Arts Education Essay

The purpose of this bibliography is to attain information from credible sources on arts programs in schools. The goal is to provide enough information so that the reader is then able to form their own opinions on the benefits, problems, and policies on arts programs at varying levels of education. Those looking to find detailed information will find this bibliography to be a good starting point. Parsad, B. , and Spiegelman, M. 2012. Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999–2000 and 2009–10 (NCES 2012–014). National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, U. S. Department of Education. Washington, DC. Web. 24 Jan. 2013 This source is a presentation of unbiased information about both the overall arts education programs and specific sections including: visual arts, music, dance, and theater/drama. The report utilizes a plethora of charts, graphs, and other visual aids to help organize and present the information. Parsad and Spiegelman first present their findings on overall arts education programs including the percentages of schools offering visual arts, music, dance and theater classes. They then dedicate ten to fifteen pages discussing the particulars of each section of the arts listed above. There is so much information in this article that it would be great for someone looking for a broad spectrum understanding of arts education programs. The visual aids complement the information presented and would be easy to incorporate into a variety of works. For someone who is looking to get very specific information about a specific program then this would be a good source to start with, the way the report is divided makes it very easy to find information on a specific sections of an arts program, i. e. music or drama. It would provide the reader with enough information that they could ask their own questions and be able to look further into a specific topic. Catterall, Dumais, and Hampden-Thompson. March 2012. The arts and achievement in at-risk youth : findings from four longitudinal studies. National Endowment for the Arts. Research Report #55). Web. 24 Jan. 2013. This research report is a presentation of years of studies conducted by the National Endowment for the Arts and similar organizations, most being government funded. The authors arrange the report in such a way that the bulk of the report is given through the use of visual graphs and charts, which are accompanied by conclusive statements like â€Å"Teenagers and young adult s of low socioeconomic status (SES) who have a history of in-depth arts involvement show better academic outcomes than do low-SES youth who have less arts involvement. They earn better grades and demonstrate higher rates of college enrollment and attainment. † (12) Most of the graphs simply relate percentages of students with low and high levels of art engagement to achieve certain things like high school graduation, entering a bachelors program, and attaining a steady professional level career. For every study and graph presented or reviewed there is clearly cited sources, if any confusion remains the appendix and cited pages are very clear about how to find more information. Being that this is a report of findings from a national organization it is not biased to or for support of arts programs. For anyone looking for specific statistics to use in a presentation or report of their own, this research report could be very helpful. As previously stated the bulk of the information is presented through graphs and charts that utilize percentages, and is therefore very easy to take and use in a presentation without having to do much work yourself. For someone looking for a more scholarly breakdown of the benefits of arts education on high-risk students this report will not be as helpful, as it would be time consuming to trace the information presented back to the original sources. Dwyer, M.Christine. 2011. Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future through Creative Schools. President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. The reports emphasizes the essential role that arts education programs play in improving student engagement and building creativity. Dwyer discusses, in a lengthy and wordy overview, the current Arts Education programs and policies shortcomings. â€Å"It is widely agreed that the U. S. public education system is not adequately serving a significant portion of our nation’s children and that public K-12 schools must change dramatically o achieve the Administration’s goal that the United States become a global leader in postsecondary attainment by 2020†¦ School leaders and teachers will need to step up to the challenge of finding new ways to engage many more students in meaningful learning†¦ † (27) More importantly, this report discusses possible solutions such as reinvesting in arts education, and argues for creating arts-rich schools that can engage students in ways that complement the study of the arts and other traditional subjects such as literature, history, science, and mathematics. Another key takeaway from this report is it shows readers the link between arts education and achievement in other subjects. Being that this source is a report by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, it attempts to present evidence to support the positions of the president and his corresponding political party. As political and wordy as this report is it would most likely benefit someone looking into the politics side of arts education, it would not be as helpful for someone looking for developmental and long term benefits of art involvement in schools. Rabkin, Hedberg. 2011. Arts Education in America: What the Declines Mean for Arts Participation. Based on the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts. National Endowment for the Arts. (Research Report #52). Web. 24 Jan. 2013. This report presents its findings after researching important question related to arts education in America. Questions like: Has participation in arts programs declined? What does it mean for teachers and students? How has this affected participation in other extracurricular activities? How does this affect support for programs? The article presents the questions to the reader and then follows up with information that supports both positive and negative claims about the answer. Charts are used when needed to simplify information into an easily digestible visual aid. There are numerous sources used as evidence for the information presented, as well as suggestions for further investigation into the questions presented. This report has a very neutral stance towards the information presented. There is good information presented for varying arguments and the ultimate decision is left to the reader. This source would be a fair report to use in a work, especially if in an argumentative essay you need information for the view that opposes yours. However for someone looking for highly specific information this report will only be useful for an introduction into the questions being asked about the national education programs. Oxtoby, David W. 2012. The Place of Arts in Liberal Education. Liberal Education, v98 n2 p36-41 Spr 2012. Oxtoby uses a great deal of logic to explain his opinion on the place of arts in liberal education and he uses statistics to support his views. In his article, he states that diversity in the curriculum is a keystone to success in any liberal education program. He also claims that part of that diversity needs to include a program where students can express their creativity. Being able to express their creativity and the stimulation provided by arts programs lead to more successful students, both in academics, community involvement, and professional work environments. This article is a good source of simple and sound logic in support of arts programs being included in all liberal education. Oxtoby’s statements and presentation of the information is biased towards supports arts programs, but he always includes evidence to support his ideas. Also, while he does not approve of excluding arts in liberal education there is never any negativity in his statements, only more supporting evidence for his ideas. Some readers will find this article to be dry and uninteresting unless they already have some knowledge and opinions on the place of arts in education programs.

What Is Worth Fighting for?

Jordan Jackson Mrs. Bugg English351 2/15/13 Family Is Worth Fighting For How is family important to you? Family is important because they are our family, they support us in everything we do, they are always there to protect us, they are there to stand up for us, they are always there for us , they will always be our family members and they will always love us. So shouldn’t we fight for them? Some people have a hard time even starting families on their own, some families are going through financial obstacles, but they will always be a family and they will always stick together.Family is worth fighting for. Families in the military have a hard time adopting children because of the constant moving around all the time whether it is in the states or in a different country. Adoption hasn’t been easy for those families in the military. â€Å"The issue of relocation is one of the major problems our families have faced when they are considering adoption, â€Å"confirms Al Smit h. Families in the military probably have a family but if they want to adopt a child it is going be hard for them.Many people in the military don’t have time to actually produce kids on they’re own so they want to adopt but it’s hard. Al Smith started a foundation where people in the military can adopt kids without having any issues with traveling. Families who have financial difficulties have trouble providing for their family. Sometimes they have a hard time even putting food on the table. Families with a large amount of children have a hard time supporting their family especially if the parents don’t have a good paying job.In some families the parents don’t even have a job. One of the biggest causes of financial issues is job loss. Sometimes one of the children or one of the parents get very ill and paying for all the medical bills can put financial stress on a family. Sometimes parents have to have more than one job to provide for they’r e family. Even when the kids get old enough to have a job they have to get a job to help provide money for their parents to pay the bills and to help put food on the table. Families even have to go through poverty. Today the poverty rate in the U.S. is the highest it’s been in 17 years, affecting some 46 million people. The economy is the main reason why the poverty rate is so high. ( Struggling Families Lift Themselves Out Of Poverty. NPR. org ) Families in poverty have nothing but the other people in their families to depend on. Immigrants that come to America to start a new life most likely start out with financial issues and they are in poverty. Maurice Lim Miller started a foundation to help get families out of poverty. This foundation helps the parents of this family to get back on their feet.They help the families get jobs, they feed the families, they house the families, they give the families clothes to wear. This foundation has helped many families get out of povert y. Some families go through domestic violence and the children have to deal with that for as long as the other parent is willing to deal with the abuse. It affects everybody in the family whether or not they are getting abused or not. It affects the children by having to see and deal with one of their parents or siblings going through that abuse, and sometimes the family has to move away from the place they grew up in to a new place.It affects the mom or dad by not knowing how to deal with the situation and even if they did know how they would have to move out of their house and leave the person that is the parent of their children. Women that are involved in domestic violence have to go to domestic violence shelters with they’re children. Domestic violence doesn’t have to be actually hitting the other person, it could be taking away the other person’s money. Keeping the money away from the other person can stop that person from paying bills and providing for th ey’re family.Family member’s that are going through abuse should be able to go to they’re other family members for advice on how to get out of that situation or for a place to stay to get away from that person abusing them. In conclusion families have to deal with many types of things like poverty, domestic violence, having trouble adopting. At the end of the day they are still a family and they have to push through whatever they are dealing through and be there for each other when they need it the most.Families have to make it day by day and deal with issues that come up, love each other even when they make wrong choices, be there for the other family member when times get hard and be there for them through the good times. Enjoy the time we have with our family now because life is short. Family is important, how are we willing to fight for them? Works Cited Page Fessler,Pam. â€Å"Struggling Families out of Poverty. † (2012) NPR. org. Web. 7 December 201 2. â€Å"Obstacles Facing Military Families. † (2012) military. adoption. com. Web. 7 December 2012.

INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INTRODUCTION TO COMMERCIAL LAW - Essay Example The bill proposes a law that changes the responsibility of distribution of pokie funds. The bill advocates for transparency, efficient and ethical behaviour in response to particular ethnic communities. The pokie machines seem to be overly represented in the lower-income communities and the bill therefore focuses on equity and reduction of harm in such locations. The member in charge of this specific bill is Mr. Te Ururoa Flavell. He is a family man married to Mrs. Erana and together with their five children they live in Ngongotaha, Rotorua. He has a rich background of leadership having spent a better part of his life working in the education circles. He was a teacher, later a principal and a CEO of Whare Wananga, an education consultant, including other leadership positions at other high levels. He is a member of the Maori civil rights movement, which has been his political party for a considerable time. Flavell has an urge for representing an independent political voice and distinc tly expressing the dreams and aspirations of the people of his community, the Ngati Rangiwewehi and Ngapuhi. In NewZealand there are several types of bills within the parliament. There are the private bills, government bills, member’s bills, and local bills. ... The current bill that we are looking into is known as the Governments bill. It is usually prepared by the ministers and is laid before the House. The government conducts this programme in order to act efficiently on its policies. The house also has a decision to make an order with which it will consider the views that have been presented before the house. The first readings of the task took place on the 4th of April and the next session was at 12th May 2009, five weeks away. On the first session the bill is usually presented and the debating comes in during the second reading. For a bill to be passed there has to be a considerable number of sittings after which the members allow it to pass as a law or be discarded. Currently the Gambling (Gambling Harm Reduction) Amendment bill is waiting to undergo its final stage where it will be passed as a law. Since all citizens have a right of speech and therefore given the provisions of the bill, a business can reject a portion of the bill if the given portion will have a larger and long term effect on the business. If they are operating within the mandate and as per the provisions of the bill and this negatively affects the community in the long term then they will reject it. Gambling, in its location in the moral and ethical dimension has for a long time generated heated debate. Research has showed that gambling has greater effects psychologically and in terms of behaviour. Gambling has with time become socially acceptable as it is seen as one of the fastest growing industries. Also the casinos have become a major source of revenue for some Native American reservationists and as well have created job opportunities for women helping them adjust their lifestyles especially in New Zealand as well as other states. Those who

