Client Centered Therapy

Jessica Jeffers It is inevitable that in psychotherapy there are numerous theories. Theories arise out of scholarly investigations of ideas on human behavior. Human behavior is an extraordinarily interesting subject and therefore produces a plethora of ideas from a variety of theorists. These theorists are influenced by their education, culture, and time period. One of the most influential, empathetically understanding, theorists is Carl Rogers. His contributions to human behavior have changed many of the theories that preceded him, and contributed his theory to many theories that followed him.I want to explore Client/Person Centered Therapy. This is a type of therapy that was pioneered by Carl Rogers. This therapy is different because as the name suggests it solely focuses on the client. ‘In focusing on the client, the client’s feelings are deeply explored. The assumption is however, that the client was never able to have their feelings heard by the people surrounding t hem. Person Centered Therapy would allow the client to then be able to express their feelings openly.According to Strupp (1971), â€Å"psychotherapeutic relationship is in principle indistinguishable from any good human relationship in which a person feels fully accepted, respected, and prized† (p. 39). Thus, there must be a therapeutic alliance between therapist and client. This therapeutic alliance should creative an environment for the client in which the client feels the therapist is judgment-free. I find that Roger's theory to be interesting and seemingly affective. It makes sense that a change in a clients negative relationship patterns would allow freedom for the client to express themselves emotionally.According to Strupp (1971), â€Å"The client, therefore, is not a patient who is sick and who is in need of treatment, but he is a person whose earlier experiences in life have made him defensive, severed him from free and open communication with his peers, and prevent ed him from realizing his potential as a fully functioning person†(p. 39). Thus, the client would have to be categorized with the assumption that he has experienced in his past â€Å"severed free and open communication with his peers†. This would mean that a client with clear and reciprocated communication with her loved ones would not find se in Client Centered Therapy. According to Truscott (2010), â€Å"our efforts to feel good about ourselves we tend to try to incorporate others' expectations? thereby denying our true selves and adopting instead a conditional self? resulting in feelings of disorganization and emotional pain. If, on the other hand, we experience genuineness, nonjudgmental caring, and empathy in our relationships with others, then we can achieve our potential as persons† (p. 70-71). Thus, a client with emotional support can manage his feelings easier then someone without any emotional support.This still leaves the client with emotional support with the expectation that she should not have any difficulty with expressing her emotions. It is apparent that Rogers main goal was to create an environment for the client in which he will eventually be able to independently understand and express his feelings. Truscott (2010) reported according to the â€Å"person-centered, humanistic worldview† that, When we are fully functioning we are then able to make healthy decisions and set goals for ourselves that are congruent with our personal possibilities.The therapist, therefore, does not set goals for the client of solving or managing problems. Rather, clients who are able to become more fully functioning will decide for themselves how best to cope with problems and participate in a satisfying life. (p. 71) This independence that Roger's wanted to invoke in his clients has functionality. A person who was not able to function independently will be able to do so, which in turn can have powerful effects. The question is however, w ithout therapeutic goals the lines of recovery seem to be infinite.Thus, if a client is not moving toward a tangible goal, then she is not moving forward. As an argument to that, I would contend that the client would move forward because they would progress in their ability to recognize their emotional turmoil’s. Rogers may not have worked with his clients to produce and obtain goals, but he did have a ultimate goal in his therapeutic work. According to Rogers, â€Å"They [clients] are then able to accept themselves as they are and to commit themselves to becoming more like they can and want to be† (as cited in Truscott, 2010, p. 2). The client is in turn aided by the therapist in becoming as authentic as possible. Thus this authenticity would provide the client with the ability to be true to themselves and their feelings. I find this to be useful in allowing the client to process their internal feelings, externally. According to Truscott (2010), â€Å"Therapists must be willing and able to listen without prejudice, judgment, or agenda if the client is to have any chance of feeling truly understood and accepted.Positive feelings, negative feelings, and silence must be acceptable to the therapist† (p. 73). This is interesting because it requires that the therapists become void of any judgments. To me this seems like a difficult task to accomplish because of the nature of judgments. Understandably so, the therapist would automatically make judgments of the client, as a natural inclination even with the best intentions against judgments. So, what kind of a therapist must one be to establish a patient centered therapy?According to Truscott (2010), â€Å"Because person-centered therapy is, at its heart, a highly collaborative approach, three qualities of the therapist must be evident in relationship with the client† (p. 73). Truscott (2005) reports that these qualities are: genuineness, unconditional positive regard and emphatic understa nding. Truscott (2005) explains, â€Å"Genuineness requires a significant depth of self- knowledge. It is only a fully functioning person who can be totally genuine† (p. 73). To add (1971) contends, â€Å"†¦ he most basic ingredient of therapeutic success, is characterized by the therapist's openness to another person's experience and a keen awareness of himself and the client's experience† (p. 41). , the therapist must be very aware of himself in order to be present on behalf of the client. Truscott (2005) also explains unconditional positive regard â€Å"It means that the client feels understood in a nonjudgmental way† (p. 74). Thus, if the therapist is completely judgment free, the client is more likely to express themselves without a fear of being ridiculed for their thoughts.Lastly Truscott (2010) explains empathetic understanding, This means that the therapist senses accurately the feelings and personal meanings that the client is experiencing and com municates this understanding to the client. The following two things are important about this: (a) that the empathy be accurate and (b) that the empathy be made known to the client. (p. 74) It is important to understand that empathy is important in all therapeutic relationships. It is a core value a therapist must hold in order to create a proper alliance with the client.It is especially important with the client centered therapy, because empathy is a core concept in the client centered therapy. Rogers’s theoretical approach functioned well for the goals of the client finally being able to discover key themes about themselves. Accordingly Raskin, Rogers ;ump; Witty (2011) contend that â€Å"The common thread is the need to understand the client's relationship to the problem, illness, or self destructive behavior; to collaborate with the client in self-healing and growth†¦ † (p. 172).Thus, the therapist must combine with the client to put in a joint effort in the h ealing process. This collaboration seems most efficient because it does not allow for a false belief that the therapist will solve all of the client's problems. Instead, it should permit the client to feel that she has support to dive into emotions she might have been afraid to do so before entering client centered therapy. It is interesting to note according to Raskin et al. ( 2011), â€Å"Our basic practice [client centered therapy] remains true to the core conditions no matter who our client may be.We also assert that our ability to form an initial therapeutic relationship depends on our own openness to and appreciation of respect for all kinds of difference† (p. 183). I believe that the cultural diversity that CCT maintains is important in a multiplicity open therapeutic environment. The implications for a non discriminatory form of therapy are that it can be used across populations. This allows for broader use of this theory and the chances for positive outcomes is incre ased because the availability.

My Personal Philosophy Essay

Every human is bestowed upon themselves the right to live how so ever they choose to live. As humans in a society, we live to better ourselves and our future generations. Everyone has a goal that they want to live up to. Achieving this goal is considered success. I believe though that success isn’t achieving goals, instead, success is living with an active soul. Emerson, in his speech to Phi Beta Kappa says -â€Å"The one thing, in the world, of value is an active soul. † Emerson infers that success doesn’t come from reading books, but from becoming active. The imaginative genius, Albert Einstein, says in his famous quote that he isn’t a genius. Rather he is a human with an active curiosity. Curiosity is a gift of the soul. Curiosity is the soul saying that it wants to learn how to express itself even more. 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Barack Obama, tells the world that it isn’t he who has won the prize. He says that all Americans out in the world, who better their society by being actively involved, are the true winners of the prize. A common attribute that all these peoples include contributing to their own success is activeness, activeness through their soul. All these people are people who not only changed their society, but changed the world. There are many more who are of as equal value in their contributions to individuals of the planet. All these people are people who do not simply live life with a pattern. They are not people who no longer care as to pay the slightest attention to their heart’s desire. These people are people who live life actively. Actively through their soul and hence they are success. Not only a success to themselves, but to the society around them. Their success is praised, but the honor should go to their souls which took on the challenge of remaining dormant or becoming active.

