The Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age Essay Example for Free

The Value of Digital Privacy in and Information Technology Age Essay 1. List and describe at least three (3) technologies that allow an individual to research citizens private data. A technology that allows an individual to research private data is the Global Positioning System (GPS). This â€Å"is a navigation and precise-positioning tool† (Glasscoe, 1998) developed in the early seventy’s by the Department of Defense. Although GPS was originally designed for the military, its applications have extended into the public sector to provide researchers the specific location of an individual (Glasscoe, 1998). A malicious technology that can be used to research an individual’s private data is spyware. In general, it is software that can be loaded on an internet ready device, such as a computer or smartphone, with the sole purpose of gathering and transmitting one’s private data to another person. Spyware is â€Å"designed to be difficult to remove,† and the collection and transmission of information can be completed without the individual’s consent (Microsoft, 2012). In contrast to spyware, social networking services are freely provided with and individual’s private data. Social networking services are web based platforms built to facilitate communication between internet users. â€Å"When creating an account user[s] disclose private information about their social contacts and interests by including friends, business associates, and companies in their networks† (The White House, 2012). Services such as â€Å"Facebook, the largest social network service† (Halbert Ingulli, 2012) can gather enormous amounts of private data that is associated with an individual including: â€Å"written updates, photos, videos, and location information† (The White House, 2012). 2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of public access to this information, both for the researchers and those who are being investigated. â€Å"Personal data is valuable †¦[and]†¦ companies spend up to $2 billion a year to collect that informationà ¢â‚¬  (SENGUPTA, 2012). Retailers use the data to target advertising to consumers based on their geographic location, personal demographics, or interests. Annually personal data is used to generate as much as $145 billion in online sales (The White House, 2012). Personal information is often shared freely in a mutually beneficial relationship between an individual and researchers. Those who are being investigated may sign up for online services which deliver them free content, such as music or games. Consumers are pay[ing] for the service by agreeing to receive targeted ads† (Microsoft) from researchers. â€Å"Security failures involving personal data †¦ can cause harm† (The White House, 2012) to both the researcher, and those being researched. If a researcher’s data is breached resulting in the release of private data the organization’s reputation could be tarnished. Subsequently there would be financial impacts to the researcher as consumers and business partners sever thei r relationships. On the other hand, those being researched may be discriminated against due to misleading information or fall victim to â€Å"potentially life-disrupting identity theft† (The White House, 2012). 3. Determine what measures citizens can take to protect private information or information they do not want to be disclosed. First and foremost, citizens should â€Å"carefully read all disclosures, including the license agreement and privacy statement† (Microsoft, 2012) prior to downloading any software, shareware, or freeware to their computer or smartphone. Secondly, they should properly protect themselves utilizing updated anti-virus software and firewalls on their electronic devices. Finally, citizens should be familiar with privacy-enhancing technologies such as â€Å"Do Not Track† which enables individuals â€Å"to exercise some control over how third parties use personal data or whether they receive it at all† (The White House, 2012). 4. Discuss a federal law that grants the federal government the legal right to make private information on U.S. citizens available to the public, and whether or not you agree with this law. Any person has the right to request access to virtually every federally held record. Enacted in 1966, The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is federal law which â€Å"provides public access to all federal agency records except for those records †¦ that are protected from disclosure.† Nine exemptions and three exclusions to the FOIA prohibit the release of information in relation, but not limited to â€Å"information involving matters of personal privacy† (U.S. Department of Justice, 2009). In the wake of Waterg ate Congress enacted the Privacy Act of 1974 to protect citizen’s private data in the face of growing concerns of â€Å"illegal surveillance and investigation of individuals by federal agencies† (The privacy act , 2010). This federal law restricts disclosure of government held records which personally identify individuals, and increases an individual’s right to obtain and amend government held records kept on themselves. The Privacy Act also establishes a code of fair information practices which requires agencies to comply with statutory norms for collection, maintenance, and dissemination of records† (The privacy act , 2010). As Americans we â€Å"have always cherished our privacy†¦[and]†¦ we have the right to be let alone† (The White House, 2012). Much more than the right to solitude, Americans have the right to freely participate in commerce without the costly threat of identity theft. We should be empowered with the freedom to seek employment or heath care without discrimination. Federal laws should grant citizen’s peace of mind that our personal information it protected, and we have a choice regarding when and what portions of our personal information made available to the public. 5. Determine whether there are â€Å"electronic privacy laws† that can prevent others from having access to â€Å"private information† as well as how effective they are. Laws protecting electronic privacy include â€Å"the 1968 Federal Wiretap Law, as amended by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act 1986 (ECPA), [which] make it illegal to intercept, disclose, or access messages without authorization† (Halbert Ingulli, 2012). As with the FOIA there are exemptions to the ECPA which eliminate â€Å"protection from communications that are readily accessible to the general public† (Halbert Ingulli, 2012) and current federal law may not protect all of an individual’s private data. As of 2012, forty-seven States have Security Breach Notification (SBN) laws. These laws vary from state to state, however they â€Å"promote the protection of sensitive personal data† (The White House, 2012) which is not currently protect by federal law. In February of 2012, the Obama Administration presented the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights to Congress. This Bill of Rights attempts to establish a much needed national baseline to protect citizen’s private information and acts â€Å"as a blueprint for privacy in the information age† (The White House, 2012). References Glasscoe, M. (1998, August 13). What is gps?. Retrieved from http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/gps1.htm Halber, T. Ingulli, E. (2012). Privacy and Technology. In Law Ethics in the Business Enviorment (7th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Mao, C. (2012, March 28). Columbia business law review. Retrieved from http://cblr.columbia.edu/archives/12047 Microsoft. (2012). Microsoft. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-whatis.aspx SENGUPTA, S. (2012, February 04). Should personal data be personal?. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/sunday-review/europe-moves-to-protect-online-privacy.html?pagewanted=all_r=0 The privacy act . (2010). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/opcl/1974privacyact.pdf The White House. (2012, February 23). Consumer data privacy in a networked world:a framework for protecting privacy and promoting innovation in the global digital economy. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/privacy-final.pdf U.S. Department of Justice. (2009, November). Your rights to federal records. Retrieved from http://publications.usa.gov/epublications/foia/foia.htm

