Immigration Reform Essay Example for Free

Immigration Reform Essay Those that legally enter America do so because we are a land of opportunity. They are able to apply their skills and talents to better themselves. In the meantime, they are part of the population that finds better ways of doing things (technological advances). Technological advances increase everyone’s standard of living. Those that come here illegally are hired by firms because of the cheapness of their labor this is the reason illegal immigration needs to be dealt with. But, in the end, money talks so the political question on illegal immigration will not be decided in the near future. There is a lot of disagreement over this. Many people contend that illegal immigration overwhelms government programs costing the country more in services than their labor provides. Both President Barack Obama and Fox News resident Michael Barone have points and idea on immigration reform and what should be done about it. In presidents Obama speech given in El Paso Texas, Obama gives his ideas on immigration reform. Obama gives four major points insides his speech his first point is that the government should enforce the law and secure the borders, second that businesses should be held accountable if they employ undocumented workers, thirdly for those who are here illegally to go through processing and â€Å"get in line for legalization†, lastly his DREAM act a way to reform our old regulations of illegal immigration giving immigrants the chance to get jobs and start businesses in America. In Obama’s speech he states different immigrants that have made the country more prosperous and that have lead in tech development. Obama states that American companies such as Intel, Google, Yahoo and eBay these companies that have created jobs for several Americans were all founded by immigrants. Obama states a way to strengthen the middle class is to get rid of undocumented works, by doing this you are getting rid of the underground economy that exploits cheap labor while getting rid of regular jobs to the average American. Michael Barone states that Obama rhetoric on immigration reform is hypocritical, he says that Obama is not really interested in passing a law and that he only gave the speech to get support from Latino voters. Barone claims El Paso was about election 2012 not serious immigration reform. According to Michael Barone’s article on Obama’s rhetoric, in the past Obama has not lift a finger to help in immigration reform. In 2007, 2009 and 2010 when bills were on the verge of eing passed for immigration laws Obama voted against the Latino community in each of these periods in time. Barone shows that Obama’s most attractive proposal to the people of El Paso, his DREAM act failed last December in a more democratic senate and won’t pass now. Michael Barone goes on to talk about a tool called E-verify which is an electronical system that is now available and can allow employers to verify the social security numbers of their employees. Barone says that if Obama was serious about the enforcement of illegal immigration he would call for mandatory E-Verify among companies and businesses. As for Barone’s idea of Obama not being serious about immigration reform, it is impossible for Obama to take back what he said about his ideas of what should be done involving immigration. Even if Obama wasn’t serious about immigration reform, what he said at El Paso can benefit in the future the legal immigrants and illegal immigrants that seek legalization that spent their lives or that are living in America. I agree with Barones idea of mandatory E-verify among businesses and companies since Illegal immigration can destroy our economy with its underground economy that denies jobs to anyone not willing to work underpaid. The idea of the DREAM act that cannot be passed now doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Most proposals to congress aren’t passed right away; even throughout history it takes several years for a bill that gives more rights to others to actually be passed. Immigration reform is not a problem to America. Illegal immigration and employing undocumented workers as a cheap labor source destroys our economy and is the issue involving immigration. Immigration reform can allow legal immigrants the ability to make America as a whole prosper and develop while opening jobs and a chance to reach new technological advances ahead of other countries. With immigration reform and the DREAM act which I believe is still a possibility in our future, legal immigration can allow America as whole to reach the American dream.

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay

Introduction Of Ghana Culture And Social Situation Politics Essay This section wills analysis the changes of culture and social aspects in Ghana under globalization process. First of all, as mentioned above, introduce the background of Ghana in both sides. And then focus on the cultural globalization. After introduce the definition, the importance and the relationship between culture and cultural globalization, begin discuss a crucial question Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization. In social area, it will make a concrete analysis of each specific question, using employment situation, education and mortality rate as examples. General discussion about culture and cultural globalization Globalization offers an opportunity to the spread of language and culture from foreign country. The Cola-Cola, McDonalds and Subway can be founded in majority cities throughout the world. It is essential to discuss the definition of culture in order to understanding the cultural globalization. According to a Ghanaian, their cultural policy documents already offer a unambiguous response to any doubts about the definition: culture is a invisible thing which distinguish Ghanaian from other people (Audrey Gadzekpo 2005) Beside this, as German nonpositivist sociologist Georg Simmel ()points out the culture referred to the cultivation of individuals through the agency of external forms which have been objectified in the course of history. In addition, culture is an essential part of a nation, no matter it rich or poor. For the Ajay Bhatt, there are three points to support his views (Bhatt 2010). (1) The group solidarity depends on the foundation of culture, it remain the integrity of socia l relationship; (2) Culture has offer the new ideas to the people especially the younger generation; (3) Culture produces new ideas. By summarizing above, the significance of culture could hardly be overlooked, it is crucial to the whole country. Along with the world culture development fusion, a new phenomenon appeared-cultural globalization. It usually defined as the rapid movement of ideas, attitudes, and values across national borders (Sofree 2003-2012). Cultural globalization has the same characteristics with culture and can easily be found anywhere in the daily life. Introduction of Ghana culture and social situation Ghana was the first