Cost of the Good Life Essay

Overall wellbeing, an extravagant lifestyle, and wealth all come to mind when I ponder the good life but what does the good life actually cost? At first glance, this seems like a loaded question that requires multiple dissertations in order to answer. I even contemplated whether or not the good life had a cost at all. Breaking the good life into separate topics relieves much of the stress when it comes to giving an answer. In terms of consumerism, the good life is damaging to the environment, places too much emphasis on money, and it dwindles the importance of non-market values. According to Annie Leonard’s â€Å"The Story of Stuff†, our current materials economy is a commodity chain in which goods go from extraction, to production, to distribution, to consumption, and finally to disposal. The system sounds stable but it is actually in crisis. Anyone with a simple understanding of mathematics can tell you that you cannot run a linear system on a finite planet in the real world. In order for us, the consumers, to get all of our fancy products and up-to-date technologies, a process that we turn a blind eye to takes place. At the source of the process, there is natural resource exploitation. â€Å"We chop down the trees, blow up mountains to get the metals inside, use up all the water, and wipe out all the animals.† As consumers, we are running out of resources because we have too much stuff! In the past three decades alone, one third of the planet’s natural resource space has been consumed. We are undermining the planets very ability for people to live here. In the United States, less than four percent of our original forests are left and forty percent of the waterways have become unsanitary. When the resources start to deplete, we do the same thing to third world or lesser developed nations. The erosion of the local environments of these nations and economies ensures a constant flow of natives that rely on the little money they can earn while working in factories. We have become a nation of consumers largely due to planned and perceived obsolescence. Planned obsolescence is the art of designing products that don’t last a long time but last long enough for someone to buy the product again. Perceived obsolescence is changing the design of things to follow trends and keep up with the times. The number one example that people can relate to is the iPhone. If you don’t have the newest and  greatest iPhone, you are a social outcast. While this might be a tad over exaggerated, it’s not too far from the truth. In all actuality, polls show that our national happiness is declining even though we have more stuff than ever before. This is because we have less time for the things that truly make us happy like friends, family, and leisure time. At the cost of our planet and environment, are we really even living the good life? Fritjof Capra of â€Å"Qualitative Growth† said that â€Å"human needs are finite, but human greed is not. The major problems of our time cannot be understood in isolation; they are all interconnected and interdependent.† In our current economy, we have put currency on a pedestal that is far too high for us to reach anymore. Most of the goods that are produced and sold are often unneeded and therefore are essentially waste. Even still, demographic pressure and poverty form a vicious circle that lead to fewer jobs and wider poverty gaps. These are the costs of the good life. Our current global economy is a system striving for unlimited quantitative growth and is manifestly unsustainable as previously stated. Looking again from an ecological standpoint, the bad growth resulting from this system leads to externalizing social and environmental costs, is based on fossil fuels, involves toxic substances, depletes our natural resources, and degrades the Earth’s ecosystems. Harvard professor Michael Sandel adds what I believe to be the most interesting cost of the good life when it comes to affluenza. He argues that over the last three decades, we have drifted from having a market economy to becoming a market society. Although these two seem to be synonymous, they are actually quite different. A market economy is a valuable and effective tool for organizing productive activity while a market society is a place where almost everything is up for sale. By doing this, we have created a way of life in which market values â€Å"seep into almost every sphere of life and sometimes crowd out or corrode important, non-market values.† One of the examples that professor Sandel uses is congressional hearings in Washington D.C.. Lobbyists want to attend these hearings and because the seats are limited, line-standing companies have arisen. Line-standing companies hire homeless people and pay them an hourly rate in order to wait in line just  before the hearing. According to the professor, this is wrong for two reasons. â€Å"In a democratic society, everyone should have equal access to representative government. The other reason it’s wrong is that it demeans representative government.† When it comes to the point where almost everything in our public life is sold off to the highest bidder, something is lost. Money matters more and more in our society. And against the background of rising inequality, money takes a toll on the commonality of our civic life. In other words, we lose a part of ourselves. Do we go so far that we are cheapening important social goods and civic goods that are worth caring about? Society will eventually become a place of narcissistic opportunism where people will be buying their way into and out of positive and negative situations. What is the good life worth? I’ve been struggling with this question a great deal lately. You may or may not be familiar with the term first world problems. They are frustrations and complaints that are only experienced by privileged individuals, typically used as a comedic device to make light of trivial inconveniences. Not having the latest gadget and the newest clothes from a particular store are just a few examples. When I bought something, I failed to realize what I was actually paying. I now know that these consumer goods cost natural resources, valuable money, and so much more. The simplest way I can put it is that the cost of the good life: priceless.

Examine the Argument That Neighbourly Relations Essay

Neighbourly relations can be ordered and defined in a number of ways whether it is through certain identities or virtual social rules, created, maintained and repaired by people in groups with a situation in common or a relationship to act out in their everyday lives. This essay examines the relations, conflicts and differences that come with neighbourhood life both in the Uk and other countries where contradictions and the limits between what is seen as friendly and where invasive behaviour starts are an important part of ordinary, daily life. Last of all it will show how these relations can easily break down due to tensions caused by conflicts over noise and space where the division between private and public life is hard to define. When we speak about local residents we see them as having a collective or group identity with a particular situation in common, but they also have relational identities as neighbours with conflicting feelings of trust and suspiciousness. In addition people seem to behave in certain ways when they are part of a group as many researchers have discovered through studies on identity, one of these Tajfel cited in Taylor, 2009, p. 170, from his study found that if you tell people that they are part of a group this automatically influences the way they act. We often behave in ways which tell others who we are or how we want to be seen, a little like play acting, our daily lives become a stage on which we perform and relate to our public in social situations, as Ervin Goffman cited in Taylor, 2009, p. 72, found from his study in 1959 on everyday lives, society is a moving picture and identities are understood by looking at what people do rather than who they are. Furthermore a social identity is created through connections with others in different situations or places as we can find in neighbourhoods, by looking at the way people interact with each other and the sort of virtual, unwritten rules regarding privacy and friendsh ip that people abide by everyday. Stephanie Taylor, 2009, on pg. 173) seems to sum all this interaction up in just one short sentence; â€Å"social life proceeds rather like an endless slow dance†, and if we look at the discursive psychological approach that Jovan Byford (2009) uses to analyse a conversation he had with his neighbour, a perfect example of this dance is the way his neighbour tries to maintain a pattern of identity and typical behaviour of a how a ‘good’ neighbour should act. These patterns of behaviour and uses of identity are an essential part of maintaining and repairing order within certain groups or in society in general something which we have heard an example of in ‘Studying Identities’, 2009, track 1, when Professor Margaret Wetherall speaks about the studies carried out on conflicts of a segregated society in Ireland. She explains that the segregated groups had a stronger sense of community with less elaborate identities and social networks, but that this had a great impact on the levels of prejudice towards other groups. Neighbourly relations can be complicated and contradictive as there are two contrasting sides to this type of relationship, the first being that neighbours need to live together happily, be helpful and always be there when needed and the other is that they need to respect a person’s privacy and mind their own business. This is when the dancing partners need to keep an adequate distance from each other trying not to step on each other’s toes, and as (Jovan Byford, 2009, pg. 251) says â€Å"good fences make good neighbours†. This is particularly so with regards to the UK, Anthropologist Stanley Brandes cited in Byford, 2009, p. 59, from his study on social order in Becedas, Spain found the same kind of strong contradictions in rural life, but with a difference in how they acted and danced in their every day lives. He compared neighbourly relationships to the family and found that they feared privacy and saw it as being rude something which could be seen as a breath of fresh air from an English point of view, but these neighbours needed each other to survive and this closeness was seen as a form of surveillance and the necessity to lean on each other brought with it great suspicion, vulnerability and distrust. However there can be tensions in neighbourly relations causing them to break down, this can be for a series of reasons but mostly regarding space and noise when we talk about neighbourhoods. Disputes can arise through people stepping over unwritten, social or group boundaries and if the two sides are unable to repair or settle their dispute then a mediator is often introduced to try and stop the case getting out of control and ending up in court. Elizabeth Stokoe, cited in Byford, 2009, p. 264, in 2006 examined cases of complaints about sexual intercourse and found that people didn’t really want to complain as they were afraid of invading a person’s private life, but at the same time they believed that private activities should be kept private. Another example of tensions between neighbours is a study done by Joanna Bourke, cited in Byford, 2009, p. 66, in 1994 on the noise in overcrowded working-class housing in the 1940/50s, and here too we can see that residents took measures to distance themselves from their neighbours like placing their bed on the other side of the room to try and resolve and repair the conflict that could or had already arisen. In conclusion we can say that the fine line between what is seen as a friendly or intrusive neighbour is very difficult to decipher, and we are continuously dancing with each other throughout life to find the right balance, so finally we can say that neighbourly rel ations are definitely characterized by a friendly distance.

