Recreation Wellness Essay

Manage Your Health, Inc. (MYH) is a fortune 500 company that provides a variety of health care services across the globe. MYH has more than 20,000 full time employees and more than 5,000 part-time employees. MYH recently updated its strategic plan, and key goals include exploiting new web-based technology to help employees, customers, and suppliers work together to improve the development and delivery of its health care products and services. The performance of the current intranet MYH is not very smooth and has some problem occur likes lack of the information which related of some sports and the employees of MYH not active involve in any sports which organize by the company. This will indirectly makes the employees of the MYH will become not energetic when perform the daily working tasks due to this, this will make the customer lost confidence on MYH because MYH is a health care services across the globe. So, the MYH decide to update the strategic plan. Some ideas have developed for supporting the strategic goal which idea by the information technology department. Approach of the project: Exploiting new web-based technology to improve the development and Delivery of health like giving some information and guideline to the employee what is the project main purpose. Make an easy way to them purpose. Make an easy way to them hope they can understand well. Develop detailed cost estimate and time requirement for the project and report to the project sponsor. Using the prototyping methodology to performs the analysis, design, and Implementation phases concurrently and repeats them until the system completed. Issue a request to obtain software and hardware Have a status review meetings to exchange project information with team members. Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project is the new web-based technology which provides an application on the current intranet to help employees to improve their health. Our project team will initiate the current problem of the intranet and implement the new idea on the new intranet project. We will prepare the business case for the current intranet project which included the introduction of the company, business objective, current situation and problem and critical assumption and constraints. Besides that, analysis of option and recommendation, preliminary project requirements, budget estimate and financial analysis, schedule estimate, potential risks and the exhibits which will assign it into our business case. We will start this project within the duration, nine months which start on January, 2004 until September, 2004. Project charter will be preparing from the initiating phase which include the project title, project start date, project finish date, budget information, project manager and project objectives. All of the criteria will stated down. Besides those criteria, approach, roles and responsibilities, sigh-off and the comments also assign into the project charter to make sure every of the project team members will have their own roles and responsibilities. After initiating the current problem of the current intranet, we will analysis the new system which will implement it into the MYH. In the planning phase, our project manager, Tony will starting to put the jobs and assign it to the project team members and also from other departments. Tony, the project manager of this project would have to develop a survey to solicit input from all employees about this new system and make sure it was very user- friendly. Tony will develop a team contract and stakeholder analysis for this project. Besides that, he will develop a scope statement and will be as specific as possible in describing product characteristics and requirement, as well as the product deliverables. A work breakdown structure (WBS) will develop for this project and the WBS is based on the project charter, scope statement, and other relevant information. Gantt chart and network diagram also will be well prepared for this project. While preceding the planning stage, the resource usage cash flow report will showing the hours each person is assigned to work on each task each week.  Furthermore, the probability/ impact matrix and list of prioritized risks for the project will be included in the project We will submit weekly milestone reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The milestone repost for the project will base on information in the Gantt chart. An agenda for the project team meeting will develop to work through some of the challenges while facing in executing the project. Update the scope of the project while having some changes in the executing phase. We will develop detailed lists of assumptions and questions that all the project team has related to the new scope of the project. We will decide to outsourcing much of work related to user requirements, user interface design, and collecting information about similar programs offered through the health club chain MYH recently acquired and all similar community- sponsored programs within twenty miles from the company. Updated the Gantt chart and also the project charter and the scope statement last but not least, we will updated the list of prioritized risks while the changes of the scope statement. After the controlling phase, roll out the intranet project for the user and maintaining the system is been required. Final presentation to top management will be require and will updated the project web site so that is includes all final project and product deliverables. Final project report/ Project assessment: The Recreation and Wellness Intranet project is provide an application to improve the employees’ health. The objectives of having this intranet is because a recent study was been found that MYH, Inc. pays 20 percent more than the industry average for employee health care premiums, primarily due to the poor health of its employees. This application will help improve employee health within one year of its rollout so that can negotiate lower premiums, saving about $30/employee/year for the full-time employees over the next four years. The application would include/produce some capabilities like allow employees to register for company- sponsored recreational programs, such as soccer, softball, bowling, jogging, walking, and other sports. Besides that, it allows employees to register for the company-sponsored classes and programs to help them manage their weight, reduce stress, stop smoking, and manage other health-related issues. Track data on employees involvement in these recreational and health management  programs and also offer incentives for people to join the programs and do well in them is a part of the capabilities of this application. The project is a success because as stated above, the sponsor was not too concerned about going over budget as long as the system would have a good payback period and help promote our firm’s image. We have already document some financial and image benefits of the new intranet site. The project management tools we have been use for are the business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status report, final project presentation, final project report, lessons-learned report, and Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Project, html, or PDF format, as appropriate. and any other documents required to manage the project. Thos project management had help us a lots while assigning the whole project by proceeding the system easily and be more systematic so that we can review the information easily. One example of what went right on this project is can help improve employee health to reduce intranet cost by negotiates lower employee health care premiums. When employees have a better health, it can lead to better performance in daily company operation. Beside that, it also can increase employee motivation and loyalty to company and helps to built up healthy image public. One example of what went wrong on this project is the cost of this project was over budget. We did meet our schedule goal, and the final cost for the whole system was about $500,000. We group member can learn by working on this project is getting more experience after this project and improving their skill and problem solving. Project Deliverable, as appropriate: Project management-related deliverables: (business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status reports, final project presentation, final project report, and lessons learned report, etc.) Product-related deliverables: 1. Survey: Survey current consultants and clients to help determine desired content and features for the site. 2. Files for templates: The initial site will include templates for the following items: (business case, charter, etc.) 3. Examples of completed templates: The initial site will include examples of projects that have used templates for the following items: business case, charter, etc. 4. File for tools: The initial site will include information on how to use several project management tools, including, as a minimum, the following: work breakdown structures, critical path analysis, cost estimates, earned value management, etc. Where appropriate sample files will be provided in the application software appropriate for the tool. 5. Example applications of tools: The initial site will include examples of projects that have applied tools for the following items: work breakdown structures, critical path analysis, cost estimates, earned value management, etc. 6. Articles: The initial site will include at least ten useful articles about relevant topics in project management. 7. Links: The initial site will include links along with brief descriptions of the site being linked to for at least twenty useful sites. The links will be categorized into meaningful groupings. 8. Expert database: In order to deliver a â€Å"Feedback† feature, the system must access a database of approved experts, their contact information, etc. 9. Intranet site content: The initial site will include content for the templates and tools section, articles section, links section, â€Å"Feedback† section, and security. 10. Test plan: The test plan will document how the site will be tested, who will do the testing, how bugs will be reported, etc. 11. Site promotion: A plan for promoting the new site will describe various approaches for soliciting inputs while designing the site as well as announcing the availability of the new site. Project benefit measurement plan: A plan for measuring the financial value of the site. Lessons Learned Report: Project Name: Recreational And Wellness Intranet Project Project Sponsor: Andrew Chao Project Managers: Tony Prepared by: Tony, Project Manager Chloe, Programmer/Analyst Patrick, Network Specialist Nancy, Business Analyst Bonnie, Programmer/Analyst Project Dates: 7/26/05 Final Budget: $500,000 1. Did the project meet scope, time, and cost goals? We did meet scope and time goals, but we had to request an additional $10,000, which the sponsor did approve. 2. What was the success criteria listed in the project scope statement? Below is what we put in our project scope statement under project success criteria: â€Å"Our goal is complete this project within nine months for no more than $400,000. The project sponsor, Andrew Chao, has emphasized the importance of the project paying for itself within one year after the intranet site is complete. To meet this financial goal, the intranet site must have strong user input. We must also develop a method for capturing the benefits while the intranet site is in development, tested, and after it is rolled out. If the project takes a little longer to complete or costs a little more than planned, the firm will still view it as a success if it has a good payback and helps promote the firm’s image as an excellent consulting organization.† 3. Reflect on whether or not you met the project success criteria. As stated above, the sponsor was not too concerned about going over budget as long as the system would have a good payback period and help promote our firm’s image. We have already documented some financial and image benefits of the new intranet site. For example, we have decided that we can staff the MYH with one less person, resulting in substantial cost savings. We have also received excellent feedback from several of our clients about the new intranet site. 4. In terms of managing the project, what were the lessons your team learned from this project?  The main lessons we learned include the following: Having a good project sponsor was instrumental to project success. We ran into a couple of difficult situations, and Tony was very creative in helping us solve problems. Teamwork was essential. It really helped to take time for everyone to get to know each other at the kick-off meeting. It was also helpful to  develop and follow a team contract. Good planning paid off in execution. We spent a fair amount of time developing a good project charter, scope statement, WBS, schedules, and so on. Everyone worked together to develop these planning documents, and there was strong buy-in. Project management software was very helpful throughout the project. 5. Describe one example of what went right on this project.  One example of what went right on this project is can help improve employee health to reduce intranet cost by negotiates lower employee health care premiums. When employee has a better health, it can lead to better performance in daily company operation. Beside that, it also can increase employee motivation and loyalty to company and help company built up healthy image to public. 6. Describe one example of what went wrong on this project. One example of what went wrong on this project is the cost of this project was over budget. We did meet our schedule goal, and the final cost for the whole system was about $500,000. 7. What will you do differently on the next project based on your experience working on this project? We will do differently on the next project based on this project is give more care and thought this project for about when we do the estimate time requirements and identify required resources and budget. We must very carefully when our choose the resources because we should take budget to identify it and should be wise to control the over-budget.