Environmental Problems in El Salvador

With a total land mass of just 8,124 square miles, El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America. Like many of its’ neighboring countries, it possesses very few natural resources. Since the nation’s economy is based predominantly on agriculture, it’s no surprise that its’ citizens often experience â€Å"resource roller coasters†. In addition, its’ long history of inappropriate land tenure and ownership practices date all the way back to colonialism. Even more strikingly, â€Å"sixty percent of El Salvador’s population is expected to live in the capital by 2010. As a result, El Salvador has to deal with continuing environmental problems. The fact that the nation lies along the Pacific Ring of fire doesn’t help either, which subjects the country to frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. The environmental problems that El Salvador continually struggles with are deforestation, soil erosion, water pollution, contaminat ion and lack of bio-diversity. El Salvador is the second most deforested country in Latin American after Haiti. In fact, nearly eighty five percent of its forest has disappeared since the 1960's.Today, less than 6,000 hectares are now considered to be primary forest. Deforestation in El Salvador occurs as a result of timber exploitation for fuel. The nation’s high population relies heavily on the collection of fuel wood and subsistence hunting and agriculture. Since the end of the 1990's, the country’s deforestation rate has increased by eighteen percent. The environmental, social and economic effects of deforestation have been nothing short of devastating. To date, more than fifty percent of El Salvador isn’t even suitable for food cultivation.In addition, much of the country suffers from severe soil erosion. The massive deforestation that the nation has experienced has dislodged the top soil and has even changed the climate according to environmental experts. What used to be a heavily wooded region is now more like a desert. Deforestation is so severe in El Salvador that it has forced people into the capital city of San Salvador, where overcrowding has caused problems such as smog. â€Å"At least 11,000 Salvadoran children die every year because of respiratory ailments believed related to air pollution, according to one study. Although the El Salvadoran government has attempted to respond to the problem of deforestation, they have not been particularly successful. They have created deforestation laws, but due to lack of funds and management, the laws often go unenforced. In addition, soil erosion and infertility are quite prevalent in El Salvador. These problems stem mostly from poor agricultural practices. Farmers typically use a â€Å"slash and burn† farming method, which consists of cutting and burning down forests in order to use the areas for agriculture. This method destroys all vegetation and leaves the surrounding soil vu lnerable to extreme erosion.Unfortunately, since it is becoming more and more difficult to find land that is suitable for cultivation, farmers have no choice but to do this. Farming is their livelihood and quite frankly they will do anything to survive. What’s even more disheartening is the fact that the land that is suitable for cultivation has already been bought to use for construction of maquilas. In some cases, soil erosion has even buried communities in landslides and floods have submerged large areas of flat land. The soil is also unable to retain humidity causing drought conditions in the dry season.Most agricultural soil has even been acidified due to the irrational use of inorganic fertilizers, pesticides, and other forms of pollution. Luckily, the government has responded to this problem and is encouraging farmers to take advantage of improved agricultural technologies. These technologies include planting deep rooted grasses and trees on hillsides to control soil e rosion. However, farmers should not expect much financial assistance to take advantage of these new technologies because the El Salvadoran government simply does not have much to give.Thirdly, water pollution is another environmental problem that plague El Salvador. Despite receiving six feet of rainfall each year, most of the nation’s water is highly contaminated. In fact, thousands are killed each year due to water contamination, many of whom are children. At the same time, most of the citizens of the nation cannot afford bottled water. After the twelve year civil war destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, poor areas became even poorer. Homes and water sources had been destroyed by militia during the war. After returning home, some citizens chose to hand dig wells in order to obtain drinking water.However, many others went to their nearest stream, river or pond to collect water. These unsafe and contaminated water sources caused many people to become ill wit h intestinal diseases. According to Ricardo Navarro, El Salvador’s government has failed to protect its’ most precious resource: â€Å"Farmers have cut down forests that used to store rain water. Ranchers have allowed their livestock to pollute rivers. Communities have put latrines too close to shallow wells. † Others, such as Marisol Prima Ponza, who runs a government dispensary that tracks the health of 375 children in several communities, believe that things are improving. There have been fewer cases of diarrhea,† she says. â€Å"For example, from January to August of this year I have only recorded 17 cases. † Ponza also added that these improvements are due to several projects that have been implemented to improve water conditions. El Salvador’s government can not claim that they have played a large role in any improvements though. In fact, sixty three percent of water improvement programs were financed through international loans and gra nts, twenty one percent through self-financing by ANDA and only sixteen percent with actual government resources.Many citizens and international groups alike have been putting pressure on the government to improve water conditions as well. In fact, March 22 is declared as World Water Day when thousands of people protest in the streets of San Salvador. They typically protest the four main components of the country’s water crisis: high cost of water, unjust distribution of water, contaminated water and environmental destruction. Despite some improvements, poor water sanitation continues to remain one of the main environmental problems of El Salvador. Another environmental problem that El Salvador must deal with on a daily basis is contamination.The nation’s soil is constantly being contaminated from the disposal of toxic wastes. Each day, El Salvador produces over two thousand metric tons of garbage. Over half of the garbage that is produced is disposed of illegally in o pen air dumps. In actuality, only two legal garbage dumps exist for the entire country to share. The whole country, especially the Greater San Salvador area contaminates a great deal of its garbage by â€Å"mixing organic with inorganic garbage, biodegradable or reusable materials with non-biodegradable or toxic waste. By doing this, many recycling opportunities are completely lost and the cost of recovering the recyclable materials would simply not be worth it. Unfortunately, the nation’s restrictions on any kind of waste disposal are quite lax and they do not provide people with the resources for proper disposal anyway. In addition, nearly half of the nation’s garbage is toxic waste which is harmful to human and environmental health. Factories and hospitals alike simply dump their garbage into nearby rivers and lakes which contaminates the water.Unfortunately, the response from the municipal government in San Salvador barely makes a dent in the problem. Nonetheless, if its model extended throughout the nation and made its way into the platforms of public officials as well as environmental organizations, then positive change would probably occur. For a country whose environment is badly deteriorating, this is a life or death situation and must be properly addressed. Garbage collectors themselves can be seen handling garbage with their bare hands on any given day, which subjects them to many types of infections.According to the garbage collectors themselves, there isn’t a very good communication flow between them and the environmental sanitation office. Many of the people that work at the mayor’s office are not even aware of a pilot project to separate garbage. In addition, the equipment that would be needed for the project would not even be affordable due to San Salvador’s poor economic conditions. Unfortunately, the mayor’s good intentions are simply not helpful without the proper funding and effort. Lastly, another environmental issue that affects El Salvador is the loss of bio-diversity.It’s not that the nation naturally lacks bio-diversity, but rather the result of many years of environmental abuse. In particular, the nation’s wildlife and native plant life are suffering due to soil degradation, poor water quality and subsistence hunting. Despite these problems, more than 508 species of birds, 121 mammals, 130 reptiles and amphibians, and over 2000 plant species were recorded in the nation in 1998. Even though these numbers have probably decreased since then due to the government’s lack of emphasis on natural resources training, they are still not devastating by any means.In fact, El Salvador encompasses over seven percent over the world’s total biodiversity. However, these plants and animal species are not going to save themselves. If the nation’s other environmental issues are not addressed then the distinction of some of these plants and animals is inev itable. The environmental problems in El Salvador are an important issue to the state because they all lead to others problems.For example, contamination has led to water pollution which has led to illness and people’s livelihoods depend on whether they are healthy enough to work. As mentioned several of times, the state has definitely not done enough to ddress the environmental problems in which they are suffering from. Even when they do address the problems and create plans to fix them, they usually lack the money to carry the plans through. Any money that they do have to fix the problem is typically obtained through international grant and loan programs, like the United Nations. Some improvements have been made in El Salvador, such as the integration of legal garbage dumps, but since only two exist, the improvements have not been immense. The environmental problems have weakened the economy and in turn, the weakened economy is what is preventing the problems from being fix ed.It’s not that the elected officials of El Salvador do not have goals and visions for their state, but it’s that they can’t carry them through economically. Perhaps educating the citizens of El Salvador about how to care for the environment and farm correctly is one of the first steps. International groups also need to continue to put pressure on the state through protests, such as they did on World Water Day and their funding needs to continue. By improving their environmental problems, El Salvador has the ability to prosper more than anyone has ever even imagined.

Computerized Management Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Computerized Management Systems - Essay Example Computer System evaluation In order to attain efficiency and excellence, hospitals may implement the ELECTRA System. This system is valuable in that it provides health institutions with the appropriate management tools. These tools include stimulation, analysis and modeling. Proper documentation is also attainable through the use of the ELECTRA system. These management tools are equally vital because they enable health care providers to offer quality services to patients and increase their level of productivity (ACGIL, 2010). Administrator plus Administrator Plus is used together with other technologies and assists in carrying out different duties in health care institutions. Administrator plus is particularly used by different specialists in promoting health care. These specialists are mainly the administrators and managers. The system can only run using Microsoft applications (Accurate Info Soft Pvt. Ltd., 2011). Discussion How computerized management systems could increase quality of care ELECTRA The utilization of the ELECTRA system is of great advantage to hospitals because it helps in the promotion of quality services offered to patients. In addition, hospitals that wish to operate at low costs while still ensuring efficiency should consider applying the ELECTRA system. This system provides different managerial advantages to a health care institution including telemedicine, enquiry management, pharmacy management and queue management. The ELECTRA system allows healthcare providers to serve many patients within a short period. ELECTRA helps in keeping patients’ data and booking appointments with staff members. Computer systems that improve the quality of work in health care institutions are those that can effectively serve many patients within a short period (ACGIL, 2010). Administrator Plus Administrator Plus promotes quality by streamlining the different operations carried out in hospitals. This is made possible through consultant management, pati ent management and OPD. Patient management is vital because it enables staff members to collect and retrieve data. This system is most effective in a hospital that serves hundreds of patients at any particular time. Administrator Plus is of considerable advantage to doctors because it helps to save time (Accurate Info Soft Pvt. Ltd., 2011). Getting nurses involved The application of ELECTRA and Administrator Plus cannot be successful unless nurses are involved. This is because nurses are expected to give a report on the inflow and outflow of patients in hospitals. It is therefore important to involve the nurses’ in the selection of the type of system that would be most appropriate in health care. Gordon and Cox noted that when nurses are involved in implementation of technology, managers learn about their attitude towards certain technology (ACGIL, 2010). In addition, the medical fraternity will be linked to different technological experts through the involvement of nurses in the implementation of technology. Involvement of nurses also helps in setting the priorities among staff members. This is a vital step in avoiding cryptic issues. It can therefore be noted that health care institutions should not only ask nurses to apply certain technologies to their operations but should also

