Hispanic American Diversity Essay Example for Free

Hispanic American Diversity Essay In identifying the linguistic, political, social, economic, religious, and familial conventions and statuses of Hispanic groups living in the United States (US); the following remain as the center of attention: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and Columbians. While there is distinctiveness in each groups culture, their language categorizes them in one of two large groups known as Latino or Hispanic Americans. The Spanish language is communal between these groups, though all have exclusive dialects that set them apart. The commonalities and differences are not limited to just language, but span across every aspect of Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban and Columbian way of life. Today in the US millions of people classify themselves as Mexican Americans (2005). The intricate and affluent Mexican American multicultural heritage is a direct reflection of influences from such places as Spain and Mexico (2005). The unique language of Mexican Americans is no exception to influences as it is derived from a combination of Mexicos national language, Spanish, and the national language of the US, English. Although sometimes described as an under-represented group in US politics, Mexican Americans were very active in the Mexican American Civil Rights movement. This movement included a wide-rang of issues, from rights for farm workers to the right to vote (2000). As with their political status, socially Mexican Americans continually battle to fit in. Their want of having the American dream burns bright within the hearts and minds of all Mexican Americans and makes their social battle seem that much more important. Throughout the immigration history of Mexican Americans, little advancement has been made for progress from immigrant standing to mainstream social status. This is largely due to the lack of education provided and the vast amount of discrimination they received (2006). In education, another battle for Mexican Americans arises. Richard Alba (2006) stated, Huntington presents data that appear to show very low levels of Mexican-American educational advancement beyond high school, regardless of generation. A full comparison of high school education completion broken down by Hispanic origin. Note. From Bernstein, R. Bergman, M. (2005). Young, diverse, urban. United States Department of Commerce News. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from http://www. census. gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-100. html Similar to the struggle noted with education, economically, Mexican Americans struggle for fair pay. During the Mexican American Civil Rights movement Mexican American economics came from the shadows to become one of the many issues faced. Today this harsh reality still burdens most all Mexican Americans. The one bright light may be their religious beliefs. Although, not always true, most churches today deliver separate mass for Spanish speaking parishioners. Religion remains a very strong factor in Mexican American family and culture. As with their religion, family remains quite strong in the lives of Mexican Americans. They have strong ties to not only immediate family in the US but family living in Mexico as well. This bond is so deep that some families continue to send money to their loved ones in Mexico. Similar to Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans speak a derivative of Spanish as their main language. Politically, Puerto Ricans like Mexican Americans are under-represented in US politics. In fact their start in politics held them back from individualizing themselves. The progression of politics into Puerto Rican life in the US has gone from focusing on social and cultural issues in the 1950s to electoral participation and lobbying becoming the mainstay of their political ground (2003, p. 6). With all the strides Puerto Ricans have made politically, socially they have grown as well. They have integrated themselves into society, by fighting the same battles all Latinos fought: racism and discrimination. Although, they have a higher percentage of people graduating high school than Mexican Americans, they still maintain less than three quarters of Hispanic origin people. As with education and politics struggles with economics also faced most Puerto Ricans. They struggled for fair wages and equal opportunities just as all Latinos did. Today that struggle has become less but still lingers in areas where there is still racism and discrimination. Very similar to Mexican Americans, religion remains a very strong factor in the family and culture of Puerto Ricans. Again most churches conduct separate mass for Spanish speaking parishioners, making it easier for Puerto Ricans to practice their faith. As with their religion, family remains quite strong in the lives of Puerto Ricans. They have strong ties to not only immediate family in the US but family living in Puerto Rico as well. The fact that all Puerto Ricans are US citizens makes family all that more important. As with Mexican Americans and Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans main language is Spanish. Similar to Mexican Americans politically Cubans are under-represented in US politics. Most are just so happy to get out of the Dictatorship they lived in Cuba they would rather not get caught up in politics at all. The strides they have made politically have helped to advance them socially, economically and in their education. Out of the Hispanic origins Cubans are the second highest only being beat by other Hispanics for High school completion. According to Jason Cato (2003), In rising to dominate the centers of power in Miami, Cuban-Americans have reversed the traditional cycles of assimilation and acculturation. Seeking freedom from the oppression of Cuba has not removed the strong ties they have to their homeland. These ties have caused Cuban Americans to adapt parts of the US culture to their own. Striving for conventional culture is not a focus. Religiously, Cuban Americans like both Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans are devout to their religion as it is a very strong factor in their family and culture. Again most churches conduct separate mass for Spanish speaking parishioners, making it easier for Cubans to practice their faith. As with their religion, family remains quite strong in the lives of Cubans. Family is their way of holding on to cultures and traditions from Cuba. As with Mexican American, Puerto Rican and Cuban, Columbians also speak Spanish as their principal language. Columbian Americans are a very poor. Most migrated to the US to flee war and poverty seen within Columbia. They are often looking for work so that they can send money to their family still living in Columbia. Columbians rarely get involved in politics as they are very focused on family and making money. Work related interaction is the limit, except for other Columbians, of their social standing in the US. As with politics Columbians have very little interest in US culture. Most are here to work to send money home. With work being their main objective while in the US, they do not have time for anything else. They live on very little money and scrape to send as much over to Columbia as possible. Their wages are very low and they work long