Marketing Concepts and Planning of Cathay pacific Essay

Marketing Concepts and Planning of Cathay pacific - Essay Example The company believes that their business is marketing knowledge to the travellers. Accordingly, the company is dedicated to Hong Kong where it was established as it continues to make substantial investments to create Hong Kong’s aviation industry and improve the position for Hong Kong as a regional transportation hub. Furthermore, additional to fleet of aircraft, the company also invests in food preparation, aircraft repairs and ground management companies. To Cathay Pacific, a great airlift is not just concerned with the offering of a charming check-in, delicious food and relaxed seats; it is about knowing what a customer desires before they need to request. This is Cathay Pacific company considers that the factual long-term distinction between themselves and their rivals is the exclusive service elegance offered by their staff. Research has shown that their service has an even superior influence on travellers' opinions than the product they provide (Danny 2006, p. 78). To Ca thay Pacific, this shows that training and advancing in their workforce has just as noteworthy profit as their venture in extraordinary technology. For this reason, they have been concentrating or aiming at evolving a culture of service quality. They call this new culture 'Service Honest from the Heart.' Segmentation, Targeting And Positioning Decisions of Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific is the sphere`s third most cost-effective air company. It is registered and grounded in Hong Kong and at present hires over twenty thousand employees. Segmentation, targeting and positioning are the vital methods of marketing plan. Quantity market is separated into minor sections in which clients share the same set of needs and desires (Graydon 2003, p. 87). Sellers recognize sections or fragments and choose the most practicable and cost-effective sections to target. Cathay Pacific targets trade travellers by chosen account database and mice advertisings. Giving emphasis to the dedication to Hong Kong is a distinction positioning approach of Cathay Pacific (Moyo 2005, p. 59). In addition, Cathay Pacific situates itself as an air company giving superiority services from deep down their hearts. Therefore, its present brand building war for reinforcing this position is â€Å"Individuals and services.† Cathay Pacific manages the complaints of its clients through various channels including comment card, Website, and frontline employee because the number of objections is a sign, which can reveal client approval or contentment indirectly. Accordingly, the company recurrently performs survey concerning the contentment of clients proactively (Greenley 2005, p. 123). The outcome of the contentment shows that client is fulfilled with Cathay Pacific`s services. Content clients lead to client reliability and, in turn, improve brand justice. Nevertheless, Cathay Pacific still copes with two tiered reliability program to uphold and enhance customer reliability. According to Robeson (200 9, p.89), segmentation, targeting and positioning are interrelated steps for planning marketing stratagem. Segmentation has been identified to encompass apportioning the market into numerous smaller sections with comparatively consistent client needs and desires. Targeting includes a company`s choice of deciding on one or more target sections to attend. On the

Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Self-reflection Assignment Article

Introduction to Outdoor Leadership Self-reflection Assignment - Article Example Part of being a leader is explaining things in a clear and concise manner so that the people who I am leading can carry out the instructions that I give them. A negative part of this experience was that I was not always able to lead people as I would have liked. My communication skills, or lack of them, made it difficult for me to get my point across on occasion. This is something that I have learned from this experience. I need to work on my communication skills because this makes a leader either ordinary or great. I feel that am someone who can show what I want others to do, but I have a very hard time explaining it in words. I would like to improve my skills in this area so that I can become a better leader. 2. My father was someone who has influenced me the most about the outdoors. He would always take me out camping because he said that it was good to get away from all the noise and everyday living in the city. I look back on these times as good memories because I always enjoyed exploring new things, and the outdoors is a great place to do that. Exploring in the city is not very fun because everything is the same and it is also manmade. Nature holds a special place in my heart because I find it so captivating. My father also felt this way, so this is maybe why I am the same. He would take me out into the wild for days at a time and we would have to rely on our survival skills to survive. With very little access to food and water, not to mention a place to sleep, I learned very early on in life how to fend for myself. I think this is the reason why I am an independent person today. I am grateful to my father that he gave me these experiences because they have helped to contribute towards the person who I am today. I don’t know what I would have done without my father. 3. Outdoor leadership is important to me personally because the outdoors has played an important part in my life and I also like the challenges that leadership brings. This is the perfe ct subject for me because it brings my strengths and desires together. While I already know a great deal about the outdoors, I am willing to learn how to become a better leader because it will improve every aspect of my life. Taking on a leadership role can be quite challenging because it takes a lot of responsibility, but I already consider myself to be a responsible person, so I feel that my personality is well-suited towards becoming a leader of some sort. I have not yet decided upon the right profession for me, but I am definitely sure that the outdoors will be involved some how. Also, even if I am not a leader in the future, the skills that I gain in this course will help me to become a better person, both personally and professionally. 4. The earliest leadership experience that I had would have to be when I was made my class president back in my freshman year of high school. I was very inexperienced as a leader at that time, but many people in my class believed that I had the attributes to make a good leader. One thing that I enjoyed from this experience was that I was suddenly the most important person in my class. Everyone looked up to me and my social standing rose considerably. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed going to school because I felt like I had a purpose for being there. The one thing that I disliked about this experience was that I suddenly had a whole heap of responsibility placed upon my shoulders. Looking back now, I was probably not fully prepared for this

Does the information lifecycle approach eliminate conflicts between Essay - 1

Does the information lifecycle approach eliminate conflicts between operations managers and information technology managers - Essay Example Every corporation at present faces conflicts in the task of managing everlasting amounts of mostly unstructured business data (pictures, emails, documents, videos). In addition, the rising amount of business and functional data lead to complex administration, poorer performance as well as longer backup cycles. Furthermore, workers waste extra time in looking for business information or put extra effort on a variety of versions of documents, exclusive of visibly deliberation that is presently valid (SUN, 2005). At the present, organizations have various concerns, for instance, IT costs require to be minimized, as well as the gain for the business department requires to be optimized. In addition, the information technology structure needs to be modified according to the business requirements as much as probable, as well as store and handle information on the whole lifecycle according to its present value (Oracle, 2007). The better arrangement among IT processes and business objectives have conventionally been considered as the chief information officer’s task. Though, flourishing IT/business configuration involves more than executive-level misunderstanding, for instance, connecting business goal for storage actuality necessitates a complex chain of decisions, information, tools and competent infrastructure. In addition, the corporations require IT management resolutions that offer a perceptive of how technology facilitates, influences as well as facilitates their business-critical aspects and services. Furthermore, corporations require solutions that permit them to evaluate the influence of new business strategies (for instance, business growth or new applications) on IT processes (SUN-2, 2005). The potential conflicts among operations managers and information technology managers can be resolved through information life cycle

Public School Uniforms Rough Draft Research Paper

Public School Uniforms Rough Draft - Research Paper Example Normally, public schools have the freedom of letting their students dress based on their preferences, or else provide them with school uniforms. Despite pros and cons expressed regarding school uniforms, I personally support the idea that the benefits far outstrip the damages. In my opinion, wearing school uniforms should not be just considered as a habit, but should be perceived as an important component in schooling for obvious reasons such as academic improvement and promotion of student behavior. As the name implies, school uniforms promote uniformity in schools. With this regard, a sense of pride is promoted as uniforms promote a sense of uniqueness. Just as students represent the school, school uniforms are extremely important as they also represent the school. The current trends in school uniforms began in 1987 with the first school in Baltimore becoming the first to adopt the trend. This was followed by implementation of a mandatory policy across the district in 1994. The two events happened alongside State of Union in 1996 delivered by Bill Clinton where he encouraged that school uniforms helped in enhancing security. However, this review focusses on effectiveness of school uniforms in enhancing behavior and achievement in public schools. Uniforms play a critical role in promoting academic achievement. Research shows that elementary schools from both urban and rural districts demonstrates improved academic achievement rated in terms of graduation versus suspension and attendance rather than expulsion and academic proficiency rates. In view of this, most researchers concur that the policies on school uniforms contribute largely to the achievement of the student, especially when they become part of a comprehensive reform plan of the school. In United States, the interest in school uniforms grew during Clintons era after their fellow students discriminated some Columbine students for wearing dark colored clothes making them become social outcasts in

Training needs analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Training needs analysis - Essay Example Training needs analysis involves assessing the needs of the Hospital Services Advisors, through a training programmme and evaluating the training needs analysis. The organisation which will be the focus of such a process is Ramsay Health Care UK. RAMSAY HEALTH CARE UK The founding of Ramsay Health Care (RHC) was back in 1964. The company has developed, and has over 117 hospitals. Furthermore, it has day surgery amenities in France, Australia, Indonesia, and United Kingdom. This made the organisation assume the status of a global private healthcare operator. In England, the company obtained Capio UK and its group of hospitals in 2007. By September 2010, RHC had employed more than 3500 employees, making it the top health care providers in the UK. This achievement provided a solid foundation for expansion. The company benefits from its established trade name because of its wide spread network. It competes effectively with regional players. Currently the RHC is in a lasting affiliation with the National Health Services (NHS), where it provides surgical and diagnostics services to both private and self-sponsored patients. In the year 2010, RHC had a 10% augmentation of revenue after getting revenue of 350.2 million in the 2009 financial year. During the Medibank Private Menders’ Survey, RHC was ranked among those who had the top honors. Moreover, RHC was also among the five finalists of the best Health and Wellbeing Strategy in the Australian Human Resource Award. Furthermore, it has an excellent ability to satisfy its customers’ needs. For this reason, it has constantly emerged the top three after rating the two hundred service companies in the private and public sectors. There has been an escalation of birth rates, growth of outpatients’ treatment and the increase of the ageing people. Consequently, the economic environment and the demand for private health care are steadily escalating. This forces the RHC to expand its hospitals in the UK so as to succeed in catering the needs of the public. Additionally, RHC has successfully maintained satisfaction for its staff by ensuring that the proper work place health and protection risks are on check. Consequently, RHC has had a reduction of the time wasted because of injuries. The aim of RHC is to be at the top in offering the highest quality clinical services among the private healthcare hospitals. Furthermore, the organisation responds to the requirements of its patients by providing the best customer services. For them to meet their objectives, the RHC conducts an operation measure every year toward improving the patients’ experiences, and clinical effectiveness. Additionally it acknowledg es the importance of investing in human capital. Therefore, this has been the reason for its current achievements and developments. Moreover, the RHC offers scholarships to its staff who wishes to further their studies. For example, the company recently offered sixty thousand dollars for the staff to pursue postgraduate at its will. The strengths of the organization incorporate its wide network since it has several outlets that offer the necessary services to the clientele base. This enhances its ability to compete within the health industry. Furthermore, its personnel are well versed with operational processes making it simple to embrace emerging technologies that enhance their skills. An additional strength pertains to the organization’s ability to attain increased revenues as illustrated in the financial outcomes. The most significant weakness arises from the inability to determine the patient’

