Google Case Study Essay

Google was founded in 1999 and has been around in your everyday life ever since. Ranging from search engines to books to email, Google is somehow incorporated in your lives everyday. Originally beginning with their focus on search engines and algorithms, Google has since widened their availability of products. In 1999, when Google first came about, the company’s mission was: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 15 years later, this is still the mission of the company. According to the article, it will take upwards of 300 years to obtain and organize all of the world’s information. That being said, it is safe to say Google has a long way to go but are they headed in the right direction? Google, just like any other company has goals and objectives. Some of their goals include: Growth Develop and maintain the â€Å"perfect† search engine Provide innovative products early and often To organize information and make the web faster and better for everyone (These will be discussed in strategies and throughout the case analysis) Strategies Google is no different from Burger King or from LA Fitness. All companies share a same goal, regardless of the industry they are in: market share and growth. Google’s main goal is to continuously grow and dominate the market/industry and be a leader for years to come. Upon entering the market in 1999, Yahoo and AOL were some of leaders in the industry. Google immediately changed that by becoming working at becoming a player in the industry. As of 2009, Google had 65.6% share of all US searches and 90% of all international searches. Meanwhile, the closest rival (yahoo) had only  17.5%. Since the very beginning, Google came about to change search engines everywhere. They wanted to offer a faster search engine that provided more relevant results, incorporating history of search, keyword frequency, and important pages. Thus began the creation of paid listings. At the very beginning, paid listings were advertisements all around the page: top, bottom and in the margins. Additionally, cost per click (CPC) came about as well. Advertisers began to pay for clicked links by consumers to compete for position on search results pages. The higher their link was on the results page, the more likely it would be clicked. Google changed this aspect into a cost per impression, meaning if the ad is viewed and nothing clicked, then the client is still charged a fee. Google also developed a CPC rate based on actual clicks to expected clicks forecasted by Google themselves. In 2003, Google began advertising editorial content along with blogs, something that had not been done by any competitor yet. AOL ended up giving Google the rights to advertise on their website costing Google $1 billion and giving AOL $330 million advertising credit. Over the years Google has encountered many rivals and competitors ranging from Yahoo and Bing to Ebay and Amazon. These rivals came about due to the innovative products created at Google. Google purchased companies such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence while coming up with products such as cloud applications, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Finance and so much more. Google was leaving their main focus of search engines and dabbled into other categories in the industry. To some, this could be seen as dangerous and deadly to the company itself. Not for Google, anything they touched turned into gold. Google Docs immediately challenged Microsoft Office while Gmail challenged any and all free email websites. Google has also come out with tablets and mobile phones of late, allowing them to compete in yet another industry. Some might ask what is so appealing about all of their products? In my personal experience, I would say the ease of use is what appeals to me. Anytime I have used a product of Google, it is so easy to use and has lots of capabilities. Some might see this ease of use as a competitive advantage. When it all comes down to it, developing the â€Å"perfect† search engine is their main focus. Google has a philosophy that says, â€Å"Do one thing really, really well.† That is why the main focus of the company is developing the perfect search engine and organizing the world’s information.  Through paid as well as free listings, Google has developed a faster and more accurate way to sort search results. This will continue to be their focus in the future and Google hopes to master the art of the search engine. Google Culture and Values During its existence, Google has proven to be loyal to a certain set of values, principles and culture. In my opinion, this can be swayed as part of their business strategy as well. As part of there culture, they make these three things consistently known: 1. â€Å"Don’t be evil† – Do not compromise the integrity of search, effective advertising without being flashy, and do not allow ads on webpages that have no relevance. At Google they have a firm set of beliefs and this is an important one. Google makes sure to do things the right way and follow their moral and ethic code. They do not take advantage of publishers, clients or the customers. Google is here to provide a service as well as products and they do so in an honest way. 2. â€Å"Technology Matters† – Technology rules everything. Developing a faster and more accurate search query could only be done so through new and advancing technology. Google developed custom hardware to decrease costs a nd improve speed. 3. â€Å"We make our own rules† – The founders at Google ran the company in a different and unconventional way. They were very secretive to outsiders, only unveiling things that they were required to and nothing more. This leads into their unconventional governance structure as well. Governance at Google was an interesting situation when it came to the IPO. They decided to offer dual class equity, giving 10 votes per share of Class B and Class A receives 1 vote per share. Assuming that majority of people will sell their shares anyways; that left the CEO Schmidt and the founders, Brin and Page, with 80% control of the vote. This allowed them to control the strategy and direction of the company. They made it very well known the direction the company was headed in and that anyone who invests is not only investing in Google, but the idea and direction that Brin, Page and Schmidt want to go in. 4. â€Å"Do one thing really, really well† – This is basically a quote that Google has and will always live by. When Google first came about, the main focus of the company was providing a better search engine than what already existed. Google created algorithms that allowed for  quicker and more relevant search results. Between these algorithms and the deals Google scored with companies, they quickly jumped into majority market share. To this day, Google still acquires companies and has deals with clients to continuously improve search quality on and day-to-day basis. Do not expect this to ever change. There are other points that Google lives by but these four are the most important and outline their every decision, their every move. Situation Analysis SWOT Strengths 1. Brand Recognition – Everyone knows and has heard of Google. People have begun to use the company’s name as not only a proper noun but also a verb, â€Å"Googled it or Googling it†. To be so popular not just in the form of a search engine, but with all the products offered, that is a huge strength. Reputation is everything. 2. Acquisitions – â€Å"If you can’t beat them, join them†. That is a popular quote heard from time to time. Google has dominated the market since entry in 1999 and lots of companies have fallen to this quote. Google acquires competitors (current and possible future) from time to time, such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence. This increases their reach towards possible new target markets, increasing revenue and profit. Most importantly, it increases market share. As a company absorbs competition, one would assume their market share becomes absorbed as well. 3. Algorithms – Google created an algorithm to link pages together that deserved attention. This allowed for faster and more relevant search results leading to Google becoming a true threat to competitors. Irrelevant results always swamped and spammed customers. Google found a way to trim this down and it also became a competitive advantage. 4. Free Services – Google offered free software to optimize advertising campaigns. Google Analytics allows companies to focus spending on specific keywords that are more popular so they are more likely to lead to sales. Weaknesses 1. Variety of products – I very well could have considered this one of their strengths as well. I firmly believe when Google came about, their main focus was to improve the quality of the search engine. Since then, Google has developed a wide variety of products ranging from books, email and videos all the way to mobile phones, operating software and Google docs. Offering a myriad of products and services can cause a company to lose their main focus. 2. Legal issues – Google seems to not be bothered by their legal issues. From copyright infringement (books) to searches by trademarks, Google has faced legal issues throughout their existence. There was a class action lawsuit in which Google ended up settling for $45 million with book authors/publishers for copyright infringement. In addition to that, placing competitor ads when a company is searched did not sit well with companies such as Geico or American Airlines. It created customer confusion and led to possible loss in sales for the clients of Google. These suits were also confidentially settled. 3. International Reputation- These legal issues were not solely domestic. Litigation for companies overseas ended in a different result, with the courts siding with multiple trademark holders rather than Google. Book scanning was resolved domestically as well but the results were opposite once again overseas. It seems as though Google has a poor reputation as a result of these legal issues overseas. Opportunities 1. Mobile Devices – Google has created an Android phone that is currently competing with top market mobile devices. They also have come up with Google Glass and tablets. There are more opportunities in this industry and large room for improvement on their existing products. Apple may dominate this part of the industry but it is not farfetched to think a company like Google cannot deplete Apple’s market share. 2. Full Service Portal – Yahoo currently offers a full service portal inclusive of sports, finance, email, calendar, tasks, etc. Google already individually offers some of these products. Maybe getting into the idea of a full service portal could be their next step? 3. Improving existing products – After initial releases of products, Google can weigh the popularity and success of each product. They  will know what is failing, what interests society and what they can/should improve on. Innovation is not only creating new products but also improving existing ones. 4. Advancing Technology – Google has acquired many companies throughout their existence, which allowed them to use new and uncharted technology. There is always new technology and Google is a multibillion-dollar company allowing them the possibility of purchasing if not creating this technology themselves. Adapting to new technology allows Google to gain an advantage over others in the industry Threats 1. Replacement Advertising – Google began advertising on search pages. Since the start of web advertising, we have come a long way. Now there are mobile phone apps that include advertising as well as social media sites. This could begin to threaten the market share and revenue of Google 2. Privacy Laws – As we know, Google is no stranger to legal issues. Privacy has begun to threaten Google in many different forms. One common for was through Gmail. Advertisements were chosen based on what the email said but no one was actually looking; there was simply an algorithm in place to extract that information and process it. The search history can be accessed and people think this invades their privacy as well. Your search history is available for up to 18 months. 