Harrison Bergeron Essay

In the short story, â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, Kurt Vonnegut portrays a society in which â€Å"everyone is equal†. Through the efforts of the Handicapper General, all persons who were endowed with anything more than moderate talents are forced to wear various devices meant to make everyone equal, intellectually and physically. Through showing his audience what a truly â€Å"equal† society could be, as well as how government could regulate equality, Kurt Vonnegut clearly makes the point that truly equality leads to a loss of true individuality within a society. Each person in society has talents that another does not, which is what creates diversity in our communities and careers. By removing this diversity from society by making every person equal, the government is inviting its own demise. The first example of how idealistic equality creates a lack of individuality is in the scene where George and Hazel Bergeron are watching ballerinas on television. George notes, â€Å"They weren’t really very good – no better than anybody else would have been, anyway†. By leveling the playing field, and forcing ballerinas to wear weights and masks to hide their talent and beauty, the Handicapper General has taken away from the dancers their unique talents for dancing and eliminating any competition between ballerinas. If all dancers must be equal, this eliminates the need for any one ballerina to spend extra time practicing, or trying to be a better ballerina. This, in turn, could create a less than desirable work ethic, as the ballerinas do not have to work as hard to be competitive. As Philip Fetzer explains, â€Å"†¦ even if it were possible to create a society based on equality of ability, it would not be desirable to do so. A society without differences of ability would generate no leaders, no great works of art or literature, no new ideas. The society would quickly stagnate†. The second instance in which Vonnegut shows his readers the impact of an equal society is when George and Hazel are talking about what society would be like without handicaps to make everyone equal. George cannot think for more than a few seconds at a time because of the handicap that he must wear in his ear, to distract him from his thoughts by blaring loud noises at random. All people who have above â€Å"average† intelligence are required to wear such a device to eliminate any unfair intellectual advantage over others. However, by scaring off the thoughts of truly intelligent people, the government is also creating a society in which nothing will ever change. Without the truly intelligent men and women in any society, there are no new inventions or new ideas that, in the past, have revolutionized a society. By making all people intellectually equal, the government and the society itself will remain unchanged and unadvanced. Ironically, George believes that without handicaps to keep everyone equal, â€Å"pretty soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again, with everybody competing against everybody else†. However, without competition, society would revert to the dark ages, unable to compete with other societies and develop new technology and innovation. As Christopher Alexion points out, human beings must be careful with creating equality, because of the risk of taking it â€Å"to extremes that eventually destroy whatever it was we were trying to protect. That’s why our efforts toward equality need vitally to be guided by a love of liberty. Naked equality is just another name for tyranny – for if everyone’s going to be equal in all aspects, then no one can really be free†. The final example of the effect of a truly equal society occurs when Harrison Bergeron appears on television with all of his clanking weights and extreme handicaps. Harrison is athletic and intelligent, and has an obscene amount of handicaps because of this. Harrison attempts to overthrow the government, by declaring himself â€Å"the Emperor†, and removing all of his handicaps, as well as those of his chosen Empress. By having independent thoughts and beliefs, Harrison leads his own revolution in an attempt to change society for the better. Harrison sees that the constant equality means that people are no longer competitive, and he decides to try to change that. However, he is killed by the government in the process, and any dreams of change die with him. As Steven Saus notes, â€Å"The maximization of human potential – and the potential of society – can only be achieved by allowing all individuals to have the best opportunity to succeed within the limits of their primary characteristics†. Any person who has new ideas or tries to initiate change within an equal society would be met with the same fate, and consequently, nothing would ever change. By creating a society in which every person is equal, Kurt Vonnegut is able to show his readers how devastating to a society equality could be. At a time when political correctness is a must, and society strives for equality, it is easy to see how true equality could lead to a lack of diversity and competition within a society. Although Vonnegut’s society was a fictional one, a society similar to the one in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† would become a stagnant and unmotivated environment, falling behind in innovation and invention. Ultimately, the equality in this story will lead to the demise of the society.

Chris Peterson at DSS Consulting Essay

Presentation of the Facts Surrounding the Case The case examines a dispute between Meg Cooke, DSS’s COO and Chris Peterson, newly appointed Southwest Region’s team leader. Cooke appointed Peterson a leadership role for one of the newly structured cross-functional teams designated to create a new integrated budget and planning system. The cross functional teams were tasked with building relationships with existing school districts in their regions and provide them a full range of DSS services and to develop new consulting offerings in response to the district’s needs. (Case 2010) Theses goals were created to facilitate a transition to servicing larger districts rather than the smaller districts, which DSS based it past structure around. Peterson was responsible for creating a successful and efficient team within DSS’s reorganization. The team was responsible for designing and creating an integrated budget and planning system with in a time frame of six months. Cooke was updated of the status and objecti ves of the project periodically. The meeting were short and not effective for either party. After the six month deadline was reached Peterson met with Cooke to provide an update on the status of the project her group had been working on. Cooke decided that Peterson’s project would be discontinued, her team would be reorganized and would not be involved in futures product development. Peterson was convinced that her team and project were excellent. Further examination of the case reveals that there may be significant problems related to the company’s transition and Cooke role as COO. Cooke has several deficiencies in the area of leadership, management style, communication, and teamwork and change management. Regarding Peterson, her exemplary team management and teamwork resulted in group-think, causing her team to lose the ability to make unbiased decisions and effectively evaluate possible risks and alternatives. Identification of the Key Issue(s) Many issued are related to the substantial strategic and organizational changes taking place at DSS. Peterson and Cooke have varied perspectives relating to leadership, management style, communication, teamwork, organizational culture, and change management. Cooke’s leadership is characterized by low regard for creating systems for getting the job done  and for creating a satisfying and motivating work environment. The outcome of such leadership style is disorganization, dissatisfaction and disharmony. Collected evidence suggest that Cooke provided very little leadership to Peterson. Peterson and other associates felt anxious for the uncertainty on how the new organizational strategy would unfold. Cooke was only interested in the outcome of what Peterson and her team were working on at the end of the six month period. Cooke did not pose any questions and did not ask for any status updates throughout the projects duration. When Peterson asked for support for her group and the task they were working on, Cooke did not provide any direct action. Other DSS associates felt that Cooke was playing favorites. Cooke did not involve her employs to feel involved and understand the organizations new purpose and determine the production needs. When employees are committed to and have an interest in the organization success, production and moral typically coincide with positive outcomes. This leads to the organization successfully meeting the designated goals. The ability to have employees buy in to desired goals are promoted by an organizational environment based on trust and respect, which leads to high satisfaction and motivation and, as a consequence, high production. ( MindTools). Cooke gave Peterson the ability to choose her own team members, projects, and location of operations. Cooke did so in a passive manner. In the following follow-up meeting Cooke never expressed any objections to Peterson actions and plans, but when she did present a problem concerning the assistance she required form management and other supporting operations, Cooke dismissed her claims by stating that she would provide the needed help at a later time. Peterson’s behavior and management style influenced her team’s performance, while Cooke’s absence of communication and guidance lead to wasted time and resources on a system that did not meet DSS goals. Listing Alternative Courses of Action That Could Be Taken Better communication needs to be created between mid and upper management. Proper communication will lead to a better understanding of the goals desired. Feedback is provided by upward communication, which makes employees feel involved and can help managers to get employees to understand their concerns (Thrilwall, 2012). Cooke and Peterson communicated scarcely and poorly. No regular meeting were scheduled. When the two did communicate  there was no clear and actionable dialogue. Communication is only successful when both the sender and receiver understand the same information as a result of communication ( MindTools, n.d.) Both Cooke and Peterson should establish regular structured communication. This can be accomplished by setting periodic meetings, written updates via e-mail or memos. These meeting will provide downward communication that will allow information to be dispensed to the team working on the projects in question. These meeting will make Peterson and her team feel mor e involved in the direction of the project and it will also keep Cooke abreast of the attitudes and values of her employees. Cooke can defuse any potential problems before they have a negative impact on the group and the project. Cooke’s could adjust her management style. Her methods when dealing with Peterson and her team lead to confusion. Her managerial control and direction were minimal, due the delegation of direction to Peterson, which allowed her to act with maximum freedom. Peterson was allowed to develop a specific product for a small district regardless of the new DSS strategy to refocus its resources on acquiring larger school districts. Cooke needs to focus on redirecting Peterson and her team to achieving the newly desired mission the organization has set in place. That includes providing a direction and strategy which will integrate the individual and the organization ( Thirlwall, 2012). Peterson displayed her ability to effectively act independently. If Cooke would have provided more control pertaining to the direction Peterson and her group were heading the negative outcome could hav e been avoided. Evaluation of Alternative Courses of Action Better communication needs to be created between mid and upper management. Establishing better communication can provide several benefits for DSS. The first, which would be a necessity for any future DSS strategy to be successful would be team building. Team building can transition an organizations culture from cooperation to collaboration. By establishing team environment employees will feel they are a part of something. The feeling of being involved in something increases the effort employees will place in projects and designated task. Better communication also creates a culture of transparency. When companies encourage employees to communicate honestly without fear of repercussions, transparency will transform from an  ideal to a reality. An environment of honesty promotes respect amongst employees. An increase in communication and honesty can cause increased revenue and innovation. Cooke could adjust her management style. Cooke must be willing to make the needed adjustments to improve her management style. She first needs to understand herself. She has to recognize her flaws, not just in the situation with Peterson but her role in DSS organization. She also has to recognize her strengths. Her ability to identify her strengths and weakness will allow her to build a stronger relationship with her employees. The bonds that she can build with her employees and peers will be reflective of her interpersonal communication skills. This reflection will provide insight into areas in the organization and within herself that require improvement. Cooke will need to continually re-evaluate her management style. Being able to realize what works and what doesn’t is key to being an effective manager ( WordPress, 2009) Recommendation of the Best Course of Action The best course of action is for DSS to create a standard outline for communication prior to and during the lifespan of a project. These guidelines should include timing and require length of meetings, scheduled times for updates via e-mail or in person meetings. Also they should provide the specification for any information that needs to be provided to all person involved in the project in question. The information should be pertinent to the status of the project and personal. Also the supply of information should allow as a segue to any questions or concerns by either party. An open dialogue should be the basis of all communication throughout the projects duration. References MindTools, n.d. Blake Mouton Managerial Grid. Retrieved July 20, 2014 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_73.htm [Accessed 16 June 2012 MindTools, n.d. Introduction to Communication Skills. Retrieved July 20, 2014 from http://mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicationIntro.htm [Accessed 18 June 2012] Organizational Behavior and HRM. Unpublished ed. Emirates Aviation College.Thirlwall, A., 2012. Ineffective leadership in Business, Retrieved from July 22, 2014 btrostle.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/adjusting-your-management-style/

