The Catcher in The Rye: Depression Catcher

American Lit 12, March 2012 Depression Catcher Do you have helpless outlook on your life? One minute it's an outburst of anger. The next you're crying uncontrollably. Do you need help? The Catcher In The Rye is a novel based of the main character’s point of view, his name is Holden Caulfield. Set in 1950s New York and California, where Holden is a mental hospital telling us, the readers, about his few days after leaving Pency. The movie Ferris’ Bullers Day Off , also set in Chicago, is a movie based in the 1980s. Ferris makes his friends skip school and run all around town trying to make Cameron have fun.In both the film and novel, you see many examples of depression and suicidal thoughts from both Holden and Cameron. Teenagers face a lot of pressures, from puberty to questions about who they are and where they fit in. In The Catcher In The Rye, Holden runs away from his fancy high school, Pency, 3 days before break begins. He felt isolated with no friends. â€Å"I alm ost wished I was dead† (48). Holden had just gotten in a fight with his roommate, Stradlater. Now Ackley was trying to have a conversation about the fight with Holden but he keeps talking nonsense to Ackley.In Ferris’ Buellers Day Off, Cameron, Ferris’ best friend always seems to be sick. His family isn’t really in his life and when they are, they seems to only bring him down. In the beging scene of Cameron, he is in bed acting like he’s dying. Holden says: â€Å".. she wouldn't've been the ones that answered the phone. My parents would be the ones. So that was out† (pg. 59). He doesn’t seem to have a great relationship with his parents either. Holden wants to talk to his little sister Pheobe or anyone for that matter. He feels isolated within himself which makes him depressed.Cameron is the same in that he is very awkward and no one really seems to want to be friends with him. Towards the end of the book, Holden takes a visit to see P heope but is unable to find her. He looks in the park and museum. â€Å"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. You could go there a hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deer would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom ould still be weaving that same blanket† (pg. 121). Therefore, Holden would love to live in a world where everything stays frozen, where nothing changes. This way, Holden can never grow up to be an adult. Cameron is very mad after they got the car back because of all the miles that were added. He goes in to shock and is unable to move. Ferris and Sloan try their best to get him out of it but he won’t budge. While at the pool, Cameron falls in, almost committing suicide. Ferris jumps in to save.Cameron starts to laugh saying â€Å"I got you good†. Holden goes home to find Pheobe. Phoebe is the only person Holden seems to actually like and have a stable friendship throughout the novel. She is the only one who tries to push him to do better: â€Å"You don't like any schools. You don't like a million things† (pg. 169). When Holden hears this, he becomes upset and states: â€Å"`I do! That's where you're wrong-that's exactly where you're wrong! Why the hell do you have to say that†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ I said. Boy, was she depressing me. Holden and Cameron are depressed teenagers who have suicidal thoughts because of depression. Depression: severe despondency and dejection, accompanied by feeling of hopelessness and inadequacy, a condition of mental disturbance, typicaly with lack of energy and difficulty in maintaining concentration or interest in life. People who are depressed don’t look for a way out. They have zero motivation and are always second guess ing stuff. They think the only way out is death; suicide. Just like what Holden and Cameron seem to feel.

Educational inequality and NGOs Essay

You have, perhaps, never heard a discussion or symposium on the topic, â€Å"Men-their role in the society. † The discussion is always about women. Men perhaps, have no role! This is not to say that the men can not do some of the jobs normally done by women. Even today the best chefs are men! The talk of giving equal rights and educational facilities to women goes on all over the world unabated. All the Acts of Parliaments in the world will not bring equality for women. The change has to be achieved within-both men and women. How can you say that women need to be given equal rights? God has created her, given her the status of more-equal. Nobody can take that right away. It is the mother who gives ‘protection’ for the initial nine months to the divine creative force of the future male or female! A female child is victimized at every step of life, from the moment of birth. Women should be the legal and spiritual equals of men. Male and female are alternative beats of the same heart. Discrimination against females contributes negative impacts as for the wellbeing of the society as a whole. The gender differences are transmitted from generation to generation. Their impact varies, softens or hardens, due to various social, cultural and political factors. Basically gender means the biological differences between females and males. â€Å"Gender refers to the meanings that are attached to those differences within a culture. † ( Kimmel p. 3 ). Apart from the biological differences, other differences are human-made. â€Å"Traditional gender ideologies and present changing gender norms affect the way gender is taught through the â€Å"hidden curriculum† found within every classroom today in America. Gender ideologies past and present influence the policies and the economic realities of education in today’s society. Education is one of the leading institutions that teaches and bolsters the gender inequalities which we see in America. † (Our Educational†¦)Even the most enlightened find it difficult to transcend the concept of gender inequality. The thorn will have to be removed by thorn. We say classrooms contribute to maintain inequalities; we also need to understand that the educational system implemented through the classrooms is the ideal place to make a start in educating the gender inequalities. Kimmel writes, â€Å"†¦the message students get, from both the content and the form of education, is that women and men are different and unequal, and that the inequality comes from those differences, and that, therefore, such inequality is justified† (p. 151). As for removing the gender inequalities, NGOs can do a lot in awareness campaigns, running small model schools, but this great social malady deeply impacted by the cultural, religious traditions, can not be set right overnight. The political will of the people of a country to obtain equal opportunities for the subjugated female gender counts much. If one turns the pages of history of gender education, what used to happen a century ago seems unbelievable in the circumstances prevailing today. Stupendous advancement has been made by the female gender in education, and consequently on all fronts. â€Å"When women tried to enter the classroom in 1900 at the University of Rochester, after it opened its doors to women who could raise money to build new dorms and facilities, â€Å"male students responded by stamping their feet, physically blocking classroom doors, and jeering at them whenever they appeared on campus† (Kimmel p. 153). World renowned intellectuals like Rousseau averred that women are created to give pleasure to men. The intervention of the NGOs has softened the attitude of the policy makers to a great extent. Four decades ago, before the 1970s, women had lees openings to obtain a good education. Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, provides an equal opportunity to all in educational programs and activities. â€Å"The average female pre-kindergarten teacher in 1980 earned $8,390, while her male counterpart earned $14, 912. †in USA. (Kimmel, 2000). America has the special gender related problem, closely linked to its racial history of African American community. This is a highly complicated issue that needs to be viewed from attitudes about sexuality, culture, the role of the Black Church, Male dominance within Black communities, which obstructs the progress of women in the field of education etc. â€Å"The process by which Black communities has arrived at its current situation, in which 54 percent of Black children live in single-parent, largely female-headed and less prosperous households, 68 percent of African-American children are born to unmarried mothers and 47 percent of the prison population and 29 percent of those who are confined to mental hospitals are Black. † (Henry, 2007) So much about the global north as for the gendered educational inequality! As for the global south, if we take the example of a developing country like India, women in Indian Society are no better. The conditions are slowly evolving in favor of women and emancipation of women is in sight and that is due to women’s education, diversification of their roles, bar to child marriage, encouragement to widow remarriage, occupational mobility etc. The urban women in India are better placed than their rural counterparts for obvious reasons. Most of the NGOs working in the field of education are established in the urban and metropolitan areas. Whereas the NGOs can not exercise legal powers directly, they help women in making them aware about the existing legal rights. NGOs also play active role in sensitization of Women, Building confidence in women, Change in Social Attitude, Collective Awareness, etc. Conclusion: â€Å"Schools are like old-fashioned factories, and what they produce is gendered individuals,† says Michael S. Kimmel. But hopefully they are changing for the better. Education to women on par with men, may lead to other cultural and social problems. That is another issue. On this factor, women can not be denied their right to higher education. Education is the mainstay on the basis of which many a reformation and rehabilitation programs can be chalked out and implemented for the benefit of women. NGOs all over the world are precisely attempting that. Legislation can extend the helping hand legally. What matters is the change in the male perception and attitudes as for the all round growth of the personality of the female gender.   References: Kimmel, Michael S. 2000. The Gendered Society. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Henry, Kathy: Gender Talk29 May 2007 †¦ In the African-American studies book Gender Talk, Dr. Johnnetta †¦ how gender inequality affects the entire African-American community. †¦ ezinearticles. com/? Gender-Talk&id=584732 –Retrieved on July 25, 2008

Ecosphere

This experiment tested the Earth and how the bio-geochemical cycles within it rely on each other. The worms relied on the ground for shelter and the plant for oxygen. The Ecosphere also evaluated limiting factors within an ecosystem because the bottle used was a small, contained environment. For example, one of the three worms had died because it got stuck between the plant and the side of the bottle. This is a limiting factor in terms of space: if there was more space for the worm this would not have happened. Question: If one producer and one consumer are to maintain a viable ecosystem in a bottle, how long will they survive? Hypothesis: I believe the outcome of the experiment will be that all of the worms will survive and the plant will not. The worms will survive because I will be feeding them sawdust, their desired food, and they will have plenty of dirt to wiggle around in. The plant, however, will not survive because the plant’s resources are limited. The soil put into the ecosphere is not going to be changed out, therefore the nutrients in it will diminish. Background Information: The EcoSphere is a display of a working ecological system. While it is beautiful to view, it also demonstrates the delicate balance of a closed ecosystem like the Earth. Contained within the completely sealed glass is a small variety of biota living in a filtered environment. The EcoSphere contains some of the same essential elements that are found on our planet. The Earth is represented by the soil at the bottom. Fire is the light, which streams in each day. Finally, life: the worms, plant and microbes that live in the EcoSphere. The EcoSphere's biological cycle represents a simple version of Earth's' own ecosystem. Light together with carbon dioxide in the water enables the plant to produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The worms breathe the oxygen in the ahir while nibbling on the sawdust which is fed to them and bacteria. The bacteria break down the animal waste into nutrients, which the plant utilizes. The worms and bacteria also give off carbon dioxide, which the plant again use to produce oxygen. And so the cycle renews itself. Materials: – one 1 liter coke bottle with cap – one plant (bought from pet store) – 3 Super Worms – 2 cups of soil – water – sunlight – sawdust (food) – scissors – duct tape – notebook to record data Procedure: All the materials were collected. Then, a scissor was used to cut a half moon shaped opening in the top of the bottle, approximately 1 inch below the cap. Next, half the soil was pored into the opening. Then the plant was placed into the soil, while poring the other half over the bottom of the plant to ensure proper growth. After, 3 super worms were put into the Ecosphere with some sawdust. The EcoSphere was taped shut and placed on a windowsill with good sunlight exposure. Data was recorded at that moment and everyday, for 20 days, following. Analysis: My hypothesis was very incorrect. Two superworms ended up surviving, while the plant was wilting and struggling. One superworm died due to it getting stuck. Unable to get out, I assume it died of starvation or hypothermia because the worms spent all of their time under the soil. I believe the plant wilted because it did not have enough space and oxygen inside of the EcoSphere. During the experiment, I believe the EcoSphere was knocked off the window. This could have hindered the plant’s growth also. The plant could have been up-rooted during the fall causing its deterioration. Conclusion: In conclusion, the EcoSphere project is important to our curriculum because it evaluates the bio-geochemical cycles, as well as tests limiting factors. An error made with this experiment was it being knocked over. This was very detrimental to the worms and could have been fatal for the plant.

