The Future of Drug Policy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Future of Drug Policy - Assignment Example The use of drugs and alcohol in North Dakota was said to be very high in 2005 and 2006. Marijuana was the most commonly used drug in the state in 2010. Thus there are many measures taken to establish policies for controlling drug use and drug prohibition. Prescription drug use is becoming a big problem for the whole nation. There is a national prescription drug usage prevention plan which restricts prescription usage by monitoring programs, promoting and recommending safer and more convenient disposal methods to dispose unneeded medicines from homes, and spreading education and awareness for the healthcare providers and patients. The prescription drug monitoring program in North Dakota became operational in 2008. The states were also encouraged to adopt Per Se standards for impairment making it illegal to drive after the use of illegal drugs. However, North Dakota doesn’t have a Per Se standard as yet but its law states that a person is not allowed to drive under the influence any drug which makes the person incapable of driving safely. In North Dakota possession of less than half ounce of illegal substance is punishable by a fine of $1,000 and sentence of maximum 30 days while possessing less than half an ounce while driving a motor vehicle is punishable by a 1 year sentence maximum and a fine of $1,000. Possession of up to 500 grams is punishable under a sentence of 5 years maximum and a fine of $5,000. Possession of more than 500 grams of marijuana is punishable by 10 years of maximum sentence and a fine of $10,000. Similarly, the sale of marijuana may also lead to severe punishments of up to 20 years of imprisonment which increases as the intensity of the offense increases.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay Example for Free

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Essay The conditions causing the psychological condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD has continued to become a puzzle to psychologists. Overtime, the symptoms for ADHD have undergone numerous diagnoses. Although the main cause of ADHD remains unknown, present evidences show that ADHD is genetically acquired (Lilly, 2007). ADHD is a mental disorder characterized by problems of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are either or both of the two syndromes associated with this psychological disorder (House, 2002). ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders among children in the United States and it is believed that it affects 4 to 5 percent of the children in the country (Coile, 2004). ADHD often affects the school performance of the children. Because of the lack of attention and hyperactivity of children, it is difficult for them to concentrate on learning or educational activities (House, 2002). One of the speculated roots of ADHD is through heredity and genetics. Researches presented that ADHD runs in families. According to the Pediatric Annals, there is a 25 percent chance that the child of an adult with ADHD will also acquire the disease (Lilly, 2007). At present, since there is insufficient evidence on the real and exact cause of ADHD. Most researches consider the genetic explanation of ADHD as the most valid. It is believed that a particular gene is passed on from parents to children; this may be the inherent cause of ADHD. This can be well explained in identical twins. If one of the twins has ADHD, there is a greater risk that other will have it too (Driscoll, 2007). Researches firmly suggest that ADHD occurs in cluster within families. ADHD occurs in biological relatives of children or adults with the disorder, implying the strong hereditary cause of the disorder. An ADHD twin studies found out that identical twins are most likely to manifest symptoms of ADHD, and this finding is consistent in all studies conducted (Joseph, 2006). One of the comprehensive reviews in the twin studies is made by Jay Joseph where he examined the continued misinterpretation on the findings of the twin studies. He firmly believed that the similarities manifested by the twins are not presenting the possible genetic influences on ADHD but this may lie on the environmental factors experienced by the twins (Southhall, 2007). The twin studies are crucial theoretical assumptions. Some researchers claim that the studies are not supported by sufficient evidences. The study merely focused on identical twins, but there are fraternal twins and considered that the environmental factors are equal, there are changes in the findings. Since the evidences is deeply anchored on identical twins who are treated more alike and spend more time together and has a greater tendency to experience confusion and closeness, thus, in a controlled environment, it is expect that the identical twins will correlate higher than the fraternal twins on ADHD measures (Joseph, 2006). ADHD twin studies are based on unsupported theoretical assumption and offer only a possible genetic influence on the symptoms of ADHD. These studies recorded are based more on the psychological bond, more similar treatment and same environment experienced by identical twins than fraternal twins (Joseph, 2002). Another method of study used to discover the roots of ADHS is the adoption study. The difference of this approach on the twin studies is that, it is able to disentangle genetic and environmental influences on psychiatric disorders due to the genes that came from one family and was raised in the environment of another. The rules of hereditary and environmental influences or the nurture and nature influences are relevant in this study of ADHD causes (Joseph, 2002). In this approach, participants are obtained from families with adopted children and families with their biological children, who both have ADHD and same type of families without the psychological disorder. However the research is proven to have a flaw; it is unable to consider the biological parents and relatives of the adopted children. This may contain pertinent information on the genetic influence of ADHD. Therefore, the researchers were not able to make a definite comparison on the foster and biological families of the adopted children. Another flaw of the research is that hyperactivity of the parents is solely based on recollections of the parents if they experienced symptoms of ADHD when they were young. This method and data are unreliable for the having the possibility of giving false accounts (Joseph, 2002). The fundamental assumption of the adoption studies is that ADHD is more prevalent in biological families than in families with adopted children. The studies found higher rates of hyperactivity in children and their biological parents than children with adoptive parents (Joseph, 2002). It is reasonable to dismiss the conclusions of the adoption studies since it did not perform blind diagnoses and introduced a genetically-biased research with conclusions favoring genetics. The control group is unable to serve its purpose if the researchers know the participants related to the cases and which belongs to the control group (Joseph, 2002). Now, psychiatric geneticists see children inheriting a predisposition that will eventually develop into ADHD in the presence of unknown environmental factors which might include viruses and toxins (Joseph, 2002). Though the genetic influences are believed to be the most valid cause of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), they seem to only give possible genetic assumptions and add to the incomplete puzzle of the real cause of ADHD, as the root cause of the psychological disorder targeting most of our children is still unknown.

What is Sleep and the Effects of Sleep Deprivation Essays -- Biology E

What is Sleep and the Effects of Sleep Deprivation Sleep is one of the things that most students can say they do not get enough of. It is a time for us to rest and for a few blissful hours hopefully forget about the stress and worries of school and life. Unfortunately, due to too much work or too much studying to do, often enough, we do not get the amount we need each night to be fully rested the next day. But we have learned to cope with the sleep deprivation by drinking coffee in the morning to wake us up. Even though we are awake, how well can we function throughout the day when we have only had less than five hours of sleep? How much does our behavior change without enough sleep? Before we get to what the effects of sleep deprivation are, let us first look at what sleep is. Sleep is controlled by neurotransmitters, which act on different neurons in the brain. Some of these neurotransmitters produced, such as serotonin and norephinephrine keep the brain active while we are awake. Researchers think that adenosine builds up in our blood while we are awake and the gradual breakdown of it causes drowsiness. There are five stages of sleep: stage 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM or rapid eye movement sleep. During stage 1-4 of sleep, our brain waves become slower and slower until we switch to REM sleep. At that point, our breathing is more rapid and irregular and our eyes move rapidly under our eyelids. (1). Circadian sleep rhythm is the internal body clock that is controlled by the hypothalamus. Every twenty-four to twenty-five hours, the cycle repeats itself, which can be effected by light exposure. It is thought that light will reset the clock of your body. The low-point of the rhythm is in the morning, which is thought to help you stay... ...ent because without it, how can you study, do well on an exam or participate in discussions? The only effect of sleep deprivation that you can slightly counteract is drowsiness, which can be reduced by drinking coffee or anything that may have caffeine. Napping in the afternoon can help reduce some of the effects, but it is better to keep those naps short or else, you may end up more tired and groggy than before. So, without enough sleep our behavior will change making us worse students. Therefore, we can conclude that we all need more sleep! WWW Sources 1)http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/understanding_sleep_brain_basic_.htm, 2)http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic444.htm, 3)http://www.nature.com/cgi taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v403/n6770/full/403655a0_fs.html, 4)http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/hu/groups/sleep/wellcome.htm,

Cultural Diversity and Patient Care

Knowledge of cultural diversity is key to all levels of the nursing practice. Knowledge and skills related to cultural diversity can strengthen and broaden health care delivery systems. â€Å"In 1986 the American Nursing Association (ANA) issued its first intention to strengthen cultural diversity programs in nursing† (Lowe & Archibald, 2009, p. 11). Despite good intentions made by nursing, progress in the area of cultural diversity has been slow and sporadic.The change in the ethnic composition of the U.S. has challenged nurses to incorporate the needs of their patient into their daily nursing practice. Society expects todays nurse to be culturally competent. Earlier a focus was on transcultural nursing was to bring an understanding of the contrasts between the nurse’s own culture and of the patient. An early strategy to educate nurses about culture was to incorporate cultural education into the nursing curriculum and to have cultural questions on nursing boards and ce rtification testing.â€Å"The necessity in preparing and assisting nurse researchers and clinicians to be able to meet the health needs of culturally diverse population takes on a sense of urgency† (Lowe & Archibald, 2009, p. 15). Concepts of illness, health, and wellness are part of the total cultural belief system. Nurses need to understand; how cultural groups understand life process, how they define health and illness, what they do to maintain wellness, what they believe is the cause of illness, how healers cure and care for their members, and how the cultural background of the nurse influences the care that they provide.We read in Ephesians 4:32, â€Å"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you† (Holy Bible, King James Version). As Christians we should show God’s love to each and every one of our patients. This article titled â€Å"Cultural Diversity: The Intention of Nursing† can be found at http://onlinelibrary. wiley. com/doi/10. 1111/j. 1744-6198. 2009. 00122. x/abstracte .