What is the use of the study of Intelligence in international Essay

What is the use of the study of Intelligence in international relations - Essay Example He points out that American and British intelligence efforts tended to focus upon Asian intelligence primarily as they related to Soviet targets, as a result, the rush to improve intelligence efforts in Asia after 1950 did not yield immediate results, while human intelligence operations, especially in China, North Korea and Soviet Asia were particularly dangerous. Additionally, the shock of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 in particular played a role in driving home the extent of vulnerability of Western societies and the need for reliable intelligence on imminent terrorist threats3. The 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center wreaked an unprecedented level of destruction and the attention of the world was drawn sharply to the dangers posed by the terrorist threat. According to Jessica Sterne, terrorism is not the kind of enemy that can be combated on an all out open combat basis4. She defines terrorism as â€Å"a kind of virus, which spreads as a result of risk factors at various levels: global, interstate, national and personal."5 Increasing globalization has seen Internet use widening to encompass a new sphere of activities facilitated through the electronic medium.6 Information and communication technology (ICT) is used by unscrupulous individuals to distort or modify information or to spread terrorist propaganda in a manner that is likely to disrupt the normal functioning of a Government/country and create terror and panic through the weapon of threat. Such cyber crimes involve combat with an unseen enemy, anonymous in the e-maze of the Internet, who is at an unspecific geographic location that cannot be determined and may not be organized in the traditional hierarchical framework which law enforcement agencies are familiar with, so that the focus of the attack becomes indeterminate. It’s now possible to achieve individually, using

The Islamic Wills Essay Example for Free

The Islamic Wills Essay This article is a very brief overview of the traditional Sunni Islamic law pertaining to the Islamic will. The aim of this article is to arouse awareness amongst Muslims particularly those living in the West regarding this important aspect of Islamic law. It should be stressed that when writing a will one should consult an Islamic scholar/legal expert to ensure that the will complies with Islamic law as well as the law of the country of residence. When a Muslim dies there are four duties which need to be performed. These are: 1.payment of funeral expenses 2.payment of his/her debts 3.execution his/her will 4.distribution of the remaining estate amongst the heirs according to Sharia The Islamic will is called al-wasiyya. a will is a transaction which comes into operation after the testator’s death. The will is executed after payment of funeral expenses and any outstanding debts. The one who makes a will (wasiyya) is called a testator (al-musi). the one on whose behalf a will is made is generally referred to as a legatee (al-musa lahu). Technically speaking the term testatee is perhaps a more accurate translation of al-musa lahu. The importance of the Islamic will The importance of the Islamic will (wasiyya) is clear from the following two hadith: It is the duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequest not to let two nights pass without writing a will about it. (Sahih al-Bukhari) A man may do good deeds for seventy years but if he acts unjustly when he leaves his last testament, the wickedness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Fire. If, (on the other hand), a man acts wickedly for seventy years but is just in his last will and testament, the goodness of his deed will be sealed upon him, and he will enter the Garden. (Ahmad and Ibn Majah) the will gives the testator an opportunity to help someone (e.g. a relative need such as an orphaned grandchild or a Christian widow) who is not entitled to inherit from him. The will can be used to clarify the nature of joint accounts, those living in commensality, appointment of guardian for one’s children and so on. In countries where the intestate succession law is different from Islamic law it becomes absolutely necessary to write a will. The Will (Al-wasiyya) The Islamic will includes both bequests and legacies, instructions and admonishments, and assignments of rights. no specific wording is necessary for making a will. In Islamic law the will (wasiyya) can be oral or written, and the intention of the testator must be clear that the wasiyya is to be executed after his death. any expression which signifies the intention of the testator is sufficient for the purpose of constituting a bequest. there should be two witnesses to the declaration of the wasiyya. A written wasiyya where there are no witnesses to an oral declaration is valid if it written in the known handwriting/signature of the testator according to Maliki and Hanbali fiqh. the wasiyya is executed after payment of debts and funeral expenses. the majority view is that debts to Allah (SWT) such as zakh, obligatory expiation etc. should be paid whether mentioned in the will or not. However, there is difference of opinion on this matter amongst the Muslim jurists. The Testator (Al-musi) every adult Muslim with reasoning ability has the legal capacity to make a will. An adult for this purpose is someone who has reached puberty. Evidence of puberty is menstruation in girls and night pollution (wet dreams) in boys. In the absence of evidence, puberty is presumed at the completion of the age of fifteen years. The Maliki and Hanbali fiqh also consider the will of a discerning (tamyiz) child as valid. Under English Law you must be at least 18 years of age to make a valid will (similarly in most of the United States of America) unless you are a military personnel in which case you may make a valid will at the age of 17. the testator must have the legal capacity to dispose of whatever he bequests in his will. When making a will the testator must be of sane mind, he must not be under any compulsion and he must understand the nature and effect of his testamentary act. The testator must of course own whatever he bequests. the testator has the right to revoke his will by a subsequent will, actually or by implication. In traditional Sunni Islamic law the power of the testator is limited in two ways: 1.firstly, he cannot bequest more than 1/3 of his net estate unless the other heirs consent to the bequest or there are no legal heirs at all or the only legal heir is the spouse who gets his/her legal share and the residue can be bequeathed. Narrated Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas (RA): I was stricken by an ailment that led me to the verge of death. The Prophet came to pay me a visit. I said, O Allahs Apostle! I have much property and no heir except my single daughter. Shall I give two-thirds of my property in charity? He said, No. I said, Half of it? He said, No. I said, One-third of it? He said, You may do so, though one-third is also too much, for it is better for you to leave your offspring wealthy than to leave them poor, asking others for help (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahah Muslim, Muwatta, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah.) 1.secondly, the testator cannot make a bequest in favour of a legal heir under traditional Sunni Muslim law. However, some Islamic countries do allow a bequest in favour of a legal heir providing the bequest does not exceed the bequeathable one-third. Legal heir in this context is one who is a legal heir at the time of death of the testator. Narrated Abu Hurayrah (RA): Allah’s Prophet (SAWS) said, Allah has appointed for everyone who has a right what is due to him, and no bequest must be made to an heir. (Abu Dawud). Similar hadith narrated by Abu Umamah (RA) and reported by Ibn Majah, Ahmad and others. The Legatee (Al-musa lahu) generally speaking, for a bequest to be valid, a legatee must be in existence at the time of death of the testator except in the case of a general and continuing legatee such as the poor, orphans etc. the legatee must be capable of owning the bequest. any bequest made in favour of any legal heir already entitled to a share is invalid under traditional Sunni Muslim law unless consented to by other legal heirs. an acknowledgement of debt in favour of a legal heir is valid. acceptance or rejection of a bequest by the legatee is only relevant after the death of the testator and not before. generally speaking once a legatee has accepted or rejected a bequest he cannot change his mind subsequently. if the legatee dies without accepting or rejecting the bequest, the bequest becomes part of the legatee’s estate according to the Hanafi fiqh because non-rejection is regarded as acceptance. According to the other three main Sunni madhahib, the right to accept or reject the bequest passes onto the heirs of the legatee. there is difference of opinion as to the time at which ownership of a bequest is transferred from the testator (or his heirs) to the legatee. According to the Hanafi and Shafii fiqh the transfer of ownership is at the time of death of the testator, according to the Maliki and Hanbali fiqh the transfer of ownership is at the time of accepting the bequest. all the Sunni madhahib agree that if the legatee dies before the testator, the bequest is invalid since a bequest can only be accepted after the death of the testator. if there is uncertainty as to whether or not the legatee survived the testator, such as a missing legatee, the bequest is invalid because the legatee must be alive at the time of death of the testator for the will to be valid. if the testator and legatee die together, such as in an air crash, and it is not certain who died first, the bequest is invalid according to the Hanafi, Maliki and Shafii fiqh. But according to the Hanbali fiqh, the bequest devolves upon the legatee’s heirs who may accept or reject it. Executor of the will (Al-wasi Al- mukhtar) the executor (al-wasi) of the will is the manager of the estate appointed by the testator. the executor has to carry out the wishes of the testator according to Islamic law, to watch the interests of the children and of the estate. The authority of the executor should be specified. Hanafi and Maliki fiqh state that the executor should be trustworthy and truthful; the Shafii fiqh state that the executor must be just. the Hanafi fiqh considers the appointment of a non-Muslim executor to be valid. the testator may appoint more than one executor, male or female. the testator should state if each executor can act independently of the other executor(s). if one starts acting as an executor, one will be regarded as having accepted the appointment, both in Islamic and in English law. Dr. Abid Hussain