History of immigration

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tots to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! † Do our immigration policies still honor the words written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 on the base of the Statue of Liberty, and if so, what impact do they have on our economy?The issue of whether our economy is impacted negativity or positively by undocumented workers and what should be done about It Is a widely debated topic in this country right now and reported about on every form of media (news, print, social) available on a dally basis. The Issue of undocumented Immigration Is Important; It concerns fundamental, moral and economic questions about how we deal with Immigration In our country. Various arguments have been presented about this issue.We will consider the argument from people who feel the undocumented workers negatively affect the economy, why those views are flawed, review the evolution of imm igration along with immigration policies and what are in effect presently, what policies would promote change regarding immigration, as well as how we can build a bridge between the two arguments. I will then put forward suggestions for the introduction of ways in which we can begin the changes in policy to best suit both sides of the argument. It has been argued that undocumented workers drain the economy and Just benefit a few businesses at the expense of Americans citizens.An article written by Steven Amalgam, published in the City Journal summer 2006, supports the belief : â€Å"unskilled, undocumented workers benefit a handful of Industries by getting low cost labor, and the taxpayers foot the bill. † In other words, undocumented workers and their illegal families are a drain on our economy. It is claimed that they send every penny they earn to their country of origin, use public services they are not entitled to, perform menial labor, do not pay taxes and their children abuse the right to public services and education.However, as the pamphlet by Neighborhood center states: † in fact there is no question as to the importance of the buying power of undocumented immigrants. The real predictor of wage disparity is not whether someone is an immigrant (regardless of status), it is lack of education. Foreign-born entrepreneurs with startups businesses have been behind 25 percent of these businesses in this country. Three quarters of the undocumented Immigrants pay payroll taxes and they contribute $7 billion In Social Security funds annually without the ability to collect Social Security.While the majority of the children of undocumented Immigrants are born here legally and are eligible to public services and education, their parents for fear of deportation are negative impact on the economy is Just a myth; there is a net benefit to the nation's total economic output raising it by a reported $21. 5 billion per year (USA Today). In addition, accordi ng to a study by the investment research company, Standard & Poor's, â€Å"the cost of providing services to undocumented workers is largely offset by the economic benefits they generate. We can see why if you look at the economic effect on the country without researching your views toughly, on the surface you may be able to put together a shaky argument, but after researching the facts you do see that undocumented workers actually boost our economy, as we see in Gordon H. Hansom's, The Economics and Policy report of illegal immigration in the United States; â€Å"the current regime of illegal immigration, despite its faults, has been efficiently beneficial to US employers that they are doubtful about the capacity of Congress to improve the situation and therefore unwilling to take the political risk of supporting reform.The collected taxes impact our economy now while baby boomers are starting to collect their Social Security benefits they boost the system by the unconvertible fu nds of undocumented workers. † Before we can understand how we arrived at the present immigration policies here in America, we must look back at the evolution of immigration and immigration policy from the 1600 to present time. Our long economic history in America has been shaped by the groups of immigrants that have settled here, what contributions to the economy they brought with them and how the immigration policy changed in response to the influx of each group of immigrants.We will start our review looking at a few immigration groups, the changes made to our immigration policies starting with the English Settlers with traders and their contributions to the economy to present day influx of Middle Eastern and Latin origin immigrants benefiting our economy with access to low cost and back breaking labor. In the 1600 hundreds the traders that were brought by the English settlers not only brought the spices and hard goods to trade, they brought slave labor for trading as well.T his group, African slaves would grow quickly to 20 percent of the population providing cheap labor, and since they were considered property, they were not allowed to be naturalized till 1870. Many different groups came and made contributions to the economy of cheap labor with their meat processing skills, work ethic and willingness to take on highly dangerous back breaking Jobs. With each new group the policy changed; the first immigration law enacted in 1790 (after nearly a century of unregulated immigration and massive economic growth) began defining and restricting citizenship to the United States.The act of 1790 was revised, further restricting and adding requirements for obtaining citizenship. The Asian immigrants experienced a similar exclusionary period as did the Africans; they were allowed to live in the US but were not allowed to become citizens until 1943 when the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was repealed. President Ronald Reagan was instrumental in bringing forth the Im migration Reform and Control Act of 1986.Many revisions have been made to the immigration laws, but t was never as publicized as after September 1 1, 2001 when fear of Terrorism brought the need for reform so we can exclude individuals suspected to be terrorists. Presently the immigration laws are not an easy path to becoming legal and are not family friendly because they separate parents from their American born children Just life. â€Å"America's immigration system is outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country.We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people and deny businesses willing workers and invite chaos at our borders. † George W. Bush, February 2, 2005. George w. Bush and Barack Obama did not agree on many things, but â€Å"They share a belief that the high levels of illegal immigration are an indication of the current policy being broken, and that immigrants by and large make a positive contribution to America. â€Å"We need immigration reform that will secure our borders, and†¦.. That finally brings 12 million people who are here illegally out of the shadows†¦We must assert our values and reconcile our principles as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. † Barack Obama, June 28, 2008. Two Presidents, from two different political parties, with very efferent political views share the same view that our immigration system is broken. What changes should be made to the immigration policy here in America? How will those changes affect the economy? What is the moral impact on families? These are questions which divide many; philosophers, labor unions, political parties, the people within political parties, the people in nail salons and Americans in general.Peter Brooklime (1999), a political philosopher, a ND supporter of placing restrictions on immigration that would all but end immigration to this country, believes the current immigration policies second guess the Ameri can people and Jeopardize our nation. Brimless beliefs historically were supported by Labor unions and their leaders, yet even these groups are realizing that the number of immigrant union members has been rapidly increasing (Migration Policy institute 2004) and if they do not begin to embrace the immigrants a large number of their membership base will disappear and possibly their existence as well.To the other extreme, Walter Block argues â€Å"like tariffs and exchange controls, migration barriers of whatever type are egregious locations of laissez-flare capitalism† (Block 1998; 168). The Democratic Party says they support â€Å"immigration reform† and point fingers at the Republican Party for not having it done yet. Ironically, a Republican President supported and pushed for the most encompassing reform possible â€Å"Amnesty in 1996†. We need to arrive at a compromise of the two schools of thought.Yes we do have to protect ourselves from terrorists and crimi nals, but not at the cost of our crops not being picked or produce being too high to purchase, our manicures and pedicures getting out of control price sis or our restaurants having to raise prices so high only the rich could afford to eat out. We need to also morally take into consideration families. Why should I, a second generation American( paternal side of my family) and a multi generation American( on the maternal side of my family), with children who are first generation Americans be denied my late mother in law to visit and stay with us as long as is mutually agreed upon.The Consulate in Ecuador at first denied us a visa for my Mother in Law. I had to fight for my rights as an American to bring her home with me. They only gave her a 3 month visa. I also had to close my eyes after the three month visa expired to her being illegally in America. So America's immigration policy made this grandmother a criminal. While we ponder on what to do about immigration we must control ours elves from falling subject to xenophobia, misconceptions and political rhetoric.We do need to continue with researching the brings forth in their applications to come to America or that are here presently â€Å"illegally'. The paperwork involved should not be so difficult that we only further the economy by creating further Jobs in the immigration law field. If you have family here already and have been contributing to our economy through your hard work, contributing to our economy through your spending power and good civic behavior, why should you have a difficult path to legalization?Simplify paperwork, intensify background checks of those applying and their family members here and in their country of origin, require medical examination and community service components in the legalization path. Allow those that are here to pay a nominal fee, submit simple applications to change their immigration status from illegal to in process of globalization and come out of the shadows. This will really protect our borders by knowing who is here amongst us.Willingness to do good works for the many non- profit organizations that exist should be much more important than your financial resources in your country of origin in any path to legalization. Policy should be put in place allowing immigrants here to move from â€Å"illegal† to citizen in a reasonable amount of time with the before mentioned components built in so we can weed out the criminals not willing to live by our laws and contribute to our society and support he growth of our country, while rewarding the immigrants that with their diversity and civic responsibility add to the strength of our country.These policies would improve the type of applicant, reduce need for expense of immigration lawyers, and reduce the need to spend on expensive man power in INS offices, and embassies, move the emphases on skilled, community minded, productive, family oriented immigrants willing to pay their taxes and contribu te to diversity and economic growth of our wonderful country. We need to build a bridge between the main two arguments of public safety nickering terrorists and Jeopardizing our economy, as well as moral fiber with policies that will have protections of the many while also representing the fiber that made our country what it is.Allowing the right wing to impose restrictions on immigration based on fear is not in the best interest of our country. In conclusion, we are a nation of immigrants. The only Americans that truly belong here is those with Native American Indian ancestry. The rest of the American population is either descendents of immigrants or immigrants themselves; some by choice and others forced to migrate due to refugee, slavery etc. Our Country was made by immigrants, and this is a supporting case point to continue allowing immigration at a fairly high level.