African country on the continent to achieve independence from the British colonial rule .And it used to be called Gold Coast until 1957. It is an ethnically diverse country that is deeply influenced by ancient Kingdoms of the Akan. The Ghanaian culture is a mixture of six ethnic groups. Among these groups, the Akan occupies the leading position (Miss West Africa Ghana). However, there have been many changes in social and culture aspects in Ghana in the preceding decades. For instance, the building of European architectural styles can be found everywhere in the country. In social area, the media of Ghana is one of the most free in Africa and has been described as one of the most unfettered ¼Ã‹â€ BBC News 2012 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. The large numbers of films and music from western society flow into Ghana could benefit from this. The background culture situation in Ghana A case study is Ghana, for instance, one of the most popular movie in Ghana is called American Boy, this film directed by Ghanaians (Nairaland Forum 2012). Even more remarkably, the latest film in the blockbuster movie series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows remained the No.1 movie and rakes in over $50.3 million over Thanksgiving weekend in 2010, according to Ghana Business News (2010). Beside this, the famous singer Lady Gaga always generated a lively discussion in every major forum and portal in Ghana, such as Omgghana and Hitbanger. Interestingly, other aspects expect for entertainment area in Ghana have the same condition. According to the Africa guide, Ghanaians composed of six ethnic groups, including the Akan (Ashanti and Fanti), the Gurma , the Ga-Adangbe, the Guan ,the Mole-Dagbani ,and the Ewe. In the past year of Ghana, a stranger always identified by his ethic origin or home town, for example that Ashanti man or the Ewe carpentry-master (Foster 1965). However, as the International Organization for Migration points out Ghana already become the principal destination to the refugee population in the West Africa sub-region. And in the context of globalization, Ghanaian migration has becoming increasing popular. It means people from various countries are pouring into Ghana and ethnic lines are no longer distinct. The globalization changes peoples way of thinking. In fact, compared to other black African nations, Ghana was more promising and prosperous and it more suitable for globalization (Manuh,T 2005). Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? Through the introduction of background in Ghana, the changes really exist in cultural aspects. However, increasing scholarly attention is now devoted to a question: Is Ghana has more to gain than to fear from cultural globalization? In fact, some scholars like David Rothkopf, the managing director of Kissinger Associates and an adjunct professor of international affairs at Columbia University, concerned about the question for a long time (The Statesman 2007). As Rothkopf argues, the America is trying to control the world with language, the common telecommunication and the food safety standards. The developed countries will use their own ideas, products and brands to replace the traditional way in poorer countries. Others like S.K. Boafo, suggested that the external culture such as films, music and language from America may have a significant threat to the traditional culture in Ghana (The Statesman 2007). As the minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, he point out that there are some negative impacts of foreign influences on Ghanaian culture in the last fifty years. For example, people in Ghana especially the younger generation more easily accept the western pop than the traditional folk song. Indeed the UNESCO als o supports their views, a meeting called protection and promotion hold by UNESCO in October 2005 (The Statesman 2007). The meeting was concern the cultural diversity and drafter worried the gap between developing and developed countries. Another supporter is Audrey Gadzekpo, she argues the culture as a useful linkages between the past and present, but under the globalization background, this type of link become more and more tenuous for the past five decades. The media violence in Ghana is a specific example. The researchers draw conclusions from more than 1000 studies that there is a positive association between violence entertainment and aggressive behavior. In other worlds, the violence and pornographic in the media contributes to the development of instability of the society and affects children and young people in Ghana. In fact, the media violence is a reality for the whole world However, it is the truth of the cultural globalization in Ghana? As we all know, the cultural invasion is very common in modern time. But as Kwame Anthony Appiah says the so-called cultural invasion can sometimes lead to innovation, various cultures and new ideas. Cultural Globalization focuses on the influence and infiltration between different regions, countries and nations, which reflects the generality of the development. A powerful example of this point is Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana. Kwame Anthony Appiah always realized it, he says what can you tell about peoples souls from the fact that they drink Coca-Cola? (Divestiture Implementation Committee 2004) Indeed, these companies like Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana (TCCBCG) contribute a lot of culture changes. TCCBCG has donated much money to built hospital, it not only offers more job opportunities to poor people but also promote the development of medical health. In Ghana as the Cultural Minister suggests people must correctly deal with cultural globalization and the most effective way to Western culture is keep the good thing in it. To sum up, as he says But as aspects of our old cultures change, adapt, maybe disappear, we have the opportunity to create something new drawing on the heterogeneous, cosmopolitan nature of modern Ghana and the modern world to create something that is a unique mixture of both (The Statesman 2007). To conclude, the answer about the question mentioned above is depending on Ghana as a active recipient or only a passive recipient. General discussion about Social globalization We cannot ignore the fact that world is so deeply interconnected and influence each other. For Akhila Kolisetty, majority of people have not realized what the social change is and how it affects both individuals and whole country. As a current student of London School of Economics, she suggested the first thing is defined the social globalization. Globalization can be classified according to the different functions into three categories: economic, political, social and culture.