How Social Networking Sites Help Employers to Communicate Effectively Essay

How Social Networking Sites Help Employers to Communicate Effectively with Employees - Essay Example This phenomenon of communication through social networks has a greater impact in workplaces. This is because it has presented an opportunity for employers and employees to engage in their workplace under collective basis. FaceBook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn are the four major social networking sites that are enhancing communication across the world. Effective communication using social media within workplaces is mainly reinforced by their ability to reach instantaneously to a vast number of people in an organization. It has also laid a platform that allows two way communications through instant messaging available in the chat rooms. In addition, effective communication has also been enhanced in the workplaces among employers and employees due to their easy accessibility and usability. This is because in the current world social networking sites are readily available to everyone who is able to use a smart phone or a computer. These factors have enhanced higher adoption of social s ites masking them the fundamental part of organizations every day’s life. This paper work focuses on how social networking sites help employers communicate more effectively with employees in order to enhance higher productivity and other added values at workplaces. Communication power of social networking sites in workplaces Internet and social networking media have greatly contributed to fundamental changes concerning ways in which people interact in the business world and other private spheres. Companies and other corporate organization across the world have played a catch-up in order to understand ways of harnessing the emerging technologies for better management. Employers in various organizations have responded to the rising technology in the modern world to facilitate relationships with their employees through social media. Various online communication channels such as emails and other instant messaging have changed efficiency and nature of communication processes in bu sinesses and other organizations. This is by maintaining relationships among working colleagues in order to enhance their primary roles. Since it is difficult for employers to contact all employees in their business organizations, social networking sites have provided an opportunity for them to have quicker and faster communication (Jue, Marr, & Kassotakis, 2009). In case of issues that need instant attention, employers are always in a position to send the messages through social networks such as MySpace and LinkedIn to their employees. This enables information to reach all employees within a short time making them to have quick reaction and decision toward what the employer require them to do. This has facilitated better collaboration of all subordinate workers and their employer in work places. Collaboration has greatly transformed work outputs in businesses and other organization due to effective communication between managers and their employees through networks that promote tea mwork (Kaupins, 2011). Frequent communication between employers and employees has also allowed everybody to contribute in enhancing better performance of organizations. This is because communication allows every subordinate member in an organization to grow together in a team. In addition, it has also been noted that most of the employees are young generation who are always determined to use social networking

Informal interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Informal interview - Essay Example What are the core competencies and skills needed by an individual in order to be successful as the HR Director? What is your perspective of the HRD in an organization? What are the implications of the importance of the role of HRD on the top management in an organization? Interview summary The professional interviewed was Mr. Ali Javaid. He has five years of experience as a human resource director (HRD) in Sunshine Company. There is a whole range of job duties and responsibilities assigned to Ali by his company. As the HRD of the company, Ali manages the activities to hire the personnel, develop their skills as per the needs of the company, motivates them using different types of strategies, and ensures that the performance of the workforce is up to the standards established by the company. Ali oversees the process of recruitment including the development and circulation of notices about the employment opportunities, advertising, application screening, establishment of the schedules of interview, and contacting the interested candidates after the completion of the process of recruitment. Ali assumes the responsibility to circulate and coordinate all information and documentation about the evaluation of the employees. He ensures the compliance of the organization with the practices of equal opportunity and employment established by the state (â€Å"Director of Human†). Ali regularly develops new programs of employee orientation. He administers the benefits and provides the employees with information about retirement and personnel benefits. Salary schedules are maintained and updated by him. Ali has established and maintains an electronic system of employee records that consists of the employees’ application materials, licensure documentation, official transcripts, and documents. Ali prepares all sorts of contracts and other documents about compensation and employment. He also monitors the vacations and leaves of the employees. He also prepares and delivers the payroll information. These are only few of the duties and responsibilities performed by Ali in the company as its HRD. The main competencies needed to be successful as a HR Director include negotiation skills, job knowledge, qualified recruitment, effective training, and the power to influence others. Successful HR Directors have such communication skills that enable them to communicate in a way that is a win win situation for the employees and the company. Each organization has certain constraints while employees have their own needs. HR Directors listen to the concerns of the employees and help them understand the organization’s position and tendency to resolve their problems. This requires good interpersonal skills which a HR Director must have in order to succeed. The HR Director should have comprehensive job knowledge (Heisler). He should have a firm understanding of the job duties and responsibilities along with comprehensive knowledge of the applicable saf ety regulations, labor laws, and state and federal policies. The core competency of recruitment means that the HR Director minimizes the expenditures of the company related to the advertisement of job and the selection process. It also means that the HR Director should be qualified enough to establish a fair system of skill evaluation to select the right personnel for the company. The HR Director should have knowledge of the latest developments and advancements of technology so as to make best use of them for the training and skill development of the employees at the

Selling Wine Coolers in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Selling Wine Coolers in China - Essay Example Thirdly, environmental laws such as pollution, noise, mitigation risks and conformity to the laws should be taken into considerations. Fourthly, anti-monopoly laws and these laws are meant to protect companies from competition in the ever competitive markets. Lastly, corporate income tax laws are also among the regulations that should be taken into considerations when carrying out business activities in China. Marketing Plan Company Description The company is a new entity that will be established by its founder in China. The company will secure additional funding for growth and it aims to create job opportunities for many people. The company will mainly focus on selling wine coolers and it is anticipated demand for brand products will be high since the target market of sport minded consumers and retailers are likely to purchase products on the current offers. The company is interested to expand the product line and offer brand product line in order to sustain competitive advantage in the new business industry. Mission and Goals The mission of the company is to become the leading producer of wine coolers and marketer of high quality products that satisfy the demanding needs of consumers. One of the goals is to increase revenues and expand manufacturing abilities; thus, increase product distribution. Another goal is to enter the geographical areas of China market with a passion of maintaining strong customer and retailer relationships. Target Market The target market of the wine coolers industry is the active consumers and retailers who will also distribute to their consumers. The active consumers will be categorized in varied demographic segmentation, which will take into consideration age, education... The company is a new entity that will be established by its founder in China. The company will secure additional funding for growth and it aims to create job opportunities for many people. The company will mainly focus on selling wine coolers and it is anticipated demand for brand products will be high since the target market of sport minded consumers and retailers are likely to purchase products on the current offers. The company is interested to expand the product line and offer brand product line in order to sustain competitive advantage.   The mission of the company is to become the leading producer of wine coolers and marketer of high quality products that satisfy the demanding needs of consumers. One of the goals is to increase revenues and expand manufacturing abilities; thus, increase product distribution. Another goal is to enter the geographical areas of China market with a passion of maintaining strong customer and retailer relationships.  Target Market The target mark et of the wine coolers industry is the active consumers and retailers who will also distribute to their consumers. The active consumers will be categorized in varied demographic segmentation, which will take into consideration age, education background, income level, religion, culture and many other factors. Perreault, Cannon and McCarthy (22) argue that a defined target market is one of the first and significant marketing strategies for enabling the company to achieve effective business objectives.

Performance Measurement for Public School Teachers Case Study

Performance Measurement for Public School Teachers - Case Study Example According to the paper the purposes may be categorized into three categories as discussed below. The strategic purpose which is concerned with aligning employees performance with the organizational core values, goals and strategies, administrative purpose which clarifies employees roles and expectations, providing basis for human resource decisions and improving communication and developmental purpose which is concerned with developing full employee capabilities and enhancing individual employees development. The case also outlines the strategic purpose of performance management system. The main objective of school’s performance management is to enable schools achieve their core mandate; prepare pupils to become better citizens and employees and rational consumers. From these expectations, it is imperative to have talented and motivated teachers with the required behavior and resources. There is an understanding that there are numerous factors at play that may influence perfor mance management. For this reason, objective performance measurement techniques such as the students’ performance on standardized test in all subject areas, evaluation by supervisors and studying the teachers practical skills have been developed. These techniques are driven by the desired result of the learning process. Administrative purpose of performance management system has been shown in the case by going further to understand into detail the factors that may influence the teachers performance outcome such as; students behavioral problems, learning disabilities, poor preparation. This understanding led to the development of better ways of teaching and measuring performance such as the use of comprehensive testing to enhance administration of teachers duty. Lastly, the developmental purpose of performance management system seeks to understand and facilitate how teachers render their services.

Experience being given a gold award in class for academic excellence Essay

Experience being given a gold award in class for academic excellence - Essay Example It was the day before our last day in school and I was so excited because that was the day when our teacher will announce the three top students in our grade level. I knew I was one of the candidates but I was not sure whether I could make it to the top three. I woke up early that day, not having slept the whole night because of excitement. When I arrived in school, teacher was just about ready to announce the top three students. She started by announcing the bronze medalist. My hands were as cold as ice. I was hoping that my name will be called but I felt sad when the name of the bronze medalist was not mine. She then announced the silver medalist. By that time, I was already as pale as a ghost because of anxiety. Still, I was not the silver medalist. At this point, my last and only hope was that I would be the gold awardee. I prayed fervently as if it was my last prayer. I was already having butterflies in my stomach. Then, the announcement came, â€Å"The gold awardee for this ye ar is †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Yes! I was the gold medalist, the top student in class! I felt I was floating in air. I jumped for joy as if I had ants in my pants. The cheers of my classmates were deafening. My efforts at studying hard every day were not futile. My efforts paid-off. Now, I have an ace up in my sleeve. And as my dad put it, â€Å"Now son, you have another feather in your cap!† The following day was the awarding ceremony. My face was as bright as the sun this time.

What a Good Man Is According to Socrates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

What a Good Man Is According to Socrates - Essay Example Since no one has ever experienced death, even if he was released on the condition that he stops his philosophy, Socrates would not accept such trade. His argument is that he relies on the truth that evil things do not happen to good people whether they are dead or alive and that God is not oblivious to the concerns (pragrata) of such a good person. â€Å"No evil can happen to a good man either living or dead... (p28)†. The fact that Socrates regards himself as a good man during the Apology is a contrast that Socrates poses to himself. In his earlier dialogue, Socrates believes that virtue cannot be claimed without moral knowledge, which he claims not to have. Without an in-depth understanding of claim by Socrates, it is easier to assume that the claims by Socrates would only be valid if he also believes that, to a certain extent, one can be good without necessarily having moral virtue. According to Socrates, and indeed with surety, he views the virtuous as good. However, the virtuous cannot claim goodness if they lack moral wisdom that is needed to have the virtue. Away from trying to pursue the true thing that Socrates has in mind with his claim, it is almost obvious for one to deny the claim of Socrates that he does not possess the virtue which he insists he is still seeking. ...the fact is that neither of us knows anything beautiful and good, but he thinks he does know when he doesnt, and I don't know and don't think I do: so I am wiser than he is by only this trifle, that what I do not know I don't think I do. (p. 26) At this point, Socrates admits that he has some wisdom slightly higher than the rest of his fellow human in Athens, a wisdom which is given by God.  