Examining The Aspects Of Social Work Practices Social Work Essay

Examining The Aspects Of Social Work Practices Social Work Essay The aspect of social work practice I feel most difficult to perform is the gerontological social work. This paper would firstly describe the context of social work practice with old people. After that, I would exam the reasons preventing me from effectively conducting helping process by evaluating my attitudes, emotions and experiences as well as by reviewing professional literature on social work practice with old people. In the end, I will shape a personal plan on how to address this weakness in the future. There is a universal folk saying that everyone wishes to live a good long life, but no one wishes for old age. Although in virtually every helping process attempt, social workers bring their own emotional or cognitive influences to intervention, I feel especially difficult to perform in the interventions dealing with older adults. With the development of medical and health care and with the baby boomer generations entering into their old years, the aging of population in the twenty-first century has become increasingly concerned by more and more people. In responding to the drastic transformation of social institutions such as elderly social service and health-care system, the social work practice with old people turns out into one of the most popular social work aspect today. Apart from the well-known nursing homes and hospital, there are other settings for gerontological social work as well. Geriatric care management, community social service agencies, adult day health care, legal services ¼Ã…’home health-care agencies , macro settings for gerontological social workers and community planning also play their active roles in serving the older adult in a variety of ways. The gerontologiacal social work, which needs high level of self-awareness, commitment and professional skills, is somehow a complex mission for us to carry. Many social workers admit that social work practice with old people is both challenged and exciting for the reason that, at one hand, it reminds of feelings about death, aging of our family and ones own attitudes toward helping the disadvantaged and vulnerable old adults; on the other hand, it also presents joys and delightful pictures and makes us think more about ourselves. Root of difficulty Review own personal factors Among all the factors that influence my ability to perform this particular area, the subtle effects of my social and personal massages and the counter-transference feelings of old people would be matters of cardinal significance. Furthermore, I also affected by my characteristics and cognition to certain kind of old people. Stereotypes. When I was a child I always heard people saying that old people are vulnerable and need help, and older adults are less valuable as human beings because they have to rely on their children. At home, I was asked to behave properly and not offend grandparents; otherwise I would get scolds and punishment. While at school, I was required to help older people for that they have trouble getting around. These stereotypes toward elderly are usually negative for me and imply an attitude or unintentional message that old people are hard to take care of, stubborn, old-fashioned and unpleasant. Consequently, I always feel that I cannot handle the relationship with older people well and they will not like me. I feel uncomfortable in front of many of my eldership because I do not know how to keep conversations going with my poor eloquence and interpersonal skills. Even though I understand ageism is a destructive social justification when I grow older, I still cannot change the comments I once made on aging and I am a little bit afraid of old people to some extent. Personal emotion factors. I am by nature a sentimental and emotional person from an early age. My grandma passed away when I was in primary school. She left me even before seeing my admission into university and engagement with my fiancà ©. I always think that if she could see these, she would be very pleased and also, I would be the most delight person in the world. She always lived a difficult life when she was young and did not enjoy much in her late years. Sometimes all my family members would feel guilty for missing the chance to treat her well before she left us. As a consequence, when facing the dying older people, especially female elderly suffered from chronic disease or cancer, I inevitably feel urgent to save them and so scared to face the truth that they will eventually die someday. I doubt myself about what I can do for them and I am so scared that they will leave me before I can do anything right or helpful. In fact, that is one of the most difficult challenges in social work practice for me. Real understanding of old people. As a social worker, I appreciate that getting old does not inevitably mean the loss of intelligence, memory and cognitive functioning. I also understand that developing a level of understanding is necessary from a social worker standpoint, and it helps me to anticipate client needs and perform an ongoing self-critique in order to improve and grow my helping process. However, many times I feel I am not able to truly understand them and consider things from their perspective of views as I never experienced true aging. Many decisions I made somehow reflect my own perception of the situation such as to decide whether an old adult should stay in own home or hospital, or to conclude that an older person is showing poor judgment about financial decisions. Furthermore, it would be even harder to perform my role as a social worker when a balance between the opinions of the older adult himself, his family and the social worker need to be achieved. This obstacl e prevents me from behaving more successfully at building a sustainable relationship with elderly clients and I simply do the work and move on. When everything needs more time and patience. With the tight time schedule and many objectives to be accomplish, sometimes a social worker needs to be in a hurry to push on the intervention process. And some other times even if I have explained many times, it is still necessary to have extended periods describing complicated