Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents

In this essay, I will explore areas of adolescent depression including contributing factors and treatments. I feel that this is an important area of study because suicide rates are higher among adolescents. If more emphasis is placed upon the study of the factors and treatments of adolescent depression, many lives could be saved. Emotional Resilience: Risk and Protective Factors for Depression Among Alternative Education Students in New Zealand. This Empirical Study focuses on the contributing factors and influences on incidences of depression among alternative education students and seeks to explain why some students with high risk factors do not develop depressive disorders while others do. Until this article, research focusing on contributing factors of mood disorders have not pinpointed factors which specifically cause these disorders. This article seeks to further examine those rare instances where the student perseveres against the odds and does not develop a mood disorder by building on previous research which have identified protective factors which promote these favorable outcomes. By identifying both the risk factors and protective factors, strategies can be created to improve mental health outcomes. Methods and Results: For this study, a sample of students was gathered from alternative education high schools in the northern region of North Island in New Zealand which combines rural and urban populations. The students in alternative education programs may have behavioral problems, repeat expulsions, pregnancy or childcare issues which prevent them from attending mainstream high schools. Each student in the study was issued a survey which was pre-tested on a sample of diverse students and amended prior to its use in this study. Student surveys were excluded if the students had answered too few questions or had been inconsistent in their answers. Findings: Alternative education students reported high levels of po... Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents Free Essays on Mental Illness In Adolescents In this essay, I will explore areas of adolescent depression including contributing factors and treatments. I feel that this is an important area of study because suicide rates are higher among adolescents. If more emphasis is placed upon the study of the factors and treatments of adolescent depression, many lives could be saved. Emotional Resilience: Risk and Protective Factors for Depression Among Alternative Education Students in New Zealand. This Empirical Study focuses on the contributing factors and influences on incidences of depression among alternative education students and seeks to explain why some students with high risk factors do not develop depressive disorders while others do. Until this article, research focusing on contributing factors of mood disorders have not pinpointed factors which specifically cause these disorders. This article seeks to further examine those rare instances where the student perseveres against the odds and does not develop a mood disorder by building on previous research which have identified protective factors which promote these favorable outcomes. By identifying both the risk factors and protective factors, strategies can be created to improve mental health outcomes. Methods and Results: For this study, a sample of students was gathered from alternative education high schools in the northern region of North Island in New Zealand which combines rural and urban populations. The students in alternative education programs may have behavioral problems, repeat expulsions, pregnancy or childcare issues which prevent them from attending mainstream high schools. Each student in the study was issued a survey which was pre-tested on a sample of diverse students and amended prior to its use in this study. Student surveys were excluded if the students had answered too few questions or had been inconsistent in their answers. Findings: Alternative education students reported high levels of po...

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks

How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks How to Flatten Adjective Stacks By Mark Nichol Words are highly adaptable in terms of which part of speech they represent, but careful writers should be alert in order to minimize or prevent a linguistic affliction called adjective stacking, which is discussed in this post. Nouns are easily converted to adjectives, as when using the phrase â€Å"dinner table.† Dinner and table are both nouns, but when dinner immediately precedes table, it ceases to mean â€Å"evening meal† and represents an adjective describing a type of table: one used for evening meals. Similarly, â€Å"sport utility vehicle† consists of three words that serve as nouns, but when positioned in sequence, the first two words no longer stand on their own to represent concepts, but rather describe the third noun. Such sequences can extend indefinitely, but the longer the string of adjectives- or the higher the stack- the more difficult it is for readers to parse the components and their interrelationships. Reading from left to right, we recognize the first word as a noun but then correct ourselves when a noun follows it, reclassifying the first word as an adjective. Then we have to conduct the same mental process repeatedly, and when word relationships are not clarified by use of hyphens, the quest for comprehension is complicated. The following list from an actual document represents the problems with adjective stacking; it can be confusing and fatiguing: Penetration testing for key medical devices Biomedical security vulnerability assessments Medical device procurement process consulting Biomedical incident response readiness assessments Medical device security program remediation support Manufacturer vulnerability remediation liaison assistance Oddly, the syntax of the first item enables a quick, clear reading, while the others fail to follow suit. Using the first item as a model, however, one can easily revise the list to improve readability by reordering words and phrases and introducing prepositions (and, sometimes, words representing other functions): Penetration testing for key medical devices Assessments of vulnerability of biomedical security Consulting about the procurement process for medical devices Assessments of readiness regarding response to biomedical incidents Remediation support for medical-device security programs Liaison assistance for remediation of manufacturer vulnerability These revised phrases are less concise but easier to read. Note, too, that one can reorganize the word sequences to various extents; each of these phrases can be revised in more than one way. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and ToesUse a Dash for Number Ranges10 Types of Hyphenation Errors

