Introduction to health behaviours and to Health Psychology Essay - 1

Introduction to health behaviours and to Health Psychology - Essay Example Research indicates that these tobacco leaves, when combusted, release active substances which create a sensation in the human body which is why the activity is sometimes also referred to as recreational use of drugs. In most cases, when the cigarette is lighted, vapors are created which heat up the aerosol in such a way that the gases that are discharged to be inhaled by the smokers. An analysis of the health hazards related to smoking reveals striking evidence of extreme risks it poses. Research indicates that smoking alone is responsible for causing preventable death on a global level, where in the USA alone, around 500,000 deaths are attributed to smoking hazards (Eysenck 2000: 12-13). Furthermore, due to the highly invasive yet insidious risks related to smoking, public policy is now being focused in the area. More so, critical hazards are associated with the asendorphins or the dopamines are the chemicals which directly incite the nerve endings of the brains after which they ten d to trigger sensations mostly pertaining to pleasure. Aside from the critical health hazards, smoking also influences major behavioral patterns and human psyche, due to which psychologists also spend major tenure studying psychology of smoking. A significant development regarding psychological research in the area of smoking took place somewhere in the mid 20th century. During this era, psychologists like Hans Eysenck started working on profiling the personality of smokers during that era. Thus, the paper aims at exploring the issue from both psychological as well as medical perspective to seek a complete account of the issue. To understand the related health hazards and the following psychological hazards, it is crucial to study the process which goes into the activity comprising smoking. In most cases, the cigarette is contained inside a compound of aerosol inclusive particles along with other gases and activated

