Psychiatry and Deinstitutionalization Essay

There is an agreement that about 2.8% of the US adult population suffers from severe mental illness. The most severely disabled have been forgotten not only by society, but by most mental health advocates, policy experts and care providers. Deinstitutionalization is the name given to the policy of moving severely mentally ill patients out of large state institutions and then closing the institutions as a whole or partially. Deinstitutionalization is a multifunctional process to be viewed in a parallel way with the existing unmet socioeconomical needs of the persons to be discharged in the community and the development of a system of care alternatives (Mechanic 1990, Madianos 2002). The goal of deinstitutionalization is that people who suffer day to day with mental illness could lead a more normal life than living day to day in an institution. The movement was designed to avoid inadequate hospitals, promote socialization, and to reduce the cost of treatment. Many problems developed from this policy. The discharged individuals from public psychiatric hospitals were not ensured the medication and rehabilitation services necessary for them to live independently within the community. Many of the mentally ill patients were left homeless in the streets. Some of the discharged patients displayed unpredictable and violent behaviors and lacked direction within the community. A multitude of mentally ill patients ended up incarcerated or sent to emergency rooms. This placed a huge burden on the jail systems. Communities were not the only ones to suffer. Those who suffered with mental illness were the ones who were ultimately affected. The stereotypes attached to mental illness were enough for some to not get the appropriate help that they needed. Often times, the communities would not get involved, discarding those who suffer with mental illness. Commonly, those with mental disorders do not have the means or abilities to take care of themselves, re lying heavily on state or local centers for help. If the centers are not there to help, where are they to go? Because of deinstitutionalization, there are those, who live on the streets, are put in jails, or are left to fight for their lives alone. In the United States in the nineteenth century, hospitals were built to house and care for people with chronic illness, and mental health care was a local responsibility. Individual states assumed primary responsibilities for mental hospitals beginning in 1890. In the first part of the twentieth century many patients received custodial care in state hospitals. Custodial care means care in which the patient is watched and protected, but a cure is not sought. After the National Institutes of Mental Health was founded, new psychiatric medications were developed and introduced into state mental hospitals beginning in 1955. The new medicines brought hope. President John F. Kennedy’s 1963 Community Mental Health Centers Act promoted and sped up the trend toward deinstitutionalization with the establishment of a network of community health centers. In the 1960s, when Medicare and Medicaid were introduced, the federal government took on a share of responsibility for mental health care costs. That trend continued into the 1970s with the placement of the Supplemental Security Income program in 1974. State governments promoted and helped accelerate deinstitutionalization, especially of the elderly. Deinstitutionalization is directly linked with the state and the financial support of the program. In several countries the shift from the welfare state to the caused dramatic negative impact in the organization of the delivery of effective and adequate mental health care for the unstable low class mentally ill individuals. As hospitalization costs increased, both the federal and state governments were motiv ated to find less expensive alternatives to hospitalization. The 1965 amendments to Social Security shifted about 50 percent of the mental health care costs from states to the federal government. This motivated the government to promote deinstitutionalization. In the 1980s, managed care systems started to review the use of inpatient hospital care for patients that suffered with mental health issues. Public frustration along with concern and private health insurance policies created financial bonuses to admit fewer people to hospitals and to discharge inpatients quicker, limit the length of patient stays in the hospital, or to produce less costly forms of patient care. Deinstitutionalization also describes the adjustment process that those with mental illnesses are removed from the effects of living in a mental health facility. Since people may become accustomed to institutional environments, they sometimes act and behave like they are still living within the institution; therefore, adjusting to life outside of an institution can be very diffic ult. Deinstitutionalization gives those living with mental illness the chance to regain freedom. With the assistance of social workers and through psychiatric therapy, former inpatients can adjust to everyday life outside of institutional walls. This aspect of deinstitutionalization promotes recovery for the many that have been put into different group homes and those who have been made homeless. A number of factors led to an increase in homelessness, including macroeconomic shifts, but researchers also saw a change related to deinstitutionalization. Studies from the late 1980s indicated that one-third to one-half of homeless people had severe psychiatric disorders, often co-occurring with substance abuse. The homeless mentally ill represented an immediate challenge to the mental health field in the 1980s. Those homeless who have histories of being institutionalized stand as reminders of the cons of deinstitutionalization. Mentally ill homeless persons who never have been treated often speak of unfulfilled promises of community-based care after deinstitutionalization. Homelessness and mental illness are social problems, very similar in some ways, but very different respectively. Patients were often discharged without sufficient preparation or support. A greater number of people with mental disorders became homeless or went to prison. Widespread homelessness occurred in some states in the USA. There are now about one million homeless chronically mentally ill persons in all the major cities of USA. Much has been learned during the era of deinstitutionalization. Many of the homeless mentally ill feel alienated from both society and the mental health system, that they are fearful and suspicious, and that they do not want to give up what they see as their own personal sense of independence, living on the streets where they have to answer to no one. They may be too severely mentally ill and disorganized to respond to any efforts of help. They may not want a mentally ill identity, may not wish to or are not able to give up their isolated life-style and their independence, and may not wish to acknowledge their dependency. Community services that developed included housing with full or partial supervision in the community. Costs have been reported to be as costly as inpatient hospitalization. Although reports show that deinstitutionalization has been positive for the majority of patients, it also has been ineffective in many ways. Expectations of community care have not been met. It was expected that community care would lead to social integration. Many discharged patients remain without work, have limited social contacts and often live in sheltered environments. New community services were often unable to meet the diverse needs. Services in the community sometimes isolated the mentally ill within a new â€Å"ghetto†. Families can play a very important role in the care of those who would typically be placed in long-term treatment centers. However, many mentally ill people lack any such help due to the extent of their conditions. The majority of those who would be under continuous care in long-stay psychiatric hospitals are paranoid and delusional to the point that they refuse help and do not believe they need it, which makes it difficult to treat them. Some other studies pointed out the harmful effect on mental health from other situations related to economy, such as unemployment, community’s economic hardship and social disruption as well as criminality and violence. Moving mentally ill persons to community living leads to various concerns and fears, from both the individuals themselves and the members of the community. Many community members fear that the mentally ill persons will be violent. Despite common perceptions by the public and media that people with mental disorders released into the community are more likely to be dangerous and violent, a study showed that they were not more likely to commit a violent crime more than those in the neighborhoods. The study was taken in a neighborhood where substance abuse and crime was usually high. The aggression and violence that does occur is usually within family settings rather than between strangers. Despite the constant movement toward deinstitutionalization and the closing of institutions, deinstitutionalization continues to be a controversial topic in many different states. Many have researched and examined the pros and cons along with the relative risks and benefits associated with institutional and community living. Many studies have examined changes in adaptive or challenging behavior associated with being moved from an institution to a community setting. Summaries of the research indicated that, overall, adaptive behavior were almost always found to get better with movement to a community living environment from institutions, and that parents who were often opposed to deinstitutionalization were almost always satisfied with the results of the move to the community after it occurred (Larson & Lakin, 1989; Larson & Lakin, 1991). A recent study showed that certain behavior skills found that self-care skills and communication skills, academic skills, social skills, community living skills, and physical development improved significantly with deinstitutionalization (Lynch, Kellow & Willson, 1997). It becomes apparent that deinstitutionalized persons with serious mental illness in many places across the world are subject to a plethora of health and social problems and are facing significant difficulties in the process of accessing health care services. In the USA people with severe mental illness due to their social class and financial stability, are subject to underfunded health d mental health care systems. While attempting to properly care for mentally ill persons, the health care system is trying to overcome a wide range of obstacles, such as lack of reimbursement for health education and family support, inadequate and under skilled case of management services, poor coordination and communication between services and lack of treatment for co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Last but not least, deinstitutionalization was often linked with the community’s reaction and negative attitudes, prejudice, stereotypes, stigma and discrimination against the community placement of persons with serious mental illness (Matschinger and Angermeyer 2004). However, stigma and negative attitudes can always be changed if people are willing to change their beliefs and if appropriate and effective community mental health care efforts are made in regards to helping persons living day to day with mental illness. Deinstitutionalization was not only attempted in the USA but it was attempted in countries such as Italy, Greece, Spain, and other Eastern countries. In those countries deinstitutionalization was shown to be successful when psychiatric reform was a priority and was completed with an effective system of community based services and sufficient financial care. This means that the very complex process of deinstitutionalization is a step by step multidimensional process. Deinstitutionalization attempts to focus on the individual’s life needs, including the continuance of treatment, health and mental health care, housing, employment, education and a community support system that works. If family exists and is involved in the life of the mentally ill person, the state eliminates the burden of care. â€Å"The final goal is the community autonomous tenure of the suffering individual and his/her integration, in a status of full social and clinical recovery (Matschinger and Angermeyer 2004). Works Cited Bachrach LL. 1976. Deinstitutionalization: An analytical review and sociological review. Rockville M.D. National Institute of Mental Health.Dowdall, George. â€Å"Mental Hospitals and Deinstitutionalization.† Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, edited by C. Aneshensel and J. Phelan. New York: Kluwer Academic. 1999. Grob, Gerald. â€Å"Government and Mental Health Policy: A Structural Analysis.† Milbank Quarterly 72, no. 3 (1994): 471-500. Hollingshead A.B. and Redlich F. 1958. Social class and mental illness. New York: J. Wiley Redick, Richard, Michael Witkin, Joanne Atay, and others. â€Å"Highlights of Organized Mental Health Services in 1992 and Major National and State Trends.† Chapter 13 in Mental Health, United States, 1996, edited by Ronald Mandersheid and Mary Anne Sonnenschein. Washington DC: US-GPO, US-DHHS, 1996. Scheid, Teresa and Allan Horwitz. â€Å"Mental Health Systems and Policy.† Handbook for the Study of Mental Health. New York: Cambridge University Press. 1999. Schlesinger, Mark and Bradford Gray. â€Å"Institutional Change and Its Consequences for the Delivery of Mental Health Services.† Handbook of the Sociology of Mental Health, edited by C. Aneshensel and J. Phelan. New York: Kluwer Academic. 1999. Scull, Andrew. Social Order/Mental Disorder. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989. Witkin, Michael, Joanne Atay, Ronald Manderscheid, and others. â€Å"Highlights of Organized Mental Health Services in 1994 and Major National and State Trends.† Chapter 13 in Mental Health, United States, 1998, edited by Ronald Mandersheid and Marilyn Henderson. Washington DC: US-GPO, US-DHHS Pub. No. (SMA)99-3285, 1998.

