Title- International Social Work. Question- How does the social Essay

Title- International Social Work. Question- How does the social construction of childhood inform and affect international child protection measures - Essay Example It is on account of these reasons that the international communities and organizations have taken active interest in promoting and protecting the interests and well-being of young children through introduction of effective laws. The UN Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) is one such international body that seeks protection of children exposed to adversity and has included it as one of their key agendas. The child protection and welfare organizations have, over the years, actively supported and fought for safeguarding young children from intolerable conditions. They argued that a child comes into the world defenceless in the face of an aggressive and violent society and that he is the first to suffer the terrible consequences of famine, war and socioeconomic crisis (qtd. in James, 1997, pp. 191). Hence in order to uphold the moral and ethical values international agencies such as The International Union for Child Welfare, Defence for Children International, UNCRC etc seek the protection of such vulnerable groups in the society. This paper on international social work seeks to understand, assess and explore the role and impact of the concept of ‘social construction of childhood’ in the framin g of international child protection laws. The term social construction refers to the idea / notion that has been created by society. Sociologists argue that childhood is a socially constructed phenomenon since it varies across cultures and does not conform to any form of universal standard or definition. This is mainly because what is considered deviant behaviour in one culture may be considered completely normal and acceptable in another thus implying that the concept of childhood is more of a socially constructed term rather than a natural biological phase. According to Aries (1973) the concept of childhood did not exist in the middle ages (qtd. in Hunt, 2005). It is also argued

Ethnographic Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethnographic Research paper - Essay Example This has been made possible due to the rapid growth of industries and technological uses in the daily lives of people. Technology is a very important part of the lives of people around the world at this point of time. This also is due to the fact that the economic processes that take place in the world have a lot to do with the cooperation of people across the globe. For instance several parts of a machine that is to be assembled in a certain part of the world would come from different corners of the world and the entire process would not probably be completed at one place. The after sales services would probably be offered from a place different from all of these depending on a host of factors ranging from the availability of raw material to cheap labor to costs of transport. This paper shall seek to analyze conversations that were had with an Indian friend of mine, Amit Kumar (name changed). The differences of opinion and the misunderstandings that happened during these conversatio ns shall form a part of the analysis. The paper shall look at these conversations through the lens of a multicultural world where the cultures of different people have to be understood properly. They also have to be understood as products of globalization themselves where there may be a disconnect between a person and his or her own culture. Amit Kumar hails from Kerala, a state in the Southern part of India. The place is known for its high rates of literacy and the political awareness that people of this state possess. It is also a state that is very diverse in terms of the religions that people follow here and also the kind of dialects that people use, in different parts of the state. There is however, as a result of the process of modernization, a certain amount of a lack of awareness regarding the pre-colonial cultures and art forms that were a part of that culture. There is thus a rootlessness that the people of Kerala feel at this point of time. This can best be seen in the no vel Roots that was written by the very popular Malayali author Malayattoor Ramakrishnan which talks of the reclamation of the cultural roots of a person (Ramakrishnan, 2000). I talked to Amit Kumar regarding this aspect of the Malayali existence at this point of time. Me: How does it feel to go back home these days, Amit? Amit: It is quite disconcerting. The effects of modernity on the lives of people at home even at this point of time seems to be one that has been imposed without taking into concern the particular social conditions of Kerala. Me: why would you say so? Amit: The very basic elements of our culture are not present in the culture that is sought to be imposed upon us. They are then made to be a part of nothing more than attractions for tourists. Amit here may be referring to exactly what Arundhati Roy refers to her Booker Prize winning novel The God of Small Things. In this book, she talks of the marginalization of indigenous cultural forms and their resurfacing as mere elements of the past that cannot be integrated into modernity. Roy uses the trope of the kathakali dancers to make clear how certain symbols of the Malayali society and postcolonial societies in general have degenerated from being frameworks of signs through which a society used to store its memories to being nothing more than a form of attraction that is set up for tourists to watch and enjoy without realizing the importance that that form of art may have for

Market Model Patterns of Change Essay Example for Free

