Physical Cognitive Development of Adolescence free essay sample

Daniel Offer – healthy self images of adolescents were displayed * Personal experience + medial portrayals = public attitudes * Acting out and boundary testing are an adolescent’s way of accepting rather than rejecting parents’ values * Life course is influenced by ethnic, cultural, gender, socioeconomic age, and lifestyle differences Physical Changes . Puberty * Period of rapid physical maturation * Hormonal and bodily changes in early adolescence * Ends long before adolescence does * Signs of sexual maturation and increase in height and weight 2. Sexual maturation, height and weight * Male pubertal changes * Increase in penis and testicle size, straight pubic hair, minor voice change, first ejaculation (masturbation), kinky * Pubic hair, maximum growth in height and weight, armpit hair growth, detectable voice changes, facial hair growth * Female pubertal changes Enlarged breasts, pubic hair, armpit hair, increase in height, wider hips than shoulders, no voice change * Menarche – first menstruation (late in pubertal cycle) * May be irregular and not ovulate until after a year or two * Breasts are rounder * Weight * Girls overweight boys until age 14 when boys surpass them * Height * Girls are the same height until middle school years * Growth spurt (beginning) – girls: 9; boys: 11 * Growth spurt (peak) – girls: 11 ? ; boys: 13 ? * Increase in height – girls: 3 ? ; boys: 4 3. We will write a custom essay sample on Physical Cognitive Development of Adolescence or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Hormonal changes Hormones – powerful chemical substances secreted by the endocrine gland via bloodstream * Testosterone – development of genitals, height and a change in voice * Estradiol – breast, uterine, and skeletal development * Hormone-behavior link is complex 4. Timing and variations in puberty * Pubertal sequences * Boys: 10-13 ? until 13-17 * Girls: 9-15 * Precocious puberty – very early and onset of puberty * Before 8 years (girls) and before 9 years (boys) * 10 times more in girls * Treated by medically suppressive gonadotropic secretions * Short stature, early sexual capability, and engaging in age-inappropriate behavior . Body image * Preoccupied with bodies – especially in early adolescents (dissatisfaction) * Gender differences * Girls: less happy and have more negative body images – body fat increases * Boys: more happy – muscle mass increases 6. Early and late maturation * Boys * Early: self-views are positive; successful peer relations * Late: (at 30) stronger sense of identity * Girls * Early: greater satisfaction with figures; more age-inappropriate behavior * Late: (10th grade) are more satisfied than early-maturing girls; taller and thinner The Brain * Connections that are used are strengthened while those are not are replaced by other pathways – â€Å"pruning† * Fewer, more selective effective neuronal connections * Activities of the adolescent affects the neural connections to be strengthened or destroyed * Corpus callosum (fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres) thickens – improves ability to process information * Prefrontal cortex (highest level of frontal lobes) – ends 18-25 years of age * Amygdala (seat of emotions) matures earlier ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY 1. Developing a sexual identity * Learning to manage sexual feelings and skills to regulate sexual behavior to avoid undesirable consequences * Sexual identity – physical, social and cultural factors * Activities, interests, styles of behaviors, orientation * Recognition of sexual orientation (mid-late adolescence) 2. Risk factors in adolescent sexual behavior Still not emotionally prepared to handle sexual experiences * Linked with: drug use, delinquency, and school related problems * Factors: alcohol use, early menarche, poor parent-child communication, socioeconomic status, low level of parent monitoring, peers * Prevention: better academic achievement, maternal communication 3. Contraceptive use * Risks: unwanted pregnancy and STDs – prevented with contraceptives * Increase contraceptive use but many still do not use/ inconsistent use 4. Sexually transmitted infections Contracted through sexual contact – oral-genital and anal-genital * Go norrhea and chlamydia 5. Adolescent pregnancy * Perpetual intergenerational cycle – daughters of teenage mothers were 66% more likely to become teenage mothers themselves * Outcomes * Health risks: low birth weights, neurological and childhood illness * Mothers drop out of school, never catch up economically with women who postpone childbearing, come from SES backgrounds, low achievement * Benefits: age-appropriate family-life