Absorbent Mind – Short Essay

The term â€Å"Absorbent Mind† was developed during Dr. Montessori’s seven-year internment in India. During this time period Montessori was able to work with older children. This experience helped her to recognize the unique aspects of the 0-6 child’s absorbent mind. The absorbent mind is categorized into two levels. The first level is that of unconscious learning, the period from ages 0-3. The child at this stage is learning through absorption of the environment, as well as through their innate instinctual nature.The second level of the Absorbent Mind is called the conscious level, which occurs between 3-6. At this time the child becomes physically active in her environment, exploring and pursuing activities with a desire for learning. Another key component to Dr. Montessori’s discovery of the Absorbent Mind was that of the child’s creative nature. â€Å"To explain the Childs self construction, Montessori concluded, he must possess within him, bef ore birth, a pattern for his psychic unfolding. † She referred to this inborn psychic entity of the child as a â€Å"spiritual embryo†. Associated essay: Montessori: Practical Life EssayIn order for the creative nature of the psychic embryo to develop the child’s horme, or biological needs, must be protected during the unconscious stage. This atmosphere of nurturing will allow the child’s innate creative nature or psychic embryo to develop to his full potentialities. During the two levels of the Absorbent mind the child is able to absorb all things present in her environment. The child will acquire the cultural norms and language of the culture. Montessori used two analogies to describe this period of development, the sponge and the camera.The child’s mind is like that of a sponge, absorbing everything in the environment. In the camera analogy, we think of the 0-3 child having taken pictures during the unconscious stage of development. Later the O-6 child will be able to develop these â€Å"pictures† or experiences and apply them to their direct learning. The role of movement for the 0-6 c hild is critical. As the child begins to move in the environment he experiences the surrounding objects. This experience of movement will enable the child to transition from the unconscious to the conscious learner.Dr. Montessori studied many different children, from many various cultures and through her observation she recognized that all these children were undergoing the same developmental process of the absorbent mind. Dr. Montessori went on to emphasize that the power of the Absorbent Mind is universal to all children. In order for the educator to aid the development of the child, she must create a prepared environment. This environment will allow for the child’s free exploration and most importantly the activity of the hands.

The Final Gift

The average person knows very little of death; it is a feared topic and not openly discussed. We misunderstand the process, do not know what to expect, and there is great mystery surrounding the end of life. The authors saw a much-needed chance to educate the public, to allow them to learn from death, even to appreciate it as a natural part life. The patient does not know what they are facing, and are burdened with extreme fear. Many have unresolved issues in their lives, and these can be the source of great agitation and even panic as they approach the end.The caregivers, oth family and the medical team, use medication to ease physical pain but this is often not enough to produce peace. The authors know from experience that helping the patient requires more then simple pain management. One must listen and interpret what is happening, to help alleviate any concerns the patient has. Callanan and Kelley share the wisdom and the â€Å"gifts† patients offer in death, by approachin g each situation with â€Å"open hearts†¦ and minds† and celebrating the patient's life. (callanan ; Kelley, 1992) The authors coin the phrase â€Å"Nearing Death Awareness† to summarize the dying process. Callanan ; Kelley, p. 1) The dying have an â€Å"awareness† of what is happening to them, and possibly even a glimpse into an afterlife. With some basic education, families are taught to care for loved ones, making them comfortable, which change to look for. The dying should be given the choice on how and where they will spend their final time. They most often choose the familiar setting of home, surrounded by loved ones. Hospice nurses and other medical professions are available on site, giving care and support not only to the patient, but also to the family. Death is portrayed in our modern society as dramatic and painful.Often family members become simple spectators, playing no role in providing comfort leaving everything to the medical staff. (Callana n ; Kelley, p. 38) Callanan and Kelley seek to make families and friends more involved in the dying process; providing care and comfort. They understand what their loved one is experiencing, learn from it, and help them pass with dignity and peace. The passing will often leave us with clues, some related to their lives, professions, hobbies; and these are ways of them telling loved ones that they are dying, an attempt to make final communications.It is important for the family to listen for such clues and interpret them, to communicate with their loved one and reassure them that they will be fine; the arrangements have been made. Visions of an afterlife and visitations by deceased loved ones are common with many patients before death. This seems to offer comfort to most who experience this, and they are often unable to describe in words they Joy and beauty that they witness. The authors recognize these as supernatural and spiritual events. They serve to ready the patient for the aft erlife, and Join loved ones who have passed n.The scientific community disputes such assertions; viewing such occurrences as simple functions of the brain as it is failing and dying. Such â€Å"visions† would then be common to patients, as a shared physiological process we all experience from dying and near death experiences. The authors do not attempt to explain or dispute the reality ot these supernatural events They snare what a loved one might experience as they near death to educate. The experiences they have witnessed and the Joy and comfort brought about in an extremely difficult time by these spiritual events.The patient and their family will go through five stages in dealing with impending death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Denial is a result of shock; it keeps those involved from accepting the reality of the situation. (Callanan ; Kelley, p. 44) Denial should never be encouraged, as it can give false hope, and make the diagnosis even more difficult to accept. Anger can be the toughest to deal with, and can be driven by fear and resentment. Empathy and support should be offered as one works through the anger.Understanding and communication are important to try and overcome anger. Bargaining is best understood as an almost child-like behavior, â€Å"one more hug, one more story, one more drink of water (before bedtime)† (Callanan ; Kelley, p. 53) The dying try to postpone what is inevitable; and usually this bargaining is with a higher power, God. They make promises of change or good deeds while trying to â€Å"buy' more time or better health. Those around the patient may not be aware of the bargaining process, as the patient pleads with â€Å"god† in private.Depression stems from grief of losing relationships, health, future opportunities and experiences. (Callanan & Kelley, p. 4) The patient seeks to be understood and empathized with; attempts to dismiss or make light of the depression only worsen the situation. Acceptance finally comes as death approaches. Acceptance of death can be peaceful, yet painful for the family as they realize their loved one is ready to move on. (Callanan & Kelley, p. 55) Acceptance of death can be misinterpreted that one is giving up, does not care, or is detached from loved ones. To some degree, most people die†and react to someone else's death†in ways reflecting their usual style of handling of crisis†. (Callanan ; Kelley, p. 9) Our everyday natural personas and emotions tend to be amplified by death, and can bring out some of our worst and best behavior. â€Å"†¦Like birthing, dying can be an opportunity for the whole family to share positive experiences, rather than only sadness, pain, and loss. That is the challenge of this work, and that's the Joy for me†. (Callanan ; Kelley, p. 30) As a radiation therapist I will be working with many patients that are battling cancer, a life threatening diagnosis. For some, the trea tment is palliative; there may be little hope of a cure. It is important to recognize and understand what the patient s experiencing, their emotions, which stage's of the dying process they are in. Empathy and truly listening to the patient will be vital in building trust and open communication. Stages of death such as anger may be evident, and it is vital to realize the anger is not directed at medical staff, but a reflection of inner struggles the patient is going through.I have very limited experience in discussing and confronting death in my personal life. Final Gifts has given me a better understanding of what dying entails. The experiences Callanan and Kelley share will prove useful in discussing death with future patients. With the goal of providing the best care possible, I will be able to educate the patient better after reading Final Gifts. I will be able to explain what is typical when facing death. Help to alleviate concerns of the unknown, fear of pain and what is happe ning to them.The stories shared by Callanan and Kelley will make me more receptive to what the patient may be communicating to loved ones. I may be able to pass on such intormation to the family who are best suited to interpret such final requests. I now believe that death does offer lessons for us to learn from, to help us celebrate our own lives and those f loved ones. We can prepare to eventually leave this world without regrets. We could avoid hostile or broken relationship now, and have a new found appreciation for the time we have.The authors make many valid and insightful observations on the dying process. Hospice nurses by profession, they were able to observe and document the dying process of their patients, allowing us to learn from experiences of others. The end of life is certainly filled with emotions of all involved, physical changes, spiritual experiences, and highlighted by relationships with friends and family as death draws ear. The patient often knows they are dyi ng; their final mission is to make amends, find closure, and wrap up any â€Å"loose ends† in their life.It is important for the dying to know their family will be taken care of, that they accept their departure. Family should celebrate the life of the dying; their accomplishments, relationships and triumphs. The spiritual experiences, communicating with others in the afterlife and seeing beautiful places to come is a very fascinating topic. I have yet to personally experience any near death experiences, and find myself somewhat skeptical about he role a higher power and afterlife. I do not dismiss or deny any such experiences.I am able to draw personal comfort knowing there appears to be a peace that comes with such events as ones nears death. These near death experiences play an important role in giving Joy and comfort to those passing from this life. I do not need a scientific or religious explanation of the source, and there are infinite theories on the subject. Simply kn owing that such events are a cause of peace for the dying is very comforting. The authors seek to change death from taboo and feared to a part of life more nderstood and accepted.It is portrayed badly in media, as a sad and painful event. They seek to change the stereotypes of death, to educate the reader, help them face their own death or that of a loved one. Hospice care looks to alleviate the physical pain of the terminally ill, however emotional distress should not be overlooked. Unresolved conflicts with loved ones need to be addressed, sometimes with one's faith or â€Å"God† as well. Once healing of relationships is attempted or obtained, the dying rest knowing nothing was left unsettled in their lives.Families witness their oved one able to pass in peace and tranquility, making the loss that much easier to cope with. Callanan summarizes the process as such, â€Å"By listening and understanding these messages, we are given unique opportunities to prepare ourselves for their loss, to deal with our fears of dying, to use well the time that is left, and to participate more significantly in this life event†.