Did Credit Rating Agencies do good work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Did Credit Rating Agencies do good work - Essay Example Data is collected from secondary sources considering the importance of statistical data for reaching a conclusion. A proper analysis and evaluation is done to understand the findings of the study and indicate the key factors underlying the report. Introduction-Background The essential role of the Credit Rating Agencies have been particularly highlighted during the period of global economic crisis in 2008 which affected even the strongest economies in the world. The Credit Rating Agencies essentially served the main purposes of mitigating the asymmetrical information system existing in the markets between the investors and the businesses in requirement of financing modes, bringing a solution for the collective action issues existing in the market and solving the major agency problems existing in the economies. After the global financial crisis of 2007-2009 affecting all the economies of the world, it was stated by many researchers that the financial system followed in the GCC countrie s were much more equipped to cope with the economies following the conventional financing systems. The financial crisis of 2008 proved that the Credit Rating Agencies are not full proof in predicting the defaults that may occur in the market in future and the over dependence on the credit rating Agencies can be considered as one of the primary reasons underlying the cause of the global financial disruption. The Credit Rating Agencies, though regarded as powerful institutions have several drawbacks like information asymmetry and conflict of interest which often have negative impacts on the businesses and the economy has a whole. The effect that the global financial crisis had on the creditworthiness of the various economies throughout the world is depicted below: (Source: International Monetary Fund 2) Literature Review Credit Rating Agencies are regarded as influential institutions which can impact the market and the survivor of the companies and economies by influencing the directi on and working of the market through their effective rating mechanisms. But there exist debatable views on the actual effect of the Credit Rating Agencies on the market where some researchers have pointed out the Credit Rating Agencies more effectively react to the occurring of the events in the market than anticipate the events. The role of the Credit rating Agencies is critical for an economy which was especially reflected during the global financial crisis in 2008. The anticipatory or follower roles of Credit Rating Agencies are critical from the viewpoint of financial stability of a country or an economy. If the Credit Rating Agencies play an anticipatory role in the market, the ratings given by them are critical for influencing the financial stability and the policies in the economy. Conversely, if the Credit rating Agencies are only followers of the events in the market, then their ratings and actions do not have major impact and only end up reflecting the condition of the mar ket and the information gathered from the market events (Kiff, Nowak and Schumacher 159). There are many theories proposed over time relating to the role of the Credit rating Agencies as influential institutions in the normal as well as crisis situations prevailing in the economies. The major theories presented

Give recommendation to Partners Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Give recommendation to Partners - Assignment Example In comparison, the second investment is a high interest saving account that provides 2% on a daily compounding basis for a six monthly investment. When compared through the effective rate of interest, the high interest saving account only provides up to 0.02% higher than the nominal interest rate of 2%. The two short term investments were then evaluated through future value analysis as well. The future value calculated for the Certificate of Deposit came out to be $2,030.15 which is $30.15 higher than the present value of $2,000 invested at the beginning of the six month period. In comparison to the Certificate of Deposit, the future value earned in the high interest saving account was $4,020.05 which is only $20.05 higher from the investment amount which was $4,000 for six months. This clearly indicates that the Certificate of Deposit is a better short term investment opportunity for the organization than the high interest saving account. There are various analyses which can be conducted on short term investment opportunities. A number of opportunities can be utilized in a combination as well to provide large savings for the organization. The main concept behind any short or long term investment is the investment objectives of the organization. If the organization believes in liquidity and requires ready cash then the best options would be those that help liquidate investments immediately. In that context high interest saving accounts may be a better choice than certificates of deposit, if high interest saving accounts do not have a conditional drawing clause. On the other hand, if the organization believes in saving rather than liquidity, then certificates of deposit would be a better choice in the short term where the money is fixed and cannot be drawn for the next six

The Impact Of Globalization On The Multinational Corporations Essay

The Impact Of Globalization On The Multinational Corporations - Essay Example Plenty of definitions were given to globalization by different scholars. In any case, it is a fact that globalization has influenced most of the life segments of human being at present. The things happening in one part of the world has the capacity to affect the life of people in other parts of the world because of globalization. According to Lieber and Weisberg (2002), globalization helps people all over the world in the creation of a stronger and stable world (Lieber and Weisberg, 2002, p274).Global wealth is currently shifting from less heavily populated American and European regions to the more heavily populated Asian region at present because of globalization. The world's tallest building is now in Dubai. The largest publicly traded company is in China. The largest passenger airplane is built in Europe. The biggest movie industry is India's Bollywood, not Hollywood. And in the most recent Forbes rankings, only two of the world's 10 richest people are American (Zakaria, 2008, p.1 98). Business is one segment in which globalization brought revolutionary changes. Current market is heavily globalized because of globalization. Most of the prominent organizations in the world are currently operating internationally or cross culturally. Politics, economics, and religious or cultural beliefs are not causing any barrier in preventing the growth of international business. Offshoring and outsourcing like business concepts evolved out because of globalization. Multinational companies are utilizing these business concepts judiciously to make profits. The concepts such as Free trade, regional trade blocs etc are helping MNC’s immensely in spreading their business to overseas countries. Foreign Direct investment or FDI is encouraged by all countries as part of their economic reformation activities. All these favourable business climates are helping MNCs in operating cross culturally at present. This paper reviews the literatures to know the impact of globalization upon MNCs. Literature Review: The impact of globalization on multinational corporations Globalization has impacted MNCs both positively and negatively. Most of the prominent companies in this world were struggling for expansion before the introduction of globalization. For example, Starbucks is a company which is struggling to expand in America because of their excessive number of coffee shops everywhere in America. American market was saturated for Starbucks and they were looking for opportunities in global market. â€Å"While Starbucks was very successful in its domestic market, the leaders of the company knew they would have to exploit globalization and expand the company to foreign markets to fully utilize the potential that the company had.   In 2003, Starbucks quickly expanded into foreign markets and began to evolve into the world-wide company we know today†(Hart, 2011). At present, Starbucks is accumulating more revenue from international market than from American m arket. Robinson (2003) has pointed out that globalization helps the world to develop transnational capital (Robinson, p.12). The presence of transnational is operating globally with the help of transnational capital. Prominent automobile manufacturers are currently offshoring their manufacturing operations to cheap labour oriented countries such as India and China to reduce manufacturing cost. It is difficult for an American made vehicle to compete effectively with a Korean or Indian made vehicle in terms of price. Price wars are getting intensified in the automobile sector in recent times and hence the profit percentages of the automakers are coming down drastically. Governments in different countries have already formulated implemented

Has British aid policy over the past 20 years been effective Essay

Has British aid policy over the past 20 years been effective - Essay Example This has been one of the biggest move in the recent years that has ended with U.K. meeting the pledge to give 0.7% of its GNP as donor aid. In the latest development in the policy dubbed the UK AID Match scheme, the public is given a chance to give their opinion on a portion of the international development budget is to be used (Department of International Development, 2015). The scheme is aimed at helping alleviate poverty in the developing countries. In the three years that the scheme is supposed to be running, the United Kingdom is to award a whopping  £120 million to selected developing countries in two funding rounds per year. This has been seen as the most significant turn in the aid policy in the recent years. This paper will therefore try to address the effectiveness of the aid policy in the past 20 years and its effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate. Aid is justified on moral and national interests of the country. This is according to the British Prime Minister David Cameron and international development minister Justine Greening. Therefore, the developments that are made as far as the aid policy is involved are meant to make a point in the international scene (The Guardian, 2013). The periods of economic hardships that have hit the world in the recent past also affected the UK aid policy with little money being set aside for the kit. Africa and other struggling countries such as Syria have been the recipients in the British aid policy. British is obligated to make significant contributions to various programs which include the ones in the European Union. More funding was done to the many civil societies in Africa (Hearn, n.d.). The UK’s total aid program has been the major factor in determining the foreign aid that will be given to countries rather than basing that as an obligation as it has been done in the recent years. The

How has Robot Technology improved emergency response and will this Research Paper

How has Robot Technology improved emergency response and will this technology impacts the future of search and rescue - Research Paper Example This paper will describe how robot technology has improved emergency response capabilities and how this technology will influence the future of emergency management, as well as search and rescue operations. In the modern world there is an imminent need for humanitarian operations ranging from small disasters to humanitarian tragedies. Some of these emergencies can be classified as natural disasters while others are human made or human induced. The typical emergency situation can also be a combination of any three of the elements listed above. In such situations, the general approach is to utilise search and rescue (SAR) teams and systems. It has to be kept in mind that the budgets being spent on emergency relief efforts especially for search and rescue efforts is increasing manifold every year. For example, the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) spent some 958.7 million Swiss Francs in the year 2005 while it registered a 16% increase in its overall budget since 2000. This is comparable to the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) who saw a budgetary increase of 13% between the years 2000 and 2004 (Ko & Lau, 2009). With these budgetary increases it must also be seen that most sea rch and rescue efforts feature human beings trying to resolve situations that may be out of their control. With the rapid advances in technology especially robotics, it is ironic that most search and rescue operations still feature dogs on leashes guiding human handlers to save lives. The very nature of emergency response is precarious to say the least. The advances in technology have been unable to feature heavily in these scenarios except for the isolated use of positioning systems, communication systems and camera mounted probing systems. The dangerous nature of these operations requires scapegoats that can tread not only further but also faster into emergency areas. It has been suggested that the

Blog entry Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Blog entry - Article Example Other amazing architectures that I believe are related to expo Dubai 2020 include; ‘The Cloud’, ‘Dubai Hub One’, ‘Opus’, ‘Dubai Renaissance’, ‘Eta Hotel, Dubai Grand Pyramid, ‘The Arabian Blade, and ‘The Burj Al-Arab’ (BBC News, 2013). In my opinion, the architectures will play a big role in campaign for the expo in Dubai ‘architecture peace’ by promoting tourism department, boost business, attract investors and improve the lives of people living in the city. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the person in charge of the city has assured a tremendous surprise and innovation that will twist the minds of people globally in the coming occasion (BBC News, 2013). These high expectations are making the residents to work extra hard to ensure that the city is ready to host the historic event. Through this, I believe it will make the city to take risks and invest immensely, hoping that they will make huge profits through the selling of tickets, money collected from transport, the food the visitors would eat, and hotels where they will also sleep (BBC News, 2013). It is expected that expo 2020 will be make the city to cash in 23 billion USD, which is good money for the country’s

