Tasks on Management Skills

Tasks on Management Skills Task 1 Identify and evaluate the importance of the personal and professional skills, outlined above, for a successful manager, which enable the manager to meet organizational and own goals (1.1a) The changing role of management: Mary Parker the mother of modern management ,defined management as the art of getting things done through people . At one time, that meant that managers were called bosses, and their job was to tell people what to do and watch over them to be sure they did it . bosses tended to reprimand those who didnt do things correctly and generally acted stern and bossy. Many managers still behave that way. Perhaps you have witnessed such managers yelling at employees at fast-food restaurants or shop floors. Today management is changing from that kind of behavior. Managers are being educated to guide, train, support, motivate, and coach employees rather than to boss them around. Modern managers in progressive companies emphasize teamwork and cooperation rather than discipline and order giving. Managers in some high-tech and progressive firms of all kinds dress more casually, are more friendly, and generally treat employees as partners rather than unruly workers. In general, therefore, management is experiencing a revolution. Managers in the future are much more likely to be working in teams, thisll appraise them below them as well as those above, and theyll be assuming completely new roles in the firm. The following table summarizes the managers different roles. Planning Setting organizational goals Developing strategies to reach those goals . Determining resources needed. Setting standards. Directing Leading, guiding, and motivating employees to work effectively to accomplish organizational goals and objectives. Giving assignments Explaining routines Clarifying policies Providing feedback on performance. Organizing: Allocating resources, assigning tasks, and establishing procedures for accomplishing goals. Preparing a structure (organization chart) showing lines of authority and responsibility. Recruiting, selecting, training, and developing employees.. Placing employees where theyll be most effective. Controlling Measuring results against corporate objectives. Monitoring performance relative to standards. Taking corrective action. Some modern managers perform all of these tasks with the full cooperation and participation of workers. Empowering employees means allowing them to participate more fully in decision making. Tasks and skills at different levels of management: Anyone who has ever played a sport such as basketball, football, or soccer knows theres a tremendous difference between being an excellent player and excellent coach (manager). Often a good player will volunteer to coach the neighborhood team and be disaster as a manager. The same thing happens in business. Few people are trained to be managers. Rather, the process of becoming a manger is similar to the sports example. A person learns how to be a skilled accountant or salesperson or production line worker, and then- because of his or her skill- is selected to be a manger. The tendency is for such managers to become deeply involved in showing others how to do things, helping them, supervising them, and generally being very active in the operating task. The further up the managerial ladder a person moves, the less such skills are required. Instead, the need is for people who are visionaries, good planners, organizers, coordinators, communicators, morale builders, and motivators. Managers must have three skills: Technical skills: involve the ability to perform tasks of a specific department such as selling (marketing) or bookkeeping. Human relation skills: include leadership, motivation, coaching, communication, morale building, training and development, help and supportiveness, and delegating. Conceptual skills: refer to mangers ability to picture the organization as a whole and the relationship of various parts to perform tasks such as planning, organizing, controlling, system development, problem analysis, decision making, coordinating, and delegating. The first line managers need to be skilled in all three areas. Most of their time is spent on technical and human relation tasks (assisting operating personnel, giving direction, and so forth). First line managers spend little time on conceptual tasks. Top managers, on the other hand need to use few technical skills. Instead, almost all of their time is devoted to human relations and conceptual tasks. One whos competent at one level of management may not be competent at higher levels and vise versa. The skills needed are different at different levels. The most difficult task for most managers to learn is delegating. Whats delegating? Delegating is assigning authority and accountability to others while retaining the responsibility for results. Managers are usually selected from those who are skilled at doing what the people they manage are doing. As we noted earlier; most progressive managers of the 21 st century will be team leaders. They will set specific goals in corporation with a team of workers, set up feedback and communication procedures (control procedure) , and minimize the tendency to continually look over the teams shoulder to make sure its doing things the managers way . Employees will be given freedom (empowered) to decide the hows and whens of completion of specific tasks as long as the goals are accomplished on time. Decision-making is choosing among two or more alternatives. It sounds easier than it is in practice. In fact , decision making is the heart of all the Management functions. We have six Ds of decision making, which are: Define the problem Describe and collect needed information Develop alternatives Decide which ethical alternative is best Do whats indicated ( implement solution)) Determine whether the decision was a good one and follow up. Managers often have computer terminals at their desks so they can get internal records and external data of all kinds. But again no data in the world can replace a manager who is creative and make brilliant decisions. Decision-making is more art than a science. Its the one skill most needed by managers and leaders in that all the other functions depend on it. Task 2 Provide a range of practical methods suitable for developing or improving the skills discussed in 1.1b Learning managerial skills: We have