Describe the contribution Charles Darwin, August Weismann, Gregor Essay

Describe the contribution Charles Darwin, August Weismann, Gregor Mendel and Frances Crick have made to the study of genetics - Essay Example This theory proposed that all the life on planet Earth, human or non-human is interrelated and has roots to a common ancestor. This means that the life indeed has evolved from non-life i.e. the simple creatures led to the evolvement of complex creatures over time. This all was possible because random genetic mutations were taking place in the genetic code of the living organism. So every complex organism, for instance, the human being, was formed after several successful modifications and mutations took place in the earlier generations. By the natural selection process, the dominant traits would be preserved and carried forwarded to the future generations. As the dominant traits were the beneficial ones they would be transferred ahead, where as the recessive traits would be the non-beneficial ones and they would fail to transfer to the next generation. With this transference of beneficial mutations, the preservation of the functional advantages is there in the offspring. The idea was that such a mechanism existed where any changes in the external stimuli would lead to a change in the external organ and external tissues. This would be further transferred on to the reproductive organs consequently affecting the offspring. Further, the process of natural selection, as proposed by Darwin is a gradual and time-consuming process, which never takes any quantum lea ps. (Darwin, Glick & Kohn 1996) So today, our biological development can be understood by understanding Darwin’s theory. In Darwin’s time, the genetic mutations were just a philosophy. His ideas led to further research which helped the scientists understand that biological development does involve structural changes in the chromosomes. Then August Weismann was a German biologist whose work led him to be one of the pioneers in the study of genetics. Weismann‘s major work revolved around embryonic and postembryonic development of insects. His work was greatly

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay Example for Free

A Brief Survey and Analysis on Procrastination Among Undergrads Essay In this survey, we developed a set of questions asking students in the unit of a dormitory. We asked individual students to assess their degree of procrastination, the specific occasions when they have significant sign of procrastination and their difficulties in solving the problem. We then asked them to think about one of two occasions when they were highly productive in order to see and compare what serves for and against their procrastination. Then, choosing the dormitory as a whole sample, we asked students to name one of them who is most productive generally, and asked them if they’ve noticed the difference and invited them to figure out the reason for this difference in productivity. In this way, we have managed to attain a number of individual samples to analyze their procrastination as well as group samples from which we may conclude the peer influences in this group of students. Results Based on the various results of individual survey, we have selected and categorized several typical cases presented in the form of case study as follows. Case 1: Procrastination with Trivial Things In one of the dormitory we carried out the survey, a student lost his key but just refused to get another one. Instead, he phones his roommates to open the door for him when he can’t enter, causing much trouble to his roommates. Another student we surveyed was said to have kept his dirty cloths for ages and not want to wash them simply because of the cold weather. Everyone may be reluctant with specific tasks for various reasons, especially boring and time-consuming work such as laundry. Case 2: A Whole Night in Dormitory without Finishing Homework Many of the students we surveyed mentioned their low-productivity in the dormitory. Often is the case when students find the clock ticks time away without awareness of what they have just done. In this case, distraction in dormitories plays an important role in students’ procrastination. With roommates playing games, listening to music or simply just walking around, it calls for great effort to stay focused. And it is even worse when there is work to be done on the computer with access to the Internet, as there is much more distraction online such as games, videos, IMs and SNS, which can easily attracts students from what they should be doing. Case 3: Perfectionism Perfectionism is another classical cause for procrastination. Students who want to have a perfect outcome often turn out to find nowhere to start, fearing that they would screw things up. Being back and forth with the project ahead may also lower his self-esteem and then possibly put him into a vicious circle of low self-esteem-caused procrastination. Case 4: Endless Entertainment No matter if it’s Sitcoms, SNS or computer games, many students have at least one type of entertainment from which they can tear away from. Many students surveyed mentioned the very typical scenario when they tell themselves to start working by six but still enjoying the â€Å"last† episode or round hours later. With more and more distraction and entertainment around, students show much more difficulty to stay focused without external control. Case 5: Vicious Circle From what we have learned from the survey, it is rather easy to fall into a vicious circle because of procrastination, which in turn worsens one’s procrastination. Many students will feel depressed and low mood because they’ve left too much of tasks behind and therefore cannot focus, suffer low-productivity, thus undermining their self-esteem and making it harder to accomplish the tasks next time. Case 6: Wrong Reward Many experts suggest setting a period of time for oneself when he or she focuses the tasks at hand. Then reward him or herself for having concentrated during this period. This may serve to build up one’s self-esteem and concentration with the time period set longer and longer. But there are cases in which the rewards are too appealing (for example one’s favorite game) that students either hurry to finish the task simply to enjoy the reward with poor quality or get stuck with the reward and keep excusing himself for extending the time, which holds up later schedule and puts him back to procrastination. Case 7: Enjoying the Last-Minute-Accomplishment Some of the students surveyed admitted that after accomplishing their tasks right before the deadline for several of times, they become fond of this kind of schedule and planning. These students often achieve extraordinarily high productivity during the last minutes with results turning out to be not bad. Students therefore become dependent on this external driving force and used to completing tasks in the last-minute. General Analysis In the cases described above, we can see that lack of self-control is a very dominant cause for procrastination. How well can a person resist his temptation, control his entertainment and avoid distraction largely affects his degree of procrastination. There are also certain psychological mechanisms contributive to one’s procrastination. Noticeably, these many of the causes mentioned above are inter-connected, meaning there’s hardly an easy one-way solution to procrastination. Discussion From the specific cases mentioned above, we can already spot some of the causes for procrastination. Furthermore, these causes are often also related. We will first further discuss the different causes for procrastination in this section and then specially analyze the peer influences in the scope of procrastination. Peer Influences on Procrastination From the group samples we’ve collected in the survey, we analyzed the cases when students become either more or less productive because of their peer and concluded three major types of peer influence on procrastination. Competition In one of the dormitories we’ve surveyed, one student who completes tasks much faster than his roommates has been nominated as the most productive and executive. When asked about his productivity, he attributed it to his competition with his high school classmate. Another student also mentioned what he heard form friend in Qinghua University where students in a dormitory are highly competitive and look up to the best and fastest, which creates an atmosphere of positive competition driving each one to speed up and work hard. We believe that competition is one of the most effective external driving forces apart from the looming deadline itself. Though there isn’t necessarily a competitive atmosphere, it is not very hard to look for a peer to compete with so as to urge and encourage each other. Peer Reference Peer reference here indicates the psychology when one looks on his peer to excuse himself from not working. Many people may have this kind of voice echoing in the mind: â€Å"It’s OK. Nick hasn’t started yet. Leave it some other day!† What’s worse, some students admitted that in order to keep this excuse valid, they often do not urge the other one to start working purposely but join in him dragging the to-do list instead. We believe that this overlooking and following of peer procrastination is due to lack of . And this crowd psychology in many cases contributes to the atmosphere of procrastination. On the other hand, it is rather crucial for the one with higher productivity to actively urge and influence his peers to prevent procrastination as a â€Å"shepherd†. Peer Pressure Throughout our survey, some students with low productivity turn out to be surprisingly efficient in team work, because they feel compelled to fulfill their share of responsibility in a team working on a same goal otherwise they will hold up the whole schedule. Therefore, it is crucial for team leaders to set a common goal and emphasize the importance of every individual’s work. However, this peer influence doesn’t always work as there are always irresponsible people in a team. Summary From the interconnected influences discussed above, peers do have certain influence on procrastination, either positively or negatively. When one wants to drag things on, others’ procrastination can be a good justification. However, it appears a little harder to impose positive influences on procrastination as it calls for certain mechanism, i.e. competition, peer urging or team cooperation. And the conclusion can be safely drawn that when there are more mechanisms functioning, individuals are easier to prevent his or her procrastination with the assistance of his peers. Therefore, apart from one’s own effort, actively seeking positive peer influence is also a good solution. Recommendations True as it is that solving procrastination needs multiple methods, we will elaborate our recommendations in a separate way so that students with different types of procrastination can find the suitable solution for his particular case more easily. While the methods are many, the philosophy behind is simple: actively seeking external influence. And specific methods are elaborated as follows. Avoid Distraction/Disturbance For students finding it hard to concentrate and work effectively, we recommend they go to the library, classrooms or other quiet places for serious business. One may also turn off the cell phones to further avoid any distraction or disturbance. For those who find themselves often wasting hours on games (either computer games like DotA or video games on little gadgets like Angry Birds) or surfing, it is also a good idea to go somewhere else to work or study, leaving anything that can distract you back in the dormitory or locked up. Peer Influence As discussed earlier, peer influence does play certain roles in the scope of procrastination. So to find a right peer who pushes you to work hard or poses challenge as a competitor is also a solution to procrastination. Or maybe, as some researchers suggest, pre-commitment supervised by peers is also a good idea. You can simply post on your SNS sites that you will finish your thesis in a week or not visiting renren.com for 5 days and encourage your friends to see if you make it. Technical Assistance Sometimes you have to use the computer or the Internet to do some research or write an essay when you cannot leave them away. How to avoid the temptations to click on the button? There are certain applications or extensions that help you control your time. For example, stayfocused is a Google Chrome browser extension which limit your visit to certain sites such as Facebook (well, the GFW has already done the favor), renren.com or tudoou.com etc which can easily suck hours out of your schedule. Once you set the time limit, you cannot change it that day. And if you try to change the limit when the allowed time is running out? Small windows will keep popping up to ask you if you’re sure to change the limit and not cheating. And even link to an article on procrastination as you finally clicked â€Å"yes†. This is just one example of the use of technology on the fight against procrastination.