Pride and Prejudice Response Paper

Our honorable instructor, Professor Tang assigned us to read three novels in our National Day Vacation: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Woman On a Roof by Doris Lessing. Of these three, I favored Pride and Prejudice most, as apparently, neither the simple story of the sun-bathing woman in A Woman On a Roof was easier enough for me to understand its â€Å"representative of modern women figures†, nor the ugly face of the man who persuaded his girlfriend to take a â€Å"perfectly simple† abortion in Hills Like White Elephant interested enough for me.So though I was actually a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, with a more than five times novel reading experiences, and a more than ten times movie audience experiences ( Pride and Prejudice starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen), I picked up this novel and read it in my vacation. I presume that Pride and Prejudice was a most comical one of Jane Austen†™s novels. People around me regarded this novel as a love story, yet to me, the novel is an illusion of the environment, the society at those years. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the heroine and Mr.Darcy, the haughty hero, a literary idol of girls like me, are the exceptions of the gender relationships at that time. In my humble opinion, the relationship between Jane, the second heroine in this novel and Mr. Bingley was a real picture that showed the characteristics of the relationship in that federal era. They loved each other and were deeply enchanted with each other from the bottom of their heart. Yet Mr. Bingley was too shy and too worrying, he set too many obstacles for himself, while Jane was a typically conservative lady, she was bounded by the old manner and so-called â€Å"courtesy†.They hardly missed the chance to marry each other. When it comes to my favourite character—Lizzie, I must confess that she was the bravest heroine in all books I have read. At first she refused Mr. Darcy’s propose, but at last she changed her mind and was totally fell in love with him. This change represents her iron inner self and her unique personality, and that’s why she was so charming. Many writers these days like to use Lizzie as an example to stress the feminism, for she dared to chase what she care.I think she was also a successful example for all of our girls, as now we are so young, and we have the chance to chase our dream. Chaucer once said that we soon believe what we desire. That is also the unique way of Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. All in all, Pride and Prejudice represent the climax of Jane Austen’s writing career. Also, the clues and the characters in this novel was filled with vividness, so that they are so real to our reality. That’s why I regard this novel as a real classic. Pride and Prejudice Response Paper Our honorable instructor, Professor Tang assigned us to read three novels in our National Day Vacation: Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and A Woman On a Roof by Doris Lessing. Of these three, I favored Pride and Prejudice most, as apparently, neither the simple story of the sun-bathing woman in A Woman On a Roof was easier enough for me to understand its â€Å"representative of modern women figures†, nor the ugly face of the man who persuaded his girlfriend to take a â€Å"perfectly simple† abortion in Hills Like White Elephant interested enough for me.So though I was actually a fan of the novel Pride and Prejudice, with a more than five times novel reading experiences, and a more than ten times movie audience experiences ( Pride and Prejudice starred Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen), I picked up this novel and read it in my vacation. I presume that Pride and Prejudice was a most comical one of Jane Austen†™s novels. People around me regarded this novel as a love story, yet to me, the novel is an illusion of the environment, the society at those years. Elizabeth, or Lizzie, the heroine and Mr.Darcy, the haughty hero, a literary idol of girls like me, are the exceptions of the gender relationships at that time. In my humble opinion, the relationship between Jane, the second heroine in this novel and Mr. Bingley was a real picture that showed the characteristics of the relationship in that federal era. They loved each other and were deeply enchanted with each other from the bottom of their heart. Yet Mr. Bingley was too shy and too worrying, he set too many obstacles for himself, while Jane was a typically conservative lady, she was bounded by the old manner and so-called â€Å"courtesy†.They hardly missed the chance to marry each other. When it comes to my favourite character—Lizzie, I must confess that she was the bravest heroine in all books I have read. At first she refused Mr. Darcy’s propose, but at last she changed her mind and was totally fell in love with him. This change represents her iron inner self and her unique personality, and that’s why she was so charming. Many writers these days like to use Lizzie as an example to stress the feminism, for she dared to chase what she care.I think she was also a successful example for all of our girls, as now we are so young, and we have the chance to chase our dream. Chaucer once said that we soon believe what we desire. That is also the unique way of Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice. All in all, Pride and Prejudice represent the climax of Jane Austen’s writing career. Also, the clues and the characters in this novel was filled with vividness, so that they are so real to our reality. That’s why I regard this novel as a real classic.

Is it more useful to analyse Scarface (1932), Scarface (1983) and Goodfellas (1990) as genre films Essay Example

