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Essay on US Immigration German Immigrants - 2298 Words

To this day, Germans are the single largest group of immigrants to the United States, and over a quarter of Americans claim German ancestry. Over seven million German immigrants have been recorded since 1820, when official immigration records began to be kept. Germans immigrated to America primarily for economic reasons, but some Germans also left their homelands in search of religious or political freedom. They were also encouraged by their friends and family who had already found a new life in the United States. Immigrants faced a long and arduous journey before they finally reached American soil. Once they arrived in America, they typically settled in their own communities and entered the work force as skilled workers, bought†¦show more content†¦These economic reasons, along with religious and political motives, encouraged Germans to uproot their families and move to America. A small percentage of German immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century deci ded to move due to religious reasons. In the colonial period, religious freedom had been a major factor for immigrants from all over Europe, but during the 1800s it was less significant (Daniels, Coming to America 147). Beginning in the 1830s through the 1880s, anti-Semitic laws were being passed in several of the German states (Hoobler and Hoobler 24). Jews escaped these areas in search of the opportunity to worship freely in America. In the late 1830s, a movement began in Prussia forcing the unification of the Lutheran and Reformed churches (Brownstone and Franck 139). â€Å"Old Lutherans,† who resisted this merger, escaped to the United States in protest (139). Religious radicals from Germany found homes in the ever-tolerant Pennsylvania (Daniels, Coming to America 147). These religious persecutions forced many Germans to make the difficult decision to leave their homeland for the promises of freedom and prosperity in America. A third cause that led to a small numbe r of the more educated and scholarly Germans to immigrate to the United States in the mid-nineteenth century was the political situation in the GermanShow MoreRelatedThe Immigration Of Asian American Immigrants Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagescentury, myriads of immigrants flocked to the U.S. seeking better job opportunities,or searching for religious freedom. U.S. citizens were fearful, envious, and willing to exclude immigrants who came to the US as they were viewed as an economic threat to the society. They believed that these immigrants were racially, morally and intellectually inferior to them and as such did not see or treat as their equals. These dysfunctions lead to severe and harsh treatment of immigrants. Historically, the threeRead MorePolitical Dimensions Of Us Immigration Policies1207 Words   |  5 PagesPolitical Dimensions of US Immigration Policies Japanese and Chinese Immigration and Exclusionary Immigration Policies Anti-immigrant driven exclusive immigration policies barred Japanese and Chinese immigrants from immigrating to the United States and accessing the privileges of citizenship. Through the Immigration Acts of 1917, 1921, and 1924, the US government insured that Japanese and Chinese immigrants could not immigrate to the United States by creating an artificial geographic area or â€Å"AsiaticRead MoreAmerican Immigration And The United States Essay782 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Early American immigration was sparse when the colonies were in time of conflict in the Revolutionary war. 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Immigrants suffered verbal and physical abuseRead MoreThe American Of The United States778 Words   |  4 PagesInduction From before it begins the Untied States has been a nation of immigrants. In 1607 the Virginia company of London sent a 34 Man crew to the new world efforts to find new land. These first ever settlers were the first immigrants to enter the Untied States. Immigrates would continue to flow into the US till the late 1800’s when the first immigration policies were created. The first immigrants to come to the US were seeking economic opportunities. However, because the price of passage wasRead MoreArgumentative Synthesis Of The Simpsons, South Park, And Social Satire871 Words   |  4 PagesSatire The question of immigration had been one of America’s biggest issues since the 1500s. Mass immigration began in the late 1600s and became uncontrollable for the native population to control. In fact, many began to move west where opportunity existed. After the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, the question of immigration died down until the Irish and German immigration wave in the mid-19th century. Today, immigration is no longer a major issue, but illegal immigration is. All through theRead MoreThe American Of The United States817 Words   |  4 PagesInduction From before its begins the Untied States has been a nation of immigrants. In 1607 the Virginia company of London sent a 34 Man crew to the new world efforts to find new land. These first ever settlers were the first immigrants to enter the Untied States. Immigrates would continue to flow into the US till the late 1800’s when the first immigration policies were created. The first immigrants to come to the US were seeking economic opportunities. However, because the price of passage wasRead MoreImmigration Policy At Kennesaw State University Essay1541 Words   |  7 PagesThe world has always debated immigration, yet never coming to a conclusion. On the one hand, there are some countries that have been more open to the idea and practice of immigration. Canada is a prime example. From the article, Immigration Policy at the Subnational Level In North America: Quebec and Georgia In Comparative Perspective, written by political science professor at Kennesaw State University, Richard Vengroff, Canada is an outlier among advanced industrial nations in terms of the overallRead MoreThe Immigrants Of The United States920 Words   |  4 Pagesthe 1890 s when immigrants needed money to enter the United States. Your huddle masses yearning to breathe free, huddle masses come with a quota and whichever nationality was in favor at the time. Send these the homel ess, tempest, tossed to me (The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus 1883) just as long as you weren t Chinese or Japanese. In a thirty year span between 1870 and 1900 the United States saw twelve million immigrants pass through her golden doors. 70% of these immigrants were English, IrishRead More Pro Immigration Essay1121 Words   |  5 PagesPro Immigration   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We live in the age where scandalous and controversial topics cover the news headlines. Such subject matters as homosexuality, A.I.D.S, and abortion are fiercely debated upon. Sides are always taken, with the conservatives battling the liberals. One such argument that has always been debated upon since the founding of this nation has been immigration. The fact that it has been argued over for so long makes it seem ironic. A country founded by immigrants perpetually