and mostly very hard hours just to get by. Similar to Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans, Columbians are very strong in their religion. They have an opportunity to go to mass that is conducted in Spanish as well as practice their religion on their own. Family is so very important in a Columbian Americans life. Everything they do is to better their familys life. They have deep ties to family not only in the US but in Columbia as well. This helps them to keep their culture and heritage as strong today as it was yesterday. Everything in their culture revolves around their religion and family. When comparing different Hispanic groups, the commonalities out way the differences in almost every scenario. The Similarities range from language, religion, and family to the reasons they came to the US. They also all care deeply and have very strong ties to their homeland and continue to focus on that rich heritage. The differences are few but stem more from social status and the want to be part of the mainstream. Politics, economic and social standings all differ for each group. This is largely due to assimilation and the different level of strides that have been made over time. The groups that have had more success politically have had the opportunity to advance socially and economically. These three combined in any order lead to an opportunity of the other. The strides and struggles that these four Hispanic groups have made has cleared a path for other Hispanic origin groups to make the same journey. References Alba, R. (2006). Mexican Americans and the American Dream. Political Science Politics. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from www. apsanet. org/imgtest/PerspectivesJun06Alba. pdf Bernstein, R. Bergman, M. (2005). Young, diverse, urban. United States Department of Commerce News. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from http://www. census. gov/PressRelease/www/2003/cb03-100. html Cruz, J. (2003). Puerto Rican politics in the United States. Centro Journal. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from http://redalyc. uaemex. mx/redalyc/pdf/377/37715101. pdf. Cato, J. (2004). Becoming American in Miami: reconsidering immigration, race and ethnic relations. Center for Latin American Studies. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from socrates. berkeley. edu:7001/Events/fall2003/11-20-03-stepick/index. html Mendoza, V. , Chicano! History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement. (2000). , The Journal for Multimedia History. Retrieved March 1, 2008, from www. albany. edu/jmmh/vol3/chicano/chicano. html.

Effect of Alcoholic Parent on Child

Effect of Alcoholic Parent on Child Behavioral Problems in Children with Alcoholic Parents Introduction Children tend to have behavioral problems when they have an alcoholic parent or parents. There are studies that link children of alcoholics to be at a higher risk of behavior problems, mental and physical health problems, social problems, and substance abuse problems later in life (Christensen, 2000 p.219 and Vernig, 2011 p.536). Alcoholism is a big issue when it comes to the development of children because some alcoholics tend to miss their children’s events, not be around all the time, or are too drunk to be mentally present. Children are also impressionable at young ages and tend to follow in their parents footsteps which is why children, especially young ones, need parents who are good, strong role models that set good examples and teach them. Alcoholic parents probably struggle in this department and set bad examples of how to cope with certain aspects of life. Children see this and act accordingly while developing many issues of their own throughout childhood and adultho od. The behavior of alcoholic parents has a huge impact on the way their children behave. Children of alcoholics have trouble with social situations and often have to do more help to keep the family together than normal families. They usually try to get attention, struggle in school, and are much more prone to mental and physical illnesses. Alcoholic parents often are associated with being absent in their children’s lives, whether they physically are not around, or they are mentally not around. This causes children to act out for attention. That could include getting into trouble at school, acting out at home, or other forms of acting out for attention. Parents who are absent because of their alcoholism cause their children to become important roles in the house to help out the â€Å"enabler† or the nonalcoholic parent, according to Peter Vernig (2011). Peter Vernig also states that oldest child often steps up to help the other parent. This causes issues mentally, physically, and socially with the child later in life. The entire family suffers from the parent’s habits (Vernig, 2011 p.535). Children other than the eldest child suffer as well, maybe to get attention from their siblings, or either parent. The other children in the family have their own roles and each has its own problems. For example, one often receives the least amount of attention and feels rejected because this child is often overlooked which causes mental illnesses from being neglected. The youngest child is typically a distraction from the heavy feelings of the family issues. Intelligence is not highly expected in this child. The second eldest child is used to draw attention away from the issue at hand. This child is the most prone to legal trouble, trouble in school, and they are most likely to be drug and alcohol abusers of all the children in a family. (Vernig, 2011 p.535-537) These categories break down which child is most likely to develop certain issues over the other children. Body One of the biggest problems with children of alcoholics is that they tend to be more prone to mental illnesses. Many children struggle with hyperactivity problems, anxiety, depression, low self esteem, and psychosomatic reactions (Christensen, 2000 p.219).   These emotional problems are a result of their parent’s actions. These children grow up seeing their parent in situations that create added stress for them. The parent may or may not be abusive, or may be absent for important things. Maybe the parent even argues with their children over certain matter that influence less support (Barerra, 1993 p. 603). This can lower the child or childrens’ self esteem. Low self esteem leads to or can lead to real mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. These children are much more likely to have substance abuse problems early in life. Some of the reasoning behind that is the genetics of mental health disorders, such as alcoholism, but some of it is because children with anxiety and depression can turn to drugs and alcohol to cope (Puttler 1998, Serec 2012, Vernig 2011).   Children of alcoholics’   mental health problems create issues for them not only during childhood, but also later in life (Vernig 2011, Serec 2012, Puttler 1998, Eiden 2009, Sher 2007). Their adulthoods often include some form of substance abuse often caused by their mental health problems. Alcoholics typically also have depression or anxiety of some form (Eiden 2009).   