appointments to older clients. I always tend to speed it up although in that case, in order to attain my goal I should slow down to give them more time to think about the process. Lack of patience would be another problem preventing me from effectively working with elderly or even almost every aspect of social work practice. Reviewing the professional literature Many social workers admit that, even though both meaningful and satisfactory, working with elderly people can need a high level of self-awareness and self-discipline. The truth that everyone must eventually face the developmental stage of aging and death for themselves and their families may contribute to the anxiety and complexity of the helping process, as social work practice in the aspects of domestic violence or drug abuse may not personally affect worker. This can impact workers with older clients on both a conscious and subconscious level. Ageism and Death Anxiety. In most cultures around the world, particularly the Chinese culture, people feel uncomfortable when deal with death or anything related to death. From an early age, children are asked to avoid to talking death and dying, and to replace the word death with phrases such as passed on, or gone on to another world. Therefore, the social workers dealt with older people may require more self-control and comfort on the acknowledging the real pain caused by the loss of human life of family and friends. The anxiety of aging and dying process on ones own work, combined with generally indisposed experiences about the proximity of death surrounding older adults, bring about some social workers avoiding work with the aging. According to the Hong Kong Social Workers Registration Broads data gathered from its members about their areas of practice, despite older adults make up about 12.8 percent of Hong Kong population, less than 6 percent of social worker identify gerontological social work as their field of practice, which compared to nearly 30 percent for mental health. Countertransference. The reactions, real, and unreal, to a certain individual can occur irrespective of origin and can be based on ones own past or present experiences or characteristics. Counter transference can be described as social workers reactions involve feelings, wishes, and unconscious defensive patterns onto the client. In the professional relationship with old people, a social worker may place negative feelings or dislikes of older persons onto the client, which restrict his willingness (no matter consciously or unconsciously) to continue investigating and result in impatience or intolerance of the aging. On the other side, old clients who evoke images from ones past such as parents, grandparents or other elderly family members can make process even more arduous to advance as a result of destructive sympathy and the need to save an older person. The Independence/ dependence fight. Old people want to maintain their independence to make decisions while the social worker commits to promote self-determination and dignity of the individual. But things are not that simple. When an elderly claims for increasingly supporting service and experiences growing difficulties to maintain independence on his own, it will be confrontational to live up to the elderly expectations. McInnis-Dittrich (2008) states A worker can appreciate the desperate efforts on the part of an older adult to stay in his or her own home. Yet when an older adult is struggling with stairs or a deteriorating neighborhood, and difficulties in completing the simple activities of daily living challenge the feasibility of that effort, professional and personal dilemmas abound. This is a good example to understand that sustaining independence in the gerontological social work is a critical goal which has no simple good answer. Private functions become public business. Discussing the topic such as an old womans bladder and bowel functions or an older mans maintaining an erection or urinating with clients may cause awkward and uncomfortable resistance when social workers and other helping professional get involved. Therefore, sometimes it is important to be sensitive to the deeply personal nature when social workers try to acquire necessary comprehension of an older adults health conditions. A better understanding of interpersonal skills and psychosocial adjustment to aging would be helpful and essential. Personal plan to address this weakness Overcome stereotype influence First of all, I hope that from now on I will pay more attention to those featuring active, healthy, productive, and successful older persons so that I will develop a balanced understanding about aging and elderly. Aging is not painful and debilitating. Many wise, gracious, and humorous elderly have made admirable contribution to the world and have shown remarkable strength to achieve a positive as well as enthusiastic life. Secondly, another important thing for me is to keep the lines of communication open with older adults. If I can open my heart to communicate, they will share more with me. The stronger relationship between us will help me cope better with the stereotype challenges. Last but not least, in my future helping process I will often ask myself: does it reinforce stereotypes again? I should start from every thing in daily life to alter the attitude that hinders my ability to face the normal changes of aging. Make a change in attitude is not easy, but I will try my best to drive myself on the right direction. Awareness and Introspection Awareness of the emotional influence is the first and the essential key to solve my problem. How well do I manage my own anxiety with this clients situations should be my first concern. I will always remind myself that do not be affected by my experience and differentiate my experience of losing a family member from the intervention my client. That will help me to distinguish between the older peoples need and my own need and, to remain focused on the clients need. Furthermore, I could seek help from colleagues and supervisors as well. By discussing the situations with them, I can expose and explore my own feelings and get advices in order to effectively facilitate help process. To truly understand elderly Above all, I will try to get in touch more with old people to truly feel their emotional and cognitive problems, as well as to open my heart and listen to them. Maybe I can join them more in their music, art activities in communities. Aging does not necessarily mean the loss of memory and cognitive capacities, and I will try to explain the information in a variety of ways so that we can build understanding relationship. Moreover, reading more books about the psychological problems of the elderly would be really useful to analyze their psychological changes and behavior patterns. Equipped with a better look at the findings from professional social workers, I will more effectively comprehend the aging process the distinguishing features of elderly. Finally, I should learn from experienced social workers to get more suggestions when I feel difficult to continue. For one thing, they can improve my ways of carrying intervention by pointing out my mistakes. For another, they can help me understand and get the most from their strength and weakness by providing convenient and professional advice.