education (life skills) ISSUES IN ADOLESCENT HEALTH Adolescent Health 1. Nutrition and exercise * Living on fast food meals contributes to high fat levels * Individuals become less active – risk of depression, drug use * Television, computers * Good eating habits: regular family meals * Regular exercise (9-16 years) has a positive effect on the weight status, reduced triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and lower risk of type 2 diabetes, 2. Sleep patterns Older adolescents get inadequate sleep (less than 8 hours) than younger adolescents * More tired, cranky, sleepy, and irritable * Sleeps in class, be in depressive mood, drink caffeinated drinks * Not due to work or social pressures – biological clock undergoes a shift (pineal gland and melatonin) * Sleep deficit: making up for loss sleep in the weekends * Average of 9 hours and 25 mins (if given the chance) 3. Leading causes of death in adolescence * Accidents, homicides, suicides 15-24 years of age: unintentional injuries – mot or vehicle accidents * Risky driving habits and DUI of alcohol or drugs Substance Use and Abuse – alcohol, cigarette, drugs 1. The roles of development, parents, peers and education * 8-42 years: early onset of drinking is linked to binge-drinking in middle age * Parental monitoring, eating dinner with family, more peers, educational success Eating Disorders 1. Anorexia nervosa – eating disorder involving relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation * Can lead to death Weight less than 85% of BMI, intense fear of gaining weight, distorted image of their body shape * Never feel thin enough – weight self frequently: taking body measurements and looking critically self in the mirror * Early-middle adolescent after dieting and type of life stress * 10 x in females than males * Distorted body images, family conflict * Set high standards, stressed if not met and have insecurity issues * Turn to something they can control: weight * Factors: media, family, genetics * Treatment: family therapy 2. Bulimia nervosa – individual consistently follows a binge-purge pattern (using laxative/ self-induced vomiting) * Twice a week for three months * Pre-occupied with food, strong fear of being overweight, depressed/ anxious, have a distorted body images * Difficult to detect * Factors: being overweight before, dieting * Late adolescent-early adulthood ADOLESCENT COGNITION Piaget’s Theory 1. Formal operational stage * More abstract * Not limited to actual, concrete experiences for thought * Make believe situations, abstract propositions and events, purely hypothetical, logical reasoning * Verbal problem solving activity Logical inferences can be solved through verbal presentation * Increased tendency to think about thought itself * Enhanced focus on thought and its abstract qualities * Idealistic thoughts * Extended speculation of ideal characteristics – qualities they desire, social comparisons * Thoughts are fantasy flights into future possibilities * Logical thou ghts * Hypothetical-deductive reasoning – creating a hypothesis and deducing its implications * Steps, trial and error, devising plans 2. Adolescent egocentrism – heightened self-consciousness * Elkind: (2) key components ) Imaginary audience – belief that others are as interested in them 2) Personal fable – sense of uniqueness and invulnerability 3. Information processing * Kuhn: Executive functioning – higher order cognitive activities * More effective learning * Variation in cognitive functioning 4. Decision making – which friends to choose, which person to date, etc * Generate different options, examine a situation, anticipate consequences, consider the credibility of sources * Emotions play a role in decision making * Social context – substances and temptations are available * Dual process model Decision making is influenced by two cognitive systems: 1) Analytical 2) Experiential – monitoring and managing actual experiences 5. Critical thinking – mature when fundamental skills have developed SCHOOLS The Transition to Middle or Junior High School * Top dog phenomenon – moving from oldest amp; most powerful to being the youngest and least powerful * Less stressful with positive relationships with peers, more committed to school, have team-oriented schools * Feel more grown up, have more subjects to select, have more opportunities with peers, enjoy independence High School Higher expectations and better supp ort * Effective programs to discourage drop-outs: early reading programs, tutoring, counseling, and mentoring * Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: keep students at risk with the same teachers throughout their high school years * Programs: I have a Dream (IHAD) – comprehensive dropout