Perasuasive Sales Letter Essay

This short letter revolves around one important point: blood donated for infusions can be stored for no longer than 72 hours, after which it will be discarded. This means that people are in serious danger of dying depend on the daily efforts of all Americans who donate blood to save them. Today, the situation is critical because national supplies stored at Red Cross have dropped to dangerously low levels. This means that many people may not survive for very long once they get into a traffic accident or collapse because of a health problem. Luckily for them, professionals from the Red Cross over the years have developed impressive expertise in finding, processing and using donated blood. More importantly, they have developed an effective way to raise interest in blood donation through initiatives such as Blood Mobile. An impressive example of a life saved is that of five-year-old Melissa who was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects at birth, which caused her first open-heart surgery a week after her birth. To this point, her life has depended on using donor bloods that keeps her alive. Without 50 units of blood donated by different people, she would not have overcome her illness and survive till this day. The effort to collect blood for transfusions is going around the nation: restaurants, company offices, even beauty parlors – quite a wide range of businesses have already hosted Red Cross blood drives. The Pechanga Casino Entertainment Center can also make a serious contribution to the ongoing donation effort by hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive. By doing so, we will undoubtedly be able to gather large amount of blood, helping many people to cope with their illness. The mission of this campaign is clear and appealing. It consists in delivering donors’ blood to those patients who need it urgently. In doing so, the casino will attract people who qualify for blood donation. To be eligible for take part, one has to be over 17 years of age and weigh no less than 110 pounds. I am sure that a large number of people who meet these criteria as well as their friends and relatives will be willing to come to our casino to participate in the noble effort. Today, we can help thousands of people in urgent need of blood supply through a simple, yet effective effort. The Pechanga Casino Entertainment Center can organize a Red Cross Blood Drive, and I will be more than happy to lead the effort. Given my past experience in organising Toys for tots drive last year, I feel confident in handling the promotion for the event, especially since I know the Red Cross will supply plenty of materials to help in the organizing process. We can make a contribution to saving thousands of lives through hosting this event, a contribution that will improve our corporate image in this locality and beyond. In the words of Melissa’s mother, we can â€Å"give a piece of themselves† to help those in whose position we can find ourselves at some point. I am positive that many employees will share my enthusiasm for the event. I also have trust that the community will not let this event pass unnoticed and will regard the organisation that initiated it with high esteem. You can assess for yourselves the promises it holds for the growth of our business.

Plato vs the gospel of John Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plato vs the gospel of John - Essay Example There is a great power of soul and this fact cannot be denied. Soul is responsible for self-movement and in case it is unable to move, then it loses its power and remains standing still on the Earth. A human being is associated with an earthy frame for the soul and once it is captured in this frame, it results in a mortal human being. In the gospel by John the main emphasis is made on the importance of a human being as a child of light. There is no serious emphasis made on motion, but it is more important to associate a human being with light. People are children of light for sure and this fact underlines that their souls and bodies are highlighted. Once a human being meets darkness and is captured by the hands of darkness, he feels destroyed. Moreover, there is more about a way of perfection in the gospel. Jesus clarifies pure truths to his followers and claims that it is necessary to follow his words and love him, because Jesus loves people and wants to breed the same feelings amon g his followers. Jesus is positioned as a mediator between God and people on the Earth. He outlines possible ways to self-perfection in the modern world. A way to God is a way of teachings and instructions of this divine entity imposed on the followers. Nevertheless, there is a strong necessity of every Christian to follow this thorny path and to live in compliance with the laws of God. A blind following the laws of God underlines a strong inner power of his follower and makes his people strong-willed and self-confident in case they are able to listen to the words of their Teacher. Therefore, in both abstracts there is a discussion about a way of perfection and the role of the soul. For Plato the role of the soul is one of the most crucial for every human being. Every soul should be open for a proper food and in this case it will not lose its wings. It is possible to claim that Plato considers a challenging way of the soul’s development on the Earth and in case this soul obta ins knowledge absolute in existence absolute than it returns to the Heaven and comes back home. Therefore, to reach the Heaven is to follow all the directions of God and be a strong person, which is striving to reach God’s goodness and tolerance. The highest part of the soul reflects its ability to be open to God’s new prospects and considerations. Thus, Plato is more focused on the power of soul and inner harmony, while in the gospel there is a clear dominance of a human ability to follow God’s laws. Still, a way of perfection and further life of the soul depends on the human ability to follow the laws of God. Otherwise it is impossible to reach forgiveness, tolerance, to love God and to be loved by him. There are different types of the souls and depending on the way the soul lived a life in certain frames, it will either survive or not in the human embodiment on the Earth. Of course, there are more philosophic considerations in the work by Plato, but there are more religious ideas in the gospel by John. Two different modes of narration are united by a common theme of God’s doctrine. Perfection of a human being is a perfection of his soul. This fact cannot be denied and it is evident that a human being has numerous opportunities to follow his way, but only the most steady, tolerant and patient ones, which are able to listen to the words of God will become immortal creatures and enable their souls to live many other life cycles. Therefore, a way of perfecti