Is it more useful to analyse Scarface (1932), Scarface (1983) and Goodfellas (1990) as genre films Essay Example Is it more useful to analyse Scarface (1932), Scarface (1983) and Goodfellas (1990) as genre films Paper Is it more useful to analyse Scarface (1932), Scarface (1983) and Goodfellas (1990) as genre films Paper Essay Topic: Film Shane The Gangster film has always struggled to maintain a precarious balance; to portray the Gangster as a charismatic and crowd-pleasing character, at the expense of his eventual demise for the social good. The Gangster, as Robert Warshow puts it, is a quintessential tragic hero, a character whose very nature and deeds ultimately condemn them to a short and fruitless existence, outside of the boundaries of normal society. The Gangsters place within cinema is an important one, and the genre has now developed to a point of sophistication far beyond the flailing reach of the petty criminals on which it was based. In this essay I intend to examine exactly how the Gangster genre has changed and developed during its 90 year life span. There are a number of ways in which to go about this, although I will be focusing on four in particular; where the genre came from, the mythology surrounding its protagonists, the development of the genre as a whole (both aesthetically and psychologically), and the film-makers instrumental in this development. This approach, then, will obviously require references to both genre and auteur theory, and so I will establish how these two theories can coexist to develop and redefine a genre. To do this I will draw on much critical debate surrounding genre, as well as referring to specific examples from celebrated and diverse filmmakers and auteurs, such as Martin Scorsese, Howard Hawks and Brian De Palma. Firstly, who is the Gangster, and what allows him to exist? The Gangster genre has had a different development to many of the other staple genres of the studio system. Thomas Schatz, in his seminal book Hollywood Genres, identifies that the other genres being developed concurrently to the Gangster had in fact either been translated from literary formats, or had developed from an already established mythology within American society (the Western is a prime example of both). Conversely, the Gangster film, rather than dealing with modern sentimentality or attempting to rewrite history, was lifted straight out of the newspaper headlines. Schatz, 1981, p. 82) The passing of the vastly unpopular prohibition act in 1919 gave rise to enormous public demand for alcohol, something which many American immigrants and ambitious workers were only too pleased to fulfil. Thus the Gangsters of Americas cities rose to wealth and power by bootlegging quickly produced alcohol, and then distributing to or selling it in the secretive speakeasys, often their own. These Gangsters made great press. The tabloids glorified the enigmatic social rebels and their vertically integrated industry day after day, until criminals such as Al Capone and Hymie Weiss became legendary for their decadent lifestyles and thinly veiled abuse of the system. The Gangster became an inverted hero, a twisted, parasitic advocate of the American Dream that people respected, admired and feared. Thus the mythology of the Gangster was born. D. W. Griffiths (perhaps Hollywoods original auteur) laid the template for the Gangster film with The Musketeers of Pig Alley in 1913. However, it was not until the introduction of cinematic sound in 1927 that the Gangster film became a mainstream genre. The first talking Gangster film, Lights of New York (1928), introduced the Gangster protagonist as he would remain for the duration of the genres Classic period; a charismatic, ambitious underdog whose aspirations consume him, to the point that he kills his friends and his boss, and so must suffer death for his deviance from the social norm. The films that followed invariably portrayed the Gangster in this way, and always depicted him as a social outcast, by way of his foreign status, fatherless upbringing or his role as a disillusioned war veteran. These characters were popular with the audience for a number of reasons. A public disgruntled with prohibition laws, the depression and a bleaker view of the American dream than they once had held found it easy to relate to these ambitious working class heroes. It was also comforting to know that a major institution such as Hollywood was on the same wavelength as themselves, and could point out the intrinsic flaws in the state system. Hollywood product during the post-depression era certainly emphasised this, with films such as The Public Enemy (1931), Scarface (1932) and Angels with dirty faces (1938) all showing the Gangster as being as much a victim of American society as an exploiter of it. The Gangster genre, as I have said, did not have any substantial literary foundation to draw from, and so the genre was initially constructed of an amalgam of literary, journalistic and filmic references. Perhaps though, the most obvious source of inspiration for the Gangster genre was that of the Western. In terms of the setting, the iconography and the structure of the Gangsters society, it seems at first that the two are not very closely related. However, if one is to look beyond the exterior of a Gangster film, many similarities can be identified between the two. For example, both perfectly fit the genre of order suggested by Schatz, as well as readily conforming to Mcconnells genre cycle. This goes further than to prove that they are just formulaic productions of the studio system. If one is to closely examine the various Western heroes that have developed during that genres evolution, it is easy to draw parallels between these characters and the Gangster. The Gangster is a social outcast, relying on his gun and his wits to get him out of trouble. He provides a service to the community (albeit it not a legitimate one) and depends upon that very society for his existence, although he can never be a part of it. Consequently his demise is as inevitable as that of the Western hero, he must either die or ride off into the sunset, as he has performed his duty and now cannot settle into society as he would like (a theme particularly emphasised in some of the more unorthodox Gangster films, such as Brian De Palmas 1993 film Carlitos Way). Thus the Gangster contains elements found in many Western protagonists, the parasitic, violent impulses of the Man With No Name, or the ability to simultaneously crave, protect and shun family values as Shane did, for example. The films deal with different settings and iconography, although the themes remain similar. Whereas the Western hero struggles to transform desert into garden, in the Gangsters world the garden has developed a life of its own and overgrown into the untameable urban jungle, nurturing and subsequently destroying the characters it produces. Therefore, it is true that both the Gangster and the Westerner are a victim of their own environment, and both of them must be banished or destroyed in order to repay their debt to society. The fact that the gun is feared and respected within both genres as the method of entry into the protagonists profession is significant, as the gun also provides the exit from the narrative. The gun is the most important artefact within the genre. It gives raw, masculine power to those who use it, but only at the ultimate price. The Gangster, like the Westerner before him, is inevitably doomed. This brings us to the next stage of our analysis, which filmmakers are responsible for creating such a socially deviant, yet likeable, character? French film critics writing in the Cahiers du cini ma in the late 1950s collectively developed a new theory regarding the construction and internal authorship of Hollywood cinema, which they labelled the politique des auteurs. This politique broke away from the previous theories of filmmaking as a collaborative process, and instead identified one artist as the creator (or author) of the film the Director. They began to identify filmmakers such as John Ford and Howard Hawks, whom had been working during the days of the studio system, and argued that the films of these directors had a distinctive personal style that surpassed the limitations of the factory style of production. American film critic Andrew Sarris was at the vanguard of the English language auteur arguments, and stated that D. W. Griffith had already delineated every Hollywood genre by 1915, The debt that all filmmakers owe to D. W. Griffith defies calculation. Even before The Birth of a Nation, he had managed to synthesize the dramatic and documentary elements of the modern feature film. He effectively argued, then, that the history of cinema could be attributed to a few great men, otherwise known as the auteurs. (The Cinema Book, 1999, p. 2 57) The Gangster film is no exception to this, and this is a genre undoubtedly overrun with auteur directors. The Gangster genre is attractive to many visionary filmmakers for a number of reasons. Firstly, whereas the Classic cycle of the Gangster genre was prematurely shortened with the introduction of a stricter censorship regime, the opposite is now true, with filmmakers allowed unprecedented freedom since the changes in classificatory and self-regulatory laws introduced in the 1960s. This allows modern filmmakers to capitalise on what had been previously forbidden graphic portrayals of sex, drugs and violence that emphasise the level of excess by which the Gangster lives. Secondly, the Gangster genre has always consisted of a highly stylised and overtly character-driven formula, which gives the filmmaker freedom to produce a highly complex psychological portrait of the American criminal. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Gangster film has always been intrinsically American in nature stemming from the genres portrayal of the protagonists search for the American dream, and how the unreality of that dream leads to corruption. This gives the filmmaker an almost unparalleled opportunity to cross-examine contemporary American society, and in the process weave an intricate web of corruption and violence that encompasses every part of that society. This cynical and depressing examination is not even possible in that most American of genres, the Western, which is limited by the constraints of rewriting history in an ideologically correct manner. Therefore, the Gangster genre and the Western can be viewed as one. Whilst the Western establishes the American dream and the difficult urbanization of the wilderness, the Gangster acts as an extension of this, with a new breed of cowboy and a new ideological struggle as a result that of trying to maintain the dubious social order that that has risen from the ashes of so many Western heroes. Hence the Gangster can be seen as the most important of Hollywood genres, one in which the filmmaker can lay bare both the foundations and the present condition of American society, and criticise it in a detached manner. It is, then, a genre that encompasses every aspect of America, from flag-waving patriotism to hard-hearted cynicism, and in the process uncovers corruption at every turn. This rich and intriguing subject matter can therefore make for compulsive viewing, and so the genre has attracted a multitude of talented and influential auteurs as a result. Scarface: The Shame of the Nation was directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes, and released in 1932. The Hawks/Hughes partnership was a particularly fertile one, and the two collaborated on many projects during the era of the studio system. This is interesting, as it immediately questions the validity of the directors auteur status, due to the fact that much of the productions raw and violent nature was directly down to Hughes. The film was actually finished in 1930, but due to censorship issues with the (then) MPPDA, the film was only released after two years of lengthy court battles regarding the remorseless moral standpoint of the film, which Hughes, incidentally, won. Despite this however, it is undoubtedly true that Howard Hawks maintained a distinctive artistic style whilst working within the constraints of the studio system, but does this mean that it is more appropriate to consider Scarface as such a production? Scarface is certainly recognisable as one of the very few landmark Gangster films from the Classic stage of the genres cycle. The film is notable in that its main protagonist, Tony Camonte (Paul Muni), shows no remorse for what he has done to achieve his decadent lifestyle. Not only this, but his status as Gangster is not depicted in the same way as characters played by James Cagney or Edward G. Robinson. Schatz mentions that, Munis Scarface is not clearly superior in courage and intelligence to rival his own henchmen. In fact, his rise to power seems somewhat arbitrary, due primarily to the fact that Camonte was among the first gangsters in the city to procure a machine gun, that new innovation in the technology of urban warfare. (Schatz, 1981, p. 91) This seems to indicate that, even though Scarface was among the first of the Classic Gangster films, Hawks was already toying with the psyche of the protagonist. Whereas other Classic Gangster films (such as Little Caesar and The Public Enemy) have a clearly deliniated rise and fall structure, Camonte is in fact at the top of his game when he is destroyed, and his fall is precipitated by the events of a single night. Therefore, it appears that Hawks is attempting to build on and consolidate the mythology of the Gangster, with overt references to the Live fast, Die young existence and the inevitable descent into the gutter of the Gangster protagonist. If this is the way in which an auteur may be defined, then George Stevens is undoubtedly deserving of the same status for his similar attempt at consolidating the mythology of the Western hero in Shane (1953). If not, then we must identify other characteristics that distinguish a Hawks film from other directors working during the same period, such as Mervin LeRoy (Little Caesar) and William Wellman (The Public Enemy). Scarface is certainly an interesting film, in that it confronts both the cinematic taboos at the time of its production (such as its explicit violence), as well as exploring the motives and ethics of the Gangster protagonist. This, then, is undoubtedly the scriptwriter of the films premise as much as the directors. Ben Hecht, an ex-journalist whom would obviously have had an intricate knowledge of the Gangsters of New York and their lifestyles, penned the script for Scarface. Hecht was renowned for his loaded dialogue and intense psychological characterisation, and so much of the credit for making Scarface a distinctive Gangster film must obviously go to him. If this is the case then it is true that Hawks is a distinctive director, but that Scarface is more accurately seen as the product of a trio of influential filmmakers, Hecht the scriptwriter, Hughes the producer and Hawks the director. Many filmmakers have been labelled as auteur during the course of cinema, but few have produced, written and directed their own films entirely self sufficiently. Even directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra, two who have attained the directorial Holy Grail in cinema, their name above the title, have failed to direct a film entirely on their own without artistic input from their writers or producers. Therefore, I suggest that the lone director needs his gang as much as the urban lone wolf needs theirs. The authorship of a film consists of a trio of roles, and it is rare indeed that one filmmaker can perform all three. Hence the auteur theory is flawed, but not so much that it cannot help us to identify a more deviant and intellectually challenging filmmaker. Therefore, I will identify whether the two remaining directors, Scorsese and De Palma, both working in similar genres during the same timeframe, can be classified as auteurs, both in Sarris sense of the word and my own. Brian De Palma has had a chequered history of commercial success within Hollywood. This of course is the best place to begin an analysis of an auteur director, as the definition of an auteur is obviously determined by the industry within which they are working. The Cahiers du cini ma writers, and their English speaking equivalents, believed that an auteur director was one that could take a standard script, star and budget, and yet still stamp a distinctive, individual style on the finished product. Due to the almost completely dominant status of Hollywood products within worldwide film criticism, and the commercially driven factory style of production employed at the time, it was not difficult for these writers to single out directors whom surpassed the production limitations of the studio system. During the days of the studio system, the production methods were so formulaic that if a film had a good script and star, then it was a surefire hit. It was up to the director to simply elaborate on the basics and incorporate their sublimity of expression into what was, most of the time, standard fare. Now things are certainly different. Due to the financer status of the major Hollywood studios, it is now difficult to grant a more distinctive director a budget due to the uncertain financial return on such a project. An auteur director, for all of their artistic integrity and filmmaking prowess, is still undoubtedly going to have a few commercial failures listed in their filmography (take Scorseses The Last Temptation of Christ or De Palmas Mission to Mars for example). De Palma is notable in that he has managed to produce many highly stylised and self-referential films within the Gangster genre stemming from his in-depth knowledge of Hollywood cinema. This knowledge, gained from his studies at New York University, has helped him to identify key elements of genre, and subsequently deconstruct the Gangster film to assist in its development. One particularly good example of this is Carlitos Way. Carlito Brigante (Al Pacino) is a character torn by the dilemma of choosing between the Gangster lifestyle and that of an ordinary citizen. The entire film is told in flashback, as a retrospective acknowledgement of the Gangsters tragic status by the Gangster himself. De Palma and Pacino masterfully portray the rise and fall of the charismatic protagonist, insinuating that the Gangster is created by society (Pacino buys a gun for self-defence, and subsequently becomes drawn deeper into the underworld) and destroyed by it, courtesy of Benny Blanco from the Bronx. Carlito is in fact very similar in nature to Shane; he is a reformist Gangster willing to settle into civilised society, but he cannot have children, maintain a relationship or find legitimate work, and his past will always come back to haunt him. Carlitos Way takes the inevitable demise of the Gangster even further than ever before. Whereas De Palmas 1983 remake of Scarface had portrayed Tony Montoya (Al Pacino) dying in a hail of self-inflicted bullets ten years earlier, Carlitos Way sees us sympathising as the protagonist is destroyed only moments from freedom. Both of these characters are flawed and are not, for the most part, operating within the confines of the law. However, no matter how illegitimate the activities of the Gangster are, De Palmas films invariably portray the society within which the Gangster is working as morally bankrupt, and indeed depict the Gangster as the only character with any real ethical or moral code. This idea of the Gangster as a morally sound and highly honourable character, despite their anti-social status, is one that has been explored regularly within the genre (particularly by another Hollywood auteur partnership, Joel and Ethan Coen in their 1990 film, Millers Crossing). This is a crucial point, as De Palmas juxtaposition of a deeply flawed capitalist ideology and the cinematic requisite of a likeable criminal protagonist has created a fertile ground for criticising American society. Therefore, for these reasons alone it seems that we have found proof positive that De Palma has been instrumental in developing and refining the Gangster genre. De Palma has certainly explored many facets of the Gangster lifestyle and their role outside of society, and has added much to the genre by way of his intricate psychological portrayal of the ethics and motives of the Gangster protagonist. If this is the case, that some directors do indeed independently deconstruct and consequently develop a genre by way of their films, then is it more useful to view auteur directors as a genre unto themselves? Perhaps the fact that a Scorsese or De Palma film is so instrumental in adding to the genres development merits analysis from an individual point of view. If we are to analyse an auteur director within this context, then we must identify what drives such a filmmaker to create such provocative and influential films. It is clear that any director with an intricate knowledge of Hollywood cinema, as well as the various theoretical frameworks used to analyse it, is going to be much better equipped to create what Christopher Frayling terms critical cinema. Should we, therefore, view an auteur director as a filmmaker creating cinema about cinema, within the confines of a certain genre? Should the films of such directors be placed under a sub-genre, or do they in fact push the genre into the next stage of its cycle? Martin Scorsese, like De Palma, has obtained an intricate knowledge of Hollywood cinema through his study of film at NYU. His talent as a filmmaker is undisputed, and perhaps this, coupled with his passion for Hollywood cinema, allows him a critical free reign. Both Scorseses and De Palmas Gangster films accurately fit Schatzs genre of order and McConnells genre cycle, within which all can be placed in the Satire Post-Modern category. Both directors are concerned with consolidating the mythology of the Gangster, mainly by depicting the Gangster as a tragic character of Macbethian proportions, and focusing on satirising the generic rules laid down by Classic directors such as Hawks and LeRoy. Thus films such as Goodfellas are certainly obeying the generic codes and conventions of the Gangster film, whilst still adding a new or deviant twist to the narrative (for example, Henry Hill suffers a fate worse then death in Goodfellas when he is condemned to the life of a shmo under the witness protection program). Films such as Raoul Walshs The Roaring Twenties (1939) and Brian Singers The Usual Suspects (1996) were both primarily concerned with establishing and satirising the mythology of the Gangster respectively. Scorsese and De Palma are certainly noteworthy as auteurs in one respect, their attempts to revitalise a genre with each new film, whilst still conforming to the constrictive nature of a well-established set of generic conventions. Both directors films are constructed of many cinematic references, for example, De Palmas use of many of Hitchcocks most recognisable imagery, or Scorseses imitation of Hawks overhead crowd shot in Scarface (1932). These directors produce self-referential and intertextual films that provoke and stimulate audiences and filmmakers alike, thereby guaranteeing the genres progression to the next stage of its cycle. Goodfellas is a fascinating and diverse film. Scorsese seems to have clearly held in his mind exactly how he wanted his Gangster to appear, and he consequently adds much to the genre by way of his portrayal of the rise and fall of real-life Gangster, Henry Hill. Henry Hill is the embodiment of the twisted, parasitic advocate of the American dream mentioned earlier. He is not a highly intelligent or courageous man, much like Tony Camonte, but proves himself willing to exploit the system at every turn, in order not to end up as just another 9 til 5 shmo. The film satirises the mythology that has built up around the Gangster persona, by emphasising the decadence and glamour of the Gangster life style through a number of distinctive characters. The protagonist, Henry Hill, narrates the film and we realise at the end of the film that he has given us a blow-by-blow account of how he came to be a Gangster by way of a courtroom confession. Throughout the film we are introduced to a number of Henrys surrogate mafia family, all of whom give us a little more insight into the psychology of the Gangster and his underworld. For example, Henrys pathologically insane mentor, Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro), proves to us that an older Gangster must be erased from society, as the lifestyle begins to take control of its owner. Henrys accomplice Tommy De Vito (Joe Pesci) pushes the violence employed by the Gangsters to the extreme at every available opportunity, swearing and kicking his way into the role of the most psychotic Gangster ever to grace the screen. As for the rest of the family, Paulie is a Gangster stuck in his ways, an old man with a deep-rooted fear of becoming institutionalised by New York State Penitentiary until the end of his days. Henrys headstrong Jewish wife Karen, at first completely at odds with the criminal Italian-American lifestyle, becomes drawn deeper and deeper into the equation before finally resisting the sordid and unbearable lifestyle of the Witness Protection Program, ultimately a much stronger character than her husband. This surrogate family, then, serves to present an inverted microcosm of society. The Gangster values family above all else, and yet ironically is incapable of sustaining any kind of family lifestyle himself. The Gangster community lives off a society that they can never be a part of, on the fringes of civilisation as an outmoded and insecure bunch of immigrant misfits, psychopaths and outcasts. An analysis of the iconography utilised within a Scorsese film is essential to creating a full appreciation of the text, as the characterisation of these Gangsters is emphasised by their clothes, cars, guns and their dependence on these items. The Gangster seems to have literally acquired more money than sense, and Scorsese plays on this with references to their overblown demeanour, terrible gaudy taste and lack of discretion with respect to their criminal activities. However, this is counter pointed by the fact that the Gangster does not fear the law. In fact, the Gangster is above the law. The only things that the Gangster fears is loss of their excessive lifestyle and lacklustre surrogate family, two things that the Gangster cannot avoid, due to his own self-destructive nature. Thus Scorsese emphasises elements of the Gangster only alluded to by Hawks and De Palma. The Gangsters of Goodfellas are parasites unintelligent, violent and excessive characters that live only to exploit society. These characters are irredeemable, everything they touch is corrupted, even that rare commodity (and indeed a commodity they are) in the Gangster film, a good woman. Thus the Gangster is a misogynistic, materialistic degenerate, and yet still captivates the audience with his charisma. The audience can still identify with the criminal, even though they have never performed the acts depicted, because of the Gangsters caricatured status. Upon viewing of a Gangster film the audience must suspend disbelief, emphasising the illusionary and tragicomic nature of the Gangster lifestyle. Therefore it is clear that the films of films of directors such as Scorsese and De Palma are highly critical of the mythology that has developed around the Gangster hero, and so prompt the audience to re-evaluate the Gangster as a character bereft of any socially acceptable features, save for their crowd-pleasing charisma.