Multimedia Courseware Shell Proposal Essay Example for Free

Multimedia Courseware Shell Proposal Essay A new experimental degree program, the Bachelor of Applied Business Program (BAB), was launched Spring Quarter 1994 by Continuing Education and Extension. BAB is a practitioners’ degree for the working adult student. The emphasis in the program is on learning skills and accessing information to apply to solving practical workplace problems in a rapidly changing business world. The program was developed with substantial involvement of the Inver Hills Community College, the business community in the Twin Cities area, and the University of Minnesota’s Continuing Education and Extension (CEE) unit. This is the first degree program offered by CEE, and—if successful—it will serve as a model for redefining â€Å"outreach† in the urban corridor to fulfill part of the land grant mission of the University of Minnesota. We are currently in the process of developing the course materials and selecting faculty to teach in the program for Fall Quarter 1994. Note that the three distinguishing features of the BAB program include a number of technical features, graphic elements, or applications that could be significantly enhanced by multimedia courseware: †¢ Courses are being designed with substantial involvement of area businesses to give students â€Å"hands on† experience, including leading and participating in group work; skills for managing upward and downward business relationships; storing, accessing, and retrieving information; creating and implementing budgets, operations flowcharts, schedules, and staffing plans. †¢ Learning outcomes will be specified for each course and applications-related competencies will be integrated into courses across the curriculum. These will include emphases on writing, speaking, and visual communication; using technology and information management techniques, engaging in applied problem-solving and critical thinking skills, working in teams, quality in the workplace, ethics, and the dynamics and management of a diverse workforce. †¢ Practicum/project work will also be an important aspect of the BAB curriculum and students will be encouraged to develop and maintain a portfolio of their coursework and practical experiences which can later be used as evidence of the competencies that they have developed. Our business partners stressed that the BAB upper division courses must be applied and skills-oriented, making use of interactive learning modules that model actual workplace situations. Moreover, the courses must integrate both medium and message into a fast-paced, electronically connected, multimedia learning environment that requires that students take the initiative and work on real projects with limited supervision. Project Description Under an earlier MinneMac grant the principal investigator, Elizabeth Michaels, collaborated with Deborah Henderson and Ann Douglas to create WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum), a courseware shell, for delivering instruction in writing, pharmacy, and business courses. This shell has been used extensively in the English Department since 1990, at Grace High School since 1991, and for the past two years, in five Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The major shortcomings of WAC are its lack of graphics or visual capabilities and its lack of integration with other software packages. However, if we could integrate the basic principles of text delivery that we have already developed in WAC with the capabilities of the PowerMac 7100—specifically with its AV Video, CD-ROM, and color display, we could develop a powerful multimedia component that will teach students how to manage a business â€Å"from their desktops.† Moreover, by linking to other programs, like Microsoft Projectâ„ ¢, Excelâ„ ¢, or Directorâ„ ¢, we can create a multi-functional learning tool that can be used in labs and for distance learning throughout Minnesota. The multimedia courseware shell we propose to develop will provide an innovative and easily updated method of delivering timely, practical, high quality business courses to working adults. The PowerMac 7100 which we are requesting will be used initially by the multimedia courseware development team: Elizabeth Michaels, Principal Investigator (English); Mr. Pat Lingren, Program Director (CEE); and our project consultant, William Rudel (Carlson School of Management). After the courseware has been developed and alpha tested, faculty designing the target courses will be trained in the use of the courseware shell to develop their own multimedia course modules. The project we propose, therefore, is to design an interactive, multimedia courseware shell, initially for four key courses in the curriculum. The BAB MultiMedia Courseware shell (BAB-MMC) will enable us (1) to develop multimedia case studies and (2) to create course materials which will enable students to integrate various project planning, database, spreadsheet, business graphics, and electronic mail packages with textual information in their classes. The BAB-MMC will serve two purposes: as a training tool for innovative and experimental curriculum development for BAB faculty and as a teaching/learning tool for BAB students. The following is a description of the four courses and how we will use the BAB-MMC in each of them. 1. Planning and Implementing at the Business Unit Level (4 cr.) This course focuses on creating and implementing plans such as operations flowcharts, budgets, schedules, and staffing plans at the business unit level. The BAB-MMC will integrate these flowcharts, budgets, schedules, and staffing plans as well as the presentational software for creating written and oral briefings for presenting, monitoring, and revising these plans. It will also contain strategic planning instruction and forecasting techniques. Moreover, the course will make use of multimedia case studies to give students practice in solving real logistics and planning problems. 2. Project Management in Practice (4 cr.) This course has two objectives: (1) to teach students about project management and the various tools and techniques available to the project lead in such areas as scheduling, coordinating, allocating resources, and monitoring project activities; and (2) to provide students with the opportunity to carry out a field project and put the tools of project management into practice. These projects will be carried out in teams whenever possible. The BAB-MMC will integrate into the course a number of the abovementioned project management tools which will then be used by the students in recording and reporting on their field experiences. The students will also communicate electronically with the instructor and regularly post messages to a class bulletin board as a means of communicating progress and requesting help with problems. 3. Accessing and Using Information Effectively (4 cr.) This course begins with a conceptualization of the role of information in business operations including information systems and data management. The BAB-MMC will serve as a tool for developing short case studies and exercises, which include data-based, text-based, oral, written, and multimedia elements. Students will learn to access external information for the firm through library resources, information search services, CD-ROMs, and periodicals and internal information through desktop database systems, e-mail, or computer conferencing. 4. Practicum (4 cr.) Two of the three forms the practicum could take are (1) to develop a business plan for a new venture or (2) to complete a portfolio of projects which demonstrate transferable skills from previous courses or fieldwork. The BAB-MMC will take the current course materials that we have developed for the business plan and convert them into self-study units which will integrate spreadsheet, cash flow analysis, financial analysis, and graphics packages capable of creating organizational charts and other business graphics to enhance and simplify the preparation of a complete business plan and its pro formas. The third form a practicum could take is a supervised project at the student’s workplace or at another location. For this option, the BAB-MMC will set up a course Website where the students report electronically to the instructor and other students. This will minimize the need for site visits and enable one professor to manage and respond to the individual need s of six to eight students who are enrolled in the practicum in any quarter more efficiently. Evaluation The BAB-MMC will be evaluated by the developers conducting user testing on the shell and sample modules and by instructors developing modules for their courses to determine its ease of use and effectiveness as a classroom tool. Students will be asked to evaluate the BAB-MMC as part of their regular course evaluations at the end of each quarter. We will also have two representatives of the Digital Media Center conduct an independent evaluation of the multimedia courseware shell as a teaching/learning tool. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected.