UK Social Work Theories

UK Social Work Theories The essay is an analysis of theories underpinning and key elements of critical social work and its values. Furthermore I will explore Counselling as one of the areas of social work practice and how it is influenced by the critical social work approach in practice. I will include examples from practice experience and literature and also highlight the influence of inequalities, power and social divisions. The views of service users and their contribution towards the practice will also be taken into account in the essay. Social work in the UK dates back to the 19th as a community and charitable activity to support the disadvantaged and poor. From the charitable and community origins it developed in strength to a field that aims at challenging inequality, oppression; promote social inclusion/ social justice and independence Parrot (2002). Through these values and aims Social Work broadened its knowledge base and developed into Critical social work. Wooster (2002) supports the above origins when he mentions that Social work owes its origins to Christian morality than a commitment to social problems affecting individuals. Following the economic crisis in the UK in the 1970s due to escalating oil prices social issues like poor housing, unemployment, poverty and homelessness social work shifted and broadened its focus and tried to address social issues and problems. (Grimwood et al., (1995). Adams et al (2009) mentions that in attempting to address social problems, disadvantage and inequalities social work practitioners have drawn knowledge and ideas from various disciplines such as sociology, psychology, philosophy and politics. From this multi-disciplinary knowledge base the underpinning ideology was anti oppressive principle which provides theoretical tools to understand, intervene and respond to the complex experience of oppression. This means social work practitioners have a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to challenge inequalities and disadvantage. Critical practice can be traced and associated with radical social work in the 1960s-70s deriving ideas from Marxist theory Fook (1993). Radical social work upheld the following themes: structural analysis of personal problems, ongoing social critique mainly focusing on oppressive ideas/practice and goals of self emancipation and social change. Parallel to these traditions empowering and anti-oppressive practice to participation in research and community work. Several key principles were shared from radical critiques to present critical social work which are: challenging dominant forces and oppression in all forms, a critique of positivist ideas and the need to challenge dominant constructed ways of knowing by developing other ways of knowing. This would be achieved through recognising that knowledge may reflect reality but may also be socially constructed. In order to create more/new knowledge self reflection and interaction are essential tools using communication processes. Marx analysed the capital society he lived in Germany and argued that the structures within society derived from the economy and the changes in the industrial revolution influenced some people to be more powerful and others not. Individuals were restrained by the demands of Capitalism resulting in structure/agency problem at the expense of structure. Marx highlighted issues of class and class struggle where there is a struggle between powerful and powerless resulting in different societal classes. As such a situation prevails that those in power will seek to remain in power at whatever cost and means mostly exploitation of the powerless by depriving them of their opportunities and access to facilities. Rush (2004) further mentions that Marxist critical theory is not descriptive but a means of influencing social change by raising awareness of forces within society that brings inequality and highlighting how awareness can help individuals to overcome such forces and liberate themselves . Critical thinking is also linked to Marx and Socilogists from the Frankfurt School of Sociologists (Horkeimer (1979), Adorno (Adorno and Horkeimer, (1979) and Marcuse (1964) from the 1920s/30s and Habermas (1984, 1987) writing in the late twentieth century. These theorists held that social interpretation was based on assumptions of a fixed social order mainly derived from religion, politics and social beliefs. When this social order started being rejected and challenged. Sociologists argued that knowledge of the envinonment makes individuals more effective (Gerth and Mills (1948) and Durkeim (1972) established that if we understand how social relationships work we would be able to achieve our objectives in society. This is how critical thinking in modernist way is about and it was termed modernism but has expanded and embraced other theories concerned with transformation and social change. Gray and Webb (2008) argue that critical theory is shifting from the Frankfurt school but at th e same time it has not defined its critical base. (Allan et al 2003; Fook 2002; Healey 2000) acknowledge that there is tension in defining critical theory as it comprises different theories, some argue that it is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of theories and approaches including Marxist, radical, feminist, anti-racist, anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory, post colonial , critical constructivist and structural perspectives. This suggests that there are many theories although different they all try to understand the relationship between an individual and society. For the purpose of clarity and continuity I will at this stage define critical social work practice and highlight its values. Adams et al (2009) view critical practice as involving exercising ones judgement in a reflective and diverse manner. It involves exploring different options in a situation or actions in judging the best way to address issues. The practitioner would review their ideas, perspectives and options of others before deciding a best way forward. This is underpinned by the fact of accepting change and continuity as practitioners encounter different situations and ideas. Payne et al (2002) further mentions that in order to fulfil the requirements of critical practice which include liberation and empowerment social workers need an open mind, reflective stance that encompasses diverse perspectives, experience and assumptions. This would result in acknowledging individual differences, equal opportunity and respect. Fook and Garner (2007) further identify three aspects of c ritical practice which are critical thinking, critical action and reflexivity as essential tools to apply when seeking social justice and change. In trying to address social injustices and inequality social work uses a variety of skills and knowledge based on theory perspective and methodology. This empowers social workers to put in place intervention which is appropriate to individual circumstances. This intervention empowers social workers with skills to engage service users to bring positive outcomes. Critical social work is also informed by values which overlap the traditional social work values. The value of social justice is upheld from the fact that critical practice is a moral activity and as such professionals are also moral agents. This is further supported by Thompson (2006) when he suggests that Society comprises of a diverse range of people in which social divisions emerge which in turn forms the societal structures which networks relationships, institutions and groupings. These groupings determine, control and regulate the distribution of power, privilege, status and opportunities resulting in social stratification and dimensions. From these groupings however it is important to mention that unfairness, inequality and oppression is witnessed in the group of people who are vulnerable and marginalised. From these theories we can trace the ideas of critical perspective and acknowledge that the powerless can influence policy society views from the oppressors. The theoretical development implemented by service users was the theorising of disability from the medicalised interpretation to social model of disability. This shift was championed by disabled peoples movements to express how they felt and were treated for more than a century. This shift and theory influenced societal attitudes, influenced policies and to some extent changed societal attitudes in UK and abroad. (Abberley,1998; Barnes, 1998). (Morris, 1993) supports this by mentioning that the disability movement has overhauled societal perceptions and upheld disabled peoples rights to live independently,promote anti discriminatory practice, fairness and equal opportunities. Harris and White (2009) further explored events and changes within the welfare state from administering to managing the welfare state. They observed that the Conservative 1979 -1997 and Labour 1997-2010 were influenced by neo-liberalist ideas. This idea upheld the belief that market was superior to the state and as such professionals including social workers were meant to implement competitive government policy and approaches to meet global standards. These changes affected the vulnerable people in society as well because managers had been given the powers to speak on their behalf. These changes, debates and contradictions have put Social Work practice into a contested dilema profession. Although this definition states that Social work is a profession that promotes social change, problem solving in human relationships and the empowerment and liberation of people to enhance well-being. (International Federation of Social Workers, 2000 p1). Fook (2002) also argues that critical social work practice should be concerned with promoting a society without domination, exploitation and oppression. In order to achieve this practitioners need to reflect, reconstruct and unpack more processes for change through careful negotiation within the dominant framework. Parton et al (1997) points out that the present political environment is dominantly global, modernized and authoritarian. As such policies are informed and regulated by market principles which prescribes and narrows professional boundaries which affects the rights of service users. In order to achieve their objectives social workers need to challenge and resist the authoritarian elements by employing critical practice. Adams et al (1998) further identifies that Systems theory is another major theoretical source underpinning social work. The systems theory emphasised that peoples existence is determined by the environment they live or grow in. It highlighted that peoples problems are a result of how they interact with their resource systems which are either formal or informal. The informal include friends, neighbours and colleagues. The formal include support groups/ social clubs and associations. The public/ societal include housing ,hospitals, work and school which provides certain structure or particular function in society. The system theory encourages growth and provides a wider range of solutions to problems by identifying areas of improvement or needing improvement. However it is said not to be acknowledging power differences within society and with different roles. Furthermore (Coulshed and Orme, 1998) pointed out that the nature of diversity in society makes it difficult to be entirely depe ndent on one theory or approach. Different situations and different circumstances entails different approaches through reflective practices and perspectives. Many critical social theorists have challenged the existence of a social order and have questioned social order as evidenced in the work of Habermas (1984, 1987) who distinguishes between the system and the lifeworld which interact and sometimes conflict with each other. The system represents the structures like the government departments, transnational companies emerging from globalisation, ideas promoted by communicative reasoning, education and media.All these structures are relaying a world view through different reasoning. aAs such Social work is not excluded as an agent of systematic managerialism in agencies. (Fook 2002 and Gardner 2007) further highlighted alternative forms of critical theory which are feminism and post modernism. They have different views from Marxist views and the Frankfurt sociologists in that they focus on the understanding that the world reflects personal experience and social historical context. They argue that personal experience constructs and is constructed by the world we live in. They advocate to listening to peoples experiences (narratives) seriously and from these we can hear how they view and experience the world in different ways. This is supported by the feminists when they highlight that the narration of experiences by individuals gives us a clue on how they construct the world and how they want to engage with their problems and situations. Thus postmodernists say there is an alternative way of viewing the world than what it seems to be. Postmodernity argue there is a different way of viewing the world and different ways to deal with societal prtoblemsa hence critical social work seeks for different options and take the best way forward. In order for all these theories to be implemented there should be contact with individuals in society who experience inequality and disadvantage. Furthermore it is also important to mention at this point that social work intervention and practice is broad and spreads into other disciplines. Groupwork, Counselling, Advocacy and Assessment are examples of different forms of practising social work. I will not focus on the broadness of disciplines but will focus on the aims of the essay which are to explore how the critical social work approach influences counselling. Counselling requires a lot of skills and approaches as it seeks to address and resolve individual dilemmas, decision making and resolving issues. According to BAC counselling is a more deliberate activity and in its definition of the term the British Association for Counselling spells out the distinction between a planned and a spontaneous event. People become engaged in counselling when a person, occupying regularly or temporarily the role of counsellor, offers or agrees explicitly to offer time, attention and respect to another person or persons temporarily in the role of client. According to Dryden (2004:40), it is described as principled relationship characteristics by the application of one or more psychological theories and a recognised set of communication skills, modified by experience, intuition and other interpersonal factors, to clients intimate concerns, problems or aspirations. Its predominant ethos is one of facilitation rather than of advice-giving or coercion. It may be of very brief or long duration, take place in an organisational or private practice setting and may or may not overlap with practical, medical and other matters of personal welfare. From the above definitions and tracing the historically it is evident social workers were /and are still engaged in counselling as highlighted by the Barclay report in the early 1980s which mentioned that it was essential for social workers to engage in counselling as it helped to engage with individuals to help them manage their problems, worries and anxieties. Barclay Committee, (1982). This is no longer the situation today as noted by Brearley (1995) political, administrative, legislative changes and ideologies have affected the relationship between counselling and social; work. Some social work practitioners are in dilemma as to when they can do counselling or not and where to start with counselling and when to stop. Because social workers operate in a legislative, organisational, ideological, value and ethical context it is becoming increasingly difficult to engage in counselling without pushing boundaries. Furthermore the economic environment, budget cuts and lack of resources makes it difficult to manoeuvre and employ uncontested interventions. However despite the above constraints social workers at some point carry out counselling as not carrying it out would render their job inadequate and inefficient. There are a number of Counselling theories which are Person centred, existential, Cognitive behavioural (CBT),motivational, humanistic, psychodynamic, Karpmans (1969) Drama triangle and eclectic and intergrative approaches. Some of the theories have been criticised as inadequate and resource straining. One approach that is complimentary to social work is the eclectic/ integrative approach. Integrative theory is a method of intervention that meets the needs presented by the client and specific circumstances. The benefits of this approach are that it is flexible and adoptable to client needs. McLeod (2003) supports this statement when he mentions theapproach enables the counsellor to choose the best option and techniques from a range of theories to meet the client needs. It can mean employing different elements from different theories to blend them into a new suitable model or theory.This compliments with one of the social work theories of eclecticism which seeks to intergrate different theories to intervene ( quote) It can be argued that the aims of social work and the aims of counselling are both focusing on individuals and their interaction with the society, problems they face and how they solve them. As Egan 2006 puts it and complimented by Coulshed and Orme 2006 social workers adopt skills that compliment counselling skills some of them are empathy or understanding,respect, self knowledge and acceptance and honest. Although there are criticisms on Egans work as being ignorant of psychodynamic ideas meaning it has limited application and effectiveness. A reflective practitioner would seek to promote social justice, anti -oppressive and anti-discvriminatory practice based on knowledge to promote inclusive practice. Both professions are being challenged by increasing literature developing and need to engage in best practice and critical practice to reach all individuals and communities. My privilege as a social worker working with clients is that I have acquired knowledge and on values of social work issues and intervention. I also have a black African background which has some conflicting values to social work. I will focus on the social work values to overcome any prejudices and biases which may jeopardise my work. I also have the law on my side which will give me power to intervene and practice. From my experience as a caseworker at RA I used counselling as a technique to working with clients. Clients from different background accessed the service to resolve their immigration matters. Mostly the approach we used was person centred approach which meant clients were treated as individuals and given advice relating to their immigration issues My identity gives me a privilege because I have my own values. I am black African student social worker. I nave my values, knowledge and prejudices which can impact on the way I will relate with clients when in practice. I will not allow my own values and prejudices influence my practice. I will engage in reflective practice and use the critical social work approach discussed in this essay. Clients have their own views, way of life and interpretation of the world. My role is to promote social justice to the people I work with in order for them to have choice and independence. . This is supported by Carrniol 2005 when they mention that it is important for social workers to deepen their conscience into their social location and privilege as the first step towards empowering clients and challenging oppression. In my previous role as caseworker for refugees and asylum seekers I worked and experienced that men from other cultures do not cry because of their religion. My belief values say if a person is hurting they cry. Also handshakes are part of my culture to greet but others do not handshake. Appointments with Muslims on Friday afternoon were not appropriate as they attend mosque. I would seek to give appointments on another day. Giving Muslims women make caseworkers to counsel they wont talk give them women? I will signpost people to their own community groups to give help and support. Once you listen to somebodys problems you are counselling. I overcame all these by putting the needs of clients first before my own. Privilege as described by Bailey (1998:109) is systemically, conferred advantages individuals enjoy for being members of a dominants few with access to resources and institutional power that are beyond the common advantages of marginalised citizens Sidanius and Pratto 1999 further suggest that an individuals privilege is derived from their membership or association to privileged groups rather than their personal achievement. According to Ixer 199 it is important to examine privilege critically in two ways i.e. how it benefits the privileged person and how it affects the individual who does not possess it. In critical social work practice social worker need to reflect upon what causes privilege and explore the socio political dimensions of an individuals problem than focus on their capability to cope. (Fook 1999 Morley 2004) Carniola (2005) observed that social workers is in the right direction of developing critical consciousness about the psychological impact of oppression on individuals. He further expressed that there is concern on the degree of awareness among social workers on the impact of privilege or dominant status on individuals subjectivities and world views. Rossitter (2000) echoes the same sentiments when he mentions that the position/ impact and ways in which professionals engage with clients is overlooked and underestimated as they possess a certain class in the form of gender, race, and sexual privilege. It is important to highlight at this stage the values of critical social work practice. It is important to mention that values are in different categories ranging from personal, organisational, ethical, institutional political and religious. Values can conflict each other as well and socially constructed. Traditional Social work values and critical social work values overlap and are based on Biestek 1961 and consists of the following: Individualism, non judgemental, self determination, purposeful expression and controlled emotional development. In post modernity terms these can be interpreted to promotion of social justice, emancipation, anti-oppressive, anti-discriminatory, empowerment, non judgemental and respect and dignity. As discussed these are values that underpi critical social work for it to exist. Critical social work as discussed explores the best way forward to individuals problems and seeks to listen and engage with the individual to tell their story and work in partnership to find the best way forward. The limitation is critical social work is surrounded by external forces which are beyond it control. For example resources in the current economic climate globally and at home. It is also criticised as its values and origins are Eurocentric and do not represent universal circumstances as what seems to work in UK might not necessarily work in Afro/ Asian communities. For example the issue of confidentiality is valued and essential in UK and Europe whereas in Afro Asian cultures they value kinship support in times of distress. However they would not want anyone else outside the kinship clique to know about their situation. This brings inrterpretation problems to confidentialtity. Having explored critical social work practice and theories underpinning it it is important to acknowledge that there is continuos transformation and contest within the academic field and socio-political arena. This is greatly impacting on vulnerable people and how they are treated and marginalised in issues affecting their lives. If the values of critical social work could bre fulfilled and the theories underpinning it are intergrated social work and counselling would be forces for change to promote social justice. Abberley, P. (1998), The Spectre At The Feast:Disabled people and social theory, in, Shakespeare, T., (editor), (1998), The Disability Reader: Social Science Perspectives, London, Cassell, pp79-93. Adams. R, Dominelli. L and Payne, M. (2009) Critical Practice in Social Work 2nd Edition Basingstoke,Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Barnes, C. (1998), The Social Model Of Disability: A sociological phenomenon ignored by sociologists?, in Shakespeare, T., (editor), (1998), The Disability Reader: Social Science Perspectives, London, Cassell, pp65-78. Barnes C and Mercer G. (1997), (editors), Doing Disability Research, Leeds, The Disability Press. (Fook, J, Gardner, F (2007) Practising Critical Reflection: A Resource Handbook, McGraw-Hill, Open University Press, New York). Harris, J. and White, V. (2009) Modernising Social Work Critical Considerations Bristol: Policy Press. Morris, J. (1993), Independent Lives: Community care and disabled people, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Beresford, P. (1997), The Last Social Division?: Revisiting the relationship between social policy, its producers and consumers, in, May, M., Brunsdon, E., Craig, G., (editors), Social Policy Review 9, London, Social Policy Association, pp203-226. Beresford P and Campbell J. (1994) Disabled People, Service Users, User Involvement And Representation, Disability And Society, Volume 9, No 3, pp315-325. Beresford, P. and Croft, S. (1993), Citizen Involvement: A practical guide for change, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Beresford, P., Stalker, K. and Wilson, A. (1997), Speaking For Ourselves: A bibliography, London, Open Services Project in association with the Social Work Research Centre, University of Stirling. Beresford, P. and Turner, M. (1997), Its Our Welfare, Report of the Citizens Commission on the Future of the Welfare State, London, National Institute for Social Work. Beresford, P. (1999) Storming The Millennium, Lawrence and Wishart, London, Campbell, P. (1996), The History Of The User Movement In The United Kingdom, in T Heller, J Reynolds, R Gomm, R Muston and S Pattison, (editors), Mental Health Matters, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Campbell, J. and M, Oliver, M. (1996), Disability Politics: Understanding our past, changing our future, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Coulshed, V. and Orme, J. (1998), Social Work Practice: An introduction, third edition, Basingstoke, Macmillan. (Rush, 2004:10) Rush, F. (Ed). (2004). The cambridge companion to critical theory. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Croft, S. and Beresford, P. (1993), Getting Involved: A practical manual for change, London, Open Services Project/Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Croft, S. and Beresford, P. (1998), Postmodernity And The Future Of Welfare: Whose critiques, whose social policy? in John Carter, (editor), (1998), Postmodernity And The Fragmentation Of Welfare, London, Routledge, pp103-120. Croft, S. and Beresford, P, (1996), The Politics Of Participation, in, Taylor, D. (editor), Critical Social Policy: A reader, London, Sage, pp175-198. Davies, M. (editor), (1997), The Blackwell Companion To Social Work, Oxford, Blackwell. Evans C and Fisher M, (1999), Collaborative Evaluation With Service Users: Moving towards user controlled research, in Shaw, I. and Lishman,J. (editors), Evaluation And Social Work Practice, London, Sage. Giddens, A. (1998), The Third Way: The renewal of social democracy, Cambridge, Polity Press. Harding, S. (1993), Rethinking Standpoint Epistemology: What is strong objectivity?, in Alcoff, L. and Potter, E. (editors), Feminist Epistemologies, London, Routledge. Jones, C. (1996), Anti-Intellectualism And The Peculiarities Of British Social Work Education, in Parton, N. (editor), Social Theory, Social Change And Social Work, London, Routledge. Mayer, J.E. and Timms, N. (1970), The Client Speaks: Working class impressions of casework, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul. Oliver, M. (1996), Understanding Disability: From theory to practice, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Payne, M., (1997), Modern Social Work Theory: Second Edition, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Pembroke, L. R. (editor), (1994a), Eating Distress: Perspectives From Personal Experience, London, Survivors Speak Out. Pembroke, L. R. (editor), (1994b), Self Harm: Perspectives from personal experience, London, Survivors Speak Out. Priestley, M., (1999), Disability Politics And Community Care, London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Read, J. and Reynolds, J. (editors), (1996), Speaking Our Minds: An anthology, Basingstoke, Macmillan. Oliver, M. and Barnes, C. (1998), Disabled People And Society: From exclusion to inclusion, London, Longman. Shakespeare, T., (editor), (1998), The Disability Reader: Social Science Perspectives, London, Cassell. Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network, (1996), I Am In Control, Devizes, Wiltshire and Swindon Users Network.