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay

The General Adaptation Syndrome Psychology Essay Stress is inescapably present in the lives of every living organism. While some stress can be beneficial, too much of it is almost always disadvantageous. Frequently the word stress is used to describe the imposition of an undesirable psychological or physical state through uncontrollable or overwhelming circumstances. We tend to think of stress as a burden that we carry around with us. One individual might perceive that they are under an enormous amount of stress because of multiple impending deadlines, while another might feel stressed out because their house is not clean and unexpected guests are on their way. Despite the predominantly negative description above, stress itself is not necessarily bad. In fact, stress is an adaptive process without which our survival would be seriously compromised. Moderate stress can even have beneficial effects, such as improving cognitive function to facilitate meeting multiple deadlines and increasing energy supply to muscles to quickly clean th e entire house in a matter of minutes. However, too much or prolonged stress can result in a variety of detrimental effects on both physiological function and cognitive processes. Definition In order to properly understand the effects of stress on cognition, as measured by performance in a variety of mazes, we must first come to an understanding of what stress is. At its core, stress is can be defined as the response to a threat (or perceived threat) against homeostasis, the tendency of a system to maintain a stable internal environment. Living organisms, including humans and rodents, are open systems which work to maintain homeostasis despite being constantly bombarded by numerous external environmental insults. Homeostasis The concept of homeostasis was initially conceived by the French physiologist Claude Bernard in1854. He used the term milieu intà ©rierur to describe the ability of the internal environment (primarily the blood in Bernards time) of the body to compensate for and re-equilibrate in response to the external environment [1,2]. However, it was Walter Cannon who developed the concept of homeostasis. He proposed that the body maintained steady state conditions through multiple cooperative self-regulating mechanisms. One phenomenon observed by Cannon was that organisms respond to a threat by releasing epinephrine (aka adrenaline) from the adrenal medulla thereby increasing the bodys heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure while mobilizing glucose stores and inhibiting non-essential functions such as digestion and reproduction. This phenomenon is the prototypical sympathetic nervous system (a branch of the autonomic nervous system) response, for which Cannon coined the term fight-or-flig ht response [3]. Simply put, when confronted with a threat, an organism, through the narrowing of bodily functions and mobilization of available energy, is primed to respond actively, whether through fleeing or fighting. Thus, the primary contribution of Walter Cannon to the definition of stress was that in response to an environmental insult threatening the internal steady stated, the body initiates the sympathetic response to maintain homeostasis and ultimately increase survival. General Adaptation Syndrome The second major contributor to stress research was endocrinologist Hans Selye. Selye was working to discover a new hormone by injecting ovarian extracts in to rats and observing the physiological effects. He noted several changes after injection of this extract, including the 1) enlargement of the adrenal gland, 2) the atrophy of the thymus and lymph nodes and 3) the presence of gastric ulcers [4]. While he initially thought these effects were direct effects of a novel hormone, through additional control experiments he discovered that the injection of numerous agents, physical injury or even excessive exercise produced the same reliable effects [5]. Emphasizing the non-specificity of this response, Selye called these effects the General Adaptation Syndrome initially and later used the term stress to describe it. He further defined stressors as the factors or agents that triggered the stress response. In addition, Selye established the role of glucocorticoids, steroid hormones excret ed from the adrenal cortex, in the stress response. Furthermore, Selye described that prolonged exposure to stressors (and the stress response) can lead to illness or disease. Summary The combined work of Walter Cannon and Hans Selye formed the basis of stress research. Both agreed that when confronted with disruptive environmental factors, the body generated an adaptive response aimed at re-establishing homeostasis within the internal environment. Cannon focused on the sympathetic branch of this response, while Selye focused on the hormonal (i.e., endocrine) branch of this response. Modern thinking has modified the conceptualization of stress, as it turned out to be not quite as simple as originally thought. Importantly it is no longer thought that stress is non-specific as the magnitude and more subtle characteristics of the stress response are varied based on the type of stressor, the individuals perception of the stress and ability to cope. The following basic features of stress can be gleaned from this historical work: Stressors are any event, experience or environmental insult that threatens or is perceived to threaten homeostasis Stress is an adaptive response to re-establish and maintain homeostasis Stress is ultimately mediated by two branches: The sympathetic nervous system via release of epinephrine from the adrenal medulla The endocrine system via release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex These definitions and characteristics are more conducive to scientific study than the layman use of the term stress which does not distinguish between the trigger and the response, as described in the opening of this section. Thus, the definitions above will be utilized in the following sections. This chapter will further develop these basic concepts and present 1) an overview of the stress response, 2) descriptions of the different types of stressors, 3) the effects of both acute and chronic stress on learning and memory and 4) practical details on how to deal with the nuances of stress in behavioral testing. THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE ACUTE STRESS RESPONSE When a stressor is encountered, the brain triggers a physiological response, aimed at coping with the stressor and restoring homeostasis [6]. This response is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Both of these systems are always actively engaged in maintaining homeostasis, but when posed with a disruption to an organisms internal environment, the HPA axis and SNS go into overdrive. When stressors are encountered several central nervous system (CNS) structures are activated to initiate the stress response, including the preganglionic sympathetic neurons of the spinal cord in addition to several brainstem and limbic forebrain structures [7]. These structures then recruit neural and neuroendocrine systems to initiate a stress response, culminating with the secretion of adrenal glucocorticoids (GCs) and epinephrine, the principle mediators of this adaptive response. The Sympathetic Nervous System Two primary pathways are activated by stressors within the SNS, the brain norepinephrine neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC) and the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry. Many, but not all stressors result in norepinephrine release from the LC, which ultimately contributes to the majority of circulating NE levels as well as numerous adaptive behaviors [8,9]. Activation of the sympathetic adrenomedullary circuitry via preganglionic neurons results in the release of the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) onto postganglionic neurons and the adrenal medulla. Sympathetic postganglionic neurons primarily release of norepinephrine directly onto various target organs. On the other hand, activation of the adrenal medulla results in the synthesis and release of epinephrine into the circulation and indirectly onto target organs. Target organs activated by these catecholamines neurotransmitters correspond directly to the symptoms of the fight-or-flight response, including increased heart rate, blood pressure and respiration, pupil dilation, and inhibition of digestion, liver, kidney and gall bladder function. The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (Figure 1: HPA axis from Lupien 2009 Review) The present chapter will focus on the endocrine branch of the stress response. While the activation of the sympathetic nervous system is a key part of stress, many of the effects of stress on learning and memory have been shown to be dependent on GCs. The secretion of adrenal GC hormones is under the stimulatory drive of the medial parvocellular neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus. In response to stressors, brainstem and limbic forebrain regions activate these neurons to secrete corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and vasopressin into the hypophysial circulation to stimulate the anterior pituitary to release adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) into the peripheral circulation which ultimately results in the release of GCs from the adrenal gland [10]. GCs are carried to every organ via the circulation to allow for a coordinated adaptive response between the brain and bodily functions. GCs mobilize energy, suppress immune and inflammatory responses, inhibi t bone and muscle growth and reproductive function as well as increase attention and impact learning and memory processes [11]. GCs also regulate further CRH and ACTH release via negative feedback loops by binding receptors in the pituitary, PVN, hippocampus (HPC) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) to inhibit further GC release and to return the homeostatic balance of the HPA axis [10] (Fig. 1). While these are the primary targets of GCs, virtually every neuron in the brain has receptors for these hormones. Thus, GCs are an important enabler of normal brain function in addition to their role in HPA axis function. Corticosterone (CORT), the primary GC in the rat, is the ligand for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), steroid hormone receptors that function as transcription factors and regulate neuronal gene transcription. GR and MR have different affinities for CORT in the brain. GRs are expressed ubiquitously in the brain, and are most concentrated in the CRH neurons of the PVN and ACTH releasing neurons in the anterior pituitary and also in the HPC [10]. The highest expression of MRs in the brain is in the HPC, though they are expressed in other forebrain regions [10]. MRs are saturated by modest levels of CORT, such as those generated during circadian oscillations, and thus mediate daily changes in HPA axis activity. On the other hand, GRs are saturated by more extreme levels of CORT, such as those seen following a stressful experience, and mediate negative feedback to restore homeostasis [12,10]. Time Course of the Acute Stress Response (Figure 2: rise and fall of CORT) The typical stress response begins within a very short period of time. The SNS response occurs more rapidly than the HPA axis response, due to direct neurotransmitter release on target tissues vs. indirect hormonal release into the circulation, respectively. Within seconds, the post-ganglionic neurons of the SNS release norepinephrine and the adrenal medulla releases epinephrine into circulation. Also within seconds, CRH is released from the PVN of the hypothalamus, followed quickly by the release of ACTH into peripheral circulation from the anterior pituitary [13]. Within 3-5 minutes, the adrenal cortex releases CORT into the circulation, by which time peak plasma ACTH levels are reached. While peak levels of GCs vary according to stressor type and duration, circulating CORT levels typically reach peak levels15-30 minutes after stressor initiation [14]. At this time ACTH levels have also returned to baseline [14]. However, the effects of GCs on target tissues do not occur until abou t an hour after stressor initiation [13]. After peak CORT levels are reached, negative feedback mechanisms shut down further CORT secretion so that circulating CORT levels recover to near baseline levels within 60-120 minutes after stressor initiation [15,14]. The time required to reach baseline levels also varies depending on stressor type and duration. Circulating levels of norepinephrine and epinephrine follow a similar trajectory, but with more rapid increases and decreases [16]. Biological Rhythms Plasma levels of CORT are not static, but follow a circadian rhythm that is closely aligned with the sleep-wake cycles. In both humans and rodents, plasma GCs rise as the sleep cycle (inactive phase) ends and peaks upon waking up. From this peak, GC levels fall during the active phase and eventually reach the circadian trough or nadir (the lowest point in the cycle) [17,18]. However, as nocturnal animals, the active phase for rodents is during the dark period and the inactive phase occurs during the light period. Thus, in laboratory animals, peak CORT levels are found just after the lights are turned off and nadir CORT levels are measured when the lights are turned on. In addition, within this circadian rhythm GCs are released in an ultradian (cycles repeated within the 24 hour period) pulsatile pattern which rises and falls according to the circadian rhythm [19]. Basal levels of CORT measured in rats can typically range from 0-200 ng/mL in adult male rats or 100-500 ng/mL in adult f emale rats [18]. In response to acute stressors, peak stress levels of CORT generally range from 200-600 ng/mL in adult male rats and 500-1000 ng/mL in adult female rats. Both basal and peak stress levels of CORT can vary depending on the sampling time within the circadian rhythm. Sex, Age and Strain Differences As noted above, sex differences in HPA axis activity and responses to acute stressors are well documented. Female rodents exhibit higher basal and stress induced levels of both ACTH and CORT [20,21]. Sex differences in CORT secretion are primarily mediated by estrogen, with higher levels of ACTH and CORT found during proestrus, when circulating levels of estrogen are high [20,18]. Much of the research on gonadal steroid regulation of the HPA axis suggests that estrogen has excitatory effects while androgens have inhibitory effects [22-26]. In addition, females have higher levels of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG), which partially buffers the higher levels of CORT [27,24]. CBG binds circulating CORT and renders it biologically inactive [28,29]. However, CBG levels take several hours to increase after exposure to a stressor, resulting in higher levels of biologically active CORT in females in response to stressors [30]. Acute stress responses can also vary across the lifespan. After birth, from day 2 to 14, rats experience a stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) wherein circulating basal CORT remain very low and neonatal pups fail to show an elevation in CORT in response to stress or ACTH administration[31-33]. Adolescence is the next developmental epoch, which includes three stages: pre-pubescence/early adolescence (21-34 days), mid-adolescence (34-46 days) and late adolescence (46-59 days) [34,35]. During early adolescence, rats exhibit an exaggerated HPA axis response to both acute and chronic stress compared to adults [36,37]. In addition, sex differences in HPA axis function mature over the adolescent period [38,39]. The acute stress response has also been investigated in aging animals, though a great deal of heterogeneity, particularly with respect to the aging model has been found [40]. However, the general consensus, based on earlier studies, is that aged animals exhibit