Global accounting standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global accounting standards - Essay Example The increasing importance of a single set of global accounting standards in international market has given rise to the debate.The decision on the part of the European Union to require its all the member states to adapt their local GAAPs with respect to the IAS/IFRS, proved to be a milestone in the journey of IASB towards the FASB. However most of the European countries had already embarked on their convergence towards the international standards for financial reporting. The United States' standards setting body, FASB is consistently working towards the convergence of US GAAP to the international accounting standards in response to international pressures.This essay provides an insightful study on the development of IAS in the Europe and the convergence of FASB with the accounting standards. Moreover it discusses the impact and benefits of having a single set of global standards on the users of financial statements.In response to the financial reporting needs of the increasingly globa lised markets, the European Union passed legislation in the year 2002 that required all its member states to adapt their financial statements with respect to the IAS and IFRS. Ruder (2005, p555) says that, "the European Union's 2002 decision to adopt IFRSs for all of its listed companies was a significant stride toward convergence". This stance on the part of the European Union encouraged countries like Germany, Italy and France to accelerate their process of integration with international standards ... However significant changes only became evident after the EU regulation of convergence to IFRS (Delvailleet al., 2005). The Finnish standards started to converge with the IAS in the year 1993. The accounting standards of countries like UK, Netherlands, and Ireland are the most compatible with IAS as compared to other European countries (Haller, 2002). In Germany, on the other hand, the convergence to international accounting standards had taken place well before the EU regulation. Germany took such initiative in response to the international pressures concerning the presentation of company accounts. The German companies were required to present and report their financial accounts in accordance with either the IFRS or the US GAAP, thus the country adopted an accelerated approach towards adoption of international accounting standards. In the year 2004, the government also passed an Act that implemented the EU regulation to use the IFRS for the purpose of financial reporting for the year ended 2005. Hence, in all these European countries, the governments realised the importance of international standards and the irrelevance of their local GAAP with regard to international markets in the year 1998 (Delvailleet al., 2005). Whittington (2005) elaborates that the international accounting standards have developed considerably over the time. The IASB, ever since its creation, has been amending and revising the previous accounting standards so as to re-assure their applicability. The pre-eminent examples of this amendment are the IAS 32 and 39 that had been originally adopted by the IASB from the IASC. There were several difficulties in both the standards that made it

Finance and Accounting Assignment 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Finance and Accounting 2 - Assignment Example The interaction made with the organization based on relationship marketing can prove to be a part of ongoing relationship between the customer and the organization and this is because through the interaction, which was done through mail, highlights the importance of relationship marketing in the competitive environment and can be said to be a competitive advantage for organizations. Based on the interaction it has been learned that P&G has been using digital tools in order to build one on one relationship with the customers so to enhance the innovative and marketing capabilities of the company. According to P&G CEO, Bob McDonald the company aims to create indispensable relationship with the brands and it is possible though digital technology. The interaction on relationship marketing which took place can evaluate the way organization is thinking and to what extent they are ready to incorporate change to cater the needs of the customers. P&G is known for its innovation and customers e xpects the same level of innovation, involvement from the company while dealing with the requirements of the customers, therefore the interaction with the management of P&G is definitely an advantage to gather more information about the strategies which are adopted by the company to cater the needs of its target customers (Marketing Governance, 2011). Based on the interaction it has been revealed that P&G builds relationship with the customers based on trust and transparency. The company provides individual with choices and information with respect to communication strategy. The interaction further tends to create value for the ongoing relationship between the customers and the organization a whole. In the competitive world it has become extremely necessary to build trust on the customers so that loyalty is maintained with respect to specific brands and for this relationship marketing plays an important role and can be related to ongoing relationship between the customers and the or ganizations. Based on the interaction with P&G management, it has also been revealed that it has developed website allowing customers to shop through the site rather than visiting the stores. The online retail market is the new buzz word and companies are following it to attract and retain new and potential customers. By developing e-store P&G has created an image for itself in the minds of the customers as an accessible brand made available to the customers at any point of time and also helps to retain them from shifting to another brand offering the same facility. P&G advertise the sites and hopes that the convenience of shopping online by the customers draws more and more customers to the site (NBC News, 2010). The online retail stores have proved to be effective and have helped many retail outlets to incur profit ad increase revenue. Most important, it creates a perception in the minds of the customers that the brands is accessible and P&G being a huge FMCG giant and involved in many different sectors, the customers would prefer to buy products from the company which would further result in customer loyalty for the brand. This way the brand will be able to keep up the long term relationship with its target market and also potential target customers. Therefore organizations and brands are dependent on the customers providing them with an upper hand in comparison to the companies.

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 27

Ethics - Essay Example e that the engineers of Telecommunications did influence the decision-making process by establishing engineering specifications that only BNC could meet. The engineers received free travel and lodging from BNC but only after the job was completed. Is there anything wrong with this picture? Yes, if the situation transpired as has been described above, then the kick backs for free travel are merely extended as a direct result of the prior unethical level of business interaction between the two parties in question (Santoro, 2010). 3. Do you think that Ed Keller is right to be concerned about the values of Telecommunications and the senior engineers who accepted the offers of free travel and lodging? Why or why not? If you believe that Keller’s concerns are warranted, which values should be of concern to him? He is right to be concerned; however, he must also be careful with regards to appearing to overstep the boundaries of his job description. Ultimately, entire ethics departments and legal teams exist as a means of understanding the unique nuances of performing business in transnational settings; however, if legitimately concerned with regards to the bid process, he should have merely asked what was standard accepted practice rather than appearing to question the legality or ethical nature of the engagement that took place in Colombia (Cragg & Muchlinski, 2013). In this way he would not have come across in an accusatory tone but instead appeared as if he were merely hoping to gain a greater level of knowledge with regards to standard

Review of three political classic film Research Paper

Review of three political classic film - Research Paper Example With the fall of Berlin Wall, Capitalism had been advanced in East Berlin and Alex becomes unemployed only to meet Denis Domaschke, a filmmaker who becomes his ally. Christiane recuperates after eight months in grave health still traumatised from the events that she had faced. To protect her mother, Alex attempts to conceal the newly presented unjust Germany from her mother who had been emotionally affected. Christiane had been the victim in the movie who underwent a series of tragedies after her husband abandons her. Ariane, Alex and his girlfriend Lara had formulated the plan to conceal the changes that had occurred in the government into a dictatorial regime, when they had confined her to her bedroom. East Germany had been connected with the West on the fall of the Berlin wall, and capitalism shaping the society that the families dominated (Becker, 2003). The movie depicts the contradiction of the expected life by personalities like Alex who experienced an oppressive society after advocating for the demolition of the Berlin wall. The unity in the two regions had been presented in the movie using Christiane who died after the official reunification of Germany (Becker, 2003). Western Germany had been considered the venue that presented more challenges to individuals and Christiane evaded transporting his children to the state joining, the Socialists to offer protection to her family. Even with the unity, variable rules are still prohibited, and the family has to break the law in spreading Christiane’s ashes in the wind. The battle of Algiers 1966 The movie had been created to suggest the tension that had existed between Algerians and the French in the quest to articulate justice. This action had been the norm presented in the nations that had the desire to achieve self-governance and liberation. However, with the dominant nations, the challenge presented had been in the expertise and the skills available to achieve the witnessed victory. The Algerians h ad opted to use massive tactics and bombs as compared to the ruling French who included torture as a means in exerting their dominance. The events in the story are told through the memory of Ali, who had been a key member within the Algerian Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN). He had been captured in 1957 following the attempt by the French to impose their rule (Pontecorvo, 1996). Earlier, Ali who had been a criminal within his society joined the group in the attempt to obtain liberalization. The rebel groups formed led to a national movement that saw unity developed in the attempt to rid the foreign rule. The majority of the casualty had been French police officers that saw retaliation of the massive massacre of Algerians. The events led to revenge killings that summed in Colonel Mathieu leading the efforts to destroy NFL. Ali remained the last NFL member to be captured, and he had been assassinated after the flashback. The NFL efforts had been noticed in 1962, when Algerians mana ged to be self governed. Dr. Stangelove The movie suggest the bureaucracy that had existed within the United States and the Soviet Union with the inclusion of the nuclear technology. The commanding General, Jack Ripper ordered his B52 squad to overturn the agreement and attack the Soviet Union. The events see the General protect the base through formulating a barrier against the external environment. The other participant in Leper Colony failed to acknowledge the actions that ordered the attack until the