3. Substitution- With the variety of products offered, each one has one or more competitors. If legal issues continue to rise or prices become too high, it is possible that customers switch from Google to their competitors. The threat of substitution is high in the sense of products other than search. Some would say they do not see a difference between Yahoo, Google and Bing BUT this is not a threat because as of 2009, Google had 65.6% of all US searches. If there is no difference, then where is the threat of this number to decrease? Why would anyone switch from the current search engine that they use? Competitive Advantage and Resources Resources and competitive advantages seem to go hand in hand here at Google. A key resource is the employees. Google has approximately 48,000 employees; this calls for a wide variety of knowledge and talent. Each employee brings  something different to the table. Google stresses individualism and personal projects. If 48,000 people are striving to improve the company and create new possibilities, that would make employees a phenomenal resource. Another resource is their algorithms. As I have stated throughout this discussion, Google created algorithms to create a faster, more dependable and relevant search engine. Developing these algorithms allowed them to sustain a competitive advantage. In fact, some competitors even wanted to purchase the use of these on their engines (Yahoo and AOL)! Instead, Google went ahead and created a search engine becoming a direct competitor. Another resource, which might actually seem odd, is the founders and CEO of the company. They run Google in an unconventional way but it has really paid off. They developed a set of values and pounded this culture into all heads at Google. Technology is another resource used at Google. Technology in general is always changing and people constantly have to adapt. Google is a driver of technology and constantly brings products to the market. Google uses technology to succeed as well as incur a profit. The above resources can also be considered competitive advantages for Google. The algorithm that was created set Google apart from competitors and allowed them to enter the market. They immediately began obtaining market share and competitors could not compete with that type of search engine. Brand recognition is another competitive advantage. If people were to give me the option to use Bing, Yahoo or Google, I would hands down always use Google. Not that I can tell a difference but simply because I am accustomed to it. It is well known and developed in so many facets of the industry. Another competitive advantage that Google has is its free software. The competitors cannot afford to offer free services to clients, which gives Google a leg up on the competition. It allows Google to tap into new markets, further tap into current markets and please current clients. Data scraping abilities (which I have direct contact with) is another competitive advantage. The data scraping capabilitie s at Google are unbelievable. The resources they have here allow them to analyze every bit of data possible. This leads to better and more accurate services for clients, enhanced keywords, and an enhanced overall experience for clients. Porters 5 Forces Threat of new entrants – Some would consider this high but I think it varies depending on which segment you are discussing. In the search engine segment, I would say the threat is low but when you look at the multitude of products offered elsewhere, there is always a high threat. Costs to enter could be high in some segments while low in others. While profits are attractive and could result in new companies entering the market, Google as a dominant firm can turn these potential threats away. Threat of Substitutes – This has the same basis as threat of new entrants. Depending on the product, the threat could be high or low. Cell phones and tablets have a ton of possible substitutes out there and that can cause customers to switch brands. Varying prices of products or differences in quality can cause a high threat of substitution as well. Rivalry- High. There are rivals in every segment of Google’s business. Search engine has Yahoo as its biggest competitor but not limited to just them. There is also Bing, AOL, and other small competitors. The existence of innovation and new products keeps the rivalry intense amongst competitors in the industry. Similar products and similar goals keep the rivalry constant Bargaining power of suppliers – Low. The main suppliers of Google are engineers. Due to the number of engineers, the supplier has low bargaining power. Google has 48,000 employees and if engineers feel they can do better elsewhere, then Google will find replacements. Being such a large and successful company almost has Google on a pedestal. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to work for them? Bargaining power of consumers – Also varies based on what product is being discussed. When you discuss tangible products such as mobile phones or tablets, power is high. When it comes to search engines, Google Docs, Gmail, etc, power is low. Although there are other substitutes to these items listed above, the interface and software of Google sets it apart from  the rest. The threat of switching is non-existent. Critical Success Factors – these are factors that are necessary for a company to achieve its mission. For Google, the following are CSF: Speed and accuracy- The faster results can be displayed with accuracy then the more likely that people will use Google. This is how Google set themselves apart from the industry. New algorithms allowed for more relevant results at a quicker pace. Quality search results – As I stated above, the algorithm allowed for relevant results. People were being spammed by random links not relevant to what they were looking for. Innovation- Google is constantly bringing products to the market and attracting new target markets. Not only are they bringing new products to light, they are changing and improving existing products Culture – This is a CSF for Google because it sets them apart from competitors. Google stands by their beliefs and their culture 100%. They do not deter from these beliefs regardless of the situation. It allows them to think outside the box and differently than competitors Ease of use – Older generations are not completely acquainted with the use of technology and probably never will be. The ease of use could help close that gap tremendously and allow for Google to tap another market. The multitude of products, software, hardware or tangible products need to be easy to use. Even my generation has trouble with software and hardware, it is like a second language to some! Alternatives and Recommendations A few possible alternatives that Google can do are become a full access portal, increase personal time to 20% (making it a 60-20-20 system) and focus on improving existing products. Becoming a full access portal will allow Google to take some additional market share from Yahoo. Currently Yahoo offers finance, sports, mail, news, etc. all in one place. Google needs to put this into action. The pros of this are that Google already has these things but offers them separately. Google has the Gmail option, finance, news, maps, books and much more. It already has the pieces and just needs to combine them into  one place. This should not be hard with all the talented engineers on staff. Another pro is that the market share is bound to increase. Google already has many loyal customers to different segments of the market. Some might use Yahoo for things not currently offered in the same place. If Google offers sports where it has email and finance (for example), it could take away customers from Yahoo. A con is that this is a big risk. If the interface is not easy to understand or follow, people might abandon these options altogether and go directly to a competitor. Increasing personal time spent on projects to 20%, changing the culture to a 60-20-20. Currently Google encourages personal projects and stresses to work on a 70-20-10 basis. Google says they do not mind spending money now if it can lead to possible wealth over time. For this idea, there are a few cons. Employees could get caught up in their personal ideas and projects leaving the important ones assigned by managers past due. This could also be seen as free time and some might take advantage of it as a break from work in general. Another con is if 48,000 employees are working on their own projects 20% of the time, it might not be time well spent amongst everyone. Even if everyone is working diligently on a project, these projects might not pan out and that is a lot of wasted time. One of the biggest pros is high risk, h igh reward. Google is willing to take a risk after evaluating projects developed by employees. Allowing them to work on personal projects 20% of the time can create more opportunities to â€Å"hit big† for Google. Another pro is the encouragement of creativity. Personal projects call for creativity and this can then transfer over into the 60-20 time spent elsewhere. My last suggestion is to focus on existing products rather than continue to increase the amount of products they have already. Google came about and was focused on search but since then have brought multiple products to the forefront of the market. While they have been mostly successful, existing products can still be tweaked to gain maximum exposure. The main pro of this suggestion is that the kinks and problems existing could be resolved. Google could perfect already popular and existing products with the possibility of taking demand from competitors. Another pro is redirecting their focus back to the original product and the main source of revenue. Search was the first product of Google and even today it makes up the majority of the revenues (including advertising since they are hand in hand). Some cons are that they could be missing out on the next big thing. Putting all focus on existing products might have Google miss out on a hot new product that could really bring a big boom to the company. Another con is there might not be much more additional potential to focusing on existing products. They have acquired companies and competitors throughout their time and this is one way to focus on existing products. Another recommendation is pretty simple and quick to the point. Get rid of products that do not have high value to the company. The scope of the product line is wide and I do not think it is possible that all are value-adding products to Google. While some might be reaching large audiences and bringing high profits to the company, there are always some that are not doing so well. While they still might be making a profit, the workforce could be used elsewhere and that might have a higher value than the non-core product. Resources and time could be used elsewhere to perfect other products or to create new and innovative ones. The con is that while it might not be adding â€Å"value†, the product is still bringing in a profit. Google is very successful and would not have a product existing that currently has costs outweighing benefits. They are too smart for that. Giving up on a product might not be the correct decision just because it is not bringing in expected amounts of money. My recommendation would be to combine the 60-20-20 option with the focus on existing products option. While the 60-20-20 idea can cause a lack of focus, intertwining it with the existing products idea allows that focus to still be there. Employees can incorporate work on existing products in that additional 10% of time as well. Allowing companies to work privately on anything could prove to be a bad idea but pairing it with existing products will benefit the company. Imagine 48,000 employees focusing on existing products. The sky is the limit and Google can really blow competitors out of the water. I decided the full service portal is not a good suggestion. The risk of it not being easy to access and maneuver around does not outweigh the benefits. Customers already use a variety of products regardless if they are all in one location. If putting theses product in one place backfires due to difficulty of use, customers may go to Yahoo and begin using their portal. Google already has a sense of customer loyalty so  why try and change something that is working. Implementation The recommendation at hand here is to increase personal time to 20%, making the culture at Google 60-20-20 while maintaining focus on existing products. To begin this recommendation, Google should select a percentage of employees to test this out. Of 48,000 employees, they cannot have everyone working on personal projects right off the bat. It might lead to laziness and lack of effort across the board. Google should select maybe 5% of the workforce and allow them to allocate additional time towards personal projects. Google can then compare it to prior months focus on core business and see if they still maintained focus. If this was successful, then little by little introduce the workforce to this new concept. Another part of this implementation would be to have different shifts. Everyone cannot work on personal projects at the same time. Setting aside different shifts for the personal time could prove pivotal to the success of this idea. Google likes the idea of these creative concepts and have used them before. Gmail is an example of the â€Å"personal project† and now that has flourished into a leading email in the industry. Google has no problem investing in long shots and extending to 20% would do just that. Another part of the recommendation was to put focus on existing products and tweak or perfect them. To begin implementation, analysts at Google need to perform an industry analysis and provide some data on the competitors that exist with similar products. Google needs to have numbers and data comparisons so that they know how their products are doing in comparison to possible substitutes. After analyzing the industry, Google would send out customer surveys. All customers are in a database and have their emails, addresses, phone numbers, etc. on file. Google will find a way to reach the customer, send them a short survey on what they like, what they don’t like, what needs improvement and other beneficial questions. To figure out what needs improvement, you MUST talk to the users of the product. Upon finding out what is liked, what needs fixing, Google must assign a task force to tackle the job. This can now be intertwined with the 60-20-20 change stated above. While it may be a core business task, the idea of how to fix a problem or tweak a product can  be completed during the 20% personal time. Once the task force has been assigned, the product will be evaluated by everyone on the task force. They will be encouraged to give blunt honest opinions on the product as well. These employees are more knowledgeable than the everyday user so they might have different ideas that could be acknowledged as well. Once the survey period has ended for both customers and employees, brainstorming must begin. Individualism is encouraged but working in teams can help brainstorming run more smoothly. Ideas will be bounced around and once they can settle on what needs to be done, the â€Å"how† part takes place. Strategies on changing, marketing, and promoting the new product need to be derived and approved by managers. Once the strategies are derived, products will begin to go through the makeover process. Throughout this makeover process, Google will begin marketing and promoting the changes that are coming. The public will become aware, arousing curiosity as to what Google did to make this amazing product even better. This will lead to some hype and Google, like usual, will please the customers and the public. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. They have been doing this since 1999 and have a long way to go. Focusing on existing products by fine-tuning them will help change the world forever. Allowing new and great ideas to develop internally and then possibly taking a risk is what makes Google great. Google is an innovative company, changing many segments of many industries ever since Day 1. Just as the article says, everyone fears Google†¦as they should.