Associate Evaluation Educational Achievement-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Associate Evaluation Educational Achievement? Answer: Introduction The education system in UK is facing many changes and alterations these days. The number of schools has increased having different funding arrangements. As per the law in UK, all the children from the age of 5 to 16 must obtain education that is full time in nature (Holmes and Adams, 2006). Till the year of 1988, each and every school have the freedom to decide their courses and the curriculum that needs to be taught in the school. The only compulsory subject at that time was religious education. After the launch of Education reform Act 1988, the standard curriculum that is The National Curriculum of England was developed and was announced in 1992. The major aim of this reform is to ensure that all the pupils can get the balanced education and knowledge about some of the basic topics. The national curriculum defines that there are four key stages that falls under primary education and after 11 years of age, the pupil enters the secondary education schools (Handal and Herrington,2003) . Key stage 1 and 2 falls under the category of primary schools and key stage 3 and 4 falls under the category of secondary education system. This National Curriculum includes some of the core subjects such as maths, English and Science. Religious education is also taught but it has local syllabus for every school. As far as the curriculum of mathematics is considered, it has been analysed that The National Curriculum for mathematics is based on the content and various types of tests (Priestley and Humes, 2010). The National Curriculum (NC) developed simultaneously with the development of national test (sats) at the end of the Key Stages. The NC introduced Programmes of Study (pos), Attainment Targets (AT) levels and Statements of Attainment (soa). The National Curriculum required all schools to address the matter of teaching merely for the attainment of knowledge and skills in separation from the application of mathematics, and to develop the approaches of teaching and learning to influence the work in mathematics (Babado?an and Olkun, 2006). This was considered as every challenging for the schools as it is required by The National Curriculum to raise the standards of mathematics for all the students. The National Curriculum focuses on developing the knowledge of the students to learn about the calculating methods. It includes the mental methods as well as the methods by using calculators. At every level, it is required by the teachers to encourage and inspire the students and pupils to develop their own methods of calculations (Heywood, 2005). This feature of developing own methods was established by numeracy project and framework for teaching mathematics. It has been analyzed that even after the revisions were done frequently and so many times in mathematics but the change is content was observed to be very little (Rowlands, and Carson, 2002). In order to supports the teachers, training materials had been released for the teachers so that they can effectively teach the pupils properly. The major aim of the new curriculum system development is to bring fluency, mathematical reasoning and solving problem methods. There are basically three types of schools in UK: Community Foundation Voluntarily Community schools are the one in which LEA has the responsibility for admission of the pupils. They own the staff and the land on which the school building is constructed. As far as foundation schools are considered, these are the schools in which the governing body owns the building and has the responsibility for the admission of the pupils. In terms of ownership of the school land and building it is generally off governing boys or of any charitable trust (Marsh, 2009). Voluntary schools are generally owned or operated by the charitable trusts. These schools are divided into two types that are aided and controlled. These are almost always church schools and the In terms of evolution of mathematics in education system of different schools at UK, it has been analysed that Math was considered as the core and necessary subject since 19th century (Hershkowitz, et al. 2002). It has been analysed that there were many lengthy calculation under the topics of weights and measures in math and reduction in time allotted to numerical calculations in mathematics have made it problematic for the students to learn. Nearly in 1980s the development of electronic calculators raised the concern that using these devices may affect the mental ability of the pupils to sole the arithmetic issues but eventually and gradually they become the important tools to be used by the pupils (Mullis, et al. 2012). It has been analysed that resolving the real life problems are very much complicated than solving the problems that are academic. But, these issues have made the impression that maths is not relevant to the real lives. This is the only reason that math has undergone many changes since years but the reforms were mainly focussed on changing the teaching patterns of the subject and thus required effective training programs to teach the teachers that how can they educate the students (Aubrey, Godfrey and Dahl, 2006). Every subject the pupils learn has its impact on their personal, social, economic factors. These factors also affect the experience of learning the particular subject. Math is considered as the subject that is very much complicated in nature. This subject is assumed to be very different from the real life implementation of the subject (Adam, Beck, and Van Loon, 2000). Following are some of the factors that have their impacts on the education experience of the students regarding math: Personal and social factors: It has been analysed that development of negative attitude towards maths by the pupils in UK is because of the differences in the real life problems and subject problems of maths (Unit and Britain, 2001). Even though pupils are talented but they have negative views on maths and face numeracy crisis. In order to improve people as an individual and the country as a whole, it is required to change the attitude towards the subject to take the benefit out of it. It has been analysed that UK people have culturally accepted to have negative thoughts about maths. It is very usual to hear in UK and I cannot do maths and it does not seem strange at all. Maths is seen as the remit of mad scientists, nerdy boys and socially inept. Maths is assumed to be the genetic gift that can be innate and cannot be acquired and learnt but this was really a wrong thinking. Everyone needs math at every point of their life even in everyday tasks the people perform; maths is very muc h required (Healy, 2003). There can be many causes that results in negative attitude of the people towards maths. The first one is the bad experience of the students in learning the concept of maths that are very basic. Students also find that the problems in their books is also not relevant to their daily lives I some cases. Most the student has bad experiences in their math class and thus it continues till their adulthood. Math also creates anxiety amongst the students (Asheim and Gertler, 2005). Historical factors: In all the education system, math is considered as the most important and the key subject to be learnt by the students. It is considered as the ancient science that has been involved in each and every education system including UK. It has always been taught as the mandatory subject and is considered to be playing a major role in social selection. This is a subject with infallible knowledge and logic and thus it is required to be involved ii the education system with a perfect curriculum design. In earlier times that is sixth and fifth centuries, Pythagoras believed that this world is ruled by the numbers and nature has mathematical underground. It has been analysed that the students have the assumption that maths is a very tough subject and they used to hate maths. Math has always seen as the isolated subject. It is required to concept and integrates historical aspects in mathematics in order to have better teaching and learning experiences of the students (DEste and Patel, 2007). Teaching and learning mathematics through ancient and discovery perception helps in empowering the excitement of learning. This helps the students to develop their logical reasoning and problem solving capability. These are the life skills that can be learnt by understanding the concepts of maths. Historic maths also deals with looking at the problems that are old. This helps the learners and the researchers to look for new and interesting ways to solve the problems. There are two ways in which history can be combined to maths. First strategy is that the topic can be covered by using the original source out to settle topics that fit I to the curriculum. History suggests that modern maths is confided as the integration or combination of years of learning ad discovery. Insights into the evolution and development of maths help in improving the curriculum and power of the teacher to communicate and stimulate interests. Economic factors: The association between attainment of maths and national economy is very complex to be explained and understood. The interference of government or the political decisions on the formulation of mathematics curriculum assumes utilitarian view of learning that suggests that the vocational skills can be taught in the schools (Hoyles and Lagrange, 2010). In developed world, the skill requirements of employees by the companies are changing and this may be because of the involvement of technology in the same. The new technological tools at the workplace have different skill requirements from the person who is using or operating those tools. It has been analysed that mathematical science is very important for the economy of the country like UK. It has been analysed that all the topics that are usually covered in the math curriculum such as algebra, trigonometry, dynamical analysis, mathematical physics etc. are very important for the everyday life as well as the employment life of the pupils of UK in near future. In order to drive the economy of UK, its required to develop the mathematical skillset across the widest economic spectrum. It has been observed that very few of the math students opt maths in their future studies or post graduate level. It is not the case that the qualified Mathematicians are required only in UK but its the case for all over the world. A report by Mathematical Sciences in 2025, published by the American National Academy of Sciences, stated Mathematical Sciences is increasingly integrating in other aspects and has become a very important element in the investigation of different areas such as biology, social science, medical, economics etc. all these subjects and the investigation in the same is important and essential for the growth ad development of the economy and this fact should inform both the nature and scale of funding for the Mathematical Sciences as a whole8. Therefore, it has been analysed that UK has to make initiates in this direction of maintaining and developing Mathematical sciences people pipeline so that it can be competitive in nature at global level. This helps the country to attract the other global businesses to set up their operation in the UK. In the year of 1980s and 1990s, the conservative government of UK has brought many reforms and introduced the market mechanism in the education system of UK. This has been done in order to raise the strands of schools in UK. The legislation that is the 1988 Education Reform Act not only bought reform in the education system but also changed the national curriculum of different subject including maths (Slavin, 2002). The market oriented reform allows the parents to have their choice about the sate funded schools. As per this, the parents in UK can choose that which school their children has attended and could be linked with the governing bodies of the schools. Some of the schools have got the right to take decision over their budget and that budget is financed by the government of UK. This helps the school governing bodies to have autonomy in their operations and particular about which student can get the admission and which cannot. In addition to the parental choice, policy makers of the education system also attempted to improve the effectiveness of the schools (Barr and Crawford, 2005). For this, league tables were generated that helped in showing the positions of the schools in comparison to each other. gradually, the test scores become more accessible and thus the league tables undergone the refinement that results in focusing on the outcomes instead of just focusing on the examination attainment and taking account of the previous achievement of children entering a particular school. (Boud and Solomon, 2001). However even today, the newspapers concentrates on the pass are of the pupil in the exams and this is the big issue for the parents of those pupils as well. It has been analysed that most of the organisations of contemporary society believes in old fashioned skills. Old fashioned skills means the skills that were used to perform the task in older days that are now altered and the same task is done in different ways now. Different policies have implemented these days in the organisations that requires the schools to make alteration in the school curriculum of the students to make them learn better and new skills (Gillborn*, 2005). As far as some of the recent policies in UK are concerned, it has been analysed that Pupil Premium program has the objective to reduce the inequalities in between the children and the education that needs to be provided to them. This can be done by funding the schools for helping the disadvantaged students. The pupil premium is available to the student who can take free meals. It is in the hands of the school that how that funding can be used. This was the policy that is launched in England (Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole and Whitmarsh, 2007). In Northern Ireland, every school is god school is a policy that was launched for making improvements in the school. This helped in raising the standards and funds for the schools. Teaching Scotlands Future was the policy that was launched in order to improve the teaching skills. As far as Australia is considered, it is found to be the biggest competitor of UK in education system. In Melbourne, educational goals of for the youth of Australia along with Australian education minister sets the way in which the education needs to be delivered to the students at every level. The major focus on Australian education is leadership of the schools. The major objectives of Australian education includes development of school leadership, improving the quality of teaching improving the outcomes for the students who falls under the category of disadvantage society and the last one is improvement in transparency (Henry, et al. 2001). In order to increase the number of educated population, the agreement has been launched that aims at engaging more and more students in schooling programs so that the inequalities in the education can be reduced and more and more people of the country can get the education at equal level. Most of the programs and the policies in Australia are fo r the students who belonged to the community of indigenous society and the one who are from the lower social economic societies. After that, the national partnership agreement has been launched or released that focused on setting the milestones of education, outcomes of the same and the strategies for delivering the education (Sahlberg, 2007). The ASQA seeks better national constancy and increased rigour in registering training providers, recognizing sequences and monitoring the excellence of the system. The TEQSA aims to safeguard that students obtain high-quality education at any higher education organization. It has been analysed that the major aim of every education policy different countries have similar impact and objectives. His is because each of the government and the governing bodies of the countries try to improve the education level of the population and aims to remove the inequalities along with providing equal opportunities to all the people in their country to get the education at primary and secondary level. Maths is the subject that has been concluding as the most important subject and its basic language is very much required by every individuals. References: Adam, B., Beck, U. and Van Loon, J. eds., 2000.The risk society and beyond: critical issues for social theory. Sage. Asheim, B.T. and Gertler, M.S., 2005. The geography of innovation: regional innovation systems. InThe Oxford handbook of innovation. Aubrey, C., Godfrey, R. and Dahl, S., 2006. Early mathematics development and later achievement: Further evidence.Mathematics Education Research Journal,18(1), pp.27-46. Babado?an, C. and Olkun, S., 2006. Program development models and reform in Turkish primary school mathematics curriculum.International journal for mathematics teaching and learning,1(1), pp.1-6. Barr, N.A. and Crawford, I., 2005.Financing higher education: Answers from the UK. London: Routledge. Boud, D. and Solomon, N., 2001.Work-based learning: a new higher education?. McGraw-Hill Education (UK). Cochran-Smith, M. and Zeichner, K.M. eds., 2009.Studying teacher education: The report of the AERA panel on research and teacher education. Routledge. DEste, P. and Patel, P., 2007. Universityindustry linkages in the UK: What are the factors underlying the variety of interactions with industry?.Research policy,36(9), pp.1295-1313. Gillborn*, D., 2005. Education policy as an act of white supremacy: Whiteness, critical race theory and education reform.Journal of Education Policy,20(4), pp.485-505. Handal, B. and Herrington, A., 2003. Mathematics teachers beliefs and curriculum reform.Mathematics education research journal,15(1), pp.59-69. Healy, J.D., 2003. Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk factors.Journal of Epidemiology Community Health,57(10), pp.784-789. Henry, M., Lingard, R., Rizvi, F. and Taylor, S., 2001.The OECD, globalisation and education policy. Elsevier Science. Hershkowitz, R., Dreyfus, T., Ben-Zvi, D., Friedlander, A., Hadas, N., Resnick, T., Tabach, M. and Schwarz, B., 2002. Mathematics curriculum development for computerized environments: A designer-researcher-teacher-learner activity.Handbook of international research in mathematics education, pp.657-694. Heywood, J., 2005.Engineering education: Research and development in curriculum and instruction. John Wiley and Sons. Holmes, J. and Adams, J.W., 2006. Working memory and childrens mathematical skills: Implications for mathematical development and mathematics curricula.Educational Psychology,26(3), pp.339-366. Hoyles, C. and Lagrange, J.B., 2010.Mathematics education and technology: Rethinking the terrain. Berlin, Germany: Springer. Lorenzoni, I., Nicholson-Cole, S. and Whitmarsh, L., 2007. Barriers perceived to engaging with climate change among the UK public and their policy implications.Global environmental change,17(3-4), pp.445-459. Marsh, C.J., 2009.Key concepts for understanding curriculum. Routledge. Mullis, I.V., Martin, M.O., Foy, P. and Arora, A., 2012.TIMSS 2011 international results in mathematics. International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Herengracht 487, Amsterdam, 1017 BT, The Netherlands. Priestley, M. and Humes, W., 2010. The development of Scotlands Curriculum for Excellence: amnesia and dj vu.Oxford Review of Education,36(3), pp.345-361. Rowlands, S. and Carson, R., 2002. Where would formal, academic mathematics stand in a curriculum informed by ethnomathematics? A critical review of ethnomathematics.Educational Studies in Mathematics,50(1), pp.79-102. Sahlberg, P., 2007. Education policies for raising student learning: The Finnish approach.Journal of Education Policy,22(2), pp.147-171. Slavin, R.E., 2002. Evidence-based education policies: Transforming educational practice and research.Educational researcher,31(7), pp.15-21. Unit, S.E. and Britain, G., 2001.Preventing social exclusion. London: Cabinet Office.