Business plane Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business plane - Term Paper Example For all the above, our company has decided to take the challenge and penetrate the art market and establish a strong foothold in the industry and gain a major market share of this highly profitable sector. â€Å"Our mission is to maintain our reputation as an energetic, outgoing and accessible art gallery in London that inspire, interest and sell art work to an increasingly diverse audience and collectors. Not only do we have classified ourselves as a gallery but also as a brand in selling out artwork and products. We aim to acquire, collect and present to our customer the finest works of art available on the market scene in a variety of media and concepts as well as supplying art materials to our customers.† â€Å"Our vision is to expand our business into promoting a strong arts education and arts appreciation for our customers, the general public and educational institutions with interest in art. We aim to develop and integrate our brand (XYZ) into a household name in the art market.† The primary research carried out over the past few months and this gave valuable insights into the information regarding the potential sales per month, operational plan and staffing requirements. Information was also gathered on the different prominent media through which advertising can be easily done to target the potential market segments. Laissez-Faire Buyers: Not all consumers who buy art are avidly devoted fans. A profile of customers tends to visit art galleries and exhibitions when they are easy to get to. These consumers, who tend to go to these social gatherings because they are close by, also tend to be frugal spenders which would imply a laissez-faire type of consumer who will visit out of convenience more than avid following. Urban Prosperity: A major target segment will be the Urban Prosperity group, consisting of a high

Teaching Materials for Secondary School Teachers Essay

Teaching Materials for Secondary School Teachers - Essay Example To be able to help students to achieve a productive future that ultimately can help the nation, schools should not provide mediocre learning. This can be attributed to the fact that educational system should aim for high quality in the education methods and techniques that are used and utilized. Quality education can be considered as a necessity since the search for employment to be able to survive in the present society can be considered as one of the most competitive process. It is then important primarily to define quality education. Specifically, quality education is a term that is based on the four principles of education. Quality can be equivalent to the standard that makes students more than capable to be able to present themselves in the real world. The basic foundation principles include the concepts of learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together with others, and learning to be. The provision of quality education can be considered as one of the basic rights of a person falling next to the basic needs (Sims and Sims, 1995). Quality education is culturally appropriate and locally relevant where the economic, environmental and social contexts of a particular area are taken into consideration in the formulation of the curriculum. It develops knowledge, perspectives, values, attitudes and life skills. Quality education provides the means to transform existing societies to more sustainable societies (Lee, 1963; Sims and Sims, 1995). Based on the definition of quality education it can be considered that there is a great need to be able to have an in depth study on the factors that can contribute to the achievement of quality education. ... In relation to the said issues regarding education, the main focus of the study is the presentation of the importance of one of the essential factors of educational process which is the educators and the capabilities to facilitate the process of learning. II. Essential Notions in Education In the aim to achieve quality education in the secondary level, there are different notions that are needed to be considered. One is the teaching methods and principles which can be considered as the main content in teaching. The said component can commonly be observed through the analysis of the composition of the curriculum in an educational institution (Lee, 1963). Another important component is the educators that can be considered as the main personalities that serve as keys to the attainment of the type of education that is aspired for. The ability of the educators extends from the capacity to present and achieve a learning process on the different aspects of a learner's personality. To be able to achieve the objectives of learning the learning techniques and styles of an educator is essential. This can be attributed to the fact that the educator facilitates the leaning process (Sims and Sims, 1995). One important factor of the learning process also is the learner. Basically, the abilities, attitudes and predispositions of learner also make the facilitation of the learning process possible. Abilities can be considered as the natural capabilities of the learners and students that are needed to be enhanced and developed in the process of learning. Determination of such abilities is essential although the said measure vary for every student. Another is the

Communication and Counselling Skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Communication and Counselling Skills - Essay Example ry vital to the society at large since they take care of people’s health and try their best to save patients from losing lives due to diseases, stress, accidents and injuries(Robert & James, 2005). Health and care social organisations offer a variety of services to clients and therefore should have the appropriate technology and workforce to satisfy needs of their services users exceptionally well (Peter & Rose, 2007). The workforce employed or volunteering to work in these organisations must have the necessary skills and knowledge that match the duties and responsibilities that they will be allocated. Counseling services is one the many services provided for health and social care institutions. People employed or volunteering to execute these services in these institutions must have the necessary counseling and communication skills needed for them to execute their duties and responsibilities in an exceptional manner. In this essay, a range of counseling perspectives used in c ounseling interaction, current ethical codes and boundaries related to professional practice in counseling and the significance of communication and counseling skills within health and social care will be critically analyzed and evaluated. Counseling perspectives used in counseling interactions simply mean the counseling attitudes that are applied in interactions between counselors and their clients (Stacy & Remy, 2007). The main three theories that explain these counseling perspectives are psychodynamic theory, theory of cognitive behavioral therapy and the theory of person centered therapy. In this essay only two theories will be covered and they are theory of person centered therapy and that one of cognitive behavioral therapy. Person centered therapy is also known as client centered therapy and was formulated by a humanist psychologist by the name of Carl Rogers in the year 1945 (Athman, 2006, p.15). It is a talk therapy which is non-directive in nature and among the widely used

The Role of the Leader in Evaluating Data to Improve Quality and Assignment

The Role of the Leader in Evaluating Data to Improve Quality and Safety Paper - Assignment Example Despite the increased attention within the healthcare industry to facilitate reimbursement to the best available intentions for managing patient falls, the rates continue to escalate, which puts the patients and their caregivers at risk. The facts as depicted in the core of this study indicate the alarming rates, which falls and other critical developments in the care facilities continue to influence the role of the nursing leaders. The facts as presented remain undeniably high compared to the rates of the manageable cases within this case as the report indicates. The telemetry unit in this case is observing an increasing rate of falls of patients. For instance, compared to the average age, which is at 72.4 years, this rate of falls is quite difficult to note the cause. Secondly, the majority of the cases of the patient falls as depicted in the case apply to the patients with diuretics. The patients depict aspects of confusion and disorientation, constituting 12% of the patients with such secondary diagnostics. This establishment is vital to the establishment of workable plan. Additionally, it is also observable that most of the cases of the patient falls occur during the early morning hours. The patient reports indicate that a significant majority of the patients experiencing falls occurs from 3:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Moreover, it is also notable that the minimum number of patient falls occurs in the afternoon hours. These observations indicate the need to evaluate the causative factors contributing to this trend in within the unit. From observing the developments in the fall rates, it is also notable that the average falls is on the rise for each of the days within the hours described. The nurses that recall the incidents when the patient fell indicate that the patient fall rates increase with increase in age. This observation means that the plan to address the cases of patient falls need to consider the vulnerability and co-morbidities