Research Paper Prospectus on the Economic and Financial Impact of the Proposal

Paper Prospectus on the Economic and Financial Impact of the Gulf Oil Spil - Research Proposal Example The world’s most sophisticated drill rigs, known as The Deepwater Horizon, was degraded to a mass of burnt metal in a split of seconds (Peppas, 2011). The rising demand for oil over the years meant that companies were drilling even deeper into the sea in an attempt to drill more oil. The oil spill occurred at a time when the industry was least expecting it; industry experts has speculated that the chance of an explosion was less than one percent (McCoy & Salerno, 2011). However, the incident painted an entirely different picture; thousands of individuals were cleaning up the oil spill, with thousands of devices screening the blowout. Discoverer Enterprise, the drill ship, howled loudly as it vent out methane gas that shot from the runway well (Peppas, 2011). Another rig, Q4, 000 which burnt oil and gas, simultaneously exploded (Peppas, 2011). What made matters worse was that the waters of the gulf were very difficult to reach; the terrain is very rough marked by canyons, ridge s and volcanoes (Farrell, 2011). The deposits lay buried under the salt ridges under the sea that were vulnerable to earthquakes. Furthermore, the temperatures underwater were freezing whereas the temperature of oil reservoirs was around 400 degrees (Upton, 2011). Economic concepts/approaches to be used in the research The economic concepts/ approaches to be involved are as follows: The concept of negative externalities: This concept explains the impact of individuals and/or corporations on a third-party (Hackett & Moore, 2011). They can be negative or positive; however, in this situation the externalities are likely to be negative rather than positive. Negative externalities shall revolve around the following : Damage to marine life Damage to local fishermen Damage to the coastal area’s economy Damage to U.S’s exports Damage to locals who inhale the toxic fumes Damage to individuals who consume the contaminated seafood Cost Benefit analysis of the clean up: This conce pt shall arise when the company involved decides to arrange for a cleanup of the oil spill as well as compensate the families of the deceased or affected people. BP shall have to weigh the private versus social costs and benefits associated with the remedies it take which shall be explored in the main research. As economic theory suggests the decision that BP takes may not be socially desirable because of corporations’ self-interest and focus on maximizing private net benefits rather than maximizing social net benefits (Ramseur & Ramseur, 2010). Expected findings/outcomes The findings expected are: Increasing unemployment- What shall be the impact on businesses whose earnings were tied to the Gulf of Mexico? Increasing government deficits in the region- What shall be the impact on fishermen who no longer have a source of income? Increase in national deficit- The deficit is expected to exceeding $2 million (Landau, 2011) Inflation in prices of agricultural products Higher taxe s- Politicians can use this opportunity to charge higher taxes on an already troubled population Ecological damage to Louisiana coast Damage to marine life- Oil has swept deep into the sand which is the breeding ground for most fruits and vegetables. If the oil isn’t cleaned up it can lead to intoxicated vegetables and fruits that can contaminate human life. Also toxic fumes have penetrated deep into the sea bed that can harm marine life, including fishes, disturbing their entire ecological system

Tort Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tort Assignment - Essay Example . â€Å"at the cutting edge† of tort law scholarship. (2003) In two distinct and independent areas of law it is a core element in the debate. In relation to mental illness, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of the U.K.s involvement in both Iraq and Afghanistan questions of the scope of liability have arisen with energy and imperative. On another level, pure economic loss arguments seeking to extend the potential range of damages have also encountered push back from a floodgates school of legal thought. â€Å"How far can tort liability expand without imposing excessive burdens upon individual activity (or, as some may wish, to what extent should tort rules be compatible with the market orientation of the legal system)?† is a key issue in questions of pure economic loss according to Bussani and Parker. (2003) The following brief discussion will focus briefly on the historical development of this argument. However, the majority of the discussion will focus on the dynamic of the concept in current legal debate and decisions. The story begins with Cardozo in Ultramares Corporation v Touche 174 NE 441 at 444 (1931). With less panache than Prosser his decision 8 years earlier is arguably even more widely quoted, than Prossers introductory quotation: He raised the spectre of the unattractive proposition of exposing defendants to a potential liability "in an indeterminate amount for an indeterminate time to an indeterminate class" IN 1998 the U.K. Law Commission acknowledged that floodgates arguments arise from â€Å"the concern that such a proliferation of claims would clog the court system.† (Law Commission, 1998) Today, particularly in the U.K., Bussani and Parker conclude the floodgate argument to limit liability is â€Å"not only pervasive, but has proved persuasive.† (2003) They provide a valuable typology for pure economic loss in the context of tort liability. They identify transferred loss, Ricochet

Macro & Micro Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Macro & Micro Economics - Essay Example Conditioning, if credible can be used for reducing the inflationary consequences of a resulting increase in aggregate demand from the post crisis deleveraging. Even after reducing the benchmark rate at zero, the Federal Open market Committee which sets policies tried to continue to add stimulus by pledging to keep the interest rates low through 2014. Evan continues to make explicit promises by putting forth that the Federal Reserve would continue to tighten the policy until and unless the rate of unemployment came down below 7% and inflation breached at 3% (Aki, â€Å"Bloomberg†). Evans and the economists Jonas Fisher, Jeffrey Campbell and Alejandro Justiniano mentioned in an article presented by the Brookings Institution in Washington that forward guidance in the statements of monetary policies have been effective in increasing yields through Corporate Bonds and Treasury Notes since the beginning of the global financial crisis (Aki, â€Å"Not Voting Member†). Reference of article to theory- Monetary Growth and Inflation The article above is linked to the theories in macroeconomic. There is strong empirical evidence which shows a direct relationship between money supply in the economy and long term price inflation for the rapid increases in the supply of money within the economy. This is the reason why governments rely strongly on monetary policies for controlling inflation. Economists have identified two links between the supply of money in the economy and the rates of inflation (Hetzel, p.205-206). Firstly an increase in the supply of money, if not trapped within the financial system as being excess reserves can lead to the sustained increase in the level of real production rather than inflation after a recession when many of the nation’s resources remain underutilized. Moreover, they have emphasized on the changes in the velocity of money, which is the ration between the nominal gross domestic product and the supply of money which leads to an increase in the money supply can bring about an exaggerated effect on the growth of nominal gross domestic product (Hetzel, p.205-206). Researchers have suggested the use of conventional monetary policies which influences the macroeconomic factors by bringing about changes in the credit availability in the economy and also the rate of interest or the price of the credits. The monetary policies act upon the rates of interest and consequently the money supply too. The control in money supply through adjustment of interest rates control inflation rates in the economy. However, it is important that in such cases the real interest rates are considered and not the nominal interest rates. This is because the real value of a loan diminishes with inflation and simultaneously revenues in businesses and household incomes also rise with inflation. Thus the ability of payment of a loan increases with rise in inflation rates. However, researchers have also identified certain imitations with the use of monetary policies controlling inflation rates (Baumeister & Benati, p.5-7). In the 1990s inflation rates were extremely low, but this was not because of tight monetary policies. During the same

PHP Libraries and Frameworks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

PHP Libraries and Frameworks - Essay Example Frameworks are significant innovation in modern website design. Recently, great steps have been made towards using frameworks as the basis for development. Typically, the code frameworks are a collection already created functions and classes. There exists numerous development languages and practically every language has a framework of sorts. This has extended to front-end scripting languages such as CSS and Javascript. The server-side scripting languages have realised more advanced development in terms of framework. For instance, PHP has several frameworks; Codeigniter, Zend Framework etc. Traditionally, the software management process has been focussed on basic code writing and development of modules. This takes place in two steps; developing software to completion and checking for functionality in the end product. The shortcoming of is that the approach is the same and normal pitfalls are still realised (Beck 1999). It is important to consider the uniqueness, of each piece of softw are and the development process it follows. Frameworks help, designing software as artefacts and means to serve the user needs adequately. However, the process – individuals, tools, methodology- followed are the same. This aspect of software development shows that the process is likely to be repeated. There are advantages that come with use of frameworks such as quality control and following a mature development process.

The Beat Generation & The Hippie Movement Research Paper

The Beat Generation & The Hippie Movement - Research Paper Example However, the first youth upheavals - clumsy, without any clear program, but rough and wild, began in the 1950s and paved the way for the successors. The Beat Generation as a cultural phenomenon clearly manifested itself in the early and mid 1950s. Kerouac, who coined the term, stated that it derives from the word â€Å"beatitude† – beat and attitude – attitude towards life of an anti-conformist generation with a unique world outlook which strives for spiritual communion, infinite love and bliss. There are many interpretations of that Kerouac‘s â€Å"beat†. A young beatnik as a media stereotype of the movement is â€Å"broken†, â€Å"crushed†, â€Å"worn out† and â€Å"tired† of the western society of that time. Beatniks were ardent fans of jazz also. That’s why the neologism could be originated by jazz rhythm. The word â€Å"beatnik† appeared in the American language on April 2, 1958 with a helping hand from a San Francisco Chronicle journalist, Pulitzer Prize winner Herb Caen, who used it in his column. He added to the English word â€Å"beat† (taken in any meaning named above) the Russian suffix – â€Å"nik†, taken from the popular Russian word â€Å"sputnik† (satellite), which became international. This research of American subcultures will be inconsistent without mentioning avant-garde Lettrism, inspired by Dada and Surrealism. It deeply influenced postmodern art and society as called to break with old traditions. It was founded in the early 1950s in France by Isidore Isou, a Romanian-born poet. The ideology was based on the postulate of degeneration of words as spoken symbols in the modern world. Therefore, the followers of Lettrism preferred, for example, to write private letters instead of long telephone conversations; write slogans, not novels. The Lettrists also loved to alter state of consciousness and perform. They roamed around the cities and vill ages of America in their weird painted clothes strongly ridiculing the postwar consumer society, banality of mass culture and absurdity of political and social system. The Beat Generation kept apace with the Lettrists. Birthplace of the Beat movement is New York. In the 1950s - early 1960s, a group consisting of artists, writers, poets, among which are Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and their fans has drawn a large public interest. But the subculture was logically developed and received cult status in California, in particular, in its southern part, associated with the famous Venice beach art colony. It was vividly described in the famous book by Lawrence Lipton – The Holy Barbarians. In the mid-1950s, the Beatniks staged performances named Jazz and Poetry in beach cafes. Their core motif was the representation of the rebellious, colorful spirit of the slums and the attempt to romanticize life of â€Å"white trash† - t he one that has a significant influence on modern American culture to this day. The Beat movement was not massive. But their antagonism toward common values and fatigue from bourgeois contemporaries (hitchhiking trips and hipster way of life of the Kerouac’s heroes in the novels On the Road, Dharma Bums; Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig), talented immersion in literature (Howl by Ginsberg), forced confrontation (like the one at a mental hospital in Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, where the character of the senior nurse Ratched and the hospital itself are the allusion to the state)) and artistic delights, as well as the desire to turn away from social and political problems and experiments with drugs (novel Junkie and Naked Lunch by Burroughs; The Island and The Doors of Perception by Aldous