Jesus Christ †Essay Essay

Most of us know about Jesus Christ and his life. Therefore, I will briefly cover Jesus in this paper. As for Muhammad, I will attempt to shed some light on the subject of this â€Å"Messenger of God†. Perhaps a better understanding of this Islamic icon can be obtained and understood through this comparative essay. Both of these religious figures caused a renewal of faith and belief in the one and only God, or Allah as the Muslims know Him by. Jesus Christ Jesus Christ, son of God, was born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem, Israel. He was baptized by John the Baptist. When Jesus was baptized God called out from Heaven and declared â€Å"This is my beloved son†. This signified that Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus had twelve companions oh his choosing. These were his disciples, also known as the apostles. They went with Jesus in his travels. In these travels, Jesus taught the masses about God through parables and sermons. Jesus performed many miracles to prove that he was the son of God. He used his holy powers to overcome nature, disease and even death itself. He made believers out of many people that had witnessed the miracles. These miracles, along with his teachings, caused many to glorify God and believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah. The Messiah was foretold to be the savior of the world and the King of the Jews. Sadly, the Jewish leaders did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The Jews had Jesus arrested. He was nearly released by the Roman Governor Pilate but the Jews threatened to riot. Pilate gave in and sentenced Jesus to be crucified. Delivering on the promise that he had made to his disciples, Jesus came back to life after he had died on the cross. As it is told in the Bible, He was sealed up in a guarded tomb. An angel came and scared the heck out of the guards and fled the scene. The disciples later went to the tomb to discover it empty. Jesus had died on the cross for the sins of humanity and had risen from the dead, thus again proving that he was the true Messiah. The Prophet Muhammad was born in 569A.D. in Makkah, also known as Mecca, Saudi Arabia. He was raised by his grandfather, Abdul Muttalib. This was because Muhammad’s father had died before he was born. Upon his grandfather’s death, he was brought up by his uncle Abu Talib. The Makkans claim to be descended from Abraham by Ismail. (Pickthall, M.) Therefore, it could be said that [Islam](http://www.associatedcontent.com/topic/6753/islam.html) is similar to Christianity in the fact that both are Abrahamic religions. Muhammad journeyed with his uncle with a group of merchants that traded is Syria. Muhammad eventually became the merchant for the wealthy widow Khadijah. Although she was fifteen years older that Muhammad the two came to be married for twenty-six years. His marriage put him in good standing with the Makkahan people of notoriety. This, along with his excellent conducts in business and society, earned him the surname Al-Amin which meant â€Å"trustworthy†. (Pickthall, M.) Muhammad was a non-conformist to the popular religion of his time. The House of Allah, known as the Kabah, was said to be built by Abraham for the worship of Allah only. Kabah had come to be a place of worship to other idols as well. Muhammad and others like him were known as Hunafa. They desired to know the true religion of Abraham and did not agree with the current worship of many idols. (Pickthall, M.) The Hunafa sought the truth through inner reflection or meditation. Muhammad’s place of [meditation](http://www.associatedcontent.com/topic/4047/meditation.html) was known as Hira, a cave located in the Mountain of Light, near Makkah. This is where the angel Jibril, known as Gabrial to Christians, revealed to Muhammad his destiny. The angel appeared to Muhammad and stated â€Å"O Muhammad! Thou art Allah’s messenger, and I am Jibril†. (Pickthall, M.) At first, Muhammad was quite disturbed by this event. He came to terms with his purpose and began to preach. In the beginning of his ministry he only preached to his family and friends. This was mainly due to the people of Makkah believing that Muhammad had gone crazy. (Pickthall, M.) After a few years the prophet Muhammad was commanded by Allah to begin to preach to the public in order to convert the pagan Arabs to Islamic beliefs. Muhammad and his converts were met with much opposition by the Quraysh. They wanted to continue to idolize their pagan gods. The majority of Muhammad’s converts were powerless in defense against the Quraysh. The persecution was horrible. Muhammad urged all of his converts that were able to escape Makkah and go to the Christian country of Abyssinia which is now Ethiopia. (Pickthall, M.)