Essay --

Literature Of The 1990's Culture – The Definition The word culture is a very broad-based term. Different people define culture in different aspects. People learn culture. That is culture's essential feature. The term culture is used to refer collectively to a society and its way of life or in reference to human culture as a whole. The Modern technical definition of culture, as socially patterned human thought and behavior, was originally proposed by the nineteenth-century British anthropologist, Edward Tylor. This definition is an open-ended list, which has been extended considerably since Tylor first proposed it. Some researchers have attempted to create exhaustive universal lists of the content of culture, usually as guides for further research. Others have listed and mapped all the culture traits of particular geographic areas. Barbarism Barbarism on the other hand, can be, or in fact is the exact opposite of culture. It is brutality and extremism, which definitely is not a part of culture in any sense at all. Lexically we define barbarism as, a brutal barbarous savage act, that is something not allowed by any culture. Barbarism is all about morals or rather no morals at all. Therefore, barbarism can rightly be termed as the devil in the cultured society. Relationship Between Culture And Barbarism It might not be very difficult to draw a relation between culture and barbarism. Barbarism starts right from where culture ends. It is the root cause of an uncultured society. Where culture is the strength of a healthy society, barbarism proves to be its destruction. Culture, as a body of learned behaviors common to a given human society, acts rather like a template (i.e. it has predictable form and content), shaping behavior and c... ... and physical being, this is the conception that now governs civilized humanity. It is, in essence, a return to and a larger development of the old Hellenic ideal, with a greater stress on capacity and utility and a very diminished stress on beauty and refinement; We may suppose, however, that this is only a passing phase; the last elements are bound to recover their importance as soon as the commercial period of modern progress has been over passed, and with that recovery, not yet in sight but inevitable, we shall have all the proper elements for the development of man as a mental being. References BOOKS Fugitive pieces - by Anne Michaels The God of Small Things – by Arundhati Roy WEBSITES http://sai.aros.net/aurobindo/barbarism.html http://www.wsu.edu:8001/vcwsu/commons/topics/culture/culture-definition.html http://www.princeton.edu/plasweb/courses/fall_2002.htm