ACT Test Dates 2016-2017

ACT Test Dates 2016-2017 SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips At PrepScholar, we keep track of all the best information to advise you about future test dates. Knowing the registration deadlines and test schedule can help you devise your study plan and stay organized so that you can reach your target score. In this article, I’ll give you the ACT test dates for 2016-2017 and explain the factors to think about when picking your test date. ACT Test Dates for 2016-2017 Here are the test dates, registration deadlines, and anticipated dates for scores to be released. Test Date Deadline Late Deadline Score Release* Sept 10, 2016 Aug 5, 2016 Aug 19, 2016 Sept 19; Oct 3, 2016 Oct 22, 2016 Sept 16, 2016 Sep 30, 2016 Nov 8; Nov 15, 2016 Dec 10, 2016 Nov 4, 2016 Nov 18, 2016 Dec 21, 2016; Jan 4, 2017 Feb , 2017** Jan 13, 2017 Jan 20, 2017 Feb 21; Feb 28, 2017 Apr 8, 2017 Mar 3, 2017 Mar 17, 2017 Apr 26; May 10, 2017 June 10, 2017 May 5, 2017 May 19, 2017 June 21; June 28, 2017 *= Refers to online score release. The first date is when multiple choice scores come out, and the second one is when complete scores are available. **= No February dates are scheduled in New York. How Accurate Is the Table Above? The test dates and registration deadlines come from official ACT sources and have been released. The score release dates are projected based on information from past tests, but generally, scores will come out within a week of the projected dates. Keep in mind that there's some variance in when multiple choice scores come out and not everyone receives them at the same time. How to Choose Your Test Date Here are some of the major factors to consider when selecting your ACT test date: Know Your Deadlines! The most important thing to remember is to take your ACT before any deadlines. If you apply regular decision, the December test in your senior year will be the last test you can take for most colleges. If you apply early, the last test you can take may be in October or November of your senior year. Also, scholarships have deadlines. If you want to obtain any scholarships that consider your ACT score, you’ll need to have your test score before the scholarship deadlines. How Many Times Do You Planto Take the ACT? Most students improve their scores when they retake the ACT, and you want to give yourself an opportunity to take the test multiple times. Generally, we suggest first taking the ACT in the fall of your junior year. Then you can retake it in the spring of your junior year and the fall of your senior year if necessary. How Long Do You Needto Study? When selecting your test date, give yourself enough time to prepare. Get a rough idea of how long you’ll need to study and make sure you’ll be able to effectively prepare before you take the test. If you take both the April and June tests without doing any studying in between, your score probably won’t improve much. Do You Have Conflicts With Any Test Dates? Check to see if you have any potential conflicts on or around any of the ACT test dates. Maybe the February date is during your basketball playoffs and you’ll be too busy to study. Perhaps you want to avoid the June test date because you’ll be focusing on your finals. It may be difficult to find a time when you can fully devote yourself to the ACT, but you should try to pick the best test dates for you. What's Next? If you're studying for the ACT, use free practice tests to help you prepare. Also, find out which schools require you to send all your ACT scores. Finally, if you have any questions about the ACT, you'll want to check out our expert answers to frequently asked questions about the ACT. Want to improve your ACT score by 4+ points? Download our free guide to the top 5 strategies you need in your prep to improve your ACT score dramatically.