Evaluate 2 aspects of effect of globalization in India in the last 5 Essay

Evaluate 2 aspects of effect of globalization in India in the last 5 years - Essay Example FDI has tremendous impact in economic development of India. Among the emerging economies, India offers the most liberal and transparent policies on FDI investments. The following table shows how FDI inflows from different countries flew to India. The maximum impact of FDI has taken place in service sector which at 21% includes financial sector, information technology, and travel business. Computer software and hardware businesses are next in the line contributing around 9%. Telecommunication sector has grown rapidly in India due to huge contributions by FDI. There is no surprise that Indian telecom industry which is growing at the rate of 45% has the highest growth rate found in the world. (Chaturvedi, Ila 2011) Indias growth story and FDI has direct linkages. Ratio of FDI Inflow to Gross Capital Formation rose to 9.6 percent in the year 2008, which was found to be only 1.9 percent during 1999-2000. In the same way, ratio of FDI Outflow to Gross Capital Formation went to 4.1 percent in the year 2008 which was ruling at only 0.1 percent during 1999-2000. (Ansari, Shamim 2010) India has been one of the most lucrative destinations for investment in the service sector for its competitive wages and due to huge demand and supply gaps in the sectors like insurance, banking, telecommunication and financial services. India has become a hub for back-office processing, medical transcription services, call centres, knowledge process outsourcing and back office accounting and financial services apart many other services including software and information technology business. The Indias average quarterly Gross Domestic Product Growth rate averaged 8.4 between 2005 and 2010 that reached at its pinnacle in September, 2006. This growth rate should be seen at the back drop of previous growth rates that prevailed around 5.5 percent before 2005. Globalisation means opening up of markets for

Modern System Of Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Modern System Of Policing - Essay Example Scholars looked as if they were busy discussing the politics of police reform. Researching of the causes of modern policing was considered in a superficial manner, more often presumed than proved. Cities switched unavoidably to modern policing as a result of increasing degree s of crime and disorder in a period of phenomenal growth as well as intense social change (Schneider 1980 p 54). During the above mentioned period London was plagued via crime as well as the safety of a lot of citizens was doubtful. Pick pocketing, gambling and robbery were ordinary amongst the crimes that took place. An essential factor in Sir Robert Peel's plan was the division of policing as well as the judiciary. Peel believed that police should be accountable for one side of the law, it was called the examination phase (Hurd 2007). Even till today, this idea remains almost unchanged. Until 1829, law enforcement had been dramatically lacking in organization. As London expanded during the 18th and 19th centuries, maintaining law and order had become a priority and also a matter of public concern. The policing system was seen as ineffective and failing dismally to restore and maintain peace and order. Previous systems were i... Overall it was counterproductive and inefficient. Victims of crime became reluctant to prosecute, as did the jury with regards to conviction. In spite of its early plausibility, the concept that the police were formed in the reaction to a crime wave is dull and wrong. Moreover, it is not a very valid o explanation. It presumes that "when crime increases to a particular level it is only a 'natural' social response to make a modern police force. This obliviously is not a clarification but a statement of a natural law apart from this it yields very little proof. We cannot leave out the possibility that the revolts of slave, rebellion, and other such examples of collective violence resulted in the creation of modern police, however we must keep in mind that neither crime nor disorder were not uncommon in the cities of the nineteenth-century, and thus cannot in any way be responsible for a change similar to the development of such a institution. Violent mobs were in power of a lot of parts of London throughout the summer of 1780; however the modern Police did not emerge till 1829. Getting drunk in Public was a severe problem in the early 1775, however a modern police force did not emerge till 1838.3 therefore the crime-and-disorder theory is unsuccessful in providing reasons as to why earlier waves of crime didn't create modern police.Bowling (1999) researched the decrease in the rate of homicide in New York and believes that belligerent policing is only one factor which contributes to the decline of homicide. He states that the most persuasiv e argument for the increase and decrease of murder in New York is the increase and decrease of the crack cocaine sale which, as he believes to be reciprocal. Another reason

ROBOTICS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ROBOTICS - Essay Example The robot has imitated the human arm in most cases because this is where it receives application in industries. Regardless of the robot developed and application specification for it, robots have some basic characteristics that define them. Sensing is a key feature in robot development. They should be able to sense the environment around them. To be able to articulate this principle sensors like light sensors, sonar sensors, touch sensors and chemical sensors can be adopted to implement the robot (Anderson). A motionless robot is not a robot. The robot should have the ability to move in its environment. Using wheels, rollers, legs, and or thrusters can make the robot move to perform its tasks. Care is taken during application of the robot to ensure the environment does not harm the robot or vice versa. Owing to the use of electronic components and codes to give it logical sequence guide in its operation, means they utilize energy (Cordeschi). Because of its movement capabilities, its design should put consideration into powering itself. A degree of intelligence needs injecting into the robot design. This is the ability of a robot to be smart. Programming is the playground to implement the smartness of the robot as it works in the environment. The programs guide the robot on what to and not do. In general, a robot is a combination of sensors, power supplies, manipulators, control systems and software all gear to one task. Robots for industrial use rotate through three different axes. They achieve applications in the field of assembly, welding, pick, and placing objects, packaging, and inspection of products, testing, and painting. In fact, the said field of application requires endurance, fastness, and utmost precision (Igor Aleksander). This entirely are features that a robot can be designed to achieve. Robots in every manner attempt to imitate the human being. About this, analyzing a human body goes along way into

Computer technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Computer technology - Essay Example Computer systems consist of both software and hardware. The hardware components are tangible components of the system: main memory, CPU, peripherals such as monitor, video display etc (Gookin 2006). Software part is the set of instructions that define what the actions of the computer hardware (Alagar and Peryasammy 2011). Typically a computer requires both the system software Minimum user requirements Fred, Barry and Jane need a Single PC for their gaming needs. Frankly, there are no many options for a PC with the minimum requirements they desire that can go for the price in their budget estimate of 350. For a gaming PC no existing integrated graphics acceleration cards can handle the processing requirements of the game. In this case a graphics processor that is dedicated will still be required. OS: Windows Vista or Windows 7 Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz or Althon X2 2.7 GHz RAM: 2GB Graphic card: DirectX 10 or 11 compatible Nvidia or AMD ATI card, ATI Radeon 3870 or higher, Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT or higher. Graphics card memory: 512 MB Sound card: DirectX compatible sound card Hard drive: 15 GB for disc version or 10 GB for digital version Fig. 1 Complete desktop computer The retailer has the option of making a choice between several brands, manufacturers of computers; Dell, Hewlett Packard and IBM. In my assessment I would recommend a machine that is high performing with the functionality that can well fit the gaming requirements. Since the budget constraints the selections, the best option is to go for the components that are most important in supporting gaming requirements. The computer features most essential for a gaming machine are; processor, graphics card, internal memory and hard disk capacity. Compromising on other desired features such as sound will not harm the game and the advantage will be the cost cuts. Justification Quad-Core Processor Though lesser processors such as dual-core are cheaper and within the budget, the ability of a quad core to s upport a larger number of tasks at the same time is a must for serious gaming. This is a good processor will help the computers to run effectively. The processor is the brain of the computer and controls most of the work done by the PC. For gaming requirements, multimedia multitasking, for example video recording while browsing will give a more pleasant experience. Processors are generally defined by their speed - in megahertz (MHz) or in gigahertz (GHz) - and it relates to the number of operations they can perform per second. The higher the value, the faster the PC will perform and the more expensive it generally is. I will recommend the Quad-Core AMD Opteronâ„ ¢ Processor with Direct Connect Architecture are designed to deliver industry leading power efficiency, optimal virtualization, outstanding performance, and low TCO - all within a consistent footprint and thermal envelopes. Fig. 2 Central processing unit AMD Phenomâ„ ¢ X4 Quad-Core Processors is a true quad-core perfor mance for the way gaming multi-task today, and for the next-generation applications that will be needed in the near future. Stable commercial AMD Phenomâ„ ¢ X4 quad-core processors offer industry-leading platform stability and longevity, investment protection, and the exceptional performance you expect from AMD. In addition, the processor comes with unique features for energy efficiency ‘AMD’ (2011). Random Access Memory (RAM) The computers will need about 4 gigabytes of memory so that they can run