Colombian Independence Movements :: essays research papers

Colombian Independence Movements   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A series of independence movements had marked most of South America, or â€Å"Nueva Granada† in particular during the vast time period of the early 16th century up until the late 18th century – early 19th century. An introduction of the time period which dates back to the late 15th century, illustrates how the Southern portion of the now Colombia had become a part of the Incan Empire whose central base had been located deep into Peru. Only the enlightened historians and those that have done thorough research of the time period have noted the existence concerning the various Indian tribes that roamed freely throughout portions of the land much before the emergence of the Spaniards into the territory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beginning in the early 16th century, we begin to see the arrival of a substantial number of Spaniards throughout several portions of New Granada (Nueva Granada in Spanish). One must also take into account that Colombia was not the only country in New Granada: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ecuador †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Panama  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to Colombia, these three counties formed †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Venezuela  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  what had been referred to then as New Granada. The first permanent settlement on the European mainland, Darien, had been found and conquered by the Spaniards in 1510. This had marked the surfacing of the Spaniards across South American lines as many more were to follow. An additional notable conquering had occurred when Pascual de Andagoya had reached the San Juan River in 1522. The term New Granada itself had not been instituted until the actual foundation of the colony in 1538; it had remained as New Granada up until 1861 which was when it was called the United States of Granada as a result of the rewriting of the constitution. Moving ahead in time periods until the early 18th century, Bogotà ¡ (the present capital of Colombia), became the capital of the new Spanish Viceroyalty of Nueva (New) Granada, which also ruled over Ecuador and Venezuela. While studying the independence movements of Colombia, many historians have also noted that the Indians initially tolerated the influx of the Spaniards but rebelled when the colonists tried to enslave them and take possession of their lands. Almost immediately, a large part of what became Colombia had been conquered by the Spanish, and a number of towns, including Cartagena (founded in 1533), were prospering. In 1544, the country was incorporated into the viceroyalty of Peru, where it remained until 1739 when it became a part of New Granada (comprising the territories of what are today Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama, as previously stated).

The Man Who Is Endowed with Magic Essays -- Biography, Walt, Walt Disn

â€Å"You won’t find anyone who can really explain the magic of Walt,† said Peter Ellenshaw—a Disney artist. â€Å"People see him either in black or white, but he was an extraordinary mixture. He was a common man who was endowed with a touch of magic† (Greene 6). This magic led Walt on one of the most extraordinary adventures anyone could ever wish to live. Walt grew up traveling from place to place as his father, Elias, worked day and night to make sure his family was fed and comfortable. Elias worked Walt’s two other brothers such ferocity that they ran away with the money they had been saving. Without the two brothers, Walt’s father’s dream of the farm life shattered. Soon after, Elias caught typhoid fever and became unable to work on his farm again, so they moved. The move took a toll on Walt. His father had him waking up at 3:30 am to deliver papers, a two-hour task. After delivering, he went to school. Then, he delivered papers for two more hours. Delivering the papers affected Walt’s school performance; he was yet again held back in the second grade, which made him almost two years older than his classmates. This action might have caused a rebellious action from most children but not Walt. His mother’s loving touch kept him in high spirits. As Greene said in The Man Behinf The Magic: The Story of Walt Disney, â€Å"If Walt was endowed with a touch of magic, his mother was the person who wielded the magician’s wand† (15). This magic and perseverance would play key roles in Walt’s life. Walt Disney had interests in many areas. One knack he had was recreating cartoons. One classmate recalled, â€Å"He wouldn’t just copy what was in the newspaper, either,† rather he would add his own features with the original as the templat... ...rporation went onto produce Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio to name a few. Although Disney’s interest might have faltered, his heart never did. His love for his employees drove him to become almost bankrupt. His love for his family led him to be one of the greatest fathers. One of his daughters, Sharon, stated, â€Å"we weren’t raised with the idea that this was a great man. He was Daddy. He went to work every morning. He came home every night† (Greene 77). His love for his work led him to become one of the best animators of all not, if not arguably the best. As his best friend, Walter Pfeiffer, said, â€Å"Walt was enthused about everything. He was one hundred percent interested in everything he did† whether it be his home life or his work. Truly, his magic inspired each animator to have the save magic even after some of his heart left the company.

Examining the Impacts of Regular Bikram Yoga Practice on Health, Stress and Anxiety