Film Analysis - The Joy Luck Club - Prajakta Kanegaonkar Essay

Film Analysis - The Joy Luck Club - Prajakta Kanegaonkar - Essay Example Going ahead this becomes a major point of clash between the two generations, none comprehending and understanding other’s view point. For the women in the film ‘The Joy Luck Club’ we see this struggle going on constantly. In this essay based on the film, we are going to analyse this clash of culture as strong as generation gap and how the women in the film try to bridge the gap in the relations with the help of their values and cultures. This film is based on the novel by Amy Tan by the same name. This was completed and released in the year 1993 and received critical as well as mainstream acclaim. This movie and the book is based on the lives of four Chinese women who came to America because of some or the other reason and settled there. They came together and found the club called ‘The Joy Luck Club’ indicating that they would always find joy and happiness wherever they go and would not let circumstances affect them. The story could have happened any where in this world. Howsoever torn we are with the extreme circumstances around us we don’t give up and nor should we. The name of the club in itself is an indicator of the ever going hopeful attitude of the ladies who have formed the club. There are many stories that go on at the same time in the film. Unlike the book the director of the film has to make choices about which character to bring to surface and which one should relegate at the background. Irrespective of a few characters going in the background the weave of the story is not loosened. In fact all these characters contribute to the protagonist’s sketch very beautifully. The purpose of including Jing-Mei in the club is to tell her about her half-sisters in China, whom her mother longed to be reunited with all her life. The seamless flow of the story begins at this point. The story is not about Jing-Mei fulfilling her mother’s last wish. The story narrates the highs and lows of her relationship with h er mother, of broken moments, of tears and joys and most importantly of discovering her mother all over again. The story ends with Jing-Mei meeting her sisters and introducing them the mother they never had. The journey of a relation begins with self-discovery and acceptance of our own self and then the closed ones around us as they are. This journey is portrayed beautifully in the book but is also conveyed with same passion by the actors through their excellent acting and by the powerful media of cinema. The movie impacts the audience as much as the impact caused by the book on the reader. History and traditions are carried forward by the women of the society all around the world. This handing over happens seamlessly through stories, through teachings of pride, memories and is blended beautifully in the upbringing of the children. When we go through the stories of the club members, it becomes increasingly apparent that the cultural gaps between America and China would never be full y reconciled. The question arises when women in the film are trying to blend into a new culture of individualism, freedom of speech and decisions and free thought they are unable to let go of their Chinese ties and traditions. Surprisingly each of them has been a direct or indirect victim of the same ties and tradition. The daughters Jing-Mei, Lena, Waverly and Rose are all American women, because they don’t want to be a part of their Chinese heritage. This is what worries the mothers in the club, while their trying to preserve the Chinese traditions

Our Current Use of Internet Technology and Recommendations for the Essay

Our Current Use of Internet Technology and Recommendations for the Future - Essay Example Knowing fully well that this company, Dixons, is a retail company dealing in electronics, the Internet has greatly helped us in running our business. There are so many ways the Internet has helped our business, but I will talking about how it has helped the marketing department of this organization. Before adopting the Internet, millions of pounds are spent on marketing the company's products and services. Some of these spending could be justified while others were just unnecessary. The forms of advertising adopted were: direct sales, yellow pages advertising, newspaper and magazine advertising as well. Television adverts were also part of the marketing strategies adopted by the organization. Though these strategies worked, they still had their limitations and were consuming so much from the company's purse. The Internet has reduced these limitations and has also cut down the cost of marketing ever since we have been using it. By running our business on the Internet, the cost of advertising has greatly reduced. The cost of running a direct sale campaign is very alarming. Materials have to be printed, packaged in an envelope and then sent to their respective destinations. The Internet has eliminated all these expensive processes and replaced them with relatively inexpensive strategies. One of the marketing strategies we are adopting now, which is v... There are neither printing costs nor any postage stamp to be bought. It has a higher response rate that the direct sales method. The effectiveness of this method is based on the fact of reselling to those who have bought from us, the existing customers. It is conventional wisdom in the high street retail trade that it cost ten times more to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one (Bruce Durie, 2001). Whenever we make a sale, we get the email addresses of the new customer. We get in touch with them on a regular basis and then recommend some other products that may be complementary to what they have bought earlier. This has also afforded us to build relationships with the customers. When we recommend new products to them, they gladly patronize us because of the relationship we have with them. Another online promotional strategy the marketing department is using is banner advertising. The way this is done is that we have our graphics designers design banners that we can place on other people's website for a nominal fee. This is a very simple and inexpensive marketing strategy. There are several high-traffic websites who are willing to give a space on their web pages in order to generate revenue. What we do is that we find out these websites and contact their owners to find out what it will take to place our banner on their websites. We find out that the cost these webmasters charge is very cheap. The opportunity they offer all is great. For a little cost, we are able to expose our products to hundreds of thousands of people every month. This has also generated a lot of traffic to our website and has helped so much with the sales being generated. This form of advertising has greatly

Aspects of Project Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Aspects of Project Planning - Assignment Example The paper tells that critical activity are those, which when delayed will affect the overall project duration, and therefore determine the shortest time required to complete the project. All other activities are non-critical. The critical activities for this project are "Obtaining passport" and "Obtaining visas". Though the project manager should primarily focus on the critical activities, she should also monitor activities with low slack as these have the potential of becoming critical. The manager would benchmark the planned time with other similar projects completed. In case historical data is not available, the project manager would evaluate the probabilities associated with each activity duration to arrive at the "Most Likely", "Optimistic", and "Pessimistic" project durations. The manager would benchmark the planned time with other similar projects completed. In case historical data is not available, the project manager would evaluate the probabilities associated with each acti vity duration to arrive at the "Most Likely", "Optimistic", and "Pessimistic" project durations. The advantage of a network is that the interdependencies between various activities are captured effectively. CPA allows the project manager to focus on the critical activities and allocate resources efficiently, and helps to decide which activities to "crash". Its disadvantage is that it is complex, and unlike other planning tools like Gantt chart is not easily interpreted by everybody. A work package is a subset of a project that can be assigned to a specific party for execution. Such work packages are identified as sub-levels of the WBS. For example, Colin can entrust the Level 1 activity of obtaining the bank loan to a family member, who can execute this work package a separate sub-project. The analysis is important as it allows the project manager to plan, monitor and control the project. It also forms an important Management Information System (MIS) tool for the senior management.