prevention program Extracurricular Activities * Wide array of activities – after school hours sponsored by the school/ community * Promotes positive adolescent development – competent, supportive adult mentors, opportunities for increasing school connectedness, etc Service Learning * Form of education that promotes social responsibility and service to the community * Tutoring, helping older adults, working in a hospital, etc * Adolescents become less self-centered, more motivated to help others * Education out in the community * Effects: Higher grades in academics, increased goal setting, higher self-esteem, improved sense of being able to make a difference for others Socioemotional Development in Adolescence SELF, IDENTITY, AND RELIGIOUS SPRITUAL DEVELOPMENT Self Esteem * Self-esteem – overall way we evaluate ourselves Drops in adolescence – negative body images in girls * Lack of self-esteem: poorer mental and physical health, worse economic prospects, higher levels of criminal behavior * Perceptions do not always match reality * Justified perceptions of one’s worth and successes * Indicate arrogance, grandiose,, unwanted sense of superiority * Low self esteem: Insecurity and inferiority * Narcissism – excessively self centered and self concerned approach towards others * Unaware of actual self and how they are perceived * Contributes to adjustment problems Identity 1. What is an identity? Self-portrait of oneself including vocational, political, religious, relationship, intellectual, sexual, cultural, interests, personality and physical identity * Development is gradual, not neat 2. Erikson’s view * First to correlate identity to adolescent development * Identity versus identity confusion – deciding who they are, what they are, and where they are going life * Psychosocial moratorium – gap between childhood security and adult autonomy * Free of responsibilities and free to try out different identities * Experiment with different roles and personalities Identity confusion – withdrawal, isolation, or immersion (into the crowd) 3. Developmental changes * James Marcia – four statuses of identity or ways to resolve identity crisis * Crisis – exploring alternatives * Commitment – personal investment in identity * Four statuses of identity: 1) Identity diffusio n – neither experienced a crisis nor made any commitments * Undecided about choices, no direction 2) Identity foreclosure – already made a commitment but have not experienced a crisis * Parents dictate future ) Identity moratorium – midst of a crisis but commitments are either absent or vaguely defined * Know what they want, no idea how to attain * No means of attaining 4) Identity achievement – undergone a crisis and made a commitment 4. Emerging adulthood and beyond * Emerging adulthood: 18-25 years old * Develop â€Å"MAMA† cycles – identity status changes from moratorium to achievement to moratorium to achievement * College produce key changes in identity – new experiences between the home, peers, school 5. Ethnic identity – enduring aspect of the self; sense of membership along with attitudes, feelings * Bicultural identity – identify in some ways with their ethnic group and in other ways with the majority culture Religious and Spiritual Development 1. Religion and identity development * Logical questioning regarding religion 2. Cognitive development and religion in adolescence * Piaget’s theory influences religion development * Think more abstractly, idealistically, logically – ability to develop hypotheses and systematically sort through answers regarding spirituality 3. The positive role of religion in adolescent’s life * Adopt religion’s message about caring and concern for people * Positive outcomes – less likely to smoke, do drugs, and drink FAMILIES Autonomy and Attachment 1. The push for autonomy * To show who is responsible for successes and failures * Predicts how strong an adolescent’s desires are * Acquired through appropriate adult reactions to their desire for control * Parent relinquishes control but guides the adolescent to make reasonable decisions * Gradually acquire the ability to make mature decisions 2. The role of attachment Securely attached at 14 years are more likely to stay in an exclusive relationship with intimacy, has financial independence (21 years) 3. Balancing freedom and control * Staying connected with families – having dinner five or more days a week Parent-Adolescent Conflict * Escalates in early adolescence until high school years * Lessens at 17-20 years * Positive developmental function – minor disputes and negotiations facilitate adolescent’s transition from being dependent on their parents to become an autonomous individual PEERS Friendships * Important in meeting