Race & the workplace Essay Example for Free

Race the workplace Essay The information derived from the empirical manipulations of race of worker also revealed that depicted race has an influence to the childrens own aspirations in performing different jobs. Primarily, children ranked their own levels of interest in engaging themselves in the depicted novel jobs as notably lower when the jobs had been solely performed by African Americans than when the jobs are exclusively executed by their European counterparts or by both races. Additionally, this information are exceptionally illustrative in the sense that they clearly signify that race of occupational models – independent from the content and operations of these jobs themselves (held constant) – influences the childrens job preferences (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). To supplement the manifestation of racial hints in the childrens assessment about jobs at the group levels, the current information also contribute to our comprehension of influential and group differences in the African American childrens job stereotyping, assessments and aspirations. In conformity with the reality theory developed by Hale (1980) which states that the socio – economic factors do appear to affect the childrens job assessments, especially during their adolescent stage. The older children (11 – 12 years of age) coming from families with lower socio – economic backgrounds exhibited less interest in engaging themselves in common jobs that were dominated by their European counterparts, therefore conceived to be higher in rank. Probably, economic factors are significant in this finding, with children from lower socio – economic backgrounds recognizing that they are financially challenged to seek occupations that demands higher educational attainment (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Conforming with the patterns for familiar jobs, children 11 – 12 years of age from higher – but not lower socio – economic backgrounds, were notably more attracted to engage themselves in novel jobs that they deemed to be exclusively carried out by their European counterparts or represented both races than they were in jobs that appear to be exclusively carried out by African Americans. Apparently, it is not feasible to identify the determinant of race of occupational worker in children from various age brackets and economic class solely on the grounds this set of information (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p.578).. In reference to the findings of Spencer (1985), primarily and in occupational context, the older African American childrens occupational aspirations are affected by their awareness of race prejudice in the society. Financially challenged children may be significantly unprepared to confront the recognized racial prejudice made by the majority (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). There is a possibility that the African American childrens economic constraints concepts lessen their interest in the so – called high – status and difficult – to – reach jobs. Nonetheless, it is certain that as young as 6 years of age, African American children have already formed racial foundations that integrate ideals about occupations. Such foundations substantially influence their job concepts and goals. Then again, these foundations significantly vary in relation to the childrens socio – economic status (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Acknowledging the presence of the two types of vicious cycles to race and jobs, the comparison shown between the ratings of status as well as the race of workers is disturbing. For one, African American children, specifically the impoverished ones, may be more inclined to aspire low – status jobs. Such jobs were minorities are overrepresented in. As a result, the dominance of the minorities is kept. However, this can result to another generation of twisted models of impoverished African American. In addition, while there may be jobs made available for more privileged African Americans, in time, just because of their race, they may be dismissed as lower in status in society. Furthermore levels of pay and prestige may also be brought down low (cited in Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Ultimately, it is essential to note that this study is but one of the many steps to take in the development of an understanding of how occupational assessments are influenced by race. Socio – economic status is but an estimated indicator of the family incidents that may influence occupational stereotyping and ambitions. Additional studies should be administered to thoroughly observe how financial restrictions formed vocational hopes and ambitions. Moreover, additional studies should encompass considerations of how families talk about occupations, the kinds of role models presented by parent’s own job and how school and neighborhood context influence occupational stereotyping (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Investigating these issues among other samples of African American children and children from other ethnic and racial groups is also vital. Evidently, additional research is required to provide a deeper understanding of the long – term consequences of children with the aid of racial indication as a factor in shaping their opinions on and interests in employment (Bigler, Averhart Liben, 2003, p. 578). Race, gender and ethnicity in the workplace must not be an issue. Rather is must be a goal (Ishimaru, 2005). A wide array of skills is very much needed in the American workplace today. Nonetheless, it cannot be delivered by selected group of people alone. This is where workplace diversity serves its purpose. Different people from different culture must share and respect each other’s views and opinions to be able to work out a solution to a problem and eventually affect success (cited in Ishimaru, 2005). Every business must aim to diversify. Simply put, it is the right thing to do after all. Workplace diversity makes a sound business sense. This commands attentiveness, conceptualization and dedication to be meaningful. Moreover, it demands willingness to examine the traditional way of transacting business and what is valued in its workers (Ishimaru, 2005). To be able to create an improvement in the workplace diversity, it is important to reassess one’s values and be able to articulate what merit means. As society continues diversify further, promoting employees who exhibited â€Å"diversity ability† to relate well with co –workers setting aside social demarcation must be stressed (Ishimaru, 2005). Hope must not be lost. Hope in the possibility that life in the midst of cultural diversity is possible. More than a possibility, this kind of life is a must. A life lived in harmony between people of different races is a life lived well. This translates and transcends race lines previously demarcated, all for the purpose of the common good (Racebridges. net, 2007). Researches validate that working in a diversified environment is linked with more substantial interracial relations. In addition more interracial friendships are also built here. A culturally mixed neighborhood is also an example of a diversified environment (Estlund, 2003, p. 10). There are grounds to believe that the noticeably increased prevalence of recounted friendship among different races stems mainly from increased relations and integration in the workplace. However, for the most part, it is not plainly a story of friendship. It is also about the mutual but scattered sense of connectedness that surfaces out of our everyday collaboration, casual amiability, common interests, complaints and triumphs and disappointment among co – employees. Even so, their potential asset is suggested by the incidence with which they build authentic friendship beyond social demarcation. Racial friction and discrimination did not disappear. Nevertheless, they were certainly lessened and combined with feelings of unity, deference, friendship and likeness (Estlund, 2003, p.11). In reality, it is only in the workplace where a more sustained and collaborative interaction can be feasible. It is only there when we can witness this kind of scenario. Everyone must seek ways to be able to collaborate with one another at any given time. This kind of collaboration must be made between people of different races, cultural background and sexual hierarchies. Workplace diversity, relations and collaboration that transcend social demarcation can be counted on to produce increased acceptance and affinity. Moreover, it can possibly create less aggression and stereotyping between different races, culture and tradition (Estlund, 2003, p. 12). In contrast to other generations, we now live in a society characteristically more diverse, mobile and incorporated than ever before. Today we share the world with not just complete strangers but significantly unique individuals (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). On one hand, the chance to establish thick and multi – strand bonds founded on likeness does not come as often. On the other, chances to establish bonds that transcend social demarcation abound. Yet forming the kind of bond that transcends social demarcation is not at all easy. Without the aid of some degree of compulsion, this kind of bond is impossible. Even so, when it does, it is more probably to be slender and more fractious than the kind of bond founded on likeness (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). In effect, these bonds can build trust. It can create a feeling of togetherness, unity for a cause. In time, compounded with the progress towards impartiality and incorporation within the workplace and beyond, trust may be fostered too (Estlund, 2003, p. 20). After all, no man can live alone. It is a dictate of human nature that we need other people in order to survive. The world is a melting pot of different cultures and that thing will remain certain. Other than separating oneself from those he deems to be different, may all people just learn to love and embrace each other’s uniqueness. There is much more to the diversity of this world. It is there to remind man of his individuality. It exists to teach the lesson that differences can indeed be a venue to learn other things and see the beauty of the world from another perspective. References (1989). Racism. In The World Book Encyclopedia (Vol. 19, p. 62). USA: The World Book, Inc. Bigler, R. S. , Averhart, C. J. Liben, L. S. (2003). Race and the Workforce: Occupational Status, Aspirations, and Stereotyping Among African American Children. American Psychological Association, 39, 572 – 580. Estlund, C. (2003). Working Together: How Workplace Bonds Strengthen a Diverse Democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ishimaru, S. J. Employment Rights and Responsibilities Committee.(2005, August). Value of Racial Segregation of the workforce today. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from www. bna. com/bnabooks/ababna/annual/2005/001. pdf. Racebridges. net. (2007). We All Have a Race: Addressing Race and Racism. Retrieved February 27, 2008, from www. racebridges. net/schools/2006_2007_lessons/WeAllHaveARace. pdf. Williams, F. T. Gibbsmagazine. com. (2001, April 9). Racism is Still Alive. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from http://www. gibbsmagazine. com/Racism%20Still.