Western history Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Western history - Essay Example Around the start of the 16th century, the weakening of the Church was in conjunction with the strengthening force of socio-economic, philosophical and scientific liberation. The period witnessed important religious, political, social, and philosophical changes in Europe. The medieval age was characterized by the strong power of the Catholic Church that was more often greater than that of the ruling king. Thus, even the political and social aspects of the medieval life were dependent on the Church. However, the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century which was initiated by the arguments of Martin Luther, founder of Protestantism, weakened the Church. Kings and Princes worked together to challenge the power of the Church leaders, primarily the Pope. The cultural consensus of Europe based on universal participation in the Body of Christ was broken. Along with the Reformation came challenges to secular society. The nature and organization of power and government came under reevaluation as well. The huge impact of the Church in the medieval times2 caused the religious change to go hand-in-hand with changes in politics and society. Along with the decentralization of power from the Church and its supported rulers (kings and queens) came the rise of an expanding social class. The middle class, also known as the class of the bourgeosie, was growing and generally becoming more powerful. Merchants and learned artisans characterized this class, as opposed to the royal bloods and Church appointees who dominated the medieval age. The period was also home to the Commercial Revolution which was a time of European economic expansion, colonialism, and mercantilism which lasted from approximately 1520 until 1650. Voyages of discovery in the 15th and 16th centuries allowed European powers to build vast networks of international trade. This then resulted to the generation of a great deal of wealth for them. This growing global economy was based on silver, which allowed an easier

Classroom Management Goals Essay Example for Free

Classroom Management Goals Essay To implement an effective teaching procedure, I have established a set of goals which can serve as my guide in teaching. My goals are the following: To establish an environment conducive for learning, interaction and development To encourage and motivate my students for continuous academic progress through academics and social activities. To uphold good behavior and attitude through respect, understanding, integrity and responsibility inside and outside of the classroom.   Classroom is the most important place where the teacher and the students interact and learn from each other. Therefore, a systematic classroom procedure must be established to effectively impart learning in an efficient way (Bosch 2006). It is also very important the students are aware of these procedures before implementing it in the class. An agreement between the teacher and the students should be ensured so that any misunderstanding can be avoided (Walden University 2009). Through this, the teacher can easily control the class and motivate them to do whatever task they are assigned to do. Desks and tales should be arranged properly in order to encourage students to participate in class not only through discussions but also through interaction with other classmates(Laslett and Smith 1984). Students, regardless of their nations will be asked to sit together based on a seat plan that I will established. This strategy will develop the students’ mental and social abilities. I believe that if the students are arranged side by side, they will be more motivated to work and seek learning even among themselves.   I will also implement monthly seat plan to make sure that all the students will be able to work with all their classmates for the entire academic year. The use of facilities such as the computer and other references can be used upon my permission. As a always, the teacher’s desk is off limits to the students and the student will only be allowed to get something from the teacher’s desk given that he/she is permitted by the teacher. Drinking fountain, sink and pencil sharpener can be used even without permission. Lastly, all the facilities and learning materials should be kept clean and neat.

Professional goals Essay Example for Free

Professional goals Essay Career or profession is a term used to refer to a person’s course or advancement in life. Career involves remunerative work as well as formal education. It also involves consecutive circumstances that make up an individual’s work life and involve commitment to a field of knowledge and skills like human resource management. Some of the career activities that an individual may engage in include; sporting career, musical career, teaching, wrestling career, doctor, nurse, engineering, editor, business manager, accounting, journalist, lawyer e. . c. This essay however involves a discussion on accounting career. Most jobs in accounting career require at least degree in bachelor of accounting or a bachelor’s degree in any other interrelated field. In federal government, beginners in accounting and auditing places necessitate at least four years of college education including twenty four semester hours in accounting and auditing or a corresponding arrangement of education and knowledge (Angus 387). There is however an added advantage for people seeking jobs in accounting career and have acquired a masters degree in accounting or degree of masters in business administration with awareness in accounting, professional recognition through certification or licensure, propensity in accounting and auditing computer software and specialized expertise in accounting. The reason for selecting accounting as my career is that the jobs found in the accounting career are enjoyable, interesting and entertaining to perform. The work may be much and tiring but does not involve boredom as it involves doing interesting activities such as calculating financial statements. It is enjoyable doing accounting activities being my dream career. The pace of work of an accountant depends on the position and responsibilities one has to perform. Generally the work standard for several accountants and auditors is forty hours per week, nevertheless an accountant or an auditor may work for more hours especially if he or she is self employed or if there are many clients. In this situation the pace of work must be very fast. Persons who work within the accounting career have a very good starting salary. For example in most cases the top ten percent of accountants and auditors do earn from 76000 US dollars and above, the middle half of the occupation earn between 29000 and 49000 US dollars while those who are at the bottom earns between 15000 and 23000 US dollars. The directors in the accounting career on the other hand earn between 56000 and 91000 US dollars. There is however a slight difference in the salary ranges between the accountants in urban areas and those in rural areas. Generally the salary for people in the accounting career ranges from 15000 to 91000 US dollars depending on the nature of your work (Eisenbeis Robert 879). The most identifiable challenge faced in this profession is that the accounting career now requires the accountants to perform more technical tasks including implementing, controlling and auditing computer systems and networks as well as developing a business’s technology plans. In addition, accountants take the role of personal advisors i. e. besides giving customers accounting and tax help, they also assist them come up with their personal budgets, handle their assets and investments, plan for retirement and identify and reduce the clients disclosure to risks. Another problem experienced in this profession is that it at times involves a lot of work that at times an accountant is forced to transfer some work to do at home. This however may easily dealt with since it involved only time adjustment and some program change. Accountants usually carry on many activities other than just preparing financial statements and recording business transactions. The additional responsibilities for an accountant include calculating computing costs, calculating efficiency gains for new technologies, participating in the setup for achievements and unions and developing it systems to trail financial performance, tax policy and employee benefit management. As a management accountant working in a big company my responsibilities included having a say in decisions concerning capital budgeting and business analysis. The major activities that I had to engage in included analyzing costs and contracts, participating in efforts to reduce expenses, contributing to major business decisions and working together with marketing and financial managers to establish new businesses (Luck Christopher 78). In management accounting there are several decisions to be made that are major to the business operations. The most difficult decisions to make in this case were those relating to capital budgeting. The management accountant finds it difficult to make decisions on purchases, payments and the amount of capital to be allocated for any expenditure that has to be made. When first considering the accounting career, I thought it was just about gaining a qualification and becoming an accountant. It is true however that one can acquire a degree in accounting and become a general accountant, but this remains only one of the alternatives that an individual may follow in his or her pursuit of accounting career. Other than pursuing a degree in bachelor of accounting, there are several other specialist areas one may pursue. Some of the specialist areas are information systems, computer operations, taxation, and management policy. My strength in this career is that I got a full qualification from my bachelor’s degree in accounting with an added advantage of having professional recognition through certification and licensure, proficiency in accounting and auditing computer software and a specialized expertise in accounting. In addition I had the work experience which I had acquired during summers when I was pursuing my degree. My weakness in this career is that accountants are now required to take the role of personal advisors to clients which I am not very comfortable with. Conclusion Accounting is indeed a very fulfilling and accomplishing career. It is a career that anybody interested in achieving may enjoy undertaking. Even though, the entry in the accounting career requires high academic qualification, it is also well paying which and therefore gives enough satisfaction.