Substance Abuse Treatment Groups Analysis

Substance Abuse Treatment Groups Analysis Patty Stewart Introduction For my assessment, I attended three different substance abuse treatment groups in my local town of Port Huron, Michigan, in the county of St. Clair. The first meeting I attended is at the St. Martin Lutheran Church. The meeting is called the New Horizons Group Discussion and is held every Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m. The Vision of Hope Group meets at the Grace Episcopal Church on Friday evenings where I attended at 7:30 p.m. The final meeting is called Narcotics Anonymous located at the United Methodist Church on Saturday evenings at 8:00 p.m. For the duration of these meetings I observed silently. Description of the New Horizons Group Discussion The New Horizons Group Discussion was held in the cafeteria area of the S. Martin Lutheran Church located on Chestnut Street in Port Huron. I attended this meeting on Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 7pm. There were folding chairs set out in a circular pattern. On one wall there was a chalkboard with the name of a guest speaker written on it. A table at the entrance to the cafeteria held a stack of flyers with names and locations of other Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the Port Huron area. In the back of the room was a table with coffee, cookies, and donuts. There were 12 people attending this meeting consisting of nine males and three females. The ages of the members ranged from the mid-twenties to approximately mid to late sixties. Components of the New Horizons Group Discussion This was an open group and I was welcomed to join them without any discrimination. They began the meeting by bowing their heads and reciting the serenity prayer. When the prayer was complete the guest speaker was introduced and took the podium. The guest speaker was an older gentleman who appeared to be in his late sixties. He told the group a little bit about himself and proceeded to tell his story of alcohol addiction to finding his path to recovery. He often used humor which seemed helpful in keeping a calm and relaxing atmosphere. In his story of addiction he talked about the first time he turned to alcohol and that it felt like a spiritual awakening. He felt that it changed his outlook on everything, until he realized his drinking was a necessity and not a choice. He spoke of unity within the AA group and the strength it brought to them. The guest speaker described that they were all a part of something instead of being separate. The Big Book was mentioned while he discussed the concept of getting rid of old ideas to bring clarity. Feelings about the New Horizons Group Discussion I felt comfortable at the New Horizons Group Discussion. The guest speaker was engaging and hearing his story was enlightening. It was easy to see why the meeting was helpful to those who attended. There was a sense of acceptance without judgement. The members knew each other so I felt that they had all likely been attending for some time. There was no lack of support between members which encouraged recovery. When the meeting had ended the members remained there talking amongst each other while enjoying coffee and snacks. I left feeling as though I had just attended a family gathering. Thoughts about the New Horizons Group Discussion According to a study from 2003, group discussions empower individuals and give a sense of community (Linda Fisher, 2003). The guest speaker mentioned having felt a sense of unity within the group and within the community. This group felt very much like family members and, despite being new to the meeting and having no history of substance use, I was welcomed into the group as though I were family as well. There was always acknowledgement of social struggles that have been or need to be overcome. It was encouraged to know the twelve steps and let them guide each and every one of them throughout life. Interaction with the New Horizons Group Discussion I spent very little time interacting with others because I primarily wanted to observe. The little interaction that I did have was all very positive. I was initially concerned that the members would have some animosity towards me for fear they would think I was being judgmental of them but that was not at all the case. They welcomed me into their group and asked me if there was anything in particular that I would like to learn about. When I left they encouraged me to return if I would like to observe another meeting. Self-Reflection of the New Horizons Group Discussion The New Horizons Group Discussion was enjoyable to attend.I was grateful to them for allowing me into their circle and to observe them as they bared their souls to one another. The group had a very relaxed structure and I felt that if I was able to take comfort from that then it was certainly helpful to new incoming addicts. I got the sense that they were there for each other as much as they were there for themselves. No one wanted to let another down. This group was successful in encouraging each other and offering support and resources outside of the meetings as well as inside. Description of the Vision of Hope Group I attended the Vision of Hope Group on September 30, 2016 at 7:30pm. The group was held at the Grace Episcopal Church on 6th Street in Port Huron. This group was a little larger than the last one I had attended with 27 members in attendance. The majority of the members were male. This group had a large number of members over the age of thirty. The meeting was held in the congregation area of the church where the members sat in the pews facing the podium. Upon entering there was a table with refreshments and snacks. A smaller table on the left held brochures of the twelve steps. This meeting is held every Friday at 7:30pm and is an open meeting. The group lingered beforehand socializing amongst each other and welcoming people as they walked in. Components of the Vision of Hope Group The group all sat filling the first couple pews in the front and in close proximity of one another. They began by holding hands and reciting the serenity prayer. The group leader then took a moment to congratulate everyone for their arrival and thanked them for their attendance. She stressed the importance of attendance, and as a study in 2008 has shown, regular AA attendance is associated with improved effectiveness in sobriety (Gossop, 2008). The group leader then proceeded to read aloud the twelve steps, she spent a few minutes discussing the importance of acceptance of being powerless over alcohol is key to acknowledging the addiction. She continued to tell her story of addiction and road to recovery. When she finished her story she then opened the podium to others. One by one they took turns discussing their own journey and which of the twelve steps they are currently at. A few members opted to decline speaking which appeared to be ok with everyone. At the end of the meeting the group leader reminded everyone of outside sources available and offered her continued support. Feelings about the Vision of Hope Group The general feeling at the Vision of Hope Group meeting was that of acceptance. Everyone was friendly and outgoing. It could be felt from the moment I entered the building that I was entering a place