Market Model Patterns of Change Essay 1. Describe the industry and explain the general pattern of change of the particular market model Health insurance in the United States providers represent competitive market because they are numerous, variety of choices, and no single entity has much power over prices. The health insurance can be considered as rapid growth industry. Recently, this industry is transforming in a rapid way and evolving into an oligopoly. Insurance markets in many states are eventually controlled and dominated by a few large firms. There were more than five hundred health insurers involved mergers between 1998 and 2008 (Bakhtiari, 2010). Although there are hundreds of small insurance companies operating in the market, the industry Led by WellPoint, 12 health plans cover two-thirds of the enrollment in the U.S. commercial-insurance market (Bloomberg News, 2010). An analysts report cited in the article predicts there will be 100 insurers with around 200,000 members could be forced out of business. Smaller insurers are increasingly unable to invest in the infrastructure and technology to effectively manage care (Bakhtiari, 2010). However, mergers have been the main power rather than small insurers going out of business. 2. Hypothesize the basic short-run and long-run behaviors of the model in the industry you have chosen in a â€Å"market economy† This paper uses Kinked-Demand theory of oligopoly; there is no single theory that explains oligopoly behavior. The kinked demand model assumes that if one firm raises the prices, other firms will not follow to increase. If the firm reduces its price, it is assumed that its competitors will follow suit and reduce their prices as well. The result is a demand curve for the firm that is kinked at the current equilibrium price (Low, 2000). Taking this as assumption, a single health insurer that tries to raise price will lose market share mainly just because other insurers are not following, it will suffer a loss in demand because the competitors’ prices remain low. In contract, if a single firm that cuts prices, all of its competitors will follow to reduce the price. As a result, a firm will have a kinked demand curve. Firms may operate at a profit in the short-run if demand for the product is high relative to costs. The firm may force to go out of business if it can’t generate enough revenue to even cover the variable costs. Hence the model predicts that prices in the long run should be fairly rigid in an oligopoly. This could indicate that insurance premiums will remain fairly stable in the health insurance industry. The kinked demand theory suggests there will be price in these markets and the firms will rely more on non-price competition to boost sales, revenue and profits. The result in market share is no gain and relative small increases in quantity demanded (Low, 2000). 3. Analyze at least three (3) possible areas for the industry that could lead to transaction costs, and explain each in detail In the health insurance industry, transaction cost could arise from acquisition expenses, process outsourcing, and increased product complexity.Acquisition is the expense of soliciting and placing new insurance business on a company’s books. It includes agent’s underwriting expenses, medical and credit, report fees, commissions, and marketing support services. The significant efforts are made by insurance companies to lower acquisition costs because of the competition. Outsourcing of processes may become a necessity when firms gather up more and more customers due to mergers, the current workforce will no longer be able to handle jobs. Sometime, hiring more employees could be very costly for some firms because of increasing market salaries; outsourcing could be the better option. Firms will have to pay additional expenses to outsourcing firms that process application and provide customer service. This lead to transaction cost. Transaction costs may also arise from increase product complexity due to firms grow, merge and consolidation. Products become more complex catering to more segments due to gathering more customer; firms increase product lines. Hence, customers will have to incur transaction costs in searching or inquiring for the best product, and in estimating the quality of the service. 4. Speculate about the behavior that could result from these transactions and propose at least two (2) strategies for dealing with them It affects consumers’ behavior for reconsidering the health plan when transaction costs arise from product complexity. Any uncertainty arises from product uncertainty; it refers to the difficulties in determining the quality of purchased products (Thompson, 2004). Consumers are likely to inquire more information if purchased services will meet their expectations before they purchase. Consumers rely on the quality examination that insurance agents or references. This product uncertainty may increase transaction cost. This can be dealt with by reinforcing product quality through advertising about the products and services, meeting with potential customers, and providing training to employees to meet better expectation. When transaction costs arise from enforcement and monitoring, behavioral results are uncertainty. Behavioral uncertainty refers to the inherent difficulties faced by buyers in accurately evaluating the contractual performance of insurance companies (Thompson, 2004). This increases transaction cost as consumers spend more time thinking about buying insurance because the claims may against them or excessive policy. This can be dealt with by ensuring that potential customers understand the nature of the contract. 