EXAMINING THE IMPACTS OF REGULAR BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ON HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY By DiAnne Garza Email: dianne. [email  protected] com Final Version Submitted to Dr. Luz Romay in partial fulfillment of the requirements for class Organizational Research and Assessment, ORGD 6330 December 7, 2011 Executive Summary Bikram yoga was developed thirty years ago by Bikram Choudhury, a renowned Hatha Yoga Master. It is a specific yoga practice that is carried out in 105? F at 40% humidity for 90 minutes.Some studies and practitioners have suggested that Bikram yoga practice has positive impacts on physical health as well as decreasing stress and anxiety. There were certain inclusion criteria for participation in this study. Age was not an exclusion and participants ranged in age from 18 to over 60 years of age. This study sought to interview active students of Bikram yoga who have been practicing consistently for at least the last eight weeks, at a minimum of three times per week.Student s meeting the requirements at the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio were invited to complete the survey instrument from November 16 through November 26, 2011. Seventy-five students responded to the survey. The results indicated that there are significant positive results from regularly practicing Bikram yoga. Since Bikram yoga encourages students to hold poses in a â€Å"hot† room it increases heart rate and acts as a cardiovascular exercise without the high impact normally associated with cardio exercises.The results of the survey instrument yielded over 50% of respondents reporting an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. Additionally, stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. Improvements to physical fitness were observed with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balan ce. There was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less.Therefore, Bikram yoga should be considered by the medical community as the first option for improving physical fitness including overall strength, balance, flexibility and decreasing weight. Introduction to the study Background of the Problem The main topic of this research was to determine the effect, if any, of Bikram Yoga on perceived stress and its impact on physical fitness. Bikram Choudhury developed this yoga thirty years. Choudhury was born in Calcutta and he began studying yoga at the age of four.By the time he was 14 he had won the National India Yoga Contest and there he remained undefeated for the next three years (Choudhury, 2007). Choudhury went on to weight lifting and eventually set a world record for weight lifting in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. As he continued his weight lifting practice he experienced a serious knee injury and was told by doctors he w ould never walk again. This led Choudhury back to his original yoga teacher to once again pursue yoga. Through regular practice he became completely healed and established what is now known as Bikram yoga.Although an exact number of Bikram yoga studio locations could not be identified, studios can be found in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Chile, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Italy, Austria, France, and Germany as well as all over the United States including Texas with three studios in San Antonio (â€Å"Studio Map View†, 2011). The main purpose of this study was to assess the post perceived stress levels of Bikram yoga students who have been regularly attending for at least eight weeks and at least three times per week.The study also intended to asses the impacts of practice on physical fitness level and general health of these students after regular practice. The topic of this research was to determine if Bikram yoga helps one manage anxiety and stress better and if it actually decreased perceived stress after a session. The Problem People experience stress from various aspects in their lives, at different levels and intensities. This stress contributes to feelings of anxiety as well as overall physical wellbeing.Additionally, many people have injuries, weakened muscles, experiences of shortness of breath during high cardiovascular activities, and many other ailments that prevent them from doing regular exercise. There is a form of yoga called Bikram Yoga that does not require high cardiovascular activity, yet it produces the same effects as if it did. The problem statement was: Does a regular practice of Bikram Yoga decrease stress and anxiety for people with uncomfortable levels of stress and anxiety as well as improve physical fitness? PurposeThe purpose of this research was to examine how people who practice Bikram yoga perceive its impact on decreasing their level of stress and increase physical fitness. It helped determine if regular prac tice of a 90 minute Bikram yoga session at least three times per week experienced in 105? F temperature with 40% humidity was beneficial or detrimental to the body. Initial Research Questions This initial plan included three research questions that represented the main objectives of the study. The three questions were: 1. What changes can one expect to see in their body as a result of regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? . Does regular Bikram yoga practice significantly decrease weight? 3. How has perceived stress level been impacted or changed by regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? Organizational Access The organization that was used for the study was Bikram Yoga – San Antonio. There are three studios in San Antonio of which the researcher had access to. At the end of each class email addresses were collected for those interested in participating in the survey and that met the requirements. Students received the study via email from SurveyMonkey. com.Schedul e of the Process The high level timeline was: †¢ November 13, 2011Completion of survey †¢ November 16 – 23, 2011Distribution of survey †¢ November 27, 2011Analysis of survey Assumptions There were two main assumptions in the study. First that the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio would continue classes and the room would remain at 105? F and at 40% humidity. It was also assumed that participants responding to the survey were honest in meeting the requirements. Limitation The scope of the study was limited to students practicing in the San Antonio locations.Additionally, the medical condition and fitness level of those students participating in the study could not be determined in this study. Definitions Asana Defined as a physical posture. A yoga session is composed of various standing, seated, and lying asanas; Bikram yoga is a series of 26 asanas. Bikram Yoga A specific series of yoga asanas assembled by Bikram Choudhury (2007). A Bikram session is comprised of a series of 26 postures including two breathing exercise, requiring 90 minutes to complete, and takes place in a temperature-controlled room (approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 40% humidity).Perceived Stress The degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Psychological stress has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability to cope. Physical Fitness The participants’ level of general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Sanskrit The classical language of India and Hinduism. Yoga Literally means ‘to yoke’, to join mind and body.Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that couples physical postures with conscious attention to breathing, and meditative practice. Review of the preliminary research To understand what was already known about the im pacts of Bikram yoga on physical health a literature review was conducted on three current journal articles. The first article was entitled Yoga Effects on Stress and Health and was written by Dr. Tiffany Fields in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Dr. Fields conducted a research effort on the effects of yoga poses on a human being with regard to many factors.Many existing empirically-based research efforts and studies were utilized to reach the conclusions in this research effort. Psychological conditions were examined including anxiety and depression, cardiovascular fitness and physiological levels. This included the effects on heart rate, blood pressure, weight loss and muscle strength. Dr. Fields cited several studies that yielded an enhanced mindfulness and a reduction in job stress. People who attended only two weekly 90 minute yoga sessions experienced a noted decrease in stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, head and back pain with an increase in well-being.The e ffects of the yoga were found to be immediate, following only one session. At the end of one year of yoga cholesterol was reduced by 23% compared to 4% for those in standard treatment. A decrease in anginal episodes was observed in addition to decreased body weight. Surgeries were less frequently required in the group who practiced yoga. In each and every condition yoga was found to be of some benefit in varying degrees, but always noticeable. The physical effects were also reviewed which consisted of weight loss, balance and flexibility and leg strength.This study suggested that regular yoga practice can have amazing impacts on the human body and can also be considered a part of a prescription plan for various ailments. Regular yoga practice can help alleviate various forms of pain and symptoms of disease as well as feeling ill at ease. A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases was the second article reviewed written by K. Yang found in Evidence Ba sed Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This research effort focused on four major risk factors in the human body that most contribute to chronic diseases and yoga’s impact on affecting those risk factors.Since there are four common medical conditions that lead to chronic disease in the United States the study sought to identify if yoga would help mitigate those conditions. The four risk factors noted are weight, blood glucose level, blood pressure and cholesterol level. The research included a review of thirty-two articles published between 1980 and April 2007 that were related to yoga and the four risk factors. The practice of yoga yielded an overall improvement in every one of the four risk factors. The improvement increased over time; as the yoga practice continued on a consistent basis the risk factors would measurably decrease.Of all of the articles and studies reviewed by Yang they all show that, â€Å"yoga has beneficial effects on body weight, BP, blood glucose level and cholesterol level. † (2007, pg. 489). Yang proposed that because of these benefits yoga intervention programs should be developed as a means to combat the four factors contributing to disease in the United States. Incorporating yoga into one’s lifestyle and as a part of a medical prescription plan can help one live a healthier life for a longer period of time. The treatment of chronic disease should take the benefits of yoga practice into consideration.The final article reviewed was An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-week Bikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness conducted by Zoe Louise Hewett at Boise State University in 2010. Ms. Hewett set out to monitor participants in an eight week Bikram yoga practice to understand the impact of the practice on mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness. The participant’s consisted of fifty one men and women between the ages of 20-54 years. The students had to atte nd three Bikram yoga sessions per week, however they were encouraged to attend five.The results were measured two weeks into the study and again within one week of completion of the program. In the three areas of focus, that is mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness, all were improved by regular Bikram yoga attendance. This study revealed that Bikram yoga can improve one’s body in as little as eight weeks with a regular practice of only three times per week. Bikram yoga has been proven to positively affect psychological and physical health. Furthermore, regular Bikram yoga practice can measurably improve one’s physical fitness in the matter of eight weeks with an attendance of three times per week.Method of research The participants were from the Bikram yoga – San Antonio locations. To collect the data email addresses were collected from students after each class to disseminate the instrument via SurveyMonkey. com and the survey was also posted on th e Facebook page of the Bikram Yoga – San Antonio studio. Within one day there were over 60 respondents so the response rate was more than double what was hoped for. Once 75 respondents completed the survey it was closed. The data captured on SurveyMonkey. com with regard to Bikram yoga was transcribed into Microsoft Office Excel version 2003.This application was used to capture all of the survey questions with their respective responses and optional comments as they were entered by the respondents. Furthermore, Microsoft Office Word version 2003 was utilized to analyze the open-ended response to the last question on the survey. This allowed an easy way to highlight key words in each open ended response and classify them into various categories. Survey results The total number of responses was 75 total, 60 female (80%) and 15 male (20%). The age group of respondents ranged from 20 & under to 60 and above.The respondents have been practicing Bikram yoga for varying time frames. |1. Gender |   |Percent |Count | |   |Female |80 |60 | |   |Male |20 |15 | |   |   |  100 |75 | |2.Age Group |   |   |   | |   |20 & under |2. 7 |2 | |   |21 – 29 |22. 7 |17 | |   |30 – 40 |45. |34 | |   |41 – 50 |18. 7 |14 | |   |51 – 60 |6. 7 |5 | |   |60 & above |4 |3 | |   |   |100. 1 |75 | |3.Number of months/years practicing   | |   |1 – 3 months |16 |12 | |   |4 – 9 months |12 |9 | |   |9 – 12 months |12 |9 | |   |1 – 3 years |30. |23 | |   |3 – 5 years |13. 3 |10 | |   |Greater than 5 years |16 |12 | |   | |100 |75 | Figure 1 – Gender, Age & Length of Time Practicing Fifty percent or more respondents reported an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less stressed |58. 7 |44 | |   |Somewhat less stressed |34. 7 |26 | |   |   |93. |70 | |   |   |   |   | |5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less instances of anxiety |49. 30% |37 | |   |Somewhat less instances of anxiety |33. 0% |25 | |   |   |82. 60% |62 | |   |   |   |   | |6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Somewhat more physically fit |45. 0% |34 | |   |Much more physically fit |46. 70% |35 | |   |   |92. 00% |69 | |   |   |   |   | |7.Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   | |Much better |Somewhat better | |   |Flexibility |66. 7% (50) |29. 3% (22) | |   |Balance |50. 7% (38) |40. % (30) | |   |   |   |   | |   |   |   |   | |8. Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Weight is not more or less since starting |28. 0% |21 | | |Bikram yoga | | | |   |Weight has somewhat decreased |50. 70% |38 | |   |   |78. 70% |59 | |   |   |   |   | |9.Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing |   |   |   | |Bikram yoga? | | | | |   |Eating habits have not changed at all |32. 00% |24 | |   |Eat somewhat less |49. 30% |37 | |   |   |81. 0% |61 | Figure 2 – Improvement Indicators The first theme noted was stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. [pic] Figure 3 – Stress & Anxiety Level Improvements The second theme noted was an improvement to physical fitness with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balance. [pic]Figure 4 – Physical Fitness Improvements The third theme was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less. [pic]Figure 5 – Weight Loss & Eating Improvements The final theme is an overall fe eling of improvement as indicated by responses to the last open-ended question. Participants reported a deep sense of physical and mental calmness after yoga sessions and feeling less stressed overall. A deeper understanding of oneself and awareness of strengths along with feelings of happiness was also reported. The last question in the survey was, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † All seventy-five responses were copied into Word.The responses were analyzed for general tone and themes as recommended by Church & Waclawski (p. 198). The first category, â€Å"healthier† is related to responses indicating a general healthier body while â€Å"major health benefit† is strictly related to responses indicated a major medical improvement. These open ended responses include cures of insomnia, elimination of back pain, spine pain relief that surgery did not cure, complete healing of injuries, sciatic a healing, neck pain removal that a chiropractor could never heal and others that were beyond the simple idea of being healthier. Please refer to the Appendix for a list of all open ended responses). The break down of responses was as follows: [pic] Figure 6 – Open Ended Responses by Category Conclusions and recommendations Results from the literature review and survey responses suggest that using yoga as a solution for medical issues, weight loss and overall feelings of well being and as a medical intervention is worthy of further research. Based on the results presented from the survey the following is a summary of the conclusions reached: 1. Practicing Bikram yoga yields many medical benefits that provide visible improvements. 2.Literature reviews combined with the survey indicate that practicing Bikram yoga can reverse negative medical diagnosis in many areas including physical, mental and alleviate serious conditions such as heart disease risk factors. 