of community. There was a lot of encouragement and support being given to one another. As an outsider, I was still treated with respect and they were all very generous to offer their time to answer any questions I might have. There was a lot of close interactions between them and I could see that some of them knew each other outside of the meeting. As stated in a recent study, individuals uniting around one common goal are stronger than individuals facing difficulties alone (Shealy White, 2013). Thoughts about the Vision of Hope Group I enjoyed the Vision of Hope Group meeting. Allowing everyone the opportunity to discuss their own daily struggles was encouraging to others and yet it never felt like an obligation for anyone to discuss anything if they didnt chose to. As an outsider, I appreciated hearing about the twelve steps from the perspective of the group. I really liked the amount of support that was offered to everyone from the group leader, but also between group members. I was able to see that although they all face similar struggles, they all came from very different backgrounds. It was clear to see that despite having overcome many obstacles they still face new challenges every day in regards to their addiction to alcohol. Interaction with the Vision of Hope Group The members of the Vision of Hope Group were all very open and honest about their struggles with alcohol. Despite being a new face in the crowd they continued to be open with me present. A few members approached me when the meeting ended and offered to give me further insight to addiction and recovery. I could see that some members have been attending longer than others by how comfortable they appeared to be. Overall, there was an obvious sense of community amongst this group. Self-Reflection of the Vision of Hope Group This group had a very relaxed feel to it. Many of the individuals had grown very close with one another and created a sense of family. Because of this, it was easy to feel at ease when joining this group. I felt that some of the members were also members of the church that this meeting was held in. The group, as a whole, encouraged me to recommend this meeting to anyone I knew in need of support. Description of Narcotics Anonymous meeting The Narcotics Anonymous meeting is held at the United Methodist Church on Church Street in Port Huron. I attended the meeting on Saturday, October 15th 2016 at 8pm. This meeting is held weekly and is an open group. The meeting was held in the basement of the church. There was a long rectangular table set up with chairs around it at one end of the room. At the opposite end of the room there was an attached kitchen with a counter separating the two rooms. On the counter there was a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cookies. On the main table where people sat, there were copies of the Narcotics Anonymous handbook. The group had around twenty five people in attendance. The ages of the group ranged between people in their twenties to people in their mid to late fifties. There was a white board with a circle drawn on it that had a diamond in the center. Below that were three simple words that read Just for Today. Components of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting At this meeting the group leader discussed the twelve steps of NA. The focus of the meeting that particular day was step six, Group conscience is the spiritual means by which we invite a loving God to influence our decisions (Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc, 1991). The group leader talked about addiction being more powerful than the individual and that its important to hand themselves over to a higher power. This was a very spiritually based meeting. As the members each took turns speaking it was clear to see that they were pained by the way addiction has taken over their lives. They talked about the comfort they gained from knowing they are not alone in their fight against addiction. Many spoke of stressful situations triggering cravings for drugs. Feelings about the Narcotics Anonymous meeting Attending this group meeting felt much different than the AA meetings I had attended. The members in this group appeared pained as they spoke of their addiction. I felt helpless hearing their stories and wished I could do something to ease their pain. They placed a lot of emphasis on goals and the need to strive for them in order to conquer addiction. Goals work best when broken down into manageable steps (Kim T. Mueser, 2003). Thoughts about the Narcotics Anonymous meeting This group was as supportive as the others I attended, but the feeling was more somber. My thoughts are that those addicted to substances other than alcohol may feel more hopeless in living a normal life. The connections between the members in this group were not as strong as I had seen in AA groups, perhaps due to the different struggles they all face. There was evidence, however, that they appreciated having a place they can talk about their addiction without judgement from others. Interaction with Narcotics Anonymous meeting Most of the people in attendance spoke to the group and told their story. Each person discussed their addiction and described how it has impacted their life. Some had shown further progress than others in their recovery. The group leader was understanding and yet objective. He was very good at keeping the momentum of the meeting going. When the meeting was finished some members remained and spoke to the group leader for additional support. Self-Reflection of the Narcotics Anonymous meeting This was a difficult meeting to attend. The sense of hope wasnt as prominent within this group. There was a lot of encouragement from the group leader and from some of the members, but it lacked in additional outside resources for others to look into. I felt like there needed to be more motivation given, possibly hearing more success stories. Conclusion Having attended the three different meetings I can clearly see the benefit to support groups. There is an unlimited supply of support given to one another both inside the meetings and out. Everyone I met had a different background, different lifestyle, and different story to tell. Addiction isnt prejudice. People of all ages and walks of life can come together and offer unity and family to help one another in their battle against addiction. I learned that there are different types of meetings and that with a little bit of time, an addict can find one that fits them and gives them the amount of support and encouragement they need. References Gossop, M. S. (2008). Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, frequency of attendance and substance use outcomes after residential treatment for drug dependence: a 5-year follow-up study. Addiction, 119-125. Kim T. Mueser, D. L. (2003). Integrated Treatment for Dual Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press. Linda, F. K., Fisher, M. (2003). Participation in community life by AA and NA members. Contemporary Drug Problems, 875-904. Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (1991). Retrieved from Narcotics Anonymous: www.na.org Shealy, S. A., White, L. A. (2013). INTEGRAL EVOLUTIONARY RECOVERY: Revisioning the Twelve Steps through a Kosmocentric Lens. Journal of Integral Theory and Practice, 66-81.