IT case study Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

IT case study - Outline Example t business metrics, beneficial service assets to the cafà ©, service utility, outcomes obtained from practicing demand management, importance of early life support and whether the cafà © should have the service desk (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.156). IT infrastructure library is the process of supplying paramount practices for the IT services. The application of this method is rising because various business premises depend on IT to satisfy and attain the company’s’ strategies. Therefore, Bill Melmac, the owner of Melmac cafà © should consider implementing the IT infrastructure Library in its business. This will be of benefit because the library has dissimilar theories and procedures that direct any business to decide on the best and efficient idea pertaining the operation and management of the business. ITIL will offer Bill Melmac with advices and different IT courses on the management of his business services (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.157). ITIL will equip Bill Melmac with general knowledge regarding the cafà © service strategies, the designs that he should apply in delivering the ordered foods to the clients, the best service transition applicable in his business, advisable service operations and how he can continuously improve his cafà © services. Subsequently, after applying the ITIL in his cafà ©, Bill will convey the perfect ITIL package management solutions to his cafà ©. He will also identify the specific requirements for his business and implement them consequently. He will ascertain the suitable ITIL service management solutions that are important in solving his business problems and ensure that the service is very cost effective (Lytras, Ziderman & Manolova, 2010. pp.156). Business outcome refers to the target or the benefits that a given business premise works hard to achieve after it experiences interventions or makes changes. Business outcomes are the main reasons why many companies engage dissimilar activities, initiatives,

REFLECTION ON COURSE PAPER Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

REFLECTION ON COURSE PAPER - Assignment Example However, once the course started, the various readings that were considered, writings that were undertake, and discussions that were had proved that I was going to get more than I expected. Even though my academic ambitions for the course were satisfied, much more were going to be gained for my professional involvement and this is what this reflection paper seeks to bring to bear. As part of the reflection paper therefore, I am going to discuss and scrutinize some new ideas and perspectives that were learned as part of the readings, writings and discussions on the course that was undertaken. Generally, the ideas and perspectives are rooted in the principles of resonance and leadership that was learned. Later, way in which the ideas gained have helped in bringing about a professional transformation to me shall also be treated. The very first new idea that I have learned from the course is rooted in the principle that world-class performers work hard to create their dreams (Tabachnick and Fidell, 2001). Commonly, people tend to have a notion that success comes to people by accident or through luck. They hardly realize that success is a well calculated plan that is executed when key strategies and structures are put in place (Byrne, 2011).