Impact of Current Information Technology on Our Lives Essay Example for Free

Impact of Current Information Technology on Our Lives Essay ACKNOWLEDGEMENT My deepest gratitude to my Ate Kristine and my parents who support and encourage me to pursue my chosen path, to concentrate to my studies, for all their kind and inspiring comments. My special thanks go to my grandma, who have given me great moral support in my studies and to our Almighty God, who have given me spiritual support to complete this term paper. I. INTRODUCTION Information technology (IT) ins probably one of the most significant developments in human history since the printing press. It has given rise to one of the most fascinating communications devices ever created, the Internet. It has come into our homes, our schools and our offices, tying us together in unprecedented ways. It is one of the most important developments in recent memory. Information technology (IT) is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications. The term in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the Harvard Business Review, in which authors Leavitt and Whisler commented that the new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology (IT).. Some of the modern and emerging  fields of Information technology are next generation web technologies, bioinformatics, cloud computing, global information systems, large scale knowledge bases, etc. A. GENERAL INFORMATION IT is the area of managing technology and spans wide variety of areas that include computer software, information systems, computer hardware, programming languages but are not limited to things such as processes, , and data constructs. In short, anything that renders data, information or perceived knowledge in any visual format whatsoever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered part of the IT domain. IT provides businesses with four sets of core services to help execute the business strategy: business process automation, providing information, connecting with customers, and productivity tools. IT professionals perform a variety of functions (IT Disciplines/Competencies) that ranges from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as management and administration of entire systems. Information technology is starting to spread further than the conventional personal computer and network technologies, and more into integrations of other technologies such as the use of cell phones, televisions, automobiles, and more, which is increasing the demand for such jobs. In the recent past, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study as compared to Computer Science and Information Systems today. SIGITE (Special Interest Group for IT Education) is the ACM working group for defining these standards. The Worldwide IT services revenue totaled $763 billion in 2009. B. TECHNOLOGICAL CAPACITY AND GROWTH Hilbert and Lopez identify the exponential pace of technological change (a kind of Moores law): machines’ application-specific capacity to compute information per capita has roughly doubled every 14 months between 1986-2007; the per capita capacity of the world’s general-purpose computers has doubled every 18 months during the same two decades; the global  telecommunication capacity per capita doubled every 34 months; the world’s storage capacity per capita required roughly 40 months to double (every 3 years); and per capita broadcast information has doubled roughly every 12.3 years II. TRENDS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The wide range of information, data, and knowledge for problem solving and decision making are dealt with Information Technology. Before starting with the projects, students should be aware of authentication, and integrity features in their projects. Breaking of passwords and hacking can be avoided using these techniques. Anyhow, the various trends for projects are based on the emerging software technology. A. LATEST TRENDS a. Flash technology To add multiple types of external data to the given text, images, video, XML and to interact with web pages, Adobe Flash is used. It provides multimedia platform. The main purpose of this technology is to be used in advertisements and games. Both audio and video streams are supported by flash. One of the Object-oriented languages called ActionScript is the language used here by the developers. Flash player includes ActionScript Virtual Machine (AVM). The compiler, Just-In-Time (JIT), is used for MP3-based audio and bitmap graphics. Flash CS5 is the latest version of Adobe flash which was released on April 12, 2010. b. Microsoft Silverlight Microsoft Silverlight is developed on web framework and is similar to the functions of those in Adobe Flash. In addition, it also integrates multimedia graphics and interaction with a single runtime environment. Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and its development tools are supported by Silverlight. The processor x86 with streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE) is  used by Silverlight. Also the other processors which support Silverlight include the Intel Pentium III and AMD Athlon XP. Any of the .Net Programming language is supported for Silverlight applications. The developing tools for the application can be used along with the .Net language but should be aware that they can target only the Silverlight core CLR for hosting the applications and not that of the .Net Framework CLR since both differs in their own functionalities. 4GDR1 (4.0.50524.0) is the latest version of Silverlight and was released on 03 June 2010. c. Open Source software Open source software is newly emerging trend which is one of the best options for the students. The source code can be modified by the students as per the objective of project. Hence Open source is much flexible than closed version software. Open source software is mainly developed on peer to peer production by collaboration of end product, source material. Open source software can be enhanced by anyone and if you join some open source developers community, you can learn a lot of things directly from the most knowledged persons in the developers community. Even the top companies like Google who are paymasters gives lots of importance to candidates who have worked in open source projects during the interviews. d. Cryptography Cryptography is the practice and study of hiding information. It also refers to confidentiality. It is often seen as a â€Å"black art†, which means something others don’t understand but you need to understand. Cryptography is one of the essential aspects for secure communication. There are many aspects of security and applications ranging from secure commerce to private communication and to protect passwords. Cryptography is necessary for secure communication but it is not sufficient by itself. Here, the text is encrypted first; i.e. the plain text is changed to inarticulate garbage. The end user does the reverse process i.e. decryption, where the original text  is retrieved. There are a lot of algorithms in this area which is used in real time for data protection in sectors like banks, Research, Password Protection and so on. e. Nanotechnology Nanotechnology is the study of controlling properties of an atom and molecules. As the name indicates, it deals with the study of structures sized between 1 and 100 nanometer. It is said that, nanotechnology has a tendency to create new materials and devices which can be used in future in a wide range of fields such as medicine, energy production, electronics and bio materials. As they are very small in size, nano structures have a tendency to change its state for transformation of energy. The two main approaches used in nanotechnology are Bottom-up and Top-down. In bottom-up approach, materials and devices are built from molecular, a component which later assemble themselves chemically and follows the principles of molecular recognition. In top-down approach, nano-objects are constructed from larger entities without any atomic level control. Biotechnology is the best example to show the use of nanotechnology in various fields. The upcoming trends mainly focus on security and hacking. Mobile application for iPhone and Android are great areas to explore with good revenue opportunities as well. If you want to stand out from others, instead of going for some courses, try to contribute for an open source project. B. BUSINESS TRENDS Just a few decades ago, businesses had little in the way of office machinery except typewriters. Fax machines were new; only Xerox made copiers, and the computer was a monster that took up an entire room. These behemoths were housed almost exclusively on college campuses or in government laboratories. With the development of the personal computer, the situation changed; it was so quick it sometimes seems like it was overnight. At first, businesses were happy to use computers because their word processing programs made typing projects much easier. But using a computer like a high-powered typewriter  defeats the purpose of having the machine in the first place. Companies soon discovered that their PCs could do a great deal more. Companies began to network offices together so that they could share files and work on the same projects from distant locations. They connected to the Internet and put out advertisements to draw new customers. And perhaps one of the most significant business developments to come with IT is the creation of the electronic marketplace. Companies that sell their products over the Internet greatly increase the number of potential consumers who see their offerings. Even if the company is not actively selling goods, a website is a tremendously helpful tool. A well-designed, easy to navigate site can stimulate interest so that a potential customer calls or writes for further information. Other business applications of IT include â€Å"data mining,† â€Å"knowledge management,† and â€Å"modeling and simulation.† (Kalil, PG). This last is particularly interesting, as it allows companies to build prototypes in the computer. These prototypes perform exactly the same way a three-dimensional model would, and yet are far less expensive than building the â€Å"real thing.† This way, if the prototype doesn’t work, there isn’t the strain on the company’s resources there would be if a real model (car, plane, truck, train) had been built. If it does work, it can be put into production quickly. C. FUTURE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS There’s no denying that we are in a worldwide downturn. Government are in debt; jobs are being cut; houses are being repossessed and people because it. However, there is a way to plan for the declining eminent and that is through IT guidance. If you are like most people, the last thing on your opinion is paying for tuition, especially in a specialty as baffling as information technology. However, IT education may be your label out of the slump and into a fulfilling and stable career. For most of us, our prospect is not set in pelt, especially with the downturn. There is no concrete way of aware that you will forever be in the site, or even with the visitors you are with now. However, IT guidance can organize for a potential in information technology at any sector. The  diligence needs IT technicians whether you work in television, marketing, communication, client check, etc. IT technology can open doors to more than just your own effective Future Information Technology Trends environment. You can take these skills and concern them to other sectors and industries as well. This will make the leap to another career in the upcoming much fewer overwhelming, if that time ever comes. Technology and Telecommunication: While many people are trailing their jobs in marketing, buyer ceremony, factual estate and construction, more and more people are verdict their mission via telecommunication. This is because, while the nation is gradually lessening, the â€Å"nation† is blossoming. Websites are in stable penury to IT help including webmasters, graphic designers and programmers. This Future Information Technology Trends trend will prolong as the internet is one of the best customs to join to the world and will only maintain to grow in the future. Technological trends in the future: According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the technology world will maintain to upsurge with jobs in IT increasing by 16% in the next ten existence. This is sooner than most other industries in the United States due to the many technological advances within many industries. IT Training for all Industries: even if you never want to dine in a career as an IT technician, information technology exercise can help prepare you for advancement in your own sector. Information technology exists everywhere and this is why it’s important to advantage the skills desirable to understand the information technological phase of your sector. IT is Universal: Another important touch of information technology is that, while some systems modify from troupe to troupe, and from country to country, they are all relatively the same. This means that, if you desire to do so, you can move and convey with career guidance in IT. Spend a year in Japan since the sights and running in IT on the section, or take your skills to Australia when the frost months get too cold. The possibilities Future Information Technology Trends for those with information technology training not only transport from trade to industry, but they also outdo continental boundaries as well. D. EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS Traditionally, hotels were mostly dependant on cards and paperwork at the front desk to keep in meet with old and current customers. They were chiefly at the mercy of the wishes of vacationers to succeed, and on their own pains and force to be inclined for budding surges or long droughts of tenancy. Luckily, such inconvenience and old-fashioned methods are long since ancient, gratitude to advances in information technology. The first question in which information technology became important regarded billing. Old-fashioned paper-based book-keeping time-consuming and inefficient, and was not able briefly to tell a lodge holder what the avow of their lodge was. Luckily, advances in modern proof keeping tolerate for a lodge holder to keep pathway of what they have on hand, how much of it they have, and how much it outlay. Accounting is complicated, but future software, especially that tailored to the sole needs of the hospitality activity, helps to permit lodge owners to make smart decisions. Services and harvest that are no longer worn can be instantly cut off to prelude money, while those who show want can be augmented in magnitude or bespoke to diminish the important tradition. Most hotels are recurring with booking quarters and reservations over the telephone, but information technology has prolonged well past that. Hotels can now work with different online trek companies and booking military to have Emerging Information Technology Trends their rooms booked online, with no indigence to employ classy force. This also allows a lodge to announce their open rooms and unusual deals promptly to people who would be most to grasp them, instead of killing much money advertising in an unfocused mode. High worth information technology hence allows for better arrangement and management of booking to tolerate a lodge to better maximize residence, and to know in proceed when large groups or prop period are approaching. This allows a lodge manager to make strategy about transient pole, good times to renovate or inflate, or other concerns, because he/she can decide the state of their hotel currently and for the next few months with only a few clicks on the laptop. The advances in information Emerging Information Technology Trends technology proffer well afar booking, however. The internet is  necessary for vacationers who fancy to associate those back home, and for those nomadic on topic to get in feel with the bureau. Therefore, wireless internet has become a very ordinary and very helpful tune for hotels to supply. Many interest minded persons even entail that an hotel tender internet army so that they can keep running while on the street. Luckily, such army are easy to supply, as all that is required is a wireless router and diverse plans to guarantee the whole hotel is filled with the practice. Modern advances in wireless internet also permit for the wireless internet provided for hotel visitors to be used to group the hotel itself. Security cameras, door stresses, and other policy basic to hotel sanctuary and shelter can be Emerging Information Trends wired into the interact, so that workforce are alerted when a door is propped open, a fire alarm goes off or suspicious activity occurs. Though the hotel guests are wholly unaware of it, this variety of added safety and guarantee keeps them careful, and in the occasion of a puzzle they will almost surely appreciate the benefits of such system. As difficult as it is, information technology in the hospitality activity is still going ahead. Intelligent booking systems enable hasty and helpful guest opinion, along with the ability to predict who is likely to use the hotel again and tell them via e-packages or passage letters when a good deals appear. Hotels with scope mass or other guest services can tender menus online, allowing for abrupt updates, high-class photos, and other behavior to allow guests to see and order services before they even arrive. There also advances in terms of payroll and list which make information technology Emerging Information Technology Trends an effective asset for reduction money and maximizing profits. The sole quality of the hospitality trade makes it a great place for new and emerging information technology, and farther-opinion hotel owners and managers are forever looking for smart tools and software to invest in. E. HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS The utilization of technology in healthcare has opened the method for improvements in a limit of areas. One of the advantages and payback of fitness tending technology is the additional people are extant diseases like feeling and blight disease due to the fitness to identify them earlier than formerly skilled. With this ability comes the subsidy of being able to use a method that may be fewer extreme than one beloved as the disease grows. With a disease like Tuberculosis, as it metastasizes, the talent to struggle it and eliminate it gets harder and harder. Although, one more use of technology in healthcare has brought us newest drugs that can aim more precisely the particular scourge cells along with being more embattled in other areas. It has also brought us latest radiation Healthcare Information Technology Trends tools that can be far extra accurate and not have to use the shotgun manage to dig up to the tumor. The ray could even be bent about key body parts like glands and arteries so as not to injure them when focusing in that territory. One interesting and futuristic loan is the utilization of robots. You can now have a preset prostatectomy with an outcome that may be to the profit of the enduring. With the use of a robot in surgical procedure there is a slighter Healthcare Information Technology Trends opening and large incisions which is fewer torment for the tolerant, there is a smaller quantity of blood failure, an exclusive hazard of rigid cuts about delicate nerves and tendons which may allow the unwearied a pompous choice of not having poorer effects from the surgical procedure, and typically a shorter drape about in the hospice and a shorter recovery time. The accuracy of the robot is far more rigid than a surgeon using his/her hands lonesome. Robots are also programmed in such way that they can grip complicated situations. Another zone where robots are worn is in mandatory middle surgery. Again the accuracy and precision of the tools show the way to a bigger unplanned of a quicker recovery time and minus anguish to the patient. The finer incisions and the possibility of less blood harm are one advantage to using robots in a middle surgery. The dab Vinci Healthcare Information Technology Trends robot worn in the heart and growth surgeries and has the opportunity to be  worn in a range of areas where precision and accuracy are vital. III. EDUCATION Although computers are now common in the classroom that has not been the most significant step in their use as educational tools. I believe that distinction has to go to distance education. The concept is not all that new, because the idea of remote classrooms with a teacher appearing on television has been in place for decades. But the idea of conducting an entire class over the Internet is radically different. In distance education, the students may never set foot in a classroom at all. They will interact with the teacher and with their peers via email; they may participate in lectures via some sort of instant messaging service. The assignments are posted by the instructor, and the completed assignments are returned to him/her through email. Attending class by accessing the Internet does of course mean that the student cannot participate in a live exchange with his peers and the instructor, so in that sense the spontaneity of the classroom is missing. However, for students in very remote areas, or when classes are offered at one campus and not another, it is a viable solution, and it is made possible by IT. IV. PERSONAL USAGE Of course the single biggest item here is the personal computer. Having a computer at home has revolutionized life for millions of people around the globe. We tend to get our news from the computer; we may find ourselves in a discussion with someone on the other side of the planet; and we tour museums and shops in distant cities among many other uses. Many people now work from home (â€Å"telecommuting†) rather than physically going to the office. This saves road congestion and helps diminish pollution. Children and teens use the computer to help with their homework, and with the Internet, they have the entire world as a resource. V. CONCLUSION The impact of IT on society is hard to overestimate. Many of the developments, as I’ve indicated, have been positive, but there are some negatives as well, specifically a tendency to spent more time alone, or interacting only with the computer rather than with real people. Still, for most of us, IT has made a sizeable impact, and a positive one, on our lives. VI. REFERENCES http://www.cisp.org/imp/april_99/04_99kalil.htm http://www.wikipedia.com

Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine attitudes towards inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) and self-efficacy beliefs of preservice teachers. Background factors will be explored in relation to both attitudes towards inclusion and self efficacy beliefs. ASDs are becoming the fastest growing developmental disabilities with 1 out of every 150 births being diagnosed as having one of these disorders. ASDs are typically defined as developmental disorders and can range in symptoms from mild to severe. They are identified by abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication combined with a restricted repertoire of activities and interests. As a result, more children with ASDs are in need of educational services. Preservice teachers will be surveyed for their level of efficacy as well as attitudes towards inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders. Preservice Teachers Efficacy: A Correlate of Attitudes towards Inclusion of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Chapter 1: Introduction This study will focus on self-efficacy beliefs preservice teachers’ and their attitudes towards inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Historically, inclusion studies have broadly focused on students with general disabilities without differentiation of the 13 disability categories as listed in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). It is necessary to briefly address special education law in order to understand how students with exceptionalities are placed and serviced within the education system (either in special education, general education, or a combination of classes). IDEA is the federal legislation that regulates the education of students with disabilities (Woolfolk, 2010). It was originally enacted by Congress in 1975 to ensure that children with disabilities had the same opportunity as students without disabilities (Woolfolk, 2010). The law has seen many revisions throughout the years. The most recent amendments to IDEA were passed by Congress in December 2004. The final regulations were published in August 2006 and termed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA 2004) (Public Law No. 108-446). IDEIA 2004 guides how states and school districts identify and provide special education and related services to children with disabilities (http://www.nichcy.org/idea.htm). IDEIA 2004 specifically addresses where students with disabilities should be educated and also requires schools to provide a free and appropriate education (FAPE) for all students (Woolfolk, 2010). Although the law does not specifically use the terminology inclusion, it does use the term least restrictive environment (LRE) when speaking of placement for students with disabilities (Inzano, 1999). The law regarding placing students within the LRE has generated many questions as to exactly what constitutes an LRE. According to the law, in an LRE, the student is to be placed with non-disabled peers as much as appropriate throughout the school day (IDEIA, 2004). In addition, the student can only be separated from nondisabled peers if the nature or severity of their disability impedes upon their education (IDEIA, 2004; http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/sped/least.html). Based upon this law, there appears to be a push to teach children with disabilities within the regular education classrooms (Villa, Thousand, Nevin, Liston, 2005 Liston, 2005). As a result of this, there will be a paradigm shift moving away from segregation to integration where students with and without disabilities will be taught together (Giddens, 2001). Inclusive education is identified by the integration of all students, including those with disabilities, into the general education classroom (Avramidis Norwich 2002; Woolfolk, 2010). Inclusion is often confused with the notion of mainstreaming. Schnorr (1990) indicated that mainstreaming and inclusion each deal with students with disabilities in the regular classrooms, the responsibilities of the general education teacher is different for both. In mainstreaming, the regular class teacher is responsible for some of the instruction of the student with exceptionalities while the special education teacher is primarily responsible for the student’s instruction (Lipsky Gartner, 1989). This is quite different than inclusion. Through inclusion, the regular class teacher is responsible for nearly all of the instruction of the student with special needs. The special education teacher serves as a support to the regular education teacher (Salisbury et al., 1995). For the purposes of this study, inclusion will be defined as full term placement in mainstream general education classes with appropriate special education support services. By studying disability categories under a broad umbrella, it is difficult to differentiate attitudes towards inclusion of specific disability categories. Inclusion of students based on specific disability categories is limited and has not been fully analyzed in current research studies. Research has largely focused on teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with learning disabilities (Avramidis, Bayliss, et al 2000; Bender, Vail, et al, 1995; Bradshaw Mundia 2006; Buell, Hallam, et al 1999; Burke Sutherland 2004; Campbell, Gilmore et al 2003; Clough Lindsay 1991; Elhoweris Alsheikh 2006; Hammond Ingalls 2003; Jobe, Rust, et al. 1996; Kadell Wiebe 2001; Kalyva, Gojkovic, et al 2007; Kwapy 2004; Reasons 2005; Romer 2004; Ross-Hill 2007; Sebesta 2002; Shade Stewart 2001; Walpole 2006). There have been some studies focusing on emotional and behavioral difficulties within the general education classrooms (Avramidis, Bayliss, Burden 2000; Clough Lindsay 1991; Hastings Oakford 2003; Soodak et al. 1998; Stoiber et al. 1998); cognitive impairments (Center Ward 1987; Thomas 1985), and mild physical disabilities (Center Ward 1987; Forlin 1995). The remaining special education categories have not been the focus of much research (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Blind or Low Vision; Deaf or Hard of hearing; Deaf-Blind; Developmentally Delayed; Language or Speech impairment; Multiple Disabilities; Other health impairment; Orthopedic impairment; and Traumatic brain injury). This study will investigate the attitudes of pre-service teachers toward inclusion of students with ASDs. ASDs fall within the Pervasive Developmental Disorders based upon the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fourth Edition (DSM-IV, p. 14; 2005). The terms ASDs and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) are often used synonymously (Pieranagelo Giuliani, 2007). Pervasive Developmental Disorder is a general term that refers to a spectrum of disorders that differ with respect to the number and type of symptoms or age of onset (DSM-IV, pg. 69). Pervasive Developmental Disorders include Autistic Disorder, Rett’s Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DSM-IV, p. 14; 2005). ASDs are typically defined as developmental disorders in which behavior characteristics range in syndrome expression and the symptoms change as the child develops on a continuum from mild to severe (Volkmar, Paul, Klin, Cohen, 2005). â€Å"They are typically characterized by severe and perva sive impairment in several areas of development that include reciprocal and social interaction skills, communication skills, or the presence of stereotyped behavior, interests, and activities†(DSM-IV, pg 69; 2005). Four million children are born in the United States every year and of these four million children; 560,000 individuals between the ages of 0-21 have an ASD (http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/faq_prevalence.htm). Based on prevalence statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2007, one out of every 150 children in the United States has autism (http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=about_whatis_factsstats). Due to the increase in diagnosis of ASDs, more children are in need of specialized education programs. In 2006, the CDC reported 484,299 individuals between the ages 3 through 21 received services under the ‘autism’ classification for special education services (https://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/ar_1-3.htm). Additional data from the CDC reported the state of Indiana serviced 159,679 students under IDEA in 2006 between the ages of 6 and 21. Of these students, 7,391 were identified as having an ASD (https://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/ar_1-3.htm). Illinois reported serving 289,611 students under IDEA in 2006 between the ages of 6 and 21. Of these students, 9,398 students were identified as having an ASD (https://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/ar_1-3.htm). Michigan reported serving 217,673 under IDEA in 2006 between the ages of 6 and 21. Of these students, 9,723 were identified as having an ASD (https://www.ideadata.org/tables30th/ar_1-3.htm). The needs of students with ASDs vary and should be identified and addressed within their educational programming. As stated earlier, ASDs are a group of developmental disabilities that are defined by significant impairments in social interaction, communication, and unusual behaviors (DSM-IV, pg. 69). This is of particular concern when looking at the best learning environment for students with ASDs. Researchers and educators agree that children with ASDs benefit from early intervention services (National Research Council, 2001; Rapin, 1997; Rogers, 1996; Strain, Wolery Izeman, 1998). It has been found to be beneficial to place students with ASDs in the general education classroom so they have early interventions as well as appropriate role models of social skills (Klinger Dawson, 2005). At the same time, this presents a problem because students with ASDs are often not accepted into the general education class. Rejection increases with the students’ age and severity of their symptoms which increases their tendency to become socially isolated (Burack, Root, Zigler, 1997 as cited in Volkmar, Paul, Klin, Cohen, 2005). Parents, teachers, and students need to work together to determine which educational services are needed and specifically, to afford them with the greatest possibilities for future transitions (Bock Myles, 1999; Crowley, 2000; Bowe, 2005 as cited in Volkmar, Paul, Klin, Cohen, 2005). Educational placement options for students with ASDs need to be a place where they receive the most benefit as well as keeping in accordance with the law requiring LRE. The increase of students with special needs within general education classrooms has spurred changes in attitudes of teachers, parents, and students regarding the appropriate placement for students with disabilities to receive an education. Research has shown that teacher attitudes towards inclusion have a significant impact upon whether or not inclusion is a success or failure within the classroom (Avramidis Norwich 2002; Bacon Schultz 1991; Barton, 1992; Barton Wiczenski 1993; Bishop, 1986; Carroll, Forlin, Jobling 2003; Chow Winzer, 1992; Coates, 1989; Cook, 2001; Cook, Semmel, Gerber 1999; Good Brophy 1997; Hannah Pliner, 1983; Hayes Gunn, 1988; Idol, Nevin Paolucci-Whitcomb 1994; Roa Lim, 1999; Salend 2001; Schumm et al. 1994; Semmel, Abernathy, Butera, Lesar, 1991; Shade Stewart, 2000; Wiczenski, 1993; Van Reusen, Shoho, Barker 2001; William Algozine, 1977; Wood, 1989). Attitude research pertaining to inclusion of students with disabilities has provided widely var ied results (Bennett et al, 1997; Garriott, Miller, Snyder, 2003; Leyser Tappendorf, 2001; Rea et al. 2002; Shier, 2002). Professional groups vary considerably in their perceptions of which children are most likely to be successful with the inclusion process (Bochner Pieterse 1989). There are educators who support the inclusion of students with disabilities and indicate it has positive benefits for students (Avramidis et al, 2000; Chalmers, 1991; Frederickson, Dunsmuir, Lang Monsen 2004; Leyser Tappendorf 2001; Rodgers, 1987; Rojewski Pollard, 1993; Ward et al, 1994; Villa et al, 1996; York, Vandercook, MacDonald, Heise-Neff Caughey, 1992). If teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion are positive, then the experience of their students will also be positive (Anderson, Chitwood, Hayden 1997; Alexander Strain, 1978). Conversely, many educators are not as accepting of inclusion and hold negative attitudes towards inclusion (Alghazo, Dodeen, Algaryouti, 2003; Berryman, 1989; Bradshaw, 2004; Buell, Hallam, Gamel-McCormick, 1999; Center Ward, 1987; Coates, 1989; D’Alonzo, Giordano Cross, 1996; D’Alonzo Ledon 1992; Dixon, 1999; Forlin, Douglas, Hattie, 1996; Gersten, Walker Darch, 1988; Hammond Ingalls 2003; Hayes Gunn, 1988; Horne Ricciardo, 1988; Jamieson, 1984; Jobe, Rust, Brissie, 1996; Larrivee Cook, 1979; Leyser Tappendorf, 2001; Luseno, 2000; Minke et al, 1996; Murphy, 1996; Reiter et al, 1998; Schumm Vaughn 1991; Semmel et al, 1991; Thomas, 1985; Vaughn, Schumm, Jallad, Slusher Saumell, 1996). If the teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion are negative, then the experience of their students will be unsuccessful (Anderson, Chitwood, Hayden 1997; Alexander Strain, 1978). Forlin et al (1999) indicated that teachers’ attitudes towards individuals with disabilities suggest that negative attitudes lead to lower expectations of that student. Research has also shown teachers attitudes toward inclusion were strongly influenced by the nature of the student’s disabilities (Avramidis, Bayliss, Burden, 2000; Bradshaw and Mundia 2006; Center Ward, 1987; Dean, Elrod Blackbourn, 1999; Jobe, Rust Brissie, 1996; Mak, 2003; Scruggs Mastropieri, 1996; Soodak, Podell, Lehman, 1998). Several studies have shown that specific disability areas negatively affected teacher attitudes towards inclusion. Thomas (1985) studied teachers in England and found they opposed integration of students with intellectual difficulties. This opposition has been replicated in several subsequent studies (Avramidis, Bayliss, Burden, 2000; Center Ward, 1987; Clough and Lindsay, 1991; Forlin, 1995; Hayes Gunn, 1988; Kwapy, 2004; Soodak et al., 1998; Stoiber et al., 1998). Research also shows that teachers had difficulty with children who had emotional and behavioral difficulties (Avramidis et al, 2000; Bowman, 1986; Clough Lindsay, 1991; Forlin, 1995; Hastings Oakford, 2003; Hayes Gunn, 1988; Heflin Bullock, 1999; Kwapy, 2004; Soodak et al., 1998; Stoiber et al, 1998). Center and Ward (1987) found that teachers within their research study were reluctant to include students with more severe physical disabilities or students with intellectual disabilities; however, they were willing to accept the inclusion of students with mild physical disabilities. As a result of the mixed results of research on inclusion, it is important to identify attitudes towards inclusion of students, specifically with ASDs, within the general education classroom. To date, there has been a lack of research on ASDs and teacher attitudes towards inclusion. With the movement within the educational system to integrate all students with disabilities into regular education classrooms, it is going to be important to evaluate teacher attitudes toward inclusion of students with ASDs as the prevalence rate for this specific disability is on the rise. Multiple factors have been found to affect teachers’ attitudes (Salend Duhaney, 1999). These factors primarily relate to the child, teacher, and school. Several factors seem to consistently arise in research regarding attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities and include teacher efficacy, the type of disability, and the individual’s teacher preparation program. These areas will be the focus of this research