5. Collect costs, revenue data, or other data from the industry you deem relevant. Explain how you would modify the data in order to make it relevant to decisions a manager must make Base of the data from Austin Hungerford, health insurance markets in many local areas are highly concentrated and the exercise of market power in concentrated markets generally leads to higher prices and reduced output. In the data, medical loss ratios among major insurers range from a low of 70.7% to almost 89%. Some major commercial insurers have had significant decreases in medical expense ratios in the past decade. For example, CIGNA HealthCare’s medical loss ratio, 86.3% in 2001, fell to 70.7% in 2008 (Austin Hungerford, 2009). In general, medical loss ratios can change dramatically from one year to another. This explained by unexpectedly high medical costs or by aggressive pricing intended to increase market share. The above data help managers understand industry characteristics better than an individual. It is relevant to managers by consolidating all of the medical loss ratio, and combining them in an industry average. The managers have a better feel for industry averages and trends. 6. Explain the major factors that affect the degree of competitiveness in your industry. Use the data to develop at least three (3) measures (e.g., productivity measures) to show how the industry is evolving The first factor is the number of firms on the market. If there are large number of firms operate in industry, overall prices will be reduced. The second factor is government regulation which affects the degree of competitiveness of the health insurance industry. The third is government provides health insurance. This can change the entire game plan for health industry. Private firms may be unable to compete against government’s insurance plans. That will affect the overall competitiveness of the industry. These measures to show how the industry is evolving include average prices of health insurance plans, potential buyers, and overall average medical costs. Average price of health insurance will show the industrys evolution by examining patterns of profit growth in relation to health insurance costs. The number of health insurance buyers will help understand the growth patterns in customer base, and demand for health insurance plans. Medical costs will show the relationship between industry growths, inflation of costs, and increase in general medical care.

Information systems in organisations

Information systems in organisations Abstract Successful system roll-out is not a task that can easily be achieved. As many organisations and governments have found to their cost, it is not simply the case that they can throw money at an information system in the hope that it will be successful. The primary case study used is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch system. After looking at the background of the case the implementation and subsequent failure are discussed. The reasons for failure are explained, which show the project as essentially being doomed from the start. Although system failure is a common occurrence many organisations do not seem to learn from the mistakes of the past, resulting in several other high profile cases. There are some strategies, however, that can be adopted in order to combat against failure, which mainly side on the softer aspects of system design such as management, organisational culture and human relations. What are the major causes of systems roll-out success or failure? What strategies can organisations take to ensure the success? To answer this question fully we must first understand what an information system (IS) is; and more importantly, what constitutes the success and, or failure of an IS. An information system in an organization provides processes and information useful to its members and clients (Avison Fitzgerald, 2003). Flynn (1992) also describes it as An information system provides procedures to record and make available information, concerning part of an organization, to assist organizations-related activities. An IS is made up of a complex set of factors, including human, organisational, technical, political and financial factors (Flowers, 1996). The interaction between these can give rise to either the success or failure of a system roll-out. The success of an IS is measured mainly on whether or not it meets the productivity target of being developed on time and to budget, and the quality target of meeting the clients requirements. A successful system is one that meets its targets of quality and productivity (Flynn, 1992). An IS is deemed unsuccessful if it fails either one, or both of its targets. In some instances the system is never actually delivered to the end user, which obviously is another case of system failure. An unsuccessful system is one that fails to meet either its quality or its productivity targets (Flynn, 1992). Successful system roll-out is not the easiest of tasks, with many governments and companies finding this out to their cost. In some cases these cost have run into hundreds of millions of pounds. The latest Standish Group report CHAOS Summary 2009 shows that more projects than ever are failing, and also that the number of successful projects is on the decrease. Only 32% of projects met their targets and could be classed as successful; with 44% of systems meeting either only some or none of their targets and 24% were never completed (The Standish Group, 2009). There are estimates that the cost of project failure in the U.S. alone is well in excess of $100 billion; emphasising just how costly a problem system roll-out can be if not done correctly. One reason as to why there are so many instances of IS failure is partly due to the fact that a lot of the time they are constructed without a full understanding or anticipation of reality (Xalles Limited, 2005). This is known as the Vacuum Mentality syndrome (Xalles Limited, 2005). These realities include changes in technology, changes made by the user community, reorganisations, changes of needs, change of key players and project sponsors, issues with resources and changes of processes (Xalles Limited, 2005). This idea is backed up by Maddison Darnton (1996) who explain that human issues are usually more important than technical ones in determining success or failure. Highlighting the fact that it is not necessarily technical issues with an IS that are the main problems during the development process, but instead ones regarding human