Two contrasting religious Essay Example for Free

Two contrasting religious Essay Compare the similarities and differences in the practices and beliefs of individuals from two contrasting religious or secular groups. In M1 I will be discussing the similarities and differences of Islam and Christianity. I will be discussing about the religions origins, worship, festivals, clothing, beliefs and diet. Origins A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both believe in one God (Christianity Jesus) (Islam Allah). A difference is that both religions have different countries of origin. Islam originated from Makkah and Madina which is situated in Saudi Arabia and Christianity originated from Jerusalem in Israel. Islam began in the 7th century, God sent his message through the prophet Mohammed showing how to worship God, and how to perfect life. Islam spread through East Asia, Central Europe and North Africa. Today Islam is recorded to be the fastest growing religion in the world. Christianity developed in the 1st century; Christianity came from the religion Judaism Christianity began with the apostles of Jesus. Christianity mostly spread because Jesus and his disciples went from town to town preaching about the Jewish law. Christianity is practiced in USA, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, China, Germany, Philippines, United Kingdom, Italy, France and Nigeria. The first mosque was built in Madina. The first Christian church was founded in 33AD in Jerusalem. Worship A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both have holy places they worship at. Christians worship at a church usually on a Sunday; Muslims worship at a mosque, Muslims usually go to the mosque on Fridays or any day of the week. The difference is that they worship on different days. Muslims can pray together or by themselves and can pray at home or workplace as long as the place is clean and quiet. Christians and Muslims worship to get closer their Gods. Christians can worship at church or home they can also pray by themselves or in a group; Christians pray to get closer to God. A difference is that Islam requires Muslims to pray five times a day and with Christianity Christians are require praying once a day or more if they want to. Christians and Muslims both pray to get closer to God. A similarity is that both religions both religions have holy books that they read. A  difference is that Islam has the Quran and Christianity has the Holy Bible. Christians and Muslims read their holy books to learn more about their religions and for guidance through their lives. Christians and Muslims read their holy books to gain knowledge too. Festivals A similarity of Islam and Christianity is that they both have one main festival they celebrate Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25th Muslims celebrate Eid the date for Eid changes every year Muslims will celebrate Eid after Ramadan. A difference is that Christianity has a specific time of the year to celebrate Christmas and Eid moves from time to time every year. Both religions celebrate these festivals by having a big feast, spending time with family and buying new clothes. Christmas in the birth of Jesus during this period Christians usually exchange gifts, spend time with friends and family, wear new clothes and have a big dinner which is call Christmas dinner. Eid is the celebration of Ramadan; Ramadan is the periods when muslims fast for 30 days and they are allow to eat after sunset. The day after Ramadan is Eid, Eid is when muslims spend time with family and friends, eat, and buy new clothes to wear. Beliefs Some of the similarities are that both religions believe in one God, and both have a holy book they believe in. A difference is that Muslims believe in seven main things; Belief in God, belief in the prophets, belief in the angels, belief in the holy book which is the Quran, belief in the judgement day, belief in life after death and belief in the good and bad. Christians believe that God is the father of Jesus. Another similarity is that both religions believe in life after death. Christianise believes in the Bible, they believe in God, they believe that God sent Jesus they believe that God came through Jesus as a human form. Muslims believe in that Mohammed is the last messenger, they believe you go to heaven or hell on the day of judgement and Christians also believe you go heaven or hell once you on the day of judgement. Clothing A difference of clothing is that Muslims women cover their hair with a hijab (head scarf) this is by choice. Christianity doesn’t require women to cover  their hair. Some Muslims men can cover their hair with a topi if they want to. Christianity doesn’t require men to cover their hair. Some women can wear a long dress called jilbab. A similarity is that both religions require you to dress modesty. Muslims women wear theses because you are not allowed to show your figure (jilbab) and they wear the hijab to not show their beauty so no one is looking at them in the wrong way. Is it written in the Quran that you can cover your hair and it says that you should wear clothing that doesn’t show your figure. Diet A difference is that Islam requires Muslims to eat only certain foods like halal meat. Muslims aren’t allowed to eat lard, pork, any foods with gelatine and food or drinks that contain alcohol. Christians believe that God has given them the animals to eat as well to have and take off. Some Christians may eat only fish on Good Friday or just one or two meals. During lent Christians may give up something they really like, like chocolate until Easter Sunday. Christians may eat bread and drink wine every Sunday to remember Jesus and what he did. Bibliography About.com Islam (2013) Islamic Clothing Requirements Available at http://islam.about.com/od/dress/p/clothing_reqs.htm [accessed 24/09/13] Atschool (December 2007) Christmas the story, customs and traditions, Available at, http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/christmas/christmas1.