(Ali Datko).All of them are interdependent, but always influence each other. As Datko define the social globalization, it talk about the human interaction within cultural communities, and consist of topics like family, religion, work and education. But besides that, there is another definition about social and cultural globalization A process in which the constrains of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding(Robertson, 1992:7). In Ghana, the effect of globalization is all-pervasive. For instance, Ghana has experienced a continuous growth at their high-technology sector including the telecommunication and information technology at the early of 21st century (Edward Opoku-Dapaah, 2002). However, Opoku-Dapaah was pessimistic about social globalization. According to him, these advanced technology which comes from western countries maintain and extended the gap between rich and poor. To the contrary, other member such as international community and Ghanaian elite were optimistic about it. As Opoku-Dapaah points out, the key word is weather they mastered the technology. The labor market The globalization can offer a number of benefits for social situation in Ghana. The strongest evidence is labor market. As we all know, the situation of employment is urgent nowadays not only for graduates but also for normal people. Employment becomes one of the major social issues in every country. More and more people pay great attention to it. However, in this situation, Ghana experienced a dramatically decrease in their unemployment rate (Graph 1 from: indexmundi ).The graph gives information about historical data for Ghana unemployment rate from 1997 to 2000. It is clearly see that the percentage dropped from approximately 20% in 1997 to about 11% in 2000.Though it only for a portion of time, but it still very representative of the total situation. In 2005 the unemployment rate in Ghana is 12.9%. Additionally, the percentage averaged 12.05% from 2001 to 2005, then reaches the peak at 12.90% in December of 2005 and touches the bottom at 11.20% in December of 2001. In addition, the changes like this can have a positive impact not only to individuals but also to society. Like Joblistghana, one of the website which is using for job-hunting, they provide beyond 500 job opportunities to candidates. For example, if a father find a place to do the work, he can offer the better learning environment to children and development the familys living standard. In addition, the structure of labor market has been changed in a globalised world. Industry in Ghana occupies approximately 25.3% of total GDP. Without doubt, it offers more job opportunities to Ghanaians. The last point about labor market change is the spirit of innovation, as we all know the creative ability is the soul of an enterprise. Education The adult literacy rate in Ghana was 75% in 2007, with males at 87.2% and females at 67.1% (Education: about Ghana). However, during the colonial rule the figure was only 11%. Emefa Amoako explores the relevance with education in developing countries such as Ghana. As a result, he found the globalization have significant influence to the national education policy processes. In fact, the globalization not only a unique challenges but also an opportunity to the whole society. The fast development of globalization means some professionals who engage in education area flow into Ghana, and they always have professionally trained (Richard Joseph 2005).For the large number of outflow from other countries in Africa, it easier to find a satisfying job if they pass local certification examination such as university educators and doctors. All of them make significant contribution to the development of Ghanas education undertaking. It is one of the reason why adult literacy rate in Ghana growing and changing so quickly. Medical and Mortality rate As mentioned above, the social globalization means doctors, nurses and other health care professionals flow into Ghana. Like all the other nations in Africa, Child-mortality is a very serious social problem during these years. At the same time, it is the most comprehensive and complex indicators of social development. The definition of child mortality is the probability of dying between the exact ages of one and five. As the graph below shows the mortality rate deceases from 79.40% in 1988 to 28% in 2008, and the same situation occur in male child. As the research from Bloom Projects International, there are no evidences to show the relationship between infant mortality rate decrease and country size, economic growth and location except medical conditions (Bloom Projects International From 2012). In fact, better treatments in Ghana rely on the high-technology and medical expert to a great degree. At this point, Ghana as a beneficiary rather than a victim in social globalization proce sses. Graph 1 Unemployment rate in Ghana(%) (http://www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=ghv=74) Graph2 Ghana mortality rate(per 1,000 female children age one) (http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/ghana/mortality-rate)

Walter Johnson - A Pitcher :: essays research papers

In the beginning there were players like Ty Cobb who hit .300 for 23 consecutive years, and the 'flying dutchman' Honus Wagner. Pitchers like the 'christian gentleman' Christy Mathewson, and the winningest pitcher in history Cy Young. In the years when the only Yankees were the people in the north and there was an upstart franchise called the American League there was a pitcher, his name was Walter Johnson. Known as the 'big train' because of his high powered fastball which was unequaled in all of baseball Johnson was a poor Kansas farm-hand who became one of the best pitchers baseball has ever been lucky to have ever seen, and he was on one of the worst teams in the history of baseball. Walter Johnson was born in 1887 in a small town called Humboldt,Ks. As a teenager his interests turned from working on a farm to baseball; as he soon found out, he had a natural calling for pitching. As he went to high school he became one of the nations best pitchers and it was just a matter of time before he would be drafted for the majors. He was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1907 for $9. His first year wasn't so good but in his second year he earned the name 'the big train' with an amazing won loss record. Back when Walter pitched they had no Cy Young awards or league MVP awards but if they had, Walter would have won a dozen of each. On a team with a won loss record of around 60 and 94 Walter usually had half of their wins. He would frequently lead the league in wins, E.R.A., and strikeouts, but even the lackluster of the Senetors had some effect on him. In 1916 he had a miniscule E.R.A. of 1.86 but lost 20 games. It was 1924, and by hard work and determination (Johnson went 23-7) the Senators made it to the World Series but, they had to face the powerhouse of the N.Y.Giants with John McGraw at the helm. Johnson had never won a World Series game in his life and it was his dream of being able to do so but he was getting old and he knew this would probably be his last chance to win one. In game one he lost a heart breaker to the Giants ace. He had a no Walter Johnson - A Pitcher :: essays