incompetence. One of the most dramatic IS failures reported in recent years is that of the London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch (LASCAD) system. The LAS is the biggest ambulance service in the world, dealing with over 2,500 emergency calls a day. This inevitably put massive strains on the manual paper-based system that was being used, which already had several major problems with it. This led to the standards of performance falling below the ones agreed to as part of the national standards for ambulance response. It was, therefore, imperative that a new, more effective computer aided despatch system was introduced in order to meet the performance levels. The new system worked by a Control Assistant receiving an emergency call and entering the details given by the caller into the CAD system. Using call-box identifier and mapping systems, the exact location of the caller was calculated. Based on the information on the incident the CAD then worked out a level for the emergency, thus informing the Control Assistant on the appropriate specialist vehicles and skills that should be deployed to the emergency. The most appropriate and closest vehicle to the incident was then pinpointed via the use of mobile data terminals and the vehicle tracking system, and despatched to the emergency. The CAD system sent details of the incident to the vehicle via the on-board computer. Throughout dealing with the incident the crew were constantly updating the CAD system as to their arrival at the scene, their depart ure from it, their arrival at the hospital, and finally when they were free to deal with another call (Flowers, 1996). The intention of the CAD system was to eradicate the inefficiencies of the old paper-based system. However, as the LAS soon found out this was far from the case. On Monday 26th October 1992 the entire LASCAD system went live. It became quickly apparent, however, that it could note cope with the volume of calls. A number of calls were somehow getting lost in the system, leading to duplicate calls being made (Flowers, 1996). This meant that people who were in emergency situations had to wait, in some cases, for 30 minutes for their call to be dealt with. Even when the calls were dealt with, the ambulance allocation system had also failed meaning this had to be done manually, resulting in further delays. Amidst the confusion, it was even reported in some cases that two ambulances turned up to a single emergency, or that one never turned up at all (Flowers, 1996). As the day progressed, the number of calls increased, putting even more pressure on the already faltering system. The newer calls were now overwriting the earlier calls, resulting in even more incidents not being dealt with. The situation became that bad that all the queues were cleared in an attempt to decongest the system. However, this only succeeded in making the problem even worse, as a new flood of calls that were previously lost came through (Flowers, 1996). It was only Tuesday afternoon when the system was eventually shut down as a result of the escalating situation (Finkelstein, 1993). The LAS were instead forced to revert to a former part computerised system. Just over a week later they were back using the fully manual system. It is impossible to consider all of the factors that contributed to the demise of the CAD system. However, there are several major issues which could, ultimately, be seen as the contributing factors towards its failure. Flowers (1996) states that the primary reasons behind the failure were those of the design of the system, the management ethos, the procurement process and the timetable to which the system was developed. The system had been designed without sufficient testing, and on the basis that it would be operating in a perfect world where everything goes according to plan. It relied solely on the requirement that all the information received was perfect. In reality this was far from the case, and so the system was unable to sufficiently despatch resources to the incidents. As highlighted in the official inquiry into the failure: It is probable that the development team did not have full appreciation of the importance of these elements or, at least, of the consequences of failure, or less than perfect performance, of any one part (Finkelstein, 1993). The management ethos at the LAS was one that was inward looking and old-fashioned (Flowers, 1996). As a result of the recent restructuring which had been forced upon the LAS by the National Health Service, there were reported high levels of stress amongst senior management, which had seen a great number of previously loyal staff quitting (Mellor, 1994). In the years leading up to this there was a distinct lack of investment in areas such as the training and development of managers. During the implementation process a report was commissioned by the LAS into staff attitudes. It was clear to see from the results that staff had little faith in the management and were not satisfied with their jobs. This view had already been exposed from the result from a survey conducted in 1989 (Flowers, 1996). The official inquiry also highlighted a culture within the organisation that bred a fear of failure amongst the employees; whereby the success of the system was the one and only consideration (Flowers, 1996). This created an atmosphere in which people were scared to mention any problems or doubts they had with the system. As a result the system had become a sacred cow, in the fact that it became unreasonably immune to criticism from anyone associated with it. Senior managers believed that the system could be developed at a cost of just  £1.5 million. To meet the stringent financial restrictions regarding the purchase of the system, it was recommended by the selection team that the LAS accept the lowest offer, no matter who the tender was; unless they believed they had good and sufficient reason on the contrary (Flowers, 1996). The consequence of being