Grant Writing - sources and tips for writing grants part 1

Grant Writing - sources and tips for writing grants part 1 One of the greatest challenges for educators is finding sources of money to allow for innovation and technology in the classroom. Funding is barely available to pay salaries and buy basic supplies. Therefore, teachers and administrators who truly wish to try new ideas that require additional funds have to personally find sources for this money. Grants can be a godsend to solve financial shortcomings. However, two major stumbling blocks are associated with attaining grants: locating them and writing them. Locating Grants Assessing Needs Before your search even begins, you must have a project that you wish to fund. What is it that you want to accomplish? Any project you support must align with the needs of your school or community. Grant providers want to clearly see the necessity of your program. To make sure that your project fulfills a need, compare what your school or community has now to what you feel it should have. Use this information to create possible solutions. The upfront time spent investigating this chasm between your schools reality and your vision for it will pay off when it comes time to write your grant proposal. Do some preliminary research to find a solid educational basis for your idea. Map out the steps necessary to complete your project including necessary funding at each step. Remember throughout your design phase to keep in mind how you will evaluate your project using measurable outcomes. Make a Project Worksheet Make a preliminary worksheet concerning what you believe you will need for your project. By doing this, you can get a clear picture of what the grant you are searching for must look like. Some items your chart could include are: Project Overview Need for Project Research Sources Amount Needed Special School/Community Circumstance Evaluation Methods Searching for Options The most important piece of advice you can get when beginning your grant search is to carefully match your project with the grantors award requirements. For example, if the desired grant is only given to schools in inner cities, only apply if you meet that criterion. Otherwise, youll be wasting your time. With that in mind, three major sources for grant money exist: Federal and State Governments, Private Foundations, and Corporations. Each has its own agenda and differing levels of requirements concerning who can apply, the application process itself, how the money must be spent, and the methods of evaluation. So where can you search for each type? Luckily there are some awesomesites on the internet. You are welcome to modify and use this basic grant match rubric to determine how well the grant fits your project. Writing grant proposals is a complicated and time-consuming process. Here are some great tips to help make grant writing easier. I would like to acknowledge Jennifer Smith of Pasco County Schools for generously sharing many of these tips. Start with outcomes. Be specific in what you wish to achieve and design your project back from these outcomes.Carefully match your goals and outcomes with those required by the grant advertisement. You can use the Grant Match Rubric to help make your decision.Talk to the grant contact person to receive specific information about the purpose and goals of the grant.Find research to support your project idea. Programs that have been previously validated have more merit because they have shown success in the past.Find a district sponsor. Get them to help with any red tape or information you might need to complete your grant proposal.Make your grant proposal interesting to read through good formatting. Remember that people are going to judge your ideas against others and a pleasing and well-organized presentation will get you further. Include pie charts. Set off your information with appropriate indentations.Use language to your advantage. Quote from notable sources.Make a column to accen t exactly where in your grant proposal each component of the grants grading rubric is met. As you write your strategies for the grant proposal, keep assessment methods in mind. Think about how you are going to measurably show what you will accomplish.Look closely at any funding rules to make sure you do not ask for items that the grant will not fund. For example, Florida state grants do not allow food items to be bought with grant money.Check out the grant to see if matching funds are required. Many school districts will not have the money to match even if you are awarded the grant. However, professional volunteers can count as in-kind contributions.Check with your School District to find out the rules concerning salaries for any individuals working on the project. Many districts require you to account for benefits in your funding model.Find out whether the grant requires outside evaluators. If so, you might have to pay for them out of your funding.Make sure your budget narrative and your budget summary match exactly.Grants are stamped when they are received. Try to send i n your grants a few days early so that it appears you are on the ball. Because school districts are limited in the number of Federal and State grants they can apply for, many districts must approve of your grant proposal before it can be sent out. Because of the time constraints on many of these grants, you must plan ahead. Also, make sure you are not competing with others at your own school or district for the same money.Make a database if one is not currently available in your district of important demographic numbers and statistics. Place this information in your grant proposals as requested highlighting special needs.Get to know your states grant contact personnel. If they see your name cross their desk and they can place you, you have a better shot.If you plan to write numerous grants, create templates for commonly needed forms. This is especially useful for state and federal grant that repeat a lot of the same information.Be honest both in the grant proposal itself and with yourself concerning what you can actually accomplish. Remember, you have t o follow through with whatever plans you make.Other Articles

English Comp 1 unit 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English Comp 1 unit 4 - Essay Example What they wish to do on their own time without interfering with anyone else is their own business. In cases where other people are not annoyed to death or put into danger, I really do not care if people use their cell phones. The topic that was chosen was to compare online to on-ground education. In order to do this, it is necessary to look at the pros and cons of each. First we will look at online education, and then travel on to on-ground education. According to Hubpages (2009 p.1), "In August 2005, a survey indicated that approximately 3.2 million students in the U.S chose to enroll in classes online. These students chose online education because it is convenient and effective. However, there are still certain agencies and institutions that refute the enrollment of students in online classrooms because they feel that it is easy to be a dishonest student while taking classes online. The question arises of whether a student would peek into a text book or notes during an examination. This is the main reason why online classes are not offered by all Universities." According to Hugpages (2009 p. 1), "When students attend classes everyday, they are often distracted by outside factors. It may be that the weather is so hot that they cannot concentrate, or that somebody else is wearing better shoes than they are.

DWC Supply chain Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DWC Supply chain - Research Paper Example It would be a one-stop destination for the people, whereby the facility can provide residential and all other city related requirements in the same area. This project will emerge as a futuristic mini city (Zawya, 2007). The entire facility’s master plan has been created based on the concept of extreme forward thinking. It is a part of Dubai Strategic Plan 2015. Broadway Malyan, a leading architectural, urbanism and integrated design practice, has partnered with DWC to create this world-class urban city that will be equipped with the most recent and innovative technological solutions. This will be a state-of-the-art facility with new offerings that are completely different from those existing in other economic zones of Dubai and around the world. This would act as a global city that aims to be sustainable as well as progressive. The facility will explore innovative solutions in architecture with least impact on the environment. The designers for this plan will include individuals who have played a key role in developing other major cities around the world such as, New York, Tokyo, Singapore and others. The project is currently developed with the objective of catering to all commercial needs till the year 2050 and beyond. The different segments will offer complete lifestyle solutions and facilities for the inhabitants. The commercial city will become the nerve cell of DWC, catering to all the markets of Dubai and the Middle East. The commercial district will be a hub for the media and creative firms, including office spaces, luxury boutiques and showrooms. The residential area will house sports and leisure clubs. The enterprise and commercial city within DWC will support a number of banking and financial industries. The city shall be connected with the rest of UAE through rail, where DWC will be one of the main stations for the Emirates Express Train set to be developed in future. The

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance Research Paper

Protecting Intellectual Property Rights With Information Assurance - Research Paper Example Thus, information assurance was given birth as a response to the threat of hacking and stealing vital information, especially data from particular high-profile government or institution. The definitions and practices pertaining to information assurance, on the other hand, are multifaceted and multifarious. Like the complicated Web and its laws, if there are any, the information assurance is an intricate field of human knowledge. This paper discusses the numerous and various definitions of the concept called information assurance (hereinafter IA). It also examines the security services prominent in the information assurance. Of Definitions There are numerous definitions or categorization to the concept of â€Å"information assurance.† Most of these definitions are defined or categorized by various U.S. government institutions such as the U.S. Air Force, the National Defense University, the Pentagon, among other institutions. The U.S. Air Force, for one, categorizes the term inf ormation assurance as a representation of â€Å"measures to protect friendly information systems by preserving the availability, integrity, and confidentiality of the systems and the information contained within the systems† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, pp. 1-2). What is peculiar in this definition of IA is the description of the information systems as something friendly. ... (The emphasis of Curts and Campbell’s IA is on the protection through preservation.) On the one hand, the Pentagon’s Office of the Secretary of Defense categorizes IA in this fashion: â€Å"Informational assurance is the component of information operations that assures the Department of Defense’s operational readiness by providing for the continuous availability and reliability of information systems and networks† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Here, the definition of the phrase â€Å"information assurance† centers on, as the phrase implies, the assurance of readiness via the provision of availability and reliability of information systems or networks. In contrast to the U.S. Air Force’s, the Pentagon views IA as an assurance -- not as a protection of authenticity -- for availability and reliability of the systems and/or networks. Further, Pentagon’s concept of information assurance is contextualized -- that is, the praxis of IA largely belongs to certain operational activities or transactions by its Department of Defense. The National Defense University (NDU), on the other hand, describes IA as â€Å"information operations (IO) that protect and defend information systems by ensuring their integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation† (as cited in Curts & Campbell, 2002, p. 2). Like the Pentagon’s IA, NDU’s information assurance is synonymous or attributed to the information operations. This similarity is grounded on the fact that both institutions, by nature of their office or function, are military in orientation. But unlike the Pentagon’s, IA as outlined by the National Defense University is perceived in terms of protecting and defending the systems or networks through ensuring or ascertaining not only their CIA but

Business Excellence Module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Business Excellence Module - Essay Example Modern organizations are undergoing turbulent economic times in today’s world and for their survival; each company should be ahead of the set benchmarks. Breakthroughs in technology and performance excellence are the most dominant requisites for a company to succeed. This business improvement methodology focuses on improvement of customer satisfaction. However, most of the firms today fall short of this important requirement. Six Sigma includes reduction of defects, reduction of cycle time and ensuring customer satisfaction. To achieve process improvement and variation reduction, this methodology attempts to implement the measurement based strategy. The methodology is hinged on two models, that is, DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and verify) process and DMADV process. The first process focuses on existing processes that fall short of set specifications by putting more emphasis on incremental improvement. On the other hand, the former process tends to develop new proces ses. Six Sigma methodologies ensure application of structured methodology and process metrics to opportunities directly related to organizational goals. In addition, this methodology helps predications to model their business strategies to achieve critical improvement efforts, speed business results, accumulate resources to take advantage of the available opportunities and lastly to oversee that improvements are sustained. The financial metrics of Sigma model includes activity-based costing cost of poor quality amongst others. On the other hand, its contractual metrics comprises mean time taken to repair, cycle and lead time data, and the total amount of rework hours among others. However, it should be noted that collecting and computing of sigma metrics is not a guarantee for a company’s success, and thus, for a company to be successful,  it should apply these metrics in innovative means to solve the clients’ problems.  

3.2 The Internal Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

3.2 The Internal Environment - Research Paper Example At present, Health Ascension is identified to follow an innovative organizational structure. The implementation of this structure facilitates the authorities of the healthcare organization to make decisions in a centralized manner. The corporate structure of the organization is clearly conveyed to every employee associated with the same. The organization has developed a new structure for managing operations in accordance with its business objectives as well as mission. In this context, the corporate structure is recognized to be consistent with the organizational objectives, policies and strategies among others (1Ascension Health, 2015). The changes in the organizational structure within Health Ascension as compared to BJC Healthcare has been quite different, as Health Ascension is focused on providing special attention to the patients based on the transformations observed in the healthcare system within the US (1Ascension Health, 2015; BJC Healthcare, 2015). Ascension Health is recognized to get developed based on a well-defined culture consisting of shared expectations, values and beliefs. The organization has developed a culture based on the principle of ‘Living the Mission and Values Awards.’ By following this principle, it can be found that the individuals associated with the aforesaid healthcare organization get support as well as become motivated for performing their respective operations in accordance with the organizational mission and values. The organizational culture of this healthcare firm is also recognized to be in alignment with ethics and workplace spirituality with the development in culture based on the legal healthcare provisions in the US (2Ascension Health, 2015). 1. Marketing. Ascension Health does not make any marketing initiative for its promotion. It must be mentioned in this context that the healthcare organization is involved in implementing sponsorship strategies in terms of clarity as well as responsibility to develop itself