research papers In the beginning there were players like Ty Cobb who hit .300 for 23 consecutive years, and the 'flying dutchman' Honus Wagner. Pitchers like the 'christian gentleman' Christy Mathewson, and the winningest pitcher in history Cy Young. In the years when the only Yankees were the people in the north and there was an upstart franchise called the American League there was a pitcher, his name was Walter Johnson. Known as the 'big train' because of his high powered fastball which was unequaled in all of baseball Johnson was a poor Kansas farm-hand who became one of the best pitchers baseball has ever been lucky to have ever seen, and he was on one of the worst teams in the history of baseball. Walter Johnson was born in 1887 in a small town called Humboldt,Ks. As a teenager his interests turned from working on a farm to baseball; as he soon found out, he had a natural calling for pitching. As he went to high school he became one of the nations best pitchers and it was just a matter of time before he would be drafted for the majors. He was drafted by the Washington Senators in 1907 for $9. His first year wasn't so good but in his second year he earned the name 'the big train' with an amazing won loss record. Back when Walter pitched they had no Cy Young awards or league MVP awards but if they had, Walter would have won a dozen of each. On a team with a won loss record of around 60 and 94 Walter usually had half of their wins. He would frequently lead the league in wins, E.R.A., and strikeouts, but even the lackluster of the Senetors had some effect on him. In 1916 he had a miniscule E.R.A. of 1.86 but lost 20 games. It was 1924, and by hard work and determination (Johnson went 23-7) the Senators made it to the World Series but, they had to face the powerhouse of the N.Y.Giants with John McGraw at the helm. Johnson had never won a World Series game in his life and it was his dream of being able to do so but he was getting old and he knew this would probably be his last chance to win one. In game one he lost a heart breaker to the Giants ace. He had a no

Middle Passage Essay -- Literary Analysis, Charles Johnson

INTRO Examination into the true heart of experience and meaning, Charles Johnson’s Middle Passage looks at the structures of identity and the total transformation of the self. The novel talks about the hidden assumptions of human and literary identity and brings to view the real problems of these assumptions through different ideas of allusion and appropriation. As the novel tells Rutherford Calhoun’s transformation of un-awareness allows him to cross â€Å"the sea of suffering† (209) making him forget who he really is. The novel brings forth the roots of human â€Å"being† and the true complications and troubles of African American experiences. Stuck between posed questions of identity, the abstract body is able to provide important insight into the methods and meanings in Middle Passage. RUTHERFORD’S TRANSFORMATION Middle Passage’s protagonist , Rutherford Calhoun, shows that identity is a dangerous â€Å"middle† experience for the African American offspring that endured the middle passage. As a survivor of a unknown place and subject to total isolation of his own personal experiences we find Rutherford searching for meaning. The novel questions the structure of human and literary identity by testing the power of duel oppositions and abstraction to portray the meaning of experience: "Our faith in fiction comes from an ancient belief that language and literary art all speaking and showing-clarify our experience" (Being 3). By questioning the African-American experience, Johnson radicalizes faith and is able to show the complexities of experience and change. Johnson’s examination into identity, which we can see as both human and textual, depends mainly on the appropriation for its literal and pensive methods. This contradictory space of ... ...o becoming "like any other men," or if not like every other man they become more like Rutherford himself: â€Å"They were leagues from home - indeed, without a home - and in Ngonyama's eyes I saw a displacement, an emptiness like maybe all of his brethren as he once knew them were dead. To wit, I saw myself. A man remade by virtue of his contact with the crew. My reflection in his eyes, when I looked up, gave back my flat image as phantasmic, the flapping sails and sea behind me drained of their density like figures in a dream. Stupidly, I had seen their lives and culture as timeless product, as a finished thing, pure essence or Parmenidean meaning I envied and wanted to embrace, when the truth was that they were process and Heraclitean change, like any men, not fixed but evolving and as vulnerable to metamorphosis as the body of the boy we'd thrown overboard. (124)†

Deciphering Low-Carb Diet Jargon :: Nutritio

Deciphering Low-Carb Diet Jargon The medical world is a complicated one with constant changes in what is recommended for good health. Trying to keep up with current information is challenging enough, but deciphering the technical jargon can be the most confusing part. The low-carb diet craze exploded into the media with Atkins, The Zone, and the South Beach Diet. Accompanying these names are words such as glucose and fructose with many people know are different forms of sugar. But what do some of these other common words and phrases mean? What are insulinemia, glycemia, and a glycemic index? They are frequently used, but what do they mean?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, the goal of the low carb bars and snacks is to reduce the postprandial (after a meal) insulin levels. Insulin levels are important for health reasons, particularly diabetes. It is well- known that there is increasing concern over the rising obesity and diabetes rates in this country. Glycemia is the presence of glucose in the blood. Hypoglycemia is an abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood. It is important to test people with diabetes regularly for their glycemic status because they have certain glycemic goals of where their blood sugar level needs to be and this can vary from person to person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is where the glycemic index comes into play. The glycemic index is a ratings system for food based on their glycemic response, which is the speed at which a food is able to increase a person’s blood glucose level. White bread is an example of a food with a high glycemic index. Foods with a high glycemic index break down into sugars more quickly than those with a low index. Studies show that foods with a low glycemic index may help to manage diabetes by helping to control glucose levels. With the growing diabetes trend this information could e crucial for maintaining health for those with diabetes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Insulinemia is the presence of an abnormally high concentration of insulin in the blood. Insulin is important in order to get the sugars out of our blood and into organs or storage.