Men in the female dominated nursing profession

Men in the female dominated nursing profession The existing literature in nursing reviewed, and is mostly based on the reason for the shortage of men in nursing, and their experiences in a female dominated profession. Most of the articles obtained in this literature review were from the databases of Pub-Med, MEDLINE, Elsevier, Bio Med Central, SAGE pub, and Google Scholar. The key search words were caring, gender, men, nurses, nursing, stereotypes, non-traditional jobs, and advantages. The data obtained for this literature review span from 1964 to 2010. Little is it known about the experiences of men in nursing in Malta. However, Mr. Joseph Camilleri (1964) wrote about History of nursing in Malta stating that the knights themselves performed the nursing care exclusively, to the same gender. The literature review presented is aimed to explore the advantages and disadvantages that male nurses experience while performing their caring roles in nursing. 2.2 Difficulties male nurses encounter in a traditionally female profession 2.2.1 Introduction Nursing became predominately a female profession in the late 19th century. Though Florence Nightingale made major contributions in the nursing profession, she was greatly involved in excluding men from this profession by affirming that nursing was a discipline for female. She did work hard in establishing nursing as a laudable profession for respectable women, ignoring the past indispensable contributions made by men (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Nightingale saw the males task restricted to physical jobs like moving or lifting patients and never appreciated their caring task. Besides, the Industrial Revolution largely influenced the way out of men from caring professions, such as nursing. During this period, the widely acknowledged professions for men were business, technology and science. Men pursued medicine and women pursued nursing (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Men entering the nursing profession cross the conventional lines of gender. As a result, their masculinity becomes an issue. Over time, masculinity has been defined by the roles men perform (Connell, 1995). The concept, notion or idea of masculinity deters men from entering women-dominated professions, such as nursing, but men are silent on the entry of women in the mens traditional professions, such as medicine and technology. Williams (1995), Table 2.1 conducted in-depth interviews with 76 men and 23 female who work in predominantly female professions as social workers, elementary school teachers, nurses, and librarians. Through deft interpretation of her interviewees words, it was found that male nurses and those in other female-conquered fields frequently emphasize their masculinity and try as much as possible to avoid socializing with their women colleagues. This is argued by Williams as the only way of legitimising their working in the womens conventional professions. An exploratory study, conducted by Heikes (1991),Table 2.1 based on in-depth interviews with fifteen male nurses, showed that male nurses saw themselves in the abnormal position of belonging to two very dissimilar groups. For instance, in the nursing profession, men are taken as a minority group tagged as male nurse, whilst in a broader society, men fit in the dominant social group where they are expected to be successful and excelling in their profession. Male nurses are therefore a unique type of minority group in the sense that they are either a minority of the principal social faction or minority of majority. This disparity in grouping (minority-majority) stresses and discriminates men in nursing more than other tokens. Furthermore, the study indicates that many of the disadvantages male nurses experience (e.g., homosexual stigma, gender stereotypes) originate from outside of the nursing profession (Heikes, 1991, p.398). According to theoretical research of the literature, carried out by Evans (2004), Table 2.1, a man associated with the nursing profession compromises his reputation plus social status in patriarchal culture. Also, male nurses experience the stigma of working in a female-dominated profession, and they are seen by society as challenging the conventional roles of men (Lammi and Kauppinen-Toropainen, 1993). Evans argues (1997,p.228), citing Mangan (1994), that stigmatising labels imply that men who do nursing are different from other men, isolating them as deviants who are odd or homosexual. Furthermore, while analysing the data from semi-structured interviews with eight men nurses on their experiences in nursing, Evans (2002) noted that the male nurses are exposed to rejection and suspicion as nurturers and caregivers due to the perception that men and women caring styles were not the same. Touch was one expression of caring that all participants identified as central, to their practice as nurses, and potentially dangerous because it can be misinterpret, which makes them vulnerable caregivers. Similarly, men in nursing are likely to be labelled gay. Pringle (1993) asserted that any feminised profession is believed to attract homosexual men, be it fashion, hairdressing, or even nursing. A study link appears to be drawn between sexual preferences and gender. Savage (1987) suggested that a male nurse is always tagged with a predominant image of being homosexual. He further supported this suggestion by asserting that men entering the nursing profession have purportedly failed in other manhood professions and that the only opening for them remains in the womens world. Harding, (2007), Table, 2.1 in the social constructionist study conducted among 18 New Zealand men employed in general nursing found that majority of men in nursing are heterosexual. However, public perception is still that most male nurses are gay. This stereotype persists only in general nursing because it was constructed as feminine and abnormal for men, whereas psychiatric nursing was constructed as normal for men (Harding, 2007, p.641) Male nurses are believed to be further weakened, emasculated or ineffectual by resorting on womens traditional jobs in which they are anticipated to exhibit feminine qualities, such as being gentle, caring and subordinate to women. Thus, labelling of men in the nursing profession as homosexuals makes them feel remorseful, outcast and discouraged. Pringle (2002) asserted that in most cultures, male homosexuality is seen as an infringement of masculinity and a denigration of mens mythical power. He further asserted that as homosexuality nibbles at masculinity, it deteriorates the gender order. As earlier mentioned, up to this very moment nursing is extremely dominated by women and this translates to a number of personal and professional challenges to men entering the field. For example, several male nurses have reported about physicians and head nurses placing less trust in them. Besides, male nursing students encounter discrimination from physicians, practicing nurses and the general public (Kelly et al., 1996). Female nurses frequently request male colleagues for assistance in turning and lifting patients, thereby emphasising physical strength and not professional expertise. It is all very frequent for male nurses or students to find themselves unwanted in delivery rooms, prenatal clinics and other related settings that male physicians have liberated access (Black and Germaine-Warner, 1995). Another difficult issue male nurses or students encounter is a mistrust emanating from their patients. Literature has it that a considerable number of patients become so violent or hostile in the presence of a male nurse and will be uncomfortable submitting to intimate medical procedures. This is a difficult position to encounter, and several male nurses usually become frustrated when patients are not willing to confide in them because of fear or underserved disrespect (Fisher, 1999). Also, mounting study indicates that men in female-dominated careers, such as catering, nursing and fashion, encounter gender bias, elevated rates of job linked to stress as well as job discrimination (Amour, 2003). Table 2.1 The distribution of studies regarding the difficulties male nurses encounter in traditionally female profession Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Evans, J. (2004), Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Theoretical research of literature review on men nurses in Canada, Britain U.S.A. between 1900 and 2003. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Statistics, CINHAL, Pub Med, and Sociological Abstract databases à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Failure to recognize mens participation in nursing leaves male nurses without historical background, almost invisible; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Gender boundaries are negotiable during wars and acute nursing shortage, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men in nursing tend to choose areas of specialization that are more masculine, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mens career path takes on traditional masculine role that seeks power and influence Evans,J .(2002), Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢8 male nurses from community health nursing, medical-surgical, and general duty nursing, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢6 married, 1 with partner, and 1 gay; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age from late 20s to mid 50s à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Two rounds of semi-structured interviews à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The stereotype of men as sexual aggressors is compounded by the stereotype that men nurses are gay, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢These stereotypes sexualise men nurses touch, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men nurses are subject of accusation of inappropriate behaviour Harding,T. (2007), Norway à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Discourse analysis of data from existing texts, and 2 films on men, nursing and masculinity, and interviews conducted in 2003-2004, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢18 participants, 11 self-identified as gay, 6 heterosexual, and 1 no information on sexuality, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The workplace included clinical nursing, education, administration, midwifery, mental health and armed forces à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Purposive and snow ball sampling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Loosely structured interviews with broad, open-ended questions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Three themes emerged which characterized the participants experiences: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Persistence of the stereotype of the gay male nurse, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Meeting homophobia in the work place, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Strategies to protect ones homosexuality like working as psychiatric nurses. Heikes, J. (1991), U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 15 male RNs from nine different hospitals in Austin, Texas; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age range 26-43 years; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Working experience ranged from 1-14 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In-dept interviews based on interview questions about the concrete work experiences, and non-work interactions à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Four role stereotypes emerged from the data: Ladder-climber, Troublemaker, and He-man, traditionally masculine traits, and homosexual, which is imposed on male nurses from the outside; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Male tokens are expected to excel in the occupational or public sphere; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Respondents reported social isolation in order to maintain higher status and to reduce the possibility of them being labelled un masculine or homosexual. Williams,C. (1995), U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢76 men and 23 women in four occupations: nursing, librarian, elementary school teacher, and social worker; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢From 1985-1991 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Snowball sampling à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age range from 20-66 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In-dept interview, with the interview questionnaire consisted of several open ended four broad questions on motivation to enter the profession, experience in training, career progression, and general about mens status. (p.229) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Face to face interview à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Cultural and social stereotypes about masculinity pressure men to raise in a glass escalator to the highest paid and most prestigious nursing specialities; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Men encouraged to advance by an invisible pressure; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men develop strategies to present themselves as masculine, and superior to female colleagues 2.3 Advantages and disadvantages perceived in males nursing career 2.2.1 Introduction Male nurses belong to a minority group. Approximately 3.1 percent of nurses in Canada and the United States are male, about 8.77 percent in the United Kingdom, (Rott, et.al (2008), and in Malta 28 percent (Council for nurses and midwifes, 2010). According to Evans (1997), Table 2.2, women working in mens traditional professions normally encounter hostile working environment. However, men working in female-dominated professions may never encounter such disadvantages. That said, the focal rationale for drawing men to nursing is to enhance the status and the prestige of the profession as a whole. It remains debatable whether this will really work or not. Several researchers and scholars have argued that the rationale puts a noteworthy pressure on men to salvage the nursing profession, whereas others believe that allowing men in the profession merely raises the position of masculine gender in the society (Evans, 1997). Male as well encompass an advantage in the nursing profession due to traditional stereotype that men are always the breadwinners of the families. In most societies, women usually take primary tasks for childcare and housework, giving men a distinct benefit. For instance, there is a devastating perception in the United States and most Anglo-Saxon world that women are less devoted to their work than men. This is largely due to the unfair division of labour inside the household. As such, even in female professions, men remain with this unequal advantage over women (Williams, 1995). In addition to, Abrahamsen (2004), Table 2.2, argues when men obtain leading positions more often than women, this can be result of favourism of men (p.35). A quantitative, non-experimental descriptive study ,conducted over twenty years, in order to identify constructions of masculinity, and career development, showed that twenty years after graduation, ,70% of male nurses were in the leadership position, and away from somatic wards. They moved to a sector which offered better income , which suggests that salary is important when male nurses move within different parts of the healthcare sector ( Abrahamsen, 2004). Additionally, the major functions in nursing accentuate technical knowledge, leadership and devotion to work, all these are perceived as being masculine traits. Consideration to detail and showing of emotions that are usually characteristics of females are not credited as good skills of leadership. What is more, male nurses are more social with doctors than their female counterparts. Since men feel they lack much in common with their female counterparts, they prefer talking about vehicles and sports with other men, especially male doctors. This in itself provides advantages for career projections, as doctors begin to appreciate male nurses as being competent just like their women colleagues (Bush, 1976). The transversal study of Dassen, T., Nijhuis,J.N. Philipsen, H. (1990), Table 2.2 which was based on a National Survey among intensive-care (IC) nurses in The Netherlands, showed that male IC-unit nurses consider IC-nursing to be a medical rather than a nursing activity in order to upgrade their own profession into a kind of medical profession. Due to an over-representation of men in technical wards, distribution of labour among male and female nurses is taking place according to traditional sex -specific patterns where male nurses stand a better chance of being promoted to higher positions. In addition, the study revealed that 50% of male nurses wish to become head of a nursing ward which proves that male nurses are more oriented towards profesionalization than female nurses. On the other hand, Kanters (1977) notion of tokenism supposed that the numerical underrepresentation of individuals in an occupation, particularly those classified by gender, ethnicity or race, will lead to discriminatory treatment. Therefore, for