Sustainable Architecture and Design

Sustainable Architecture and Design Sustainable, eco-friendly architecture can often be seen as the radical hippy of neo-liberal architectural discourse, with its practical application in the 21st century limited and problematic. Is there space for the synergy of idea in this regard, producing usable and practical or whimsical and gracious buildings that also adhere to the classical ideas of beauty and proportion? Sustainable[1] and eco-friendly architectures[2] were the subject of much left of centre discourse throughout the 1960’s and 1970’s against the backdrop of late Modernism and the initiation of constructed, clean post–Modernity. They were in opposition to the shock of the ‘new’ the marvels of concrete and structural steel and the innovations that supported closed environments such as elevators and air-conditioning. The seemingly ‘hippy’ applications of buildings that suited the environment, responded to them, and trod lightly in their space appeared irreconcilable in the context of the masculine, rational and spare elements of Modernity. The fear that beauty[3] could not exist in a mixed relationship, that a building could be both environmentally friendly and be visually appealing was not always an option in the hegemony of late modernism. However, this paper discusses the synergies that arose from these apparently oppositional ideas. The modernist era of tower blocks and buildings that fitted in with the ‘form follows function’ premise, ignored the possibilities of working with the environment and also being informed by it. The post-War building boom was expeditious, masculine and prolific, with the modular systems of the International Style informing all of the above. The shock of the new, invention and innovation left little space for the architectures engaging with the environment or the vernacular textures. Issues of sustainability were very much part of a neo-liberal brief, and disregarded by the world order of the time who had not yet woken up to the issues regarding the depleted ozone layer and greenhouse gas emissions. However, occasionally, there was minor dissent, particularly in the British colonies, where the imposed architecture of the colonist had been, to some extent environmentally adapted by the settlers using vernacular materials and adapting some elements of the indigenous building systems that they found there. Throughout this, though, the prevailing post-War building idiom of the mother country was largely retained, adaptability being one of the successes of Modernism. Those careful and socially conscious architects that contested the climatically and culturally inappropriate imposition of modernism strove to combine old and new materials and old and new technologies to create regionally appropriate buildings that were a vernacular in their own right and yet a new architecture that combined all the radical notions popular in the hippy culture of the late 1960’s. Norman Eaton, a South African, was cognizant of environment and reduction of the air-conditioning loads when he designed his Netherlands Bank Building (1965) in Durban, South Africa, a five level building where the building stands on a white marble podium and forms a pavilion in the centre of the high-rise urban fabric. The external curtain wall is replaced by a brise-soliel of green ceramic hollow clay blocks forming a massive sunscreen and significantly reducing the air conditioning loads in a hot, humid climate. ‘The unbroken expanses of ceramic screening were the result of Eaton’s approach to the challenge of Durban’s heat and were not employed for aesthetic effect alone. The open and yet cool aspect of the interior and the considerably reduced load on the building’s air conditioning system testify to the screens functional success. Behind the screen and invisible from the outside a second curtain wall, this time of glass, also covers the building, so that all internal levels are well lit but at the same time well protected against the glare and heat of direct sunlight.’ (Haropp-Allin; 1975: 107) Visually, although the building is a regionalist adaptation of what was a prevailing modernist format, the building and its incorporated garden spaces provides cool relief and a refuge in a hard edged landscape.[4] Almost two decades later, the Australian John Andrews in his Eugowra Farmhouse, New South Wales, (1979) maximized the orientation of the building such that he combined the use of prevailing winds for cooling in the Australian outback together with a central fireplace for heating. A prominent rainwater tower in the centre of the roof is both a strong vertical element, creating ‘architecture’ and at the same time harvesting water which is a critical necessity in the arid environment. This element is also able to spray water onto the roof for cooling in extreme weather. This was all combined using modern materials in a vernacular idiom combined with a classical symmetry, producing a gracious neo-outback veranda house. With these examples quoted above, a strong sense of regionalism is implicit in the sustainability and the environmental generators that form the ‘natural’ brief. For a building to be modern, beautiful and environmentally sustainable, it follows that the structure should be in a regionalist ‘idiom’ using modern materials housing modern facilities, with the incorporation of some of the vernacular, as the meaning of the site and the climate is by definition a regionalist issue. It was not only in the antipodean regions that this critical discourse was occurring. From the beginning of the 1960s, a number of papers and publications supporting the architecture of the vernacular and its many manifestations, connecting this to environment, culture and landscape, spawned the radical publications such as ‘Shelter’ (1973) which explored the notions of building using traditional materials, textures and forms, and adding to this sustainable methods of drainage, rainwater capture, foundation formation and environmentally friendly methods of heating and cooling. This treatise however was aimed at people pursuing more of an alternative lifestyle, using the landscape and other culture’s building methods to house them in an ecologically sustainable fashion. More conventional publications such as the work of Fitch in 1960, and the works of Rudofsky (1965) and Rapaport (1969) explored the connections between climate, landscape and culture. They investiga ted the traditional means by which building were constructed to address all the social and climatic constraints that produce sustainable buildings that tread lightly on the landscape and do not need large amounts of extra resources such as heating, cooling, and electricity consumption. These publications were still way left of the conservative centre, and not embraced by the rapidly mechanized northern countries. Few architects in the formal sector were prepared to stick their necks out in this regard, leaving the alternative housing solutions to those that pursued alternative lifestyles. A marked example does, however, stand out- Paolo Solieri, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright conceived of his Arcosanti Project in 1970, where some 70 miles north of Phoenix, Arizona, a compact complex hoping to eventually house some 5000 people is designed in a way such that the outside arable land is maximized, the living areas are condensed providing ready access to open desert for all dwellers, an d a number of large greenhouses provide food for the inhabitants. These structures also act as solar collectors for winter heat. Solieri’s aim was to design an urban environment that would function in a manner providing the maximum social, economic and health benefits, as well as treading lightly on the landscape on which it sits minimizing the effects on the earth. His principle of ‘arcology which married the ideas of ecology and architecture is described below. In nature, as an organism evolves it increases in complexity and it also becomes a more compact or miniaturized system. Similarly a city should function as a living system. It must follow the same process of process of complexification and miniaturisation to become a more lively container for the social, cultural and spiritual evolution of humankind. The central concept around which these developments revolve is that of arcology- architecture and ecology as one integral process. Arcology is capable, at least theoretically, of demonstrating positive response to the many problems of urban civilization, population, pollution, energy and natural resource depletion, food scarcity and quality of life. Arcology is the methodology that recognizes the necessity of the radical reorganization of the sprawling urban landscape into dense, integrated, three- dimensional cities in order to support the complex activities that sustain human culture. The city is the necessary instrument for the evolut ion of humankind. Paolo Soleri (Arcosanti Workshops 2000 pamphlet) The Cosanti-Arcosanti pamphlet notes that Newsweek commented that ‘As urban architecture, Arcosanti is probably the most important urban experiment undertaken in our lifetime’ (Cosanti-Arcosanti pamphlet; 2000) However, despite this accolade by the popular, ‘thinking’ press, the project, nearly four decades later, struggles along still in the construction process, and is more of a site for those people that pursue the alternative than people living mainstream, corporate lifestyles. As a site it is a museum, a school, a point of pilgrimage. For very few people, it is a lifestyle. Bringing these combined issues of ecological, social and economic sustainability, to the forefront, making them trendy and implicit, has been the largest challenge to the production of sustainable architectures. The realisation that the construction industry and the operation of the buildings that it makes, as Hyatt quotes (himself and) Edwards (Hyett in Abley Heartfield;2001:30) ma kes it ‘responsible for 50% of ‘all energy resources consumed across the planet, making the construction industry ‘the least sustainable industry in the world’. This fact has taken a while to entrench itself in ‘first world’ industry. Issues of sustainability and appropriate technology are not new- as mentioned earlier they formed the basis of developmental jargon in the ‘Third’ World. Sustainability in architecture as a technical approach in the management of particular resources has been the subject of discussions in the last three decades, with the 1975 ‘Alternatives to Growth’ conference which expanded the definition realizing the limits of a static- state economy: this time sustainability fell within the realms of the economists and not the built environment practitioners. Then, the issue of the control of technology by the Northern Hemisphere was dealt with by Willy Brandt who, in 1980, led the Independent Commission on International Development Issues, producing a report headed ‘North- South- A Programme for Survival’. (Heartfield in Abley Heartfield; 2001:97) Here, the connections between sustainable development and appropriate technology were made, entrenching the i dea of appropriate technology in a developing country context. This was almost fatal, as Heartfield notes ‘What appropriate technology meant for the less developed world was the lowering of expectations; less capital input, less expenditure, less technology.’ (Ibid;97) Perhaps this perceived ‘lower’ level of existence is one of the reasons why the plea for incorporation of these ideas of sustainability in the northern hemisphere fell largely on deaf ears. ‘It could be said that sustainability is a fudge. It raises all the same presuppositions of the limits to growth thesis, that absolute resource limits are upon us, but avoids their implied conclusion, a moratorium on growth. What the concept of sustainability preserves of the ideology of limits is the sentiment of constraint and parsimony.’ (Ibid;97) Finally, the Bruntland Report [5] submitted in 1987 is seen by Heartfield as being credited with the ‘popularizing of the concept of sustai nable development.’ (Ibid:96). However, although this may have made the concept more digestible, it did little for popularizing its practice, for, as the Bruntland Report, quoted in Heartfield states- ‘Sustainable development requires that those who are more affluent adopt lifestyles within the planet’s ecological means’.(Ibid:97) Despite this so called acceptance, a much later technical work in a somewhat a pleading tone, by Crowther notes that ‘The ecologic responsibility is to ourselves and the global legacy of human habitation. Every choice made from concept, to design, to realization is a demand that results in ecologic and biologic consequence.’ (Crowther;1992:vii) However, the throwing of these twentieth century gauntlets such as that by Crowther has received results in latter years. Prototypical examples as that presented by Pearson in his Gaia House (Pearson;1989:40-41) may have influenced some of the challenges to be presented; the principles in his charter declare ‘Design for harmony with the planet, Design for peace for the spirit, and Design for the health of the body. The first instruction involves the use of ‘green materials’ that have as embedded qualities ‘low environmental and social costs’, which are ultimately bio-degradable and can be or are recycled. Together with this the importance of correct orientation, the use of all the elements for energy including wind, recycling grey water and collecting rain water all add to the minimized impact on the soil. Pearson also mentions the need to maximize the efficiency of the natural spaces by planting indigenous trees and flowers. (Pearson;1989:40) It was only recently, with the building explosion on the Pacific Rim, and the attacks on the World Trade Centre, that the northern hemisphere began to seriously address these issues of sustainable construction, particularly in the densely populated cities of Europe. In October 2001, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), hosted a conference that was to address the issues of creating environments that addressed issues of sustainability. This conference, ‘Sustainability at the cutting edge’, ‘was to provide an overview of the science and technology behind sources of renewable energy which would assume prominence in the next decade. This review was placed in the context of increasing concern about the impact of climate change and the fact that the built environment in countries like the UK is the worst culprit in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.’ (Smith,2003;xi) This quotation, from Smith’s technical work, emerged from this gathering. More of a handbook, it examines environmentally sensitive options for heating and cooling, and offering the option for drastically reducing emissions in urban buildings in an environment that (now) tacitly accepts the need for ecological architecture. A number of approaches which demonstrate the sensitive manipulation of all elements of the brief to create an ecologically sound, a culturally sensitive, a socially appropriate and an economically viable building have come to light, many of which employ much of Pearson’s First Principle as mentioned above.[6] The examples fulfill a variety of scales of development, and different intensities in terms of sustainability with regards to site. On the one hand, it is sadly disasters that prompt new innovative methods of shelter, in a modular though aesthetic form. Out of the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe came the Modular Transitional Growth Housing (MTGH)[7] a conceptual system that consists of a number of elegant forms which can be bunched together in a variety of forms and combinations to shelter, recycle, light and cool. Architect Philippe Barriere introduces a BioClimatic design element with high ceilings and naturally stimulated ventilation which assists in the above. However, this highly conceptual modular structure is on the knife edge of socially practical and Marxist zeal- seen as an approach that can solve a multitude of housing problems from disaster relief to inner city complexes to fishing retreats, the reality of its implementation is as conceptually choppy as Arcosanti- mass appeal is visual but not implicit. A more practical and tangible solution to a mass housing challenge is the Greenwich Millennium Village (GMV) by Ralph Erskine, (a veteran of inner city housing in his seminal Byker Wall Project at Newcastle-upon-Tyne) together with EPR Architects Limited.[8] The concept is the total regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula, particularly the site of the former gasworks, where the Millennium Dome[9] stands. Its proximity to central London and the City mean that its viability as a dormitory suburb on bus and train routes is practical. The discourse as to how to reuse ‘brownfield’ sites is to some extent resolved here, with the ultimate provision of some 900 residences by the end of 2007 with expansions continuing till 2015. The most important feature of this project is that a newly formed community is occupying the apartments that cater for a variety of different ‘social classes’, with a series of amenities such as an ‘eco-park’ green space, as well as office and retail developments. Using a prefabricated system, the buildings are hardy, but incorporate a generous use of colour. From the perspective of the environmental sustainability point of view, the rainwater is collected, grey water is recycled, insulation is good, which minimizes overheating by artificial means in winter, and the use of recycled materials such as timber, street furniture, and concrete has been a priority (GMV Fact Sheet 5[10]). Maximum efficiency is critical to the brief and in this regard, the website offers the following information- The need for artificial lighting is minimized by the provision of large windows meaning less running costs. These windows are made from environmentally sustainable material, and are also well insulated and draught proofed. Thermally, the buildings are constructed to standards 10% higher than the national standards, which assist in the reduction of emissions. Also, the highly coloured paint is specially chosen for its non-toxic values, and is a non-polluting paint. Water saving devices are used in all sanitary fittings, and plumbed appliances. The rooms in the apartments have sliding sections that maximizes flexibility and enables multiple uses of living space[11]. Power is supplied by a combined heat and power system (CHP) where the generated heat (as opposed to the generated power) is put to use. Excess power is sold off to the national grid (GMV Fact Sheet 4[12]) The energy constraints that were used as a benchmark in the design process ranged from the amount of energy required for manufacture, to the contribution their manufacturer makes to greenhouse gas emissions. The success of this project thus far has meant that the developers were the first large developers in the United Kingdom to be awarded the ‘Excellent Eco-Homes’ rating which is an incentive submitted by the Building Research Establishment to promote the construction of eco-friendly domestic buildings. This is certainly a far cry from the establishment’s attitude a few years ago! The multi-award winning BedZED (Beddington Zero Energy Development) completed in 2002 through the Peabody Trust with Bill Dunster Architects also puts these principles into practice. The mixed-use and mixed-tenure development of BedZED is the UK’s first and largest ‘carbon-neutral eco-community’, also built on a ‘brownfields’ site[13] in Sutton, near London. The concept behind the project was to produce as much energy from renewable sources as it consumes, creating a net zero-fossil energy development, and therefore a ‘carbon-neutral development’; it thus provides no net addition of CO2 to the atmosphere[14]. Smith describes the development as ‘a prescription for a social revolution; a prototype for how we should live in the twenty-first century if we are to enjoy a sustainable future. (Smith;2003:153) The BedZED design concept is itself a model of flexibility, with a variety of different forms of accommodation as well as different types of tenure. Altogether there are 82 homes of different sizes, some for sale and others rental units aimed at social housing income levels. Amenity is also important, cementing social sustainability, with facilities such as a kindergarten, health centre, commercial use node, exhibition centre and an organic shop! Environmental sustainability is ensured through the construction of massive walls that store heat for release in cooler periods. Also, a 300mm rock-wool insulation (Smith; 2003:54) provides for extra insulation on both the walls and the roof. The windows are triple glazed. Orientation plays a large part in the energy efficiency of the buildings, with north facing elevations of office and commercial space optimizing the softer light and minimizing the need for air-conditioning, whilst the homes, which benefit from the warmer orientation, face south. Low energy lighting is used where needed to assist in the reduction of electrical output. As with GMV, the choice of materials was dependant on their low embodied energy, and were sourced from suppliers as close as possible to minimize transport energy costs. The use of timber from sustainable sources, recycled materials, grey water recycling, solar power, and roof gardens serve to embed the environmental responsibility. Power is also supplied by a CHP plant. A critical point about BedZED is the minimizations of vehicle use- residents are encouraged through education and the ‘Green Transport Plan’ to promote alternative means of transport such as walking and cycling.