Children of alcoholics feel neglected because their parent or parents do not always pay attention to them, or they have to give up being a child in order to replace the support of their alcoholic parent. The oldest child steps up, while the younger children begin to feel neglected and ignored. These children act out and develop these mental problems as a result of the little attention they are paid. In early stages of development these children need more attention and care and often do not receive it. This causes anxiety, depression, and hyperactivity disorders (Eiden 2009, Vernig 2011, Puttler 1998). Physical illnesses are common in children of alcoholics just as the mental illnesses are. Children in these situations tend to become more prone to illnesses, especially in earlier childhood stages like infants, toddlers, preschool age, and middle school ages. These children need a lot of support, love, and help from their parents and lack of their basic needs causes more physical illnesses to occur. They need to be taken care of and given lots of attention. Studies show that alcoholic parents possess lower quality parenting skills than those of nonalcoholic parents (Eiden 2009). Children in preschool or of preschool age are 65% more likely to come down with illnesses such as colds and coughs more than other children. They are also more likely to have allergies and anemia or to be over or under weight   (Serec, 2012). Due to the poor parenting skills of alcoholic parents, children at young stages are more at risk to be hospitalized for their illnesses or injuries. They are more likely to spend more days in the hospital, need more medical treatment, and get more injuries than children without alcoholic parents (Serec, 2012). These children are not treated properly at home, or not as well as they should be taken care of. Physical illnesses occur in the children in adolescence as well, but are more common in those of the younger children. Aggravation of alcoholic parents towards their children is more likely than that of nonalcoholic parents, so that is possibly an aspect of why children tend to become sicker when their parents are alcoholics. Children of all ages try to get attention from their parent or parents when one or both of them are alcoholics. It is natural for the human body to need (or crave) love and attention. Younger children often need more love and attention as their brains develop, learn, and grow. Children cannot likely develop correctly when these needs are ignored. 8-27% of all children are said to have one or both parents that have an alcohol problem (Serec 2012). That means that 8-27% of the child population struggles with these problems and likely feels unwanted or wants attention and approval from their parents. Young children struggle more with attention problems because they have yet to establish a solid foundation or identity for themselves. They need the support from their parents. In order to get attention children will act out in school, get into trouble with the law, or just create trouble in general. They might intentionally fail in classes to get some attention. References Barrera, M., Chassin, L., & Rogosch, F. (1993). Effects of social support and conflict on adolescent children of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fathers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(4), 602-612. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.64.4.602 Christensen, H. B., & Bilenberg, N. (2000). Behavioural and emotional problems in children of alcoholic mothers and fathers. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 9(3), 219-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s007870070046 Eiden, R. D., Colder, C., Edwards, E. P., & Leonard, K. E. (2009). A longitudinal study of social competence among children of alcoholic and nonalcoholic parents: Role of parental psychopathology, parental warmth, and self-regulation. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 23(1), 36-46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0014839 Eiden, R. D., Molnar, D. S., Colder, C., Edwards, E. P., & Leonard, K. E. (2009). A conceptual model predicting internalizing problems in middle childhood among children of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fathers: The role of marital aggression. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 70(5), 741-750. http://dx.doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2009.70.741 Puttler, L. I., Zucker, R. A., Fitzgerald, H. E., & Bingham, C. R. (1998). Behavioral outcomes among children of alcoholics during the early and middle childhood years: Familial subtype variations. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 22(9), 1962-1972. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00000374-199812000-00011 Serec, M., Ã…  vab, I., KolÃ… ¡ek, M., Ã…  vab, V., Moesgen, D., & Klein, M. (2012). Health-related lifestyle, physical and mental health in children of alcoholic parents. Drug and Alcohol Review, 31(7), 861-870. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-3362.2012.00424.x Sher, K. J. (2007). Psychological characteristics of children of alcoholics. Alcohol Health & Research World, 21(3), 247. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=8b877c18-70ab-46b2-9733-946de849a88f%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=106080239&db=ccm Vernig, P. M. (2011). Family roles in homes with alcohol-dependent parents: An evidence-based review. Substance Use & Misuse, 46(4), 535-542. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2010.501676

Video Games And Children Education Essay

Video Games And Children Education Essay Video games, children love them, but youre not so sure. Here you can find out about the risks and benefits of video games, plus some ideas for choosing appropriate games and managing your childs interest in playing them. did you know According to a 2005 survey: 76% of families set rules about which types of games their children could play.   Games with cartoon-style violence can send the message that violence is a good way to solve conflict. They can also make kids less sensitive to real-life violence, or make them overly fearful about violence in their own world. What are video games? Playing it safe Benefits of playing video games Problems of playing video games What about violence in video games? What are video games? Video games are electronic, interactive games that come in many forms: CDs, DVDs, internet downloads and online games. They can be played on a personal home computer (PC), television or portable hand-held device. Some games are controlled by a separate joystick or console, while others use the computer keyboard and/or mouse. Many games (including those online) can be played by several people at once. The big name brands for video games are Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox and Nintendo. Playing it safe The best way for your child to learn from video games is when you play together. An added bonus is that youll spend some time with each other and have fun! Here are some ideas for making the most of video games with your child. Set ground rules of one hour: aim for this recommended daily  screen time  for children under seven or eight. Moderate: aim for balance in your family activities, so that everyone has a go at physical activity, creative activities  and interactive social games. Work together to prioritise indoor play time, outdoor fun, homework and time spent with friends. Get involved: ask your child to show you how a game works its the best way to tune into what your child is learning. Make a mental note of the kinds of games your child enjoys and finds challenging. So if your child is really enjoying a game about dinosaurs, for example, you can broaden his knowledge by finding books or movies on the topic. Discuss: talk to your child  about the games he is playing. Find out what your child likes or dislikes about the games and ask what he would change or add to make them better. This will develop his analytical and critical skills. Be informed: read reviews of the games you think might be suitable for your child. Make sure you carefully read the blurb on the games cover. And dont forget to check the games rating games rated G or PG are more likely to suit young children. Borrow before buying: if possible, borrow games from a library or a friend before making a purchase. You might find that your child isnt interested in a particular game, or you dont approve of the games content or concepts.   