Creating a Plan for Positive Influence Term Paper

Creating a Plan for Positive Influence - Term Paper Example The plan stated below outlines a method of achieving similar goals, devised for a team to work on a given project within one year. It is important to note that at all times; the plan has been devised keeping in mind that the employees are not merely present for the task, but that the task is present for the employees. In this regard, nowhere in the one-year plan, the managers viewed the task as more important than the employees did (Schuitema, 2010). At every point, it concentrates on how the plan is affecting the workers, and focuses on providing a valuable learning and growth experience to them. In addition, after the introduction of every strategy, management should put efforts to analyze the strategy to identify its impact on possible individual differences. The plan is to begin working on the project in the month of January, and complete it by the end of the calendar year, as instructed. This project has been assigned to eight team members, out of which one is the team manager w ho drafted this plan. The executives of the company have assigned this leadership role of management to this specific member based on his greater experience in training and managing members, and the executives hope that this manager will continue to train other members and instill leadership qualities. Thus the first phase of the planning is underway, which is to assign roles to each of the members. Each of the members will be equal contributors to the project, to ensure fairness in workload and consequent appraisal. However, these roles will be assigned to give the members a sense of responsibility and an important feeling in the team because the most devoted members are those who recognize their significance in the team (Drucker, 2008). Employing this way of thinking, the team members will be assigned roles according to the requirements of the project. This first phase will ensure that each member understands his or her significance in the team and thus, endeavors to remain an eff icient part of it throughout the year. Another advantage of doing this would be that once division of labor and delegation has taken place, the duties of each worker become clear, and he/she work toward fulfilling own responsibilities. This ensures efficiency and full concentration of responsible individual in each of the duties. Additionally, one major factor to account is how successfully each member will perform a given task. For this reason, it is important for the management to assign roles at first according to each member’s strengths and weaknesses. This will affect behavior immensely, as when the initial role assigned to a member is one at which he/she is good at, he/she will be more motivated to perform well and will also be more confident while working, thus affecting the productivity as well as the rate of progress of the project. Second phase of the plan is to work out a schedule for changing these roles periodically. Although specialization is a recognized tool o f creating efficiency and productivity in the workforce, it also leads to an intensive disadvantage if these roles are not changed periodically. This is another characteristic of workers that the management needs to take care of because if the workers perform the same roles for too long, it may lead to monotony and

3.2 The Internal Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

3.2 The Internal Environment - Research Paper Example At present, Health Ascension is identified to follow an innovative organizational structure. The implementation of this structure facilitates the authorities of the healthcare organization to make decisions in a centralized manner. The corporate structure of the organization is clearly conveyed to every employee associated with the same. The organization has developed a new structure for managing operations in accordance with its business objectives as well as mission. In this context, the corporate structure is recognized to be consistent with the organizational objectives, policies and strategies among others (1Ascension Health, 2015). The changes in the organizational structure within Health Ascension as compared to BJC Healthcare has been quite different, as Health Ascension is focused on providing special attention to the patients based on the transformations observed in the healthcare system within the US (1Ascension Health, 2015; BJC Healthcare, 2015). Ascension Health is recognized to get developed based on a well-defined culture consisting of shared expectations, values and beliefs. The organization has developed a culture based on the principle of ‘Living the Mission and Values Awards.’ By following this principle, it can be found that the individuals associated with the aforesaid healthcare organization get support as well as become motivated for performing their respective operations in accordance with the organizational mission and values. The organizational culture of this healthcare firm is also recognized to be in alignment with ethics and workplace spirituality with the development in culture based on the legal healthcare provisions in the US (2Ascension Health, 2015). 1. Marketing. Ascension Health does not make any marketing initiative for its promotion. It must be mentioned in this context that the healthcare organization is involved in implementing sponsorship strategies in terms of clarity as well as responsibility to develop itself

What does it mean to be a human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

What does it mean to be a human - Essay Example Religious elites have on the other hand come up with contradictory argument on the origin, traits as well as development of human species (Lee 3). However, despite the existence of various conflicting ideas and views about the concept human, scholars have come into a consensus on some of the main traits of human. There are some scholars who hold the perception that, the current definition of basic concepts human lacks some very essential transformation that are brought about by emerging technological development(Martin Luther King 23). In addition, modern researchers and critical thinkers have as well condemned the current information on human as being shallow and inconsistent. This therefore means that the knowledge on human is a very essential aspect in describing human growth and development. Most of the accessible information regarding human cannot stand the test of time. However, despite being inadequate, there is sufficient information to describe the concept human. The subsequ ent essay will therefore describe the meaning of human. What Makes Us Human? At its basic description, being human is being born with physical appearance and traits that defines their interaction with others. By referring to this definition, being human is the act one being born into the continuous community of human being. Despite having, the characters that are used to define human being, researchers and other social thinkers have as well come up with other traits that can be used to describe human. For a starter, human must understand moral principle and standards of happiness and wisdom. Every peaceful society is defined and identified by specific moral and principles. Therefore, to be categorised as human, one must demonstrate the understanding and effective utilisation of the existing moral and ethical issues. Secondly, social life is a very essential aspect that defines the concept human. In this case, social life is used to describe one interaction with other members of the society. Modes of communication, social role and responsibilities, social expectations, social roles and regulations as well as social beliefs are some of the core aspects that describe one social life. Other social aspects that are used to describe human social life entails eating pattern and habit, means of taking care of infant and new borne, means of building social networks with community members and members of other societies and acceptable means of interacting with the environment(Lee 7). Thirdly, language is a very essential factor that define peaceful community. Language is described as the main means of enhancing communication in the society. Therefore, for an individual to qualify to be human he or she ought to understand some of the basic signs and symbols that enhance effective communication in a society. On the other hand, researchers have claimed that, communication signs and symbols play a very essential role in determining the manner in which human being live and op erate in the society. Language and other communication and interaction symbols as well offer new ways and means of coping with the unpredictable changes in the environment. In addition, human is defined by one’s human capacity to peaceful community and happiness. Compared to other creatures in the universe, human being is presumed to have the highest level of brain capacity to interact and communicate with others. The memory capacity of an effective and complete human is as well expected to be high and functional. Based on the accessible scientific researches and theories, as human being encounter new social, economic, cultural, and

The Role of the Teacher Essay Example for Free

The Role of the Teacher Essay Perhaps the most important factor in the learning environment is the teacher. This is because the most successful and accessible form of input for the learners in the learning environment is introduced by that of the teacher. The reason for this is somewhat obvious as the teacher is the primary focus and authority in the direction of any given topic. After all, they are there to teach. Essentially, when teachers talk in class they provide the learners with opportunities to develop and expand their comprehension in relation to the given subject. That is to say, that the teachers have the knowledge and it is their ultimate role to distribute this knowledge to the learners. However, this also extends to the significance of the zone of proximal development and the role of keeping the class focused. In relation to teaching English, the teacher can optimise this opportunity in choosing the relevant levels of vocabulary, structure, speed of delivery, degree of clarity, and range of register and style required in relation to the given topic. However, as we have concerned ourselves here, the delivery of teaching has come under scrutiny due to the aforementioned criticisms regarding testing in a formalised manner. This is particularly significant when the role of knowledge acquisition and group dynamics mentioned in the last section are taken into account. We will now return to some of the literature, theory and practise associated with the role of the teacher in the learning environment. The teacher is often perceived by children and learners as the leader of the learning environment. Essentially, they are perceived as the role model in relation to the learning process and therefore the group dynamic (Dornyei, 2003). There has been a great deal of research related to the nature of group dynamics in teaching that have indicated that without the understanding and/or application of the group dynamic, the teacher can unintentionally manipulate an environment that is not conducive to development and in many cases destructive with regards to learning outcomes. This is clearly a problem in relation to the criticisms associated with tests in the contemporary domain. The reason for this becomes apparent and can be seen in the theory and research related to group dynamics and the role of the teacher in the learning environment. For example, Hadfield indicates that the perception of the teacher as a leader and/or role model is in some way detached from the learning environment and the group dynamic. Further, to act upon this perception is given as a hugely significant disruptive factor in learning as it compromises the learner’s identity and inclination to disclose information by way of input. This is given by Hadfield explaining that: ‘From the point of view of emotional orientation, many teachers are not unlike the other members in their class groups. Great deals of the psychological processes that underlie group formation apply to teachers as well. For this reason, it may be particularly important for you at this stage to take part in the class room events as ordinary group members by joining as much as is feasible some of the ice breaking activities and, in a reciprocal fashion, sharing some personal information about yourself with the students. ’ (Hadfield, 1992, p. 17) In this key extract, a need for the teacher to acknowledge their position within, rather than above, the group dynamic is clearly outlined. Further, their role in providing group cohesion and productivity from within the group dynamic is given as essential to a cohesive group. From this perspective, we can assume that without knowledge of group dynamics and their own role within the group, the teacher would not realise their significance in the cohesion of the group and the need for extending and coordinating the focus of the class. This clearly has disruptive implications. Essentially, if the teacher were to perceive themselves as a leader and distributor of knowledge they may drag the group along leaving many of the group behind. The contrary positive effects of negating this form of teacher role are given by the findings of Broadfoot, who suggests that: Many pupils have found the opportunity of talking with their teachers on a one-to-one basis about achievements, experiences, needs and appropriate future targets a rewarding and helpful experience that has a positive effect on their motivation (Broadfoot et al, 1988). This shows that the role of teaching is significant in the nature of learning English. It indicates that the teacher is more than a distributor of predefined tests. It shows that although they are the leader of the learning environment, they should be immersed in it and be responsive to the inputs, goals and directions put forward by the children. This means that rather than maintaining a focus on testing the children, they should attempt to derive a focus and aim through following the feedback from the group. This means that continuous re-assessment rather than pre-defined testing is the primary tool to be used by the teacher. However, while we can perhaps reject the notion of a teacher role based upon top down input at this stage, we must still take into account the direction of learning. That is to say, that it would be unwise to allow the children and learners to simply guide the class outright and have the teacher allow the group to govern the class. For example, as well as losing focus and a sense of established knowledge, the children may form their own groups based upon friendships and other bonds that may disrupt the focus of learning and the acquiring new knowledge. We can perhaps view the teacher’s role as one looking to authentically allow for personal expression and social bonding. However, it must also be focused upon the input deriving from the class. If this is not observed then it is the suggestion at this point that it would be highly likely that there would be lower success in terms of acquired knowledge and a disruption to the process of input. It is with that we turn to the alternative forms of leading and assessing the focus of the group in the learning environment.