The True Gentleman of Great Expectations :: Free Great Expectations Essays

The True Gentleman of Great Expectations To determine if someone is a gentleman, one must look within them and not focus upon their material wealth. In the novel Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, three characters show qualities of a true gentleman. Pip, Joe, and Provis have true gentlemen-like characteristics, which are shown through the way they live and present themselves. Pip's actions towards others are those of an authentic gentleman. For example, when Provis is very ill and Pip is very kind and says, "I will never stir from your side" (891). This shows that Pip is willing to forget his own comforts and future plans to sit by Provis's side, making Provis's last days on earth comfortable. In addition, Pip saves Miss Havisham when she gets caught on fire: "I had a double-caped coat on...and I got them over her" and "she was insensible and I was afraid to have her moved or even touched" (875). This proves that Pip cares for other people, even if they have treated him poorly. When Pip helps Miss Havisham, it shows his consideration to those in need. Pip relieving Miss Havisham from the fire after she was "coarse and common" towards him, shows Pip has a favorable heart. In conclusion, Pip's behavior towards others is that of a gentleman because Pip treats others with tenderness and affection. Joe's actions are those of a true gentleman. For example, Joe defends Mrs. Joe from Orlick even though he is scared of Orlick himself: "What could the wretched Joe do now...but stand up to his journeyman...so, without so much as pulling off their singed and burnt aprons, they went at one another, like two giants" (773). Joe is intimidated by Orlick and by Joe defending Mrs. Joe from Orlick shows that Joe has courageousness. Joe is a benevolent person by stepping up to Orlick to help Mrs. Joe. In addition, Joe pays off Pip's debts and Pip finds "a receipt for which they had been paid off" (899). Joe paying off Pip's debts shows he is a helpful and caring person. Joe is being considerate by helping Pip become debt-free. It is ironic that Joe helps Pip because Pip hasn't been a considerate person to Joe but he helps Pip regardless.