Ch8 Test Bank

b. The probability for any individual value of a continuous random variable is zero, but for discrete random variables it is not. c. Probability for continuous random variables means finding the area under a curve, while for discrete random variables it means summing individual probabilities. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 2. Which of the following is always true for all probability density functions of continuous random variables? a. The probability at any single point is zero. b. They contain an uncountable number of possible values. c. The total area under the density function f(x) equals 1. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 3. Suppose f(x) = 0. 25. What range of possible values can X take on and still have the density function be legitimate? a. [0, 4] b. [4, 8] c. [? 2, +2] d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 4. The probability density function, f(x), for any continuous random variable X, represents: a. ll possible values that X will assume within some interval a ? x ? b. b. the probability that X takes on a specific value x. c. the height of the density function at x. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 5. Which of the following is true about f(x) when X has a uniform distribution over the interval [a, b]? a. The values of f(x) are different for various values of the random variable X. b. f(x) equals one for each possible value of X. c. f(x) equals one divided by the length of the interval from a to b. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 6. The probability density function f(x) for a uniform random variable X defined over the interval [2, 10] is a. 0. 125 b. 8 c. 6 d. None of these choices. ANS:APTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 7. If the random variable X has a uniform distribution between 40 and 50, then P(35 ? X ? 45) is: a. 1. 0 b. 0. 5 c. 0. 1 d. undefined. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 8. The probability density function f(x) of a random variable X that has a uniform distribution between a and b is a. (b + a)/2 b. 1/b ? 1/a c. (a ? b)/2 d. None of these choices. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 9. Which of the following does not represent a continuous uniform random variable? . f(x) = 1/2 for x between ? 1 and 1, inclusive. b. f(x) = 10 for x between 0 and 1/10, inclusive. c. f(x) = 1/3 for x = 4, 5, 6. d. None of these choices represents a continuous uniform random variable. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 10. Suppose f(x) = 1/4 over the range a ? x ? b, and suppose P(X 4) = 1/2. What are the values for a and b? a. 0 and 4 b. 2 and 6 c. Can be any range of x values whose length (b ? a) equals 4. d. Cannot answer with the information given. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 11. What is the shape of the probability density function for a uniform random variable on the interval [a, b]? a. A rectangle whose X values go from a to b. b. A straight line whose height is 1/(b ? a) over the range [a, b]. c. A continuous probability density function with the same value of f(x) from a to b. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 TRUE/FALSE 12. A continuous probability distribution represents a random variable having an infinite number of outcomes which may assume any number of values within an interval. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 13. Continuous probability distributions describe probabilities associated with random variables that are able to assume any finite number of values along an interval. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 14. A continuous random variable is one that can assume an uncountable number of values. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 15. Since there is an infinite number of values a continuous random variable can assume, the probability of each individual value is virtually 0. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 16. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 10 and 20 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 12 and 15 is 0. 30. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 17. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 15 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 10 and 20 is 1. . ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 18. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 25 (inclusive), then P(X = 15) = 0. 05. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 19. We distinguish between discrete and continuous random variables by noting whether the number of possible values is countable or uncountable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 20. In practice, we frequently use a continuous distribution to approximate a discrete one when the number of values the variable can assume is countable but very large. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 21. Let X represent weekly income expressed in dollars. Since there is no set upper limit, we cannot identify (and thus cannot count) all the possible values. Consequently, weekly income is regarded as a continuous random variable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 22. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must be non-negative. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 23. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must lie between 0 and 1 (inclusive). ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 24. The sum of all values of f(x) over the range of [a, b] must equal one. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 25. A probability density function shows the probability for each value of X. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 26. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X 5) = P(X ? 5). ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 27. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X = 5) = f(5) = 1/10. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 28. If a point y lies outside the range of the possible values of a random variable X, then f(y) must equal zero. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 COMPLETION 29. A(n) ____________________ random variable is one that assumes an uncountable number of possible values. ANS:continuous PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 30. For a continuous random variable, the probability for each individual value of X is ____________________. ANS: zero 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 31. Probability for continuous random variables is found by finding the ____________________ under a curve. ANS:area PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 32. A(n) ____________________ random variable has a density function that looks like a rectangle and you can use areas of a rectangle to find probabilities for it. ANS:uniform PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 33. Suppose X is a continuous random variable for X between a and b. Then its probability ____________________ function must non-negative for all values of X between a and b. ANS:density PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 34. The total area under f(x) for a continuous random variable must equal ____________________. ANS: 1 one PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 35. The probability density function of a uniform random variable on the interval [0, 5] must be ____________________ for 0 ? x ? 5. ANS: 1/5 0. 20 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 36. To find the probability for a uniform random variable you take the ____________________ times the ____________________ of its corresponding rectangle. ANS: base; height height; base length; width width; length PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 37. You can use a continuous random variable to ____________________ a discrete random variable that takes on a countable, but very large, number of possible values. ANS:approximate PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 SHORT ANSWER 38. A continuous random variable X has the following probability density function: f(x) = 1/4, 0 ? x ? 4 Find the following probabilities: a. P(X ? 1) b. P(X ? 2) c. P(1 ? X ? 2) d. P(X = 3) ANS: a. 0. 25 b. 0. 50 c. 0. 25 d. 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Waiting Time The length of time patients must wait to see a doctor at an emergency room in a large hospital has a uniform distribution between 40 minutes and 3 hours. 39. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/140, 40 ? x ? 180 (minutes) PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 40. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait between one and two hours? ANS: 0. 43 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 41. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait exactly one hour? ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 42. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait no more than one hour? ANS: 0. 143 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 43. The time required to complete a particular assembly operation has a uniform distribution between 25 and 50 minutes. a. What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? b. What is the probability that the assembly operation will require more than 40 minutes to complete? c. Suppose more time was allowed to complete the operation, and the values of X were extended to the range from 25 to 60 minutes. What would f(x) be in this case? ANS: a. f(x) = 1/25, 25 ? x ? 50 b. 0. 40 c. f(x) = 1/35, 25 ? x ? 60 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 44. Suppose f(x) equals 1/50 on the interval [0, 50]. a. What is the distribution of X? b. What does the graph of f(x) look like? c. Find P(X ? 25) d. Find P(X ? 25) e. Find P(X = 25) f. Find P(0 X 3) g. Find P(? 3 X 0) h. Find P(0 X 50) ANS: a. X has a uniform distribution on the interval [0, 50]. b. f(x) forms a rectangle of height 1/50 from x = 0 to x = 50. c. 0. 50 d. 0. 50 e. 0 f. 0. 06 g. 0. 06 h. 1. 00 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Chemistry Test The time it takes a student to finish a chemistry test has a uniform distribution between 50 and 70 minutes. 45. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/20, 50 ? x ? 70 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 46. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take more than 60 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 47. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take no less than 55 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 75 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 48. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take exactly one hour to finish the test. ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 49. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the median amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 50. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the mean amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Elevator Waiting Time In a shopping mall the waiting time for an elevator is found to be uniformly distributed between 1 and 5 minutes. 1. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/4, 1 ? x ? 5 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 52. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability of waiting no more than 3 minutes? ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 53. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that the elevator arrives in the first minute and a half? ANS: 0. 125 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 54. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the median waiting time for this elevator? ANS: 3 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Ch8 Test Bank b. The probability for any individual value of a continuous random variable is zero, but for discrete random variables it is not. c. Probability for continuous random variables means finding the area under a curve, while for discrete random variables it means summing individual probabilities. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 2. Which of the following is always true for all probability density functions of continuous random variables? a. The probability at any single point is zero. b. They contain an uncountable number of possible values. c. The total area under the density function f(x) equals 1. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 3. Suppose f(x) = 0. 25. What range of possible values can X take on and still have the density function be legitimate? a. [0, 4] b. [4, 8] c. [? 2, +2] d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 4. The probability density function, f(x), for any continuous random variable X, represents: a. ll possible values that X will assume within some interval a ? x ? b. b. the probability that X takes on a specific value x. c. the height of the density function at x. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 5. Which of the following is true about f(x) when X has a uniform distribution over the interval [a, b]? a. The values of f(x) are different for various values of the random variable X. b. f(x) equals one for each possible value of X. c. f(x) equals one divided by the length of the interval from a to b. d. None of these choices. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 6. The probability density function f(x) for a uniform random variable X defined over the interval [2, 10] is a. 0. 125 b. 8 c. 6 d. None of these choices. ANS:APTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 7. If the random variable X has a uniform distribution between 40 and 50, then P(35 ? X ? 45) is: a. 1. 0 b. 0. 5 c. 0. 1 d. undefined. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 8. The probability density function f(x) of a random variable X that has a uniform distribution between a and b is a. (b + a)/2 b. 1/b ? 1/a c. (a ? b)/2 d. None of these choices. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 9. Which of the following does not represent a continuous uniform random variable? . f(x) = 1/2 for x between ? 1 and 1, inclusive. b. f(x) = 10 for x between 0 and 1/10, inclusive. c. f(x) = 1/3 for x = 4, 5, 6. d. None of these choices represents a continuous uniform random variable. ANS:CPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 10. Suppose f(x) = 1/4 over the range a ? x ? b, and suppose P(X 4) = 1/2. What are the values for a and b? a. 0 and 4 b. 2 and 6 c. Can be any range of x values whose length (b ? a) equals 4. d. Cannot answer with the information given. ANS:BPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 11. What is the shape of the probability density function for a uniform random variable on the interval [a, b]? a. A rectangle whose X values go from a to b. b. A straight line whose height is 1/(b ? a) over the range [a, b]. c. A continuous probability density function with the same value of f(x) from a to b. d. All of these choices are true. ANS:DPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 TRUE/FALSE 12. A continuous probability distribution represents a random variable having an infinite number of outcomes which may assume any number of values within an interval. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 13. Continuous probability distributions describe probabilities associated with random variables that are able to assume any finite number of values along an interval. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 14. A continuous random variable is one that can assume an uncountable number of values. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 15. Since there is an infinite number of values a continuous random variable can assume, the probability of each individual value is virtually 0. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 16. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 10 and 20 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 12 and 15 is 0. 30. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 17. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 15 (inclusive), then the probability that X falls between 10 and 20 is 1. . ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 18. A continuous random variable X has a uniform distribution between 5 and 25 (inclusive), then P(X = 15) = 0. 05. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 19. We distinguish between discrete and continuous random variables by noting whether the number of possible values is countable or uncountable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 20. In practice, we frequently use a continuous distribution to approximate a discrete one when the number of values the variable can assume is countable but very large. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 21. Let X represent weekly income expressed in dollars. Since there is no set upper limit, we cannot identify (and thus cannot count) all the possible values. Consequently, weekly income is regarded as a continuous random variable. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 22. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must be non-negative. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 23. To be a legitimate probability density function, all possible values of f(x) must lie between 0 and 1 (inclusive). ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 24. The sum of all values of f(x) over the range of [a, b] must equal one. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 25. A probability density function shows the probability for each value of X. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 26. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X 5) = P(X ? 5). ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 27. If X is a continuous random variable on the interval [0, 10], then P(X = 5) = f(5) = 1/10. ANS:FPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 28. If a point y lies outside the range of the possible values of a random variable X, then f(y) must equal zero. ANS:TPTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 COMPLETION 29. A(n) ____________________ random variable is one that assumes an uncountable number of possible values. ANS:continuous PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 30. For a continuous random variable, the probability for each individual value of X is ____________________. ANS: zero 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 31. Probability for continuous random variables is found by finding the ____________________ under a curve. ANS:area PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 32. A(n) ____________________ random variable has a density function that looks like a rectangle and you can use areas of a rectangle to find probabilities for it. ANS:uniform PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 33. Suppose X is a continuous random variable for X between a and b. Then its probability ____________________ function must non-negative for all values of X between a and b. ANS:density PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 34. The total area under f(x) for a continuous random variable must equal ____________________. ANS: 1 one PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 35. The probability density function of a uniform random variable on the interval [0, 5] must be ____________________ for 0 ? x ? 5. ANS: 1/5 0. 20 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 36. To find the probability for a uniform random variable you take the ____________________ times the ____________________ of its corresponding rectangle. ANS: base; height height; base length; width width; length PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 37. You can use a continuous random variable to ____________________ a discrete random variable that takes on a countable, but very large, number of possible values. ANS:approximate PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 SHORT ANSWER 38. A continuous random variable X has the following probability density function: f(x) = 1/4, 0 ? x ? 4 Find the following probabilities: a. P(X ? 1) b. P(X ? 2) c. P(1 ? X ? 2) d. P(X = 3) ANS: a. 0. 25 b. 0. 50 c. 0. 25 d. 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Waiting Time The length of time patients must wait to see a doctor at an emergency room in a large hospital has a uniform distribution between 40 minutes and 3 hours. 39. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/140, 40 ? x ? 180 (minutes) PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 40. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait between one and two hours? ANS: 0. 43 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 41. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait exactly one hour? ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 42. {Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that a patient would have to wait no more than one hour? ANS: 0. 143 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 43. The time required to complete a particular assembly operation has a uniform distribution between 25 and 50 minutes. a. What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? b. What is the probability that the assembly operation will require more than 40 minutes to complete? c. Suppose more time was allowed to complete the operation, and the values of X were extended to the range from 25 to 60 minutes. What would f(x) be in this case? ANS: a. f(x) = 1/25, 25 ? x ? 50 b. 0. 40 c. f(x) = 1/35, 25 ? x ? 60 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 44. Suppose f(x) equals 1/50 on the interval [0, 50]. a. What is the distribution of X? b. What does the graph of f(x) look like? c. Find P(X ? 25) d. Find P(X ? 25) e. Find P(X = 25) f. Find P(0 X 3) g. Find P(? 3 X 0) h. Find P(0 X 50) ANS: a. X has a uniform distribution on the interval [0, 50]. b. f(x) forms a rectangle of height 1/50 from x = 0 to x = 50. c. 0. 50 d. 0. 50 e. 0 f. 0. 06 g. 0. 06 h. 1. 00 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Chemistry Test The time it takes a student to finish a chemistry test has a uniform distribution between 50 and 70 minutes. 45. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/20, 50 ? x ? 70 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 46. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take more than 60 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 47. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take no less than 55 minutes to finish the test. ANS: 0. 75 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 48. {Chemistry Test Narrative} Find the probability that a student will take exactly one hour to finish the test. ANS: 0 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 49. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the median amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 50. {Chemistry Test Narrative} What is the mean amount of time it takes a student to finish the test? ANS: 60 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 Elevator Waiting Time In a shopping mall the waiting time for an elevator is found to be uniformly distributed between 1 and 5 minutes. 1. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability density function for this uniform distribution? ANS: f(x) = 1/4, 1 ? x ? 5 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 52. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability of waiting no more than 3 minutes? ANS: 0. 50 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 53. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the probability that the elevator arrives in the first minute and a half? ANS: 0. 125 PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1 54. {Elevator Waiting Time Narrative} What is the median waiting time for this elevator? ANS: 3 minutes PTS:1REF:SECTION 8. 1

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Market-Based or Government Control - Research Paper Example America's diverse healthcare problems, such as a fully nationalized healthcare system and improving the current market-based healthcare system (Shi & Singh, 2007, p.ix). This paper seeks to explore the issues surrounding PPACA. A number of authors argued against PPCA because they assert that it is a socialist intervention that does not fit the market-run socio-economic model of modern society and it is a costly and unconstitutional infringement on individual choices and corporate rights. ObamaCare is fundamentally socialist and does not fit into the market-run socio-economic model of modern society. Williamson (2011) described PPACA as socialist because it is based on a ç” °entral planning model, with socialist features of Ã¥ ¦ ¬ncome-redistribution, economic leveling, the co-opting and nationalization of private enterprises, and the elevation of an elite planning class(p.237). He did not believe that a socialist model can resolve the underlying issues of high medical and insurance costs in the nation, and for him, it will only replicate the 1970s British healthcare issues of poor implementation and poor results. Sultz and Young (2008) highlighted the characteristics of American healthcare that evade an effective socialization process. First, the healthcare system is too large to be managed by the state alone: å… ¸he U.S. health care system is the worlds eight largest economies, second to that of France, and is larger than the total economy of Italy(p.xvii). Se cond, the healthcare system is too complex, because of its labor-intensive levels and the changing, varied roles of healthcare professionals and employees who interact with evolving medical technology and patient preferences (Sultz & Young, 2008, p.xvii). Sultz and Young (2008) argued that the size and complexity of the American healthcare system shaped problems of limited health care access, inconsistent quality, and increasing costs (p.xviii).