social needs No close friendships, experience loneliness and reduce sense of self-worth * Early adolescence – need of intimacy * Dependent more on friends than families (companionship, reassurance of worth, and intimacy) * Gossips – negative comments about others * Relational aggression – spreading disparaging rumors to harm someone Peer Groups 1. Peer pressure – young adolescents conform more to peer standards 2. Cliques and crowds * Cliques – small groups (2-12 individuals), same-sex, about the same age * Crowds – larger than cliques and less personal; based on reputation Dating and Romantic Relationships (Conolly and McIsaac) – development of romantic relationship in adolescence 1. Romantic attractions and affiliations (11-13) – triggered by puberty; intensely interested in romance, may conversations with same-sex friends 2. Exploring romantic relationships (14-16) – Casual (individuals mutually attracted) and Dating in groups (peer context, friends often as a third-party) 3. Consolidating dyadic romantic bonds (17-19) – more serious romantic relationships develop; strong, stable and enduring emotional bonds (1 or more years) Dating in gay and lesbian youth To clarify their sexual orientation or disguise it from others * Have had same-sex sexual experiences – â€Å"experimenting† ADOLESCENT PROBLEMS Juvenile Delinquency – adolescent who breaks the law or engages in behavior that is considered illegal Interrelation of Problems and Successful Prevention and Intervention Programs 1. Intensive individualiz ed attention – high risk adolescent is paired with a responsible adult, who gives him attention and addresses specific needs 2. Community wide multiagency collaborative approaches – 3. Early identification and intervention

“One Friday Morning” by Langston Hughes Essay Essay Example

â€Å"One Friday Morning† by Langston Hughes Essay Essay Example â€Å"One Friday Morning† by Langston Hughes Essay Paper â€Å"One Friday Morning† by Langston Hughes Essay Paper The short narrative â€Å"One Friday Morning† by Langston Hughes is about a immature African American miss. Nancy Lee. who late moved to the North with her parents so they may supply her with a better life and schooling. Highly talented in water-color picture. she aspired to do that her major in college. Because of racial favoritism. she was denied the scholarship that would hold been her ticket to a brighter hereafter. Sadly. there are some people in the universe that are blinded by race and bury how America was supposed to be a topographic point with equal rights and justness for all. Langston Hughes brings in subjects like racism. equal rights between human existences. racial and national pride. and of class the American dream. His biggest purpose is to demo the universe how coloured people are treated and that present twenty-four hours America doesn’t fulfill the American dream of all work forces being equal. Nancy Lee may be a coloured miss. but at times she forget s she has a different tegument colour than the remainder of her schoolmates. Her equals overlook her race as good. they see her as nil but a immature and gifted person. Nancy Lee painted an award winning piece of art worthy of a scholarship to an art institute. The picture was of her grandma sitting on a park bench looking at the American flag on a bright cheery twenty-four hours. This represents a dream that Nancy Lee wanted to show ; that all people are equal and merit to be treated as such. Unfortunately. the art institute didn’t realize that Nancy Lee was a coloured miss at the clip they chose her picture. When it was made known. they decided to give the scholarship to a white pupil. They felt if Nancy Lee were to go to the Institute. it would do contention amongst others. On the twenty-four hours Nancy Lee was to have the award. she was told by her chief Miss O’Shay that she would non be able to accept this indispensable scholarship entirely because of the colour of her tegument. Miss O’Shay unfortunately informed Nancy Lee that â€Å"When the commission learned that you were colored. they changed their plans† ( Hughes 5 ) . Miss O’Shay did her best to promote Nancy Lee non to give up and to contend for her dreams. In the narrative they compare Miss O’Shay with emancipationists and the first white instructors who went to the Deep South to learn the freed slaves. Nancy Lee looked up at her chief and noticed the bright spring twenty-four hours through the unfastened window that resembled her picture. This is a metaphor for the close propinquity of the Utopia depicted in her art that would hold no favoritism and in which all people would be treated every bit. ( spread out on this thought! ) At the hebdomadal assembly. Nancy Lee took her place along with