Investigation into the Factors that Affect the Enthalpy Change During a

Investigation into the Factors that Affect the Enthalpy Change During a Displacement Reaction The Task -------- To investigate the factors affecting the enthalpy change during a displacement reaction. Background Knowledge ==================== In this investigation a displacement reaction will be observed. A displacement reaction occurs when more reactive metal displaces, (or removes) a less reactive metal from a solution of its salt. Also known as chemical bullying because a more reactive metal effectively bullies the original metal out of its compound. In this investigation zinc and copper sulphate will be reacted together. Zinc is the more reactive metal here, so the copper is displaced from the copper sulphate solution. Zinc + Copper sulphate à   Zinc sulphate + Copper Zn (s) + CuSO4 (aq) à   ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu (s) After the reaction it will be observed that the solution will change from blue to clear, colourless. The copper discharged will be observed as a salmon pink deposit in the base of the vessel the reaction occurs in. Reactions like this can be used to purify metals that are low down in the reactivity series. A more reactive metal can simply be added to purify the less reactive metal, leaving it in its pure state. Lead Oxide + Tin à   Lead + Tin Oxide In reality thought this process is hardly ever used, as the more reactive metal is the left in an impure form, and thus must be reduced by an even more reactive metal. As this is not economically viable metals are generally reduced using electrolysis, which leaves them in a pure state, and requires no expensive more reactive metals, just ... ...pacity of the solution (assume this equals 4.2 J/g/degrees Celsius), /T = temperature change (estimated from extrapolation). The results here show the heat energy in each reaction. To calculate the enthalpy change one must account for the respective moles involved in each reaction. To equal out the number of moles simply multiply the results by the respective amounts required to make them all amounts of Joules/1 mole. When this calculation is performed on all the heat energy results enthalpy change can be compared. In an accurate experiment the enthalpy change when copper sulphate solution is reacted with zinc powder should remain constant. By taking into account the number of moles in each equation when multiplying the results will be brought into proportion, so the enthalpy changes should be roughly equal.

things Fall Apart Essay -- essays research papers

CHAPTER 10 A very dramatic public ceremony is described in detail that involves meting out justice. On the village commons ppl gather and the rest of the village is behind them. Nine stools are placed for the egwugwu to sit. Egwugwu represent the spirits of their ancestors and are respected members of the community who can dispense justice in trials. Women stood on the edges of the circle. A gong is loudly blasted and the guttural voice of the egwugwu is heard. When he makes his appearance, it is very dramatic as he wears a fearful looking mask and pretends to scare the women. With him , nine other masked men emerge. Okonkwo's wives notice that one of the egwugwu walks with a springy step such as Okonkwo does. They also notice he is absent from where the elders sit. The leader of the egwugwu speaks some words. The hearing then begins. It involves a man named Uzowulu whose wife was taken away by him by her family. He wishes that either she return or they pay him his bride-price. The women's brother argues that she has been rescued because she is beaten every day and that she will return on the promise that he never hit her again. After the discussion the leader returns with a verdict. He tells Uzowulu to bring wine to his wife's family and beg his wife to return to him. He also expresses disgust at Uzowulu's cowardice in beating women and askes him to accept his brother-in-law's offer. The egwugwu and their system of justice are similar to Western society's notion of a fair public trial. The men who conduct the hearings are the senior members of the society, and have political as well as economic power, but they mask themselves to hide their identity, so that a fair judgment can be given. Here each party is given a chance to state their case and then the egwugwu leave to debate a verdict as well as a punishment or remuneration. The dismissive attitude one of the elders shows for a trial of this kind reveals the lack of power and respect that women had in this society. Not only does the women's brother speak for her, but she has no say in the verdict handed to her husband. Whether or not she wants to return is overlooked by the larger economic reason for her return. Her husband's hand is slapped for being so violent but other than that he is not punished for his crime, simply fined CHAPTER 11 One night, Ezinma and her mother are sitting in... ...anly fsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sd fsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sdfsdihsdlhsdodsdjohndjsjdkl hd shduiosy yuio sduisui sd ure i entually will

Market Timing and Capital Structure for Baker and Wurgler

It is well known that firms are more likely to issue equity when their market values are high, relative to book and past market values, and to repurchase equity when their market values are low. We document that the resulting effects on capital structure are very persistent. As a consequence, current capital structure is strongly related to historical market values. The results suggest the theory that capital structure is the cumulative outcome of past attempts to time the equity market. Introduction â€Å"Equity market timing† refers to the practice of issuing shares at high prices and repurchasing shares at low prices. Equity market timing appears to be an important aspect of real corporate financial policy. In this paper, B&W ask how equity market timing effects capital structure and whether it has a short-run or long-run impact. The variation in market-to-book ratio is a proxy for manager’s perceptions of misevaluation. The main finding is that low leverage firms are those that raised funds when their market valuations were high (measured by the book-to-market ratio), while high leverage firms are those that raised funds when their market valuations were low. The influence of past market valuations in capital structure is economically significant and statistically robust. The influence of past market valuations on capital structure is also quite persistent, this means that they have a long-run impact. The tradeoff theory predicts that temporary fluctuations in the market-to-book ratio or any other variable should have temporary effects. The evidence however indicates long-term effects as well. The standard pecking-order theory implies that periods of high investment will push leverage higher toward a debt capacity, not lower as the results in this paper suggest. The theory of entrenched managers suggests that managers exploit existing investors ex post by not rebalancing the capital structure with debt, this may be an explanation of the findings in this paper. 