Effective communication skills are essential when facilitating Essay

Effective communication skills are essential when facilitating learning for nurses and clients. With refernce to your area of clinical practice, critically dis - Essay Example It is not merely enough to identify the daunting nature of communication challenges in nursing. The training should have strategies in place to ensure that the nurses are trained and equipped to meat the challenges of their career. This will call for an evaluation of present training and practice of nursing career in the light of significant literature on the subject. This will naturally result in the need for qualitative changes in the area of training and practice of nursing profession. It is good to have an overview of the nature of human communication to understand its broad implications in successful health care practice and its particular importance in mental health care. All health care involves an appreciable amount of communication. There are three main components in the process of communication. They are the sender, the message and the receiver and the process is usually a two way process with the sender and receiver intermittently changing their roles between them to respond to the messages. In the process of communication the message that is developed in the mind of the sender is coded into a sound, letter, picture or gesture and transmitted. The message is understood if the receiver is able to decode the message and able to grasp the intended meaning of the sender (Ellis 1995). The process of human communication is very complex as it involves both verbal and non-verbal aspects. Now the practice of health care is exercised in a multilingual and multicultu ral milieu and the demands of modern health care task can be daunting and nurses need to be well trained to face the challenges of our complex world. The verbal aspects of human communication are very well understood to a large extent and it can be acquired by the proficiency in the language used in a place. When it comes to the non-verbal aspects of

The most important causes of the Protestant Reformation Essay

The most important causes of the Protestant Reformation - Essay Example One of the most important reasons for Protestant Reformation was religious one. The greed to money, drunkenness and fornication became constant companions for Church representatives. The great degradation of the priesthood's and monks' morality took place. Not all priests kept the vow of celibacy, thus they were engaged in sexual intercourse. Such a phenomena was spread not just among the ordinary priests, but also among the papacy. In addition, corruption in Church was common-spread. Popes skillfully played on the religious feelings of ordinary people taking advantage of their ignorance and lack of knowledge of the Scriptures. That is why the sale of indulgences was introduced on various occasions. Finally, there were some doctrinal reasons for reforms (Hillerbrand, 34). It was caused by Church teaching about salvation, which changed rapidly comparing to the early Christian and biblical views. Instead of preaching the gospel that Jesus Christ atoned for the sins of the people and ga ve them the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through faith, the priesthood introduced the indulgences, using which the enter to the kingdom of God was being sold. In addition, some social and economic reasons for the Reformation existed. While the biblical texts, as well as works of Augustine, various pamphlets, leaflets began to spread widely among intellectuals and ordinary people, the discontent grew, because people, while reading the Word of God and comparing it with what the priests taught, found contradictions.

Jokes in English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jokes in English - Essay Example One of the main reasons why this is possible is because of the adoption of the English language in various parts across the world. It has therefore become common for most learning institutions to incorporate English as one of the core or optional subjects. Students are required to learn several skills in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in the English language. However, an essential part that every instructor needs to know is that jokes play a very huge part in developing these skills (Sosothikul, 2007). English language and its culture embrace jokes to a high level making them an essential part that is not worth foregoing. It is believed that the best way to understand the English language then one has start reading English jokes as it enables one to practice things such as phrasal verbs and the slang, which is essential for everyday life. Objective of the study The objective of this study is to help English students to understand how they can utilize jokes in broadening th eir understanding and use of the English language. ... The study will therefore utilize the various texts and articles available to create a comprehensive understanding of English jokes. Study question The study seeks to answer the question on how are jokes utilized in teaching and understanding the English language? Jokes in English Jokes When it comes to English, there are several sources of short jokes available on the internet, inside English texts, and speeches. Jokes originate from various situations, memories or sometimes converted from one language to another. In his contribution to English jokes, Dundes (1985) tries to explore explores the Jewish folklore which is a rich source of jokes owing to the fact that the Jews are always big on humor. In the article, he identifies how the translation of Jokes to English affects their meaning and if the converted jokes continue to hold the same humor and influence (Dundes, 1985). Jokes in English have become a common way of life and their origins date a long time back in history. John Cle ese is a common household name in the UK and various parts of the world. He has had several contributions towards humor and comedy in Britain and across Europe and the United states (Tebbe, 2008). In an article on John Cleese, Tebbe (2008) explains the origins of jokes and their contribution to the comedy industry in the UK. One thing is however evident that the origin of jokes cannot entirely be studied because to an extent we can say that comedy has been there since man existed. Influence on people Jokes have different and varying influence on people across different platforms. A good joke at home would or may have a different impact were it told at work place. This is because the jokes touch on several subjects in people’s lives and some end up being offensive while some

Proteins Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Proteins - Lab Report Example However, this method is somewhat expensive and a time consuming. There are various methods of protein quantification such as the Ultra violet Absorbance, Lowry Assay and BCA assay (Mathews, 2000). This experiment employed the Bradford protein assay method in determining of protein. The experiments entail a spectroscopic, analytical procedure used in measuring the concentration of proteins in any solution. The procedure in this method relies on the binding of the dye Coomassie BrilliantBlue G-250 to protein in the sample, in which the dye is proportional to the protein concentration. The bradford dye-binding assay is a colorimetric assay method for measuring protein concentration in solution samples. Much of it involves the binding of Coomassie Brilliant blue to protein. In this case, there is no interference from carbohydrates such as sucrose or from cat ions. However, some of the detergents like sodium dodecyl sulfate, as well as triton x-100 are capable of interfering with the assa y, and the alkaline solutions. In this particular experiment, blank alongside six other test tubes were provided with a certain volume of Bovine albumin standard and the volume of some distilled water. The 1.5 mL of the unknown protein was constituted in the fourth test tube. The absorbance was then found through measuring it with the use of the Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The protein concentration was the computed with the help of the dilution equation. The determination of the unknown protein concentration was achieved through the use of two methods. These were linear regression method and the graphical methods. Quantitative determinations of proteins is the most accurate yet more rapid method for estimating of protein concentration in the field of protein study. The Quantitative determinations of proteins can be titrimetric-elemental, gravimetric or spectroscopic (Stoscheck, 1990). An assay originally described by Bradford has

Summary and Response to John Gatto’s Article Essay Example for Free

Summary and Response to John Gatto’s Article Essay New York teacher John Taylor Gatto began admitting to himself that he want to quit teaching anymore in a public school after his 26 years of service, and his reason for this is the old system of educational curriculum that he said hurt children in any way it could while letting them learn. He even compared the school system to the training ground for animals. It was as if he condemned the lack of participation of parents in the formal schooling, and even exaggeratedly labeled the schools as killers of family orientation by stealing golden times of childhood and formative years and teaching children to disrespect their homes and parents. He then understood that he does not want to be a part of the systematic teaching on how to fit into the world as he ironically admitted how he wanted not to live in this world that he described as full of vulgarity, inequality, dependency, and so on and so forth. One example of dependency and inequality or discrimination of education system has been illustrated when he gave the case of Rachel and David. He explained the injustices of the system by demonstrating the usual notion that when the latter learns to read faster than the other, the tendency to depend on the system of the latter is much likely to emerge. On the other side, when the former would be marked as the learning disabled being too slow to read, she might then be categorized as it is all her life. John Gatto recognized the mere fact that the curriculum of education remains unchanged even if reforms kept on placing time after time. He was a self-confessed teacher although he was uncertain that he himself is an educator because he was no longer a believer of a stereotypical routine-like type of teaching. He knew that there are other ways in teaching kids without hurting them badly. He ended his article by placing a friendly appeal to the public of offering him jobs that would not hurt kids just to make a living for himself as he would soon be free to accept new job. As a response to Mr. John Taylor Gatto’s article published on The Wall Street Journal, I want to give him kudos for being true to himself. I do understand his sentiments as he expressed uncertainties of teaching profession that fell outside of his own principles in life. However, it is unclear to me his real intentions of publishing the so-called pre-resignation letter in a much read newspaper. It seems that he has just instantly realized all of these in just a snap. Otherwise, he only have the guts to stood for his own beliefs and takes the opportunity to address his life long sentiments just after 26 years of serving public school as a teacher. For me, the radical adventure of government schooling, as said by Mr. Gatto, would be the best way to teach and discipline kids during their formative years. Parents are born to support and raise their own kids, and there is neither a licensure exam nor school for such. Teaching profession has, which means that teachers are valid to take charge on a step by step formation. Besides these teachers might also be the product of the old education system that Mr. Gatto is trying to denounce. Lastly, and to clarify my own points of view, my belief to the old norm of public schooling is not comparable to my recognition John Taylor Gatto’s life lesson and his more than two decades and a half of being a sincere teacher even if he does not want to be called educator ever again. R E F E R E N C E Gatto, J. T. (1991, July 25). I May Be A Teacher But I am Not An Educator. The Wall Street Journal.

