I am so grateful that I accomplished such a challenging task. In the past I have tried to accomplish this goal, but I noticed while doing this project, that I started to approach the same barriers that I did when trying to accomplish this goal once before. One of the main challenges was time management. I could never find the time to squeeze in thirty minutes to an hour’s worth of exercise when I had exams to prepare for, project deadlines, and working twenty hours every week. Who has time to exercise? When will I be able to exercise? Even though these barriers were hard to overcome, increasing my physical activity felt ten times better and helped reduce a lot of those constant stressors that I constantly kept experiencing. Obesity has become a serious public health concern affecting a significant portion of the population in countries such as the United States and ma ny other developed countries  throughout the world. According to the American Heart Association, among Americans aged 20 and older, over 154.7 million are overweight or obese. 79.9 million were men, and 74.8 million were women. Not only are American adults obese, but also our future children of America! According to the American Heart Association, 23.9 million children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years are overweight or obese with 33% being boys and 15% being girls. With these rising numbers, childhood obesity can potentially become the number one global killer around the world. The numbers of adult and childhood obesity are even higher among the African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children and adults are overweight or obese. If we don’t solve this problem, one third of all children born in 2000 or later, will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity related health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma (â€Å"Letâ €™s Move†). One of the many ways to reduce some of the obesity trends we see as health educators is to increase physical activity by exercising and encouraging at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. Another way to encourage change in our clients is to push and influence the many health benefits of increasing physical activity such as: weight loss, stronger heart and lungs, increased bone density, reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer, temporary relief from daily stressors, more confidence about how we see ourselves, and more energy. Who wants to huff and puff just going up one flight or stairs, or jumping to get into our jeans? Increasing physical activity has many benefits that are not only physical, but mental as well. As a health educator, I would encourage my client to take physical activity one day at a time. Don’t bombard yourself with too much activity in one day that you become too sore to want to exercise the next day. Also, set goals! No goals are impossible and make the goals fit you! If you desire to lose weight, think to yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to accomplish this goal. How much do you want to lose? In what time frame do you desire? Another big advice that I would encourage is to organize your schedule! One barrier that I continuously experienced throughout this project was time management and finding the time to actually get out and get moving. One big accomplishment to overcome this barrier that I discovered was looking into my planner and planning out the times and days that I had enough time to  exercise. Not only organize, but also find an activity that you love and own it! One physical activity that I found fun during this project was yoga! Yoga really put me in a peaceful state of mind and it made me forget how much homework I had to complete at home or whether I paid my phone bill on time. I really connected with my body and loved it! Encourage positive self-talk! During this project, I found that I would negatively talk myself out of exercising because I would be too lazy or if the weather wasn’t on my side I would tell myself, â€Å"Oh no, can’t work out today because it’s too c old!† Always think positively! Start slow and tell yourself that you CAN do it and the want and inspiration to exercise will become natural. Throughout this project, I knew that I needed a PLAN. I needed something that would inspire me three days a week to either hit the gym or go outside and engage in physical activity. One way that helped me accomplish my goal was placing sticky notes on the refrigerator to go work out or a question of whether I exercised today or not. These sticky notes also inspired my roommate to engage in physical activity as well! Hey, I mean you have no choice when you are about to grab that ice cream to look at the door and say, â€Å"Oh man, should I really be eating this ice cream today?† â€Å"Did I work out today like I promised myself?† Knowing that I had a daily reminder to exercise really pushed me to go outside and get active or if the weather was a little sticky, I would encourage myself to work out inside by doing squats during commercials of my favorite TV shows or playing tennis on my Wii for at least 30 minutes. I knew that whatever I chose to do, I wanted it to be fun and inspiring to get me up and moving and change my lazy behavior especially when it comes to exercising. Also, completing my weekly checklist really hit home for me and could help me see trends in my behavior or common obstacles that I endured for that week. Not only did the weekly checklist help, but also writing a journal illustrating my journey helped me really become motivated and show how much I have changed from the beginning of not even thinking of exercising to loving exercising and how much fun it can be once you find the right activity that suits you and makes you want to move! This project really inspired me. I can’t believe that it is the end and I am a little sad. I had so much fun identifying why I wasn’t exercising and what I could do to change my behavior. I found some common trends in my obstacles from my weekly checklist such as: homework, time management, and  self-motivation. I knew that ba sed off these common trends, I needed to find some strategies that would influence me to work out. I found that organizing my schedule, placing workout gear in my car, and managing my time really helped me accomplish my goals. Also, my new puppy Lola helped inspire me to go outside more and encourage physical activity by walking Lola everyday and not only encouraging physical activity for myself, but also Lola as well. I want her to have a healthy heart and lungs! This project was very challenging, but I knew that with the right steps of motivation, I would complete it with no worries and also continue my journey! As a future health educator, I have learned that change is hard. This behavior change project really opened my eyes to how amazing changing a behavior can be and what a long journey it can be as well. This project helped me be able to identify a behavior and target what main reasons and goals can be set behind this behavior. I really enjoyed this project and it really helped me see that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I want to continue working out and you never know, I could be your next Baywatch babe! I would encourage my clients to set goals, stick with them, and if they see themselves slipping, to bounce back and get back to it like I did. Exercising can be fun when you choose things you love! I would tie my journey to the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change. the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) focuses on the decision-making of the individual and is a model of intentional change. The TTM operates on the assumption that people do not change behaviors quickly and decisively. Rather, change in behavior, especially habitual behavior, occurs continuously through a cyclical process. The TTM is not a theory but a model; different behavioral theories and constructs can be applied to various stages of the model where they may be most effective. The TTM posits that individuals move through six stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination. For each stage of change, different intervention strategies are most effective at moving the person to the next stage of change and subsequently through the model to maintenance, the ideal stage of behavior. In the beginning, I can defi nitely say that I was in the precontemplation stage where I had no intention of exercising or changing my lazy behavior. I knew in my mind that I was not going to change and that this would be a waste of time, but then I entered the contemplation stage where I said to myself, â€Å"Hmm maybe I could  stop being a couch potato and see what exercising is all about.† As the project progressed, I entered the preparation or determination phase and got excited to get moving and start my journey of working out or doing some type of exercising three days per week. I set out a game plan and organized a schedule to motivate me to move and also get my roommate and puppy up and moving too! That’s when I took action! I got up and stayed focused on actually working out and staying healthy! I relapsed a few times, but I never let it get me down! I knew that increasing my physical activity would help me and I need to MAINTAIN it! Now, I am in the maintenance phase where although this project is over, I want to continue doing yoga and maybe look into some Zumba! A little shake shake shake can always get you up and moving and ready to start your day! This behavior change project has shown me that I can do anything that I put my mind to. I really enjoyed learning about myself throughout this entire process and so thankful that I have successfully decided to incorporate a little exercise in some way throughout my day. I have changed for the better in a way that I thought I never could. My parents are proud of me, my friends are proud of me, and most of all, I am proud of me. I overcame my laziness and actually found something I can possibly love in my own way and decided that I am a great person through it all. I have flaws and I also make mistakes that I am not proud of, but this is I. This is whom I am and changing has shown me that I can do anything and has given me a better insight as to who I am as an individual. This class has shown me with hard work and self-motivation, I can accomplish anything that is placed in front of me. This experience will always share a place in my heart and I will never forget the memories and life lessons that I have collected along my journey of becoming a better me.