Dr. Mona warned left a consulting psychology of the many children watching the kid cartoons and played video game in the first three years of age, where it may lead to decreased levels of intelligence and the ability to communicate and collection. Said Dr. Mona left in the program Good Morning Egypt on Monday morning said the research proved that watching television in the early age of the child lead to a lack of focus makes the child as much movement, the child also Tbehrh colors and speed of movement in the cartoon tends and loves to watch a lot, which it at the age of nursery tired of explaining the lessons is a modern teacher to receive information. And recommended Mona Yousry mothers need to identify the assets of the childs education from birth through the reading, or search the electronic information network, or the use of a specialist in psychology for child-rearing in a scientific way so that it can avoid the mental and neurological problems they face in old age. She consultant child psychology that the American Academy of Children recommended in a recent non-exposed children under three years for any electronic games or watch cartoons. She noted that if the Mona return the child to sit for several hours in front did not respond kindly to reduce the period, the mother use a physician for treatment of addiction, net and to increase communication with friends and family to keep him on the damage that addiction. Abstract The ability to balance cooperative and competitive behaviors has important implications for a childs overall development. While socially competent children appear to learn highly successful strategies for entering peer groups and negotiating access to limited resources, the development of this level of social competence can be challenging for preschool-aged children. Early childhood educators may therefore have to intervene to develop the childs social competence and promote the use of negotiation and effective conflict management strategies. Using theories of social exchange and human sociobiology, this paper reviews literature on cooperation and competition involving limited resources and highlights the implications of this research for early childhood education. Results suggest that a variety of individual and social-contextual factors might influence a childs development of socially competent behavior. The review highlights the importance of teaching children to negotiate effecti vely with peers. Introduction Many educators view school-age students attraction to video and computer games with envy. If only we could harness the power of video games in education, some say, with a wistful expression. Some equate the attraction of the game to the computer, and hope that any educational experience that occurs on a computer will somehow capture that magic. Some delve deeper, designing extensive educational simulations that adopt conventions of popular game design and expensive production values merged with educational content. In this paper, I suggest how these attitudes combine with market forces to strongly reinforce bad design and curtail innovation, rather than support a vision of compelling, immersive educational experiences. There is no doubt that video and computer games have positive educational outcomes for the users. In an in-depth literature review, Alice Mitchell and Carol Savill-Smith conclude that there is the use of such games can stimulate the enjoyment, motivation and engagement of users, aiding recall and information retrieval, and can also encourage the development of various social and cognitive skills. (Mitchell Savill-Smith 2004). In this paper, educational games are games designed for youth in the age range of compulsory school, approximately ages 5 to 18 that contain overt attempts to teach school-related subjects. Video games are commercial games designed for a specific hardware console such as Nintendo GameCube and GameBoy, Microsoft X-box, and Sony PlayStation. Computer games are designed for use on personal computers, either by running application software on the computer or playing a game online. As time goes on these distinctions blur, but the markets are different enough to make this distinction. This paper, written by an educator who also designed video games and computer software for the home and school markets, evaluates attempts to harness the lure of these games for educational purposes. The paper offers an analysis of why the nature of video and computer games is antithetical to traditional forms of school curriculum, content and assessment, and why market forces, both consumer and educational, drive these design decisions. Why Are Games An Attractive Model For Education? When educators look at video and computer game players, they see young people suddenly transformed into attentive learners, willing to spend inordinate personal time learning to master complex situations. These same students, however, may not devote similar dedication to school-related activities. Educators wonder what it is about these games that could be used to make these game players devote the same attention to the goals of school. Educational software developers deconstruct the elements of video games and come to the conclusion that the game play can be extracted from the context. Therefore, the thought goes, mere substitution of educational content and context while leaving game play elements untouched will produce educational games with great benefits for learners and stockholders alike. In engaging computer and video games, the player must master a progressively challenging set of skills to advance each step in the game progression to ultimately win and end the game. This advancement through challenges is seen as a direct correlation to advancing through a course of study. In a classroom, the teacher guides the acquisition of skills and the students are able to progressively tackle harder problems, learn new facts and produce higher quality products required by the subject. It seems obvious that if an educational game led players through a similar process, similar results would be achieved, with the added benefit that students would pay attention and be engaged more than in a traditional classroom environment. Learning vs. Content Mastering skills comes in many forms. Game designers know that at some point, learning new skills has to end and you need to let the player start to play. Some games have