Watch the film slumdog milionaire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Watch the film slumdog milionaire - Essay Example Police also become suspicious and wait for the start of the show at night when they arrest him. They detain and interrogate him. As he proves his innocence, Malik tells them how he gets the answers to all questions. All the questions in the game asked have links to events in his life. The flashbacks from his interrogations bring to the viewers the attention of his friend Latika and Salim his brother. Every flashback links to a person, event or song that in turn provides the correct answer. The film’s concept revolves around fate and how an individual’s fate can at times be contrary to people’s expectations. In this film, no one thought Malik would win the competition or answer such difficult questions. Moreover, the policemen doubted his performance and ended up detaining him. The police duty of service to all ended up being biased because of the boy’s fate. The film is remarkable and has succeeded in showing that nothing and no one has the power over another person’s fate. Furthermore, it has demonstrated man’s ability to transform life and rise beyond the worst

God and the Philosopher Essay Example for Free

God and the Philosopher Essay Abstract Philosophers are known to be great thinkers.   The discipline itself is concerned with ethics, what things exist and their essential natures, knowledge, and logic.   Typically, when one is asked about his or her beliefs, the subject of God comes up. Whether or not God exist is the biggest and most ultimate question that people have ever asked. The topic of God is important to the philosopher.   He enjoys the contemplation of the subject. â€Å"Proofs of the existence of God† developed over the past 2,400 years by different philosophers. It is the foundation of most introductions to philosophy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does God exist?   The existence of God can be compared to space.   We know that space does not have an ending.   God â€Å"has no beginning and no end.   He is eternal† (Cameron, 465).   Some people don’t believe in anything that is not visible to the eye (Cameron, 471). The link to God for most philosophers is the world.   Thomas Aquinas, a theologian, â€Å"specialized in the philosophical analysis of the nature of God and God’s relation to the world† (McCarty, 196). He refers to Aristotle as â€Å"The Philosopher†; â€Å"Aquinas uses Aristotle’s emphasis on the importance of empirical evidence to offer the creation of the world as proof for the existence of God as its cause† (McCarty, 197).   He saw the creation of the world as proof for the existence of God.   â€Å"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.   Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters (Genesis 1:1-2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Big Bang Theory tries to disprove the Genesis account of creation by stating that the universe was formed from an explosion.   Usually an explosion produces disorder and chaos, not trees, flowers, and animals (Cameron, 418).   Also, in order for an explosion to occur, there must be something present to explode and a means to cause the explosion.   â€Å"You cannot create something out of nothing† (Cameron, 419).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"Proofs of the existence of God† is a set of arguments that were developed over the past 2,400 years by different philosophers.   The purpose was to demonstrate that â€Å"there is, or exists, an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, benevolent creator of the universe who goes by the name of God† (Wolff, 364).   The first and â€Å"philosophically weakest† proof is the Argument from Design.   William Paley presented his argument in his book â€Å"Natural Theology†.   He noted that man-made objects were designed to serve a purpose by its maker.    We can compare this to the creations of nature, like the human eye or the brain.   They are sophisticated and cannot be duplicated.   The conclusion is only God must be the â€Å"all-powerful Maker† (Wolff, 366).   The second proof is the Cosmological Argument, which is offered by thirteenth-century Christian philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas.   His first argument is that some things move in the world.   Secondly, there must be a first movement to precede other movements.   A â€Å"first mover† must exist.   That â€Å"necessary being is God† (Wolff, 373). The final proof and â€Å"the most famous, the most mystifying, the most outrageous and irritating philosophical argument of all time† is the Ontological Argument (Wolff, 378).   Saint Anselm writes about this proof in his philosophical work the â€Å"Proslogion†.   The concept of the existence of God was based on the idea of the perfect being.   Nothing greater than God is inconceivable (Wolff, 370).   Some philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, have defended this proof over the past nine centuries.   On the other hand, it has also been rejected by other philosophers, such as St. Thomas Aquinas, and claimed as invalid because it cannot be proven. In addition to the Cosmological Argument, Aquinas argues his case using five proofs of his own (McCarty, 197).   The first proof is motion.   As with the Cosmological Argument, a â€Å"first mover† must exist to cause motion.   His second proof is causation.   â€Å"The natural world holds together through a tight chain of cause-and-effect relationships† (McCarty, 198).   For example, rain causes vegetation to grow.   The third proof is necessity/possibility. Aquinas argued that all events either have to be necessary or possible.   â€Å"A Necessary Being must exist that actualizes the possibility of the world as we know it† (McCarty, 199). The fourth proof is gradation. Some natural beings are more advanced than others.   Humans are at the top of the evolutionary chain.  Ã‚   â€Å"God has given him dominion (authority) over all the animals (Genesis 1:28) â€Å" (Cameron, 427).   This leads into the final proof of governance.   Humans are intellectually superior to animals and have priority over them (Cameron, 427). This is part of God’s Order (McCarty, 200). Most arguments for the existence of God start with some fact about the world and all of its components and activities (Morris, 243).   The topic of God is important because He is the backbone of any philosophical discussion. The Bible states that God is holy (Psalm 99:9).   Webster’s definition of holy is â€Å"sanctified†, which means to be free from sin. Ethics is a big part of philosophy. It embraces right conduct and good life.   â€Å"Ethical conduct is behavior that respects and nurtures truth, beauty, goodness, and unity, in our own lives, and in the lives of people we deal with day to day† (Morris, 111).   Good people struggle daily to resist temptations and pressures that they would not consider to be proper behavior.   â€Å"A good person is a person who shoots at the target of human happiness and flourishing for other people as well as himself† (Morris, 101).   On the other hand, there are people that don’t think about the consequences of their behavior. They act to satisfy their own selfish needs (Morris, 111). Philosophers view the concept of morality as a set of many rules (Morris, 112).   The Bible lists many of them.   Exodus 20 in the Old Testament lists The Ten Commandments.   The book of Leviticus contains many rules for work, worshipping God, and cleanliness. Another aspect of morality is The Golden Rule.   It states: â€Å"So in everything, do to others what you would have the do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets† (Matthew 7:12). In other words, treats others, as you would like to be treated.   â€Å"It captures the main attitude of an ethical person regarding the impact of his actions on others† (Morris, 114). In conclusion, the existence of God is a link for philosophers to the world. The topic of God is important when discussing ethics, morality, and nature to twentieth century philosophers as well as thirteenth-century ones. References Cameron, Kirk, Comfort, Ray. (2004). The School of Biblical Evangelism.   Gainesville:   Bridge-Logos Publishers. International Bible Society. (1984). The Holy Bible.   Grand Rapids:   Zondervan Publishing House. McCarty, Marietta. (2006). Little Big Minds:   Sharing Philosophy With Kids.   New York:   The Penguin Group. Morris, Tom. (1999). Philosophy For Dummies.   New York:   Wiley Publishing Company. Wolff, Robert Paul. (2000).   About Philosophy (8th).  Ã‚   Upper Saddle River:   Prentice Hall.