forced to accept a tender in this manner was that the one with the lowest offer was an inexperienced small software company that had gravely underestimated that task at hand; hence the reason for their offer being considerably lower than all others. Having never worked on a project of this kind the companys resources were massively stretched, leading to falling standards in areas such as quality assurance, resulting in several mistakes being made with the development of the software. The inflexible time scale of just 6 months to which the system was set was far less than the industry average of 18 months for a project of this scale. It was believed by a vast majority within the LAS that the time scale was highly unrealistic. Inquiry Team member Paul Williams stated that The timetable was impossible (Mellor, 1994). Staff complained of the inadequacy of the training received for the system. There were major doubts about the quality of the training received and that it was provided long before the system was actually implemented; meaning it was not as effective as it could have been. The situation was made even worse by the fact that the control room staff were trained separately to the ambulance staff, which caused the potential for miscommunication. Other reasons include the fact that it had been decided by management that there was to be a trade off between the performance of the system and usability. The system was developed with little input from system users such as ambulance crews, with no LAS staff being assigned full time to the project (Mellor, 1994). These, therefore, were not ideal conditions in which to launch the new CAD system. Flowers (1996), on the other hand, argues that there is never an ideal time to introduce a major new computer system. However, he does also go on to say that rarely has such a large scale information system ever been introduced under such difficult circumstances (Flowers, 1996). This was not the first time that the LAS had tried to implement a CAD system for ambulances. Beginning in the early 1980s the system was doomed after tests revealed it would not be able to deal with the sheer volume of calls and so was abandoned in 1990 at a cost of  £7.5 million. For a system roll-out to be successful it must contain these four phases: Implementation Planning, Implementation Delivery, Post-Implementation Support, Post-Implementation Analysis (Xalles Limited, 2005). These implementation methods are based on a number of principles and assumptions. The approach by management to the project should be disciplined. As the case of the LASCAD has shown; strong and effective management is essential for the success of a system. Managers should be able to competently handle and issues or problems that develop during the implementation of the system. Accurate and concentrated documentation is needed in order to effectively communicate throughout each of the implementation phases. The end user(s) should be kept in mind throughout the development process so that the System Requirement Specification can be met. It is essential that organisations learn from the mistakes of others regarding the roll-out of an information system. However, this can pose quite difficult as many organisations, if they have difficulties, tend to keep these problems in-house, as not to bring any negative press to themselves. In conclusion it is clear to see that the roll-out of a successful IS is not an easy achievement, with organisations not always learning from the mistakes of others. After reading several case studies of high profile IS failures including LASCAD, TAURUS and Heathrow Terminal 5, it shows that the price of failure are extremely high with these companies losing tens of millions of pounds between them, and in the case of the LASCAD people losing their lives. These cases also highlighted that the main contributing factors towards the demise of each project were in fact from poor management, rather than technical difficulties. It is argued that the main factors for success comprise of timing and budget, perceived usefulness and ease of use, fitting the organisations business strategy and objectives, the management culture and human relations, and lastly acceptance of the system by the user(s) (Maddison Darnton, 1996). In order for a system roll-out to be successful all of this must be ta ken into consideration. Bibliography Avison, D. Fitzgerald, G. (2003). Information Systems Develolpment: Methodologies, Techniques and Tools Third Edition. Mcgraw Publishsing Flynn, D. J. (1992). Information Systems Requirements: Determination and Analysis. McGraw-Hill International Flowers, S. (1996). Software Failure: Management Failure: Amazing Stories and Cautionary Tales. John Wiley Sons Ltd. Finkelstein, A (1993). Report of the Inquiry Into The London Ambulance Service. International Workshop on Software Specification and Design Case Study. The Communications Directorate. Finkelstein, A Dowell, J. A Comedy of Errors: the London Ambulance Service case study. School of Informatics, City University. Lin, A (2009). Information Systems in Organisations. Department of Information Studies, The University of Sheffield. Maddison, R. Darnton, G. (1996). Information systems in organizations: improving business processes. Chapman Hall. Mellor, P. (1994). CAD: Computer-Aided Disaster (High Integrity Systems). Vol. 1, 2, pp. 101-156. The Standish Group (2009). New Standish Group report shows more project failing and less successful projects [Online]. http://www.standishgroup.com/newsroom/chaos_2009.php [Accessed 1 January 2010]. University College London (2009). Unit 3: Case Study London Ambulance Service CAD System [Online]. http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/A.Finkelstein/advmsc/3.pdf [Accessed 5 January 2010]. Xalles Limited (2005). Successful Systems Implementation [Online]. http://www.xalles.com/reports/Successful%20Systems%20Implementation.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2009].