all minority groups, a given profession will always experience negative job impacts. According to Kanter, members of minority group are likely to achieve less in the working environment than members of the majority group. However, Williams (1995) contravened that when men are seen as minority group in the nursing profession, they normally use their dominant gender privilege to rapidly rise to the topmost hierarchy (Saville-Smith and James, 1994). Conversely, nursing is seen by several people as a feminine profession and is therefore devalued in male-conquered patriarchal society. This profession is always stereotyped as having the characteristics of caring, nurturing, submission and dependence. These traits accredited to nursing contrast with the alleged male characteristics of dominance, aggression and strength and thus male nurses usually isolate themselves from their female nurses as a way of expressing the notion of masculinity (Heikes, 1991). Moreover, when an individual forms an identity which is incompatible with the expectations of the society, people usually become uncomfortable and uncertain on how to behave. In most societies all over the world, nurses are perceived as women, and thus it is quite difficult for individuals to know how to interrelate with male nurses. They find it too unusual why a man would decide on a career dominated by a recessive sex. This is a major disadvantage to men in nursing and most of th em are indeed deterred from the profession by assuming that other individuals will see them as unmanly (Bagilhole and Cross, 2002). Table 2.2 The distribution of studies regarding the advantages and disadvantages perceived in males nursing career Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/ Instrument Significant findings Abrahamsen, D. (2004) Norway à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1450 male and female nurses who completed training in 1977 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Norwegian survey of nurses undertaken at the end of 1998 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢After a year from graduating, 10% of male and female, both were in leadership position, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢After twenty years later, 70% of men were in leading position away from somatic wards and bed-ridden patients, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Better income was moved male nurses within different parts of the healthcare system. Dassen,T.W.N.et.al., (1990) The Netherlands à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1960 male and female nurses, data borrowed from the Intensive Care Association, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 960 returned the forms by post, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢R.R.49% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Survey, questionnaire sent by post; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢There is an over-presentation of men in technical wards, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢10% of the male nurses reported having chosen to work in an IC-unit, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢50% of the male nurses wish to become head of a nursing ward compared to only 15% of female nurses. Evans,J. (1997) Canada à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Theoretical literature review à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Not stated à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Even in the female dominated profession , patriarchal society enables men to obtain dominant position, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Marital status for men has significant career advantage, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Men nurses have more university degrees compared to women nurses, 2.4 Why men choose nursing as a career 2.4.1 Introduction Most men choose nursing for the similar reasons women choose nursing. They are goaded by the desire to care for patients (Boughn, 2001). Besides, men have numerous practical reasons that include career opportunity, job security, job flexibility and stable income. Conventionally, men tend to prefer active and challenging fields of nursing, such as cardiac care units, trauma units, emergency departments, cardiac care units, intensive care units, anaesthesiology or flight nursing, among others. Men are often attracted to the technical aspects of acute care specialties and always motivated by the challenges created by the medical instruments utilised in those units. However, a pilot study investigating the motivations and experiences of 42 males in the nursing profession conducted by Whittock M. Leonard L. (2003), Table 2.3 showed that a major factor that attracted men in nursing was influence of parents, specially mothers, employed in nursing or other healthcare professions. On the other hand, this finding was not true for all interviewees. A similar, qualitative, study exploring what motivates Israeli men to choose nursing as their profession was conducted by Romem, P. Anson, O. ( 2005), Table 2.3. Self- administered questionnaires which included 52-items were drawn up, in order to determine the social characteristics of male nurses, and their motives in choosing the profession. These questionnaires were distributed to all registered nurses, 137 female and 123 male, in three general and three psychiatric hospitals. The results of the study show that an early exposure to the profession, as well as the ethnic background are prominent factors that motivate men to choose nursing. Job security, career opportunities and salary, also play an important role (Romem, Anson,2005). On the other hand, men in nursing are not taking leading positions in the health care system due to their social origins. Nevertheless, there has been worry that several men may just look at the nursing profession as a facilitator to other masculine professions such as medicine and that they may not take nursing as their long lasting career. This is because of low pay and perceived low status of nursing as it is always associated with a lesser sex in the society (Williams, 1989). This anxiety was borne out in 2002 by a study conducted in the University of Pennsylvania. The study was based on the Analysis of the 1992-2000 the National Survey of Registered Nurses, the nations most extensive and comprehensive statistics on registered nurses with current licenses to practice in US. In this study it was found that about 7.5% of new-fangled male nurses left this female-dominated profession within four years after graduating from nursing school. This was a higher percent compared to the 4.1% of female nurses who deserted the nursing profession in the same period (Solchalski, 2002). While Sochalski (2002), Table 2.3, in her research underscored the need to determine the reasons for the exodus of nurses, a study of Rajapaksa Rothstein (2009), Table 2.3, showed that men and women nurses who left nursing had some similar and some different reasons for their actions. The sample consisted of 1,589 registered nurses who were employed in other occupations at the time of the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2000. Gender was the primary independent variable, although the vast majority of respondents in this study were female ( 93,5%). At the time of the survey , 63.2% of the respondents were working full time at their new jobs, and 36.8% were working part time. The survey consisted of a self-administered forced-choice questionnaire that included gender, participants age, working age, income, marital status, educational level and race. The results revealed that both men and women left nursing for better working hours and more rewarding positions elsewhere, and whilemen nurses do not leave nursing for other occupations because of dissatisfaction with their roles as nurses, but rather because of their perceptions of the low financial rewards associated with nursing (Rajapaksa, et al 2009, p.206). A number of issues face majority of men who do decide to remain in nursing. These men frequently feel an emotional reaction, a role strain that might be felt by any individual in a profession which has a social formation conquered by members of the opposite sex. For those men raised in the culture of American andocentricism, not used to anti-male gender inequity, this may create discontent and anxiety. Increasingly, though, men today fill majority of leadership tasks in the nursing profession. 2.3 Table The distribution of the studies exploring why men choose nursing as a career Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Rajapaksa,S. Rothstein,W. (2009) U.S.A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Secondary Analysis of the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2000, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Sample 1.589 RNS who were employed in other occupations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢90% white, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Age of the respondents 48.49 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Average number of years worked as an RN was 8.73 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The data used were the General Public Use Files, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Self-administered forced choice questionnaire à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Three main reasons for leaving nursing: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢46% respondents stated that the working hours where more convenient in the new job, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 47,2% found current job more rewarding, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢35% stated that they left for better salaries Romem,P.Anson,O. (2005) Israel à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢260 participants, 123 male and 137 registered nurses in 3 general and 3 psychiatric hospitals during 1997-1998. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢RR 74% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Mean age was 37 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Majority of the respondents were married à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ 52-item questionnaire based on in-dept interviews with 5 male and 5 female RN à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Nursing appeals to groups out-of the stream (immigrants and ethnic minorities); à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Israeli men in nursing do not occupy leading positions in health care; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Men are absent from the nursing Administration. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢78% of the male in this study belong to immigrants or ethnic minority. Sochalski,J. (2002) U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Data Analysis of 1992-2000 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The number of respondents in 2000 questionnaire was 35,579. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢R.R.71.7% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Data from National Survey of Registered Nurses; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Questionnaire à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ New nurses at the beginning of their career show job satisfaction, 75% of women among new nurses were satisfied with their job, and only 67% men, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢7.5% of new male nurses left their job within four years, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Male nurses are leaving profession twice the rate of women à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢136,000 nurses are working in other professions. Whittock,M. Leonard,L. (2003) U.K. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢1.Literature review on males in nursing from historical and present day perspective, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢2. Pilot study on what prevents from considering a nursing career à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢30 pre registration male nurses, 30 post registration male nurses, 10 ex-nurses males. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The sample to date 42 male nurse of different ethnicities Mean age 33,64 years à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢In dept semi-structured interview limited to 1 hour duration; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Face to face interview à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Interviewees have expressed the view that males can be caring as females, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢They have experienced some form of caring situation, usually in family, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Schools services are doing nothing or little to portray nursing as a possible career for young men, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Only 14% of male are enrolling into nursing 2.5 Views of male nurses in the nursing profession 2.5.1 Introduction Several male nurses have over time expressed their views concerning the nursing profession and in most instances they have reported undergoing a role strain. This has greatly implicated their career ambition and put a question as to whether caring is destined for them (Simpson, 2005). A qualitative study conducted by Simpson (2005), Table 2.4,in order to explore the experience of men in non-traditional occupations ,underscored from 40 in- depth interviews, that majority of men feel discomfort, embarrassment and shame. Many have reported masculinity challenges, including low pay and loss of status. Moreover, in the nursing profession, a good nurse is usually acknowledged by having attributes such as caring, subservience, compassion and kindness (Hicks, 1999). All these attributes are similar to those naturally depicted in females and thus the profession requires an individual with feminine traits. Loughrey,M.(2007), Table 2.4 performed a quantitative, non-experimental descriptive design in order to find out the gender role perception of male nurses, for the first time, in Ireland. Following the analysis of this research, out of 104 male nurses, 78 respondents identified themselves as affectionate, sympathetic and understanding, which corresponds more to female gender roles, and that adoption of the characteristics of the female gender role may not be unusual to male nurses. Hart, K. (2005), Table 2.4, reports on Men in Nursing Survey, that the reality that nursing is traditionally female profession is the main reason why more men arent attracted to the profession, according to 38% of respondents. Other key reasons cited were the stereotype that all men in nursing are gay (29 %), poor pay (15 %), and lack of role models (15%). One respondent said that many people think a man who chooses to spend his career as a staff nurse is a failure or lacks direction. Many others said that male nurses are perceived as men who flunked out of medical school. (Hart, p.48). With these hard-hitting facts, men in nursing view themselves as unsuited for caring task (Wingfield, 2009). Even more, male nurses have reported not once of being victims of homophobic abuse, some of them state that they have been called dreadful names, such as you faggot this while providing nursing care to patients. There are even views of male nurses who feel disadvantaged in life because they decided on a female-dominated profession, which confers a lesser status upon them (McDougall, 1997). The effect of nurse gender on nurse and patient perceptions of nurse caring were explored by Ekstrom, (1999),Table 2.4, using two matched, Likert-like, and 61 items questionnaires. The results collected from the two groups of 145 nurse-patient gender combination, indicated that caring is not particularly female quality, and that nurse caring can be performed by both genders male and female, from the nurse or the patient perspective. However, men find it difficult to demonstrate caring behaviours suggesting avoidance of self-identification with a feminine stereotype. According to these views, it is as if humans are perpetually susceptible, incapable of handling their affairs. Undoubtedly, the preoccupation with the harms and hurts of being a male nurse appears at odds with the evidence of mens masculinity and brisk technological advancement (Furedi, 2003). 2.4 Table The distribution of the studies regarding the views of the male nurses in the nursing profession Author/s and setting Sample and sampling method Research design/Instrument Significant findings Ekstrom,D.N. (1990) U.S.A. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Sample of two 145 nurse-patients combinations, from 5 adult acute care medical centers; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Random sampling of the patients, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mean age of female nurses 35.5 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Mean age of male nurse 36.3, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Patients had a mean age of 46.4 with a range of 19-82 years. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Two 61 items-matched Likert like questionnaires: 1. The nurse caring questionnaire, 2.The patient caring questionnaire