Modern day Americ Essay Example For Students

Modern day Americ Essay My coach,Joe, had one philosophy, run. Every practice we would run for at least half the time. Even during the part of the season where we struggled and couldn’t score goals. Instead of thinking about where we were struggling and changing practice so the team could increase its foot skills, an area where we were lacking, we pressed ahead with running. We scored more goals and it would appear that all the running paid off. Even though what Joe did didn’t seem good at the time, it ended up working out. This is an example of a Hebraic Coach. A different type of coach could be a Hellenic coach. â€Å"Hebraism and Hellenism† by Matthew Arnold talks about these different ways of thinking. Hebraism is doing what what you have always done, knowing that what you have been doing is best for you. Hellenism is questioning everything, never believing that what you have been doing is right and what you do next needs to be questioned. I believe that Hellenism is a better form of thinking. For this reason it has become a popular way of thinking. The Bible is the original source of Hebraism. In the story of Abraham, God tells Abraham to sacrifice his own son. Abraham jumps on the idea and brings his son to a rock on top of a tall mountain. Right before he is about to kill his own son, God comes down from heaven and tells him â€Å"now I know you fear god† and he doesn’t have to kill his own son. This is a very Hebraic story. Never does Abraham even consider thinking about how it might not be a good idea to kill his son. This quote pertains to Arnolds elaboration of the difference between the two, â€Å"never go against the best light you have, take care that your light not be darkness†(5,1,2). God is the best light that Abraham has because of this he will follow him blindly never once making sure that God should be followed. Another story of Hebraism in the Bible is the story of Adam and Eve. God says that no one can eat the fruit from one particular tree. Despite this Eve eats a piece of fruit from this tree. This makes God very angry and he kicks both of them out of the garden of Eden forever. This story shows how Hebraic the Bible because the Way of Hebraism â€Å"is conduct and obedience† (5,1,4). God demands perfect obedience from everyone or they will be punished. He is the same as my soccer coach Joe. If we didn’t play well then we would run. If you don’t follow Gods word then you will be punished. For as often as Hebraism is shown in the Bible, Hellenism is shown in Greek literature. The Greeks believed more in thinking. Some of the greatest thinkers in the world were Greek such as Socrates or Plato. Socrates was a thinker. He questioned everything that happened, he accepted no truths. When the Greeks went to war with the Trojans, Socrates was not supportive. He was outspoken in his distaste with the war. The reason he was brought to trial was because he wouldn’t support the war. When there are wars in the olden times it was very important to have a united home front of support. These actions by Socrates show Hellenism. â€Å"Take care your light be not darkness†(5,1,1) is a great quote to describe Socrates. It means that you should never take for-granted that what you are doing is the right thing; that is what Socrates was doing when talking about the war. Another story from the Greeks that describes Hellenism is the story Achilles. He was the greatest warrior in the world but he sat out one of the biggest battles ever. When his king, Agamemnon stole his slave girls Achilles knew that this was an injustice. With Hellenism one should always â€Å"see things the way they are†. Achilles did this and knew he had to fight for his own justice. .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .postImageUrl , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:hover , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:visited , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:active { border:0!important; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:active , .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047 .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0ec9d07af41ace81789d4fa476516047:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Mental Illness EssayHebraism is still alive and well today. It has a way of coming out in people in times of fear or when they need something. One group of people who always need something are congressmen. Republican congressmen in particular tend to think with a Hebraic mindset. For the past 20 years a man named Grover Norquist has had Republicans sign a pledge saying they will never raise taxes. This is very Hebraic because they just blindly follow this pledge even if it is not the right path for the country. They think that this pledge is their great light even when in reality it is just blackmail. Another form of Hebraism in the world today is still the Bible. People have decided that they will live their lives based on a book written century ago. On mainly social issues such as gay marriage people will not think at all about what is right or fair they just follow the Bible. You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination was written in a time that is totally different from now. The fact that people wont even think about what is right, this is what makes it Hebraic. People have a right to their own opinion but they also at least think about the other side. Hellenism, the other way of thinking, is also still around. People who use a more Hellenic approach in live tend to think about what they do more and a decide if it is the right decision they wont just blindly follow orders and while this can be problematic at times, it also makes for better at critical thinking. One example of Hellenism in the world now is the fact that the American people elected a black President. This was something that not even 30 years ago would have been thought possible. This took an American populace that was less concerned about what was the norm and what was better for the country. A second example of the Hellenist influences in the country today is the Occupy Wall Street movement. People really had to see through years of cloudiness to see the true light that was the fact that corporations can do more bad than good for this country. It would have been easy for people to sit back and just think that nothing was wrong. The scale of the movement is what makes it show the true moment while some things like gay marriage for the Hebraic way are fading while the Occupy movement is new and strong. The better and becoming more popular way of thinking in the country in Hellenism. We are coming off a time in this country where we were very Hebraic. The attacks of 9/11 created a time when being Hebraic was good. We needed a strong leader to organize and keep people calm. As these attacks fade into the background the country has turned to social change. We elected an African American President something that was never thought possible. The Occupy Wall Street movement was a time when people where trying to change there light they realized that big business was in fact hurting this country not helping and wanted to make a difference. We are not yet perfect but the path is being laid for a bright future.

Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example Essay Example

Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example Paper Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Introduction When discussing the legalization of Marijuana, take a mechanistic view of one symptom of a much larger social problem. You cannot talk about legalizing marijuana without getting into discussions of other â€Å"Social problems†. I am talking about all other â€Å"drugs†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ prostitution, health care, social security, or just about any other issue that we as a country, and as a people are dealing with. For the purposes of this paper, I will confine, or rather use the legalization of marijuana issue as a model for how we can deal with this, as well as other problems that we are correcting as we approach the next millenium. The obvious arguments for legalization that are used, happen to be ones that the masses that make this argument usually resort to– the health and environment benefits. One argument that is hardly ever used, however, and the one that I wish to concentrate on, is the fact that the drug problems in this country, as well as the others that are listed above are included in the group of â€Å"SOICIAL PROBLEMS†. Think about that for a minute. What entails? A social problem is a problem that faces a society. Now I want you to think about your society. Not society, but your specific and immediate society. Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Body Paragraphs What does it consist of? Whom does it consist of? Immediate answers might be school, neighborhood, church, work, town, and family. In other words, we can define it as your community. Your community is your society, now exclusive of your friends and others you consider to be in your peer group who may actually encourage certain types of â€Å"Immoral† behavior. Who in your community would sit back and let you abuse your body and mind with excessive drug use? Schools would suspend; families could react with everything from tough love to ultimatums. Very rarely is it someone outside of your society that will reach out to you and give that helping hand. We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments of the Legalization of Marijuana Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Some ex-drug abuser’s testimony may spark the revelation in you to kick your habit. But it is your community that will help you. You see, put very simply, drug abuse is a â€Å"Social Problem† and more often than not your society will help you or ostracize you, depending of course on your particular situation. Thus, while you may not kick, you would certainly take steps to curb your habit from becoming obvious or debilitating to your life. Now what does this have to do with legalization? I’ll tell you. As long as the government is waging the war on drugs, in a poor manner I might add, society won’t. Society won’t because it doesn’t have to, the government takes care of it for us, so rather than discuss these issues with your child you can spend that time working, in order to pay the government to keep protecting your child for you. The problem with government intervention, stretching past drugs, is that the government is not a community, it is a large beaurocratic mess of forms, protocols, and so on. The reason for this is nothing more than the simple fact that the government tries to deal with everyone at the same time. What works in Peoria, Illinois on Tuesday may not work for Winder, Georgia on Wednesday. The government looks at us as a series of numbers and statistics and then they create the laws and regulations designed to effect the greatest number of people, or the majority. When the anomalies pop up into the equation, more structures and regulations are added to try and accommodate the new statistics. Let’s take a look at how this would work in a classroom. The exercise is simple– using just the first initial and last name of each of the students in a random class, as well as their social security numbers and the grades that they have received over the course of the current school year, divide the class into three groups. Every group is to write an evaluation of the study habits, and general scholastic performance of every student. Using that information, design a system to improve the class. Next, put all of this information together and try and apply it to the rest of the school, and then apply it to the entire school system. Now this is a very simplistic exercise and I acknowledge the fact that the drug problem is more complex, but this serves as an example of what happens when the government tries to use regulations to deal with a social problem. First of all, the information consists of nothing but numbers. The information tells nothing of whether a student was sick on the week he received a zero on a test, or what was happening in their private lives that could effect the grades received for a particular assignment. There are thousands of unique factors that contribute to each and every student’s individual performance. To try and look at just numbers and try to regulate behavior based on that information is not only a Herculean task, but also it is an almost impossible mission to accomplish. The sheer manpower that such an endeavor would take– gathering the information, collating, processing, analyzing, modifying, and then turning it over to a committee to decide how it is all going to be used is a never ending task. You’d have a better chance of gathering an infinite number of monkeys to write all of Shakespeare’s works, and It would take less time for the monkeys. (Haha) You can start to see the ineffectiveness of a large beauracracy trying to deal with problems that are so obviously needed to be dealt with by our social communities, in turn, social problems. Now if you asked the instructor of a class to summarize the scholastic performance of each of their students, chances are they are going to be able to tell you things. For example, when the student was sick, or whether or not they had difficulty understanding a particular segment or assignment, but otherwise do fine in class. Now ask that instructor what they would do to improve their classroom. It will probably work for that classroom or society if you will. Say for instance there is a window that opens onto a playground and the teacher says that a set of blinds to keep the kids from being distracted would improve class performance. Does that mean that all classrooms should have blinds on their windows? With marijuana, the problem is essentially the same. If you look at all of the kids who smoke marijuana as individuals you will see that the reasons and motivations for their use numbers in the thousands. You have peer pressure, escapism, or just simple experimentation and these are just a few to name. Later on, take a piece of paper and make a list of reasons for using drugs, such as marijuana. Not your reasons, just the reasons that anybody may feel at a given time. Now, similar to the first exercise, try and make a regulation that covers all of the reasons why abuse runs rampant. Now remember, these are the reasons you came up with, there are now 259 million other Americans with their own list of reasons why. You get the idea that the task on hand is an overwhelming one at the least. It is something that the government, any government anywhere, could never ever accomplish. This brings us back to the main thrust of this paper. Legalization of marijuana like any other social problem is just that– a social problem. And as a social problem, it is best dealt with within a society. Societies that consist of people who know you, care for you, and even love you. Given the chance, we as a people will in fact work out these and any other problems that we, as a society, and individuals are confronted with in our daily existence.