The Destructive Power of Peer Pressure Essay examples -- Peer Pressure

Peer pressure: influence from members of one's peer group. Peer pressure is an incredibly widespread issue in today’s society, and can have many significant and long lasting effects. Peer pressure is an issue that can be found in many places, with many varying degrees, but often happens for the same reasons. Peer pressure can cause drug and alcohol addictions, being caught shoplifting, failing exams, and other problems. It has many causes, with many contributing factors, but is most prevalent during the teenage years, as teens look beyond the guidance of their parents, and seek answers from their peers. Peer pressure most commonly occurs at parties, where parental supervision is minimal, however indirect peer pressure can be experienced anywhere. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the topic, as well as the causes and related effects. The report will cover the types of peer pressure, who is affected, who are the offenders, why do they offend, where does it happen, what can happen, how can it be solved, and why it is so hard to control. Peer pressure is a very widespread issue, manifesting itself in two main forms, direct and indirect. While direct peer pressure is more forceful, and harder to combat, it is also less prevalent than indirect peer pressure. In some instances both forms of peer pressure can be found in the same situation. Direct peer pressure is pressure exerted when directly asked or told to do something, and is more forceful, harder to deflect, and often requires a response or excuse. Direct peer pressure generally involves things such as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and decisions regarding sex. This form of peer pressure can have many significantly life changing long-term effects. I... ...(2013). Peer Pressure. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/Facts_for_Families_Pages/Peer_Pressure_104.aspx [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013]. Ianrpubs.unl.edu (2013). Publication: Friendships, Peer Influence and Peer Pressure During the Teen Years. [online] Retrieved from: http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=837 [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013]. Sitemaker.umich.edu (2013). UM.SiteMaker: Message. [online] Retrieved from: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.darnell/peer_pressurehttp://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.darnell/peer_pressure [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013]. Stewart, G., Larsen, A. and Wynne, E. (1989). Peer pressure. New York: Crestwood House. Us.reachout.com (2013). Peer pressure : The Facts : ReachOut.com USA. [online] Retrieved from: http://us.reachout.com/facts/factsheet/peer-pressure [Accessed: 10 Nov 2013].