Whittingtons Four Generic Approaches To Strategy Commerce Essay

Whittingtons Four Generic Approaches To Strategy Commerce Essay Figure 1 illustrates the two processes of strategy formulation; the deliberate and the emergent. The deliberate process produces the intended strategy while the emergent process produces an evolved strategy from unplanned changes in either the organization or the environment (Mintzberg Waters, 1985 cited in Batamuriza et al, 2006). Each of the four approaches gives differing views of how strategy is formulated. Classical approach The classical approach is the most prominent of the four approaches to strategy. It is a rational and deliberate approach to strategy formulation with a unitary objective of profit maximization (Whittington, 2001). The classical approach assumes the business environment to be predictable and so designs a rational and logical approach that will enable the organization to achieve its goals and objectives. The classical approach uses rational planning methodology such as PESTLE analysis to craft strategy (Mullins, 2007). A limitation of this approach is the uncertainty of events may occur in the macro environment that may render the approach obsolete (Wright, 2000). The classical and evolutionary approaches share a similarity as they both agree on the unitary goal of profit maximization as the outcome of strategy, however the evolutionary takes a different position as it relies on the ability of the market to secure profit maximization (Whittington 2001). While the classical approach is similar to Gareth Morgans machine metaphor which connotes efficiency, in the context of Mintzbergs schools of thought it is synonymous with designing, planning and positioning schools of thought which is line with Frederick Taylors Scientific school (Mintzberg, 1998). Evolutionary approach to strategy The evolutionary is an emergent approach to strategy formulation, it relies on the ability of the market to secure a unitary goal of profit maximization. It believes that evolution is natures cost benefit analysis (Einhorn Hogath 1988:114 cited in Whittington 2001, p.16) and so it does not matter whatever the strategy the manager puts in place, it is the market that will decide the best. While the evolutionary and the processual approaches share the same view on the unsuitability of the classical approach to cope with an unpredictable environment, the evolutionary believe in allowing the market to determine the choice strategy, while the processual require the organization to maintain the status quo and work with it (Whittington, 2001). A limitation of this approach is to ask if it is realistic to base a strategy only on the needs of the environment irrespective of the resources of the organization (Batamuriza et al, 2006). What happens if an organization operates in an unstable environment?, how often will such an organization need to develop its strategy? While this approach share a similarity with Gareth Morgans metaphor of organism and its ability to adapt to its environment (Morgan, 2006), it is also synonymous with Mintzbergs school environment as the determinant of strategy which is in line with the Contingency Theory (Mintzberg, 1998) Processual approach to Strategy In contrast with the classical and evolutionary approaches, the processual pursue pluralist goals as it seeks more than profit maximization as the expected outcome of strategy. This is a messy approach which places emphasis on bottom-up approach in which strategy emerge from individuals in the organization seeking to include their personnel objectives as part of the organizational goals (Batamuriza et al, 2006). The processual and the systemic approaches share a similarity in pluralist goals as the outcome of strategy but differ in their approaches, while the processual favours the emergent process, the systemic is goes with the deliberate (Whittington, 2001). The processual and the classical approaches also share a similarity as they both rely on an organizations micro environment as the determinant of strategy formulation (Batamuriza et al, 2006). A limitation of this approach is the challenge in the choice of strategy to be adopted and the insecurity of what job functions the managers perform if strategy formulation is a bottom-up approach (Batamuriza et al, 2006). The processual shares a relationship with Mintzbergs learning and power schools where uncertainty and politicking rules. The Mintzberg school of learning is in line with the theory of organizational learning while the power which relates to power distance theory (Mintzberg, 1998). The processual also shares a similarity with Gareth Morgans metaphor on psychic and political images of repression and conflict processes of strategy formulation respectively (Morgan, 2006). Systemic approach to Strategy The systemic is a deliberate approach to strategy which favours pluralist goals as the outcome of strategy. It not only seeks an approach to strategy formulation based on the socio-economic systems of the environment, but also organization goals that depends on the local rules in which the organization operates (Whittington, 2001). In this approach both the process and the outcome of strategy must align with the cultural rules of the local society. The systemic and the classical approaches share the same perspective on long-term planning but however differ on expected outcome of strategy. While the classical seek a unitary outcome of profit maximization, the systemic seeks a pluralist outcome which is dependent on the social context in which the organization is operating. For example, while the Americans seek unitary goal of profit maximization, the Koreans prefer pluralistic goals of growth and market share.(Whittington 2001). It also shares a similarity with evolutionary approach as they both favour the macro environment as the determinant of strategy formulation. A limitation of this approach is the process of strategy formulation which is in alignment with its social context, this then gives the impression of a strategy formulation that is according to itself (Batamuriza et al, 2006). Systemic approach is identical to Mintzbergs cultural school (Mintzberg, 1998) which is line with cultural intelligence theory and Gareth Morgans metaphor of culture as an image organization (Morgan, 2006). Conclusion Every organization and individual exist and operate in an ever changing environment with the aim of achieving one aim or the other from time to time with different objectives, subject to different conditions, thereby rendering irrelevant some known approaches in favour of alternatives and more relevant methodology. Whittington has no doubt made very valid contribution to strategy crafting that will stand the test of time, as it condemns rigidity to embrace flexibility in strategy crafting, as well as being responsive to changes within business environmental variables, that necessitate modification as the need arises. Strategy does matter as it gives meaning to an organization which enables the employees and the outside world indentify with that organization. There are different approaches to strategy, but they fall under two processes; deliberate or emergent. It is not enough for organizations to have a strategy, the formulation and implementation must flow together through the process of crafting. It has been said that strategy that is formulated by the top hierarchy of organizations, far removed from daily operations have been responsible for the fall of many of such organizations (Mintzberg 1987) From the above discussion, it is evident that there is no single definition for strategy, rather it is what an individual or organization makes it to be. An organization can survive without a strategy, for such an organization having no strategy could also be a strategy! Effective strategies can show up in the strangest places and develop through the most unexpected means. There is no one best way to make strategy (Mintzberg 1987, pp70).