Discussion Acculturation and Assimilation

Discussion Acculturation and Assimilation The purpose of my study was to explore to what extent Greek-Americans hold attitudes and behaviors for the conservation and intergenerational transmission of their ethnic culture through a cross-sectional analysis of survey on 229 self-identified Greek American members of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of New Jersey. Overall, the respondents included in the current study had achieved upward mobility as indicated by their high education attainment and socio-economic status and they had shown a remarkable high level of preservation of their cultural heritage. They succeeded through their affiliation to the Greek language, the Greek Orthodox Church, the church afternoon schools, their participation to various Greek organizations, their family values, the continuing contact with Greece and their participation in political activities. The results not only provided a quantitative view of the behaviors and attitudes towards culture preservation in the six domains, but also helped us to bet ter understand the acculturation and assimilation process. Our results support that Greek-Americans included in the current study did not fall into the straight line assimilation model as described by Milton Gordon (Gordon 1978). The straight line assimilation theory assumes that the immigrants shed their identifications with their home society and that assimilation into American society is prompted by host society institutions. This model suggests there is essentially but one path through which immigrants can be integrated into the mainstream society. On the contrary our results demonstrated that regardless of the generation, over 90% of the participants identified themselves as either Greek or Greek American and ~90% of the participants felt a sense of pride and a strong bond with other Greeks and Greek Americans when they attend a Greek heritage event. They are actively involved in the Greek Orthodox Church; they participate in Greek/Hellenic Organizations and support Greek National Interests through donations. All these data suggest that Greek Americans did not shed their identity in order to move up in the American society; rather, they have kept a bicultural identity. Second, the assumption that assimilation into the American society is prompted by the host society institutions does not hold either. For example, the majority of the participants (67%) responded that Greeks living in the United States should try to influence American foreign policy towards Greece and 64% of the participants responded that they had supported (through donations, fund raisers, public expressions of opinion, etc.) the Greek National Interests. This finding coincides with a previous study (Karpathakis, 1999b) revealing that Greek Americans were concerned with Greeces territorial sovereignty issues and they attempted to influence host society foreign policy regarding Greece. Clearly the Greek cultural identity had affected their assimilation in the American society, which was ignored by Gordons paradigm. In view of the criticisms of the classical assimilation theory by Gordon, Barkan (1995) developed a six stage assimilation model and argued the there has been no one pattern, no one cycle, no one outcome that uniformly encompasses all ethnic experiences. Alba and Nee (2003) re-conceptualized assimilation as an intergenerational process affected not just by social, financial and human capital of immigrant families but also by the ways individuals use these resources with and apart from the existing structure of ethnic networks and institutions. They argued that assimilation does not preclude retaining elements of ethnic culture. In contrast, Portes and Zhou (1993) proposed the theory of segmented assimilation, which asserts that the United States is a stratified and unequal society, and different segments of society are available to which immigrants may assimilate. They further argued that total assimilation will put immigrant minorities in vulnerable positions while a strategy of pac ed, selective assimilation may prove the best course for these groups (Portes and Zhou 1993). Segmented assimilation theory is based on the notion that the living experience in America is very diverse. No single context can apply to all immigrant families and assimilation has varying consequences for immigrants. Critics of segmented assimilation pointed out that the causal link between assimilation into the underclass and development of oppositional cultures among immigrant children is questionable (Xie and Greenman, 2011). Although these theories have certain limitations, they provide a useful framework for the present study. Our study used a variety of measures of assimilation including spatial concentration, loss of Greek language, socioeconomic status, and intermarriage. According to Waters and Jimenez (2005), these measures are the four primary benchmarks of assimilation and existing literature showing that todays immigrants are largely assimilating into American society along each of these dimensions. Spatial concentration, i.e., dissimilarity in spatial distribution and suburbanization is a measure of cultural assimilation and primary and secondary structural assimilation. Spatial assimilation theory asserts that foreign-born residents will choose suburban residential locations after assimilating culturally and socioeconomically (Massey, 1985). Primary structural assimilation occurs when newcomers begin to engage in intimate, small group social interaction with individuals from the dominant group, such as in clubs, social functions, family gatherings, and so on. Secondary structural assimilation occurs when ethnic group members become integrated into the large, impersonal societal groups in the educational, economic and political institutions of the larger society (Marger, 2012). The present study showed that 77% of the participants reside in a suburban area indicating a high degree of structural assimilation among Greek Americans. It is interesting to observe that the First gene ration (85%) and the Third or beyond generation (80%) had a higher suburbanization rate than the Second generation (71%). Our study also showed that 31% live in a community where many other people of Greek descent live and 56% of the participants live in a community where there are a few people of Greek descent with additional 3% of them reported that there are no people other than their family of Greek descent in their community. The rest 11% of the participants were not sure about their community whether there are any people of Greek descent. Our findings also suggest that living in an area without other people of Greek descent was positively linked to poorer Greek language skills and more negative attitudes and behaviors towards cultural retention in several domains. Thus, community composition played an important role in retention and loss of ethnic culture. Living in a community where there are many people of Greek descent provide the participants more opportunity to network wi th others, speak Greek language, participating heritage events, which in turn contributed to a higher ethnic pride and feel of belonging and they are more likely to maintain their ethnic culture. Loss of Greek language is an indicator of acculturation which is in accord with our study. Here, we observed a clear trend of loss of Greek language in the Third or beyond generation as more than half of the participants indicated that their Greek language ability is poor to non-existent. Our findings coincide with Waters and Jimenezs (2005) three-generation model of language assimilation which stated that the first generation  makes some progress in language assimilation but remains dominant in their  native tongue, the second generation is  bilingual, and the third-generation speaks only English. Religion is also a measure of acculturation because religion is viewed as a culture construct that occurs and develops within specific cultural contexts (Zinnbauer Pargament, 2005). As such, religion is likely to influence acculturation by shaping cultural norms, values, behaviors, and attitudes (Yang Ebaugh, 2001). Similarly, Gà ¼ngà ¶r et al (2012) emphasized that religious reaffirmation is related to cultural values of interdependence, heritage culture maintenance, and ethnic identification. Socioeconomic status (SES), such as education, occupation status and income, is a measure of secondary structural assimilation. As immigrants begin to venture out into the mainstream educational and employment institutions, their level of interaction with non-ethnics increases and so do the possibilities of engaging with the latter in intimate social interaction within primary social groups (Scott, 2009). Our study suggested high education achievements, high income and more professional fields of occupation among all generations of participants, which showed that Greek Americans have achieved secondary structural assimilation as they enjoy relatively equal access to jobs, political authority and other important opportunities. In other words, they have full participation in all institutional areas of American society. The majority of the participants had at least college education (77%) and a household income above $50,000 (66%). It is interesting to see that the Second generation had a higher income than both the First and the Third or beyond generation. 