elevated baseline (or basal) CORT and a prolonged stress-induced elevation in CORT release, possibly due to decreased GR-mediated negative feedback [41,42]. It should also be noted that aging is associated with increased variability in the acute stress response [40]. Sex differences in acute HPA axis responses are not frequently examined in aged rats. However, since estrogen decreases with age, and males demonstrate increased basal CORT, it would be expected that sex differences would become less robust [43,44] Robust strain differences in both basal and peak stress levels of CORT also exist. In general, the in bred Fischer 344 (F344) strain of rats secrete higher levels of both basal and stress induced CORT levels compared to both the inbred Lewis (LEW) strain and the outbred Sprague Dawley (SD) strain (Dhabar 1993). Interestingly, both F344 and SD rats show increased basal CORT levels at the end of the inactive period, while LEW rats did not show a robust circadian rhythm (Dhabar 1993). As mentioned above, strain differences can also interact with age differences to further complicate the picture of a normal HPA axis stress response across the lifespan. CHRONIC STRESS Exposure to chronic stress can result in long term elevations in GCs and has been shown to alter the structure and function of the brain regions involved in regulating the HPA axis as well as learning and memory and numerous other behaviors [7]. Two general responses in HPA axis function occur as a result of chronic stress, namely habituation and sensitization. Habituation typically occurs following repeated exposure to the same (homotypic) mild stressor, with the magnitude of the HPA axis response (i.e. CORT secretion) diminishing with each subsequent exposure to the stressor [45,46]. On the other hand, repeated exposure to different (heterotypic) and unpredictable stressors can diminish the habituation of the HPA axis response [47-49]. Interestingly, both chronic homotypic and heterotypic unpredictable stressors cause sensitization of the HPA axis response to a novel stressor, resulting in increased ACTH and CORT secretion [45,48]. The most frequently studied brain regions that are vulnerable to chronic stress are the HPC, amygdala (AMG) and PFC [50]. In both the HPC and PFC, chronic restraint stress results in dendritic atrophy and decreased GR expression, which facilitates decreased HPA axis feedback and impaired memory [51-54,7]. In addition, chronic stress can also lead to altered hippocampal excitability, neurochemistry and neurogenesis (refs from Conrad 2010 review if needed?). On the other hand, chronic stress causes dendritic hypertrophy and increased CRH expression in the AMG as well as dendritic hypertrophy in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS), which facilitate HPA axis excitability and anxiety and habitual behavior, respectively [7,55-58]. Sex, Age and Strain Differences Sex differences in response to chronic stress exposure are less frequently examined. The above-mentioned effects are well documented in males. However, chronic stress does not appear to have the same effects in females. For example, females appear to be resilient against chronic stress induced dendritic atrophy in the HPC and spatial memory impairments [59-63]. In the PFC, females exhibit dendritic hypertrophy, whereas males demonstrate dendritic atrophy in response to repeated stress exposure [64]. In addition, chronic stress is associated with sex-specific PFC-mediated behavioral effects. Chronically stressed males show impairments in recall of fear extinction, possibly reflecting decreased behavioral flexibility [65-67]. However, chronically stressed females demonstrate impaired memory for the acquisition of fear conditioning, which is more dependent on the AMG [68-70]. Interestingly, males show dendritic hypertrophy and increased activation of the AMG and an associated increase i n the acquisition of fear conditioning following chronic stress [67]. Thus, in females, chronic stress causes more moderate morphological and behavioral outcomes that may be related to sex-specific changes in AMG function. Chronic stress also has differential effects across the lifespan. In general, earlier exposure to chronic stress (i.e. prenatal and neonatal) have protracted and irreversible effects compared to adult chronic stress. Exposing pregnant rat dams to chronic stress increases circulating CORT which crosses through the placenta and reaches the developing fetus to alter brain development and HPA axis activity [71]. The long-term effects of prenatal stress include increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion as well as learning impairments, increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors and sensitivity to drugs of abuse [72,73]. Postnatal stress is typically induced by disrupting the maternal-pup interactions (i.e., maternal separation or daily handling of pups). The long-term effects of early postnatal stress include altered anxiety-like behavior and stress-induced HPA axis activity in adulthood though the direction of these effects are varied and highly dependent on the age of the p up, as well as the type and duration of the manipulations [72,74,75]. Chronic adolescent stress can result in enduring effects in adulthood, including decreased hippocampal volume, impaired spatial learning, and increased anxiety-like behavior adulthood [76-79]. However, there is less evidence for adolescent stress exposure to result in depressive behaviors in adulthood [80,81]. Studies of long lasting effects of adolescent stress exposure on HPA axis function are mixed, while most report no effect on basal or stress-induced CORT or ACTH secretion, some studies find increased basal and stress induced CORT secretion in adulthood [82,78,76,83,84]. Chronic stress exposure during adolescence can lead to long term behavioral and neuroendocrine effects, depending on the timing of exposure, the sex of the animal and the type of stressors used [82,84,85]. In aged animals, chronic stress has differential effects compared to young or middle-aged adult rats. For example, following 3 weeks of c hronic restraint stress in aged males and females, stress-induced sex differences were no longer evident on spatial and non-spatial memory tasks and chronic stress either facilitated or did not impair performance in aged male rats [86,87]. In addition, in aged animals sex-specific effects of chronic stress are reversed [86,87]. Furthermore, chronic stress in aged rats may potentiate stress-induced neurotoxicity, particularly in the HPC [72,88]. Strain differences are also noted in the effects of chronic stress. Interestingly, and in line with acute stress strain differences, the inbred F344 strain do not demonstrate habituation of the plasma CORT response to chronic stress with a repeated homotypic stressor, while SD and LEW rat strains do [46]. F344, but not SD and LEW, rats also exhibit adrenal gland hypertrophy after 3 sessions of restraint over 10 days [46]. F344 rats also exhibit a lack of HPA axis habituation following 14 days of restraint compared to SD rats [89]. Consistent with these findings, robust differences between SD and LEW rats were not found in either male or female rats in HPA axis response to an acute stressor after chronic exposure to unpredictable heteroptyic stressors [90]. TYPES OF STRESSORS Acute Stressors (Figure 3: Equipment/Stressors) In addition to being a threat against homeostasis, stressors can be described as any event or environment that is novel, unpredictable, poses a threat to well-being or ego, or creates a sense of loss of control (Lupien 2007). Acute stressors are stressors which occur on a single occasion with varying durations. Typically acute stressors last anywhere from 5 minutes to upwards of 6 hours, but in general for a period of time less than 24 hours. Acute stressors of longer durations are sometimes referred to as single prolonged stressors. Essentially the purpose of an acute stressor is for the experimental subject to mount a single stress response, or activation of the HPA axis. There are many different types of stressors and categorization of these stressors is attempted by many, though not all stress researchers agree. Stressors can vary in the type of perceived stress such as physical or psychological (or some combination of the two) as well as intensity and duration. Depending on the type of stressor used, differential effects on the HPA axis and SNS responses will occur. Physical stressors are stressors that are predominantly identified or perceived through the senses or involuntary (autonomic) mechanisms. Examples of physical stressors include extreme temperatures, loud noise, chemical exposure, extreme activity, metabolic or immune system disruptions, hemorrhage and pain. The most extreme physical stressors are necessarily limited to short durations due to discomfort. Many physical stressors can be administered in multiple ways or in combination with other stressors. To manipulate temperature, rodent subjects can be place in a standard cold room (~4-6 °C) or a hot room (~30-40 °C) or in cold (~18-20 °C) or hot water (~25-35 °C) as part of a forced swim stressor (forced exercise) [91-93]. Loud noises stressors are most effective at a range of ~90-110 dB [94]. Chemical stressors include exposure to ether vapors, hypoxic conditions, and injection of formalin or other noxious substances [93,95]. Stressors involving extreme activity include forc ed swim and on the opposite end of the spectrum, immobilization, wherein the subject is splayed out on a board with all its limbs and head secured to prevent movement. Metabolic disruptions can include fasting or food restriction, injections of insulin to induce hypoglycemia or lipopolysaccharide to induce an immune reaction. Hemorrhage or hypovolemia is induced by removing a percentage of blood volume with a moderate hemorrhage consisting of removal of ~20% estimated blood volume [96]. Finally, pain can be induced via numerous methods. Frequently used stressors include tail pinch with clothespins or hemostats. Another common stressor associated with pain is mild ( Psychological stressors are perceived threats against homeostasis or well-being. Important qualities of psychological stressors include loss of control, unpredictability and novelty. Identification of psychological stressors can also be experience or species dependent, in that the anticipation of the event itself can be a stressor, even in the absence of the actual event. Psychological stressors may also induce fear, anxiety or other behavioral changes. The effectiveness of psychological stressors is primarily under the control of limbic brain regions such as the HPC, AMG and PFC [7]. Several types of psychological stressors are used, including those that activate innate and species-specific behaviors and fear, inescapable/uncontrollable stressors, and social stressors. Activation of innate fear (based on a threat to safety/survival) in rodents can be accomplished with exposure to a predator (i.e. a cat or snake) or to a novel or unfamiliar environments particularly those with are op en and brightly lit (i.e. open field or elevated plus maze). Inescapable and uncontrollable stressors include inescapable foot or tail shock, forced swim and restraint. Rodent restraint is the most frequently used and well-documented stressor. It can also be combined with other physical stressors such as being placed in a rotating platform or in combination with tail pinch. Interestingly, even animal handling can be categorized as this type a stressor. Social stressors make up their own entire subcategory. Many researchers believe that social stressors are the most translationally relevant because the primary source of stress in humans comes from social interactions, expectations and even trauma. Rats are by nature social animals, but too much or too little can elicit a stress response. Two of the least effortful social stressors are isolation housing and high density housing (i.e. crowding). Interestingly males show a greater stress response to crowding while females show a greater stress response to single (i.e. isolation) housing [98]. A popular social stressor is social defeat, utilizing the resident intruder paradigm. This paradigm consists of using aggressive male rats (i.e. retired breeders or reared in isolation without handling) as the resident rat. The experimental rat (i.e. the one which will mount a stress response) is the intruder and is placed in the home cage of the resident rat. Typically the rats are allowed contac t with each other until the intruder demonstrates defeat behaviors (i.e. submissive supine posturing). In one modification of this paradigm, the intruder remains in the home cage of the resident rat but is separated, and therefore protected from physical harm, by a wire mesh enclosure [99,100]. A novel socially based stressor that is less labor intensive is to place a male rat in the dirty cage of another male rat. Thus the male rat is in an inescapable territory of another male rat, without physical contact [101]. Chronic Stress Paradigms Chronic stress is prolonged stress that typically occurs for at least 5 days, typically 1-3 weeks and sometimes up to 6 weeks or more. Many different types of chronic stress paradigms can be used, depending on the desired outcome measures. An additional variable to consider with chronic stress paradigms is the likelihood of habituation of the stress response over time, as mentioned above. Examples of chronic stress paradigms include chronic restraint, chronic mild stress, chronic unpredictable stress, chronic variable stress, chronic social stress, and chronic intermittent stress. Chronic restraint stress and chronic mild stress have historically been the most frequently used chronic stress paradigms. Interestingly, these paradigms have different phenotypic outcomes. Chronic restraint stress is frequently carried out with daily 6 hour restraint sessions for 3 weeks (Conrad XXXX). However, because chronic restraint stress is repeated exposure to a single homotypic stressor, habituation of the stress response after the first few days likely occurs as evidenced by blunted CORT and ACTH release in response to restraint following completion of the chronic restraint paradigm [102,103]. This paradigm is well characterized with regard to spatial learning and memory deficits as well as altered dendritic morphology, particularly dendritic retraction in the hippocampus [104]. Interestingly, spontaneous recovery of both altered dendritic morphology and spatial learning and memory deficits has been observed [105]. Chronic restraint stress also alters anxiety- and depressiv e-like behaviors, impairs response inhibition, facilitates fear learning and reduces motivation for food reward [106-108,53] Chronic mild stress (CMS) is typically used to induce an anhedonic (i.e. depressive-like) phenotype [109]. This paradigm typically involves exposure of the subjects to one mild stressor a day, typically for 6-8 weeks [109,110]. Stressors are administered on a set weekly schedule and include wet bedding, cage tilt, mild footshock, alterations in the light-dark cycle, food/water deprivation and cage changes [109,110]. Anhedonic effects of CMS, which can last up to 3 months, include decreased sucrose consumption, increased threshold for intracranial self-stimulation and decreased locomotor activity in the absence an anxiety-like phenotype [109]. Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is essentially an iteration of CMS, which lasts for a shorter period of time (~2 weeks) and presents mild to moderate stressors once a day in a more randomized order and time of day [111,112]. Depressive-like phenotypes are seen after CUS exposure in addition to anxiety-like phenotypes and cognitive deficits [1 12,91]. Chronic variable stress (CVS) is yet another more severe iteration of a repeated administration of heterotypic stressors. More recently, CVS paradigms have differentiated themselves from CMS paradig