Pauline Ethics Essay

1.Why is it necessary that actions proceed from moral and spiritual vision? It is necessary that actions proceed from moral and spiritual vision because the attainment or accomplishment of our vision or goals is when we will be able to put it into action. What is in hearts and minds must be seen through our actions because grace to Apostle Paul work in the inside out. Like Apostle Paul, his ethical teaching flows from a moral vision. For him, to be a Christian is to able to do God’s will. To know the Christian codes of right conduct and behavior, we must have the moral capacity to act on them. In short, if one has moral character then one will act morally. In Colossians 3:1-2, Paul said that â€Å"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.† If we are seeking after the exalted Lord Jesus Christ then it envisions our practical pursui t of spiritual goals. Then to set our minds on things above, emphasizes that we have the spiritual capacity to accomplish those spiritual goals. For example, one of my moral visions is to be more patient enough or to control my being hot tempered against unreasonable people. In order to attain this goal of mine then I have to pray for them to become matured enough and also ask God to give me wisdom in dealing with them especially in giving responses, reactions or comments to what they say. Further, I have to befriend them and try to reach out with their needs. All these moral and spiritual visions will be accomplished through our actions since we participated in the death and resurrection of Christ; we are now being transformed into new person by God’s grace. 2. How do the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love affect the practice and conduct of your own particular profession? These three virtues affect the practice and conduct of my profession in such a way that as a Social Worker I am committed to help the less fortunate people or people who are deprived from their own rights (esp. the indigent) in the upliftment of their lives. Because of my faith that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5) and that He will provide all our needs according to glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19) then I have to keep going, not to be discouraged in helping these clients. This virtue of faith drives me to hope that someday, somehow, these less fortunate people will rise from their present situation and be able to exercise their right and duties as citizenry of our country. Also to pursue my commitment, I have the duty to love these people as Jesus loved me unconditionally. There are times that it’s not easy to love especially if I encounter rude people but to be able practice my faith, I ought to do so. 3.How would you foster ethical/moral values in the following realities? a.Consumerism – buying only what I need (want vs. need). By being practical and maximizing my resources to the fullest. Also when buying something, do not be brand conscious but focus on the usefulness of that thing. b.Mundane and Profane tendencies – not to conform to the pattern or evil desires of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind†¦ (Romans 12:2) even if it is the trend. To stand out against the world. c.Relativism – by respecting one’s faith and beliefs. Also being open to the perspective of others not to be so closed with what I know and how I understands different things in life but be willing to share or exchange with one’s opinion and ideas. d.Technological Dependence – for me by choosing only what is applicable to my need and demand of times. Personal relationship should not be sacrificed just because of this high technology. e.Economic Scarcity – being resourceful and practical and maximizing the full potential of such – (Principle of supply and demand). For example, there was food scarcity in a certain area because of typhoon devastation. Relief goods were distributed and so there were crowd falling in line. In this case, I would give priority to senior citizens, the sick, pregnant and the handicapped, though all of them have equal need. 4.How do you exercise your particular profession in the perspective of the following Christian Gifts (Romans 12:4-11)? a.Prophecy – For me, when I was in the National Irrigation Administration as Irrigator’ Development Officer, I do a lot of field work, meetings, and trainings. I always inject the word of God in giving opening prayers in the conduct of meetings and trainings. Even when I do home visitations, during informal sessions with my clients I inspire them with the words of God especially when they open-up their problems and difficulties in life. In that way, I know I was able to exercise this gift of prophesy. b. Practical Service – When I perform my duties and responsibilities, I do it with all my heart not to please my boss or co-worker but to please God. Since we have a multi-task function in the office before, even cleaning the comfort rooms, (when our janitor retires and our office did not hire anymore instead we are task to do additional janitorial works) I do it with gladness. I told myself that this will not degrade my profession because even Jesus washed the feet of His disciples as an example of true humility and service. c.Teaching – In conducting seminars and trainings with the farmers, I think I do exercise this gift God has given in relation to the teaching of Christ. Like for instance, one the principles that we emphasize with our farmer clientele is the principle of sharing (e.g. there must proper sharing of irrigation water). This principle is in light with the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ to share what we have to those who don’t have. I give instruction, rules and regulations as a way of teaching in the attainment of target/desired goals of our agency. d.Encouragement – This gift is attached to my profession I think especially to deal with different kinds of people with different ethical behavior. I need to practice this gift in order for me to attract or influence these farmers in the performance of their duties and responsibilities as partners of irrigation development. To encourage is my â€Å"capital† to become effective IDO. e.Almsgiving – to perform my duties and responsibilities in the office, I am willing to give my time beyond the prescribed office hour (8 hours a day) without expecting a reward or additional compensation. I always stay in the office beyond office hours just to comply with the deadlines reports and other pertinent works or when my superior asked me to do something. f.Position or Authority – whenever I am tasked to do something, for example, assign me to lead or spearhead a particular program/project, I always accept it without hesitation and I have to perform to the best of my ability involving my team in all aspects of the project because I believed that team approach is more effective way in accomplishing a particular activity/project. g.Acts of Mercy – in working with my officemates and rendering service with my farmer-clientele, I do it by heart and with joy. I have to enjoy my work so that I will not get burn-out. I still remember when I do field work and do home