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Christianity.org (2013) Worship Available at, http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/worship.php [accessed: 24/09/13] Copyright global tolerance limited (2009) Faith and Food Available at http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/christmas/christmas1.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Copyright Inter- Islam (1998-2001) Diet in Islam, Available at http://www.inter-islam.org/Lifestyle/diet.htm [accessed: 24/09/13] Wood Jenny (1988) Islam for children, Available at http://atschool.eduweb.co.uk/carolrb/islam/glossary.html [accessed: 24/09/13] Greenstar (2013) ISLAM, Available at http://www.greenstar.org/Islam/ [accessed 25/09/13] Religion answers (2013) how did Christianity begin? Available at, http://religion.answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_did_christianity_begin [accessed 25/09/13] Darul-arqam (2012) why must Muslims go to the mosque for prayers on Fridays Available at, http://www.darul-arqam.org.sg/what-is-islam/brief-history-of-islam/ [accessed 25/09/13]

How I Would Teach The House On Mango Street Essay example -- Teaching

The House on Mango Street is a very interesting book about a young Latino girl and her daily life. It is a look through a child’s eyes of the world around her. The story is written in short chapters, explaining different aspects of life from a child’s point of view. The story confronts poverty, physical abuse, discrimination and other issues that we’d never want our children to deal with. The House on Mango Street is truly a worthwhile book for children to read. It helps the reader understand what it’s like growing up in a rundown and harsh neighborhood, such as Mango Street. The House on Mango Street is the story about the life of Esperanza Cordero. She tells, in her own words, what the neighborhood is like around her and talks about the people she is close to. The first people she talks about are her family. You meet her family by the description of their hair. You learn a little about each family member by her description. For example, her mother’s hair smells like bread and makes her feel safe. The main characters you learn about are the two sisters, Lucy and Rachel. Lucy and Rachel ask Esperanza to chip in to buy a bike. The girls become friends and after meeting them, most of Esperanza’s experiences in the neighborhood are with the two sisters. Then, you meet characters with a smaller influence, such as Marin, Louie, Darius, and many more. The story starts out with the narrator, Esperanza Cordero, talking about her house and how she got there. Esperanza explains that she hasn’t always lived on Mango Street. She lived in many apartments before getting her house, although she is not happy with her house. It wasn’t what she imagined at all. Her parents say the house is only temporary, but Esperanza knows the truth. She knows she will be there a long time and she doesn’t want to be there. Esperanza feels out of place in her neighborhood and this theme continues throughout the book. She is ashamed of where she lives, but she’ll ride it out until she is old enough to get out. It is very obvious in the end of the book when Alicia tells Esperanza that the house of Mango Street is always her house. "No this isn’t my house," Esperanza says and shake my head as if shaking could undo the year I’ve lived here. "I don’t belong. I don’t ever want to come from here." At the end o f the story, you hear about the house of her dreams and her promise to get out of ... ...ed to their culture. Then, I’d have the children read the story. After they were done with the story, I’d have the class paint a mural of Esperanza’s neighborhood. Each child would then pick a character, draw a picture of them, and write a short description of the person under the picture. Then, when the mural and character drawings were finished, I would place the pictures of the characters on the mural of Mango Street. I would put each picture near the spot on the mural where the character lived. I think this would be a fun project for the class that will show to me that they know the material in the book. In conclusion, The House on Mango Street is both an educational and fun book to read. It helps the reader see into a different culture and perspective, while adding humor to keep the reader entertained. The story confronts disturbing issues, but through the eyes of an innocent child. Overall, this book is about growing up. This book does a great job of making the reader see what it’s like to grow up in a place like Mango Street. The House on Mango Street really makes the reader aware of the world around them and that their experience growing up was not like everyone else’s.