three thousand other pupils. She turned her caput and said the pledge to the flag. a symbolism of freedom and equal rights with â€Å"†¦liberty and justness for all† . She so decided that even though she’s non having the scholarship that was truly hers. she’s determined to â€Å"fight to see that these things don’t go on to other misss as this has happened to me. And work forces and adult females like Miss O’Shay will assist me† ( Hughes 6 ) . This shows that Nancy Lee isn’t willing to accept that the scholarship was withdrawn merely because of her race. and that with aid from people like Miss O’Shay. she is traveling to get down a revolution to do certain that this won’t go on in the hereafter to people like her. Discrimination is all around us ; everyone is discriminated against at one point in his or her life. Langston Hughes. an Afro-american author. wrote the short narrative â€Å"One Friday Morning† to depict the experience of one peculiar miss who was discriminated in her school because she was colored. Life brings many letdowns. all of which make a individual stronger. Unfortunately. there will ever be favoritism. as it is a portion of life. This narrative is a great illustration of seeing person being discriminated against while seting the reader in the chief character’s places to experience what it feels like to be them. Discrimination occurs for many grounds. A good ground is we become wiser from it and recognize that no 1 deserves to be treated below the belt. From her personal experiences. Nancy Lee will travel on to actuate other people to travel closer to accomplishing the high ideal extolled in the Pledge of Allegiance. â€Å"†¦one state indivisible. with autonomy and justness for all. †

How to Write a Descriptive Essay In 3 Easy Steps - BestEssay.education

How to Write a Descriptive Essay In 3 Easy Steps How to Write a Descriptive Essay In 3 Easy Steps Writing a descriptive essay is easier than it seems. If you have mastered the basics of writing an essay, the descriptive essay is something that you can master fairly easily. In fact, there are only x steps between you and a successfully completed descriptive essay. Before we go through those steps, let's answer the question, 'what is a descriptive essay?'. To use a tautology, a descriptive essay is an essay that describes something. What this means is that you will be taking an object, a person, an event, or an experience, and you will be describing that to your readers in a way that they can truly understand. Now that the definition has been established, let's review the 3  steps to writing a descriptive essay. Selecting an Essay Topic Your best topic will be one that is highly interesting to you and one that is complex enough that    you can dedicate an entire essay to describing it. In fact, the more senses that you can evoke in  your readers the better. As you evaluate potential topics, see if you can answer all of the  following questions: What would a person see? What would they hear? What would they taste? What would they smell? What would they feel? The stronger your answers to each of these questions, the more likely it is that you have found a great subject for your descriptive essay. However, it can be okay to write a descriptive essay on  a topic if it does not evoke all four senses, as long as it evokes very strong sensory and   emotional responses as you describe it. Reviewing Your Topic Students often select topics for descriptive essays that come from personal experience. This could mean that they are describing experiences they have themselves, objects the possess, or people that they know. This could also mean that they are simply trying to describe something they are truly interested in. This is a good thing, because familiarity and emotional attachment   Ã‚   makes writing a descriptive essay much easier. However, it is absolutely imperative that you spend time reviewing your topic. No matter how familiar you are, you still need to go over what you experienced, heard, or saw. This will help make the experience fresh in your mind. Use Descriptive Words to Write a Descriptive Paragraph Keep in mind that adjectives are key. The more adjectives in your essay, the more impact it is going to have on both your readers and on your instructor. So, be original and prolific in the way that you use adjectives, and also adverbs, in your essay. Remember that, 'It was a blue car   that nobody drove', is not the same as 'It was matte finished navy blue car that sat idle in my friend's garage. Now that you know how to write a descriptive essay, you should be ready to tackle your next writing assignment. However, if you are not ready, we have plenty of writers on staff to help students just like you.