1. Capital structure and past market valuations Individual financing decisions depend on market-to-book ratios. Does market-to-book affects capital structure through net equity issues as market timing implies? And does market-to-book has persistent effects that help to explain the cross section of leverage? Data and summary statistics. Table I shows that book leverage decreases sharply following the IPO. Over the next 10 years, it rises slightly, while market value leverage rises more strongly. The book leverage trend is an age effect, not a survival effect. Most notable is the sharp switch to debt finance in the year following in the IPO. Under B&W’s definitions for financing activity, the change in assets is equal to the sum of net debt issues, net equity issues, and newly retained earnings. The concurrent increase in equity issues is suggestive of market timing. Determinants of annual changes in leverage B&W document the net effect of market-to-book on the annual change in leverage. Then they decompose the change in leverage to examine whether the effects comes through net equity issues, as market timing implies. Three control variables are used that have been found to be correlated to leverage: Asset tangibility, profitability, and firm size. B&W regress each component (equity issues, debt issues, and newly retained earnings) of changes in leverage on the market-to-book ratio and other independent variables. This allows them to determine whether market-to-book affects leverage through net equity issues, as market timing implies. The effect of market-to-book on changes in leverage does indeed come through equity issues. Panel C shows that market-to-book is not strongly related to retained earnings, ruling out the possibility that market-to-book affects leverage because it forecasts earnings. The effect of profitability on changes in leverage arises primarily because of retained earnings. Firm size plays an important role at the time of the IPO. Determinants of leverage. If managers do not rebalance to some target leverage ratio, market timing may have persistent effects, and historical valuations will help to explain why leverage ratios differ. The relevant historical variation in market valuations is measured by the â€Å"external finance weighted-average† market-to-book ratio. This variable takes high values for firms that raised external finance when the market-to-book ratio was high and vice-versa. The intuitive motivation for this weighting scheme is that external financing events represent practical opportunities to change leverage. It therefore gives more weight to valuations that prevailed when significant external financing decisions were being made, whether those decisions ultimately went toward debt or equity. This weighted average is better than a set of lagged market-to-book ratios because it picks out, for each firm, precisely which lags (intervals) are likely to be the most relevant. Intuitively the weights correspond to times when capital structure was most likely to be changed. When firms go public, their capital structure reflects a number of factors, including market-to-book, asset tangibility, size, and research and development intensity. As firms age, the cross-section of leverage is more and more explained by past financing opportunities, as determined by the market-to-book ratio, and past opportunities to accumulate retained earnings, as determined by profitability. Historical within-firm variation in market-to-book, not current cross-firm variation, is more important in explaining the cross section of leverage. The results from Table III and IV show that the effect of historical valuations on leverage is large and separate from various effects documented in prior literature. Persistence So far two main results have been documented. First, high market valuations reduce leverage in the short run. Second, historically high market valuations are associated with lower leverage in the cross section. By measuring changes from the leverage prevailing in the year before the IPO, the dependent variable includes the effect of the IPO itself. This is useful because the IPO is a critical financing event known to be connected to market value. Historical market valuations have large and very persistent effects on capital structure. This effect is independent of various control variables. 2. Discussion Tradeoff theory In perfect and efficient markets capital structure is irrelevant. Some of the imperfections that lead to an optimal tradeoff are as follows: Higher taxes on dividends indicate more debt, higher non-debt tax shields indicate less debt, higher costs of financial distress indicate more equity, agency problems can call for more or less debt. The market-to-book ratio can be connected to several elements of the tradeoff theory but it is most commonly attached to costly financial distress. The key testable prediction of the tradeoff theory is that capital structure eventually adjusts to changes in the market-to-book ratio. However, evidence indicated that variation in the market-to-book ratio has a decades-long impact on capital structure. B&W’s results make the point that a considerable fraction of cross-sectional variation in leverage has nothing to do with an optimal leverage ratio. Pecking order theory In the pecking order theory there is no optimal capital structure. The static model predicts that managers will follow a pecking-order (internal, debt, equity). The pecking order theory regards the market-to-book ratio as a measure of investment