Cloning :: essays research papers fc

Cloning Will Not Benefit Society Works Cited Dixon, Patrick. Reasons Against Cloning. 26 July 2002 Holy Bible, King James Version. Anaheim, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1998. Kayotic Development. Anti-Cloning Research. 22 July 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Scientist: Raising The Dead 22 July 2002 Nussbaum, Martha C., and Cass R. Sunstein. Clones and Clones. W.W. Norton & Company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York. London, 1998 Pence, Gregory E., ed. Flesh Of My Flesh. Rowman & Little Field Publishers, Inc., Oxford, 1998 Roleff, Tamara L., ed. Biomedical Ethics Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press Inc.,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  San Diego, CA, 1998 Silver, Lee M. Remaking Eden. Avon Books, New York, 1997 The Benefits Of Cloning 21 July 2002 Arriola 7 Cloning What is Cloning? What the differences between Cloning and In Vitro Fertilization? What are the Risks? Will it benefit our society? Does the government restrict cloning research? Is cloning morally and ethically wrong? Does it violate a person’s individuality? Who and when was the first clone? Can human be cloned? What is the US standpoint on cloning? Is cloning â€Å"playing God†? Where will cloning lead us as a society? Will people learn to accept or reject cloning? What are the religious aspects of cloning? Who will be selected to be cloned? Will cloning be out of hand? Arriola 1 Cloning Will Not Benefit Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Jordan passes to Michael Jordan, he misses, rebound by Michael Jordan. MJ goes up for two, the basket counts!! Bulls win a 245-78 victory!! Imagine cloning a great superstar to dominate a sport, or a notorious leader like Adolf Hitler to rule a nation, with this in mind cloning can lead to endless possibilities. Producing clones would lead to a society with no diversity in which everything would be entirely the same. Cloning is a controversial topic in which the public denies it as inappropriate, while some scientific leaders say it can benefit our society. We have been able to clone many things from plants, vegetables, animals and maybe one day the human race. Today some scientist’ have expressed their desire to be the first to clone a human with hopes of great triumph, but they have forgotten about the moral and religious issues on hand. Cloning should be banned because there are too many risks and not enough benefits for our society. Cloning woul d be creating a breed that has no flaws, and since perfection does not exist, the clone will be a great disappointment (Kayotic).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the early twentieth century, the word clone was used to describe groups of plants that are propagated by the use of any form of vegetative parts. Cloning :: essays research papers fc Cloning Will Not Benefit Society Works Cited Dixon, Patrick. Reasons Against Cloning. 26 July 2002 Holy Bible, King James Version. Anaheim, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1998. Kayotic Development. Anti-Cloning Research. 22 July 2002   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   New Scientist: Raising The Dead 22 July 2002 Nussbaum, Martha C., and Cass R. Sunstein. Clones and Clones. W.W. Norton & Company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  New York. London, 1998 Pence, Gregory E., ed. Flesh Of My Flesh. Rowman & Little Field Publishers, Inc., Oxford, 1998 Roleff, Tamara L., ed. Biomedical Ethics Opposing Viewpoints. Greenhaven Press Inc.,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  San Diego, CA, 1998 Silver, Lee M. Remaking Eden. Avon Books, New York, 1997 The Benefits Of Cloning 21 July 2002 Arriola 7 Cloning What is Cloning? What the differences between Cloning and In Vitro Fertilization? What are the Risks? Will it benefit our society? Does the government restrict cloning research? Is cloning morally and ethically wrong? Does it violate a person’s individuality? Who and when was the first clone? Can human be cloned? What is the US standpoint on cloning? Is cloning â€Å"playing God†? Where will cloning lead us as a society? Will people learn to accept or reject cloning? What are the religious aspects of cloning? Who will be selected to be cloned? Will cloning be out of hand? Arriola 1 Cloning Will Not Benefit Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Jordan passes to Michael Jordan, he misses, rebound by Michael Jordan. MJ goes up for two, the basket counts!! Bulls win a 245-78 victory!! Imagine cloning a great superstar to dominate a sport, or a notorious leader like Adolf Hitler to rule a nation, with this in mind cloning can lead to endless possibilities. Producing clones would lead to a society with no diversity in which everything would be entirely the same. Cloning is a controversial topic in which the public denies it as inappropriate, while some scientific leaders say it can benefit our society. We have been able to clone many things from plants, vegetables, animals and maybe one day the human race. Today some scientist’ have expressed their desire to be the first to clone a human with hopes of great triumph, but they have forgotten about the moral and religious issues on hand. Cloning should be banned because there are too many risks and not enough benefits for our society. Cloning woul d be creating a breed that has no flaws, and since perfection does not exist, the clone will be a great disappointment (Kayotic).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the early twentieth century, the word clone was used to describe groups of plants that are propagated by the use of any form of vegetative parts.