Assignment for Multimedia and Internet Development Essay

Assignment for Multimedia and Internet Development - Essay Example It is my concept to produce a simple yet interesting website that does not need fancy colors to decorate on. My motto is "matter over manner". It is better to have meaningful yet simple website than to have a very decorative but lousy website. The software that I used was Macromedia Dreamweaver. To be able to have an interactive design, I made Macromedia Flash Buttons that act as my navigation buttons. The navigation buttons that I have made are placed on the left side. This left pane is placed permanently that whenever you click the navigation bars, it will never move. I also included a time and date pane with an updated time that shows seconds. For more interactive design, I included QuickTime applications that will play the music videos that I got from the internet. I coded it properly with right positions in the website so that it will not be disturbing to look at if people will view my website. I also put a banner that shows the logo and the wonderful picture of my favorite band , U2. For the photographs, the software that I used was PhotoShow. On the over-all design, I put graphic interchange format or GIF pictures so that there will be lots of animation. At the end of the page, I made a "Contact Us" pane so that if ever m website will be posted, people will be able to reach me through direct link. Also it will be a big help that I put it because I may be able to receive feedback. It is very important in communication the element of feedback because through feedback, there will be a continues flow of communication. In simple terms, there will be interaction. I think when crating a website, we should give such panes because there will be interactive communication among us and the viewers. Also in that reason, the viewers may enjoy viewing our websites. Storyboard U2 Homepage I. Index or Home Page A. Website Banner (U2 Logo and Picture) B. Left Unmovable Pane 1. Navigation Bars (Macromedia Flash Buttons) a. Home b. Gallery c. Album d. Songs e. Videos f. Contact Us C. Content 1. U2 Biography (Heading 1) a. Content b. Photograph of U2 with photo swapping c. Content d. Photograph of U2 e. Names of the band Members (Heading 2) II. Gallery A. PhotoShow application III. Album A. Photo Album (Heading 1) B. Photographs with scroll functions IV. Songs A. U2 Song (Heading 1) B. Animated GIF's C. Song Clips 1. With or Without You (mp3) 2. I still haven't Found What I am Looking For (mp3) 3. Where the Street have No Name (mp3) V. Videos A. U2 Video Clips (Heading 1) B. Animated GIF C. QuickTime Supported Logo D. Video Clips a. One b. Desire c. Vertigo d. With or Without You VI. Contact Us A. Thank you for visiting our site (Heading 2) B. Contact Us (Heading 1) C. Animated GIF D. Fill-in Space E. Buttons 1. Submit 2. Clear Website Review The main emphasis of the website is my fondness of the band U2. I decided to choose the software Macromedia Dreamweaver so that I can incorporate Macromedia Flash Applications. My goal here is to make an evaluative and persuasive website that will entail my viewer's interest in knowing me. By using Macromedia application, the task was not that hard to perform but of course, there are certain incapacities that I may not be able to do. There is also alternative software applications is doing this website but I guess, the most valuable would be

How has voting become less valuable as we have expanded the suffrage Essay

How has voting become less valuable as we have expanded the suffrage of our citizens - Essay Example 14th Amendment was passed in 1868 declaring all those who reside in US or being born in US as citizens of US. 15th Amendment was passed in 1870 against any kind of discrimination such as color, race or ancestral status. 17th Amendment was passed for direct elections of senators of US. 19th Amendment was passed in 1920 against discrimination on the basis of gender and 26th Amendment was passed in 1971 against discrimination on the basis of age above eighteen years. All the passed and stated amendments prove that enough suffrage has been provided to the nationals of US but with expansion of suffrage, people have shown less interest towards voting. People do not vote because they feel no change in their day-to-day lives as to whatever happens in politics. They consider their participation as invalid and valueless. People fought for their rights to vote to see some transformation in their lives that is beneficial for them. When they saw no change, their interest in voting got lessened in spite of the suffrage. Expanded suffrage has only informed people about their rights but in actuality, no practical rights were given as people are deprived of their rights due to which, they consider voting less valuable. People also try to avoid politics and remain busy in their own activities due to which, they show lacking interest towards

Japanese Comfort Women Essay Example for Free

Japanese Comfort Women Essay It is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers, both before and during World War II. These women were known as comfort women and the Imperial Conference, which was composed of the emperor, representatives from the armed forces and the main Cabinet ministers, approved their use by Japanese soldiers. Walkom) The term comfort women refers to the victims of a premeditated systematic plan originated and implemented by the government of Japan to enslave women considered inferior and subject them to repeated mass rapes, said Michael D. Hausefeld, one of over 35 lawyers in his firm representing the former sexual prisoners in a class action lawsuit currently pending against the Japanese government. (Eddy) Since ancient times, prostitutes in Japan chose to sell their bodies either for family, poverty, or for saving her husband and her children. More or less, their sacrifices were seen as positive. But, being forced to become comfort woman by Japanese is seen as negative. The difference between the Japanese prostitutes and comfort women is that the comfort women did not choose to be trapped as a sex slave and they were not paid for what they did. In 1931, when the Japanese army invaded Manchuria, â€Å"comfort houses† made their first appearances. These comfort houses were created to provide the Japanese soldiers with outlets for their sexual needs. In the beginning, there were only a few comfort houses but after the Nanjin Massacre occurred in 1937, many more were added, basically to every place that the Japanese were stationed. (Walkom) After the Japanese soldiers slaughtered thousands of Chinese people in the Nanjin Massacre, they barbarically raped an insurmountable number of women. As a result, anti-Japanese sentiments grew and it became harder to fully occupy these lands. The government set up comfort houses to decrease disorder and give the approximately two million soldiers a place to satisfy their sexual needs. The Japanese did not have enough prostitutes to supply the needs of the soldiers so they commissioned civilians to develop comfort houses. At the time, only a small percentage of Japanese women were mobilized to â€Å"work† in comfort houses and they were all prostitutes to begin with. The majority of the comfort women were actually Korean women, who were forcibly taken from Korea to service the needs of the Japanese soldiers. After the war, the Japanese government destroyed all evidence of their involvement in Japanese comfort houses, enforcing that commercial businessmen were responsible for the movement of women. Many of the comfort women were kidnapped or deceived into voluntarily working in comfort houses. Once they were there, they were trapped and forced into prostitution. Some women reported that Japanese agents offered them good jobs or education. Others were told that each family in the village had to donate a daughter to the war effort. Many others were offered food, shelter and factory jobs. The Japanese also kidnapped young, unmarried girls when they had a shortage of comfort women. The ages of the girls in the comfort houses ranged from 15 to 19, with the minority exception of some younger girls and some older, married women. The girls were transported between military bases like cargo, under heavy guard in army trucks, trains, ship and bus. They were forced to lose their virginity before arriving at the bases to prepare them for having sexual intercourse with tens of soldiers every day. Many women contemplated death after this, as they believed their virginity to be more precious than life. (Henson) When living in the comfort houses, the comfort women lived in fear and desperation. They were unable to leave, as they were heavily guarded. Each day, they were penetrated by as many as 50 soldiers, until they were sore and bloated to the point of not being able to open their legs. If they were infected with a sexually transmitted disease, they received injections known as Injection 606. If infected enough times, they lost their fertility. In Japan, infected women were killed. Their food was mixed with cyanide, their bodies taken to a cave and finally, the cave was blown up with a grenade. The comfort houses made money off these women and it is believed that the Japanese government paid them, as most of the soldiers paid by coupons. As soon as the war was finished, the Japanese Imperialist guards disappeared without trace. Most comfort women describe the experience this way, Suddenly, the soldiers came no more, and upon asking we found that the war had ended. In other regions, as the Japanese committed â€Å"harikari, the women were forced to do the same. In extreme cases, the women were put in a cave and blown up. After the war, many of the comfort women were too sick to be moved and were taken under the care of the American army. Most of the women were left with no place to go, as they were in a strange country with no money, and were too humiliated to go home. According to one comfort woman, my bodys wasted, therefore I do not dare go home in fear of being ignored and looked down upon. Even after the war ended, the comfort women were not free. Their guilty minds and inferiority complexes kept them from returning home and they stayed in foreign countries. The small amount that married, were often forced to separate after the fact that they were comfort women was known, or they were divorced because they could not have children. The victims are still suffering the pain physically and psychologically. More than half of them could not get pregnant, and most of them have chronicle diseases. Furthermore, the psychological impact on these women made them felt themselves dirty, ashamed that they disgraced themselves and isolated themselves from others. They are either afraid of getting married, or unable to ask for any commitment from their lovers. For those who got married, their marriage was unstable and unhappy due to their past. Some thought that they must have done something evil in their previous life that they have to be punished in this life. (Hicks) They go to tempos to chant sutras, to confess, to pursue liberation, and they even commit suicide. Although the period of time they spent at the Japanese military base was a small part of their life, what they had experienced caused an incurable impact on their health, marriage, mind, and social adaptation. Although the Japanese government continues to deny or minimize their involvement with comfort women, their defense is unraveling. A conference on Japanese Crimes Against Humanity: Sexual Slavery and Forced Labor was held last year, in which Japanese researchers delivered papers which claimed that the Japanese military, the rest of the government, and Japanese industry were all involved in the decision to provide sex slaves for the countrys soldiers. (Chunghee) Japanese historian Hirofumi Hayashi said: The establishment and development of the military comfort women system as not only carried out by the total involvement of every section of the military but also by administrative machinery at every level of the Japanese state In addition, we should not overlook that Japanese companies were their accomplices. (Chunghee) Researchers from the Center for Research and Documentation of Japans War Responsibilities in Yokohama showed that Japanese rubber companies were under government contra ct to supply 20 million condoms a year to armed forces once the decision had been made to provide sex slaves to the soldiers. Rumiko Nishino wrote that high-ranking adjutants commissioned by Cabinet and sub-Cabinet-level government officials implemented the distribution of the condoms. The availability of condoms to the general population became almost nil. (Chunghee) Last year, the Japanese appeals court overturned an earlier ruling that orders the government to compensate women who were forced to serve as sex slaves during World War II. Both sides had appealed that ruling. The plaintiffs because they thought the compensation was too small, and the government because they refused to pay. Duke) In deciding in favor of the government, the Hiroshima High Court said abducting women to use them as forced laborers and sex slaves was not a serious constitutional violation. Tokyo has admitted that its wartime army had set up brothels, and forced thousands of Koreans, Filipinos, Dutch and Chinese to serve as prostitutes, but it has refused to compensate these victims. Historians say as many as 200,000 women were f orced into sexual slavery during World War II.