[15] Also, the provision of efficient public transport means that the reliance on motor cars can be reduced. A larger infrastructural solution is that of the Vastra Hamnen waterfront development at Malmo in Southern Sweden. This used to be a ‘brownfields’ site that was part of the old dockyard. A number of architects including Erskine are involved with the project. The city was participant in the forming of the brief, dictating colour, ecological rigour, provision of park space, and minimal building performance. A wind turbine provides a large source of energy. Again, the complex is socially mixed, minimizing the potential for creating class-based residential neighbourhoods and there are shops on the street level, with the intention that the owners live above them. As in the previous example, the streets are car free and a pool of electric vehicles which are powered by wind energy is available to transport residents to town. Sewage enters the main system in the city, but other waste is dispensed of internally, where residents dispose of food in one tube and then dry waste in an other. The tubes lead to common disposal sites where the dry waste is incinerated and the food is composted providing biogas which returns to the occupants through the gas main. Smith considers this project as one that has ‘achieved reconciliation between market forces and environmental priorities.’ (Smith;2003:144) The single-building environmentally-efficient challenge was taken up by Sir Norman Foster and his partner Ken Shuttleworth in the Swiss Re Headquarters building, St Mary Axe. It remodeled a conceptual idea developed by Sir Buckminster Fuller and Foster in 1971 called the ‘Climatroffice’ which ‘suggested a new rapport between nature and workspace; its garden setting created a microclimate within and energy conscious enclosure, while its walls and roof were dissolved in a continuous triangulated skin. (Walker in Heartfield Abley;2001:207) Swiss Re was completed in 2004. It is notably the first building of its kind in England to manipulate environmental conditions to minimize air-conditioning, wind loads etc. The forty floors are designed as a series of rectangular plates that spiral up the building, assisting in daylight entering the building and reducing the amount of artificial lighting (Powell;2003:219) Revival of and recirculation of stale air is facilitated by roof gardens, also known as ‘bioclimatic terraces’ which re-oxygenate the building. These roof gardens are also used as social gathering spaces, which aids in increasing the quality of the work place. Most of the ventilation is natural, and unlike many buildings of its kind, the windows can all open. The base of the building has been formed to minimize wind load on the building and to minimize the creation of wind corridors so often found at street level in cities. (Powell;2001:219) The new age commitment to the environment and the lessening of emissions is often approached with zeal- Artist Freidensreich Hundertwasser was approached by the Mayor of Vienna to remodel the Spittelau Energy Plant. At first he turned it down, opposed to the assumed ecological failings embodied in the project. However, after assurances that the remodeling of the plant would be including the provisions for drastically reducing emissions, he took on the project for free. Working together with Architect Peter Pelikan, the industrial faà §ade was remodeled into a whimsical parody, where ‘The power plant†¦.. shows how to foreground the open creative spirit in harmony with nature and the anonymous city’ (Asensio;2003:31). Although this is not necessarily as direct an example as some of the new constructions mentioned above, I suggest that it is valid, given that the pressure to reuse buildings is a large part of architectural discourse, and is itself a tactic of sustaina bility and environmental recycling, the ‘greening’ of them in terms of minimizing emissions, changing technologies, and in this case mitigating the massive industrial-ness of the power station, makes it more socially environmentally friendly for the residents of Vienna. In the introduction to New Architecture in Britain, Powell states: ‘the future of architecture, in Britain and elsewhere is linked to such vital issues- the fate of our cities, the housing crisis and the protection of the earth’s fragile environment- that discussion of style seems almost irrelevant.’ (Powell;2003:20) This statement, in a glossy publication of contemporary architecture is a far cry from the plea made by Crowther less than a decade ago[16]. Whilst I agree with Powell that the language of architecture is changing, as it always does, the discussion of style is not irrelevant- low budget beauty and elegance is provided by the (highly theoretical) MGTH project, a mix of economic and social strata is contained in the Greenwich Millennium Village, a bold development more agreeable with the Vitruvian ‘Commodity and Firmness’, the BedZED and Vastra Hamnen developments that limit motor vehicles and provide the use of electric cars. Ironically, i t is perhaps the Swiss Re building, as Powell suggested in his 2001 volume ‘(that) reinforces the point that office towers can be distinctive, even beautiful, objects that complement, rather than deface, the skyline.’ (Powell;2001:219) which has managed to push the issue of sustainability and its connection with the very possibility of aesthetic beauty in the Vitruvian model into the forefront of populist architecture. However, we must not forget, in the clamour of the new, those early visionaries that promoted the values of engaging with the environment and treading with sensitivity. The investigations into the connection between culture, landscape, environment and architecture that informed the basis of the approach to the buildings built today, were seminal works of their time, situated in an alternative environment that was far too left of the modernist mainstream to find favour. But we can also feel thankful that finally, the discourse of environmentally friendly architecture has emerged in the mainstream- let us hope that it is not too late. References: Abley, I Heartfield, J (2001) Sustaining architecture in the anti-machine age Chichester, Wiley-Academy Andrews, J (1982) Architecture : a Performing art Lutterworth Press Asensio, P(2003) Freidensreich Hundertwasser Barcelona, LOFT Publications Cosanti Foundation(2000) Arcosanti Workshops 2000 (pamphlet) Phoenix, Cosanti Cosanti Foundation(2000) Cosanti-Arcosanti (pamphlet) Phoenix, Cosanti Crowther, R(1992) Ecologic architecture Massachusetts, Butterworth-Heinemann Curl, J (1999)Oxford Dictionary of Architecture Oxford, Oxford University Press Fitch, J(1960) Primitive Architecture and climate from Scientific American, December p134-144 Harrop-Allin, C(1975)Norman Eaton, Architect- a study of the work of the South African Architect Norman Eaton 1902-1966 Johannesburg, C Struik Publishers Marschall S (2000) Opportunities for Relevance Kearney, BPretoria, University of South African Press Pearson, D(1990) The Natural House book London, Conran Octopus Powell, K(2003) New architecture in Britain London, Merrel Powell, K(2001) New London architecture London, Merrel Rapaport, A(1969) House form and culture Prentice Hall Rudofsky, B (1965) Architecture without architects: a short introduction to non-pedigreed architecture New York, Museum of Modern Art Shelter Publications(1973) Shelter United States, Shelter Publications Smith, P (2003) Sustainability at the cutting edge : emerging technologies for low energy buildings Oxford, Architectural Press Vale, B(1991) Green architecture design for a sustainable future London, Thames and Hudson Websites: http://www.greenwich-village.co.uk/index_main.htm (17.06.07) http://www.arcosanti.org/ (17.06.07) http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.aspx?id=179 http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/0 6/15/prefab-friday-modular-transitional-growth/#more-4683 (17.06.07) 1 Footnotes [1] Sustainability as an idea was a large component of ‘development speak’ in the context of poverty and limited resources. This embraced notions of community participation as well as optimizing resources. [2] The Oxford Dictionary of Architecture notes that ‘ecological architecture- Aims to respond to declining energy resources, eg using energy conservation, efficient insulation, rainwater, solar radiation, and wind power, and recycling as much as possible. The term was coined in the 1970’s’ (Curl;1999;220). Similarly, ‘green architecture- Buildings designed according to energy-saving criteria and the reduction of pollution.’ (Ibid;288). [3] From the third chapter of Vitruvius De Architectura comes the definition of beauty in architecture as firmitas, utilitas, venustas or Commodity, Firmness and Delight. The practicality of the building, as well as its robustness is as important as its beauty. [4] The necessity to incorporate en