visitations with the farmer leaders, they even open-up their problems regarding their private life and I do some counseling and offer prayers for them and this developed a closer relationship with them. 5.Why is it necessary to contextualized Pauline Ethics in your own field of expertise? By contextualizing Pauline Ethics in my own field of expertise I can share/bring the â€Å"good news† or the love of God to my clientele. By exercising the seven Christian Gifts and the various codes of Christian conduct, I believe I can help in the transformation of their lives just like what Jesus did for us. And hopefully not only our direct clients will be influenced but their family circle and the whole community as well. A concrete example of this is when I conduct training, imparting to my farmer clientele the value of self-discipline in light of distribution irrigation water, payment of irrigation fees, etc. but it does not end up with the irrigation water alone but relating it to the whole aspect of their lives. I was amazed that I have seen the impact of this with their lives through evaluation and some farmers will give feed-backs on the positive impact of the training in their li ves. 6. Defend or Refute: The transformation of one’s life from vice to virtue, and alienation to reconciliation is the byproduct of grace. I strongly agree that the transformation of one’s life from vice to virtue and alienation to reconciliation is the byproduct of grace. The transformation of our character from negative to positive is not by our own strength. If we want to change and have transformation it’s only by God’s grace. As Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9, He said to me, â€Å"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.† He promised grace for Paul’s pain. It means therefore that in our weaknesses, God’s power is sufficient. Grace simply means God’s help, intervention and strength in our weakness. Our vices or character deficiencies can be replaced with virtues or character assets by trusting God’s grace. By participating in Christ’s work and our confession that He is our Lord and Savior means transformation of our lives so that we can live our lives in accordance to God’s will. We are alienated before because of our sinful nature which we inherited from Adam and Eve, but because God loves us so much, He gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins. So with Christ death on the cross we were being reconciled to God. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, â€Å"For it is by grace you have been saved through faith- and this not from yourselves it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.† Our salvation is by God’s grace- gift of God (undeserved gift) through faith but we have to ask (open our hearts and let Christ reign in our lives) so that we will receive this gift of salvation. We cannot earn our own salvation but it’s only by God’s grace! 7. Defend or Refute: To live through commitment and not merely by inspiration means to be faithful to God. Yes I agree to this statement. To be faithful to God means a commitment to live our lives to Him and not merely by inspiration. For Paul when he was converted in Damascus, he started to commit his life to God no matter what the cause maybe. In the practical side of it, to live our lives through commitment is living with a purpose and direction. Once we are committed to do something, we do it consistently, not mechanically but with all our mind and heart having the assurance and certainty that God will be glorified. By doing so it follows the joy and love in performing the act not by force or compulsion. On the other hand, we should not live only by mere inspiration not just to enjoy life and be contented to what will happen. For example, one way to be faithful to God is to pray every day – giving thanks to Him for all the circumstances He brought in my life and entrusting to Him all my concerns and even my future. I should do this consistently and accept whatever God’s response. Another way of my being faithful to God is by giving my tithes and offering regularly. 8. Defend or refute: If one acts on the basis of the responsibility of love, he is free. No. I disagree because love never ceases. Love must continue to be our motivating factor to act. Love will go on eternity for God is love. 1 John 4:8, â€Å"God is love! God is eternal; therefore love is eternal as well. Paul writes, in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, â€Å"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal†¦ v. 13 â€Å" And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. We will never be free because we have the debt with our fellowmen and that is the debt to love them regardless of the race, status, physical attributes, etc.

Demi Lovato Life Factors Essay

BULLYING An example of an environmental factor that has affected demi Lovato is bullying. Bullying is treating someone in a way that has the intention of causing any form of harm, it was in school that Demi Lovato experienced this physical bullying she experienced in school which she left after a lot of verbal and physical abuse. As a result of her being bullied about her weight, she stopped eating at the age of 12 and dropped 30 pounds so a life coach was then called in to help her out. People also wrote â€Å"hate petitions† about her and sent them around to be signed. This may affect her physically as; she couldn’t sleep at night as she would be worrying about going to school the next day– so we would have sleepless night. This may affect her intellectually as; she could fall behind in her school work as if they were calling her â€Å"stupid† or â€Å"smartarse† about her intelligence. Also she would lose concentration in her lessons which contributed to her failing academically and dropping grades. This may affect her emotionally as she is not reaching her full potential. Socially Demi Lovato struggled to make friends and maintain relationships due to the abuse she suffered she often isolated herself and didn’t enjoy normal teenage activities. MISUSE OF SUBSTANCES Demi Lovato went through a stage of taking cocaine, which could be considered a form of self harm, Demi Lovato used to take cocaine- this is a misuse of substances-drugs. Demi Lovato described the drug use as a form of escape  from loneliness she felt. This may affect her physically as drugs affects their body. Cocaine affects your vital organs, you have difficulty breathing, can have collapsed lungs, get heart conditions such as angina, weakened heart walls, and also it ruptures the blood vessels in your brain. This may affect her intellectually as taking drugs affect your mental health this can include anxiety, mood swings, depression, sleep problems and psychosis which would have a huge effect on her career. Emotionally the affect the drugs have on her mental health could lead to depression, suicide and even violent outbursts. So her friends and family may feel as though they have to cover for her, which can add an emotional strain and lead to resentment. This may affect her soc ially as this can have a negative impact on her career as she is meant to be a young child’s/adults