Cross Cultural Beliefs About the Afterlife Essay Example for Free

Cross Cultural Beliefs About the Afterlife Essay Abstract A study of American undergraduates indicated that the beliefs about the nature of life after death were quite complicated. A 41-item questionnaire produced 12 independent groups of beliefs. Belief in an internal locus of control and that one’s life is owned by God were associated with a more positive view of the afterlife, as was being Roman Catholic rather than Protestant. The most common beliefs were that one is reunited with family and friends, that the afterlife is comforting, that there is Heaven and that the transition is peaceful, all believed by more than 90 percent of the students. The afterlife is an idea that the conscious or mind of a being continuous after physical death occurs. There are many different believes about how the afterlife will be and what effects that outcome. In many popular views, this continued existence often takes place in an immaterial or spiritual realm. Major views on the afterlife derive from religion. Deceased people are usually believed to go to a specific planet after death. Regardless of the lack of evidence that is typically believed to be determined by a God. This is based on their actions during physical life. In contrast, the term reincarnation refers to an afterlife in which only the â€Å"essence† of the being is preserved, and the â€Å"afterlife† is another life on Earth or possibly within the same universe. Lester, Aldrige, Aspenberg, Boyle, Radsniak, and Waldron (2001-2002) based their research proposal on what Flynn and Kunkel (1987) found. Flynn and Kunkel (1987) used data from about one thousand respondents in the 1983 from a General Social Survey to analyze beliefs that the people had for life after death. They found three groups of beliefs. One is Otherworldly: life of peace, tranquility, paradise of pleasure and delight, loving intellectual communication, union with god and reunion with loved ones. Worldly Rewards: life of intense action like it is here on earth but a paradise of pleasure and delight. The third group was No Rewards: life without many earthly joys, a pale, shadowy sort of life, spiritually involving mind and not the body. The researchers found that the type of belief held about life-after-death was related to social class, financial status, and a history of trauma. No recent studies were identified on this issue until Lester et al. (2001-2002). The designing of this study was made to explore and expand the beliefs that people held about life-after-death. They used a 21-item questionnaire of the concepts of the afterlife. In the first method the questionnaire was given to 50 students who were enrolled in social science undergraduate courses. The mean age was 23.8 years old and the participants were mainly white. In the first method nine factors ever extracted about beliefs about afterlife. There were three major findings from the research that was obtained. One was that 19.8 percent accounted for that the life is much like the life on earth. There is a good and an evil. Not everyone is equal and that there are material objects in the afterlife. 13.4 percent accounted for that the cause of death, rituals carried out for you, the physical and psychotically state at death has an effect on how the afterlife would be. Lastly 8.5 percent accounted for the belief that the afterlife is a specific place, there is a day of judgment, and there is eternal bliss and that that is the final destinations. The second method was designed to enlarge properties, increase sample size and explore other personality correlates of beliefs, specifically belief on external locus of control. The research study consisted of 152 male and180 female participants who were undergraduate students from the same state college as the participants in the first method. The second method was expanded into a 41-item questionnaire. The mean age in the second method was 22.5 years old and the participants were mainly white. In this method twelve factors were identified about beliefs about afterlife. Three of the major factors were that 12.1 percent believe in Heave and Hell. 7.9 percent believe in reincarnation and 6.6 percent believed that there ate material objects and sexual desire in the after life. The gender differences that were found are that men are not less likely to believe in afterlife but they were less likely to believe in Heaven, reuniting with loved ones, communication with the living and request for forgiveness before death. Men were more likely the women to believe that there are material objects, that spirits have human form, that there is pain, hunger, thirst and that rituals carried out after death are important. The religious differences they found were that Protestant students were less likely to believe in life-after-death then Roman Catholic students. On the other hand, Protestant students were more likely to believe that there is Hell and that forgiveness needs to be requested to get into Heaven.One of the strengths that this article has is that they provided a broad hypothesis. It was not specific and that gave them more room to play around with how they want to test the beliefs on life-after-death. They basically just wanted to explore from what was found in previous search on the afterlife and find more detailed data. Another strengths in this article were the specific questions that the participants were asked about their beliefs in the afterlife. The researchers made the questions into simple yes or no answer kinds. This made it easier for the participants to answer what they believe in about the afterlife and it also made it easier and clearer for the researchers to extract the exact data that they were looking for. Also the researchers conducted two methods. There were extra questions that were added also. This helped the researchers find other specific beliefs. Overall, having two methods gives a better view of what data is best to keep and present. The first weakness of this article is that the date was only consumed from one specific university. This has a major limit on how this data will be taken into account by others. When data is taken only from one part of he country it limits how credible the findings are and how they can be used in future research. Another weakness is that the researchers only conducted a questionnaire in their method to finding data on beliefs about the afterlife. Another weakness is that the sample size was small in the first method. It may be hard to compare data between method one and method two because they have significant difference in sample size. Lastly, a major weakness would be the data expenditure of only undergraduate students with mean ages of 23.8 and 22.5 within the two methods verses consuming data from many different age groups. Cross-cultural research on beliefs about the afterlife is one of the major directions that can be taken with this research topic just as it was done by: Ambwani, Warren, Gleaves, Benito and Fernandez (2007) in their research on fear of fatness across the world. The data they conducted showed differences in beliefs on what body shape is socially acceptable in the United Sates verses Spain. There are so many different religions, cultures and individual beliefs regarding how life should be lived and what will come out of that. Some religions do not believe in the afterlife at all and some believe that this life is just a test for what will be the ever-lasting life after death. These differences need to be taken into considerations and research on more to further our understanding about all the cultures in our environments. Another future directions that can be taken with beliefs about the afterlife can be of great importance to the medical fields in research. Patients that have experienced trauma in their lives may have very important data that can help understand why people may have the different thoughts and beliefs about how the afterlife will and what will be in it. Research Purpose Cross-cultural Research would be a key direction to take beliefs about afterlife on. This would assess the differences in beliefs about afterlife beyond America. Cross-cultural research is beneficial because it covers a much wider range of variations in cultural activities then other studies that are based on single societies. For this particular subject on afterlife a comparison between America and Croatia will be done. The cultural differences about what beliefs individuals hold will be taken. The purpose is to show how different cultures may have different dynamics in how they believe their life had effected the belief they hold on afterlife. Croatians compared to Americans on average will believe in afterlife more. Another proposal is to test participants that have experienced trauma verses participants that have not experienced trauma. This would show how experience of trauma can affect a person view on life and how they may feel about afterlife. For this particular research it would show the difference been the two countries and between experience with trauma and experience with no trauma. On average participants that have experienced trauma will have a greater belief in afterlife verses participants with no experience with trauma. Research Methods The budget for this research proposal is 12,000.00 dollars. There are 400 participants to which 20.00-dollar Starbucks gift card will be given. That is 40020, which equals 8,000.00 dollars. The money for the Starbucks gift cards will be transferred from here to Zagreb Croatia trough Bank of America free of charge. There are also four research assistants. Two native speaking Croatians that also speak English from the University of Zagreb and two Americans from Oakland University. Each of the assistants receive 1,000.00 dollars 41000, which equals to 4,000.00 for a total of 12,000.00-dollar research budget. The ideal characteristic for the participants in this research would be that they are college health college students that have a global point of view so that the date that will be collected from them is from a point of view that has seen more then just one way to live. The participants would also be ideal if they are completely honest about their answers since these are completely confidential items on the questionnaire. An equal amount of men and women would also be ideal. Although, that may be a difficult task it can be established by keeping track of how many men and women have come to take the online questionnaire. There will be 400 student participants will be chosen from America and Croatia. From America the participants will be gathered from Oakland University in Rochester Michigan and from Croatia the participants will be gathered from University of Zagreb in Zagreb. The participants will not be from a specific major study or group but randomly selected individuals. They will all be undergraduate students. There will be a total of 400 participants. Students will be split, 200 from Oakland University and 200 from University of Zagreb. The sampling methods will proceed in the fallowing order. The questionnaire will be taken online on a website make just for this research. The website that will be made by the Oakland Universities IT departments assistance free of charge. The online questionnaire will be taken individually in a room that will be provided for the research. This way the students do will feel more comfortable and less anxious about answering the questionnaire. There will be a research assistant present in that room during the time when participants take the online questionnaire to assist them of they have any questions about how to start the questionnaire and to assist them when they are done. After the participant completes the online questionnaire the research assistant will grant them with a twenty-dollar Starbucks gift card. The Measurements will be done with the questionnaire from method two of the original research study. The questionnaire will be back translated to Croatian. Items 1 to 41 will aid in determine if the participants believe in afterlife and what specific facts they believe about afterlife. How will the afterlife be? What will be in the afterlife? These items are very specific and will with no trouble help distinguish between participants that believe in afterlife verses those participants that do not in America and Croatia and it will help find the specifics that participants believe in about afterlife. Items that do not pertain to research purposes will be taken out and replaced with more appropriate items for the research. The participants will be asked to report their age. Also other items will be added to the questionnaire to fit the need for data consumption for the research of effect of trauma on participants and their beliefs (see appendix 1 for questionnaire items). Items 42 to 55 have been added to assist in finding the right data that is needed. These specific items in the questionnaire will help determine what kind of traumatic even the participant has experienced. Do they believe this has changed how they think and feel the afterlife will be like? Also a consent form and confidentiality agreement will be given to participants to sign. The data analytic plan will consist of Two-way ANOVA. A Two-way ANOVA of variance is an extension to the one-way analysis of variance. There are two independent variables. Some of the assumptions for Two-way ANOVA are that the population from which the samples are obtained must be somewhat normally distributed. The sample must be independent. The variance of population must be equal and the groups must have the same sample size. The two independent variables in Two-way ANOVA are called factors. The idea is that there are two variable, factors, that effect the dependent variable. Each factor will have two or more factors within it. For this research study the two independent variables (factors) are American students and Croatian students. Each of the factors has two other factors in it. In this case study the participants with trauma versus participants with no trauma are the factors within the independent variable. When using Two-way ANOVA the main effect, interaction effect and within variation are also establish. The main effect involves the independent variable one at a time. The interaction effect is the effect one factor has on the other factor. Lastly the within effect is the sum of squared within each treatment group. Two-way ANOVA will provide all the necessary dynamics need to aid in this research in finding and separating the data. The research procedure will consist of the fallowing method to assemble the participants and obtain the data needed. Back-translate the original questionnaire to Croatian. Invite participants to take part in the study via email and announcements by the staff member that are chosen as assistants in this study to their students in class. As participants walk in they will be guided to a computer in the designated room to take the online questionnair. Before participants take the online questionnaire they will be asked to sign a consent and confidentiality form. After taking the online questionnaire participants will receive their twenty-dollar Starbucks gift card. Then data will be collected and analyzed from America and Croatia. The significance of this research proposal is simply that it can be used in many ways for future research. This is simple because researching on culture always brings up interesting data apart from what the researches goal was to find in first place. However, to focus on the main significance of this research is health care. It is always the fasted growing field and the most advanced in technology but there is also always room for more improvement for people skills and knowledge about diversity. Being that America is the melting pot of the world, knowledge about cultural differences is always needed. This future direction can serve nurses and doctors and other medical professionals in understanding and communicating better with their patients. Since trauma is nothing new to the health care world it is a major fact that all health care professionals need to advance and keep getting educated about. Trauma has major effects on an individuals and it will have a major effect on what they believe after the traumatic experience. Some people may have come close to death in their traumatic experience. This might have taken them to the thought about what may be next? Is this it? These are just some of the questions people may wonder about. On the other hand people that have ever had major trauma may and may just have a broad belief about what they think the afterlife will be. Research on afterlife would benefit the medical fields in a great way. The nurses and other health care professionals would have a deeper understanding on what their patients that have chronic illnesses are feeling intrinsically. It would also give them a better chance of understanding different culture and know what the patient feels or does not feel comfortable with. This research can also benefit social worker and counselors and educators in connecting with their patients or students in a better way. Education about how traumatic experiences effect how people believe their afterlife will be can also be a factor of why they feel the way they do right now. This research will also open many more doors for future research on sub topics regarding afterlife and other interesting factors that may rise from this. Since there is not much research on afterlife this can be the icebreaker. References Ambwani, S., Warren, C., Gleaves, D., Benito, A., and Fernandez, M. (2008). Culture, Gender and Assesment of Fear of Fatness. European Journal of Psychological Assesment. 24, 81-87. Flynn, C. p., Kunkel, S. R. (1987). Deprivation, compensation, and conception of an afterlife. Sociological Analysis, 48, 58-72. Lester, D., Aldridge, M., Aspenberg, C., Boyle, K., Radsniak, P., and Waldron, C. (2002). What Is the Afterlife like? Undergraduates Believes about the Afterlife. Omega Center for the Study of Sluiced. 44, 113-126.