3. Bikram yoga can be a non-invasive holistic approach to curing dis-ease. Based on the above, a series of recommendations are offered: 1. A psychological context of the impacts of practicing Bikram yoga should be conducted. Investigate any parallels of slower, regulated breathing combined with increased mindfulness and a gentle physical exercise and focus with a more consistent relaxed state of mind. 2.Conduct a study to see if values change after a year of Bikram practice. Shifts in values may lead to a more relaxed and accepting state of mind. 3. Develop a series of intervention programs using Bikram yoga for specific problems or symptoms. Plan of Action Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to improve physical and emotional well-being. Empirical research on yoga has been going on for quite some time as revealed by the literature reviews. The literature reviews and the survey results point to yoga being a benefit on many levels to include physiological and physical. Due to these results t he plan of action is: 1. To develop a prescription plan for the San Antonio medical community that includes Bikram yoga practice. Development of protocols should be conducted with medical doctors and practitioners along with Bikram yoga studio owners and advanced practitioners of Bikram yoga. 2. ) Conduct a pilot on a select number of candidates identified from the medical community and execute the prescription plan. Conduct analysis on the pilot to validate prescription plan’s effectiveness. 3. ) Develop various protocols based on results from the pilot for analysis and prescriptions should be developed for those symptoms related to balance and lexibility, stress and anxiety, depression as well as the need for weight loss. The results of this study have practical implications worthy of further research. This study has implications that the benefits of using Bikram yoga as a mind and body based exercise program are evident, and future research is essential for a more in depth medical understanding and appreciation for this form of yoga. References Bikram Yoga and Bikram's amazing story. (n. d. ). http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. com/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. om/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm Choudhury, B. (2007). Bikram Yoga. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Church, Allan H. , & Waclawski, Janine. (1998). Designing and Using Organizational Surveys: A Seven-Step Process. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Studio Map View. (n. d. ). Bikram's Yoga College of India. Retrieved October 29, 2011. Dale, Kathleen. , & Fox, Marilyn L. , (2008). Leadership Style and Organizational Commitment: Mediating Effect of Role Stress. Journal of Management Issues. (pp. 1-18). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_1_20/ai_n29422403 Field, T. 2011). Yoga clinical research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice,  17(1), 8. doi:10. 1016/j. ctcp . 2010. 09. 007 Retrieved from http://www. ctcpjournal. com/article/S1744-3881(10)00079-4/fulltext Fiorito, Jack. Bozeman, Dennis P. , Young, Angela. & Meurs, James A. , (2007). Organizational Commitment, Human Resource Practices, and Organizational Characteristics. Journal of Managerial Issues. (pp. 1-14). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_2_19/ai_n29358398/pg_1? tag=content;col1 Hewett, Zoe Louise, â€Å"An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-weekBikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness† (2010). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. Paper 112. http://scholarworks. boisestate. edu/td/112 Park, Yang-Kyu, Lee, Chul-In, Kabist, Rudiger. (2008, July 1). â€Å"Human Needs as Predictors for Organizational Commitment and Job Involvement. † Management Review. (pp. 1-18) Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. com/labor-employment/worker-categories-women-workers/11 729925-1. html Yang, K. (2007). A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases.Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 4. doi:10. 1093/ecam/nem154 Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176145/ Appendix A Survey Questions & Response Options 1. Select your gender. 2. Select your age group. 3. Select number of months/years practicing. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 7. Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? . Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 9. Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing Bikram yoga? 10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? Response Options Gender options: Female and Male Age group options: 1. 20 & under 2. 21 – 29 3. 30 – 40 4. 41 – 50 5. 51 – 60 6. 60 & above Number of months/years practicing options: 1. 1 – 3 months 2. 4 – 9 months 3. 9 – 12 months 4. 1 – 3 years 5. 3 – 5 years 6. Greater than 5 years Stress level changes since practicing Bikram yoga: 1.Much less stressed 2. Somewhat less stressed 3. Neither more or less stressed 4. Somewhat more stressed 5. Much more stressed Changes to anxiety level since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less instances of anxiety 2. Somewhat less instances of anxiety 3. Neither more or less instances of anxiety 4. Somewhat more instances of anxiety 5. Much more instances of anxiety Changes to physical fitness since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less physically fit 2. Somewhat less physically fit 3. Neither more or less physically fit 4. Somewhat more physically fit 5. Much more physically fitChanges t o flexibility and balance since practicing Bikram yoga options: The following are options across rows: 1. Flexibility 2. Balance The following are options across columns: 1. Much better 2. Somewhat better 3. Neither better nor worse 4. Somewhat worse 5. Much more worse Changes to weight since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Weight has significantly increased 2. Weight has somewhat increased 3. Weight is not more or less since starting Bikram yoga 4. Weight has somewhat decreased 5. Weight has significantly decreased Changes to eating habits as a result of practicing Bikram yoga options: . Eat much more 2. Eat somewhat more 3. Eating habits have not changed at all 4. Eat somewhat less 5. Eat much less The final question, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † has an open ended form box for a response. Additionally, questions five through nine have an optional 50 character form field for a comment. Responder may only select one in each question. All questions have required responses. Appendix B The Bikram Yoga Sequence & Asana Names [pic] Figure 7 – The Bikram Yoga Sequence Appendix C Photos [pic]Figure 8 – Bikram Choudhury, born on February 10, 1946 Students are in Pose 13: Savasana [pic] Figure 9 – Pose 16: Bhujangasana [pic] Figure 10 – Pose 17: Salabhasana Appendix D Screen shot of Facebook invite for the survey [pic] Appendix E Open-ended responses |10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? | |Category |Response | |Healthier |Worst thing is when I miss a class or am unable to attend for some other reasons/obligations. | |Best thing Well, to be completely honest, Bikram has been the abolute best thing that could've | | |ever happened to me. I was going down a really bad path, and i have to say i feel that Bikram | | |has truly saved me life. Of course, I have to thank my God for that. But anywa y, I hope this | | |helps. Best of luck! | |Healthier |New experience in total body workout, see that there is something better than traditional gym | | |rat, sweat like never before†¦ ll good stuff. | |Mental improvement |Getting out there and trying something new and loving it! It has given me the confidence to try | | |new experiences | |Mental improvement |I learned about how my body responds to stress. I am a medical student and on the weeks where we| | |have testing blocks I found that I am generally unhealthy (lack of sleep, eat little and make | | |poor choices with food, and I allow stress and fear to be main motivators).These are all things| | |I learned about myself through my yoga. My ability to focus and balance declines and I am | | |overall an unhappy person. Life will always bring time of intense stress; however, our bodies | | |deserve our best regardless of the situation. Bikram opened my eyes to this stress habit and I | | |am beginning to make healthier choi ces during moments of heavy stress. | |Mental improvement |Best thing is that I have a new passion in my life.I cannot imagine my life without my | | |practice. | |Happier |Happiness and Peace | |Weight loss |Although I have always been taught the importance of water, I have never embraced and felt the | | |need for it as much as I have since practicing Bikram. I think that is a reason for some | | |weightloss, of course in addition to the torture chamber! | |Healthier |Feeling great overall! |Major health benefit |Hope, that my life was not over because of debilitating pain in spine due to degenerative disk | | |disease, that is now mostly gone. Hope that even after cervical spine surgery, I can stay fit | | |and and continue to practice and improve my practice as long as I live. Joy, appreciation for | | |life and health every day with a consistent practice. | |Mental improvement |Improved attitude. | |Happier |Realize what is really important in life. |Healthier |Fewer injuries running. Toned body. More patient. Realization that pain is temporary and makes | | |me stronger. I can do anything for one minute. | |Healthier |Bikram has become a practice I look forward to all day. I know I can leave my stress at the door| | |and will feel amazing when I leave. Bikram has given me much more energy and is forcing me to | | |hydrate my body. Loving this new way of life. | |Mental improvement |I notice that I am more disciplined. |Major health benefit |I suffer from migraine headaches 3-4 times a week. So long as I practice Bikram Yoga at least 3 | | |times a week I am completely headache free. It helps lower my stress and let my mind release the| | |tension of work. | |Major health benefit |I have been able to successfully get off of both anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication. I| | |was on a slew of medication for about 4 years due to severe panic attacks and depression. |Weight loss |Besides the weight loss, it would have to be that I do focus more on my b reath and focusing on | | |how my body reacts to different situations. | |Happier |I feel so much better and energized after a session and I just have this glow that makes me so | | |much happier after a class! | |Healthier |The best thing is being able to focus on myself for 90 minutes and to push myself to new limits. | | |And, the teachers and students are exceptional.I have learned to love the heat too! | |Major health benefit |it has healed my neck better than any chiropractor has been able | |Happier |Best thing is the way I treat my students thanks to Yoga†¦ they deserve that†¦. :). | |Happier |Better peace of mind. Good Too much time away from family. Worst | |Mental improvement |I feel amazing in the hot room, which has increased my confidence outside the room.The worst | | |thing- I have developed an addiction 🙂 | |Major health benefit |My back is stronger overall, but I seem to frequently be working through some ache, pain, or | | |injury. Could just be my age†¦. | |Healthier |Has vastly improved my life. | |Major health benefit |Since starting 5 yrs ago, I have gone from 5'7†³, 167 lbs to 136 lbs! I no longer have sciatica. | | |Old sports injuries have healed.Flexibility has improved. Overall health has improved. I eat | | |way better than I ever have. I stopped drinking alcohol. I feel great and have more confidence | | |that I did before Bikram. | |Weight loss |best thing is that i have lost 15lbs†¦.. i LOVE my body now | |Mental improvement |Best thing. Met some wonderful people and my daughter and I have a common challenge | |Mental improvement |Best is more ability to clear my mind and just do it. |Mental improvement |I love the me time I get. I love the challenge of facing myself in the mirror for 90 mins. When | | |is the last time you watched your body move for 90 mins? It is empowering, amazing, and allows | | |me to love my body. My only regret is that I didn't find it sooner. | |Healthier |I've practice d yoga for a long time and bikram yoga has changed my yoga practice tremendously | |Healthier |The muscle toning in my legs and arms is very visible. |Mental improvement |Finished the 60 day challenge which was super gratifying. A nice goal to work towards and | | |achieve. | |Major health benefit |I began to practice Bikram yoga to rehabilitate my ankle. After 6 months my ankle was healed. I | | |am intrigued by Bikram yoga, as a biochemistry major you can imagine the amount of research I | | |have done on Bikram yoga. I would like to know what you find. [email  protected] om | |Bad reaction |I got CA MRSA – superbug staph infection! | |Major health benefit |Almost complete elimination of back pain that I have suffered for approximately two decades. | |Healthier |The best thing is that is a great stress reliever and awesome facial moisturizer! | |Mental improvement |Best- friends, connections with the Bikram family. Worst- must carve out time for Bikram, or | | |else†¦. I'm grumpy!!! | |Spiritual improvement |Through yoga, I started to reconnect with my spiritual nature. |Healthier |The best thing is that I feel hopeful that I can be healthier and more comfortable in my body. | |Major health benefit |My runs of A-fib have stopped. | |Healthier |Energy up, stress down! | |Major health benefit |improved range of motion in arthritic joints. better balance and focus. Too many benefits to | | |list! | |Major health benefit |I have insomnia. Meds are the only things that, prior to Bikram, helped me fall asleep.After | | |the 8:15pm Bikram class, I crash and am out for at least 8 hours. | |Mental improvement |Just an overall better outlook and feeling positive about daily occurrences | |Healthier |I feel amazing practicing bikram yoga. My body feels cleansed | |Mental improvement |I have become addicted†¦ but to a good thing. I feel better, am in great shape, and am a much | | |happier and patient person because of Bikram. |Mental improvement |I l ike who I am becoming | |Spiritual improvement |I'm addicted to Bikram Yoga. It has been a Permanant Part of my life. The best thing that has | | |happened to me is, My Meditation has elevated to a deeply spiritual level&I crave this Yoga. I | | |can't miss a class. | |Mental improvement |My self confidence is improving. |Mental improvement |I like to tell people â€Å"I got me back†, bikram Yoga was introduced to me at a time when I pulled | | |myself out of a controlling & very unhealthy relationship. My sense of independence & security | | |was wiped out. As a result I stressed over every little thing because I was made to believe I | | |couldn't do anything without â€Å"him†. Bikram Yoga is a blessing because slowly I've been able to | | |let go of fear, stress, misery & depression.In short†¦ I found my smile! Thanks to BYSA! | |Healthier |The BEST thing that happens from practicing Bikram Yoga is how much more AMAZING you feel and | | |enjoy life even better ! | |Weight loss |Weightloss | |Healthier |It has contributed to improved attention to multiple aspects of fitness with overall gains | | |resulting. | |Healthier |Keeps me in great shape!! |Major health benefit |I got off of blood pressure medication after 3 months of practice. | |Mental improvement |Peace in mind, strength, balance, focus. | |Mental improvement |Best thing that happened is that I learned more self control. | |Weight loss |when I stop, I tend to gain weight and stress. | |Healthier |I flinally found my type of exersice since I stopped dancing ballet at 20 years, I? m 37 now | |Healthier |The best thing is that overall I feel better and stronger. |Mental improvement |I pay a lot more attention to what my body is telling me in all situations. | |Major health benefit |I am able to bend my knee better than in months prior. Also, the yoga has forced me to drink | | |more water throughout the day. | |Mental improvement |my self image and confidence has increased so much. this has spread to other areas of my life | | |and made so many things improve. i'm amazed daily at the positive effects of this yoga. | |Healthier |I am more physically confident. |Major health benefit |Everything changes!!!! My back pain has gone away, it provides me discipline when spending $, it| | |allows me to quiet the mind & sleep better, my joints start yelling at me when I don't go, my | | |core stands straighter, my shoulders are more defined, I am able to open my back & shoulders | | |more than ever before, it took away soreness after I ran a 1/2 marathon last year plus it was | | |the only way I trained for it, it keeps away sickness such as colds†¦ s that enough reasons? It| | |keeps my life happy & balanced. | |Mental improvement |Feel younger | |Mental improvement |I've noticed myself becoming more confident in poses creating better posture. I can feel a major| | |difference in how my posture has strengthened. | |Mental improvement |It makes me feel strong.When I get through a class I feel like I did something good for myself | | |which in turn allows me to be better for others. | |Happier |I feel healthier and happier than ever when I maintain a regular practice! | |Healthier |Im more flexible and I fell awesome. | |Healthier |Best-Not worrying about swimsuit season Worst-I sweat really easily.Even my shins sweat. | |Happier |I found happiness | |Happier |Feel better | |Mental improvement |Feel less stressed |