Classification Essay - Friends :: Classification Essays

Classification of Friends On a conscious level, we rarely spend much time actually thinking about and classifying our friends. However, since I was a small child, my mother taught me to recognize and appreciate various types of friends. I have discovered that there are three different types of friends. I group them according to how well I know them and how well they know me. We encounter each type of friend everyday, whether in school, home, or at the gym. First, there are the "pest friends"- general acquaintances. Next, there are "guest friends"- social partners. Lastly, we have "best friends"- our true friends. The first type of friend is simply an acquaintance. This means that you basically only know their name. You might not even remember what they look like if you go away for a short vacation. Usually, you meet these type of friends in school, at work, on the bus, in the gym, or anywhere else you might be. You normally would not mind having a cup of coffee with them, but if anything else came up, you usually would have no problem parting company. You normally don’t miss them when they are elsewhere. It is also this type of friends who give you the most amount of aggravation. Since most of the time you are placed in a position where you have to act friendly, such as school or work, you would not normally tell an acquaintance when he or she is doing something aggravating, such as tapping the fingers an a table or chewing gum loudly. This is why I call them "pest friends." The second category of friends I call "social partners." This is because they are closer than acquaintances, but no where near as close as a true friend. Social partners are usually acquaintances who evolve into "guest friends" through increased extracurricular activities. You know their name, a little of what they like or dislike, a little of their family history, and usually have several things in common. As the saying goes, "Birds of a feather flock together," so too the social partners have to have several things in common with you. No one is going to want to spend any more time than necessary with somebody completely opposite and aggravating to him. Keep in mind, though, that the biggest thing that distinguishes a "best friend" from a "guest friend" is the fact that "guess friends" usually don’t converse about anything substantial or deep, such as their innermost desires and fears.

Behavior Change Project

The goal of this course is to allow students to realize the value of leadership as it applies in the relevance of group interplay, community service, and styles available in literature. This then encourages the formulation of responsiveness in the ability to become effective in planning, setting goals, and promoting application in each setting accordingly. Such capacity can then build the necessary skills and expertise in handling specific tasks and address problematic situations in a given scenario. Action PlanTo achieve this process, specific activities and programs are to be implemented within the span of 16 weeks. Under each period, specific objectives and goals is highlighted according to the principle discussed. Here, it may entail the following activities (1) formalized instruction, (2) group activities, (3) immersion, (4) reaction papers, (5) reporting, (6) responding to specific scenarios, and (7) responses to threads. These different activities in turn shall be delegated ea ch week to determine the ability to relate corresponding principles involved in leadership towards real life applications.Alongside these, specific rubrics for grading and measurement of competency shall be elaborated to determine how students utilize the information gathered in their personal lives. Weekly Assessment: Part One – what is leadership? To determine how students grasp the concept of leadership, they are expected to provide their individual responses towards how they see it being applied in different realms. By allowing them to point out its relevance within their family, community, and school, it can help show their understanding of the term and relate it in their current environment.Weekly Assessment: Part Two – leadership styles Under this specific objective, students then need to answer the specific thread wherein they show their two most apparent leadership style and what they feel can best supplement their interests as a future professional in the wor kplace. Allowing this to occur can then give better means of responding to their capabilities and look forward on how they can achieve the necessary skills and principles for growth and development. Weekly Assessment: Part Three – leadership and planningHere, specific collaboration with the members of the class are necessary wherein they are required to submit their proposal for their immersion to a specific group/organization during weeks 9-12. These can then outline what each member plans to do and conduct preliminary research on how this endeavor can supplement their leadership capabilities individually. At the same time, they can be involved in seeking strategies that can reinforce their decision making skills accordingly. Weekly Assessment: Part Four – Setting Goals and ObjectivesAssessing individual competency in this approach requires both the submission of the group project related to immersion to a specific group/organization and that of a response paper that highlights the value of the readings. This can then justify important precepts related to identifying goals (group immersion). At the same time, it can also infuse better means of looking into the perspectives of students in their capacity to differentiate long term and short term goals. Weekly Assessment: Part Five – leadership and implementationIn measuring student capabilities and responsiveness to these issues, they are expected to submit their group proposals for approval and comments in what they plan to do give their goals and objectives in immersion. Here, they are also expected to partake in group activities wherein they are expected to contribute towards addressing specific scenarios and promote better means of applying and implementing leadership in each category. Likewise, students are also expected to point out new means of how implementation is necessary in a response paper over a specific reading.Weekly Assessment: Part Six – leadership and the school co mmunity The application of this principle corresponds to the