41% reported that they work in a professional field including attorneys, medical doctors, accountants, engineers, IT project managers, nurses, family therapists, pharmaceutical sales representatives, etc. 11% of the respondents were in an academic field. Moreover, we observed that 15% of the First generation and 11% of the Second generation had a Ph.D./M.D. degree while not a single Third or beyond generation respondent was found to hold a Ph.D./M.D. degree. Clearly, Greek America should encourage younger generations to achieve higher academic achievements and dedicate themselves to a more diverse professional field including research and teaching. Intermarriage is an indicator of amalgamation (Waters and Jimà ©nez, 2005). Much of the research has relied on intermarriage as an indicator of assimilation (e.g. Alba, 1981; Alba and Camlin, 1983; Castonguay, 1982; Cohen, 1977). Both interethnic and interfaith marriages were found to be a factor contributing to the process of assimilation. In our study, we not only estimated the intermarriage rate across generations, but we also studied the impact of intermarriage on attitudes and behaviors of preserving Hellenic core values as well as the attitudes towards interethnic and interfaith marriage. The findings are discussed later in further context. Our study also tested acculturation theories. Berry proposed four modes of acculturation: assimilation, integration, separation and marginalization. Assimilation refers to the acceptation of the majoritys culture on the expanse of ones own original minority culture. Separation refers to the opposite stance: loyalty toward ones original minority culture and the rejection of the majoritys culture. Integration refers to the adoption of both cultures with an attempt to integrate between them, while marginalization refers to distancing from ones original heritage culture, but this time without assimilating to the majoritys culture. This, results with the individual remaining with no clear cultural identification (Berry, 1997, 2001). The contribution of the acculturation theory is that it empirically demonstrated the ability to predict desirable or undesirable adjustment outcomes among distinct immigrant groups and members of minority ethnic groups. More specifically, numerous studies found integration to be the most successful adaptation strategy by balancing the host countrys culture with the traditional values of ones own culture origin while marginalization struggled the most to adapt to the dominant society (Berry, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1997, 2003; Berry et al., 2006, Berry, 2010). A number of factors were found to influence the acculturation process, including, length of time living in the host country (Zheng and Berry, 1991), socio-economic status (Aroian et al, 1998) and social support from the host society (Garcia et al, 2002). Given the strong Greek culture preservation shown in the current sample, we believe that the participants did not follow assimilation or marginalization strategies in which they would become more alienated toward their own culture. For example, assimilated individuals do not want to keep their identity from their home culture, but would rather take on all of the characteristics of the new culture. On the contrary marginalized individuals dont want anything to do with either the new culture or the old culture. The results cannot be explained by separation either where the individuals become alienated toward the host culture and totally separate them from the main society. Our results indicated that 76% of the participants identified themselves as Greek American with a socioeconomic status which is above the average in the sampled geographic area (NJ, PA, and VA) based on the 2010 U.S. Census. About half of the participants did not prefer to speak Greek when they were among people who understand Greek (Q15). Third, the majority of the participants did not agree that people of Greek descent should marry people of Greek descent (Q30), and neither did they agree that they would be unhappy if their children married someone who was not a member of the Greek Orthodox Church (Q31), which indicated that they are open to marry non-Greek partners. Our results showed that the participants of this survey had adjusted to the American culture instead of isolating themselves from the host culture. Therefore, the major mode Greek Americans took is integration, by which, the participants embrace both their culture of origin and the society of settlement thus getting the best of both worlds. The results indicate that the participants have strong positive attitudes and behaviors towards preserving the Greek heritage. For example, they thought it is important for their children and people of Greek ancestry to speak Greek, they routinely attended worship services at the Greek Ortho dox Church, they participated in Greek organizations like AHEPA and they attended Greek heritage events with a sense of pride and bond with other Greeks. All these characteristics demonstrated that the Greek-Americans had amply preserved their culture of origin and they gradually integrated themselves into the main society. In addition, the participants showed a more democratic attitude which has been influenced by their integration into the American culture. For example, the majority of the Second and Third or beyond generations disagreed that the father should have the final say in most important decisions. Overall, we identified a shift from Greek culture values to shared Greek-American values through generations. Such shift may reflect the need to utilize the best of both cultures. As Karpathakis (1999b) argued that with economic and cultural globalization, persons with bi-national identity are increasingly seen by the mainstream as assets. Therefore, it is more advantageous for Greek Americans to utilize the best of both worlds by following an integration approach to adaptation. Bicultural identification was also linked to immigrants engagement in their host societies. When immigrants perform bicultural identities they are more likely to be involved in the political life of their country of origin (Simon and Ruhs, 2008) and also have more opportunities to engage in political institutions within the host society (Huo and Molina, 2006). A new version of the straight line model has come into circulation as a construct for explaining the participation of White ethnic group members in cultural heritage activities. First proposed by Gans in 1979, the concept of symbolic ethnicity denotes a new stage in the assimilation of middle-class, suburban Whites into an inclusive, Pan-European or Pan-White identity in which ethnicity is no longer the basis for collective action or the transmission of distinctive ethnic cultures across generations. As Gans (2009) recently stated: Symbolic ethnicity proposes the rejection of or a departure from active ethnicity: from participation in ethnic groups and in ethnic culture. It hypothesizes a passive ethnicity, involving the temporary and periodic expression of feelings about or toward the ethnic group or culture through material and non-material symbols. Symbolic ethnicity can even be a leisure time activity that does not interfere with the economic, social and other imperatives of everyday life (p.123). Rather than functioning as a structural factor that shapes access to social networks or as a social identity entwined with self-conceptions, in this model, ethnicity is recast into the equivalent of an avocation or hobby that middle-class White Americans periodically use as a means of feeling good about them. According to Gans, White ethnic identity may have a transient influence on individual self-esteem, but it no longer serves as a source of values, group cohesion, or as a determinant of behavior. In addition, as Waters (1990, 2000, 2009) has argued in her work on ethnic options, among White Americans of mixed ancestry, individuals can and do choose situational-contingent ethnic identities. The implications of symbolic ethnicity for Greek Americans in general and particularly for those who reside in middle-class suburban communities are substantial. At least, some members of this ethnic group may embrace a superficial Greek identity without the risk of incurring liabilities that w ere once attached to being viewed as a non-White race subordinate to the Anglo-Saxon core culture. In contemporary American society, then, the costs of being identifiably Greek are negligible but the affiliating bonds that join Greek Americans into a distinct group may weaken within and across generations. We observed that 15 participants from our respondents, who are either Second or Third or beyond generations, had identified themselves as American. They have probably assimilated more deeply into the American culture; yet, the majority of them responded that they actively participated in the Greek heritage events. These participants tried to take the positive images of their ethnicity while not having to deal with the real social cost of being ethnic, which is a good indication of symbolic ethnicity. Our study also revealed that Greek Americans involved various symbols of ethnicity in their daily life such as eating ethnic food, listen to Greek music, dance Greek dances, read ethnic newspapers, etc. I am in agreement with the findings of Alexiou (1993), which suggested that ethnic identification of Greek Americans does not weaken as generation becomes more removed from their immigrant ancestors, but rather becomes symbolic without structural commitments to ethnic ties. Patterns of transmission in core values of Hellenic culture Our study examined the attitudes and behaviors of the Greek American retention of six core values of Hellenic culture. These attitudes are often referred as acculturation orientations and viewed as mediators or moderators between acculturation conditions and acculturation outcomes, while acculturation behaviors can be assumed to be associated to short- term acculturation outcomes (Arends-Tà ³th van de Vijver, 2006). As defined by Omi and Winant (1994), ethnicity comprises a culture that includes religion, language, nationality and political identifications. Alba and Nee (2003) viewed ethnicity as a social boundary or distinction that individuals make in their everyday lives that shapes their action and mental orientation toward others. This distinction is embedded in a variety of cultural and social norms, values, and beliefs (p. 11). Similarly, Isajiw (1992) suggested that ethnic identity can be divided into two basic aspects: external and internal. Where external aspects refer to observable behavior patterns, such as language, family, friendship, participation in ethnic/institutional and associational organization and participation in functions sponsored by ethnic organizations, internal aspects refer to images, ideas, attitudes and feelings about their own ethnicity. Through my own experiences as an active member of Greek America and my extensive research from previous studies, I observed that Greek culture values mainly lie in six domains: (a) Greek language, (b) the Greek Orthodox Church, (c) Family cultural orientation and values, (d) Greek cultural activities and organization membership, (e) Continuing contact with Greece and/or Cyprus, and (f) Political activity. Greek language is an important factor reinforcing ethnic identity. The Greek Orthodox Church is a vibrant and indispensable component of Greek ethnicity by providing an extensive range of religious, educational and social activities and the major sponsor of Greek Heritage festivals. Language and religion have been most frequently studied as acculturation measures (Harris Verven, 1996). Family cultural orientation and values are also of great importance as children acquire their sense of belonging through their family. The Greek cultural activities and organization offer opportuniti es to share the experiences and continuing contact with Greece. Finally, ethnic political involvement was viewed as