The Importance Of Exercise In Older People Physical Education Essay

The Importance Of Exercise In Older People Physical Education Essay In older adults, physical activity is a necessary action to provide and maintain health.1 A substantial amount of empirical evidence has demonstrated that the health benefits associated with participation in physical activity can maintain functional independence and ultimately improve quality of life.2-.3 In addition, participation in physical activity improves self-esteem, mental alertness and social interaction, and decreases levels of depression.4-5 Physical activity is also a major independent modifiable risk factor that has a protective effect against the onset of cardiovascular disease, ischemic stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.6-7 However, a preliminary report in 2007 by the National Statistical Office of Thailand showed that more than 58% of Thai elderly engaged in physical activity less often than recommended for good health.8 Therefore, it is imperative that physical activity among the aged population is evaluated. A review of physical activity studies reveals that the physical environment is significantly associated with physical activity participation. According to Bandura, physical environment plays either the role of facilitator or obstacle in human motivation through the interaction between cognitive functions and environment.9-10 Both natural features and human constructs related to environment may affect physical activity engagement.11 Physical environment positively influences physical activity within older people.12-18 While the significance of physical environment is well recognized, an accurate measure is needed to identify the specific characteristics of the physical environment for physical activity, with respect to older people. If there is low error in the assessment, the explanation of the relationship between physical environment and physical activity will be raised. The concept of behavior setting helps to elucidate the influence of physical environment on physical activity.19 Behavior occurs within a physical and social context. So, the behavior of older people will be influenced by environment the neighborhood, community, or home environment. The home environment is a primary setting for the performance of daily activities among older people.20 In Thailand, most older people stay and participate in physical activity in their home. Although previous studies have assessed only convenience of facilities and access to equipment at home related to physical activity, the characteristics of home environment is the least studied potential determinant of participation in physical activity.11-12 Existing investigations use either neighborhood-focused scales to determine physical environment 14,21-22, or have applied both neighborhood and availability of facilities in the community.18,23 A review of relevant research indicates that aspects of the physica l environment, such as safety, traffic volume, street lighting, unattended dogs, having a sidewalk, and accessibility to public recreation places influence physical activity,14-18 whereas other evidence suggests equivocal results.21-22,24 At least one potential reason exists for this inconsistency which may be related to the physical environment measurement, particularly with older adults. Most physical environment questionnaires were developed in western countries. These measurements have involved different neighborhood and community settings; assessed in different dimensions such as convenience, safety, accessibility, and facility. Even though the physical environment questionnaires have been validated in western countries, they have not been tested in others settings. Due to differences of geographic features, culture, and patterns of living, a need exists to assess the physical environment of Thai elderly to confirm reliability and validity in this cultural context. Furthermore, the relationship of the physical environment of home and physical activity of older Thai people is still unknown. Understanding features of the physical environment related to physical activity may provide an effective implementation design to motivate older Thai people to participate in physical activity. For these reasons, a modified instrument, the Thai Environmental Support for Physical Activity for Older Thai people (TESPA) for assessing the physical environment including home, neighborhood, and community environment needs to be modified and validated for the older Thai population. This study addressed this shortcoming by modifying and confirming a three-factor structure for physical environment in a sample of older adults in Thailand. We hypothesized that a correlated three-factor structure for the TESPA would fit the data well and that these factors would possess good internal consistency. Additionally, we hypothesized that higher scores on the subscales of the TESPA would be significantly and positively correlated with higher levels of physical activity. Moreover, our study purpose was to prepare physical environment questionnaire for a large descriptive study related to physical activity in older Thai people. Objective The purpose of this project was modification and assessment of the TESPA scale in older Thai people to provide a reliable and valid measure that is culturally congruent and useful for future research. Measures Demographics. -A personal data sheet was used to obtain demographic and socioeconomic data including age, gender, income, marital status, education level, area of living, the length of living in their residence and medical history. The Chula Mental Test (CMT), an interviewing questionnaire developed by Jittapunkul, and colleagues was administered to determine the cognitive function of older Thai people who has difficulties in reading and writing.25 The CMT consists of 13 items related to cognitive function. Scales are coded on a dichotomous score of 0 (incorrect) and 1 (correct); items 5 and 12 have two sub-scales, and items 3 and 13 have three sub-scales each. Total scores indicate the cognitive function and range from 0-19. Scores 0-4 illustrate severe cognitive impairment, scores 5-9 depict moderate cognitive impairment, scores 10-14 reveal mild cognitive impairment, and scores 15-19 demonstrate normal cognitive function. Physical activity. -Physical activity was assessed by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long form (IPAQ-L). The IPAQ-L was developed by the International Consensus Group for the Development of an International Physical Activity Questionnaire at the WHO in 1998.26 The IPAQ-L includes 5 parts: work-related activities, transport-related activities, domestic activities, and time spent sitting during the previous 7 days. In addition, the IPAQ-L assesses the frequency, intensity and duration of all daily physical activity. In summary, total physical activity equals the MET score, which is the sum of minutes spent in each domain multiplied by the MET value.26 We used a cut-off point 600 METs, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States of America and the American College of Sports Medicine.27 Threshold values for the IPAQ-L in the present study were categories insufficiently active ( 600 METs-min-week) We translated and adapted the IPAQ-L to fit the habits of older Thai people; content validity was determined by three experts. The content validity index of the IPAQ-L was .96. Numerous studies testing the test-retest reliability of the IPAQ-L revealed results ranging from 0.63 to 0.91, which indicated good repeatability.26,29 In the present study, the stability of the IPAQ-L questionnaire was reported to be 0.77 in 30 Thai elderly. Methods A cross-sectional design was used in the current study. The process of modification of the questionnaire included two phases (see Figure 1). In phase I, the instrument was modified as follows: 1) questionnaire improvement stage and 2) quantification stage. In phase II, instrument assessment was conducted to examine construct validity by confirmatory factor analysis and the known-group method. Insert figure 1 here Phase 1: Modification of instrument Stage 1: Questionnaire improvement stage consisted of measurement review, translation, instrument refinement and item construction. Measurement review and translation procedure: Physical environment is defined as older peoples perception of the physical environment to facilitate or hinder physical activity engagement in three settings: home, neighborhood, and community. We reviewed the relevant research regarding measurement of physical environment from the literature. The existing measurement was chosen based on definition and psychometric properties of measurement. After obtaining written consent from the author, the original questionnaire was translated into Thai versions by the researcher and an independent translator according to the translation-back translation method.28 The Thai version was evaluated by three Thai/English bilingual people. The questionnaire was translated back into English by two Thai-English independent translators who each had taught English to graduate students for more than 20 years. We then compared both versions in the original language, conducted checks with the translators, discussed the differences, and produced a final conse nsus version. 1.2 Instrument refinement and item construction: We modified the translated instruments to achieve a closer cultural fit for older Thai people. During October to December 2007, a preliminary study was conducted with ten elders: five who lived in a municipal area and five in a non-municipal area. The participants were selected from a broad range of backgrounds: five elders had elementary education and had worked in the agricultural sector, three elders had secondary education and had worked as small businesses owners, and two elders were retired and held bachelors degrees. Open-ended interviews were applied to ensure that instrument content and language were suitable for Thai elderly. They were interviewed in their home or a temple in their village. The participants were encouraged to share their opinions regarding the relevancy of items and appropriateness to the culture of older Thai people. Additionally, participants were encouraged to think of additional items that potentially could be used in the questionnaire. Each participant was interviewed twice for 30 minutes for each time, or until no new data occurred. In the preliminary study, no participant refused to participate. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Categories and coding were derived from data sources and previous related studies. Statements by participants about the physical environment were delineated and identified as a content domain. Representative phrases and terms were marked to be used as potential items so that the language of the participants could be preserved. Additional items then were discussed with two Thai experts and an American expert in geriatric nursing. As a consequence, the measurement was modified. Stage 2: Quantification stage This stage involved the validity and reliability of the psychometric properties of the modified measurement. Content validity of the scale was evaluated by three geriatric experts including one physician in geriatric physical activity, one expert in geriatric community nursing, and one expert in geriatric nursing. The experts were asked to rate the level of relevancy between the items and the definition of the concepts as represented. A four-point Likert-type scale ranging from 4 (strongly relevant) to 1 (strongly irrelevant) was used to rate each item. Data collection started in October 2008 after obtaining approval from the Institutional Review Board at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Both written and verbal informed consent was obtained in Thai on the same date as the data collection. The informed consent form explained the purpose of the study, benefits, risks, the types of questionnaires and tasks to be completed, and the length of time needed to complete the interview. In particular, it explained about risk prevention and treatment when the risk may occur during the interview or when collection of data is taking place. Permission was obtained from participants prior to data collection. At the setting, the participants were informed about the purpose of the study and their right to refuse participation. If participants chose not to answer the questionnaire, they could withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. They were also notified that their relationship with the health care team would not be affected. Their names were not used; instead, a code number was used to ensure confidentiality. There was no harm to the participants in this study. In addition, to assess the feasibility of using psychometric properties, the modified measurement was determined in the pilot study. The consent was obtained from the directors of primary care units, one in an urban area and the second in a rural area. A purposive sample of 15 older people from each setting was recruited in the pilot study; no respondent refused or dropped out in this stage. The participants were older people, with a mean age of 70+ 4.19 years. Most participants were female (76.7%), married (53.3%), had elementary education (80%), were employed (62.6%), with a household income of less than 5,000 Baht per month (approximately US$147) (76.7%). A substantial proportion (63.3%) lived in urban areas and had lived on average for 44.6 years in their residence. Of the sample, more than half reported sufficient physical activity level (50%), whereas 20% had a low physical activity level. A total of 23.3 % reported having no current health problems, while 16.7 % had hypertensi on. The most frequent type of physical activity reported was household related activity, followed by leisure time activity, transportation related activity, and occupational activity. Stability of reliability was obtained in two weeks, whereas internal consistency was assessed at baseline. Phase 2: Assessing the Instrument Construct validity of the modified scale was determined in the main study. Multi-stage random sampling was employed to obtain a sample of 336 elderly (aged 60 years and older) residing in 12 villages from six provinces of Thailand, who were not part of the preliminary study or the pilot study. In each village, 28 participants were selected by a systematic sampling technique from a name list obtained from the villages primary care unit. A simple random technique was applied and only one member in each family was included in the study. The participants were determined to be eligible to participate in the study if they scored >15 on the CMT, were able to ambulate without assistive devices, and were willing to participate in the present study. Data were collected from November 2008 to April 2009. An authorization letter was sent to officers of the primary care unit in all 12 settings to ask for their consent. After obtaining their consent, the public health nurses of the primary care units were asked by the researcher to make appointments with participants. When verbal agreement was obtained, the participants were asked to sign a consent form. The modified questionnaire was used to conduct interviews lasting between 15 to 20 minutes; each participant received a handkerchief in appreciation for their participation. A total of 336 questionnaires were selected for accuracy of data entry. Statistical analysis showed that two cases with a single or more than one missing value on community environment were deleted, leaving 334 cases for analysis. According to IPAQ Research Committee guidelines, the physical activity scores were processed to reduce data comparability. Ten cases were excluded by the truncation process due to the total duration value being more than 3 hours per activity, and four cases were eliminated because of multivariate outliers. Therefore, 320 cases remained for analysis. Most of the participants in the main study were female, married, had elementary education, and a household income less than 5,000 Baht per month (approximately US$147). Approximately 70% of the participants reported at least one health problem. Shared living was the most frequent living arrangement reported (92.8%) with an average of 4.11 persons per household. A substantial proportion (61.9%) lived in an urban area and stayed in their own residence. Data analysis Descriptive data are presented as mean + SD. The internal reliability of the scale was based on an alpha coefficient greater than or equal to .70; 30 stability of the scale was analyzed by product correlation coefficient. Reliability of each item, overall reliability, and construct validity of the scale were determined using structural equation modeling (SEM).31 The known-group technique was conducted using the multivariate analysis of variance, to compare the physical environment of those who reported sufficient physical activity and those who did not. Statistical significance for analyses except SEM was defined as p Results Phase 1: Modification of instrument Stage 1: Questionnaire improvement stage Following determination of the validity and reliability of the instrument, results were used to make modifications. The following procedures were undertaken. 