The Significance of Sibling and Peer interaction on Children

Within the field of child psychology much emphasis has been placed on the relationship and interactions of mother and child (Harris, 1998; Pinker, 2002). This essay intends to highlight the significance of another kind of interaction, that of the child and his/her siblings and peers, with the view to show how this type of interaction can have an impact on subsequent development. In the process, the essay will evaluate the research carried out and the evidence gained within this area by way of critical analysis.As an added aid the essay will take examples from the died material: Media Kit Part 1, Video Band 2: Zero to Hero as supplied by Open university (2006). The type of interaction mainly focused upon here is play; as this is the catalysis by which young children, from toddler-hood onwards, engage with other children. Littleton and Mill (2005) recognize this type of interaction as ‘important sites for development' where new skills can be acquired and tested out in ways that c ould not with adults.To help better define this type of relationship between sibling and peers it is perhaps best to distinguish them from the other main type of relationship that children find homeless in. Schaffer, (1996) uses the term vertical relationship to describe a type of relationship that is characterized by an inequality of social power and knowledge level between adult and child. It is marked also by a complementarily of roles whereby the child may ask for help and a parent or caregiver may offer it.This is in contrast to the horizontal relationship that is marked more so for its reciprocity and equality of social power and knowledge. A good example being between two children of similar age. This peer relationship is similar in nature to hat of sibling relationships however as Schaffer (1996) notes, in this case the sibling relationship has the unique quality of being able to share both characteristics of, on the one hand reciprocity, whereby siblings can co-operate succ essfully in play situations and on the other, a marked age difference can see the older sibling as part time teacher and guide.This idea would have had its beginnings in the early social constructivism perspective. Bigotry (1986) purported the belief that interaction and collaboration with peers equal and more capable, promotes learning and creates what he called a Zone of Proximal Development, where children of different abilities learn from each other. One of the methods they do this is by what Schaffer (2003) describes as ‘scaffolding whereby support is offered for learning however the task is not simplified.The ability to play with others has also been described as a ‘skilled international accomplishment' because of the complex skills involved, such as sensitivity to the needs of others, negotiation and conflict management skills (Littleton and Mill, 2005). But to play with people on must have the ability to Join in with others. In the video Zero to Hero supplied by Open University (2006), Professor Robert Winston lists certain factors that affect a child's ability to Join in with others including premature birth, shyness and laughter.Smith et al. , (1999) sees laughter as an important social signal for children within play fighting both for the child to use and for the child to interpret others meaning of it. Smith et al. , (1999) also cite the ability to regulate emotion, turn-taking skills and the ability to understand another person's point of view as important social skills, not Just added for successful social interaction but are actively developed and practiced in play situations.Open University (2006) illustrates these points by showing the use of classic experiments such as a version of the ‘marshmallow experiment (Muscle, 1974) where a child is sat in front of a marshmallow and told that he/she can have twice the amount if they can wait a specified time. Its been suggested from results that children able to wait or ‘delay gratification' are better able to control emotions and is a better indication of academic and social success in their teens than IQ scores.Also being able to hold back like this does increase a child's popularity In another example children of about three years are shown how to play Which hand is the coin in game' where a person places a coin in one hand in full view of the child sitting opposite. The hand is then placed behind the back and both hands are re- presented closed for the child to guess which hand the coin is now in. Open University (2006) suggests that most children at this age cannot play this game from the alternative position as they believe that the other person already knows which hand the coin is in.This idea could be seen to come from the Paginating concept of ‘egocentrics' whereby the child's dominance of their own perceptions leaves them unable to see things from another's perspective. Pigged elucidated this aspect through his Three Mountains Task (Pigged and Inhaler, 1972) Counter to this however, Open University (2006) go on to show the child named ‘Rubin' as not only able to play the game, but also able to predict What other children will do'. They imply the reason for this as a result of his home life dynamic.Here, Rubin lives with his two brothers and all have different fathers suggesting a lot of interaction with different types of people but mainly that play with his siblings is significant. This emphasis on sibling interaction as a cause for Robin's advancement, when held up against Piglet's stage theory of intellectual development (in Dates, Cheesy and Wood, 2005), suggests that early and sustained interaction with siblings can contribute to a change in normal developmental cognitive structures.This assumption is arrived at through the underlying nature of any stage theory where, by definition imply distinct boundaries between stages where independent processes take place (Amounts, 2009). Piglet's theory places Robin' s changes as occurring by the end of his second, Pre-operational stage or at the beginning of his Concrete operational stage where the child is moving away from egocentric thinking. The age put on this stage of development is around six years, notably different from Robin's three.In another study by Dunn (1988), children from a very young age were shown to have the ability co-operate with each other and engage in complex types of play such as fantasy play whereby other identities were taken on requiring different forms of language (Corsair, 1986). Dunn (1988) even showed that children as young as eight months were able to share and recognize the mood of a sibling and by fourteen months had the ability to co-operate in another's goals. However, the idea that examples can be found that find children performing better then Pigged would have originally predicted is not something new.Donaldson Hiding the Policeman experiment is a case in point (Donaldson and Hughes, 1978), as are other e xamples (Miscarriage and Donaldson, 1974; Light et al. , 1979). The intent of this essay at this point however, is not to argue the individual merits of Paginating theory, for even Donaldson criticisms can be regarded as an enhancement of the theory rather than a dismissing out of hand. It can be suggested that her argument is based on children's reasoning being regarded as more sophisticated then first proposed, with the emphasis now to be placed within the social context for which a situation occurred, I. . That things make ‘human sense' to the child (Dates et al. , 2005). Instead the point here is to show that by using this influential developmental approach that the significance of peer and sibling interaction can be more clearly en. For it should also be noted that Pigged himself valued this cognitive development aspect of peer relationships, referring to it as socio-cognitive conflict where he argued that these interactions exposed the child to conflicting views from peo ple who were of equal status to themselves thus motivating a rethink of their own understandings.The power imbalance of adult's interactions lends to this (Dates et In light of what has been said so far it could be argued that peer and sibling relationships contribute to advancement in cognitive and social skills. However, as Cantor et al. (1999) warns that social competence should not be conceived as a static set of abilities and that other factors in the child's environment should also be considered to contribute too child's development.And so taking again our real life example ‘Rubin', one would expect that his advanced developmental and social skills would lead too socially more successful life. To the contrary Rubin was reported by almost half his class (and later by assessment) as displaying somewhat anti-social behaviors. One reason Open University (2006) gives for this is a lack of concentration, which, it is hoped, will be remedied with fish oil supplements. The secon d reason, it is suggested is partly due to instability within the home environment.Robin's mother is pregnant and this is causing tensions with her partner. The point to be drawn from this however, is that although play and interaction with siblings and peers is important for a child's development it should not be taken as a prescription for normal or ‘healthy patterns' of development (Schaffer, 1996) at least by western industrialized standards. Instead a more holistic approach should be adopted with regard to the multi-dimensional dynamic of a person's developmental thaw from birth to maturity.Perhaps a good model to consider would be Sombreros (1987) Transactional model of development. There are limitations however of psychologists accounts in this area. One such being the lack of research and evidence into the ever growing use of new technologies by young people when engaging in social activity. Maybe (2003) notes that the prevalence of mobile phone use has created an envi ronment that allows for young people to have twenty-four hour contact with each other without parental interference thus, providing a greater level of privacy and independence.However, it would also be noted that Dunn (2004) has valued this privacy aspect of friendship in early interactions as it aids young people in ciphering out the ‘intricate balance of power and status between people' as well as giving them experience in relationships different from that which they share with their parents. This could also be construed as the beginnings of independence. Another limitation is that the majority of the research noted here has been carried out in westernizes societies.