Research On First Nations Addiction Sociology Essay

Research On First Nations Addiction Sociology Essay Addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. Addictions can include, but are not limited to, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, exercise abuse, pornography and gambling. Classic hallmarks of addiction include: impaired control over substances/behavior, preoccupation with substance/behavior, continued use despite consequences, and denial. The First Nation people in Canada or The Aboriginal tribe are found to have these addictive problems more when compared to other community in Canada and this has created a drastic change in the survival of their community. First Nations are the various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Metis. There are roughly 630 bands of first nation people spread across Canada, and the majority of them are found in Ontario and British Columbia. Under the Employment Equity Act, First Nations are a designated group along with women, visible minorities and persons with physical or mental disabilities. Founded in the 19th century, the Canadian Indian residential school system was intended to force the assimilation of Canadian Aboriginal and First Nations people into European-Canadian society. The purpose of the schools, which separated children from their families, has been described by commentators as killing the Indian in the child. Funded under the Indian Act by Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, a branch of the federal government, the schools were run by churches of various denominations about 60% by Roman Catholics, and 30% by the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada, along with its pre-1925 predecessors, Presbyterian, Congregationalist and Methodist churches. The attempt to force assimilation involved punishing children for speaking their own languages or practicing their own faiths, leading to allegations in the 20th century of cultural genocide and ethnocide. There was widespread physical and sexual abuse. Overcrowding, poor sanitation, and a lack of medical care led to high rates of tuberculosis, and death rates of up to 69%. Details of the mistreatment of students had been published numerous times throughout the 20th century, but following the closure of the schools in the 1960s, the work of indigenous activities and historians led to a change in the public perception of the residential school system, as well as official government apologies, and a (controversial) legal settlement. Colonization had a significant impact on First Nations diet and health. According to the historian Mary-Ellen Kelm, inadequate reserve allocations, restrictions on the food, fishery, overhunting, and over-trapping alienated First Nations from their traditional way of life, which undermined their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. First Nations peoples face a number of problems to a greater degree than Canadians overall, many of their living conditions are comparable to developing nations like Haiti. They have higher unemployment, rates of incarceration, substance abuse, health problems, fetal alcohol syndrome, lower levels of education and higher levels of poverty. Suicide rates are more than twice the sex-specific rate and also three times the age-specific rates of non-Aboriginal Canadians. Life expectancy at birth is significantly lower for First Nations babies than for babies in the Canadian population as a whole. As of 2001, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada estimates First Nations life expectancy to be 8.1 years shorter for males and 5.5 years shorter for females. Self-government has given chiefs and their councils powers which combine those of a province, school board, health board and municipality. Councils are also largely self-regulating regarding utilities, environmental protection, natural resources, building codes, etc. There is concern that this wide-ranging authority, concentrated in a single council, might be a cause of the dysfunctional governments experienced by many First Nations. Gangs consisting of Aboriginals are becoming an increasing problem, across Canada, due to the poor living conditions. Most of them are found in Winnipeg and Manitoba. One of the most acrimonious issues to result from the Treaty process is the dark legacy of the residential school system. The purpose of the residential schools in Canada was to educate and civilize or westernize the First Nation peoples in order that they adopt a more western that is European lifestyle. Separating the children from their parents and forcing religion on them, it was believed, was the only means by which to achieve this civilizing of the First Nations people. Residential Schools: The Legacy The story of and continuing debate around the topic of Residential Schools in Canada is highly contentious. The residential school experience continues to haunt First Nations peoples and, according to some, has led to a general indifference towards the education of many First Nations youth today. Many of the people who experienced a residential school education are now parents and grandparents and many possess deep biases against education for their children because of what they experienced. It is a difficult subject for many to understand because the residential school experience was not the same for everyone involved. Clearly, some schools were better maintained than others while some staff members more benevolent than others. Although a difficult subject to broach, the story of the residential schools has become an important part of not only First Nations history but of Canadian history. Separated from their family, friends, and in many cases the only home they had known, First Nations children were taken together, according to age level, to the residential school in the fall of each year. Once at the school, they were not permitted to speak their native tongue and the supervisors spoke only English to them, punishing them if they reverted to their own language. In many cases, the children knew nothing of the English language upon their arrival and this meant that many spent several years in silence until they were even able to express their needs. The school environment was a stark contrast to the home environment where aboriginal children were important contributing members of their family expected to help with the work of day to day life tending the nets, feeding the dogs, cutting and hauling wood, cutting up meat and fish for drying. The school demanded very little in comparison. A child had no responsibility for the well-being of others. At residential school, the aboriginal child became no ones keeper, not even his own as, in many cases, all movements were monitored and children were expected to adhere to strict guidelines of conduct. The schools were very difficult and lonely places for many children but they affected the entire family. If children returned home for the summer months in many cases, their parents found that they had significantly changed. They were no longer interested in helping the family with daily tasks and rather than spending time with their families, who were no doubt becoming more foreign each passing year, most preferred to spend time with children their own age who also attended residential school. Perhaps the most detrimental effect of the schools was the childrens loss of all ability to speak their own language effectively breaking the means of communication and traditional knowledge sharing between parents and their children. Furthermore children were taught at school that their culture was somehow inferior and not worth preserving. As a result, the residential school disrupted the passing of traditional beliefs, skills, and knowledge from one generation to the next, and deliberately separated the children from their heritage by encouraging them to resent it and embrace a more European outlook and belief system. While the cultural shock was immense without the residential schools, most First Nations youth would never have learned to read and write, or learn about the world and other ways of life. By the 1950s, the Canadian government began to realize the residential school policy was a failure. The last residential school in Canada was closed some 30 years later. Today, Aboriginal people want recognition of what was done to their communities as a result of the residential schools. Aboriginal people have demanded, and received, official apologies from the Anglican, United and Roman Catholic churches which operated residential schools. As more and more former students of residential schools come forth with stories about the sexual and physical abuse they experienced, several religious authorities who administered the schools are being charged criminally. Aboriginal Mental Health and Substance Use Aboriginal people make up only three per cent of Canadian citizens, but this population is one of the fastest growing in the country. It is also the youngest. The average age of Aboriginal people is 25. This is 10 years younger than the average age of the general population. There is great variety in languages, beliefs, traditions and cultures among Aboriginal peoples. In British Columbia alone there are 203 First Nations bands. About 30 different First Nations languages are spoken in this province. Unfortunately, there are also high rates of mental illness and problem substance use in some Aboriginal communities. This is due to a number of factors, including a history of cultural trauma. Still, a 2002-03 survey indicated that about 70 per cent of First Nations adults living on reserves felt in balance physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Also, Aboriginal people suffering from mental health problems have been shown to be more likely than the rest of Canadians to seek professional help (17 per cent as compared to eight per cent). This is a positive step towards healing for Aboriginal communities. The Rates of Mental Illness and Substance Use Problems among Aboriginals Aboriginal people have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression than other groups: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢About 16 per cent have faced major depression, which is twice the Canadian average. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢More Aboriginal youth suffer from psychiatric problems than non-Aboriginal youth. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Aboriginal people under 44 years old: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Rates of completed suicide are higher among Aboriginal males than females and peak among young adults between the ages of 15 and 24. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢According to the Regional Health Survey in 2002-03, three in 10 adults (31 per cent) reported having had suicidal thoughts and one in six (16 per cent) had attempted suicide at some point in their lives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Among First Nations communities, suicide rates are twice the national average, and show no signs of decreasing. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The rates among First Nations youth (between 15 and 24 years of age) were from five times (among boys) to seven times (among girls) higher than the Canadian population between 1989 and 1993. Aboriginal people are less likely to drink than the general population. Only 66 per cent of aboriginals drink alcohol. Still, among those who do drink, problem substance use is a serious concern: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢More than one quarter of Aboriginal Canadians have a substance use problem. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Aboriginals are more likely to smoke than people in the general population à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢First-time use of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs tends to occur at younger ages in Aboriginal populations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Aboriginal youth are at a two-to-six times higher risk for every alcohol-related problem compared to other young people. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Aboriginal youth are more likely to smoke, use inhalants, and use marijuana regularly. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Substance use is a leading factor in teen pregnancy among Aboriginals. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Aboriginal women have higher rates of substance use during pregnancy than other women. This means they are more likely to have babies born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and other problems. Why are the rates of mental illness and substance use so high among Aboriginals? A HISTORY OF ABUSE AND DISCRIMINATION Aboriginal people in Canada have been treated unfairly for centuries. Until 1970, many Aboriginal children were forced to go to residential schools. At these schools their culture, language and dignity were taken away from them. Some were abused physically and sexually. Because of these attacks on identity and culture, Aboriginal students and their families found residential schools traumatic, even when school personnel were kind and educational benefits occurred. As a result, a high percentage of residential school survivors suffer from mental or behavioral problems. The last residential schools closed in the 1980s, but their effects can still be seen in Aboriginal families and communities. The trauma felt by students and their families has been passed down through successive generations. BARRIERS TO HEALTH CARE There are many obstacles that stand between Aboriginal people and quality health care. Some of these include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢lack of access to service à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢discrimination among health practitioners à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢lack of appropriate care à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢cultural barriers (i.e., lack of experience mixing traditional and modern medicine) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢geographic isolation A CYCLE OF DIFFICULT FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES Newer generations of Aboriginals are still at higher risk for mental health and substance use problems than the general population. This is partly because of the stress factors that continue to occur in many Aboriginal families. Oftentimes poverty, ill health, educational failure, family violence, problem substance use and other difficulties reinforce one another, perpetuating a cycle of dysfunction and despair. 1. Early Childhood: Some Aboriginals live in overcrowded houses in isolated environments run by single parents who survive on very low income. As a result, some Aboriginal children fail to receive the attention they need to develop socially and emotionally. On reserves, there are often many generations living under one roof. In these situations children may be exposed to alcohol and other drug use from a young age. This puts them at higher risk for substance use in their teen years and later. Higher than average rates of family violence, including physical and sexual abuse, also put Aboriginals at higher risk for mental health and substance use problems. 2. Adolescence: Young Aboriginals are at high risk for harms caused by substance use. In comparison to youth of the general population, Aboriginal youth experience: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢more difficulties in school and higher high-school drop-out rates-this is often due to culture and language barriers. Some youth also experience discrimination from teachers and peers related to Aboriginal values à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢confused ethnic identity-it can be challenging for youth to identify with their heritage while being raised and educated in a non-Aboriginal society à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢lower self-esteem and self-confidence à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢higher rates of sexual abuse-especially among females (nearly one quarter of female sexual-assault victims are younger than seven) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢more psychiatric problems Unplanned teen pregnancy is an important factor that plays a role in the cycle of mental health and substance use problems among Aboriginals. Added to this issue is the fact that Aboriginal youth often start using drugs and alcohol to fit in with peers and boyfriends/girlfriends. Young women sometimes feel pressure to continue using substances after they become pregnant because they fear others will find out. This is one cause of the high rates of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the Aboriginal population. These rates suggest that some young women are addicted to alcohol, or they may not understand the risks of using alcohol and other drugs during pregnancy. This is a big problem because many expectant teen mothers also have poor eating and exercising habits. All of these factors work together to create a high risk for delivering a child with problems. 3. Adulthood: Aboriginal women often have particularly stressful, hard lives because of physical abuse and a lack of support from their partners. Some use substances to manage stress or to cope with anxiety, depression and other mental health problems. Research has shown that there is a higher incidence of intimate partner abuse in Aboriginal communities than elsewhere. The use of substances by men has been shown to be an aggravating factor for violence within Aboriginal families. Some of the consequences of male violence against Aboriginal women include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢diminished self-esteem and sense of security à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢damage to physical and emotional health à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢negative impact on children (nurturing a sense of fear and insecurity and the intergenerational perpetuation of the cycle of violence) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢negative impact on financial security à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢loss of matrimonial home and sometimes relocation outside the community à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢self-blame PROMOTION OF RESILIENCE IN ABORIGINAL COMMUNITIES It is important to note that some Aboriginal communities have fewer problems than others. There are indeed factors that serve to protect some First Nations people and communities from the cycle of difficulty. For example, in the past, Aboriginals had very strong cultural practices that promoted healthy connectedness and forms of conflict resolution that encouraged reconciliation. This and other similar strengths have helped Aboriginals to survive despite the great obstacles they have faced, and still face today. Some other examples of strengths include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢the traditional value that is placed on sharing, humility and not hurting others à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢the value that is placed on cooperation and non-competition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢the traditional value placed on community conscience and a shared sense of responsibility à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢a history of spirituality, religious practices and rituals à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢a deep-seated belief in living in harmony with the Earth and all other creatures Traditional strengths have sheltered some Aboriginal communities more than others. It is possible that these protective factors could be called upon to promote and assist the healing that is so needed today both within Aboriginal Communities and in Canadian society at large. Aboriginal people tend to consider mental wellness holistically. Good mental health means being in balance with family, community and the natural environment. Family and community have an important role in helping individuals regain their sense of balance. Therefore strong families and communities also promote resilience in Aboriginal communities. Why is it important to address mental health and substance use problems in Aboriginal populations? Social responsibility It is said that the measure of a civilized society is how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. Many Aboriginals are vulnerable and treated poorly. Canadian society needs to find ways to connect with all people who are struggling and help them overcome issues that challenge families and communities. At the same time, society must recognize that lasting healing for Aboriginal populations must come from within. Many of the difficulties Aboriginal people face today are a result of the contempt that was shown for their culture and identity in the past. Therefore, it is very important that healing processes for Aboriginal communities draw on and support the resilience embedded in traditional Aboriginal culture. Economics Canadas Aboriginal population is relatively small compared to the general population. Yet the problems and difficulties Aboriginals face are extreme, resulting in great expense to the whole country. A disproportionate number of Aboriginal people live in poverty, are homeless, or lack appropriate education. First Nations people experience more challenges related to FASD, trauma and other developmental factors. A disproportionate number of Aboriginals are incarcerated or involved with the justice system. High rates of mental problems and substance use among Aboriginals strain the health care system. All of these imbalances taken together with poor health, loss of productivity, lack of social cohesion and other problems add up to significant economic cost to society. A HEALTHIER FUTURE Aboriginal populations have unique patterns and consequences of mental illness and substance use. In order to address these, a wide range of cultural, environmental and historical factors must be considered. It is now widely accepted that psychosocial factors play an important role in individual and social development. A call has been made for the recognition of the influence of culture on health as well. When considering the substance use and mental health issues of Aboriginal people, it is important to acknowledge that Western culture has its own difficulties in these areas. Therefore the Western model may not be appropriate for Aboriginals. In addition, the influence of modern-day Western culture on Aboriginal populations may be seen as the root of some on-going substance use problems in these communities. It may be that taking part in the journey as Aboriginals rediscover and strengthen their communities based on certain traditional practices could actually help mainstream society to understand the importance of practices like connectedness and reconciliation in healing. This could help the general population to better deal with its own mental health and substance use problems. Adopt a culturally appropriate attitude Lessons from the work that has been done in healing related to residential schools should be remembered and used in the context of healing in Aboriginal communities. Some of the key findings in research done by the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF) around the healing from the legacy of residential schooling include: 1. Community healing is connected to individual healing. Rebuilding family and community support networks will help stabilize the healing of individuals have experienced childhood trauma and family disruption. 2. Culture is good medicine. Culture-based outreach and healing mediated by survivors, local personnel and Elders has proven successful in reaching individuals who had previously resisted interventions. 3. Resilience in individuals and communities can be tapped. Healthy individuals in distressed communities were found to be good at promoting change. 4. It takes time to heal. AHF funding was limited to a few years, which proved to be enough to get the healing process started in many of the communities where projects were conducted, but not enough to see complete healing. 5. Services must be put in place and kept in place to encourage individual healing and help communities with their healing journeys. Typically, programs are short-term and project- based, but research indicated that services using local capacity and Indigenous knowledge are effective and economical. 6. As individuals and communities heal, the depth and complexity of needs can be seen, creating generating demand for training. Some of the most successful activities conducted to date by the AHF include healing/talking circles, interacting with Elders, one-on-one counseling, and participating in ceremonies. Support sex education and contraception for teens If Aboriginal youth are not educated by their parents or schools, they learn about puberty, sex and relationships through their friends and the media. Education should be provided by both Elders and young First Nations role models who youth can relate to and trust. Many Aboriginal communities are isolated. This means that youth must travel to get to clinics for information, contraception, and counseling. Health services should be provided within communities and they must be confidential. Teens must feel sure that their use of such services will not result in labeling or negative judgment by others. Advocate for targeted, culturally relevant programs All programs that serve Aboriginal people should include screening for substance use and mental disorders. They should also target the communities most vulnerable citizens, like children and young women. Parent-education and family-support programs that are culturally sensitive could help lower violence and problem substance use. Programs for pregnant teens could feature cultural myths and be developed to focus on FASD prevention strategies. (Some studies show that Aboriginal youth are more likely to pay attention to cultural myths about the effects of eating strawberries or crabs during pregnancy than to avoid using drugs and alcohol. Adapting cultural myths to include warnings about drinking alcohol during pregnancy may help to reduce the risky behavior of pregnant teens.) We owe the Aboriginal peoples a debt that is four centuries old. It is their turn to become full partners in developing an even greater Canada. And the reconciliation required may be less a matter of legal texts than of attitudes of the heart. (http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Aboriginal_People/)