study. Teacher efficacy has been a focus in many research studies (Allinder, 1994; Allinder, 1995; Ashton, 1984; Ashton Webb, 1986; Brownell Pajares, 1999; Gibson Dembo, 1984; Pajares, 1992; Soodak, Podell Lehman, 1998). Teacher efficacy is a teacher’s individual beliefs in their capabilities to reach all of their students, regardless of disability and teach all types of students (Armor et al., 1976; Ashton, 1984; Ashton Webb; 1986; Berman McLaughlin, 1977; Coladarci Breton, 1997; Gibson Dembo, 1984; Tschannen-Moran, Woolfolk-Hoy, Hoy, 1998; Woolfolk, 2010). Many studies have noted that a teacher’s sense of efficacy can have a direct positive affect on student achievement (Anderson, Greene, Loewen, 1988; Ashton, 1984; Midgley, Feldlaufer, Eccles, 1989; Woolfolk, 2010) and is a principal factor impacting classroom effectiveness (Allinder, 1993; Ashton Webb, 1986; Brownell Pajares, 1999; Gibson Dembo, 1984; Pajares, 1992). There has been limited research as to the effect teacher efficacy has upon the students with ASDs. Research on general disability areas has shown that as a teacher’s personal efficacy increases, they become less anxious about including students with disabilities into their classrooms (Allinder, 1994; Soodak, Podell Lehman, 1998). Other research studies have found that teachers often lack confidence in their instructional skills when dealing with a student with a disability (Buell, Hallam, Gamel-McCormick, 1999; Center Ward 1987) thus decreasing their self efficacy. By identifying links between teacher efficacy and teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs; more information can be provided to teachers to help them feel confident as well as successful in teaching students with ASDs within their classrooms. Another factor affecting teacher attitudes towards inclusion stems from their teacher preparation programs. Much of the current research on inclusion of students with disabilities has shown that general educators often feel confused when asked to make accommodations for students with disabilities within their classes (Lombard et al., 1998). Educators have indicated that they feel unprepared to implement inclusion as a result of a lack of preparation in education programs (Avramidis, Bayliss Burden, 2000; Bender Ukeje, 1989; Bender, Vail, Scott 1995; Betancourt-Smith 1994; Bruneau-Balderrama, 1997; Buell et al, 1999; Center Ward, 1987; Creal, 2000; Edelen-Smith, Prater, Sileo 1993; Evans, Townsend, Duchnowski, Hocutt, 1996; Ferguson, 1995; Forlin et al. 1999; Garfinkle Schwartz, 2002; Glass 1996; Grbich Sykes, 1992; Hammond Ingalls, 2003; Hastings, Hewes, Lock Witting, 1996; Johnston, Proctor, Corey 1994; King-Sears Cummings, 1996; Kwapy, 2004; Lanier Lanier 1996; Mastrop ieri Scruggs, 2000; Minke, Bear, Deemer Griffin, 1996; Nevin, Cohen, Salazar Marshall, 2007; Olson, 2003; O’Shea O’Shea, 1997; Pugach Seidl, 1995; Reber, Marshak, Glor-Scheib, 1995; Reed Monda-Amaya, 1995; Reitz Kerr, 1991; Salend, 2001; Schumm et al. 1994; Schumm Vaughn, 1992; Schuum Vaughn, 1995; Scruggs Mastropieri, 1996; Shanker, 1994; Sindelar, 1995; Singh, 2001; Slusher Saumell 1996; Snyder, 1990; Soodak, Podell Lehman, 1998; Swoboda, 2000; Tait Purdie 2000; Taylor, Richards, Goldstein, Schilit 1997; Vaughn, Schumm, Jallad, Wang, Reynolds, Walberg, 1994; Vaughn, Schumm, Jallad, Slusher, Saumell, 1996; Wang, Reynolds Walberg, 1994; Wanzenried, 1998). Currently, many educators remain insufficiently informed about the practice and theory of inclusion as well as the effect it has on all students within the classroom. Part of teacher preparation programs includes instilling a sense of knowledge and experience of working with students with disabilities. Those with experience working with students with disabilities tend to have more positive attitudes toward inclusion (Beh-Pajooh, 1991; Forlin, Fogarty Carroll, 1999; Gallagher 1985; Gregory, 1997; Hastings et al., 1996; Hastings Graham, 1995; LeRoy Simpson 1996; Pernell, McIntyre, Bader 1985; Sack 1998; Rees, Spreen Harnadek, 1991; Shoho, Katims, Wilks 1997). If teachers feel as though they are unprepared to accommodate students with disabilities; there needs to be a change in teacher preparation programs to ensure that all teachers feel confident and prepared to teach students with exceptionalities. By changing teacher education programs and adding more required coursework regarding students with exceptionalities, teachers should be better equipped to make accommodations and interventions for exceptional students. It is important to account for preservice teachers’ attitudes and beliefs in order to rectify any ill conceived notions about inclusion of children with ASDs. By identifying attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs, the inclusion process can be improved. By identifying factors that lead to negative attitudes towards inclusion and dispelling any myths associated with inclusion of students with ASDs, these students may be better served within the general education classroom. In addition, the attitudes towards inclusion may pinpoint weaknesses within teacher preparation programs. By identifying weaknesses, teacher education programs may be able to change or revise classes and curriculum to better meet the needs of future educators. Due to the increase in students identified with ASDs, laws mandating students be taught in the LRE, more general education teachers will have to make accommodations for students with ASDs within their classrooms. By identifying teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs, teacher curriculum can be changed and in-services can be added to programming to improve teacher attitudes towards inclusion. Statement of the Problem This study will focus on self-efficacy of preservice teachers and their attitudes towards inclusion of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Current research shows a range of attitudes towards inclusion of students with disabilities. There is a lack of research regarding teacher attitudes towards the various disability categories; specifically ASDs. Inclusion of students based on specific disability categories, ASDs, has been limited. With the increase in diagnosis of children with ASDs; there will likely be an increase in the placement of students with ASDs into general education classrooms. As a result, general education teachers will likely be responsible for teaching students with ASDs within their classrooms. By identifying attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs, the inclusion process can be improved. By identifying factors that lead to negative attitudes towards inclusion, such as teacher efficacy beliefs, and dispelling any myths associated with inclusion of students with ASDs, these students may be better served within the general education classroom. In addition, the attitudes towards inclusion may pinpoint weaknesses within teacher training programs. By identifying weaknesses, teacher education programs may be able to use this information to implement changes or revisions to classes and curriculum to better meet the needs of future educators. Purpose of the Study The primary purpose of this study is to investigate preservice teachers’ sense of efficacy and their attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs. Relationships between teacher attitudes towards inclusion, teacher efficacy, the type of student disability, teacher preparation programs, and demographic information will be explored. This study aims to identify preservice teacher attitudes toward inclusion of students with ASDs and their level of teacher efficacy. Additionally, it will explore factors that influence attitudes of preservice teachers toward inclusion of students with ASDs. By understanding the factors that influence preservice teacher attitudes, teacher preparation programs can better prepare teachers for students with exceptionalities, particularly ASDs within the classrooms. Research Questions What are preservice teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs within the general education classroom? Secondary Questions: What is the relationship between teacher efficacy and teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs? What factors are related to preservice teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs? What is the relationship between the amount of college preparation courses and teacher attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs? Is there a relationship between having a special education background and attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs? Is there a relationship between having a special education background and teacher efficacy? Rationale Inclusive education integrates all students, regardless of disability, into the general education classroom. Integration of students with disabilities requires teachers to make accommodations and modifications for students in order for them to be successful within the general education classroom. The teacher’s level of efficacy has been found to affect their willingness to make modifications and accommodations for students with disabilities and thus affect their attitudes toward inclusion. This study will investigate preservice teachers’ sense of efficacy and its correlation with attitudes towards inclusion of students with ASDs. Current studies focus on the integration of students with disabilities without differentiating specific disability categories. This study will allow for differentiation of ASDs from the remaining disability categories. Findings from this study will be beneficial for teacher preparation programs. Bandura (1986, 1994, 1997) suggested that predications about behavior outcomes affect the individual’s goals, effort, and motivation to complete a task. Predications of behavior are highly influenced by a person’s self-efficacy (Woolfolk, 2010). Self-efficacy has been defined as the belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to manage prospective situations (Bandura, 1995). As a result, people are more likely to engage in behaviors that they believe they are capable of completing successfully. If a person believes they are able to complete an activity with success, they have high self-efficacy; conversely, if they do not feel they are able to complete certain behaviors successfully, they have low self-efficacy. Individuals tend to seek behaviors that they have success with and will put more effort and persistence to activities that they consider to be successful. Self-efficacy is also influenced by a person’s previou s successes or failures with an activity, feedback from others regarding their performance, and success or failure of other people around them (Woolfolk, 2010). For inclusion to be successful, teachers will need to observe a successful implementation of inclusion. In addition, they will have to feel confident in their own abilities to implement inclusion. This confidence will likely come from their teacher education training as well as role models indicating a successful implementation of inclusion. If a teacher does not believe he or she is able to implement inclusion within their classroom, the inclusion process is likely to fail. This has implications for the students within their classrooms. Students without disabilities are likely to model the teacher’s negative attitude towards inclusion and imitate behavior; at the same time, if the teacher has a positive attitude toward inclusion, the children would imitate that behavior. The self-efficacy of the teacher and their resulting actions has a large impact for the successful inclusion of students with ASDs within the general education class. Conceptual Framework This study is rooted in the theories of Albert Bandura, a cognitive theorist. His theories on social learning, social cognition, and self-efficacy have an influence this study. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and his construct of self efficacy (Bandura 1977) help explain how teacher’s attitudes towards inclusion would potentially have an effect upon the students within their classrooms. Bandura’s (1977) theory of self-efficacy is closely tied with teacher sense of efficacy. Teacher sense of efficacy is the belief that a teacher can reach all of his or her students, regardless of disability and teach all types of students (Woolfolk, 2010). Teacher sense of efficacy has a major impact upon the students within a teacher’s classroom. A high sense of teacher efficacy would indicate a teacher believes that he or she is capable to teach their students. Teachers with a high sense of teacher efficacy believe they can teach all of their students, regardless of disability (Woolfolk, 2010). Significance of the Study Due to revisions of federal regulations regarding placement of special education students within the LRE, children with disabilities are spending a majority of their day in the general education classroom. This study is an investigation of preservice teachers’ sense of efficacy and attitudes regarding inclusion of students with ASDs. It is valuable to determine attitudes of preservice teacher regarding the placement of students with ASDs due to research currently citing teacher attitudes strongly effect the success of students (Avramidis Norwich, 2002; Bacon Schultz, 1991; Chow Winzer, 1992; Coates, 1989; Cook, Semmel, Gerber, 1999; Good Brophy, 1997; Hayes Gunn; 1988; Idol, Nevin, Paolucci-Whitcomb, 1994; Roa Lim, 1999; Salend, 2001; Semmel, Abernathy, Butera, Lesar, 1991; Shade Stewart, 2000; Silberman, 1971; Van Reusen, Shoho, Barker, 2001; William Algozine, 1977). Previously, students who needed modifications or adjustments within the classroom were separated from the non-disabled students and placed in special education classrooms. Changes in the law have provided a directive that all students must be educated in the LRE, part of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142). This law states that individuals, regardless of the severity of their disabilities, are entitled to receive services from the public school systems at no cost to the parents (Public Law No. 94-142). With more students being placed in general education classrooms, it is important for future educators to have positive attitudes towards successful inclusion of students with ASDs. The results of this study may help in the development of effective educational curriculum at universities and colleges with teacher education programs. Education programs need to be committed to producing highly qualified and prepared future educators. This means being prepared to teach and understand the unique needs required by students with ASDs within the classroom. Results from this study may help preservice teachers to gain insight into their attitudes towards inclusion and their efficacy beliefs. Definitions and Terminology Accommodation: â€Å"A change in testing materials or procedures that enables students to participate in assessments in ways that reflect their skills and abilities rather than their disabilities† (Salvia, Ysseldyke Bolt, 2007, p. 682). Americans with Disabilities Act (Coladarci Breton): Public Law No. 10-325 (1 January 2009). â€Å"Prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, transportation, public access, local government, and telecommunications† (Woolfolk, 2010, p. 129). Autism: â€Å"Developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age 3 and ranging from mild to major† (Woolfolk, 2007, p. 613). Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs): A group of five related developmental disorders that share common core deficits or difficulties in social relationships, communication, and ritualistic behaviors; differentiated from one another primarily by the age of onset and severity of various systems; includes autistic disorder, Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood

Matthew C. Perry :: essays research papers

Matthew C. Perry was born in Newport, Rhode Island on April 10, 1794, the younger brother of another United States naval officer, Oliver Hazard Perry. Perry was an American naval officer who had seen action in the War of 1812 aboard the USS President, flagship of Stephen Decatur. He later helped found the country of Liberia in West Africa as a haven for free black Americans, and was given the task of "opening" Japan to diplomatic and commercial relations with the United States with the hope that U.S. sailors could receive better treatment in the process. Perry believed that "our people must naturally be drawn into the contest for empire." In 1852, he accepted command of the East India squadron in order to lead an expedition to Japan. The U.S. State Department directed him to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce that would open Japan to relations in as full a range as possible. Perry prepared steadily for the formidable task of inducing Japan to negotiate a document favorable to the United States. In 1846, Japan had humiliated and expelled an American emissary, leading Perry to conclude that a resolute show of force would prove essential to the "opening" of Japan. He, therefore, shaped a small but powerful armada of four ships, including the steam-driven paddle wheelers Susquehanna and Mississippi. On July 8, 1853, Perry stormed into Edo (Tokyo) Bay, the steamers belching black smoke and appearing as "floating volcanoes" to the alarmed Japanese. Six days later, with great pomp and ceremony, Perry went ashore to the accompaniment of a naval band playing Hail Columbia! The Japanese resisted Perry's proposals and he temporarily withdrew from the country, promising to return to receive a reply to President Millard Fillmore's request for a treaty. On February 13, 1854, Perry returned with seven warships, three of them steam driven. He depearted on March 8th with even greater enthusiasm than the year before, this time accompanied by three armed naval bands playing The Star Spangled Banner. To impress the Japanese with American technological and military might, he exhibited a quarter-scale steam locomotive with tracks, a telegraph apparatus designed by Samuel Morse, a daguerreotype camera, and an illustrated history of the Mexican War, featuring the American naval bombardmen t of Veracruz. The Japanese yielded, and on March 31, 1854, they signed the Treaty of Kanagawa. These agreements promised safe repatriation of shipwrecked American seamen, opened ports as coal and supply stations, and established American consular privileges at these ports, and granted most-favored-nation trading status to the United States.