A History of the 714th Tank Battalion Essay -- United States History H

A History of the 714th Tank Battalion, 1942-45 The men of the 714th Tank Battalion served their country in its greatest time of need. A key element of the 12th Armored Division, the 714th fought in harsh conditions against a desperate German enemy for five consecutive months, driving the Nazi Armies from France and back into the German heartland. The 12th Armored Division was activated on 15 September 1942 at a freshly built Camp Campbell, Kentucky, and soldiers from across the nation began arriving to fill the division's ranks on 24 October 1942. The governors of both Kentucky and Tennessee participated in the activation ceremonies, in which Major General Carlos Brewer was named commander of the forming division. Young Roy Zerby was drafted away from his job of washing cars in Bellafonte, Pennsylvania, to eventually become Sergeant Zerby, Communications Chief for Company D, 714th Tank Battalion. Sergeant Zerby postponed his dream of a better job and livelihood to serve his country. Others like Alvin L. Cooper of Northampton, Massachusetts, volunteered "two steps ahead of the draft board" in order to avoid the National Conscription Act. Cooper quit his position as a Glazing Machine Operator at the International Silver Company and left his Public Accounting classes to become a Surgical Technician in the 714th Battalion's Medical Detachment. A month after graduating from high school in June of 1940, young Othal T. Parsons joined the army to "serve my country, beat the draft, and become a bigshot." He was lured by the Army recruiting posters clarioning "I WANT YOU." Parsons worked his way up through four different armored divisions as an enlisted man until he became Second Lieutenant Othal T. Parsons, Mortar Pla... ...r Brownwood." Hellcat News, 20 July 1944. "Hellcat Nickname Now Deserved, Division Thanks." The Stars and Stripes, 10 March 1945. "Hellcats Take Field for Intensive Training." Hellcat News, 30 March 1944. Malis, Steve. "Armor of the 12th Played Role in Hastening V-E." Beachhead News, 14 July 1945. Parsons, Othal T. Interview by author, 17 April 1995. Mail questionnaire. 12th Armored Division Historical Project, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. "Tank Gunnery Program Gets Official Praise." Hellcat News, 9 March 1944. Zerby, Roy M. Interview by author, 10 April 1995. Mail questionnaire. 12th Armored Division Historical Project, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas. Zerby, Roy M. Interview by author, 28 March 1996. Mail questionnaire. 12th Armored Division Historical Project, Abilene Christian University, Abilene, Texas.

Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development :: language and communication

Cognitive Development and Language Skills Development â€Å"Cognitive development underpins all the other aspects of development as children start to explore and make sense of the world around them. It is closely linked to the development of language and communication skills as children interact with the people around them.† There are many theories written on the subjects of cognitive development and language and communication. These theories vary in several ways, but they all seem to make the link between the too subjects. Childcare settings put these theories into practise in a lot of ways, sometimes without even realising it, just through conversation. Cognitive development ===================== Piaget’s theories of cognitive development are that children learn through exploration of their environment. An adult’s role in this is to provide children with appropriate experiences. He said that cognitive development happens in four stages. 1. Sensory – motor  · Babies and young children learn through their senses, activity and interaction with their environment.  · They understand the world in terms of actions. 2. Pre – operations  · Young children learn through their experiences with real objects in their immediate environment.  · They use symbols e.g. words and images to make sense of their world. 3. Concrete operations  · Children continue to learn through their experiences with real objects.  · They access information (using language) to make sense of their immediate and wider environment. 4. Formal operations  · Children and adults learn to make use of abstract thinking. Piaget also believed that children would only learn when they are ready. Children's use of language represents their stage in cognitive development, but he didn’t see language as a ‘central’ to children's development, as cognitive development begins at birth and is required for language development. He also states that children are egocentric – they can’t understand another person’s point of view. Criticisms of Piaget’s work =========================== Margaret Donaldson suggests that Piaget underestimated young

Philosophy of a Child Care Center Essay

Mission Our mission at â€Å" name of center† is to create a safe learning environment that implements the individual child’s developmental needs and interests with the help and collaboration of parents and community. Philosophy Statement Each activity at â€Å"name of center† is carefully coordinated to coincide with universal stages in all areas of children’s development: physical, cognitive, social/emotional, and creative. When children master a new level of ability, there are always experiences they can choose in order to gain new mastery. There are many opportunities provided for the children to practice physical skills, learn problem solving, gain knowledge of their environment, and practice interacting more effectively with others. We also believe that parents are a vital part of children’s learning experiences and are partners in the education and care of the children. This Philosophy, vision and mission are correlated with the Vygotsky belief that cognitive abilities develop from the interaction with more mature members of society. The social environment provides the intellectual support system that guides children in their development. Adults should structure learning experiences so that children gradually move from assisted performance to individual learning. This process is successful only when adults are sensitive to each child’s level of competence (Click & Karkos, 2008). It is also connected with the approach associated with Piaget, which authors, Click and Karkos say, believes that children should construct their own knowledge through repeated interactions with people and objects. They experiment, consider their errors or misconceptions, and arrive at new conclusions (2008). References Click, Phyllis. , Karkos, Kimberly. (2008) Administration of Programs for Young Children. Seventh Ed. Clinton Park, NY: Delmar Learning