Human Resource Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resource Planning - Essay Example This paper illustrates a comprehensive definition of Human Resource Planning provided on investopedia.com explains that it as â€Å"The ongoing process of systematic planning to achieve optimum use of an organization's most valuable asset - its human resources†. Human Resource Planning is a very important function of an organization, as it helps in developing a relationship between the employees of an organization and their tasks such that each employee contributes optimally to the organization without being either over-burdened or under challenged. Based on the needs of the employees and the organization, a Human Resource Manager may be required to develop one or more of a number of different types on Human resources plans. Common ones include Succession plans that help evaluate the manner in which individuals will be employed to positions that open up at higher levels in the hierarchy and the requirements for promotions. Another important and common plan is developing indivi dual employee’s Career plans, particularly at the managerial level. These plans help in identifying the skills and abilities of individuals; and involve providing them with the assistance that they require to find a better fit with the organization’s culture and climate so that they can play more valuable and demanding roles within the organization. Contingency plans are made when future requirements seem unclear; but indicative of changes; so that the human resources of an organization may need an overhaul either through development, recruitment or downsizing. (Tapomoy, 2009). Competency plans on the other hand, are similar to career plans; but with a focus on skill development as compared to hierarchical growth. Purpose of HRP Human Resource Planning serves a number of purposes. It helps in anticipating the changes in the staffing needs of an organization. Thus, it becomes possible for the organization to anticipate and respond to surplus staff or shortage of staff i n a way that ensures that at no point in time are the staff over burdened by the tasks that need to complete and thus at risk for reduced quality of functioning. At the same time, it ensures that each staff member is adequately challenged so that there is no underutilization of the existing resources (Rees & Porter, 2008). This ensures optimal expenditure on personnel; and helps in the development of a business plan with less wastage. Human Resource Planning is also concerned with the development of individual employees so that they continue to grow and contribute to the organization in multiple ways (Reilly, 1996). Thus, it involves the training and development of employees so that the employees gain more and improved skill sets and the organization grows as these skills are used by the employees (Reilly, 1996). Another important activity that does into Human Resource Planning is the investigation of the effect of policy changes on the functioning and productivity of staff as well as on staff morale (Bohlander &Snell 2009). When a manager attempts to develop a human resources plan, it is important to consider three components of this plan with equal vigor. Forecasting labor demand: It is important that the Human Resource Manager is able to predict with some accuracy the staffing requirements that will be required at new and existing locations at different points in the future (Mathis & Jackson, 2008) so that recruitment and downsizing plans can be developed to respond to these needs well in advance(Rees & Porter, 2008). This is particularly important for downsizing, as providing downsized staff with adequate time and options to cope with the changes is important from a humanistic perspective (Reilly, 1996). Analyzing present labor supply: Not only is it important to evaluate future needs, but also to evaluate the value of present staff (Mathis & Jackson, 2008). A Human Resource Manager needs to ensure that all staff is functioning optimally; and that these in dividuals are helped to

What lead the German people to fully accept Hitler's views on how Essay

What lead the German people to fully accept Hitler's views on how society should be run - Essay Example Our conception of Hitler is different from how the Germans perceived him. History shows that Hitler is a diabolical person who championed the holocaust. However, there was a substantial number of Germans who believed and supported Hitler’s ideas. At that time most Germans idealized Hitler as the fighting leader of German. Hitler believed that Germans were the superior race; this made him take his nationalistic activities too seriously. Hitler’s views made Germans feel important at a vulnerable stage of their lives. Germany was going through a difficult situation as a result of the World War 1. Hitler presented himself as the hero to the ailing state and manipulated the emotions of the people for his selfish interests. It took Hitler 10 years to be the Chancellor of Germany. During that time, Germans were feeling disillusioned about their leadership, economy, and the social life (Klaus 213) He exerted his extremist and nationalistic ideas, which were welcomed by the vuln erable Germans. Just like any popular leader, Hitler used almost all brainwashing techniques on the vulnerable Germans. ... The party amassed a huge following among the middle class and the workers because of the enigmatic and radical leadership of Hitler. The meetings of the Nazi party were violent because the party members wanted to impose their opinions on others; however this did not alarm the Germans because at that time there was a lot of violence in the German streets particularly from the Frei Corp and the Communists. Hitler’s radical views were against the Weimar Republic. He strongly condemned the leadership for the misfortunes that had befallen Germany. He spoke about it in his rallies, which motivated the people who already thought that Weimar republic was dull and had no capability of restoring the German nationalism. Nazi, on the other hand was considered radical, action oriented and capable of restoring