Over-consumption = More Waste :: Essays Papers

Over-consumption = More Waste The single most important environmental issue today is over-consumerism, which leads to excess waste. We buy too much. We think we always need new and better stuff. Will we ever be satisfied? There will always be something better or cooler on the market. Because we live in a capitalistic consumer culture, we have absorbed things like: â€Å"Get it while the getting’s good,† â€Å"Offer ends soon, buy while it lasts,† â€Å"For great deals, come on down†¦Sunday Sunday Sunday!† We, kids from 1 to 92, have become saturated with commercials like: Obey your thirst. How much of our consumption is compulsive buying, merely obeying our momentary thirst? Do we actually need all that we buy? Could we survive efficiently, even happily, without making so many shopping center runs? Once after I made a Target run with mom, I noticed that most of the bulkiness within my plastic bags with red targets symbols on them was made up of the products’ packaging. I t hen thought about all the bags that were piled on the floor near us†¦all of the bags piled on the floors of many homes throughout America daily. There are realistic solutions that we should look into in order to curb this detrimental trend. Because we can do quick little time-saver runs to the nearest mega-store, we really have lost the need and, in some cases, the ability to be creative or resourceful. Instead of contributing to consumerism by buying new clothes and household goods, we can try finding and using things that were already purchased and perhaps slightly used. (Obviously not toiletries, food, or undergarments.) There are oodles of resale shops and rummage sales that contain great products for almost always half the price or even cheaper. By not shopping at such places as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and the like, we just keep adding more and more to the already vast amount of products that are already out there and not in use. It is wise to not contribute anymore to consumerism and waste-increase by buying used items. Perhaps we should only buy new things to supplement our needs. It is unrealistic to advocate that e veryone in America stop buying new things altogether. We should buy them in moderation, but there are things we can do before and after purchasing these things. Three simple solutions are pre-cycling, re-cycling, and re-using. Pre-cycling is used to prevent as much waste as possible by simply seeking out products with little, less, or no packaging.

Assimilation in the United States :: Melting Pot integration immigration

Assimilation Our country is acclaimed for its endless ability to integrate. Whether it occurred in the early 1900s when desegregation occurred in Topeka middle school, or how we have integrated every nationality to every ethnicity and have been renown as the melting pot. In every aspect of how our country has come to what we know as United States, there is a simple integration that occurred to create what we are today. Assimilation is a positive force when it is necessary, it is needed in our companies, to our marriages, and we alongside the media are the causes of these types of assimilation; Americans tendency for assimilation will remain a beneficiary factor so long as we do not loose our individuality in the process. Assimilation is a force that is unstoppable. Americans do it on a daily basis without the time to contemplate whether to assimilate or not. Assimilation also keeps our world turning; it is the basis of agreement and understanding. As we assimilate we understand that through conforming this will create a strong unit. When working with a company, conformation is needed. To move as a unit, and to be displayed as a unit is any company's desire. Why would any prestigious company want to be displayed as disorganized? Or have employees that cannot work or agree with one another? It is a characteristic that is needed in every person, the ability to work as a unit, and become a team player. Through assimilation, teamwork is established and is learned. Teamwork is the basis of any company, and through teamwork the company will thrive as one unit. Teamwork is the foundation of many different areas in our lives. Not only is it necessary in the workforce, but more than ever necessary in our marriages. Marriages should be based on assimilation through compromise and understanding. Through this compromise and understanding for one another, this leads to the peace that is needed in every household. To assimilate in marriage is to converge two different opinions and come to a midpoint agreement. This is a positive force, the force where both is letting go of their strong beliefs through their vows of love for one another, to come to the understanding that conforming as one unit will help them succeed through strenuous times. If the result of assimilation in a marriage is peace, then this is one characteristic that marriages today need more than ever.

Novel Compared to Movie Adaptation Essay

Film adaptation or movie adaptation has been a widespread practice in cinematic tradition around the world. Majority of such adaptations are made from fictions, primarily novels. Some of the other popular sources include autobiography, plays, scriptures and comic books. When a novel is adapted for movies, there are certain techniques deployed to give it a cinematic appeal. Inventing new characters and altering scenes fall into the category of primary adaptation techniques. Sometimes it is also noticed that an insignificant character in the novel is given a prominent part to play in the film. Novels with exteriority and physically dynamic structures are most commonly adapted for filming. Thus, modern novels with their intricate literary devices (such as stream-of-consciousness, internal monologues, etc. ) are difficult to make fit for movies. While changes are mandatory due to time constraints and nature of the medium, extreme care must be taken so that the original essence of the novel is not compromised. However, one school of thought argues that the director should treat the film separately from the novel as both are completely different works of art. Accurate arrangement of a novel at the time of filming is virtually impossible since both speak different literary languages. Contrary to this perspective, another school of thought steadfastly believes that the film must retain either the thematic or the aesthetic sense of its source. Changes should only be made wherever necessary. This doctrine lays more emphasis on the faithful reproduction of the source content. This article is going to make a comparative analysis between Fannie Hurst’s Imitation of Life and its cinematic adaptation of the same title directed by Douglas Sirk. One of the cardinal aspects of movie adaptation that every director must keep in mind involves the risk of taking the viewers away from the fiction: â€Å"It has been argued that these displays of technique and artifice make it difficult to respond affectively to art since they create distance between the fiction and the viewer. † (Sirk et al. 207) Cinema is quintessentially a self-reflexive form of art having a vast scope of expression. This freedom, if used discreetly and masterfully, may make an ordinary source look splendid. The novel Imitation of Life focuses not just on the crude nature of racism in America in the beginning of the twentieth century, but also, and perhaps on a more serious note, holds in view the limitations of the new women. Peola, one of the main female characters in the novel, represents the tragic predicament of being â€Å"neither black nor white yet both†. (Hurst et al. xxv) Her persistent struggle to live without black identity makes her suffer from the inconsolable loss of her mother. At the same time, Bea also gets entangled between career, romance and motherhood. She has to give up love and care for her daughter Jessie to pursue her career. The two sets of mother-daughter relationships portrayed in the novel, Bea-Jessie and Delilah-Peola, imply a subtle message which Hurst seeks to convey in the novel: a woman can’t â€Å"have it all†. (Hurst et al. xxv) The movie by Douglas Sirk does not deviate from the main plot of the novel to a great extent. Characters and conclusions in both cases are same, but the background is changed in the movie to suit the nature of time it depicted. It might be noted that the novel was written in 1933 whereas the movie was released in 1959. The identities of Lora and Annie as widowed single mothers are kept intact in the sense that Bea and Delilah are also shown as widowed single mothers in Hurst’s novel Imitation of Life. The cinematic counterparts of Jessie and Peola are Suzie and Sarah respectively. Lora’s fiance Steve is an adaptation of the character of Frank Flake in Imitation of Life. The movie Imitation of Life, as observed by Andrew Sarris in Film Culture, is characterized by an apparent notion of impossibility which Sarah wants to achieve – white skin. (Handzo 1997) If one attempts to make a comparative analysis between the movie and the novel, the element that comes to the fore is the introductory part. Sirk Douglas does without the elaborateness of Fannie Hurst in narrating the backdrop of Lora’s previous life when she was married. In the beginning of the novel, Bea is shown as a spinster who marries Benjamin Pullman. The subsequent chains of events that lead to Bea’s struggle for survival with an infant daughter are excluded from the movie. It opens with Lora’s soaring ambition of becoming a Broadway star – a curtain raiser which is followed by three social scenes the filmmaker conjures: â€Å"women and work, race relations, star mythology†. (Sirk et al. 27) In this sense, the movie mirrors the content of the novel in a threefold manner. To quote Sirk, â€Å"The mirror is the imitation of life. What is interesting about a mirror is that it does not show yourself as you are, it shows you your own opposite. † (Sirk et al. 3) As far as cinematic approach is concerned, the abrupt opening may be attributed to time constraints as well. However, the movie diverts from the novel in one critical aspect. While Bea pursues a successful career of businesswoman, Lora takes a different course altogether. Unlike the world of literature, the world of showbiz uniquely demands dynamism of action and hence, the characterization is justified per se. Another argument that can be cited with regards to the altered career path of the main protagonist of the movie is the shifting social climate in the times it was released. It was difficult for the filmmaker to envision his heroine as the owner of pancake restaurants. Moreover, during that phase many Afro-American actors were striving to put behind the stereotyped roles of household attendants. So changes in the storyline are especially reflected in the characterization of Annie. In addition to being a motherly figure of affection and care, she is also the source of wisdom in Lora’s household. (Richard 2008) Both the novel and the film adaptation share a striking resemblance in themes of romance. At the end of the novel, a triangular love develops between Bea, Flake and Jessie. Similarly, the movie also projects similar storyline where Suzie in her teenage is enamored by Steve who is Lora’s fiance. This modernist woman’s picture has been a source of much controversy in both the novel and the movie. It has given rise to a lot of feminist speculations regarding the ordeals faced by single working mothers in male dominant societies. The melodramatic imagination of the filmmaker goes beyond the confines of the novel. The cinematic experience of Imitation of Life presents a spectrum of diverse interpretations which are not fully realized in the novel. It can be stated without an iota of doubt that the freedom of expression in any moving medium is utilized to its fullest potential by the director, all within the permissive limits of the reel world. Works cited Hurst, Fannie, and Daniel Itzkovitz. Imitation of Life. Durham: Duke University Press, 2004. Sirk, Douglas, and Lucy Fischer. Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk, Director. Piscataway: Rutgers University Press, 1991. Handzo, Stephen. â€Å"Intimations of Lifelessness. † bright lights film journal 18 (1997) Richard, Cicely A. â€Å"Film Analysis: Imitation of Life. † suite101. com. May 26, 2008. 7 March 2009