a first level where skills are introduced, and then you start the real game. The actual content of the game, how to shoot your weapon, how to navigate your vehicle, how to throw the football, or any of the multitude of variations of game play is actually very limited. The game consists of becoming an expert in quickly selecting which of these skills are appropriate to your current situation. Learning in the game is a process, much of which ends in failure. Game designers know that there is a very special feeling that gamers get when they are being challenged at the right level. If you fail too quickly and too often, the gamer will give up. If the challenges are too easy, they will lose interest. Its not fun to simply win all the time. Frustration and failure result in the eventual euphoria of wining at a new level, and provides incentive to keep going. The secret of a videogame as a teaching machine isnt its immersive 3-D graphics, but its underlying architecture. Each level dances around the outer limits of the players abilities, seeking at every point to be hard enough to be just doable. In cognitive science, this is referred to as the regime of competence principle, which results in a feeling of simultaneous pleasure and frustrationa sensation as familiar to gamers as sore thumbs. James Paul Gee, a reading professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy Educational game developers have different design goals thrust on them. Any educational game designed for schools must meet demands for increased accountability and test scores. The content of games must tie to mandated curriculum standards, which list the things that students must know in a certain grade level. The game therefore correlates to these standards and provides assessment vehicles so the students progress through these standards can be measured. If this does not happen, the game will have a very limited market in schools. These standards are likely to differ from state-to-state and between nations, making development of these games even more expensive. In building these games, designers must often make sacrifices in creativity to allow content to fit into the game environment. Game play becomes rote, and graphics must be reused to accommodate the game elements that are drawn from a content pool. As much as the designers try, they are bound by the requirements of mandated content and simultaneous assessment to create a repetitive experience. These games may (or may not, depending on the research you read) increase standardized test scores, but they arent something that a student will devote time and energy to voluntarily like a video game. Some educational games go to great efforts to substitute the made-up worlds of video games with realistic educational worlds built to reproduce curriculum content. However, most educational games focus on low-level topics of simple literacy and arithmetic. The analytical rigor, ingenuity, and passion reserved for the most popular video games are seldom invoked by educational computer games. What is best about the best games is that they draw kids into some very hard learning. Did you ever hear a game advertised as being easy? What is worst about school curriculum is the fragmentation of knowledge into little pieces. This is supposed to make learning easy, but often ends up depriving knowledge of personal meaning and making it boring. Ask a few kids: the reason most dont like school is not that the work is too hard, but that it is utterly boring. (Papert, Easy Doesnt Do It.) Some commercial games do contain a lot of content, for example, sports simulations. Memorizing player statistics, playbooks and game statistics can help a player win the game. The difference is that the game is also playable without learning that content, but advancing in the game is easier when you do. There is no amount of content that is mandatory, in fact, some players will do very well by simply being skilled in game-play, while others may excel because they have memorized vast amounts of sports statistics. The game makes no judgement however, about which skills or content is more important than others, and offers all kinds of players many different ways to succeed. As another example, chess is a complex game with limited content. Chess is also well regarded as supporting educational goals such as promoting critical and logical thinking skills. Yet the content of the game of chess is fairly minimal. There are only a few pieces with special moves to learn, the rules are straightforward and the game board is simple. Most people can function at a beginner level with less than an hour of instruction. What is it about chess, then, that attracts brilliant people to devote their lives to it? Its that the rules are tuned so that highly complex and difficult problems are created relatively quickly. In chess, the process and resulting strategies for winning provide challenges that automatically escalate as players (and their opponents) become more adept at extending and complicating the game. As curriculum, chess could be done in a few weeks, with a test at the end assessing the students knowledge of chess moves, board set up, and perhaps some names of fa mous players. But anyone who would portray that as educationally appropriate would be laughed at. Market Forces Video and computer game designers face constraints placed on them by the market realties that exist in todays retail world. When a company makes a decision to create a game, they want to put their money into games that will make them the most return on their investment. Game designers work to create a game that will look great, play well, be engaging and offer the player an experience that surpasses anything else they have done before. Educational game designers have additional market forces thrust upon them that video game designers dont have to worry about. These market forces tend to further constrain educational game design in ways that are contrary to what game designers know makes a game fun and engaging. Consumer Market The consumer market for video and computer games is undergoing extreme pricing pressure that makes it very risky for publishers to invest the large amounts of money it takes to produce, market and sell these games. In the past ten years, the retail price of childrens computer games has dropped from over $40 (US) to less than $10 (US) due to many factors, including competition from free Internet sites. The market for video games has remained slightly more stable with less price erosion. For video games to be commercially viable, the development costs range from 5-60 million dollars (US). (Williams 2004) This does not include the costs associated with marketing and putting the product on retail shelves. These costs can exceed the development budget. To make matters worse, games sales are tracked by major retailers weekly, and a game that does not sell well within a few weeks will be pulled off the shelves to make room for something that will make more money. This does not allow for a game to develop a word of mouth or build a reputationthe game must be promoted with expensive marketing to make sure that the early sales are high. If not, the game will be unavailable or in the bargain bin in a matter of weeks. For a company to invest tens of millions of dollars in a new game, they want to be assured of success. Edutainment