Introduction About The Lg Corporation Marketing Essay

Introduction About The Lg Corporation Marketing Essay Nowadays, there are many successful companies in all around the world and in the different branches of technology such as, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Toyota and Toshiba. They are always trying to discover new ways to make peoples life easier. Today, there are many companies that are working in many branches of technology such as, mobile communications, home appliances, and technology innovator in consumer electronics. LG Corporation (LG Corp.) was established in October 1958[1]. LG is a Korean company and their headquarters is located at Seoul. LG is most commonly associated with the catch phrase Lifes Good but the name LG is actually the abbreviation of Lucky Goldstar. This name came from combining the work Lak-Hui(pronounced as Lucky) from Lak-Hui Chemical Industrial Corp. and Goldstar from GoldStar Co.(currently known as LG Electronics). During the past few years LG Corporation has introduced new technologies such as hard disks, computer monitors, laptops and cell phones to compet e with other companies. LG Corporation has plenty of reasons for being successful, but we will discuss the importance of Internet Social Changes, Changing Nature of Organisation and Business organisation and its Environment. Internet and Social Changes: Nowadays, Internet becomes a common thing in our life that playing important roles. Internet is one of the most powerful tools that have so many advantages, disadvantages and effects on numerous things in our life such as, Online Banking, Online Shopping, and Online Medical Advice and so on[2]. These kinds of services have made a new way in todays world. In the present time, many companies, shops and stores are connected to the internet for do their daily works. Having internet service is extremely necessary for every company. Internet is exactly like a service that is able to change everything in society. LG Corporation is just the same as other companies; they also have their own website which is http://www.lg.com[3] that contains many useful services for customers to connecting to the company. Having that website has a lot of benefits for LG Corporation. They include sharing information about all their products and company progress as well as advertising. Internet allows every company, businesses users and customers can connect in all around the world without any accessible problems. LG Corporation is able to share all necessary information about all products and progress of the company in their own website. This is because they explain every detail about their products on their website. On the other hand, every costumer is able connect to LG Corporations website to view the new products. In addition, server administrator can show all necessary information such as price, specifications and technology used in the website. It is because it can help customers to find products which suits their own preference and budget. In the present time, there are many ways for advertising such as through Televisions, Newspapers, Billboards, Wall Painting and Posters. To do these needs a lot of investments but today there is an alternative way which is way cheaper. Internet advertising is another thing that created a big change to the society and many strong companies. LG Corporation also uses internet advertising; it is because doing that kind of advertising has increased the companys profit. According to research that we have done from different websites we have discovered LGs purposes of doing internet advertising which are:-[4] (1) Finding new costumers and presenting new products. (2) To increase sales. (3) How to use new products and how those products can change the customers life by making their work easier. Besides that, there is another benefit of using the Internet on society. All customers can contact a support representative or send a message to Customer Service and Support of LG Corporation at any time of the day and they will respond to the costumers as soon as possible. All costumers from all around the world after connecting to the LG Corporations website to obtain information as well as getting the location of local LG distributers nearby the customers. One of the benefits of this society change is making shopping easier for all costumers. Changing Nature of Organisation GoldStar (currently known as LG Corporation) was formed in 1958. GoldStar then changed their name to LG Corporation in the year 1995. Their objective is to make customers happy through creating digital products and providing good service. Before this, their goal was to be the global top 3 companies dealing in electronics and telecommunications. To achieve this, they had several strategies in hand. Among this is Fast Growth. Fast Growth is done by expanding their earnings quickly as well as to improve the quality of their products instead of the products quantity. Besides that, they also have core capabilities which are divided into six. They are Product Leadership, Market Leadership, People Leadership, No Excuses, We not I and Fun Workplace. As for Product Leadership, it refers to their capabilities to invent top-quality products as well as using new technologies. Market Leadership is their ability to make LG the number one brand worldwide. People Leadership is their staffs abilities to perform extremely well. No Excuses refers to the company as well as its staffs to not blame anything for not achieving goals. We not I is to strengthen team work as well as not crediting work as only a person achievement but crediting the work to the contributing team. Fun Workplace is the workplace created by the company where staffs have their freedoms respected as well as a fun working environment. LG Corporation is a Public Limited company. This means that their shares are sold publicly and their major stockholders are given the companies yearly report. In 2008, LG Corporation paid out 57,232 million Korean Won to their shareholders. Another characteristic of a Public Limited company is they must have at least two directors with minimum age of retirement of 70. At the moment, LG Corporation has seven directors. These seven directors are divided in to two, Internal Director and External Director. There are three Internal Directors whom are Yong Nam(Vice Chairman CEO, LG Electronics), David Jung(CFO of LG Electronics) and Yu Sig Kang(CEO of LG Corporation). The four External Directors are Sang Hee Kim, In Ki Joo, Kyu Min Lee and Sung Won Hong. Business Organisation and its Environment As we know, every company has its own controllable environment and non-controllable environment. Controllable environment refers to the internal environment of the company and Non-controllable environment refers to the external environment of the company. The controllable environment and non-controllable environment plays a big role with the company. This is because it can influence many things such as sales, production, perception and many others. Therefore it is important for a company to maintain its proper internal and external environment. LG Corporation also maintains its internal and external environment. Internal Environment For their internal environment, LG Corporation is able to maintain the main four contents of internal environment which are labour, money, materials and equipment. At the firs, Labour refers to people who perform manual work and Manual work refers to work done with hands. LG Corporation has more than 82,000 employees whom work in many different fields of work in over 110 different countries. How does LG Corporation ensure that their staff will stay happy and loyal to the company? Firstly, LG Corporation provides training to their staff for both work related and ethics related. This is to meld the staff to be able to perform as well as to be an ethical person. This ensures that their staffs are kept up to date with the current technologies and methods to increase productivity of work. Secondly, LG Corporation provides rewards to their staff based on their performance. Besides that, LG Corporation has their own unique rewards system which rewards staff based on several factors such as working conditions. This is to give motivation to their staff to perform better when doing their jobs at work. If the staff at LG Corporation were to rebel, chaos w ould occur at the work place and production will decline and less work will be done. Second, Money refers to a medium the company has which they can use to exchange for materials, services and many other things. Money is the most important item a company must have since it is the medium used for trade. Since LG Corporation has been having profits for the past few years, they do not have to worry about not having enough money. LG Corporation uses money to purchase goods, materials, pay staffs salary, pay taxes, open new branches, pay for land, pay shareholders and many more. Without money, the company is considered bankrupt and will have to go through court order. The company will have its business stopped and all of the companys assets will be sold and the money obtained from selling those assets will be used to pay off all of the companys debts. Materials refer to the raw materials needed to build or make items. LG Corporation requires a lot of materials. For an example, LG Corporation uses cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) to make LCD screens. Without materials, a company cannot make any of those items which the company produces and work will be set to a halt. Therefore, without the CCFLs LG Corporation is unable to produce the LCD screens and the production of LCD screens will be stopped. LG Corporation is also up to date with the e latest energy saving and environment friendly materials. Equipment refers to the items used to produce or increase productivity. LG Corporation uses a lot of equipment to increase productivity as well as reduce work needed to be done by their staff. For an example, staff at LG Corporation uses laptops and computers to increase productivity so they do not need to print and file up so many documents as the documents can be stored in the systems server. For their external environment, LG Corporation is able to maintain the main three contents of external environment which are competition, technology and ecosystem. Competition refers to companies which produce similar products which the company is competing to be the better producer. Among the ways to get more buyers is to reduce the price of the item. LG Corporation has many competitors. Among them are Samsung, HTC, Acer, Hitachi, Philips, and many more. To be ahead of their competitors, LG Corporation has to be innovative and produce new technology or items faster than their competitors. For an example, LG is releasing the first Windows Mobile 7 phone before HTC. Without competition, a company is considered to be king and will dominate the market with a particular product or service. They could take advantage and sell their products for a higher price. Technology refers to the new application of science. Technology is important to our lives as it makes work easier and gets done faster. LG Corporation also uses and produces new technologies. In the year 2000, LG Corporation launched their first Internet refrigerator. This refrigerator has a 37 centimetre touch-screen LCD monitor and uses can listen to music, make phone or video phone calls as it has a camera and microphone attached to it, watch TV, surf the Internet and even use the fridge as a whiteboard. Without technology, we would require more energy to do work as well as work takes a longer time and more effort. Ecosystem refers to the biological and non-biological things in an environment. Nowadays, people are becoming aware of the ecological problems around of us. Therefore many companies have become aware of their role to the environment. LG Corporation also has their eco-friendly products. LG released the GD510 phone nicknamed pop which a phone that runs on solar energy. Besides that, LG also released another phone called Remarq which is a phone made from 87 percent of recycled materials and 19 percent of it is recycled plastic. Conclusion: In summary, we discussed about the Internet social changes, Changing Natural of Organisation and Business organisation and its Environment. These are the three main points that Company of LG following. We believe that, if each company with respect to these arguments can be a success company with a high profit for future.

The Feminist Movement Essay -- Gender Roles, New Women

The changes that occurred in gender relations at the turn of the twentieth century were a factor in the emergence of modernism. The first wave of the Feminist Movement began during this period with the New Woman as its protagonist. The New Woman was a figure that was independent, relatively sexually liberated and educated. Many women no longer lived their lives according to the Victorian ideal required for them and it became more acceptable for women to be seen unaccompanied outdoors and working in certain types of employment. The new woman was perceived as being a treat to men and after the First World War the independence that women enjoyed received a repercussion as women were once again put inside the home and were and were marginalised in the streets. In Jean Rhys Good Morning Midnight and Stella Gibbons Cold Comfort Farm are examples of women new women who were marginalised as well as women, who although lived in the modern embraced both new and old gendered traditions. Discussion of modernity tended to focus on the city and opportunities for adventure and danger or pleasure which the metropolis offered to women. As women became more mobile from the nineteenth century onwards, their presence in the metropolis consisted of shopping expeditions or city outings. (Parkins 2001, p77) In Good Morning Midnight, Jean Rhys explores a claustrophobic kind of exile in the character of Sasha Jansen who has been send back to Paris at the expense of a friend as an alternative to her alcoholic amnesia in London. Sasha wanders through Paris aimlessly, the site of the dissolution of her marriage and death of her son, trying half heartedly to re-establish her life. Sasha is at a literal and emotional impasse at the beginning of the novel. ... ...ve her room by enticing her out of the Victorian world she lives in, into the Modern world by use of modern magazines offering new things. Aunt Ada emerges from her room dressed in leather clothing ready to travel by aeroplane to Paris. (Gibbons 2006, p 220) Although most of the characters problems are resolved by the traditional method of marriage, Cold Comfort Farm is not a reactionary novel in that it seeks to present marriage as the best or most suitable outcome for a young woman. Flora, at the end of the novel jets off to be married to her cousin Charles. Traditionally marriage was considered as being the most suitable outcome for a young woman. Instead, the author positions within the novel â€Å"contemporary debates concerning the nature of marriage and alerts the reader to the social constructions of femininity in the 1930’s. (Horner & Zlosnik 2002, p 170).