Evas Print Shop Essays

Evas Print Shop Essays Evas Print Shop Essay Evas Print Shop Essay Eva’s Print Shop: tripled bottom line operates as a social business and a corporate structure divided in terms of it’s two businesses some horizontal connection between the teams but not a clear functional structure hybrid between functional and divisional innovative features: social business (mohamed yunous) – integrating the production (commercial) and the teaching (social) business side – bringing in money to sustain the organization social side 2002 – they used to be funded by federal grants BUT caveat w. overnment funding required the trainees to be paid†¦ issue: these are homeless youth and they are being taken off the streets – giving them homes and are taught basic survival skills on how to live, and take care of themselves any kind of not for profit formula has strict guidelines which is why they switched because it was counter intuitive to the social goal. Case: Who: (names and position): Andrew Macdonald and the Advisory Bo ard (primary stakeholders) Eva’s initiatives What: (Key Issues): Whether or not to expand and if so how Why: (Root Causes): Funding Will the business side fund the social side? Need to help more at risk youth is pressing – growing problem When (Timeline): No, just as it works for the company Changing the funding has put some constraints on the economic business, BEP Analysis: (application of course concepts, models, theories): Performance: changing in funding formula away from government funding was made after 2005 strategic review – allowed Eva’s Phoenix †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. How did this impact its organizational design? Strategy: integration of its social and commercial elements of the enterprise – triple bottom line, includes environmental – uses Bullfrog Power Models: triple-bottom line effectiveness measures: goal approach – internal process model: how does the training side interact with the commercial side? How are conflicts resolved? resource model: by choosing bullfrog power, they may be paying more for their power but using homeless youth – they may be comprising their efficiency and quality Balancing Act between the 2 Professionalism – more professional you’re staff, the more you have to pay them Decision Criteria 1. ncrease youth participation 2. increase efficiency on the economic business side 3. feasibility and funding 4. keeping or increasing the synergy 5. no compromise the social or environmental objectives for the business objectives 6. complexity in the design structure 7. maintaining your volunteers Alternatives: 1. Keep the structure the same but tweak it, make economic more efficient (incremental efficiencies) 2. Grow the business using the same structure – just bigger 3. Grow geographically – replicating the model in different cities where there is a similar need 4. Separate the print shop and the social initiatives Evaluation of Alternatives 1. Incremental efficiencies will allow for more professionalism and customer focus – some basic training before anyone works in the print shop handling customer materials – meets a, b, c d 2. Growing the†¦ Recommendation/Implementation/contingency finding a suitable location – must find advisory board and volunteers securing funding to run a similar operation – finance volunteer finding customers and sales volunteer onnecting with volunteer agency in the designated city to source homeless youth and discuses details on how to manage the process hiring staff with the expertise needed to run both the print side and the social side create and accountability Constrains Budgetary issues Timelines Downside Risk: Failure of program – volunteer not committed Not find youth who are interested in staying and learning new skills Not enough customers Contingency: partner ing with a local social agency and try to implement the program using their infrastructure and recourse while providing your expertise

Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Realism - Essay Example Various heated arguments have developed on realism and many scholars have come out their own construed versions of the perceived realism. Kenneth Waltz argues that all of the various explanations for the causes of war can be easily filtered into three images: that of man, the state and the international system. Applying Waltz’s logic to the realist camp, distinct categories of explanations can be readily identified. For example, traditional realism, with its emphasis on individuals, explains international phenomena and state behaviour from the point of view that human nature is intrinsically evil. Structural realism on the other hand throws out this assumption, and conducts an analysis based on the objective nature of the international structure, a system-level analysis. From the perspective of units of analysis, the different casual stories told by realist thinkers can be divided into three distinct categories: human nature realism, state-centric realism and system-centric realism2. Human nature realism, also known as biological realism, 3Donelly emphasizes man's biological abilities and intrinsically evil nature. Most classical realists (including the many modern political philosophers who have contributed to the development of realist thought), including especially Machiavelli, Herbert Butterfield, Reinhold Niebuhr, and Hans Morgenthau fall into this category. Morgenthau's theory is the best example of human nature realism in international relations. In â€Å"Politics among Nations†, Morgenthau. presents a systematic discussion of the basic principles of realism. The first of these principles consists of an assumption regarding the role of human nature in politics: politics 'is governed by the objective laws that have their root in human nature.' In Morgenthau's view, 'political man is a selfish animal, and all human behaviour tends towards the control of others.' As a result, battles over power are rooted in human nature and as such are central to politics.4 State-centric realism looks for explanations for international relations phenomena and state behaviour from the vantage point of individual states (including national attributes, national interests and domestic politics). It is generally thought that realism does not concern domestic aspects of politics, or that consideration of such domestic issues represents a step away from realism's core concerns. Griffiths. M (1999) this type of view though represents an obvious misunderstanding of realism. The neo-classical realism argues more explicitly that individual states should be integrated into the theories of foreign policy. Scholars working to these ends have attempted to establish a connection between the state and system-levels of analysis, and have emphasized the role of domestic factors in explaining how state behaviour leads to outcomes at the system level. From the writings of the mainstream neo-classical realists, states are still treated as the determining factors in the analysis of foreign policy and state behaviour, thus these theories are considered to be 'second image' theories.

Tourism and Modernity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tourism and Modernity - Essay Example Tourism and Modernity The concept of the suburb was born with the birth of the railway as it suddenly became convenient for individuals to live with their families in the more spacious homes of the country and still make it into town in time to open their shops in the early morning and return home for dinner. In addition to opening up the economic frontier, these new technologies also made other new concepts available. â€Å"A hugely important development in the history of travel took place when the journey ceased to be regarded as an uncomfortable and possibly dangerous means to an end, and was appreciated instead as an expression of personal freedom and a route to re-definition of the self† (Jarvis, 2004: 84). The introduction of steam ships and railways meant that travel between countries was more available to a wider proportion of the population on both sides of the channel. As the tourism industry grew, making travel between countries easier, individuals given the luxury of movement represente d in the automobile gained even freer movement as they were suddenly able to determine for themselves start and stop times without sacrificing much of the speed of railway travel. Other innovations, such as the bicycle, led to the development of specialist tourism clubs. However, in bringing the railway to the various places and spaces of the country and the world, the individual identities of these spaces were subjected to the industrialized ‘factory system’ beginning with the need to standardize practice.

Our Biosphere, Our Future Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Our Biosphere, Our Future - Essay Example This study outlines that the solution is reducing the amount of non-biodegradable materials we use like Styrofoam and plastics. Truly, it is often a difficult task to make such broad changes, but we must for future generations. It’s all about the Golden Rule: â€Å"And as ye would that men should do to you, do you also to them likewise†. If we would expect others to keep our air, food, and water clean for us, so should we do for them. To check our progress, we could measure the amount of non-renewable energy we use and the amount of non-biodegradable material in our landfills every year. We have specified the problem, offered solutions, considered ethics, and proposed measures. A concern for future generations should motive us against any future encroachments against nature. Hopefully, some of these ideas may be applied to help save nature for future generations of people.