CSR activities of Pepsico India and Amul India Essay

Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business)[1] is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. Holmes and Watts (1999) defined CSR as the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life of the workforce and their families as well as of the local community and society at large. With Indian consumers becoming more ’cause’ conscious, their brand preferences keep shifting to favor the brand that is socially more responsible. The phenomenon directly creates a connection between the sales and the CSR. The trend suggests, ‘the better the CSR policy, the more the sales. ‘ The trend affects most product categories that are bought on a daily basis, with consumers making a purchase decision almost every day. This could be one of the major reasons why Indian FMCG companies are most actively engaged in responsible activities and rank on top in the latest Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) report on CSR by Indian corporate. The report says that of 175 Indian companies studied, 52 companies in the FMCG sector have taken the maximum of CSR initiatives. This was followed by the chemical sector and then the IT sector. [2] This paper highlights FMCG’s Corporate Social Responsibilities in Pepsico India. and Amul India. Keywords: CSRFMCG Introduction Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business/ Responsible Business)[1] is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. The new Companies Bill in the Rajya Sabha on 8th August 2013, has guided in a new regulation towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India. The Bill, which should get enacted into law soon, lays down mandatory requirements in regards to CSR for larger companies (those with at least Rs5Cr net profit/Rs500Cr net worth/Rs1,000Cr turnover), which includes a requirement to spend annually at least 2% of average profits of the previous three years on CSR activities. An estimated 7-8,000 companies in India will be covered under the CSR legislation and the total annual spend, if companies were to meet this norm, could be equivalent to US$1-2bn. [3] With Indian consumers becoming more ’cause’ conscious, their brand preferences keep shifting to favor the brand that is socially more responsible. The phenomenon directly creates a connection between the sales and the CSR. Objectives 1. To study CSR activities of Pepsico India and Amul India. 2. To examine the benefits of CSR activities of these companies to the society. Research Methodology This research paper depends on secondary data. Review of Literature 1. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT CALCUTTA, WPS No. 729/ June 2013, Corporate Social Responsibility for Social Impact: Approach to Measure Social Impact using CSR Impact Index by Ramendra Singh and Sharad Agarwal. This paper discuss the broad patterns of CSR practices among top 200 Indian corporations and also explain the concept of CSR in the Indian scenario, the social issues addressed by the Indian corporations, and methodologies adopted by them to address those issues. 2. African Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences 4 (3): 95-105, 2012, Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives of Major Companies of India with Focus on Health, Education and Environment by Anupam Sharma and Ravi Kiran This paper highlighted CSR initiatives in context to health, education and environment sector to be rated by the interviewee were identified from the literature. 3. Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting, Vol. 3, No. 2 Dec 2009/Jan 2010, Pp 180-201, Corporate Social Performance of Indian FMCG Companies by Saeed Khan. This paper highlights on various Indian companies CSR ratings and actives. 4. School of Doctoral Studies (European Union) Journal – 2010, Corporate Social Responsibility in Rural Development Sector: Evidences From India by Sanjay Pradhan, Akhilesh Ranjan. This paper examine do the corporate consider rural people as a stakeholder? If so, what CSR initiatives taken for development of rural areas and how the corporates implement their CSR initiatives as a part of their business strategy? Finally it evaluates impacts of CSR actions on the socio-economic development of rural people. 5. Corporate Social Responsibility as a determinant of market strategic issues: An exploratory study by Prof Vijaylaxmi Iyengar. the research focuses on the Corporate Social Responsibility as a determinant of market strategic issues , with the various dimensions of CSR and its relevance for emerging markets , it also throw light on redesigning marketing paradigms for the global competition. Business benefits of CSR: The scale and nature of the benefits of CSR for an organization can vary depending on the nature of the enterprise, and are difficult to quantify, though there is a large body of literature exhorting business to adopt measures beyond financial ones (e. g. , Deming’s Fourteen Points, balanced scorecards). Orlitzky, Schmidt, and Rynes[24] found a correlation between social/environmental performance and financial performance. Businesses may not be looking at short-run financial returns when developing their CSR strategy. Triple bottom line People planet profit, also known as the triple bottom line, are words that should be used and practiced in every move an organization makes. People relates to fair and beneficial business practices toward labour, the community and region where corporation conducts its business. Planet refers to sustainable environmental practices. A triple bottom line company does not produce harmful or destructive products such as weapons, toxic chemicals or batteries containing dangerous heavy metals for example. Profit is the economic value created by the organization after deducting the cost of all inputs, including the cost of the capital tied up. It therefore differs from traditional accounting definitions of profit. [28][29] Human resources A CSR program can be an aid to recruitment and retention,[30] CSR also helps to improve the perception of a company among its staff. CSR has been found to encourage customer orientation among frontline employees. [31] Risk management Reputations that take decades to build up can be ruined in hours through incidents such as corruption scandals or environmental accidents. [32] Building a genuine culture of ‘doing the right thing’ within a corporation can offset these risks. [33] Brand differentiation CSR can play a role in building customer loyalty based on distinctive ethical values. [34] Business service organizations can benefit too from building a reputation for integrity and best practice. Developing an engagement plan Commit to coming up with and improving on your companies goals. CSR commitments communicate the nature and direction of the firm’s social and environmental activities and, will help others understand how the organization is likely to behave in a particular situation. License to operate By taking substantive voluntary steps, they can persuade governments and the wider public that they are taking issues such as health and safety, diversity, or the environment seriously as good corporate citizens with respect to labour standards and impacts on the environment. Supplier relations By establishing a strong supply chain, companies are able to push for continuous quality improvements, and price reductions. The long-term benefits of the relations create a better value for stakeholders.