German’s nationalism under the leadership of Hitler. Therefore, Hitler’s action and words played a big part in convincing the Germans that Hitler cared about them. Hitle r dwelled on nationalist ideas. Germany at that time was a bruised nation. After the First World War, Germany had lost a lot, particularly its power. In those days, there was rivalry between nations in Europe on who was superior more than the other. When Germany and their allies lost the world war, their superiority was at stake. People were no longer feeling nationalistic after the war as they used. Hitler maximized on the topic of nationalism. Nationalism was the nerve centre of his Nazist activities. In his book, meim kampf, he wrote that Germans are a portrayal of racial purity and they are destined to be the master race. Hitler made Germans feel superior and important at the time the nation was at its rock bottom. He made Germans believe that they were a part

Petroleum Resources and the Economy of Angola Essay

Petroleum Resources and the Economy of Angola - Essay Example In this literature review this issue is studied taking a look at the conflictive positions regarding the "resource curse" that have been taken by different researchers along the years. We have to keep in mind that any kind of resource can't be a curse in itself as it is logical to assume. Everything depends on the use we give to a specific resource. In this line of thought it is obvious that ultimately the effects of petroleum resources on a nation have to be positive. Indeed they should be a blessing rather than a curse as we will see in this literature review. "Even until the mid-(1950s), coal was still the world's foremost fuel, but oil quickly took over. Following the 1973 energy crisis and the 1979 energy crisis, there was significant media coverage of oil supply levels. This brought to light the concern that oil is a limited resource that will eventually run out, at least as an economically viable energy source." (Wikipedia, 2006i). Petroleum is a finite resource, and besides this fact there are some negative environmental side effects that are valid reasons to discourage its use as the Ecology Center argue among other important facts about petroleum. Let's see: "No corner of the world is left untouched by the effects of petroleum ex... Many negative effects are well documented, such as global warming, habitat destruction, and political conflicts over oil supplies. But the petroleum economy extends its often hidden reach into many other aspects of life on our planet. Petroleum, used for transportation, industry, and mechanized agriculture, is the backbone of globalization. Institutions of global trade, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), work hand in hand with oil companies, while militaries provide the armed backup to protect these interests." (Ecology Center, 2003). The position of Ocean Engineering and Energy Systems (OCEES) favors Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) as an alternative fuel produced by the power of the sea. OCEES points out the negative effects of wars as detrimental environmental consequence of the political conflicts around oil control (OCEES International, n. d.). One relevant aspect to be considered about the finiteness of petroleum resources is the "oil peak" established by the Hubbert Peak Theory regarding the terminal depletion of all petroleum resources. The Wikipedia states the following about the oil peak and its practical consequences. "Given past oil production data and barring extraneous factors such as lack of demand, the model predicts the date of maximum oil production output for an oil field, multiple oil fields, or an entire region. This maximum output point is referred to as the peak. The period after the peak is referred to as depletion. The graph of the rate of oil production for an individual oil field over time follows a bell-shaped curve: first, a slow steady increase of production; then, a sharp increase; then, a plateau (the "peak"); and, finally, a steep decline." (Wikipedia, 2006f). Even though the Hubbert Peak Theory has faced

Parents play an essential role in the development of their child's Essay

Parents play an essential role in the development of their child's language.Discuss - Essay Example As Gordon Wells (1986) indicates, the entire function of learning language and interacting socially is geared toward making connections with other people as well as to help the individual make sense of their experiences. â€Å"Language occurs through an interaction among genes (which hold innate tendencies to communicate and be sociable), environment, and the child’s own thinking abilities† (Genishi, 2006). But just how does this happen? How do children learn to use sounds to communicate and then to place those sounds in the correct order to make themselves understood? While much of this behavior can be attributed to imitation of the caregivers, there remain aspects to the development of language and communication that cannot be so easily explained. To provide a more complete understanding of how language and communication develop in the young child, it is necessary to understand not only the primary terms that are applied, but also the parts and components that make up language. This helps to inform the various theories that have been developed relating to language development which then begins to identify how environmental aspects of the child’s world may contribute to the development of language and identify those strategies that are used to encourage language development. There are several terms used in a discussion of language development that may not be quite as obvious as they might seem at first glance. Generally speaking, language is defined as a set of symbols, typically in the form of articulatory gestures and the creation of sounds, which are used to communicate or store information (Eccardt, 2003). â€Å"The symbols are words, and their meanings cover everything we humans deal with †¦ Generally, the above definition puts the label ‘language’ on English, Spanish, Chinese, etc. It also covers sign languages for deaf people† (Eccardt, 2003).