Fundamentals of Marketing

Fundamentals of Marketing Kirsty Hayes, Bianca Jones, Chris Duffy, Tim Stone EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The purpose of this report is to gain further insight into AAMIs current position in the personal car insurance market and to identify suitable marketing strategies to meet the needs of current and future customers. Despite being the largest insurer in the motor vehicle market there are many new competitors undercutting insurance premiums, mostly through online sales and service. Current competition includes IAG, on policy, and Budget Direct, on a price point. Since the GFC consumers have shown to be more cautious but with higher expectations. Current measures of internet and social media use shows the incredible scope of data facebook is able to collect from target segments. Loyalty and time wasted choosing a company are the most important characteristics of insurance seekers. They are most likely to use trusted brands when not engaged in the process. Surveys also found Australia wide retention of insurance customers more than 50%, however 75% of customers are not likely to seek out a company but want to make the best purchase decision. A further 10% want convenience purchasing insurance. AAMI must maintain its focus on consistent, excellent customer service, and utilising facebook to identify and communicate with customers. The process of purchasing a policy and making claims must be refined further strengthening the AAMI brand. INTRODUCTIONLACE INFLUENCING This report aims to provide a summary of where AAMI is situated against its market competitors and help develop a marketing strategy to promote sustained long term business opportunities. The ABS (2016) estimated 17.7 million vehicles registered in Australia at the 31st October 2014 whilst Tiwari (2014) claims the Domestic Motor Insurance segment is worth 6 Billion dollars in premiums per year and is the largest is the Australian general insurance market. AAMI face a multitude of competition in the Australian Motor Insurance segment and this paper will identify two competitors, IAG group and Budget Direct. This report is broken into two major sections, the first will evaluate and analyse competition along with demographic and technological trends and understanding how these factors may affect business in both the short and long term. The second part identifies possible segmentation which is involved with purchasing motor insurance. Providing historic trend information from the market will help create a new marketing strategy. INSURANCE INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The insurance industry has had some significant hurdles in recent years, these have changed the way insurers need to market themselves and maintain profits. Buyers have become more cautious; expectations of products and services have increased since the global financial crisis (How Australian insurers can achieve profitable growth in a challenging market 2017). Pay-outs for natural disasters have increased in frequency and value due to climate change, effecting insurers bottom lines (Insurance industry and climate change 2017). With the large number of insurers in the market creating intense competition, each company needs to ensure they have the right mix of products and customers to maintain their overall profit. AAMI WITHIN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY AAMI positions itself as the customer focused and fun insurance company, to differentiate from other insurers and say they are the not very insurancy insurer using comical advertisements which attract younger consumers (AAMI 2017). It seems to be working for them, AAMI sits at number 5 of the top ten list of best insurance companies within Australia (Top Tens 2016). Below is a chart which shows AAMIs position within the market. RECENT TRENDS THAT IMPACT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY       Usage based insurance (UBI) While UBI is not a new concept in places like the US, it is only recently becoming common place within the Australian insurance industry (Dipak 2015). Things like pay-as-you-drive insurance, where customers only pay insurance for the kilometres they actually drive and pay-how-you-drive insurance, where customers get discounts for being safer drivers (Lukens 2014). This means customers can decrease their premiums to a rate previously impossible with other methods and feel like they have more control over what they pay. It also enables better identification of customer segments for future planning of products. The Internet of Things Still an upcoming trend within the insurance industry, as explained by Forbes (Morgan 2014) this is the concept of basically connecting any device with an on and off switch to the Internet (and/or to each other). Wearable technology for tracking heart rates, exercise, sleep patterns and more are being used in collaboration with health insurers. Sensors in cars are being used to calculate the risk of particular drivers by tracking speed, acceleration, and braking distance (Liew 2016). This information helps to speed up the claim process with more detailed information of accidents (Kumaresan 2016). For the insurance industry, this means more information available to calculate premiums and reduce risk for insuring specific customers. KEY COMPETITORS As Tiwari (2015) explains the Motor Insurance marketplace could be divided up into 4 segment areas. There are 2 major firms which own multiple companies and these are the Suncorp Group and the IAG Group with the rest of the industry made up from smaller competitors (image 1 gives a detailed example). Appendix A is an online comparison of comprehensive policies between NMRA, Budget Direct and AAMI. As Lamb (2016) highlights international firms need to take into account local domestic firms which are also fighting for a share of the market. Image 1 (image sourced from http://www.slideshare.net/ullyully/australian-car-insurance-market-analysis/6) IAG Group The IAG group is our biggest competitor and will continue to be into the future as they share a similar infrastructure to AAMI. IAG also have national leverage through their independent brands RACV, NMRA, SGIO and SGIC. IAG have a major focus on making the world a safer place (IAG Group, 2017). IAG products tend to balance between price, volume, and service. They have no major advantage over our brand. Budget Direct Budget Direct are a small player being very aggressive to gain major market share. They specialise in insuring low risk clients to keep premiums down (Budget Direct, 2017) thus sitting in the price sensitive area. They have some advantages for customers compared to AAMI on their standard comprehensive product such as offering a no claim bonus on windscreen damage. Appendix A provides a detailed summary. A KEY PLAYER OF IMPORTANCE Australias population is currently 23.3 million people with more than 15 million owning smartphones. According to Neilsen, we spend on average of over one hour per day using smart phones, of which 35% of the time is spent on social media. According to Forbes (2016), in the social media landscape, Facebook is the most popular site with more than 15 million users and in a survey by Sensis in 2016, for more than 12 hours per week so it makes sense that our advertising can reach more customers in an increasingly competitive market. By developing a partnership with Facebook, AAMI can target market segments differently using each groups interests based on data received from the company. Nadia Cameron from IDG (2016) identified raising of brand awareness and conversions as the major reasons for AAMI using Facebook marketing. Failure in this partnership would be fatalistic with over 1.7 billion users worldwide connected to Facebook. OTHER FACTORS INFLUENCING THE INDUSTRY Technological Trends Online Applications AAMI has launched the AAMI Access ® Application which they have marketed as Insurance in your Pocket (AAMI 2016). It allows you to monitor and update your policies, make an instant claim and upload claim photos from your device, and allows claim and live repair tracking. As at 30 June 2016, there were approximately 22 million mobile handset subscribers in Australia (ABS, 2016) making the creation of an online application a great innovation as it allows an easier service for the consumer and the insurance agency and leverages off the fact that consumers are becoming more advanced in online technology. This is not the only application available from insurance companies but it will continue to grow in trend. Self-Driving Cars volvocars.com/au (2016) says that there are already self-driving Volvos on the road in Sweden and in 2017, there will be over 100 on public roads, and this will continue to grow. This trend will be crucial to car insurance companies as it will alter the way insurance is provided, calculated and it could make it more difficult to prove which vehicle is in the wrong. Demographic Trends Cars in Victoria The Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011) states there were a total of 1,944,688 motor vehicles in Victoria. Car insurers need to keep abreast of current trends and ensure ease and simplicity when dealing with consumers and insurance. SECTION 2: SEGMENTATION FRAMEWORK CONSUMER CHARACTERISTICS In this section, we recommend a way that AAMI could segment their market so they can have more targeted marketing. There are many things a consumer will look at when deciding on a car insurance company. Global Reviews regularly conducts research into how a consumer purchases car insurance, and posted in May 2015, that 71% of consumers had a brand in mind before beginning their research, only 34% of these consumers still preferred that brand at the end of their research. However, AAMI was the clear leader in an unprompted recall at 73%. The research found that 74% are current customers when they choose a car insurance policy. Lamb (2013) says that goods and services that are purchased regularly are associated with routine response behaviour, showing that those who already have a policy with AAMI are more likely to continue to renew their policies with AAMI. A trusted brand is also a high priority when deciding on car insurance. The research shows that 53% trust the brand they chose (globalreviews.com 2015) and Lamb (2013) says that when consumers dont want to have to think too much about a purchase decision, they often revert to known and trusted brand names. Based on the secondary research, two different consumer characteristics have been identified that are important in the car insurance category. Characteristic Type of segmentation Description Why is this characteristic important to AAMI? Lifestyle How much time spent searching for car insurance Psychographic This relates to how much time consumers are willing to research different car insurance deals. This impacts how likely a new customer is to find Aami appealing and how likely an existing customer is to find a better deal elsewhere. Personality How loyal they are to a certain company Psychographic This relates to how often a customer is willing to change insurance companies. This impacts how likely a customer is to switch insurance companies if a better deal is found. Table 3. Consumer Characteristics of importance to car insurance purchase decisions SEGMENTATION FRAMEWORK Based on these two key characteristics one way that AAMI could segment their market into the following four segments: How much time is spent researching Little to no time researching Extensive researching How loyal they are to a certain company Very loyal Customers for life This segment contains customers which either do not have time to research or are not interested in researching different insurers