1.1 Measurement review and translation procedure: Findings from prior studies demonstrated that most physical environment measurements were designed to identify specific characteristics of the built environment (e.g. distance between destinations, presence of sidewalk), and showed moderate to high reliability. Blocks of questions appeared to have different reliability among urban and rural respondents. Only one measurement was constructed for older people.12 A meta-analysis study by Duncan and colleagues concluded that the environmental characteristics in measurement presented in physical activity include facilities, sidewalks, shops and services in walking distance, heavy traffic, high crime, street lighting, and unattended dogs.32 The Social-physical Environmental Supports for Physical Activity Questionnaire (ESPA) is a measurement that designed to capture and assess the supporting social and physical environment for physical activity typically performed by all age.33 The ESPA was selected to collect data in this study because it is closely congruent with the Thai context, and indicates both neighborhood environment and community environment. In addition, the coefficient differences between urban respondents and rural respondents of this scale were small when compared with the other questionnaires.34 Moreover, the previous validity and reliability value of ESPA was acceptable.34 The ESPA is composed of two domains: the social and the physical environment domains. The physical environment is composed of 20 items: 10 neighborhood items (access, characteristics, barriers, use), and 10 community items (access, and barriers). A Likert-scale was used to assess neighborhood items, except for an item on public recreat ion facilities which allowed response options as 1(yes) or 0 (no). The community items have response options of 1(yes) or 2(no), with score form items on recreation facilities, whereas a community item used a Likert Scale. The higher the summary score the stronger the physical environment. The ESPA questionnaire was translated into Thai. Instrument refinement and item construction: All participants recommended that some items of the ESPA questionnaire be deleted and many remarked that the questionnaire format be reviewed. Most participants suggested that 21 physical environment items be eliminated including public swimming pools, sidewalks, parks, walking trails, bike paths, recreational centers, shopping malls (sometimes used for physical activity or walking programs), and being a private member of a recreational facility . These items reflected physical activities and sites that were uncommon in Thailand and thus were not deemed to be valid it this cultural context. As well, five pages of the scale and various types of choices took up too much time and were difficult to answer; for example: In general, would you say that motorized traffic in your neighborhood isà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Heavy, Moderate or Light., When walking at night, would you describe the STREET lighting in your neighborhood asà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Very good, Good, Fair, Poor or Very poor and How safe are the public recreational facilities in your community? would you sayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Very safe, Somewhat safe, Somewhat unsafe or Not safe at al. Additionally, the literal translation of the word physical activity into Thai git-ja-gam-taang-gaa or à  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ´Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‹â€ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ £Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ £Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸-à  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ²Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ²Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¢ (git-ja-gam = activity; taang-gaai= physical) was unfamiliar to older people. Most participants thought this term was difficult to understand and felt that it was not applicable to them. The elders preferred the term kleuan-wai-ok-raeng or à  Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ·Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã‹â€ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ «Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ­Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ £Ãƒ  Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ (kleuan-wai= movement; ok-raeng= expend energy) instead to define physical activity. The term kleuan-wai-ok-raeng was therefore applied to this study. The interview findings illustrated that the statements contribute to physical environment among participants was delineated and identified as a content domain. Home was most frequently mentioned as a favorite place for engagement in physical activity. The majority of participants expressed that they generally preferred engaging in physical activity at home because of safety concerns and convenience. Representative phrases and terms were marked to be used as potential items so that the language of the participants could be preserved. As a result, the home environment subscale was formulated, and it was consisted of safety and convenience both inside and around home. Based upon the experts suggestions, 21 items that were considered irrelevant on the ESPA were eliminated and four additional items related to home environment were added to the ESPA. Therefore, the modified scale was called Thai Environment Support for Physical Activity in older Thai people (TESPA). A Likert scale was used to assess physical environment for physical activity. Possible responses were 1(strongly disagree), 2(disagree), 3(neither agree nor disagree), 4(agree), and 5(strongly agree). The possible ranges of scores for home, neighborhood, and community sub-scale were 4-20, 3-15, and 3 15 respectively. The total score was calculated by computing the numerical ratings for each answer. The possible scores ranged from 10 to 50. Higher scores indicated a higher level of perceived physical environment supportive of physical activity. In short, the TESPA was conceptualized to include three subscales, with the six items serving as supportive neighborhood and community environments, and the four new items as supportive of home environment. Neighborhood environment was defined as the area around their home to which they could walk within 10 minutes.23 A supportive neighborhood environment referred to older peoples perceptions of support including: characteristics, access, and barriers of physical activity; a pleasant neighborhood for walking; low traffic volume; and lack of unattended dogs in their neighborhood.23 Secondary, community environment is defined as the area contained within a 20-minute drive from the respondents home.23 Community environment support refers to older peoples perceptions of convenience and safety of physical activity in their community: convenience of facilities of the Primary Care Unit; access to parks, playgrounds, and sports fields; and the safety of public recreation facilities.23 Finall y, home environment support is defined as participants perceptions of convenience and safety regarding their home environment, both in and around their home, in relation to their participation in physical activity. Stage 2: Quantification stage The Content Validity Index of the TESPA questionnaire was 0.92. The reliability coefficients of TESPA scale was 0.73 and the test-retest reliability of scale was .76. The results of the pilot study demonstrated that respondents took between 15 to 20 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The measurements were culturally appropriate for older Thai people and the procedures were followed without any difficulty. Phase 2: Assessing the Instrument The physical activity score ranged from 0 to 2203.50 MET-minute/week with a median of 849.25 (SD = 438.63), and the interquartile rang of 670.13 MET-minute score. The skewness coefficient (.26) and the kurtosis statistic (-.52) indicated that the majority of the subjects reported a moderate physical activity score and a close proximity to a normal distribution. Also, 65% of the participants of this study were sufficiently active and 35% were not. The total sum scores of physical environment ranged from 19.00 to 50.00, with a mean of 34.87 (SD = 6.47). The skewness value (.26) and the kurtosis value (-.49) indicated that the majority of the respondents had moderate physical environment scores and the variance was distributed normally. Construct validation was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, and the known-group technique. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, the findings demonstrated that the construct of TESPA was composed of three underlying subscales: home, neighborhood, and community environment. The correlation among items ranged from .02 to .77 and the total scale could explain 61.01% of the variance of physical environment. The home, neighborhood, and community subscale could account for 29.4%, 19.7%, and 12.0% of the variance, respectively. The next analysis tested the three-factor model. The measurement model testing was designed to estimate which ten items were used as indicators for the model. Although the original model was statistically significant, the model was not consistent with the data /df= 4.59 and RMSEA more than 0.05 (= 151.54, df= 33; p Insert figure 2 here Table 1 illustrates the loading with t-values and squared multiple correlation coefficients among each observed variables for TESPA scale. The results revealed that all indicators of the TESPA measurement had significant low to high parameter estimates, which were related to their specific constructs and validated the relationships among observed variables and their constructs. The squared multiple correlations for observed variables of the latent variables were ranged from 0.02 to 0.92. The R2 of item 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 were acceptable indicators, except for the item 1, 7, 8, 9, and 10 which were less than .40. Insert Table 1 here The known-group technique is an examination of relationships based on theoretical prediction. 35 Table 2 shows the mean values for each of the TESPA subscales and physical activity subgroups for the complete sample. Those who demonstrated sufficient physical activity had significantly higher physical environment scores along all three subscales and total score. In addition, each subscale was positively correlated with participation in physical activity including neighborhood (r=.30, p Insert Table 2 here Discussion: Testing of the TESPA measurement model in the current study provided additional evidence for the validity and reliability. The findings are discussed in the following section. The content validity and construct validity of the newly designed TESPA scale were accepted. Continued support for the construct validity of the scale was also provided through confirmatory factor analysis and the known-group method. The TESPA measurement model demonstrated that all sub-scales of the measurement had significant low to high parameter estimates, which were related to their specific constructs and validated the relationships among observed variables and their constructs. Within the known-group method, the findings demonstrated that physical environment was significantly correlated with physical activity. This finding indicated that older people with high perceptions of safety, convenience, and accessibility in their home, neighborhood, and community environment were more likely to participate in physical activity. Similarly, active older people who met guideline recommendations for good health scored significantly higher in each of three factors supportive home, neighborhood, and community environment than those who did not. Physical environments affect the participation in behavior by means of the interaction between cognitive functions and environment through human motivation.9-10 Bandura argued that a better environment provides a great opportunity to perform a behavior.10 According to the empirical data in the present study, a plausible explanation for this result contributed to characteristics of the Thai elderly. The majority of the elders sampled have lived in their home for a median 30 years; consequently, they were familiar with the physical characteristics of their environment in and outside the home. It is possible that the friendly environment contributed to motivate them for physical activity engagement, while unfriendly environments discouraged activity. For reliability, although the R2 for item 1, 7, 8, 9 and 10 indicated that these items should be considered irrelevant for the TESPA scale, the measurement model was a good fit with the empirical data. Not only was this scale firstly modified and validated in older Thai adults, but also normative data for comparison in the elderly or other study were not available. Approximately 61 % of the variance in the TESPA scale was explained by the 10 items, whereas 39 % of the variance in this scale remains unexplained. Corresponding with the SCT approach, Bandura argued that nearly all aspects of the physical environment can influence physical activity.36 Owing to the fact that the TESPA measurement includes only safety, convenience, and accessibility aspects of physical environment, it is possible that other aspects may contribute more to physical activity than these aspects. Other aspects of the physical environment may still influence engaging in physical activity; a need is indicated for work to identify these aspects yet unidentified. Therefore, continued evaluation of the psychometric properties both in the other sample and new additional items are necessary to confirm this study. Limitations and recommendations: This study was limited by homogeneity of the sample. The majority of participants was female, married, low socioeconomic status, and lived in their home. Continued testing of the TESPA scale, particularly with socio-economically diverse older adults, is needed to insure that this measure is consistent. Additionally, using objective measurement should be considered, to further add to the validity of the findings and confirm the subjective report. Further, the item related to community environment should be explored via a qualitative study to explore and understand with the physical environment of Thai elderly. Nevertheless, based on factors of the TESPA, manipulation of these factors with cognitive behav