Concepts of Creativity and Critical Thinking

Concepts of Creativity and Critical Thinking Thinking Creatively, Thinking Critically (Group 3) Abstracts These days, people often use the phase of â€Å"Think out of the box†. Hence it related to term â€Å"creative thinking† and â€Å"critical thinking†. So, what are those term means? Why it is important to have these thinking skills? How does those kind of thinking fit in modern education benefit and does it benefit students especially? This paper will introduce to the creative and critical thinking not as definite, but to give an idea on what is it about. Next, apply it in Hong Kong context. 1.0  Introduction Its not easy to give an exact definition of creativity and critical thinking. Both aspects have varying of elements which have effects on the flow of the thinking. For creative thinking, lots of researchers came out with their own definition based on their findings. Gardner (1993) defines creativity as ‘the ability to solve problems and fashion new products and to raise new questions’. However, this definition does not cover the whole term of â€Å"creative†; creative is much more than that, but yes, it is a gist for others to branch out more on the term. Thus Gruber Wallace (1999) say that a creative idea ‘must be new and must be given value by some external criteria’ followed by Robinson (2001) describes creativity as ‘imaginative processes with outcomes that are original and of value’. Once the creative thinking has taken place, hence it leads to the next part which is critical thinking. When someone has use their creative thinking, critical thinking comes in and evaluates ideas to narrow down the focus made by creative thinking and pick idea where it is the most relevant and or have potential to succeed (Ruggiero, 1999). Encouraging students to think critically involves, among other things, helping them to distinguish opinions from facts, to evaluate evidence, and to avoid shallow and illogical thinking. This approach is very important in helping to avoid (by recognizing) manipulation, which in turn can allow intellectual independence and creativity to flourish (Browne Keely, 1993; Mayfield, 1997; Paul, 1995). According to Meyers (1986), he gives out four elements which are needed in learning environments to encourage the development of critical thinking. First and foremost, the stimulation of students’ interest. It is required for the students to taken li ke in a certain topic for them to study deeper in it. Student’s with interest is much better in developing their critical thinking. Secondly, the creation of meaningful discussion. Based on their liking, the students are more comfortable and confidence to talk about it. Thirdly, the exposure to the thoughts and views of others. In this session, the students will hear various opinions and feedback from others. They will learn how to react and give comments to those who agree or disagree with their opinion. Lastly, the fostering of a supportive and trusting atmosphere. These kind of discussion is giving out positive vibes in student for their development in critical thinking. They can gain more confidence and hence helps their mind to become more mature and open to other perspective and out of their comfort zone. 2.0  Combination of Critical and Creative Thinking The combination between two types of thinking namely critical and creative thinking had been research by many researchers in the world. According to Julie (2008), he stated that in education in order for the student to adapt with a changing world , he or she must change way of thinking different from the past. The benefits of this combination has been point out by many research such as can boots up student to take time to generate many ideas and argument , to ask penetrating questions and recognize the validity of arguments (Julie ,2008). 2.1Difference between Critical and Creative Thinking According to Fisher ( 2002 ) , he has listed possible term to differentiate critical and creative thinking based on figure 1. According to this figure, the tendency for the people to think critical is more on left brain and think creative on right brain. Kendra (n.s) stated that the right brain has more abilities in expressive and creative task while in the left brain is more to asking that involve logic, language and analytical thinking. But , according to Julie ( 2008 ) , in order to encourage the student to think creative and critical , an approach that can combine critical and creative thinking needed to implemented instead just focussing only the distinction. 2.2  Critical and Creative Thinking in Problem Solving Julie (2008) stated that the benefits of critical thinking is it can help student to figure out and evaluate information that can be found via internet and mass media due to function of left hemisphere of the brain that has logical and analytic qualities ( Adam . ns). In addition to, creative thinking also has benefits in which this type of thinking can improve student’s academic performance if the student can identified their creative abilities. In order to combine both creative and critical thinking, one of the approaches that can help student is using problem solving technique. Problem solving technique can be defined as a process in which we perceive and resolve a gap between a present situation and a desired goal, with the path to the goal blocked by known or unknown obstacles (William, n.s).According to King (2014) , to conduct problem solving technique , there are seven step that need to focus such as analyse the problem , imagine the solution , plan solution , apply the solution , evaluate the solution , improve the solution and implement the solution. 2.3  Critical and Creative Thinking in Level of Learning Bloom’s Taxonomy had been develop by Benjamin Bloom in order to increase higher forms of thinking in education, such as analysing and evaluating concepts, processes, procedures, and principles, rather than just remembering facts (rote learning). According to Julie (2008), bloom taxonomy consist of three domain namely affective (feeling, preferences and values) , psychomotor (physical and perceptual activities and skills) and cognitive (thinking , evaluating and synthesizing information). Julie (2008) stated that, bloom taxonomy (figure 3) consist of six categories or level which represented in a triangle. The first level which the largest section at the base in the triangle is called Knowledge. According to bloom, in education level 95 % of test question only test the student to think at this basic level. For example in the classroom setting, the question is more likely to ask â€Å"what is the definition of ..? †. According to Leslie, the verb that related to this level are define recall, memorize and know identify. The second level is known as comprehension which involve interpretation and classification of ideas. In this level, it more focusing on ability to create or interpret meaning from material such as report recognize, describe discuss and differentiate. For example question that related such as ‘which is the best answer..?’ and more like question in multiple choice exam. The third level is application which also can be defined as using l earned material in new situation. In this level, it more focusing to use learned material in new and specific solution.. In the classroom setting, the student will be test on question such as â€Å"how would you show your understanding of ..?†. The fourth level is analysis. Analysis can be defined as ability to differentiate material into component parts and present the relationship between those part. For example, the question that related to this level such as â€Å"what inferences that can you make from†. Synthesis which places in level five can explain by construct the ability to put ideas together to form new ways that unique, innovate and creative. The question such as â€Å"Can you predict the outcome if ..?† can be used in synthesis level. The last level is Evaluation in which the level more focusing on ability to conduct judgement and critique the worth of ideas based on reviewing and evidence. For example in the classroom , the question such as â€Å" Do you agree with the action / outcomes † can be used to understanding of evaluation level. 3.0 Malaysia Education System Generally, Malaysia education system is divided into two; pre-tertiary and tertiary education. Pre-tertiary that includes primary and secondary education is regulated under Ministry of Education (MOE) whereas tertiary education is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE). Figure 4 According to Figure 4, primary education begins at age of seven and lasts for six years, referred to Year 1 up until Year 6. Students are promoted to the next year regardless of their academic performances. Furthermore, most students who had completed their primary education are admitted to go to secondary education. As secondary education lasts for five years, referred to as Form 1 to 5. As stated at Figure 4, secondary education are divided into two levels which is from Form 1 to Form 3, are known as Lower Secondary whereas Form 4 and Form 5 are known as Upper Secondary. The government have provides 11 years of primary and secondary education to students. After successful completion of 11 years of study, students are given the option to continue their studies in post-secondary schools to get a pre-university qualification (such as Matriculation programme) or further their study at higher level institution. 3.1  Gifted Education in Hong Kong Figure 5 The three-tier of gifted education framework was adopted in 2000. Based on this figure, the Education Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) stated in Education Commission Report No.4 that Hong Kong should develop a school-based programme in mainstream schools. Hong Kong Academy of Gifted Education (HKAGE) has come up with these policy where they want to develop the potential of gifted students by providing them with opportunities to receive education at appropriate levels. According to Figure 5, here are the explanations; Level 1: A:To immerse the core elements advocated in gifted education i.e. High-order thinking skills, creativity and personal-social competence in the curriculum for ALL students; B:To differentiate teaching through appropriate grouping of students to meet the different needs of the groups with enrichment and extension of curriculum across ALL subjects in regular classrooms. Level 2: C:To conduct pull-out programmes of generic nature outside the regular classroom to allow systematic training for a homogeneous group of students (e.g. Creativity training, leadership training, etc.); D:To conduct pull-out programme in specific areas (e.g. Maths, Arts, etc.) outside the regular classroom to allow systematic training for students with outstanding performance in specific domains. Level 3: E:The HKAGE collaborates with tertiary institutions and other educational organizations / bodies to provide a wide and increasing range of programmes for exceptionally gifted students To cater the educational needs of gifted students, they advocate the following guiding principles: Nurturing multiple intelligences is a requirement of basic education for all students and should be part of the mission for all schools The needs of gifted children are best met within their own schools though it is recognized that opportunities to learn with similarly gifted students are important. Schools have an obligation to provide stimulating and challenging learning opportunities for their students The identification of gifted students should recognize the breadth of multiple intelligences Schools should ensure that the social and emotional, as well as the intellectual, needs of gifted children are recognized and met. 4.0  Conclusion The students must be given the motivation to think, the time to develop ideas, and the collaboration and support to encourage creative and critical thinking. Connecting ideas, seeing the similarities and differences, and the most important, be flexible and curious in thinking are the important aspects that education needs in teachers and students. References 1. Huitt, W. (1992). Problem solving and decision making: Consideration of individual differences using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Psychological Type, 24,33-44.Retrievedfrom http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/papers/prbsmbti.html 2. Sicinski, A. Visual Thinking Magic The Evolution of Extraordinary Intelligence :Creativity: Merging the Left Right Brain  http://www.visualthinkingmagic.com/creativity-left-right-brain 3. King. Thoughtful Learning Blog :Teaching Innovation and Problem Solving  http://thoughtfullearning.com/blogpost/teaching-innovation-and-problem-solving (Accessed 2014-04-22 ) 4. Forrrester , J.C. 2008. ThinkingCreatively;Thinking Critically. Asian Social Science 5.  https://www.justlanded.com/english/Malaysia/Malaysia-Guide/Education/Introduction 6. http://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/major-level-of-edu/gifted/hong-kong-development/introduction.html

Serial Killers Essay -- Essays Papers

Serial Killers Serial killers kill because of three patterns we see develop throughout their lives. These patterns are the development of youthful characteristics and habits, abusing events in their lives, and the final push. To be qualified as a serial killer one must murder more than three victims, one at a time, in a relatively short time period. The most common serial killers are white, heterosexual, sexually frustrated, young adult males with low self-esteem. Lester Ballard, the main character in Child of God, by Cormac McCarthy, displays these patterns as I have found it described in texts on serial killers. The earliest warning signs of serial killers can be traced back to their childhood. It is believed that the mind of a murderer is charged with a turbulence of emotions stored from early childhood (Abrahamsen 18). When these often repressed emotions are activated, the mind, particularly when aroused or frustrated, becomes violent, and so it is that a person who may appear quite normal and well adjusted on the surface, becomes possessed by a mind that murders (Abrahamsen 18). The study of 36 incarcerated killers by Robert Ressler, Ann Burgess, and John Douglas, which can be found in their book Sexual Homicide Patterns and Motives, found many common behavior indicators in their childhoods. These behaviors include daydreaming, compulsive masturbation, isolation, chronic lying, bed wetting, rebelliousness, nightmares, destroying property, fire setting stealing, cruelty to children, poor body image, temper tantrums, sleep problems, display assault toward adults, phobias, ru nning away, cruelty to animals, accident prone, headaches, destroying possessions, eating problems, convulsions, and... ...nd. New York: Harper and Row, 1973. Bardsley, Marilyn. Jeffrey Dahmer. Dark Horse Multimedia, 2000. Bell, Rachel. The Crime Library: Everything You Need to Know About Ted Bundy. Dark Horse Multimedia Inc, 2001. Mendoza, Antonio. Internet Crime Archives. 2000. McCarthy, Cormac. Child of God. New York: Vintage Books, 1973. Newton, Michael. Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. New York: Facts on File, 2000. Serial Killers Exposed. Serial Killers Info Polls. 2000. Winn, Steven. Ted Bundy, The Killer Next Door. New York: Buntam Books, 1979.

Comparing the Minority Experience in Baby of the Family, and House on M

Women Minority Experience in Baby of the Family, and House on Mango Street  Ã‚      The two novels Baby of the Family, and House on Mango Street expose the minority experience through the perspective of a child, struggling to find an identity in their own unique views of the cultures they are growing up in. The life of Lena's family, one of an upper class African American family in the southern part of the United States, appeals to the ideal of the New American as her family blends the dominant culture with their minority background in their everyday life experiences. Esperanza is a Hispanic youth, growing up in a barrio, where there is not much to offer the Hispanic locals. She ultimately feels the profile the of the New American in her view of attaining a better life, and escaping the suffocating prescence of the barrio, while still remembering her ethnic roots. Both these characters apply to the classification of the Double Minority in the obvious aspect of being females, and of course their relationship of being in a minority culture. In Baby of the Family, author Tina Ansa exposes the reader to the perspective of a child living in a dominant culture oriented household, that is trying to latch on to some very important traditional aspects of their minority background. Esperanza in House on Mango Street struggles to find her identity in a society discriminating against her not only as a minority, but her genders hinders her advancement also. The authors of these two minority novels corelate these ideals and explore the hardships these two character face as struggling to become the New American while being classified ultimately as Double Minorities. A few of the common apects shared by the two novels include the common... ...alls these children experience. These two children take the ideal of the "New American" and expose it as they find ways to live in a world in which they walk a fine line between the two clashing cultures. The "Double Minority" role plays an important and attempt to overcome the barriers in their own cultures. The cultures ultimately take on a new definition as time progresses, because there is truly not a definite distinction anymore. Works Cited Ansa, Tina McElroy. Baby of the Family. Harcourt Press; San Diego, 1989. Blicksilver, Edith. The Ethnic American Woman. Kenall/Hunt Publishing; Iowa, 1978. Cecil, Andrew R. The Meaning of the Family in Society. University of Texas; Dallas, 1991. Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage Contemporaries; New York, 1991. Murray, Alma. Black Perspectives. Scholastic Books; New York, 1971.