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The Birth of Fish; The Death of Oceans Overview: Life and death are themselves opposites; then again in our oceans, life sometimes causes death. Over the past few decades, the demand for edible seafood has sky rocketed, resulting in the formation of aquacultures and overfishing. As of now, the two greatest threats to our marine resources result from overfishing and water pollution. Commercial fishing targets key fish species, resulting in an imbalance of the marine ecosystem. In response to the near elimination of these species, an industry has developed to raise these species in farm communities. It was the initial belief of many that aquacultures would help offset the demand for more seafood. However, the result of fish farming has only contributed to the depletion of the fish population and to the pollution of the marine ecosystem. With only limited regulations placed upon fishing companies, they are basically able to have free range over the oceans. Because of this, there have been severe effects on many fish species. Even with regulations such as the law of the sea, which states that a country bordering the ocean has rights to the fishing areas within two hundred nautical miles of its shores, there are considerable abuses. In Pauly and Watson’s article, it states that the preservation of the country’s fisheries is up to the country itself. The country may also give out rights to other countries to fish its waters. When this occurs, there is a great chance the fleets from other countries will attempt to â€Å"garner as much fish as they can† (Pauly, par. 7). These fleets will also have a disregard as far as the preservation of the marine habitat below such as the reefs (Pauly, Counting The Last Fish). Overfis... ...ctober 2003: 32. - â€Å"FISH FARMING.† National Geographic July 2003: 110. - â€Å"GROWING OUR OWN.† Current Science 19 December 2003: 9. - Hayden, T. â€Å"Sharks in the soup.† U.S. News & World Report 16 February 2004: 136. - Naylor, R. â€Å"The Costs of Fish Farming.† Wilson Quarterly Autumn 2000: 114-115. - Reprint of: Naylor, R., et al. â€Å"Effect of Aquaculture on World Fish Supplies.† Nature 29 June 2000. - Pauly, D. and Watson, R. â€Å"COUNTING THE Last Fish.† Scientific American July 2003: 289. - â€Å"Pros and Cons of Fish Farming.† USA Today Magazine June 2001: 129. Raeburn, P. â€Å"OVERFISHING THREATENS OCEAN’S RUTURE.† Business Week 4 March 2002: 73. - Schrope, M. â€Å"Future of Corals is going down the pan.† New Scientist 10 August 2002: 175. - Wagner, C. â€Å"More Trouble for Coral Reefs.† Futurist January/February 2004: 38.