games, although less expensive to build, also are pressured to sell copies quickly. Retailers are often reluctant to put any box on the shelf that they do not instantly recognize as a potential hit, so they will tend to choose software for children, educational or not, based on licensed characters from popular television shows. Retailers see that parents will purchase games with familiar characters rather than ones with strong educational content. For video game systems, there are no educational games being developed. This market is controlled by the hardware console manufacturers. These manufacturers, Nintendo (Game Cube and Game Boy), Sony (PlayStation), and Microsoft (Xbox) control all games developed and produced for their platforms. Every game design must pass through their approval process. Their goal is to market their game systems to hard-core gamers because they are the ones who spend the most money. These manufacturers cannot allow their systems to be perceived as being for children, it confuses the brand message. They therefore actively discourage all games that are designed primarily for children. The only ones that pass the approval process are tie-ins with licensed characters currently starring in hit movies or TV shows. Without the approval of the game system manufacturer, there is no way to bring a game to market. These manufacturers also require a large royalty for every unit sold, further reducing any chance of profitability. In addition, video games labelled educational have sold so dismally that no one is making them anymore. Parents do not think of video game systems as being educational, they prefer their children to have fun and view these electronic games as a break from school and homework. Finally, proprietary consoles like the Leapfrog systems have temporarily replaced educational game purchasing for many parents. Unfortunately, these consoles only allow simple games that are little more than multiple choice drills. The School Market The school market for educational software provides some hope for educational game designers. Schools will pay more than consumers for software, and therefore, there should be more money to develop good educational games. However, looking closely at the numbers provides a more sobering conclusion. Simply by looking at the U.S. school market, you can see the economies of scale break down. There are approximately 115,000 K-12 school buildings in the U.S. (public and private.) At normal videogame pricing, sales of 500,000 units is required to breakeven (DFC Intelligence, 2004). Every school in the U.S. would have to purchase 4 units of any educational videogame for it to just to make the publishers investment back. Clearly, this is not a market that will by itself support the development and production of educational videogames. Traditional publishers, especially publicly traded ones, simply cannot tell their investors and shareholders that they choose to spend their money on something with a low, slow return on their investment when there are other choices that make more money. For this reason, educational software companies are concentrating their development and sales efforts on the sales of large instructional learning systems that can cost schools tens of thousands of dollars, even up to a million dollars for large installations. It is more efficient to make one sale for a hundred thousand dollars than to sell a thousand units of an educational game for $100 each. Inherent in the sale of these large systems is the promise that they will cover massive amounts of content and provide assessment data for the school system. This drives the design of this software towards the management of the content pool and reduces both the game play and the educational value of the software. Fear of government sanctions is responsible for revenue generated by these systems, not quality. Conclusion Educationally meaningful edutainment software requires substantial shifts in attitudes towards education both in the consumer and designer community. Its not as easy as plugging school content into a video game engine. In addition, success would necessitate changes in the retail environment or non-traditional sources of funding for game development. The current system of publishers working with retail and institutional purchasing works to reward the best-selling games in a very traditional capitalistic way. This makes it unlikely that games that do not fit into the current market expectations will be able to survive without an alternate source of funding for both development and dissemination. There are certainly non-profit organizations that can choose to avoid these channels. However, it is not even enough to give games away for free. Schools especially are hard pressed for time, and bringing in new programs that do not promise to fully meet every goal of the set curriculum is just not worth it. There may be instances of individual teachers integrating a game into their classrooms, but the impact would be very small relative to the dissemination effort that would be required. Likewise, busy parents will not even bother taking a free game, especially if it does not fit into their perception of their needs. Their own time is more valuable than that. Publishers recognize that reaching the mass-market parents is an expensive proposition. Unlike the entrenched audience of hard-core gamers who regularly disseminate information very efficiently through their own fan discussion boards, read similar magazines, and pay a lot of attention to new game releases, parents are much more difficult to reach. Given these facts, the difficulty of educational game dissemination would most likely be pretty demoralizing to any institution that would have to devote millions of dollars and years of effort in the hope that it would significantly impact education. That kind of investment would require at least some hope of reaching a wide audience for even the most benevolent non-profit to consider it a success. Educationally meaningful game software will require substantial shifts in attitudes towards education both in the consumer, publisher, and designer community. No one assumes it will be as easy as plugging school content into a video game engine. But it is daunting to grasp that success would require changes in the retail environment, a change in the current content-based assessment focus in schools, or need to rely on massive funding and patience from non-traditional sources of funding for game development and dissemination. Does this mean that it is impossible? Of course not. These markets are changing rapidly and there is a high likelihood that channels that are small or even not invented yet will become mainstream. The key is to understand how current market forces work to impact game design, and decide how (or whether) a game design will conform to these expectations. The best news is that if we accept that non-traditional publishing is required for revolutionary educational game design, designers do not have to feel constrained by current rules. Freeing educational game designers from mandated curriculum, outdated assessment practices, and mass-market cartoon characters may be the only way that educational games can make that paradigm shiftcreating the marriage of fun, engagement and academic legitimacy that innovative educational game designers envision.