an indicator of assimilation, mobility and acculturation. As Parenti (1967) claimed, the political acculturation of the ethnic proceeds hand in hand with general cultural adaptation to American life and that it is largely completed by the advent of the second generation. These core values can also be used to understand the basis of ethnicity and culture. In this study, I investigated the cultural retention and loss in each domain. In general, ethnic behaviors are strongest or most apparent among the generations closest to the immigrant experience and become weaker or less apparent among those further away (Alba 1990). Later generation Americans are likely to adopt American cultural ways and modify parental ways so that the original values and behaviors characteristic of the immigrant group become altered or nonexistent. Therefore each successive generation that replaces the previous generation will be less ethnic-identified and the group as a whole will also become less ethnic-identified than their predecessors (Alba 1995). All six domains of the Greek ethnic culture examined in this study, to some extent, followed this general trend. However some of the cultural values experienced considerable reduction from one generation to the next, while other values experienced only minor reductions or modifications. Study suggests that it may not be until the third or fourth generations that families fully acculturate to the host culture (Kelley and Tseng, 1992). Moreover, further generations tend to acculturate more readily than their parents due to the fact that the home culture values are less established among them and they have greater exposure to the host culture through education and contact with non immigrant peers (Phinneey, 1990). This suggests that there might be disparity in cultural transmission across generations. In our case, we are making an attempt to be more concise by identifying four major patterns of transmission in core values of Hellenic culture (Figure 15). First, the preservation of Greek language is progressively weakened from one generation to the next. Significant differences were observed across all three generations on self assessed Greek language skills, whether they speak Greek when at home, preference to speak Greek when among people who understand Greek and opinion on whether people of Greek ancestry should be able to speak Greek. Our findings coincide with previous studies (e.g. Costantakos 1982, Demos 1988). Costantakos (1982) analyzed a survey of 211 Greek-Americans living in an unspecified metropolitan area. The study indicated the same pattern of behavioral changes, while attitudes towards retention of the Greek language were positive. In our study, the attitudes towards Greek language preservation were measured by two questions: whether it is important that my children are able to speak Greek and whether it is important for people of Greek ancestry to speak Greek. The attitudes were found to be positive among the First a nd Second generation, but not among the Third or beyond generation. To be more specific, 92% of the First generation and 83% of the Second generation supported that it is important for their children to be able to understand and speak Greek, while only 48% of the Third or beyond generation thought so. 87% of the First generation and 70% of the Second generation supported that People of Greek ancestry who live in the United States should be able to understand and speak Greek, while only 48% of the Third or beyond generation agreed.. Demos (1988) analyzed questionnaires collected from 583 Greek Americans from two Greek Orthodox churches, one in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the other in Baltimore, Maryland. The study showed that the focus of Greek ethnicity was shifting away from mother tongue maintenance through forces of assimilation and ethnic intermarriage. The study also revealed that the Greek language persisted as a characteristic of the Greek Orthodox Americans and that visits t o Greece represent a major way of maintaining the Greek language. In the current study, the self assessed Greek language skills were found to be moderately correlated to the question Whether the participant has traveled to Greece, which coincides with the findings in Demos (1988) that visits to Greece represent a major way of maintaining the Greek language. The current study seems to well fit the model of Anglicization which was initially formulated by the sociolinguists Joshua Fishman (1972, 1980) and Calvin Veltman (1983). The model described that the process occurs in the following ways: some individuals of the immigrant generation learn English, but they generally prefer to speak their native language, especially at home. Thus, their children usually grow up as bilinguals, but many of them prefer English, even in conversing with their immigrant parents (Lopez 1996). The second generation generally speaks English at home when its members establish their own households and rear children. Consequently, by the third generation, the prevalent pattern is English monolingualism and knowledge of the mother tongue for most ethnics is fragmentary at best. Similarly, Portes and Schauffler (1994) argued that regardless of where immigrants live, English will replace the native language within two or three generations unless bilingualism is promo ted. In order for second or beyond generation youth to maintain their parents native language they must be motivated to use it and provided with opportunities to use this language in places beyond the household, such as school and the broader community. The second pattern of intergenerational change observed, was connected to the path of the Greek Orthodox Church and the Greek Cultural Activities with minimal reduction. The Greek Orthodox Church assumed a leading role in the preservation of Greek culture in the United States since it hosts both religious and ethnic social events. Researchers who have studied the Greek Orthodox Church and the cultural activities that it sponsors (Alex, 2007; Charalambous, 2004; Demos, 1989, Tsimpouki, 2002) affirmed that it has served as a bulwark of ethnic cultural identity. In the current study, a significant higher proportion of subjects responded to all attitude and most of the behavior questions positively among all three generations and no significant difference was observed among the three generations for most of the questions. Our findings also supported that regardless of the generation status, the participants in our study had very strong positive attitudes towards the Greek Orthodox Church . The vast majority of the participants agreed that it is important for their children and people of Greek ancestry to participant and belong to the Greek Orthodox Church and at least some part of Sunday worship should be conducted in Greek. Yet, their actual behaviors in terms of their participation of the Greek Orthodox Church showed minor decline across generations. Significant difference was only found between the First and Third generation in terms of whether their children attend or attended an afternoon Greek school and whether part of the Sunday worship should be conducted in Greek. The results demonstrated that Greek Americans continued to rely on the Orthodox Church to reinforce their ethnic identities. Furthermore, our study examined the perception of respondents on their understanding of the Orthodox Faith. Our religious core beliefs help us face the problems of life and prepare us for salvation as well as keep our Hellenic identity. We must have a sufficient knowledge and understanding of orthodoxy and share this faith with others. Our results showed that the vast majority (94%) of the respondents regardless of generation believed that they had good or very good understanding of the Orthodox Faith, the Divine Liturgy and the Holy Sacraments. The Divine Liturgy is the most significant ancient Christian service and the center of the in spiration of the first Christians in their communion with God and with one another (Mastrantonis, 2004). The Divine Liturgy is the central worship service of the Orthodox Church which is celebrated every Sunday morning and on all Holy Days. The Liturgy is also the means by which we achieve union with Jesus Christ and unity with each other through the Sacrament of the Holy Communion. The Holy Sacraments are composed of prayers, hymns, scripture lessons, gestures and processions. Most of the Sacraments use a portion of the material of creation as an outward and visible sign of Gods revelation (Fitzgerald, 2004). In our study, only six respondents admitted that they had poor or non-existent understanding of the Orthodox Faith and the majority of these six respondents also had poor ability to understand and speak Greek. This is an important issue as  both Greek America and its Orthodox population underwent significant generational transformations during1940 to1990. As a result, religious faith and ethnic identity, once seen as inseparable, were increasingly less understood as such by the socially mobile, geographically dispersed, English-speaking second, third or beyond generations of Orthodox faithful in America, not to mention an ever-increasing number of converts (Stokoe and Kishkovsky,  1995). The Greek Archdiocese, for whom the very definition of Greek identity comes from the Greek language, has undergone continuous debate on the issue since 1962 (Stokoe and Kishkovsky,  1995). In 1964, the Clergy-Laity Congress allowed certain readings and prayers in the liturgy to be repeated in English. In the important 20th Clergy-Laity Congress of 1970, following the personal appeal of Archbishop Iakovos, an English liturgy was permitted. Today, most Orthodox churches do some and in many cases most of their services in English. This policy provides an opportunity for the second and third or beyond generations to comprehend more proficiently the Orthodox Faith. Another important issue we should point out is that orthodoxy itself is not static; it is constantly under pressure to be assimilated or integrated especially in an Anglo Saxon Protestant society. According to our findings, the Greek Orthodox Church has undergone substantial integration. As a religion and a cultural heritage , the Orthodox Church can also bring the best of both worlds and to blend and orchestrate into a whole, yet not lose essence or identity (Nicozisin, 1993). Although our results show that the majority of our respondents have a good or very good understanding of the Greek Orthodox Faith there might be a dichotomy of opinion as to the accuracy of these findings being that the personal feelings of the respondents could be quite subjective. My personal experience indicates that the majority of the churchg