opportunities. Periods of high investment opportunities will tend to push leverage higher toward a debt capacity. However, to the extent that high past market-to-book actually coincides with high past investments, B&W’s results suggest that such periods tend to push leverage lower. The dynamic version predicts a relationship between leverage and future investment opportunities. B&W’s results control for current market-to-book and show that leverage is much more strongly determined by past values of market-to-book. Managerial entrenchment theory High valuations and good investment opportunities facilitate equity finance, but at the same time allow managers to become entrenched. They may then refuse to raise debt to rebalance in later periods. Market timing theory Capital structure evolves as the cumulative outcome of past attempts to time the equity market. There are two versions of equity market timing. The first is a dynamic form with rational managers and investors and adverse selection costs that vary across firms or across time. Temporary fluctuations in the market-to-book ratio measure variations in adverse selection (information asymmetry). The second version of equity market timing involves irrational investors or managers and time-varying mispricing. If managers try to exploit too-extreme expectations, net equity issues will be positively related to market-to-book. The critical assumption is that markets need not be inefficient, managers may simply believe that they can time the market. 3. Conclusion A variety of evidence suggests that equity market timing is an important aspect of real financial policy. This evidence comes from analyses of actual financing decisions, analyses of long-run returns following equity issues and repurchases, analyses of realized and forecast earnings around equity issues, and surveys of managers. We find that fluctuations in market valuations have large effects on capital structure that persist for at least a decade. The most realistic explanation for the results is that capital structure is largely the cumulative outcome of past attempts to time the equity market.

Technology Changing Society

Technology changing society Today in America, people are more interested in the new technology that comes out than their world around them. Currently we are in a long drawn out war that never seems to end and still people today tune out to what is really important and draw into the meaningless technology that surrounds them. Ray Bradbury in Fahrenheit 451 puts these concepts into his wittings to show that technology has a huge effect on the people by the expense, the influence and the time consuming effects it has on the people. Technology is expensive, no question about it.People always want the latest and greatest and will pay any price to get it. Manufactures can price their product at extremely high end and the consumers will pay any price that they throw out at them. Buyers upgrade in their technology when what they had before worked just as well as the new. In the book, Mildred wanted another wall of TV. She didn’t care of the price that it was going to cost and what it was going to take to get it. â€Å"It’ll be even more fun when we can afford to have the forth wall installed. How long you figure before we save up and get the forth wall torn out and a fourth wall- TV put in?It’s only about two thousand dollars† (Bradbury 20). Mildred did not care the cost of the wall- TV even though it was one- third of her husband’s yearly pay. She was only worried about her own wants and desires. The pricy technology that Mildred wanted is an example of how the society has evolved into cherishing earthy treasures over things that truly matter. The media has a huge influence on people who watch and listen to it. Technology has made it possible for someone to sit at home, turn the TV on, and see whatever they want. While this can be a good thing, it can always dumb down society.People get so caught up in what is going on in the television shows that are playing that they lose track in what is real and just made up. They start to put th emselves in what they are watching and eventually it becomes their life. It is their every thought and makes it merely impossible to function without. Mildred in the story became this way. â€Å" Floating her, wide-eyed, toward morning† (Bradbury12). Mildred allows technology to dictate how she behaves and lives her life. When a person allows the waves of the sea to float them, they cannot control the direction n which they move. Mildred can no longer decide for herself what she wants to do and that her mind is dominated by technology pleasures. She started to betray her real life with her husband and begin a new one with her â€Å"family† from the shows she watched. It then became the norm to her and many other citizens in the city going through the same situation making a huge effect on society. Think about it†¦ The majority of a person’s day is spent with some type of technology influencing them, whether it is texting, computer work, television or any el ectronic device. The average American spends more time using media devices – television, radio, iPods, and cell phones- than any other activity while awake†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ball State University) What is that saying? Why is our society consumed to these forms of technology? While this can be good giving people information and an easier way to learn about something, it often becomes overused and eventually overtakes the lives of the users. ‘â€Å" I always wanted something very small, something I could talk to, something I could blot out with the palm of my hand , if necessary, nothing that could shout me down, nothing monstrous big’† ( Bradbury 132).As said by Faber, he saw the dangers that technology offers, and the ability to take over. He trumps this danger physically, by keeping the threat literally small. Faber did not allow the technology to take over his life and consume his time. The story behind Bradbury’s book is made up, but is not far from reality. When Fahrenheit 451 was written, it was only the 50’s, but Bradbury could already tell where society was heading. The huge effects that technology had on the characters in the book with the expenses, the influences, and the time consuming consequences are the same people struggle with today†¦ 60 years later.