Nursery school Essay

Identify setting which provide early years education and care: Settings which provide early years and care are: Statuaryservices: This is provided by government or state; they are set by laws and passed by parliaments and Refers to services provided by the local authority as a matter of course. ?EYFS. Children centre aim ton purpose to provide an accurate assessment of individual children at the end of EYFS year. ?Primary schools. Reception classes for children under 5 years old. ?Sure start. This is programme for children under five that can provide early learning and full day care for pre-school children. ?Maintained Nursery Schools. This is registered with Ofsted and inspected regularly maintained schools provide a free early education and offer young children to play in small group. ?Nursery schools. Provide pre-school education for children before they go to primary school. http://society. guardian. co. uk/glossary/page/0,,646470,00. html Privateservices:Consist of educational, medical, and health, business, recreational. ?Private primary schools. Non state school has the right to select their students and charge fees. ?Child minder. a qualified person works with children for more than 2  hours a day must comply with the requirement of EYFS. ? Nannies and Grandparents. Those can provide care for one child or more. ?Private nurseries. provide profession child care and pre-school nursery education. http://youth-partnership-eu. coe. int/youth-partnership/glossary. html Voluntary service: Voluntary service is understood as being part of voluntary activities and is characterised by the following additional aspects: fixed period (no matter if short or long-term), clear objectives, contents and tasks, structure and framework, appropriate support, legal and social . This is can be organised by charities,?Day school (running by parents)children are given an educational instructions on a particular topic during the day, ? Community nurseries. (sense, scoop)offering affordable quality child care and education. ?Play group and pre-school. Offer early childhood education to children between 3 – 5 years old. http://youth-partnership-eu. coe. int/youth-partnership/glossary. html Task 2 (1. 1): The letter: 23/09/2014 Whom it may concern, Dear Sir /Madam, I am writing to you regarding post Early Years Practitioner advertised last week, to tell you that, I am interesting in this job, because I believe that, I  have got all the skills and attributes makes me qualified to this job. I have previously attended Cook And Taste Programme which is related to care after children’s health, and I Work in private nurseries and primary schools for the last 2 years, this is give me good experiences, I have enjoyed developing my skills planning and implementing sporting craft activities and reading stories for the children. My sensitivity gives me ability to be aware of and responsive to the feelings and needs of another person. And my comfort means physically and emotionally it may provide in the  form of cuddle at a time of anxiety time or by providing a reassuring safe environment to a distressed child, touching, listening, and talking can all provide emotional comfort as well. As a practitioner I believe that should have an awareness of child’s personal rights, dignity, and privacy, and must show this at all times. Every child is unique and so my approach will need to be tailored to each individual’s needs. My knowledge is a secure of early childhood development and how that leads me to successful learning and development at schools essential, so I kno what am doing as a practitioner. I have got good skills of listening which is vital part of the caring relationship. Sometimes child’s real needs are communicated more by what is left unsaid than by what is actually said, facial, expressions, pasture and other forms of body language all give clues to a child’s feelings and as a practitioner for yearly years I be aware of these forms nonverbal communication. I have got high quality skills of coping with stress, means caring for other effectively in a full-time capacity requires energy, and it is important to be aware of the possibility of professional burnout in order to help others, as  a practitioner I suppose to develop outside skills to avoid suffer (burnout). I have empathy and the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I am a patience individual which helps with my involvements with other people and to learn of other people’s methods of dealing with problems, even when I feel that my own way is better – it is required with children. I have sound knowledge of the principles and content of the Early Years Foundation Stage and know how to put it into practice. I am able to plan and prioritise in a flexible and informed way. I am responsive to change and ideas. I have an ability to plan and lead meetings with practitioners, parents and professionals for beyond the sitting. I am also able to establish and be part of a culture of collaborative and cooperative working between settings and colleagues. I have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrate an ability to write up reports, recording efficiently and effectively. I have an ability to contribute to ideas for the ongoing development and improvement of services. I have an understanding of the importance of attachment theory in a child’s development and acceptance and be able to work on own initiative. Committed to continuing professional development and be able to demonstrate a strong belief in the importance of early years. Happily, I am also to relate well to children and adults. Your faithfully Tagrid Elias Contact number; 02035814672-07950863260 E-mail address: tootaosman@hotmail. co. uk 1. 5 Reasons for adhering to the agreed scope of the job role: Some reasons why it is important to adhere to agreed scope of the job role is that when you appointed for the position, you have agreed with the job description as part of a contract with the employer. So, it is your legal responsibility to adhere in your defined role. It is your duty to understand the expectations of your job as well as understand professional boundaries. In order to be successful in your job, it is essential to be respectful and accountable. It isimportanttoadheretoagreedscopeofthejobroleisthat establish warm, respectful trusting supportive relationships with babies and children. Support parents/carers in their relationship with their children. Support and encourage Key Persons to have a solid knowledge and understanding of individual children’s needs their family backgrounds and cultures. This is because each job/position is a small part of a larger operation. Doing  something by â€Å"the agreed scope of the job† might not make sense at that level but it might help keep the larger operation running smoothly. The yearly years foundation stage (EYFS) sets the statutory standards that all early years providers must meet. This includes all maintained schools, non-maintained schools, independent schools and all providers on the Early Years Register. Rf. GOV. UK 1. 6 Every day routine is: ?Signing in and out. As a practitioner I encourage children to sign in an out for safety reasons, and telling them to hang up their coats, and ask them to wash their hands. ?Toilet break/ nappy changing. Encourage children to toilet to train them to go in right time, the age for toilet training is generally accepted as being around the 2-3 year old age range. ?Snack time. It is very important to give children a snack and it is a portion of food often smaller than a generally eaten between meals to provides the body with energy. ?Tidy up time. It can be a song about tiding up, or it can be any old song i like (something that is fun and will get some focused activity). Sing along with the song yourself, and just start picking things up and putting them away, saying â€Å"this is the tidy up song, this song always means it’s tidy up time. † over time the ritual and routine of this will sink in ?Playing. Suppose to encourage children to play all around us, play can occur alone or in groups, It can be spontaneous or as part of a planned activity it can be defined as a physical or mental activity, and It is not hard to recognize the benefits of play for children’s health. Task 3: 1. 3 Describe the relationship between legislation, policies and procedures: Policies and procedures are what differentiate each workplace. Every workplace should develop and implement policies and procedures which are relevant to the individual workplace incorporating the legislation from  the 2 statements. For example, a magazine shop would have a different set of polices than a care home because there are different takes being carried out by the staff. The Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) is the legislation (or law) which applies to every workplace, it can basically be boiled down to 2 statements: Employers Responsibility: To ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all its employees. Employee’s Responsibility: To take reasonable care of themselves in the workplace and to be mindful of the effects of their acts and omissions. 1.4 describe the role of the early year’s practitioner in relation to current framework: Practitioners: have a crucial role to play in finding ways of engaging and collaborating with children in writing, of creating interesting and purposeful opportunities to write both indoors and outdoors, and planning higher levels of adult-child interaction that support children’s thinking In good environment for good health. Put the child safety first: ensuring the welfare and safety ?Upholding the child’s rights and dignity. ?Enabling the child to achieve their full learning potential. ?Showing compassion and sensitivity. ?Respecting the child as individual. Cache principle: ?Apply CACH’s equality of opportunity policy. ?Never use physical punishment. ?Honour the congeniality of information relating to the child and their family, unless it is discloser is required by law or in the best interest of the child. ?Respect the customs, values and spiritual beliefs of the children and their family. ?Respect the contribution and expertise of staff in child care and education led, and other professionals who may they involve. The framework for early year’s practitioner to do the following: ?Record their qualification. ?Reflect on their work. ?Formulate their self-development plan. ?Allow manager to understand staff experience and qualification and training needs to support the development of the sitting. ?Ensures children are kept healthy and safe. ?Ensures that children have the knowledge and skills they need to start school. ?Sets the standards that all early years providers must meet to ensure that children learn and develop well. ? 3. 1 Explain how a working relationship is different from a personal relationship: Thedifferencebetweenaworkingrelationshipandpersonalrelationship is that, because of boundaries, professional codes of conduct, employer policies and procedures. in your working relationship you would be friendly have a different approach treat with equality you would know your role and responsibility you would not share personal information as you would with friends. Also a working relationship as no emotional attachment and is primary based around your job, where as personal relationship as an emotional attachment due having family and personal friends and is not work related. 3. 2 Identify different working relationships in early years setting: Colleagues: Which we support each other and cover to each other if one of us unwell, and give right information to help us process the work ,so is very important that working together as team work. Manager: Provide right information about every single child clearly in good report to help the manager catch up correct information for easy and smooth work. GP (the doctor): Take all the health information from children’s GP that will help us to avoid put children in risk, and inform their doctors about any change we me recognise it. Social worker: Work with social worker keeps children safe if their parents abuse them or relative emotionally or sexually Parents: Work with parent Is more important things, this will allow  parents and staff share information about the children. Children: We have to give every single child chance to tell about themselves and give them opportunity to get their right, listening to them, give them time to explain themselves, and develop their skills. Suppose to work in respect and trust environment to run the work in smooth and easy way to share information between them. 3. 3 Explain reasons for working in partnership with other: Partnership involves responsibility on both sides. Working in partnership with others is very important because everyone involved can share  information and concerns to create a holistic view about children and young people. For example in a nursery working with the parents/cares is part of safeguarding policy, this will help children feel safe and secure. Partnership involves parent, families and practitioners working together to benefit the children. Each person recognizes respects and value what others does and says (opinions). Part Communication will be easy and clear. Good partnership working should be based on effective and accessible peer support. Open and honest communication essential to encourage trust . Choice, fairness, openness, trust and empathy; and  Respect for the experience and knowledge of the person (and, where appropriate, their carers) about their condition, circumstances and preferences for care. In order to achieve a good partnership partners need to communicate, co-ordinate, co- operate. There are two types of partnership working: multi agency working and integrated working. Multi agency working brings together practitioners from different sectors to provide an integrated way of working to support children, young people and families and ensure that children who need additional support get the right professionals they need to support them. Multi agency working may include people form professional backgrounds such as social workers, health, education, early years, youth work, and police and youth justice. Children, young people and family’s needs can be very different, the composition of a multi-agency team will differ from case to case. It is important each practitioner brings with them their own specialist skills, so that the child, young person and family gets the best support possible. An integrated working are service hubs for the community bringing together a range of services, usually under one roof, whose practitioners then work in a  multi-agency way to deliver integrated support to children, young people and their families, for example extended services of Sure Start center. It includes people such as nurse, teacher, youth worker, sports coach, social worker, or any other member of the children’s workforce. It is important to work in partnership with others because: all the agencies can share information and concerns and create a holistic view about children in a care setting when any need arises, to help to keep the children safe from harm and promote their welfare, to diagnose a special need quickly inchildren and get the help that is needed to the child/family†¦ Ref : Study Mode 3. 4 Identify skills and approaches needed for resolving conflict: We should try to handle conflict situations by remaining calm, ending the conflict before it escalates and remaining respectful of others. However, there are times when this may seem impossible and the following skills are required: Openly discuss, knowledge the feeling and emotions from both side, demonstrate active listening skills for both side and Give both opportunity to be heard without, Invite them to come with their own solutions to the problem. Partnership involves parents, families and practitioners working together to benefit the children. Each person recognizes, respect and value what others does and says opinions. Good partnership working should be based on: effective and accessible peer support Open a honest communication and give choice, fairness, openness, trust and empathy. Finally respect for the experience and knowledge of the person( and where appropriate their carers) about their condition, circumstances and preference for care. Task 4 4. 1 Explain why continuing professional development is integral to the role of the early year’s practitioner: Continuing professional development is important because it ensures me continues to be competent in your profession and it is an on-going process and continues throughout a professional’s. Continuing professional development is integral to the role of the early years practitioner. Working with children is a highly responsible profession; it requires to show great sensitivity to the children and their parents. In order to be successful in the role practitioners have to be honest with themselves, recognize where are the areas of weaknesses and strengths. An introduction to the role of the early year’s practitioner Unit 2. 1 Tagrid elias.