Gang violence Essay

â€Å"Once found principally in large cities, violent street gangs now affect public safety, community image, and quality of life in communities of all sizes in urban, suburban, and rural areas. No region of the United States is untouched by gangs. Gangs affect society at all levels, causing heightened fears for safety, violence, and economic costs† (In The Spotlight) As the quote above shows, gangs and everything that goes with them has spread all over the United States and is now one of the major issues the U.S. faces. There are estimated to be about twenty-nine thousand, four hundred gangs and seven hundred fifty six thousand gang members all throughout the U.S. Also, there are thousands of other gang members illegally crossing the U.S. borders, mostly from Central America. Each gang differs in some way but however, â€Å"A common definition for a gang is a group of three or more individuals who engage in criminal activity and identify themselves with a common sign or name † (Barbour 9). The main problem in the U.S. is not the actual gangs, but it is the drugs that they involve themselves with. The drugs only bring violence and problems. The main purpose of many gangs today is not to rule turf or power but to get money by smuggling drugs over the borders and then selling them. Gang activity and violence is occurring all over the U.S. every day, mainly caused by the involvement of illegal narcotics, if this country wants to stop the gangs, it needs to completely cut off the smuggling and trafficking of drugs from Central America into the U.S. by combining different government agencies of different levels to prevent the gangs from entering the U.S. and growing and also to create prevention programs and groups to control it at a more localized level where the issues are the most pressing. Gangs are smuggling over the U.S. borders and it is causing more problems than the government can handle. The main source of drugs is coming from Central America, where the most predominant number of gangs is located. Many gangs are focused only on smuggling different types of drugs into the U.S. and it is the one way to sustain a constant source of income. This is very appealing to any youth who wants money and that is why the number of gang members is growing so rapidly. â€Å"The transnational gangs are located in over 300 cities and 40 states across the country and are becoming a serious  threat to the national security of the United States† (Farah). Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) is the most dangerous gang in the U.S. today and is not even native to the U.S. The homeland of MS-13 is in El Salvador. El Salvador is the most highly gang populated country in Central America. Some other gang-infested countries are Guatemala and Honduras. There are about ten thousand MS-13 members in the U.S. alone and about forty thousand members in Central America. Unfortunately, these numbers are still on the rise. MS-13 recruits members at a very young age, which keeps a steady growth in members. The idea of a better family and brotherhood, but also money, is very appealing to any kid who is struggling at home. MS-13 accounts for the majority of drug distribution from Central America and is the focal point that needs to be attended to if this problem is going to be solved. Another main problem with the drugs is how large of an impact they have on the people because they only add to the already existing problems for society. Also, violence and drugs go hand in hand, which is why they are so involved within the gangs. Violence is always involved with gangs, but with the addition of drugs, the violence can intensify to a level where nothing can be done. This causes the gangs to be much harder to deal with. One main problem is that the American society hates the gangs but loves the drugs and will continue to buy drugs no matter where they are coming from. This makes it even more difficult to deal with. The drugs find a way to enter the lives of people from all of American society. For instance, they have been involved in different businesses and been the cause of murders, including celebrities. â€Å"Gangs have a large involvement in the rap industry and are related to the murders of Tupac Shakkur and Biggie Smalls† (Smith, â€Å"Gangs†). Tup ac Shakkur and Biggie Smalls were two iconic rappers of their time but sadly, gangs found a way into their lives and ended up causing both of their deaths. The drugs and violence become so intertwined into society, that now they are very hard to remove and a resolution to this problem needs to be found. There are many different processes that are being implemented now to stop this problem. An example is that groups and programs are being formed to fight back against the gangs. The Arizona Corridor has proven to be one of  the busiest places for gang smuggling and trafficking. There was a group formed to prevent it called IIMPACT Arizona. â€Å"IIMPACT Arizona! is a multi-agency project that is managed by the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) and designed to address rising crime associated with illegal immigration.† (Gang and Immigration Enforcement) IIMPACT is acronym that stands for â€Å"Illegal Immigration Prevention and Apprehension Co-op Teams† (Gang and Immigration Enforcement). IIMPACT is a program where local, state and federal police forces team up to fight against smuggling organized by crime groups. The main goals of the group are to deter, disrupt and dismantle gangs from illegally immigrated people and drugs into the U.S . If they are able to succeed with what they want to do, then they would be shutting down one of the hotspots for gang smuggling. This group is in action today and could eventually make a large impact on preventing gangs from smuggling over the U.S. borders, which would greatly decrease the amount of drugs that would be entering the U.S. The U.S. government has tried to pass different acts and laws against gangs but there has been many legal issues revolving around the civil liberties of the individuals being persecuted. â€Å"Responding to the rise in gang violence in the early 1980s, Los Angeles judges began to issue gang injunctions. This occurs when the city attorney’s office issues a restraining order against specific gang members. This is done only after gathering evidence from police officials and the public. However, in 1987, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the injunctions, indicating that they presented a violation of an individual’s civil rights† (Smith, Gangs: Outlook). Whenever the government gets close to cracking down on the gangs, an issue involving civil liberties arises and prevents the laws to be passed. The way some of the laws enabled police officers to treat gang members and the hostile level violated some of their rights. In 1994, the Violent Crime Contr ol and Enforcement Act of 1994 was passed and it tightened the choke hold on gangs. It stiffened the penalties for crimes committed by gangs, so that the members would be less prone to break the law. The penalties for a gang member were much more severe than one for just an average person, even if the same crime was committed by both of them. Many lawmakers and law enforcers believe the answer is to make laws to  combat the actions gangs. If the penalties are stiffened, then they will be less prone to smuggle drugs and the drugs levels will go down. If drug trafficking can not be stopped, then there is no chance of slowing down gangs and the violence they create. The solution to this problem will take time and effort but will work. More groups and programs have to be made in order to stop the drug smuggling and gang violence. Also, younger kids have to be reached out to early on so they don’t even have the option to join some sort of gang. If more localized programs can be formed, then smuggling can be cut down from area to area and over time, will disappear. Even though there was extensive research, only one program that was focusing on gang involvement in their area was found and it had been working efficiently so far (IIMPACT). This group is so successful because it requires the usage of town police, state police and federal police all working together. The information that can be shared from each level is key to success. A joint effort is always more successful than a singular effort. If different levels of government enforcement could join up and work together in states all along the border, the smuggling of drugs could be cut dow n immediately. â€Å"The combination of different agencies has brought up results that show that gang violence and just gangs in general are able to be controlled if not reduced a significant amount† (â€Å"In The Spotlight†). This combination occurring much more frequently can be the resolution to the problem that has needed to be solved for so long. The main problem can be seen lying within the gangs but the actual problem revolves around the American educational institutions and the environments that kids are provided with. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) believes that laws will not help and that providing the right environment for kids is what is needed. The main problem with setting a lot of laws and enforcing them is that even if a kid is stopped from being fully involved in a street gang by sending him to prison, he will be more likely to join a gang in prison than out in the world because of how frequent prison gangs are. By trying to prevent one problem, the laws would only cause another. â€Å"If younger kids were provided with better opportunities to enact in a community and have a better environment to conduct their actions, they will  be less prone to join gangs† (Smith â€Å"Gangs: Outlooks†). Groups like the ACLU are trying to stop the problem before it arises and that really is the best po ssible thing that can be done in this situation. If the number of gang members goes down, then gangs will lose their power and influence over the surrounding communities. This would cause there to be less drug smuggling occurring and the problem would gradually decline to a non-existing issue. Gang activity and violence is occurring all over the U.S. every day, mainly caused by the involvement of illegal narcotics. If this country wants to stop the gangs, it needs to completely cut off the smuggling and trafficking of drugs from Central America into the U.S. by combining different government agencies of different levels to prevent the gangs from entering the U.S. and growing and also to create programs and groups to prevent it at a more localized level where the issues are the most urgent. The information that was presented shows how much damage that the gangs are causing to the U.S. and how drugs being smuggled over the borders from Central America are the main cause. This is very important because some of what is being done now and what can be done could be the solution to this enormous problem. Possible trends in the future will definitely be that more laws and acts will be proposed and whether or not they go into action, they will make a positive affect on trying to st op gangs in the U.S. Gangs were first formed in the U.S. in New York in the early 20th century, particularly 1928, so it could be the first time in one hundred years where gangs are not relevant in the U.S. Also, it could make a large global impact because it would encourage other nations to crack down on gangs too. If the necessary steps are taken, the problem of gangs in the U.S. could be completely ended and we could experience a gang-free and drug-free time period in the U.S. for the first time in years. Work Cited Barbour, Scott, ed. Gangs. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2002. Print. Farah, Douglas, and Pamela Phillips Lum. â€Å"Central American Gangs and Transnational Criminal Organizations.† Strategycenter. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Gang and Immigration Enforcement.† AZDPS. Arizona Department of Public Safety, 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. â€Å"In the Spotlight: Gangs.† National Criminal Justice Reference Service. U.S. Department of Justice, 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. Smith, Pamela K. â€Å"Gangs.† Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. Smith, Pamela K. â€Å"Gangs: Outlook.† Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2013. Web. 25 Apr. 2013.