Strategic Leadership Essay example -- Business Management Studies

Strategic Leadership The only thing harder than being a strategic leader is trying to define the entire scope of strategic leadership a broad, difficult concept. We cannot always define it or describe it in every detail, but we recognize it in action. This type of leadership involves microscopic perceptions and macroscopic expectations. Volumes have been written on the subject, which may in fact contribute to the difficulty of grasping the concept. One finds confusing and sometimes conflicting information on this blended concept that involves the vagaries of strategy and the behavioral art of leadership. Sometimes the methods and models used to explain it are more complicated than the concept and practice of strategic leadership itself. Exercising this kind of leadership is complicated, but understanding it doesn’t have to be. Beginning with a definition and characterization of strategic leadership and then exploring components of the strategic environment may prove helpful. Future leaders must also recognize the nature of that environment. Finally, they should also have some familiarity with ways of developing competencies for dealing with the broad, new challenges that are part of leading in the strategic environment. What Is Strategic Leadership. The common usage of the term strategic is related to the concept of strategy—simply a plan of action for accomplishing a goal. One finds both broad and narrow senses of the adjective strategic. Narrowly, the term denotes operating directly against military or industrial installations of an enemy during the conduct of war with the intent of destroying his military potential. Today, strategic is used more often in its broader sense. Thus, we use it to relate something’s primary importance or its quintessential aspect for instance, the most advantageous, complex, difficult, or potentially damaging challenge to a nation, organization, culture, people, place, or object. When we recognize and use strategic in this broad sense, we append such meanings as the most important long-range planning, the most complex and profound decisions, and the most advantageous effects from a bombing campaign as well as leaders with the highest conceptual ability to make decisions. As mentioned earlier, strategy is a plan whose aim is to link ends, ways, and means. The difficult part involves t... ...e, again, to expand their perspective and increase their conceptual ability. In fact, many of them are experts in a number of unrelated fields. Becoming a dual expert helps one think in multiple dimensions. After committing to some or all of these development activities, potential leaders should reflect on each activity as a way of mining the total benefit and seeking greater meaning. They will also benefit from mentoring other leaders and being mentored themselves. When mentors share their experiences, they help others know and understand them. Conclusion The many components of the strategic-leadership environment challenge even the best leaders. The monumental consequences of strategic decisions call for individuals with unique performance abilities who can navigate the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity inherent in the nature of those decisions. Aspiring leaders can rise to the challenge by undergoing self-assessment and personal development. Accepting the demands of strategic leadership involves a transition from the art of the familiar to the art of the possible. This is the realm of strategic leadership and the strategic environment.

Multiple Sclerosis and the Self :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Multiple Sclerosis and the Self Multiple sclerosis is a devastating disease that attacks the mylination on the axons of neurons, causing many problems. Patients with MS must worry about how they will get around, see, and manage everyday activities. However, probably one of the most devastating and stigmatizing aspects of the disease is its effects on one's cognitive capabilities. This in combination with its paralyzing effects can produce a diminished sense of self in the patients as well as a diminished sense of being in others. The sensory-motor effects of MS can be very debilitating. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). MS often begins with numbness in the legs and hands. This, along with weakness and spasticity, is one of the hallmark signs of MS. As the disease progresses, many patients suffer from other motor problems associated with the weakness and spasticity. Patients may have trouble with coordination and balance. This may eventually result in paralysis, either partial or full. Another symptom of MS is visual problems. According to Rose et al., patients who show visual problems may do so in a variety of ways. They can range from blurred vision to blindness. These problems are compounded by exposure to heat. In addition, fatigue and stress can also cause the symptoms to worsen. Fatigue is often a unavoidable consequence of the disease. People with MS often spend much of their energy simply trying to control their movements. They have little energy left for other activities. This lack of energy causes further worsening of symptoms which can cause further fatigue. This may leave the patient feeling that any attempt to be active is futile if not counter productive. Inactivity can lead patients to shut themselves off from the world. While the motor symptoms are the most visible, MS patients also exhibit some cognitive problems. The MS Center lists some of the most common problems of cognition as problems of attention and concentration. Patients often have problems concentrating on more than one thing at one time. They are easily distracted, and when they try to get back to the initial activity, they often have to begin over. This distraction can then affect their memory of those things because it may fail to be encoded in memory. If the information actually enters their memory, patients may have problems retrieving information. In addition, they may also have problems with speech.

Personal Communication: Texting and Driving Essay

More than 1 trillion text messages were sent worldwide last year. Texting while driving has become more common in today’s society than it has ever been. As a community, we have been bombarded with new technologies, such as iPhone’s, cell phones, tablets, etc. According to the National Safety Council it is estimated that 11 teen deaths happen per day, at least 1. 6 million car accidents, 6,000 deaths and half a million injuries occur each year all in result of texting while driving. Texting and driving should be completely banned and made illegal because it is distracting, harmful and deadly in most situations. As the years progress the constant expansion of technology has facilitated society to move forward. These constant growths have allowed us to communicate faster and more efficiently. Walking can often be tedious and time consuming; driving has allowed us to reach our destination a lot faster. Texting became a more efficient way of communication because in comparison to phone calls it speeds up the communication process. People who use cell phones on a daily basis attempt to combine texting and driving to make their communication with work, friends and family even faster put themselves in harmful situations. Texting and driving is a very contentious issue in today’s society. It is not out of the ordinary to see someone while driving glancing down at his or her cell phone, which in conclusion causes the driver to not have full attention on the road at all. When first taught to drive you learn to keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. These simple rules are being disobeyed on a daily basis. According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) distracted driving is a growing public safety hazard. Specifically, the dramatic rise in texting volumes since 2005 appeared to be contributing to an alarming rise in distracted driving fatalities (Fernando 1). In 2011 alone statistics showed that over 6,000 deaths and over a half a million injuries occurred solely due to distracted driving. Studies have shown that approximately 1 in 6 fatal vehicle collisions resulted from a driver being distracted while driving (Fernando 1). These types of tragedies should not just become overlooked; people should be severely punished for texting and driving or doing any type of distracted driving at all. When someone takes on the act of distracted driving they are not only putting their own lives in danger, they are also putting the life of a completely innocent stranger in a large amount of danger as well. When driving it is not hard to lose focus of what is happening on the road in front of you. Someone who is texting while driving takes his or her eyes off the road for at least five seconds. Driving for five seconds is enough time to cover over 100 yards. Just imagine the remarkable destruction that could be done driving across that amount of road with unopened eyes. That is the danger that you put yourself in by just sending one text message. It should be illegal for people to take on the act of any type of distracted driving. For someone to respond to a message their eyes have to be looking down at their phone, completely off the road. When texting and driving you are missing one of the main components that it takes to drive and that is vision. Without vision, it is impossible to have a safe ride. Texting while driving will take that completely away. No matter how good of a driver you claim to be, without vision anything could happen at any given time. No matter how quick you think you are at texting, there is always that slim chance that when you look down you could be the number one cause of a serious car accident and cause not only cause harm to yourself but you could also cause serious harm to others as well. Eyes are key factor when it comes to driving a motor vehicle and when they are not on the road that can cause many dangerous and harmful situations to become created. Even if you think you can send a text message without looking at your phone, do not even try it because it is not safe what so ever. Focus is also a main component in driving as well. When on the road the driver needs to be fully aware of his or her surroundings, they need to be able to see the road and hear what is going on around them. Anything could happen at any point in time and having complete focus is crucial. When a text message is being written the drivers attention is solely focused on what message is being relayed in that text, not on what is happening on the road in front of them. Without complete focus, it is impossible to have a safe ride. Being a teenager, I come face to face with the urge to text and drive on a daily basis. Focusing on the road alone is already hard enough as it is, I could not even imagine the immense distraction that using my phone while driving would cause. No status update or text message is worth my life or one of the passengers in my cars life so I completely refrain from doing it. Texting while driving has always made me feel uncomfortable when being a passenger in someone’s car. No matter what anyone says, the distraction that has been brought forth by using any type of electronic device while in control of a motor vehicle is tremendous. Texting and driving is not the only type of distracted driving that is prevalent in today’s fast growing society. Another leading cause of accidents and dangerous driving extends far beyond texting. Accessing the internet while on a cell phone while driving increased from 29% in 2009 to 43% in 2011 (Professional Safety). Using the internet while in control of a vehicle can be far more distracting and complex then just sending a text message. Reading social media networks while driving increased from 21% in 2009 to 37% in 2011. Updating social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram increased from 20% in 2009 to 33% in 2011 (Professional Safety). These â€Å"simple tasks† becomes a lot more risky when put in the mix of operating a motor vehicle. On January 12th 2012 Taylor Sauer’s made a fatal mistake. While making a four-hour drive from her college Utah State University she was messaging a friend on Facebook very frequently discussing the Denver Broncos Football Team. Moments later, Sauer going more than 80 mph crashed into a tanker truck. She was killed instantly, investigators saw no signs that she applied brakes before the fatal crash occurred. After checking her cell phone records it was clear to authority that she was posting on the web every 90 seconds during her drive. The parents of Taylor are still grieving over their 18-year old daughter’s death and urge state legislators to pass a ban on texting and driving in Idaho (Inbar). Just several days ago, the city of Beaufort banned texting and driving and distracted driving in general. The city claimed that studies have shown that minors utilizing a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle pose a special danger to other vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians on the roadway and whereas, City Council finds that it is in the best interest of the citizens and residents of Beaufort to prohibit the use of cell phones by minors operating a motor vehicle in the city. The order also prohibits the use of a cell phone by anyone under the age of 18 while driving. If caught the operator of the vehicle will be fined between $50 and $150 dollars (Hawkins). Hopefully this will cause a significant cut in the distracted driving that takes place in our home town and make our road ways a safer place for us to travel. Distracted driving is a very serious crime and should not be disregarded. An 18 year old boy by the name of Aaron Deveau, was just recently found guilty of motor vehicle homicide by texting. Aaron was the first resident of Massachusetts to be convicted of these chargers. ABC News claimed that on February 20th 2011 while Deveau was in the process of sending a text message his truck swerved across the center line of Haverhill, Massachusetts and crashed head on into Daniel Bowley. This crash caused the death of Bowley who was a 55 year old resident of New Hampshire and the father of three children. On June 6, 2012 Deveau was sentenced to a year in prison and also the loss of his license for 15 years for causing a fatal crash by distracted driving (Davis 1). Unless a complete emergency has been brought upon you, there is not excuse for using an electronic device while operating a motor vehicle. This habit is completely un-acceptable and needs to be brought to an end. Distracted driving causes serious accidents, major injuries and deaths. No text is worth your, or somebody else’s life no matter what. Death and injuries are devastating and can cause immense pain to your friends and family. So next time before you go to send that text while driving just think to yourself, is it worth it?