Gender Issues :: essays research papers

Gender equality Gender equality is an issue constantly in conflict within societies of Eastern and Western countries. Although Vietnamese women living in the United States have equal access to jobs and education and are able to be independent, they still choose to â€Å"incorporate the new realities of their lives into the ideological confines of the traditional family system† (Kibria 109). Tradition mandates that women are the support system of principles and values of the traditional Vietnamese family system (137). While Vietnamese women are more reserved and submissive to their husbands, Vietnamese-American women have discovered the strength and power to be the central figure within the newly defined collective household in order to survive and provide for the children’s future. According to Confucianism, the family line is patriarchal and the man is to be obeyed. Women were expected to follow the three respects—her father, her husband and her eldest son; if not, the consequences were severe. Having women stay at home with the children is a way of life in mainstream Asian countries. In Asia, a woman would not and could not leave her parent's home until she is married, then she would live with and care for her husband's family. An unwed woman living on her own would be considered shameful and disgraceful to her family in Asian culture. Unlike the strict traditional ways of Confucianism, Vietnamese families are orderly and emotional (Freeman 88). Within the traditional Vietnamese family, the â€Å"disciplined authority of and obligation to the father, but also nurturance, sentiment and affection are associated with the mother† (89). Asian women, in general, are taught to be reserved and to keep thoughts and experiences private in order to avoid losing face and embarrassing the family; however, â€Å"more respect for the rights and powers of Vietnamese women† have contributed to a Vietnamese history inclusive of strong, intelligent and decisive women such as the Truong Sisters who fought and defeated the Chinese to regain Vietnam’s independence in 40 A.D. Traditional femininity is to be expressed through modes of dress, movement, speech and actions; to an extent this is also true of Asian-American women in modern society. Although a traditional Asian women's timid behavior leads to a lack of individuality and self-confidence, Asian-America women have begun to shed the belief of fate, destined misery, and strived to speak their own minds. If women are given opportunities to pursue careers, they are expected to fulfill positions as nurses, textile workers, or teacher because women are supposedly more caring and nurturing.

Symbol Of America :: essays research papers

The thing that I see that represents America is Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There have been numerous historical events that have been the basis for the forming of the United States of America that took place inside Independence Hall. Basically, everything that happened during the time of the Thirteen Colonies and a period of time after the Revolutionary War that involved political affairs, all took place in Independence Hall. This place was pretty much the earlier version of the United States Congress back in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s. Independence Hall, a historic monument of the United States of America, was where the U.S. first began to form from where the Continental Congress met to the place where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution was signed to build it’s way to become one great nation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, Independence Hall was where the Continental Congress held all their congregations that eventually led way to the independence of the United States. The Continental Congress was where all the forefathers of America from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, and many others all decided to free America from British rule. And where else did this take place than at the site of Independence Hall, but after the Declaration of Independence was signed and a bloody war called the Revolutionary War was fought.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were signed in Independence Hall. The Declaration was just a little document that brought the birth of a â€Å"new, free nation.† The beginning of the United States was on July 4, 1776 at the signing of the Declaration where all the forefathers of America risked their lives as patriots to get rid of an â€Å"evil† tyrant ruling from far away across the ocean, and to create a democracy that they could believe in. One more thing was that the United States Constitution was signed after the Revolutionary War to bring deserving and fair rights to every American citizen. Freedom and rights were achieved by these historic documents after they were signed to bring in a new country that has lasted for centuries and for centuries to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What other thing represents America better than the place of Independence Hall where America was actually born? There were many things that can also be seen as the symbol for America from such things as the President of the United States, to freedom, to the â€Å"American Dream†/ â€Å"the almighty dollar,† and so on.

true colors essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am a lucky person. I was raised by a very caring pair of parents with three very good siblings in an extremely affluent town. I attended the best grammar and high schools in the state, continued on to graduate from one of the best universities in the world, and had no idea what to do next. My drive to excel was both internal and external—I really do love success, but I was equally pressured by outside sources to succeed. The advantages I was given served both to help me start ahead of others and stay ahead in life, and to cripple me once I had traveled through those first two decade’s worth of rites of passage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have long known that having so many opportunities had simply paralyzed my ability to pick one of them. While I know that my grade school friends were raised in the same environment as I, I have always wondered why they dove quickly and headfirst into their careers while I spent a decade trying to make up my mind. This introductory psychology course is the final prerequisite course I take before I begin medical school in less than one month. While I would have liked to have made this career decision ten years ago, I am glad to have experienced and learned all that I have in my life, for those experiences serve to solidify my resolve in having chosen my future career. Fortunately (and unexpectedly), Carolyn Kalil’s book has helped me to understand myself and my decisions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am GREEN. Very green. Actually, my girlfriend stated that I am â€Å"anti-blue†. She is probably right. I am rational, logical, love to find, diagnose and solve problems, and I love debate. My original plan in life was to become a lawyer. I took the LSAT in my senior year of college, was accepted almost everywhere I wanted to go, but at the last minute â€Å"freaked† that I was making the wrong decision. My fear was two-fold: was I making a rash decision, and would a career as an attorney allow adequate mental stimulation? I chose not to attend, instead embarking on a very different path for the next ten years. My gold traits are very strong, though not as much as my green traits. My gold tendencies are loyalty, need for efficiency and responsibility. The description of the gold traits seemed to fit me quite well, but the green traits are very overwhelmingly Me. I suppose were I somehow to acquire ... ... knowing how I feel in a given scenario. Furthermore, she has helped me to be considerably less frustrated by â€Å"stupid† people. She has taught me to accept that other people have different motivations, opinions and abilities and that mine should be mine and their’s should be their’s. It will be very interesting over the following days and weeks and months as I try to identify the colors for those around me. This will be in part to satisfy my green needs (diagnose and problem solve) and partly to help me interact with the other people of different â€Å"colors† in my life. That is probably the most useful aspect of this book—understanding our interactions with those closest to us. I will try to no longer become frustrated with blues, instead embrace their differing abilities and how they might complement my own. I will try to compete with the oranges, not against them. And I will try not to force the golds in my life to quickly adopt and adapt to my world views. I guess all that remains now is forcing all of those colors around me to read this book so none will be offended when I call them a color. Kalil, Carolyn, Find Your True Colors to the Work You Love, Riverside, California, 1998.

College Education Essay

College education essentially is the key to success in the future. It opens many doors of opportunity and allows us to explore every option available. College education can provide a student with many more new and exciting opportunities that they never would have had if they drop out at high school. College education is important because you need a degree in order to get a good job or a stable career. I’d like to talk of some of the benefits that furthering your education can provide. It is common for students in high school to wonder if college education is really important. Many high school students don’t enjoy their school life, so it is little wonder that when they have the chance to leave education many of them are tempted. However the importance of college education, as well as the huge differences to high school, should not be overlooked. Many students don’t know what they want to do with their life yet, thats why I feel everyone should go to college. In college you can learn about things you are really interested in and pinpoint what you want to do in life. In high school you can’t really do this so many students don’t know the opportunities they can fulfill. Lastly, these days if you don’t have a college education it’s likely that you won’t make it very far in life. Businesses today only want the smartest people working for them, so they always overlook the drop outs and people that never went to college. If you want to make a good amount of money and be successful I strongly encourage you to go to college and get a good education. I would say this is the most important reason to go to college. In today’s economy I believe going to college is the best decision you can make. having a good education has so many great aspects.Never overlook getting a quality education, it will always do you good in the longrun.