due to loyalty to their current company. Great if you are their current company but difficult to get across from somewhere else. Knowledge is power This segment contains customers who have the time and drive to research different companies but who prefer to stay with their existing company. They are more likely to try to get a better deal with their current insurer than switch. Not very loyal Only if they have to This segment contains the customers who know they need insurance but dont waste time thinking about the details. They may perform a basic search and go with the insurer they notice first. Flashy adds will draw their attention. Simply the bestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. for less This segment contains the customers who will spend as much time as needed to search for the very best deal no matter who it is from. Having the details which set you apart from competitors on your website is key for these customers. Table 4. Proposed segmentation framework for AAMI. SEGMENT PROFILES The following information has been used to roughly estimate the size of each of these segments. In order to more accurately determine the segment size and segment profile, AAMI would be required to conduct further research with consumers. Generation Y is the most under-insured generation, with a World Insurance Report showing only 36 per cent, compared to 52 per cent of others (Han 2016) Studies indicate, 86 per cent of Australian consumers would only consider between one to three insurers when selecting their next policy (Martin 2016) A survey showed only 15 per cent of respondents believed it was essential to find the cheapest product (Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, p 4) A survey also showed that Australian insurers have retention rates of more than 50 per cent across the board (Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, p 7) DESCRIPTION Customers for Life Knowledge is power Only if they have to Simply the bestà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦for less Estimated % of consumers 50% 25% 10% 15% Expectation of segment to grow/shrink Shrink With more information on competing products being in social media this segment is expected to shrink. Grow With more ways now available for consumers to customise their insurance or barter with companies this segment is expected to grow. Constant Some behaviours will never change, time poor or uninterested consumers will always be a constant overall in any industry. Grow With more ways for consumers to easily find information on different companies it is expected that this segment will grow. Purchase behaviour They are not likely to seek out new insurers but would have no choice but to hear about new products through social media They want to make the best purchase decision but also believe that staying with one company is beneficial. They will make quick decisions on insurance if they feel they need to have it even though they dont really want it They will conduct thorough research to find the best deals available. Price and product is their drive, not brand loyalty. Brand Preference This group prefers well- known brands as they are more trusted and seen as a good choice for the long term, once they find an insurer they stick with them. This group also prefers well-known brands for the same reasons but are likely to switch between the big 4 or 5 insurers when necessary. This group has no specific brand preference. They may choose based on the insurers used by people they know or by which insurer comes up first in their low level of research. This group has no brand preference. It is not guided by friends and family insurers either. They go with whomever has the best deals in their eyes. Potential Profit Moderate At the moment the profit made from this segment would be high due to retention rates. However, with the segment set to shrink, potential future profit will decrease. High If Aami can get the correct product mix to appeal to price conscious buyers Profit will increase from these consumers, they prefer a big brand name like Aami. Moderate Once insured they are less likely to switch, the battle is getting them in the beginning, once with Aami they should be life-long customers. Flashy advertising is needed. Low This segment is always looking for better deals, if Aami arent the cheapest in the industry these customers will switch. This doesnt work with AAMIs customer service image. CONCLUSION The Motor Insurance Industry has never been the most exciting in terms of innovation or technology (Sahoo, 2015). Insurance companies have been slow to adopt technology and innovation into their programs. This is beginning to change because of the digital age that we live. With the population in Australia constantly growing the demand for motor vehicle insurance will always be high. With good branding and positive company exposure AAMI can maintain their presence as a major player in the market place. IAG group is a competitor we will need to constantly monitor as they pose the biggest threat to our overall market share. It is recommended that AAMI continue to invest in technological and social branding, making it easier for people to connect with the brand. Continual research needs to be done on consumer insights involving brand perception along with potential customers. This would benefit our industry segmentation profile and strengthen our framework criteria. APPENDIX REFERENCE LIST AAMI 2017, Did you know, AAMI, viewed 7 January 2017, https://www.aami.com.au/about-aami.html> AAMI Car Insurance 2016, AAMI Access ® App, AAMI, viewed 6 January 2017, https://www.aami.com.au/claims-policy/aami-access-app.html?cmpid=AMI:GI:PI:NPS:SEM:20111024:501matchtype=e keyword=aamief_id=WE5c3QAAAJReYgzb:20170113020025:s ABS 2014, Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia, 12 months ended 31 October 2014, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/mf/9208.0/ Accenture, How Australian insurers can achieve profitable growth in a challenging market, Accenture, viewed 8 January 2017, https://www.accenture.com/au-en/insight-australian-insurers-profitable-growth-challenging-market> Armstrong, G, Adam, S, Denize, S Kotler, P, 2011, Principles of Marketing, 5th edn, Pearson Australia, French Forest NSW Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Internet Activity Australia June 2016, ABS, viewed 6 January 2016, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/[emailprotected]/Latestproducts/8153.0Main%20Features5June%202016?opendocumenttabname=Summaryprodno=8153.0issue=June%202016num=view= Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017, Population Clock 2 January 2017, ABS, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%40.nsf/94713ad445ff1425ca25682000192af2/1647509ef7e25faaca2568a900154b63?OpenDocument> Budget Direct 2017, About Us, Budget Direct, viewed 2 January 2017, https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/about-us.html Cameron, N 2016, Why AAMI turned to Facebook mobile and segmentation to drive brand favourability, 2 May, CMO from IDG, viewed 3 January 2016, http://www.cmo.com.au/article/598954/why-aami-turned-facebook-mobile-segmentation-drive-brand-favourability/ Cowling, D 2016, Social Media Statistics, Social Media News, 1 February, viewed 2 January 2017, https://www.socialmedianews.com.au/social-media-statistics-australia-january-2016/> DeMers, J 20 August 2015, The Definitive Guided to Marketing Your business on Facebook, Forbes, 20 August, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2015/08/20/the-definitive-guide-to-marketing-your-business-on-facebook/#522f55fb2acf> Dipak, Sahoo 2015, Innovation in Australias insurance industry, The Australian, 10 September, viewed 3 January 2017, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/innovation-in-australias-insurance-industry-/news-story/e445f70d04dac6cdf29b077b1a6bc3a6> GlobalReviews 2017, How AU consumers research select a car insurance provider online, GlobalReviews, viewed 12 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/blog/how-au-consumers-research-select-a-car-insurance-provider-online/ GlobalReviews 2014, How do consumers research motor insurance providers and whos winning them, GlobalReviews, September 2014, viewed 3 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/reports/online-research-journey-how-do-consumers-research-motor-insurance-providers-and-whos-winning GlobalReviews 2016, Motor Insurance: Digital Effectiveness Report, GlobalReviews, viewed 4 January 2017, http://www.globalreviews.com/reports/motor-insurance-digital-effectiveness-report> Han, Ester, 2016, On-demand insurance Trov launches in Australia targeting Generation Y, The Herald, 30 May, viewed 14 January 2017, http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ondemand-insurance-trov-launches-in-australia-targeting-generation-y-20160527-gp5u0g.html> IAG Group 2017, IAG About Us, IAG Group, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.iag.com.au/about-us/who-we-are/purpose-and-strategy Kumaresan, A 2016, Top 10 Trends in Insurance in 2016, Capgemini, viewed 9 January 2017, https://www.nl.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/insurance_trends_2016_0_0.pdf Lamb, C. W., 2016, MKTG3, 3rd Asia Pacific ed. s.l.:s.n. Liew, R 2016, Insurers set to track driver behaviour, The Age, 14 January, viewed 14 January 2016, http://www.theage.com.au/business/insurers-set-to-track-driver-behaviour-20160113-gm4x51.html?deviceType=text> Lukens, D 2014, 2014 Usage-based Insurance (UBI) Research Results for Consumer and Small Fleet Markets, Lexis Nexis, viewed 9 January 2016, http://www.lexisnexis.com/risk/downloads/whitepaper/2014-ubi-research.pdf> Market Forces 2017, Insurance industry and climate change, Market Forces , viewed 8 January 2017, https://www.marketforces.org.au/campaigns/insurance/> Martin, M 2016, Brand loyalty, a double-edged sword to the Australian insurance industry, Insurance Business, 24 October, viewed 14 January 2017, http://www.insurancebusinessonline.com.au/au/news/breaking-news/brand-loyalty-a-doubleedged-sword-to-the-australian-insurance-industry-225421.aspx> Mattro 2017, Top Ten Best Insurance Companies in Australia, The Top Tens, viewed 7 January 2017, http://www.thetoptens.com/best-insurance-companies-australia/> Morgan, J 2014, A Simple Explanation Of The Internet Of Things, Forbes, 13 May,viewed 9 January 2017, http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobmorgan/2014/05/13/simple-explanation-internet-things-that-anyone-can-understand/#5e84bdb06828> Myth vs Reality The Expectation Gap in the ANZ Insurance Industry 2016, Target, p 4, viewed 14 January 2017, https://3-afa.cdn.aspedia.net/sites/default/files/uploaded-content/field_f_content_file/myths_vs_reality_whitepaper_anz.pdf> Sahoo, D 10 September 2015, Innovation in Australias Insurance Industry, The Weekend Australian, viewed 07 January 2017, http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-spectator/innovation-in-australias-insurance-industry-/news-story/e445f70d04dac6cdf29b077b1a6bc3a6 Sensis, 2016, How Australian People and Businesses are using social media, Sensis, 1 June, viewed 1 January 2017, https://www.sensis.com.au/asset/PDFdirectory/Sensis_Social_Media_Report_2016.PDF> Smith, A, 31 October 2015, Mobile Mania! Australia spends on average more than hour a day on their smartphones, viewed 11 January 2017, http://www.nielsen.com/au/en/insights/news/2015/mobile-mania-australians-spend-on-average-more-than-an-hour-a-day-on-their-smartphones.html> Tiwari, U, 2014, Australian Car Insurance Market ANALYSIS, Slide Share, viewed 2 January 2017, http://www.slideshare.net/ullyully/australian-car-insurance-market-analysis/6> Volvo Car Corporation, Autopilot Travel calmer, safer, cleaner, Vo