Gender segregation in children Essay

According to research children establish and maintain same gender relationships, the play in groups which are mainly composed of their own gender. Gender segregation has been observed in children as young as three years. Gender segregated social groups among children is significant within the segregated groups since children do experience different world from other peers and they have an opportunity to learn gender typed skills, roles, characteristics which are deemed by society. Gender segregation among children leads to different patterns of social interactions and play experiences promoting differences in their social, intellectual, and emotional development (Kimberley, 1995, p. 61). Children interaction is different depending on whether is a girl or a boy. Gender segregation is mostly influenced by expression of social interactions mainly during preschool activities. Cognition on play partners on children correlates with preferences of play partners. Social cognition accounts for changes in age in sex segregation (Martin, 1999, p. 751). Different interactive styles of children of different genders This examines individual variations in child pretense play and expression emerging mental representation. Children develop different interactive styles which are to some level at odds. Boys and girls react differently to situations with boys being more resistant and avoidance than girls (Martin, 1999, p. 755). There is a gender gap in the interactive styles among children. Child solitary play child are initiated y their mothers with maternal demonstration and solicitation. Mother symbolic and children language positively influence collaborative child play with verbal intelligence from child solitary play (Kimberley, 1995, p. 62). Different language/communication styles of children of different genders Communication language has been found to be harder in girls than in boys. Girls have significantly greater activation language areas in their brains compared to boys. Boys talk more and they are more assertive regarding their social interactions compared to girls (Kimberley, 1995, p. 62). Children stereotype believes about different gender roles Children learn mostly from parents with differences on how boys and girls behave being facilitated by differences on how they are treated by parents, teachers and friends (Martin, 1999, p. 760). Gender have differences on different issues like aggression, learning and they differently react to different situations (Kimberley, 1995, p. 64) Different preferences of different toys by different gender All over the world boys and girls play with different types of toys. Boys mostly prefer cars and trucks while girls prefer dolls. This is so because sociologically boys and girls are encouraged to play with different types of toys by their peers, parents or the society (Kimberley, 1995, p. 67). Theoretical (biological, social, cultural, etc. ) explanations for the gender differences Sex is believed to be natural but gender is cultural and a social construction. Differences among individuals in different gender are attributed to their choices but the differences are mainly as a result of gender conditioning. They undermine common humanity and individual freedom (Kimberley, 1995, p. 69). Children learn most things from their parents, teachers and peers. Socialization brings about sex role attitude. Parental influence changes children attitudes. Children behave based on their gender is also influenced by parents, teachers and media (Martin, 1999, p. 762). Annoted Bibliography Kimberley, K., (1995), â€Å"Gender segregating among children: understanding the ‘Cootie Phenomena’,† Journal of young children, Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 61-69 This articles reviews on development of gender role and discusses on how boys and girls are different. It discusses on gender segregation on why children choose playmates of the same sex, how they develop different interactive styles, differ in their communication language, how they have different roles in their stereotype believes, how they differ in their preferences on toys and the theoretical explanation of gender differences. Martin, C. , Fabes, R. , Evans, S. , Wyman, H. , & Fabes, R. , (1999), â€Å"Social Cognition on the Playground: Children Beliefs about Playing with Girls versus Boys and Their Relations to Sex Segregated Play,† Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 751-771 This article argues on individual variation in child pretense play as expression of emerging mental representation. There is family sociodemographic characteristic, maternal affective, maternal personological and cognitive play behaviors among children. According to this article, cognitive advantages on child play and maternal influences on child play which is put in the framework of adaptive parenting.