Without Consicence: The Disturbing World Of The Psychopaths Among Us :: Without Consicence

Without Consicence: Â  The Disturbing World Of The Psychopaths Among Us Robert D Hare is respected by his colleagues worldwide as an expert on psychopathy. He gained much of his insights as a Psychologist employed with CSC (Correctional Service of Canada) starting in the early 60's. At the present time he is a Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. He and his students have interviewed hundreds of psychopathic offenders. This book is rich with transcripts of those interviews, giving gripping insights into what makes them "tick." This IS NOT a shallow pop psychology, "self help" book. It's no gory thriller with lurid prose either. It's a GENUINE self help book. It will verify suspicions you may have acquired from life experiences, that some few people who cross your path truly "have no real feelings or conscience" and are "relentless users," employing endless ways to manipulate others. They are driven to always be "in control". I know the kind. I've positively identified about five or ten of them in my 41 years and seen many others who "lean that way." Just as this book states and/or implies -- even if they live their whole lives never actually committing any horrible crime, you never "trust" them. You somehow "know" what they COULD do. Your gut instincts warn you they are opportunistic, "social predators" whose outward "normalcy" is only a "slick facade." You detest and/or mourn the gullibility and trusting attitude of too many who are consistently "used" by them. Most of them during their entire lives never BREAK the law, but they are second to none at knowing how to BEND and TWIST it to suit their purposes. You find out eventually by observing them long enough or by being victimized yourself, how crafty they are at maneuvering others to "fit into their plans." You come to the horrible conclusion that if they were allowed free rein, they would prove that they only feel "truly alive" if they can tell everyone who touches their lives what to do, when to do it, what to think and when to think it? I believe they're profoundly fearful cowards, literally "too scared" to ever discover love or respect. Their social relations only have one goal and one choice if they can't meet it -- "In some way, shape or form, I MUST dominate you, if I can't, we have NOTHING to do with each other".

Status Confessionis and Social Commentary from the Current Church Ess

Status Confessionis and Social Commentary from the Current Church Throughout my ongoing investigation of the interactions between religious values and social behavior, I have become thoroughly intrigued with the role of the institutional church in the realm of social commentary and criticism, as well as political activism. That there is a long standing concept within the church tradition relating to my curiosity is not terribly surprising after just an overview of the language that sociology theory has applied to religious bodies. The role of the church in relation to society is divided into two basic categories of action- that of the â€Å"priest,† and that of the â€Å"prophet.† (Download a PDF file of a pamphlet eslpaining the terminolgoy of "Priest & Prophet.") The former describes the conserving, nurturing actions of the church towards broader social structures, the latter, criticism and the call to move away from corruption towards righteousness. When acting as prophet in the most extreme sense, the church is considered to be in a time of, what is called, status confessionis - acknowledging a state of social injustice so abhorrent that the church must actively interject its influence into even the secular sphere and demand repentance and reform. Nazism and apartheid in South Africa are the two most often cited examples of church bodies acting in status confessionis (Schuurman 100). What intrigues me about this idea is the reserve with which it is invoked, judging by the tone of the passage where the concept is addressed in the book Vocation by Douglas Shuurman. Considering the broader historical-theological context of the issue, including Brunner's injunction against â€Å"‘the disastrous dogma that various ‘orders' are not subj... ...r place in the kingdom of God. On the other hand, as long as the hungry are being fed and the despised loved, God's hand is moving in the world. So I come full circle to find that we must faithfully remain amidst the brokenness and corruption, fix what we can, and be prepared to let God act as God will, as I, and each of us, pursue our own vocations and encourage others to do the same. As theologian Walter Brueggeman has written, â€Å"What God does first and best and most is to trust his people with their moment in history. He trusts them to do what must be done for the sake of the whole community.† So be it. Amen. Works Cited Buechler, Steven M., & F. Kurt Cylke, Jr. Social Movements: Perspectives and Issues . Toronto: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1997. Schuurman, Douglas J. Vocation . Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.