Theme of Death in White Noise Essay examples -- White Noise Don DeLill

White Noise Death is probably the most feared word in the English language. Its undesired uncertainty threatens society’s desire to believe that life never ends. Don DeLillo’s novel White Noise tells the bizarre story of how Jack Gladney and his family illustrate the postmodern ideas of religion, death, and popular culture. The theme of death’s influence over the character mentality, consumer lifestyle, and media manipulation is used often throughout DeLillo’s story.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps, the character most responsive to death is Jack Gladney. In fact, he is so consumed by his fear of death that his ordinary thought processes are often interrupted by the question: â€Å"Who will die first† (DeLillo 15)? In Jack’s mind: â€Å"This question comes up from time to time, like where are the car keys† (DeLillo 15). Jack finds the aura of death to be very noticeable and real, and he relies on his consumer lifestyle as an escape from his fear of death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jack uses the supermarket as his base for his consumer lifestyle and a place to escape, which is validated by the interpretation of his friend and colleague Murray Siskind. Murray views the supermarket as almost a holy place, an atmosphere with rays and â€Å"white noise† everywhere. It’s full of psychic data†¦.Everything is concealed in symbolism, hidden by veils of mystery and layers of cultural material†¦The large doors slide open, they close unbidden†¦.All the letters and numbers are here, all the colors of the spectrum, all the voices and sounds, all the code words and ceremonial phrases. It is just a question of deciphering, rearranging, peeling off the layers of unspeakability†¦. We don’t have to cling to life artificially, or to death for that matter. We simply walk toward the sliding doors. Waves and radiation. Look how well-lighted the place is. The place is sealed off, self-contained†¦. It is timeless†¦. Here we don’t die, we shop. But the difference is less marked than you think (DeLillo 37-38).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John N. Duvall, author of â€Å"The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated Mediation in DeLillo’s White Noise,† believes that â€Å"Murray’s interpretations become Jack’s convictions; Murray’s speculations, Jack’s experiences† (143). Drawing on Murray’s speculation‘s, Jack embraces Murray’s analysis as a truth and uses the supermarket as security, a place where colors and names always in the same place, a place where ... ... profoundly important questions about death, the afterlife, God, worlds and space, yet they exist in an almost Pop Art atmosphere(268).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By treating these false tracts of literature as some sort of god, consumers can escape the reality of death since the content is not in day to day, ordinary life. Death is a fear that has attacked the minds of man since the beginning. For years people have treated death as a unspeakable occurrence, and White Noise shows those desperate attempts through postmodern imagery. According to Don DeLillo, death is an assailant that creeps its way into the subconscious of society but is prevented from tainting the gratification of life by way of the postmodern army- technology. Works Cited Conroy, Mark. â€Å"From Tombstone to Tabloid: Authority Figured in White Noise.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Critique 35.2 (1994): 97-110. DeLillo, Don. White Noise. New York: Penguin Books 1999. Duvall, John N. â€Å"The (Super)Marketplace of Images: Television as Unmediated   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mediation in DeLillo’s White Noise.† Arizona Quarterly 50.3 (1994):   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  127-153. Maltby, Paul. â€Å"The Romantic Metaphysics of Don DeLillo.† Contemporary   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Literature 37.2 (1996): 258-277.