Kindness: Positive Psychology and Old Lady

Doing kindness to a perfectly stranger?.. how would I feel? well, I felt a sense of fullfiment and satisfaction. I was with my mother and sister the day when we visited a trade fair in La trinidad, the sun was high,twas'12pm, we were of course famished but we decided to quench first our thirst, we ordered halo halo from one of the stalls there. We joined a table where two girls were quitely enjoying their halo halo.. suddenly an old lady approached them, I overheard the old lady telling them that she was hungry,.. he old lady just stood there completely stoned, as in she was just standing in front of them while the two girls ignored her and continued whatever conversation that they were having maybe waiting for something,,,i thought those two girls were heartless, the woman was just like their mom already, so what I did was, I went to buy her pansit. The seller asked me if the old lady was disturbing us, I said no that it was completely fine, that she was just hungry that's all.I the n gave the pansit to the lola, she ate, then left.. no thank you or anything.. Though I heard no thank you from that lola, I felt happy anyway, knowing that the pansit filled her stomach and that maybe she is grateful somewhere in her heart. My point is, helping someone may it be for little things or for big, it will somehow give you a sense of worth for your existense†¦ that YOU EXIST FOR A PURPOSE!!! FGeXIST FJJEXEXIST FOR A PURPOSE! 🙂

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Chapter 2

Chapter 2 The angel wants me to convey more of Joshua's grace. Grace? I'm trying to write about a six-year-old, for Christ's sakes, how much grace could he have? It's not like Joshua walked around professing that he was the Son of God every day of the week. He was a pretty normal kid, for the most part. There was the trick he did with the lizards, and once we found a dead meadowlark and he brought it back to life, and there was the time, when we were eight, when he healed his brother Judah's fractured skull after a game of â€Å"stone the adulteress† got out of hand. (Judah could never get the knack of being an adulteress. He'd stand there stiff as Lot's wife. You can't do that. An adulteress has to be wily and nimble-footed.) The miracles Joshua performed were small and quiet, as miracles tend to be, once you get used to them. But trouble came from the miracles that happened around him, without his volition, as it were. Bread and serpents come to mind. It was a few days before the Passover feast, and many of the families of Nazareth were not making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem that year. There had been little rain through our winter season, so it was going to be a hard year. Many farmers could not afford the time away from their fields to travel to and from the holy city. My father and Joshua's were both working in Sepphoris, and the Romans wouldn't give them time off work beyond the actual feast days. My mother had been making the unleavened bread when I came in from playing in the square. She held a dozen sheets of the flatbread before her and she looked as if she was going to dash it to the floor any second. â€Å"Biff, where is your friend Joshua?† My little brothers grinned at me from behind her skirts. â€Å"At home, I suppose. I just left him.† â€Å"What have you boys been doing?† â€Å"Nothing.† I tried to remember if I had done anything that should make her this angry, but nothing came to mind. It was a rare day and I'd made no trouble. Both my little brothers were unscathed as far as I knew. â€Å"What have you done to cause this?† She held out a sheet of the flatbread, and there, in crispy brown relief on the golden crust, was the image of my friend Joshua's face. She snatched up another sheet of bread, and there, again, was my friend Josh. Graven images – big sin. Josh was smiling. Mother frowned on smiling. â€Å"Well? Do I need to go to Joshua's house and ask his poor, insane mother?† â€Å"I did this. I put Joshua's face on the bread.† I just hoped that she didn't ask me how I had done it. â€Å"Your father will punish you when he comes home this evening. Now go, get out of here.† I could hear my little brother's giggling as I slunk out the door, but once outside, things worsened. Women were coming away from their baking stones, and each held a sheet of unleavened bread, and each was muttering some variation of â€Å"Hey, there's a kid on my bread.† I ran to Joshua's house and stormed in without knocking. Joshua and his brothers were at the table eating. Mary was nursing Joshua's newest little sister, Miriam. â€Å"You are in big trouble,† I whispered in Josh's ear with enough force to blow out an eardrum. Joshua held up the flatbread he was eating and grinned, just like the face on his bread. â€Å"It's a miracle.† â€Å"Tastes good too,† said James, crunching a corner off of his brother's head. â€Å"It's all over town, Joshua. Not just your house. Everyone's bread has your face on it.† â€Å"He is truly the Son of God,† Mary said with a beatific smile. â€Å"Oh, jeez, Mother,† James said. â€Å"Yeah, jeez Mom,† said Judah. â€Å"His mug is all over the Passover feast. We have to do something.† They didn't seem to get the gravity of the situation. I was already in trouble, and my mother didn't even suspect anything supernatural. â€Å"We have to cut your hair.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"We cannot cut his hair,† Mary said. She had always let Joshua wear his hair long, like an Essene, saying that he was a Nazarite like Samson. It was just another reason why many of the townspeople thought her mad. The rest of us wore our hair cut short, like the Greeks who had ruled our country since the time of Alexander, and the Romans after them. â€Å"If we cut his hair he looks like the rest of us. We can say it's someone else on the bread.† â€Å"Moses,† Mary said. â€Å"Young Moses.† â€Å"Yes!† â€Å"I'll get a knife.† â€Å"James, Judah, come with me,† I said. â€Å"We have to tell the town that the face of Moses has come to visit us for the Passover feast.† Mary pulled Miriam from her breast, bent, and kissed me on the forehead. â€Å"You are a good friend, Biff.† I almost melted in my sandals, but I caught Joshua frowning at me. â€Å"It's not the truth,† he said. â€Å"It will keep the Pharisees from judging you.† â€Å"I'm not afraid of them,† said the nine-year-old. â€Å"I didn't do this to the bread.† â€Å"Then why take the blame and the punishment for it?† â€Å"I don't know, seems like I should, doesn't it?† â€Å"Sit still so your mother can cut your hair.† I dashed out the door, Judah and James on my heels, the three of us bleating like spring lambs. â€Å"Behold! Moses has put his face on the bread for Passover! Behold!† Miracles. She kissed me. Holy Moses on a matzo! She kissed me. The miracle of the serpent? It was an omen, in a way, although I can only say that because of what happened between Joshua and the Pharisees later on. At the time, Joshua thought it was the fulfillment of a prophecy, or that's how we tried to sell it to his mother and father. It was late summer and we were playing in a wheat field outside of town when Joshua found the nest of vipers. â€Å"A nest of vipers,† Joshua shouted. The wheat was so tall I couldn't see where he was calling from. â€Å"A pox on your family,† I replied. â€Å"No, there's a nest of vipers over here. Really.† â€Å"Oh, I thought you were taunting me. Sorry, a pox off of your family.† â€Å"Come, see.† I crashed through the wheat to find Joshua standing by a pile of stones a farmer had used to mark the boundary of his field. I screamed and backpedaled so quickly that I lost my balance and fell. A knot of snakes writhed at Joshua's feet, skating over his sandals and wrapping themselves around his ankles. â€Å"Joshua, get away from there.† â€Å"They won't hurt me. It says so in Isaiah.† â€Å"Just in case they haven't read the Prophets†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Joshua stepped aside, sending the snakes scattering, and there, behind him, was the biggest cobra I had ever seen. It reared up until it was taller than my friend, spreading a hood like a cloak. â€Å"Run, Joshua.† He smiled. â€Å"I'm going to call her Sarah, after Abraham's wife. These are her children.† â€Å"No kidding? Say good-bye now, Josh.† â€Å"I want to show Mother. She loves prophecy.† With that, he was off toward the village, the giant serpent following him like a shadow. The baby snakes stayed in the nest and I backed slowly away before running after my friend. I once brought a frog home, hoping to keep him as a pet. Not a large frog, a one-handed frog, quiet and well mannered. My mother made me release him, then cleanse myself in the immersion pool (the mikveh) at the synagogue. Still she wouldn't let me in the house until after sunset because I was unclean. Joshua led a fourteen-foot-long cobra into his house and his mother squealed with joy. My mother never squealed. Mary slung the baby to her hip, kneeled in front of her son, and quoted Isaiah: â€Å"‘The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den.'† James, Judah, and Elizabeth cowered in the corner, too frightened to cry. I stood outside the doorway watching. The snake swayed behind Joshua as if preparing to strike. â€Å"Her name is Sarah.† â€Å"They were cobras, not asps,† I said. â€Å"A whole pile of cobras.† â€Å"Can we keep her?† Joshua asked. â€Å"I'll catch rats for her, and make a bed for her next to Elizabeth's.† â€Å"Definitely not asps. I'd know an asp if I saw one. Probably not a cockatrice either. I'd say a cobra.† (Actually, I didn't know an asp from a hole in the ground.) â€Å"Shush, Biff,† Mary said. My heart broke with the harshness in my love's voice. Just then Joseph rounded the corner and went through the door before I could catch him. No worry, he was back outside in an instant. â€Å"Jumpin' Jehoshaphat!† I checked to see if Joseph's heart had failed, having quickly decided that once Mary and I were married the snake would have to go, or at least sleep outside, but the burly carpenter seemed only shaken, and a little dusty from his backward dive through the door. â€Å"Not an asp, right?† I asked. â€Å"Asps are made small to fit the breasts of Egyptian queens, right?† Joseph ignored me. â€Å"Back away slowly, son. I'll get a knife from my workshop.† â€Å"She won't hurt us,† Joshua said. â€Å"Her name is Sarah. She's from Isaiah.† â€Å"It is in the prophecy, Joseph,† Mary said. I could see Joseph searching his memory for the passage. Although only a layman, he knew his scripture as well as anyone. â€Å"I don't remember the part about Sarah.† â€Å"I don't think it's prophecy,† I offered. â€Å"It says asps, and that is definitely not an asp. I'd say she's going to bite Joshua's ass off if you don't grab her, Joseph.† (A guy has to try.) â€Å"Can I keep her?† Joshua asked. Joseph had regained his composure by now. Evidently, once you accept that your wife slept with God, extraordinary events seem sort of commonplace. â€Å"Take her back where you found her, Joshua, the prophecy has been fulfilled now.† â€Å"But I want to keep her.† â€Å"No, Joshua.† â€Å"You're not the boss of me.† I suspected that Joseph had heard that before. â€Å"Just so,† he said, â€Å"please take Sarah back where you found her.† Joshua stormed out of the house, his snake following close behind. Joseph and I gave them a wide berth. â€Å"Try not to let anyone see you,† Joseph said. â€Å"They won't understand.† He was right, of course. On our way out of the village we ran into a gang of older boys, led by Jakan, the son of Iban the Pharisee. They did not understand. There were perhaps a dozen Pharisees in Nazareth: learned men, working-class teachers, who spent much of their time at the synagogue debating the Law. They were often hired as judges and scribes, and this gave them great influence over the people of the village. So much influence, in fact, that the Romans often used them as mouthpieces to our people. With influence comes power, with power, abuse. Jakan was only the son of a Pharisee. He was only two years older than Joshua and me, but he was well on his way to mastering cruelty. If there is a single joy in having everyone you have ever known two thousand years dead, it is that Jakan is one of them. May his fat crackle in the fires of hell for eternity! Joshua taught us that we should not hate – a lesson that I was never able to master, along with geometry. Blame Jakan for the former, Euclid for the latter. Joshua ran behind the houses and shops of the village, the snake behind him by ten steps, and me behind her ten steps more. As he rounded the corner by the smith's shop, Joshua ran into Jakan, knocking him to the ground. â€Å"You idiot!† Jakan shouted, rising and dusting himself off. His three friends laughed and he spun on them like an angry tiger. â€Å"This one needs to have his face washed in dung. Hold him.† The boys turned their focus on Joshua, two grabbing his arms while the third punched him in the stomach. Jakan turned to look for a pile to rub Joshua's face in. Sarah slithered around the corner and reared up behind Joshua, spreading her glorious hood wide above our heads. â€Å"Hey,† I called as I rounded the corner. â€Å"You guys think this is an asp?† My fear of the snake had changed into a sort of wary affection. She seemed to be smiling. I know I was. Sarah swayed from side to side like a wheat stalk in the wind. The boys dropped Joshua's arms and ran to Jakan, who had turned and slowly backed away. â€Å"Joshua was talking about asps,† I continued, â€Å"but I'd have to say that this here is a cobra.† Joshua was bent over, still trying to catch his breath, but he looked back at me and grinned. â€Å"Of course, I'm not the son of a Pharisee, but – â€Å" â€Å"He's in league with the serpent!† Jakan screamed. â€Å"He consorts with demons!† â€Å"Demons!† the other boys shouted, trying to crowd behind their fat friend. â€Å"I will tell my father of this and you'll be stoned.† A voice from behind Jakan said, â€Å"What is all this shouting?† And a sweet voice it was. She came out of the house by the smith's shop. Her skin shone like copper and she had the light blue eyes of the northern desert people. Wisps of reddish-brown hair showed at the edges of her purple shawl. She couldn't have been more than nine or ten, but there was something very old in her eyes. I stopped breathing when I saw her. Jakan puffed up like a toad. â€Å"Stay back. These two are consorting with a demon. I will tell the elders and they will be judged.† She spit at his feet. I had never seen a girl spit before. It was charming. â€Å"It looks like a cobra to me.† â€Å"See there, I told you.† She walked up to Sarah as if she were approaching a fig tree looking for fruit, not a hint of fear, only interest. â€Å"You think this is a demon?† she said, without looking back at Jakan. â€Å"Won't you be embarrassed when the elders find that you mistook a common snake of the field for a demon?† â€Å"It is a demon.† The girl reached her hand up, and the snake made as if to strike, then lowered its head until its forked tongue was brushing the girl's fingers. â€Å"This is definitely a cobra, little boy. And these two were probably leading it back to the fields where it would help the farmers by eating rats.† â€Å"Yep, that's what we were doing,† I said. â€Å"Absolutely,† Joshua said. The girl turned to Jakan and his friends. â€Å"A demon?† Jakan stomped like an angry donkey. â€Å"You are in league with them.† â€Å"Don't be silly, my family has only just arrived from Magdala, I've never seen these two before, but it's obvious what they were doing. We do it all the time in Magdala. But then, this is a backwater village.† â€Å"We do it here too,† Jakan said. â€Å"I was – well – these two make trouble.† â€Å"Trouble,† his friends said. â€Å"Why don't we let them get on with what they were doing.† Jakan, his eyes bouncing from the girl to the snake to the girl again, began to lead his friends away. â€Å"I will deal with you two another time.† As soon as they were around the corner, the girl jumped back from the snake and ran toward the door of her house. â€Å"Wait,† Joshua called. â€Å"I have to go.† â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"I'm Mary of Magdala, daughter of Isaac,† she said. â€Å"Call me Maggie.† â€Å"Come with us, Maggie.† â€Å"I can't, I have to go.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because I've peed myself.† She disappeared through the door. Miracles. Once we were back in the wheat field Sarah headed for her den. We watched from a distance as she slid down the hole. â€Å"Josh. How did you do that?† â€Å"I have no idea.† â€Å"Is this kind of thing going to keep happening?† â€Å"Probably.† â€Å"We are going to get into a lot of trouble, aren't we?† â€Å"What am I, a prophet?† â€Å"I asked you first.† Joshua stared into the sky like a man in a trance. â€Å"Did you see her? She's afraid of nothing.† â€Å"She's a giant snake, what's to be afraid of?† Joshua frowned. â€Å"Don't pretend to be simple, Biff. We were saved by a serpent and a girl, I don't know what to think about that.† â€Å"Why think about it at all? It just happened.† â€Å"Nothing happens but by God's will,† Joshua said. â€Å"It doesn't fit with the testament of Moses.† â€Å"Maybe it's a new testament,† I said. â€Å"You aren't pretending, are you?† Joshua said. â€Å"You really are simple.† â€Å"I think she likes you better than she likes me,† I said. â€Å"The snake?† â€Å"Right, I'm the simple one.† I don't know if now, having lived and died the life of a man, I can write about little-boy love, but remembering it now, it seems the cleanest pain I've known. Love without desire, or conditions, or limits – a pure and radiant glow in the heart that could make me giddy and sad and glorious all at once. Where does it go? Why, in all their experiments, did the Magi never try to capture that purity in a bottle? Perhaps they couldn't. Perhaps it is lost to us when we become sexual creatures, and no magic can bring it back. Perhaps I only remember it because I spent so long trying to understand the love that Joshua felt for everyone. In the East they taught us that all suffering comes from desire, and that rough beast would stalk me through my life, but on that afternoon, and for a time after, I touched grace. At night I would lie awake, listening to my brothers' breathing against the silence of the house, and in my mind's eye I could see her eyes like blue fire in the dark. Exquisite torture. I wonder now if Joshua didn't make her whole life like that. Maggie, she was the strongest of us all. After the miracle of the serpent, Joshua and I made up excuses to pass by the smith's shop where we might run into Maggie. Every morning we would rise early and go to Joseph, volunteering to run to the smith for some nails or the repair of a tool. Poor Joseph took this as enthusiasm for carpentry. â€Å"Would you boys like to come to Sepphoris with me tomorrow?† Joseph asked us one day when we were badgering him about fetching nails. â€Å"Biff, would your father let you start learning the work of a carpenter?† I was mortified. At ten a boy was expected to start learning his father's trade, but that was a year away – forever when you're nine. â€Å"I?CI am still thinking about what I will do when I grow up,† I said. My own father had made a similar offer to Joshua the day before. â€Å"So you won't become a stonecutter?† â€Å"I was thinking about becoming the village idiot, if my father will allow it.† â€Å"He has a God-given talent,† Joshua said. â€Å"I've been talking to Bartholomew the idiot,† I said. â€Å"He's going to teach me to fling my own dung and run headlong into walls.† Joseph scowled at me. â€Å"Perhaps you two are yet too young. Next year.† â€Å"Yes,† Joshua said, â€Å"next year. May we go now, Joseph? Biff is meeting Bartholomew for his lesson.† Joseph nodded and we were off before he inflicted more kindness upon us. We actually had befriended Bartholomew, the village idiot. He was foul and drooled a lot, but he was large, and offered some protection against Jakan and his bullies. Bart also spent most of his time begging near the town square, where the women came to fetch water from the well. From time to time we caught a glimpse of Maggie as she passed, a water jar balanced on her head. â€Å"You know, we are going to have to start working soon,† Joshua said. â€Å"I won't see you, once I'm working with my father.† â€Å"Joshua, look around you, do you see any trees?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And the trees we do have, olive trees – twisted, gnarly, knotty things, right?† â€Å"Right.† â€Å"But you're going to be a carpenter like your father?† â€Å"There's a chance of it.† â€Å"One word, Josh: rocks.† â€Å"Rocks?† â€Å"Look around. Rocks as far as the eye can see. Galilee is nothing but rocks, dirt, and more rocks. Be a stonemason like me and my father. We can build cities for the Romans.† â€Å"Actually, I was thinking about saving mankind.† â€Å"Forget that nonsense, Josh. Rocks, I tell you.†