role-model and the drug use could change the publics view of her this could have a negative impact on her career as she could get bad publicity from the press. HEALTH ISSUES She became so depressed that she began to cut her wrists and other places where no other people could see. She also used to cut herself to take her mind off of things. Demi didn’t care what happened, she had no fear. She also says that she felt a lot of pressure of having to be â€Å"perfect† and being a perfect role which lead to her cutting herself as a form of escape. To cover up the scars of cutting, Demi has tattoos of inspiration words to help her remember to be a strong person one wrist says â€Å"Stay† and on the other wrist it says â€Å"Strong†. This may affect her intellectually as she wrongly thinks self-harm is the only way to cope with everything bad that happens. The stress of depression and feeling the need to self harm will effect a person emotionally as they will be extremely confused along with feelings of regret and confusion. This may affect her socially as she feel as though she is being withdrawn from society and she becomes anti-soc ial. Also she could be feeling a lot of pressure from her fans, family etc. so a way for her to escape this pressure is for her to self-harm and cut herself. This time of self harm would have been a dangerous stage of Demi’s life where she was putting her life at risk. DIET Demi started to think she was fat and described feelings of guilt for eating. When she was 15, she was only eating 2 meals per week and she felt as if she wasn’t losing enough weight so she began experimenting with laxatives and appetite suppressants. Then Demi began battling bulimia, this amount of forceful vomiting lead to blood and acid being thrown up. Diet affected Demi unbelievably, socially and mentally as it was due to diet that she changed her entire career and she starting singing instead of acting with Disney to avoid constantly being on TV. Demis constant battle with insecurity about her weight affects her physically as her body was very fragile and looked fragile, so everyone had to be careful around her and to look after her as well. Also the physical effects of her diet are that she would have weak muscles, a low immune system, damaged organs and vocal chord damage. This would effect her as she wouldn’t be able to perform as best as she could. This may af fect her intellectually as; she’s not eating the right food, so her body isn’t getting the right nutrition’s, so the brain can’t function properly. REHAB Demi went into rehab in October 2010. This was to deal with her self-harming, substance abuse and depression. She describes the treatment as â€Å"really hard and scary†, saying that she had 14 hours of therapy a day however she could feel that the therapy was working and she began to feel happier daily. Demi at times wanted to leave rehab not because she didn’t want to fix the problem but because she missed the people from outside, however she was convinced to continue. Rehab changed Demi’s life physically as it made her a healthier and happier person her body began to function properly as she began to eat properly and receive the nutrition that she needed. Mentally, the therapy received changed Demi’s out look on life and her view of herself it helped her be a more positive person and a more educated person in terms of how to say no and how to treat her body correctly. Emotionally she may have been missing her family and friends however this could make h er value what’s good in her life, rehab also lead to Demi being a more emotionally  secure person. Socially rehab made Demi a more positive person and therefore a person who is more confident and found it easier to be in the public eye and be in social situations with people, also it may have taught her how to deal with social media websites and news considering she is a celebrity and she may still face future abuse/bullying due to that. PREDICTABLE HEALTH EVENTS 1. Health issues: Demi has experienced health issues from a young age such as bulimia it could be predicted that due to her suffering mentally with illnesses and physically with illnesses in the past along with her history of substance abuse she may relapse due to constant public attention due to her singing and acting career. Physically this possible relapse could make it difficult for Demi’s body and mind to cope, if she does have a relapse her body will be much more at risk to collapsing as it is repeatedly is put through stress and it may struggle to fight of sickness and infection. Also she would lack concentration which would affect her career as an actress. This will impact her emotionally as there will still be times in her life where she feels low and depressed as she’ll self-harm, also the emotions surrounding her strength should she relapse and the way her habits may affect her family. This will impact her socially as when she would self harm herself she could begin to feel as though she is being withdrawn from society, and then become anti-social. UN-PREDICTABLE LIFE EVENTS 1. Break-up’s Demi went through a hard and an emotional break-up with Joe Jonas, this break-up was unpredictable and due to the emotional distress she could fall into a relapse and begin taking drugs or gaining insecurities again. This will impact her emotionally as she would of gone through a rough time with the break up would just feel really emotional (such as anxious, upset and depressed) however Demi found that through music she could channel her emotions and although it may have been predicted that a breakup could make  her relapse infact she done the opposite and found a positive route out of the situation. This will impact her socially as she may stray away from society– her family and friends this could lead to greater feelings of loneliness and depression. Death Experiencing a death of someone who is close to you has bad effects on anyone, demi experienced the death of a friend this will impact her physically as she may be depressed and this unpredicted event could lead to Demi abusing her body again as she already suffers with issues dealing with pain and upset. This will impact her intellectually as she may lack concentration and it may affect her career. This will impact her emotionally as she could be emotionally drained which would therefore impact her career and the way in which she presents herself to her fans. Socially this could mean Demi would begin to isolate herself from her friends and fans and for someone who is a celebrity this is a big risk to take as it may make the public lose interest in her and the public if she is depressed and in isolation. THEORIES OF AGEING There are 3 types of theories that are related to ageing; Disengagement theory, Activity theory, and Continuity theory. Authors of the book â€Å"Growing Old† Elaine Cumming and William Henry summarised that growing old isn’t a cheerful time in which people grow old happily and simply accept that their lives and activities should change due to their age. They said it is a time where elderly people begin the process of realising they have a short life span left and struggle coming to terms with this. This