Life of Pi: Use of a Unreliable Narrator Essay

â€Å"An unreliable narrator can draw you into his or her worldview and perhaps even make you take sides before a writer reveals a broader perspective, one that he/she has missed or omitted. Even if a story is written so you doubt the narrator from the beginning, an unreliable narrator is still the one taking you through the story, so you hang on to their words. Perhaps a certain dialogue or an event will uncover details the narrator does not realize and expose that as an unreliable narrator, their word can no longer be trusted†. (Jada Bradley). In the book Life of Pi, Pi reveals himself as an unreliable narrator. Although Pi defines himself as an unpredictable narrator through the final events in the story, Pi gives hints of false information throughout the book. As a reader, you hang on to his words because he is the one taking you through the account of his epic journey. Pi in the final scene of the story after his journey across the Pacific, tells the Japanese Oceanic Authorities contradicting stories. â€Å"Pi: So, you didn`t like my story? Mr.Okamoto: No, we liked it very much. Didn’t we , Atsuro? We will remember it for a long, long time. Mr.Chiba: We will. [Silence] Mr.Okamoto: But for the purposes of our investigation, we would like to know what really happened. Pi: What really happened? Mr. Okamoto: Yes. Pi: So you want another story? Mr. Okamoto: Uhh†¦no. We would like to know what really happened.† Pi leads you to believe that he is only making up the second account to satisfy the two men`s disbelief in his first story. However, if you reexamine the book you find that the second report could actually be a true account. Now you see that there are two valid stories, and the reader must choose which story is accurate based on their own conclusions about Pi. Throughout Pi`s journey there are doubtful events that hint at his unreliability as an narrator. These incidents can influence your choice on which story you find factual, like sketchy witnesses in a crime investigation. For instance, during his voyage, Pi encounters another blind castaway who jumps on Pi`s boat to kill him but, is killed by Richard Parker. This event is extremely unrealistic, for the possibility of two blind castaways encountering each other in the world`s largest ocean is simply far-fetched. You may sense some disbelief in this occurrence yet, you still trust his word. For Pi hasn`t yet given the reader a reason to disbelieve him as the narrator. Pi`s story from the boat sinking and the loss of his family, to his terrible journey across the Pacific Ocean is a horrible tragedy. You mourn for him and his horrible situation and through this sorrow you don`t realize that he could be making this all up. Usually when you read stories you want the main character to have a happy ending. However, in Life of Pi, when you discover you can no longer trust Pi`s account, you lose your remorse for him and his predicament. Crossen states this plainly in her Wall Street Journal article on unreliable narrators, â€Å"Unfortunately, to point out that a book has an unreliable narrator is to spoil the thrill of losing your innocence.† Cheering for the main character becomes vile when you have lost trust in their word. Pi`s first account of a boy and a Bengal tiger surviving a journey across the Pacific Ocean is fantastic tale but somewhat believable. However, by the end of the novel our perception of Pi as the storyteller has been tainted. Our perspective of anyone`s account of their lives depends on our own experiences and knowledge. As David Fromkin states in The Way of the World, †Life is a story that each of us tells to his or her self; and it therefore is a tale told by an unreliable narrator.†

Bond Case Analysis Essay

Summary of Facts Gilda Sears who is enrolled in an Investments class has picked a project on bond price theorems. The two main theorems that she decided to illustrate dealt with coupon rate and term-to-maturity and how these factors influence the price. Thus she included 2 bonds with the same rating and term with a different coupon rate, as well as two bonds with the same rating and coupon rate with different terms. She thought that if the bond markets were efficient, bonds with similar characteristics would be priced so that there would be little difference in the YTM. Besides S&P, she also looked at Moody’s for additional information. There was an increase in the interest rates over 1984-1986 and hence observed the actual YTM at different point in time. Three periods were selected: November 1, 1984, 1985, and 1986. The theorem states that YTM and price, as well as coupon rate and price, should have an inverse relationship, while bond duration and price should have a direct relationship. ** Please refer to Annexure 1 for a summary on the Factual Numbers in the case. Problems The following are the problems of the case: Q1: Using the prices given, calculate the percentage price changes for the three periods for the Boston Edison and American Brand bonds and explain the difference between the changes. Q2: Using the prices given, calculate the percentage price changes for the three periods for the AT&T and Batimore Gas bonds and explain the difference between the changes. Q3: Also, assuming there is a significant decline in interest rates, which of the four bonds would provide the largest potential capital gain? Analysis and Solution ** Please Refer to Annexure 2 for Solution to I and II I. Boston Edison and American Brand * The two bonds have the same rating and maturity dates, but different coupon rates. * American Brand has a higher coupon rate (5.87%) than Boston Edison (4.25%) * The percentage change in the bond prices is inversely related to the YTM and the Coupon Rate. * The difference in the price increase was more significant in the second and the third period. * While the two bonds had comparable percentage price increase in the first period (1985 to 1986), the difference became much more significant in the subsequent periods, where the bond with a lower coupon rate was much higher. * Hence, this is in sync with the Bond Price Theorem. II. AT&T and Baltimore Gas and Electric * The two bonds have the same rating and coupon rates, but different maturity dates. * AT&T has a longer term (2/15/01) than Baltimore Gas and Electric (12/15/98) * The percent increase in price was much more significant in the first period, where the bond with the longer YTM had almost doubled the bond with the shorter YTM. * The percent decline in interest rate was also slightly greater for the bond with a longer maturity date, as longer maturity makes bond price more sensitive to interest rates. III. Largest potential capital gain ** Please Refer to Annexure 3 for Solution to III * I calculated the duration of the bond to make a selection of the bond with the potential capital gain in the advent of a decline in the interest  rates. * Though shorter duration minimizes the risk of actively trading in bonds, bonds with longer durations are less susceptible to fluctuation. * Hence, among the 4 bonds, AT&T is the one with the maximum duration and hence will entail a larger potential gain.