What is Womens Studies

Women s Studies explores a wide assortment of issues. Since the scope of topics that Women s Studies covers is so broad, it is difficult to come up with a solid definition that fully explains this subject. I believe that the central category of analysis in Women’s Studies is gender. This subject examines the historically constructed understanding of what it means to be a â€Å"woman† or a â€Å"man. † Women s Studies courses examine gender and women, drawing on a wide variety of experiences from women s perspectives. Not only does Women s Studies explore gender; it also takes a good look at the issues of race, class and sexual orientation and how they impact the development of women in a variety of cultural, social, and economic contexts. Because it is the norm that white, middle class, straight, able-bodied women of a certain age have considerably more access to power and resources than women of color, poor women, lesbians, the disabled, the very young or very old, incorporating the life stories and views of these minority women is a crucial part of Women s Studies. Women of color who are involved in Women s Studies have and still are making great strides in eliminating the stereotypes that not only involve their sex, but their race and culture as well. The text Women: Images and Realities written by Amy Kesselman et. al. includes Black feminist Alice Walker s definition of womanism: Black feminism, or womanism, draws on the historical strength of black women in their families and communities and the rich African-American tradition of resistance, persistence, and survival (12). Women s Studies also takes a in depth look at feminism. Kesselman s et. al. defines feminism as The belief that women have been historically subordinate to men, as well as to the commitment to working for freedom for women in all aspects of social life (9). Women s Studies classes often focus on the early feminists, the struggles they endured, and the impact they have had in getting women as far as they are in society today. I believe Women s Studies owes a big part of its existence to the movement for the liberation of women; the feminist movement exists because women are oppressed. Kesselman s et. al. text, describes Women s Studies as a course which Is an important and exciting experience that introduces new ways of seeing both the world and oneself (8). As our society becomes increasingly diverse, I believe students who study Women s Studies develop an awareness and understanding of diversity that makes an important contribution to any endeavor.