identifying common trends and problems within the educational community and how leadership can help. To measure students’ comprehension over this topic, they are asked to engage in the threads and point out what measures can leadership provide over given issues. Similarly, they are also asked to take part in the instruction wherein recitation points are given towards identifying specific issues related to educational problems and then identifying what leadership strategy/style best fits into the category.Weekly Assessment: Part Seven– leadership and ethical issues To determine the ability of students to utilize information according to these dynamics, they are asked to provide specific information concerning ethics. Here, they will act as both raters and reporters to determine how much they understood specific ethical issues in different environments and how it relates to the process of leadership. After this , students are also expected to submit a reaction paper over what they had learned this week and how it applies to their perspective both as a leader and follower.Weekly Assessment: Part Eight – leadership and group dynamics Under this specific topic, students are then expected to submit specific responses in the group activity established and the constraints that hinder their ability to function effectively. At the same time, students also need to answer the thread wherein they shall be given specific scenarios and argue concerning the role and value of group dynamics in furthering leadership capabilities. Weekly Assessment: Part Nine – Immersion 1 This week, students are required to submit their responses in their different associations with a specific organization or group.Here, they first highlight the successes and challenges they had faced in the process. At the same time, they are also expected to point out what goals were they able to accomplish and what needs to be furthered accordingly. Weekly Assessment: Part Ten – Immersion 2 Another response paper shall be submitted this week alongside a proposal of an alternative plan based on the scenario and environment they are in. Here, they are expected to formulate what necessary means are essential to promote better means of handling specific issues.Similarly, their views concerning its relevance may also be asked for participants to consider in writing these plan and report. Weekly Assessment: Part Eleven – Immersion 3 The third week shall comprise of submitting a reflection paper whether or not specific changes have been made and if they were successful in addressing the problems and hurdles of the organization. At the same time, students are also expected to respond to the threads and share their experiences and how leadership was able to further their means to apply their specific objectives and goals.This can then help provide the final portfolio project due in part twelve of the course. Weekly Assessment: Part Twelve – Immersion 4 and Analysis This section deals with the creation of a portfolio to be submitted to the instructor wherein thoughts and inputs concerning their participation in the organization. Here, they are expected to provide feedbacks in their own leadership plan and how it complemented their specific goals and objectives. Moreover, there is also a need for students to reflect on the overall immersion and justify whether or not they had changed considerably during this process.Weekly Assessment: Part Thirteen – Leadership and Globalization This specific tenet requires student to address specific responses in the online thread to promote address ideas taught in class. Here, it tries to provide better means for incorporating principles of leadership as it relates to globalization and interdependence. Likewise, it also gives students the means to expand their understanding of leadership in both the individual and global per spective. Weekly Assessment: Part Fourteen – Leadership and My Chosen CareerGiven the different perspectives concerning leadership, students are now expected to utilize their understanding by submitting a research paper of what leadership can provide in their chosen career. Here, they need to point out specific responsibilities and roles in their profession. At the same time, they also need to explore areas on how it can be developed with their specific skill sets and experiences related to their field. Weekly Assessment: Part Fifteen – Overall Inputs in the CourseThe last part before the examinations would be for students to submit a paper reflecting their positive and negative experiences in the course. Here, they are expected to be truthful about their inputs and how it presents itself in particular activities and programs. Likewise, it also tries to address new means of identifying common goals related to their development and growth. By doing this, it can help edu cators realize if their short and long term goals are facilitated by these activities accordingly and whether or not they suffice in building appreciation among students.Conclusion The overall facilitation of this course corresponds to the ability of infusing leadership skills to students and allows each one to associate it with today’s current trends. By tackling different principles that addresses the personal, community, and professional leadership scenarios, students are given the opportunity to become responsive to these changes and promote means to address issues, hurdles, and challenges in each one.One success of this program is the ability to utilize leadership both in its relationship with associated disciplines and via specific environments. By allowing students to respond to each one using different activities and coursework, they are able to maintain a firm grasp and appreciation of the concepts related. This can then help utilize means to incorporate and maintain effectiveness in their ability to become responsive to these changes accordingly. At the same time, it also helps students bring about appropriate behavior and handling specific issues.By highlighting specific challenges related to practice, they are able to correlate theories and principles to that of actual scenarios that are happening. Such dynamics then infuses better means for collaborating and handling issues effectively and with ease. In addition, the process of undertaking programs via planning, goal-setting and application also remains crucial in determining leadership objectives as it relates to one’s personal objectives and goals in life.