Homeless Veterans Essay

Abstract Homelessness has always existed in the United States, but only in recent years has the issue become a more prevalent and noticeable phenomenon. Homeless veterans began to come to the attention of the public at the same time. News accounts chronicled the plight of veterans who had served their country but were living (and dying) on the streets. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates about 250,000 veterans are homeless on any given night. (2012, pg. 4) My research will examine how homelessness is impacting our veterans and what interventions are available to homeless veterans. Introduction Whether it is wartime or peacetime, the men and women who serve our country live an unusual life style. Whether it is in the barracks or in the fields, military personnel form close alliances and bonds, which are necessary because they must depend on one another for survival. Once these veterans return home from the Gulf, Iraq or Afghanistan war or even if they just decide to discharge honorably, they face a whole new set of problems. These problems can be as small as reintegrating with their family, finding a job or finding a place to live. An ongoing problem that our veterans learn to cope with is how to deal with combat issues such as physical and mental disabilities. Today’s veterans find that he/she has more difficulty because they are not looked at in the way veterans were looked upon in the past. America’s patriotism has changed. Men were drafted into the military with the promises for a better future because they served their country. The country got behind them because they were fighting a World War. But Vietnam was the turning point for our veterans and upon their return home, they became society’s problem. Many young veterans who returned home were between 18 – 31 years old. Some were physically wounded and some were physically disabled. These veterans were sent home to our veterans hospitals for treatment. There were also those who had mental health issues and some help  was given to them but not enough. Veterans were discharged much too quickly. Where were these veterans to go? Many tried to reintegrate into society by securing housing (apartment or room) and others tried to move back home with their families. However, many veterans faced considerable challenges as a result of their physical disabilities and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). This caused many veterans to become homeless. First, society could not deal with veterans up close and personal and second, another reason was because the war haunted many veterans every day (PTSD). Therefore, for some veterans, they would rather live on the streets because they actually felt safer. According to data from Department of Veterans Affairs office of Inspector General, â€Å" veterans who became homeless after military separation were younger, enlisted with lower pay grades and were more likely to be diagnosed with mental disor ders at the time of separation from active duty.† (2012, pg. 4) Our veterans are our most important resource. We (Americans) do not live in a closed world anymore and when trouble comes to our shores, it is our veterans we depend upon to defend us. Our military is voluntary at this time and society and our government should protect and preserve their lives because without the veterans who would we count on? The military that protects us are strong, well trained, intelligent men and women who are willing to lay their lives on the line for their country. And for that reason, they deserve our respect, our support and our care. The social worker plays a major role in helping the veterans to stay connected to family and their community. The social worker’s role is to help the veteran and his family to access all resources that can be beneficial to the veteran’s recovery and a smoother re-entry back into his/her life. My research will attempt to answer the following questions: How common is homelessness among veterans?  What are the risk factors: gender, age, race and ethnicity, disability and how does it impact housing placement? What interventions are provided to address veteran homelessness? Do female veterans feel more isolated? Literature Reviews: Comparison of Outcomes of Homeless Female and Male Veterans in Transitional Housing Homelessness among female veterans is of national concern but few studies have been conducted on regards to how homelessness among female veterans differs from male veterans. The healthcare of female veterans has become an important priority for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as female veterans represent one of the fastest growing groups of new VA healthcare users. Studies have shown female veterans are less healthy and are in poorer mental health compared to male veterans, which has been attributed to barriers for women in accessing VA health services and allegations that the VA is male-dominated and not attentive enough to the needs of women (MacGregor et al. 2011: Weiss 1995, pg. 705). Homelessness among female veterans is a central issue as the VA strives to end homelessness among all veterans. Although women constitute about 8% of sheltered homeless veteran population, that number is expected to increase and women veterans have been found to be at higher risk of being homeless than their male counterparts (U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development & U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs 2009, pg. 705). The literature on homeless female veterans is small with only two previous studies identified in a comprehensive review. One study concluded that risk of homelessness is two to four times greater for women veterans (Gamache et al. 2003, pg. 706), and the other study found that compared to homeless male veterans, homeless female veterans are younger, less likely to be employed, more likely to have a major mental illness, but less likely to have a substance abuse use disorder (Leda et al. 1992, pg. 706). A small case-control study also found that sexual assault during military service, being unemployed, being disabled and having physical and mental health were risk factors for homelessness among female veterans (Washington et al. 2010, pg. 706). In the current study, the data used came from multi-site outcome study of homeless veterans enrolled in VA-funded transitional housing services (McGuire et al. 2011, pg. 706), through cross-sectional comparisons of homeless male and female veterans at the time of entry into transitional housing and examining outcomes 12 months after discharge. It is further hypothesized that, due to suggestions that there may be increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA health services, female veterans would have worse outcomes than their male counterparts after transitional housing. Traumatic Stressor Exposure and Post-Traumatic Symptoms in Homeless Veterans  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) recently reported that 13% of all homeless persons were veterans and an estimated 63,000 veterans were homeless on one night in January 2012. High rates of mental health problems have been reported in military and veteran populations. These problems may be related to trauma exposure and contributing to homelessness. Approximately 70% of homeless veterans have substance abuse issues and 45% are diagnosed with mental illness. (Carlson et al. 2012, pg. 970) Combat exposure has been found to increase risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which in turn, is thought to increase risk for homelessness. One study examining the rates of PTSD pre- and post deployment in a combat unit found that rates of PTSD increased from 9.4% to 18%, suggesting that exposure to combat raised the prevalence of PTSD in the unit (Hoge et al. 2004). Military veterans may also have an elevated risk of PTSD as a result of noncombat military stressors, such as dangerous or unstable conditions, witnessing injury, death or atrocities. Military trauma exposure puts individuals at risk for both PTSD and homelessness, but it is less clear whether civi lian trauma exposure increases risk for PTSD and homelessness in veterans. In a study of Vietnam veterans, both PTSD and exposure to combat and other war-related atrocities indirectly increased risk for homelessness, whereas interpersonal violence, and other types of nonmilitary trauma appeared to have direct effects on risk for homelessness (Carlson t al. 2013, pg. 970). A better understanding of the types of trauma that homeless veterans are exposed to could help identify veterans at increased risk for PTSD and homelessness and inform treatment (Carlson et al. 2013, pg. 970). Homeless Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force: A Social Selection Perspective The dramatic increase in urban homelessness in the United States has included large numbers of veterans. As with other Americans, poverty, alcohol, drugs, mental illness and social isolation have been documented as the primary risk factors for homelessness among veterans. As would be expected of an age cohort effect, in 1986 – 1987 the overrepresentation was highest among veterans of ages twenty to th irty-four, and in 1996 the odds of being a homeless veteran were highest among veterans aged thirty-five to forty-four (Tessler et al. 2003, pg.509) In this article, the explanatory factors all derive from a social selection perspective that refers to the idea that individuals with personal  characteristics that would later put them at risk for homelessness were recruited to military service in disproportionate numbers during the early years of the all-volunteer force (AVF). Culturally Competent Social Work Practice with Veterans: An Overview of U. S. Military If social workers are to serve veterans effectively and efficiently, a basic understanding of the United States military is essential. Despite a longstanding and intimate relationship between social workers and veterans, the profession has been criticized for the lack of veteran-specific practitioner resources. The literature has been characterized as providing little practical guidance while universities and professional organizations failed to develop and incorporate the curriculum, information and tools needed to prepare social workers to serve this special population (Savitsky et al. 2009, pg. 863). Recently more information seems to be revolving with additional resources becoming available through social work journals, the development of advanced practice standards for military social workers, as well as academic course and degree specializations focusing on military social worker (Zoroya, 2009, pg. 864). The common theme has been the importance of military cultural competency. The acknowledgment of military culture is complex and not well understood by civilians and continues to impact veterans after discharge. This article presents information in anticipation of a Department of Veteran Affairs funded research project with veterans experiencing homelessness. Also, the article presents a structural and historical overview of the United States military, the propensity to enlist in armed forces, military culture and training methods and outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of implications for social work practice. Generally, military culture differs from the larger society in the United States as it is paternalistic and maintains a strict hierarchy. The military is characterized by a collectivist approach; encouraging interdependency; group orientation and group cohesion. Highly criticized qualities of military culture include misogyny and homophobia. The integration of females into armed forces has been hampered by fear of cohesiveness among males would be undermined. Experience indicates servicewomen are no more vulnerable to stress than servicemen and are able to complete physical tasks required of them. Unfortunately, women are subject to gender-based bias, stereotypes and harassment, both mental and physical. Alarming incidences of sexual  harassment and sexual violence has increased in the military. A 2004 survey indicates 52% of women experienced sexual harassment while serving; 10% did not feel it would do any good and 42% feared they would suffer adverse consequences (Zeiger & Gunderson, 2005. Pg. 867). Although changing with the repeal of Don’t’ Ask, Don’t Tell, the military has been strongly criticized for banning homosexuals from serving opening (Herek & Belkin, 2006. Pg. 867). Reason being it would undermine unit bonds and effectiveness and that privacy could not be provided. Ultimately, it is important to note that the attitudes of heterosexual servicemen and women may not have been as biased against homosexuality as previously thought. The belief that gays be allowed to openly serve in the military had increased in recent years, indicating the obsta cle to integration was not the attitudes of servicemen and women, but of military tradition. Social workers encounter veterans in public and private practice and effectively serving them demands military cultural competency. Social worker must have a foundation of general understanding of the larger military, its basic history and the complimentary roles played by the different branches (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 871). Veterans will have divergent service experiences and their opinions regarding service could vary widely. The more the social worker knows, this will help develop rapport with the clients, facilitate a more individualized understanding of their service history and other relevant areas. In the end, it is likely that veterans experience ambivalence regarding military culture and service experience and some military-oriented traits may be viewed as problematic in civilian life. However it’s important for the veteran and the social worker to explore and interpret these issues with respect the veteran’s sense of affiliation with and attachment to the military (Petrovich, 2012. pg. 872). Thus, a review of the literature has revealed helpful information about: How common is homelessness among veterans? What are the risks factors: gender, age, race, and ethnicity and disability and its impact? What interventions are provided to address this homeless problem among veterans? Do female homeless veterans feel more isolated? This research study will examine the impact of these four research questions  from the most recent data from the Veteran Affairs transitional housing programs. Specifically this study hypothesizes that participants in the different VA-funded transitional housing services will: Is the rate of homelessness increased and/or decreased between homeless female and male veterans? Are there increased barriers for female veterans in accessing VA services, in which female veterans would have worse outcomes than male counterparts after transitional housing? Sampling The research approach that will be utilized for my chosen topic is qualitative research. Qualitative research is flexible; it uses open-ended questions in interviews, participant observations and is often the best fit for diverse and at-risk populations such as homeless veterans whereas quantitative methods involve analysis of numbers; structured surveys, observations and examines existing information/reports. Also, in qualitative research, the research methods are not as dependent upon the sample sizes as in quantitative methods. Methodology Three major forms of VA-funded transitional housing service for homeless veterans will be included in this study: the health care for homeless veterans (HCHV) program; the grant and per diem (GPD) program and the domiciliary care for homeless veteran program (DCHV). The first two programs provide assistance to veterans through contracts with or grants to community service providers while the DCHV provides service directly through the VA staff at the local VA facility. Data were collected for a prospective, naturalistic study to compare these three transitional housing services across five different VA administrative regions (North, South, East, Wets and Mid-West). The study focused on 59 female participants and 1181 males. The female participant were Black (53%) or White (41%) and had a mean age of 43.89 years; while the majority of male participants were Black (59%) or White (35%), and had a mean age of 48.13 years. This information utilizes the variable of value (gender) and the constant (homelessness). Age is variable that can be measured by asking the participants to write down their age in the blank space. Procedures The data collection was conducted from May 2002 through September 2005.  Independent evaluators recruited, consented and conducted baseline and follow-up interviews with veterans in the transitional housing programs. Intake interviews were conducted before entering VA housing program, baseline interviews completed after admission and follow-up interviews were conducted 6 and 12 months after program discharge. Participation rate was very high (99.16%), and each participant gave informed consent. They were paid $10 for baseline interview and $25 for each follow-up interview. Measures When doing the initial intake interview, a paper form would be used to gather information from the participants to document their socio-demographic characteristics, combat exposure, housing and work history, psychiatric diagnoses, brief hospitalization history and a assessment of mental and physical health status. At baseline interview, participants were asked to complete a measure of the social climate of their residential care service. At follow-up interviews, a series of measures were administered to participants to assess: Housing: They were asked how many days in the last 30 days they have slept in different types of places such as housed (room or apartment) somebody else’s apartment; days in an institution (hospital, hotel or jail) and days homeless. Income and Employment: They were asked about their current employment pattern and classified as employed or unemployed; number of days they worked for pay and their employment income in 30 days. Also how much money they received from disability and public assistance. Substance Abuse Status: Alcohol and drug use in the past month. General Physical and Mental Health Status: Medical conditions were assessed with 12 questions that asked participants yes/no whether they had any of 12 common serious medical problems (e.g. hypertension, liver disease, cardiovascular problems, and orthopedic problems). Also includes an 8-item psychiatric composite scale which was used to assess general mental health status. Quality of Life: General quality of life and quality of social life were assessed. Residential Social Climate: At baseline, participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the treatment environment of their residential care program. Findings At intake the female participants were significantly younger; report more  psychiatric symptoms, more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders, has shorter histories of homelessness and less likely to be working than male veterans. Male participants were reported to have higher risk factors of homelessness due to substance abuse (70%) and PTSD (45%) due to combat exposure. Between one to six months in transitional housing services, both genders were showing improvement on employment income and overall psychiatric scores. At six months, female participants showed some decrease in employment and an increase in their psychiatric scores whereas the male participants continued to show improvements. After a one year period, female participants showed improvement in housing, employment and incomes, substance abuse use and general physical and mental health and quality of life compared to male participants. This suggests that homeless female veterans can benefit as much from transitional housing services as male veterans. Transitional housing programs and shelter have been predominantly male environment focused on serving men, in the VA context. But this study found that, after adjusting for multiple comparisons, there were no differences in how homeless male and female veterans perceived the social climate of their transitional housing program or in their overall clinical benefits. These findings suggests that VA efforts to improve services for women may be successful, but need to continue. Limitations One limitation of this study is the small sample size of homeless female veterans. Also we were not able to differentiate between female veteran who are caring for dependent children and those who were not. Validity is a standard that determines whether an instrument measures what it is supposed to measure and whether it measures it accurately. Accuracy is the key issue. Because of small sampling of female veteran participant, the question of dependent children was a valid observation. Reliability is the second key standard in determining if a measure is satisfactory. Reliability refers to the internal consistency of the measure. Dudley states that the connection between validity and reliability is triangulation. Triangulation is a process of using multiple methods to measure one concept. If it is determined that the results of one measure of the same variable are similar to the results from another measure of the same variable, they are triangulating the findings. They are deemed to be both valid and reliable  because they have similar results. (Dudley, 2011). Bibliography Carlson, Eve B., Garvert, Donn W., Macia, Kathryn S., Ruzek, Josef I., Burling, Thomas A. (2013). Traumatic Stressor Exposure and post-Traumatic symptoms in Homeless Veterans. Military Medicine, Vol. 178, 9:970-973. Dudley, J.R. (2011). Research Methods for Social Work. Second edition. Boston: Pearson Education. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Gamache, G., Rosenheck, R., & Tessler, R. (2003). Overrepesentation of women veterans among homeless women. 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