theory of struggling to come to terms with old age was developed by Elaine and William and they called it disengagement theory: For example, someone who was in the disengagement stage, would be in a nursing home staying there, not wanting to see anyone or participating in any activities that are provided as they are rejecting the process of being elderly. THEORIES OF AGEING The activity theory was developed in the 1960s. This is a positive relationship between a person’s level of activity and life satisfaction, which then increases how positively a persons there self-concept is and improves their ability to adjust in their elderly years. It states, people who achieve optimal age are those who stay active. As peoples life stages change they must be active and change with them for example when they reach retirement they can then do things they never had time to do before, like travel it is suggested that this active attitude is what will make them happier in the transition through social life stages. For example, someone who was in the activity theory would want to do activities for the majority of the day, and be as active as possible throughout the day. This activity theory was created by Robert Havighurst. DEMI AND AGEING D1 I chose to explain the activity theory and the dis-engagement theory in further detail and I think there is potential for demi lovato to fall into these two theories. I suggested dis-engagement theory as a theory that may possibly effect Demi as she has a history of separating herself from society and the expectations of society when she finds herself in stressful situations, like her previous bullying issues or drug addictions. It is possible to expect that Demi when facing the stress of accepting old age she may reject this and act against what is expected of somebody who is ageing. This is purely predictions based on her past actions. This will effect Demi’s development as it could cause her to be an entirely different person should she choose to isolate herself from the rest of society her brain could prematurely age as she is no longer socially active. I think the disengagement theory will suit Demi best as an elderly looked after person because due to her life in the lig hts she may need to take a step back from society and it might be more successful for her elderly development if she spends some time away from society’s expectations and spent sometime thinking of her own needs. DEMI AND AGEING On the other hand it may be possible that Demi may fall into a category of activity theory. This predication is due to her wisdom after everything she has faced throughout her life and therefore when she ages she may become actively involved in health promotions or anti-bullying schemes. She may work in the community to advise young people on their options and actions and therefore she will be an actively acting elderly person taking part in the schemes and opportunities provided for elderly people. This theory may effect Demi’s development as it will make her a more active individual and therefore her life quality and happiness will be increased. This theory of ageing could be best for Demi rather than disengagement theory as she has had a very active life style all her life and to change this could cause her to be depressed the activity theory would probably benefit Demi the most as an elderly person who needs to be looked after in the correct way. PHYSICAL SIGNS OF AGEING When you become older, your muscles begin to shrink and lose mass. The number and size of muscle fibres also decrease. The heart muscle becomes less able to propel large quantities of blood to the body- so older people tire more quickly and take longer to recover. The water content of tendons, the cord like tissues that attach muscles to bones decrease as we age this makes the tissues stiffer and less able to tolerate stress. This would effect demi as she has quite an active career and it could cause her to have to change her lifestyle therefore she may begin feeling sad or depressed if her life changes too severely and she has no control over it. With age, your heart has to work harder and pump more blood than a younger heart. Due to this change in blood flow elderly people struggle to perform basic homeostatic functions such as maintaining body temperature. This would impact Demi as she could suffer from many diseases that occur from the changes of major organs, this could impact h er social and singing/acting career. The first physical signs of aging include the skin becoming less elastic. Another sign of aging is that your sleep rhythm may alter. At night, you may not sleep for as long as you used to and it is possible that you may wake up more  during the night. PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS OF AGEING Memory loss is one of the most common psychological effects of aging. For many people, remembering everyday things becomes more difficult. Memory loss affects short-term memory more than long-term. It may be easy to recall events that happened thirty years in the past, but difficult to recall what happened on the morning news. Absentmindedness is also a characteristic psychological effect of aging. Clear, lucid thoughts become increasingly difficult. Older people may repeat themselves in conversation, or have trouble doing regular activities. This impaired cognitive functioning could also be a sign of althzeimers disease. It can lead to severe degeneration of mental functioning. Depression is fairly common as many people age. Perhaps you used to have a full head of thick hair. You used to be able to eat anything you want without getting gas or gaining weight. Maybe you used to be a strong as a bull and be able to run like the wind. As you got older though, you gained weight, you went bald, you can’t lift things like you used to. You recall the good old days and then look at the shape you’re in now. That can make nearly anyone depressed. THE EFFECTS OF AGEING AND  CONFIDENCE/SELF ESTEEM The loss of a youthful appearance, as well as the emotional and social changes that may accompany menopause and aging can hurt our self-esteem. The changes that are seen at midlife can be disconcerting. Some research indicates that these changes in the body image have a significant impact on our sexual desire and sexual self-esteem at midlife. The issue of lowered self-esteem/confidence mainly stems from the issue of  comparing ourselves to younger people as we age. When we are young we have better body function, more elastic skin, less wrinkles and a harder working body with more physical abilities meaning we are in healthy shape. As we get older these functions change and we begin to lose what we once took for granted. In these cases its easy for an elderly person to be hit with confidence and self esteem issues as they are going through an extreme bodily change. Also with women the life stage of menopause can sometimes make a women depressed as she feels less womanly due to her inability to have anymore children. Also the issue of life expectancy slowly becoming shorter confidence and self esteem can surround regrets and elderly person has had throughout their lifetime.