The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. The WritePass Journal

The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. Introduction The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. IntroductionConclusionRelated Introduction The literature about the determinants of dividend policy discussed in the previous section is collected from various empirical researches based on different conditions. Some of the results are gleaned from surveys by directly asking the managers‘ view towards dividend policy; some are gleaned from statistical analysis by observing the companies‘ financial data; others are just a theoretically deductive process conducted by academicians. Therefore, it is necessary to find out that whether those determinants gained from the empirical literature can work properly in Financial Service industry in UK market. Thus, 9 hypotheses with respect to each of the determinants have been raised. H1: All else equal, dividend policy relies upon firm’s earnings power. This paper expects that more profitable firms should pay more dividends in UK stock market. Firms with high profitability have the capacity to provide large cash flow. Therefore, there is no need to worry whether the fi rms have enough cash flow to payout dividends even if a lot of cash flow is used to finance new investments. Thus, it can be hypothesized that profitability has a positive relationship with dividend payouts. As a proxy, the level of firms‘ profitability can be measured by the return on assets (ROA). H2: All else equal, dividends signals future earnings growth. This paper expects that low dividend payments will predict a high earning growth in UK market. Dividends act as a signaling mechanism under the imperfect market situation, where information asymmetry exists between managers and investors. Managers often process and trade on information about firm‘s future earning fluctuation through dividend payments. Therefore, any change in dividend policy will be interpreted as a change in management‘s expectation of future earnings. Under the circumstance oflimited cash flow, more investment opportunities actually mean high future earnings growth, but in the same time, will reduce the free internal cash flow available for dividend payments. Therefore, it can be hypothesized a negative relationship between dividend payouts and future earnings growth. Annual rate of growth of earnings per share (GROWTH) is commonly used as a proxy for firms‘ earning growth. H3: All else equal, dividend and debt are direct substitutes. This paper expects that the level of risk will be negatively related to dividend payments in UK market. Fir ms with high debt ratios are more likely to pay a lower level of dividends, because they have already pre-committed their cash flows to make debt payments and to avoid borrowing more capital. Thus, high leveraged firms do not have sufficient cash flow to afford high dividend payment, and reflect a negative relationship. Firms‘ leverage ratio (LEV) is used to represent risk in statistical analysis. H4: All else equal, past dividend have influence on current dividend policy. This paper expects a positive relationship between past dividend and dividend payouts in UK market. The signaling function of dividend payments suggests that any change in dividend policy reflects changes in the managers‘ prediction of firms‘ prospects. In addition, both the market and the firms prefer certain degree of continuity in dividend payments. Therefore, past dividend payments is essential in the decision making of future dividends. Lintner‘s partial adjustment model and target pay out ratio present a positive relationship between the two variables. As a proxy for continuity of dividends, past dividend (PD) can be used and a positive relationship can be expected from the result. H5: All else equal, liquidity/ cash flow is the fundamental element in dividend paying. This paper expect dividend payments positively correlated with firms’ cash flow in UKmarket. Sometimes, the concepts of cash flow and profit is two different things. The former is the free cash flow in the companies available for companies operating and investing activities, the later means the current earnings of the firm. The empirical experience tell us that even companies with negative earnings pay dividend to shareholders to maintain a stable dividend payments, and transfer the information of temporary losses to the public. In that case, only the free cash flow of the companies matters when dividends are distributed to shareholders. A poor liquidity position means less generous dividends due to shortage of cash. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that firms with high cash flows have the tendency to allocate more to paying dividends. The variable used is the cash flow per share (CFPS) an d it should have a positive impact on dividend payout ratios. H6: All else equal, larger firms distribute larger dividends. This paper expects that dividend payments will be positively associated with size of the firm in UK market. In the imperfect capital market, where the investors and firms cannot borrow at the same cost, larger firms should have easier access to external funds and can borrow at a cheaper rate than small firms can. In addition, being more competitive than smaller firms are, larger firms should have more investment opportunities, and therefore high future earnings growth can be expected. In that case, managers of large firms are more likely to distribute high dividend payments, and convey their positive expectations of the firms‘ prospect. As a common surrogate for size is logarithm of the firms‘ total market value (MV) and it is expected to be positively correlated to dividend payouts. H7: All else equal, dividend payments operates as an information s ignal. This paper expects that firms with greater investment opportunities will pay lesser dividend in UK market. Asymmetry information provides a new insight into the explanation of dividend puzzle. The unequal information barrier of the insiders and outsiders inevitably highlight the importance of dividend payments acting as a medium to convey information for the two parties. Meanwhile, because of the general tendency for stable dividend payouts, any change in dividend policy is recognized as an information exposure of firms‘ prospects. Therefore, rather than distributing more to shareholders, managers are likely to retain more to satisfy the financial needs required by future investment opportunities. Thus, a common proxy for investment opportunities is the market-to-book ratio (MBV) and it is expected to be negatively associated with dividend payouts. H8: Financial crisis has jeopardized the economy on a worldwide basis. This paper expects that financial distress will infl uence dividend policy in service industry in UK market. Happened in the middle of 2007, financial crisis lasted for almost two years, and has brought great damage to global economy. The major victim of financial crisis is global banks and financial institutions. Other industries will be more or less affected by the influence of financial pressure. In the three years of financial crisis, almost all the industries are confronting the increasing requirements of free cash flow. However, during this period, both banks and financial institutions are extremely lack of funds, and therefore, cannot satisfy the financial requirements of the market. As a response to this serious situation, tougher capital constrains resulted in high costs for borrowing from external sources. Therefore, for companies, financial crisis raised the pre-determined cost of debt, and in turn reduce the amount of cash flow for dividend payments. H9: Different industries have different regulations and laws. This paper expects that different industrial classification will result in different dividend policies in UK market. It is generally accepted that firms adjust their dividend policies to suit the particular circumstances facing the industry in which they operate. Like for instance, firms in high growth industries will enjoy many financing discounts from the regulations, therefore, facing more advantages in investing and financing activities. Thus, it is necessary for them to modify their dividend-based strategies in an attempt to maintain more retained earnings for more new investment opportunities. Nevertheless, firms in mature and saturated industries ought to maintain stable dividend payouts rather than to reserve more retained earnings when investment opportunities are limited in their industrial sector. The expectations of this paper and the previous researchers’ attitudes towards the relationship between divid end policy and its determinants can be summarized in the table 1. Conclusion Proxies Variables Expected Literature indicated relationship PR dividend payout policy ROA profitability Positive Positive GROWTH earnings growth Negative Positive or Negative LEV level of risk Negative Negative PD past dividens Positive Positive CFPS liquidity Positive Positive MV firms size Positive Positive MTBV investment opportunities Negative Negative or no relationship.

How to Style Alphabetical Letters

How to Style Alphabetical Letters How to Style Alphabetical Letters How to Style Alphabetical Letters By Mark Nichol When are letters of the alphabet, appearing in isolation rather than as part of a word, capitalized, and when are they lowercased? When should they be italicized, and when is the normal type, called roman, employed? Here’s a general guide to styling letters. Letters as Letters When referring to a letter as an alphabetical character in print or online, style it in italics and use uppercase or lowercase forms as appropriate, as in the examples â€Å"Notice how the letter m is cut off so that it almost looks like an n† and â€Å"Engraved in the rock was a capital A.† A roman apostrophe and a roman s are added to indicate a plural form, as in â€Å"When you wrote ballot, you included three l’s.† For capital letters, the apostrophe isn’t necessary: â€Å"The two Vs look like a W.† However, if plural forms of both uppercase and lowercase letters appear in the same document, for consistency, reconcile the style either way. Letters employed in lieu of an entire word beginning with that letter to disguise profanity or otherwise avoid the word’s use are capitalized and styled in italics: â€Å"The F word† refers to an obscene four-letter word, for example, and â€Å"the D word† might appear in a perhaps jocular reference to relationships in which the writer declines to use the word divorce. In idioms such as â€Å"Dot [one’s] i’s and cross [one’s] t’s† or the humorous inversion â€Å"Cross [one’s] i’s and dot [one’s] t’s† and â€Å"Mind [one’s] p’s and q’s,† the letters are traditionally not italicized, despite this custom being an exception to the rules described above; instead, an apostrophe is inserted before the plural s. Other idiomatic usage (for example, â€Å"the three Rs† and â€Å"to a T†) generally does not call for italicization, either. Names of Letters In the unlikely event that a letter needs to be referred to by name, it can be spelled out as indicated in dictionaries. However, the system is difficult to use because not all names of alphabetical characters are spelled intuitively, so they’re difficult to locate for verification: B and letters that rhyme with it are spelled bee, cee, and so on, but others are spelled, for example, aitch, cue, and wye. Letter Grades When the letters A, B, C, D, and F are used in educational contexts and, by extension, in informal analogous usage, as evaluative marks, they are not italicized. That’s because they refer to the points on the grading scale, not to letters of the alphabet; I’ve italicized them here, though, because I’ve named them as letters: â€Å"the letter A,† and so on. (Why is there no E in the grading scale? Apparently, educators were concerned that this letter grade would be misconstrued as representing excellent, as F stands for failure, so although it was originally part of the grading scale, it was eventually omitted.) An alternative system, often used euphemistically in lower grades, is E, G, F, P, and U (excellent, good, fair, poor, and unsatisfactory). No apostrophe is inserted before the plural s; for example, write â€Å"I had hoped to receive more As† or â€Å"She earned three Es last semester.† Letters as Shapes When letters are used to describe shapes, they are capitalized and styled in roman, as in â€Å"C clamp† and â€Å"T square.† Letters employed in this way are sometimes treated in sans serif type (one of many typefaces in which letters are made solely of straight lines and curves and lack appendages), but this approach looks awkward. Music and Rhyme Schemes In general, letters referring to musical pitches are capitalized in roman type for example, â€Å"This song is in D.† (Technical usage such as references to octaves varies; consult specialized print publications or websites for more information.) Rhyme schemes, however, are indicated in lowercase italic letters with no letter spaces between characters indicating a set of lines constituting a verse, as in â€Å"The poem is written in abba rhyme.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Religious Terms You Should KnowAbstract Nouns from AdjectivesHow Do You Fare?

Enron Scandal Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Enron Scandal Case study - Essay Example Basically those businesses prosper that have implemented systems to enhance the faith of the shareholders via transparency, responsibility and fairness (Raghavan, 2010). Carrying out of ethical business conduct would mean accepting and practicing sound corporate governance. The role of auditors is also vital in bringing good corporate governance (Fan & Wong, 2001). The main objective of the study is to identify the facts that led Enron to financial scandal and brought up to the surface a culture of corruption as well as greed. The role of the auditors and the corporate governance in such context will also be studied in adequate detail. The study will try to focus upon the main actor involved in the Enron case, the role of the organisation, the legal context and the prevention strategies that could have been followed in order to stop such fraudulent activities from taking place. Enron Case Enron is one of the best examples of unethical business practices conducted in an organisational context. It had been the seventh biggest business house in the United States. It dealt with ‘natural gas pipeline’ and was based in Houston. It filed for bankruptcy in the year 2001. The company was charged with security related frauds. It was noted that the employees and retirement accounts lost hundreds of millions of Dollars, when the stock price of Enron dropped from its height of US$105 to few cents and subsequently the company was de-listed by NASDAQ (Healy & Papelu, 2003). The company made use of complex and dubious accounting schemes in order to minimise its tax payments, to increase its income and profits, to increase its stock price and credit rating, to conceal losses in ‘off-balance-sheet subsidiaries’ and to falsely manipulate Enron’s financial condition in public reports (Munzig, 2003). In addition to hurting the confidence of the investors and generating questions regarding the continuity of a deregulated energy market, the crumple of Enron has hurried a complete re-examination of both the accounting industry as well as many other components of the corporate governance in America (Dembinski & et. al., 2006). It was noted that the company violated accounting standards that necessitated at least three percent of the company’s assets to be possessed by independent equity investors. By violating this requirement, the company was capable to evade the merging of these ‘special purpose entities’. Due to these, the balance sheets of Enron devalued its liabilities and exaggerated its equity and earnings. The company focused on minimum disclosure in relation to special purpose entities (Munzig, 2003). Role of Auditors in Enron’s Case The most significant question surrounding the Enron’s case is that how the Enron’s problem could remain hidden for such a long time. Most of the accusations for failing to realise Enron’s problem has been consigned to the auditor of the company, Arthur Andersen and to the ‘sell-side’ forecasters whose main duty was to work for brokerage, research firms and investment banking (Munzig, 2003). Role of External Auditors The external auditor of Enron, Arthur Andersen was blamed for practicing lax standards in their audits due to conflict of interest over consulting fees that was created by