explored the broad categories of skills needed by various levels of management. Now lets be know more about specific skills needed to be a good manager. a) Verbal skills: The bulk of a managers duty will involve communicating with others. a communicate his idea to others. To prepare for such tasks, he should take oral communication courses. At least half of communication is skilled listening. A good manager mixes with other managers, workers, clients, stockholders, and others outside the firm . he or she listens to recommendations and complaints and acts on them. Active listening requires the asking of questions and feeding back what youve heard to let others know he is truly interested in what they say. b) Writing skills: Managers must also be able to write clearly and precisely. Much of what he want others to do must be communicated through memos, report, policies, and letters. Organizations every where is complaining about many graduates in ability to write clearly (which will affect our future managers). So if from now on, a future manager, develop good writing skills, he will be miles ahead of his competition. That means he must practice writing, it helps to write anything like, diary, letters, notes and so on. With practice he will develop the ability to write easily- just like he speaks. Also with this shill he will be more ready for his career in management. c) Computer skills: The office of the future will be an office full of computers and related technology. Memos, charts, letters, and most of other communication efforts will involve the computer. When a manger is practicing writing, practice on a word processor. The truly efficient manager of the future will be able to effectively use and take advantage of the continuing developments in technology. d) Human relations skills: A manger works with people and that means that good managers know how to get along with people, motivate them, and inspire them. People skills are learned by working with people. good leaders begin early by assuming leadership positions is sports, community groups, and so on. A manager must be aware of how others react with him. If he cause negative feelings or reactions, he has to learn why? He doesnt be afraid to make mistakes and upset others. That is how he could learn. But also he has to learn how to work with others . What is managing diversity? Is building systems and a culture that unite different people in common pursuit without undermining their diversity. Research has shown that heterogeneous (mixed) groups are more productive than homogenous (similar) groups in the work place .men and women, young and old, and all other mixes of people can learn not only to work together but also to work together with more success. In the future, mangers must learn how to deal effectively with people from different cultures. Managers will also be asked to work in foreign countries. The more skilled he can become in other languages and in working with diverse cultural groups, he will be an effective manager. e) Time management skills: One of the most important skills for new mangers to learn how to budget their time effectively. There are many demands on managers time that they need to learn to control telephone interruption, visits from colleagues, questions from subordinates, meetings scheduled by higher management, and such. . This could be by setting priorities, delegating work, choosing activities that produce the mot results and dealing with interruption. f) Technical skills: To rise through the ranks of accounting, marketing, finance, production or, any other functional area , the manager should be proficient in that area. About 60 percent of top mangers have taken courses beyond their bachelors degree. The most common areas of technical expertise among top managers are accounting and finance together. Marketing came in second. Slightly more than half of the top 1000 chief executive officers in the country has a graduate degree. As an example of the skills needed by managers to carry out their work successfully, Ill apply it on my organization and how they are trying to develop these skills from now .They believe that we are the future managers and professors, so we have to learn and apply these skills from now on . I work as a teacher assistant in MIU ( Misr International University). We use to have to attend workshops to improve and develop our ( assistants) skills. These work shops were mainly discussing the following topics : Lesson planning Class management Time management Presentation skills Look at these , these are skills needed from us to have as future professors in MIU.We have to learn how to control a class, how to deal with trouble makers, how to finish what we plan for in the time required..etc. They kept telling us that we are the managers of the class . They resembled the class as an entire organization and Im the leader, manager, controller and evaluator . also they train us to parctice talking in English all the time , to be able to handle all the class teaching in English. Also we have to have excellent computer skills. All of these skills is better off to be learned from now , to apply it in our future careers. This is a simple article from the internet disscussing what should managers do to develop their career. What is expected of me? How well am I doing? Sales Manager: You need to learn how to do relationship selling. Sales Associates response: What exactly does that mean? Executive to manager: You need to be more of a leader and less of a traditional manager. Managers response: What exactly does that mean? The world of work is changing so fast, its difficult to communicate changing expectations quickly and clearly. This is especially true in areas such as sales skills, project management skills and leadership skills. The changes expected in these areas arent easy to observe and measure and, up to now, most companies didnt attempt it. But with competition heating up and hierarchies melting down, the focus on performance and career development has become more intense. For this reason, competencies have become a new tool in the workplace. Competencies are clearly spelled out expectations for a certain role (a leader) or a job (sales associate). They go far beyond a job description to create a template for ideal performance. This tool can then be used for things such as hiring, day-to-day coaching, training and development and performance reviews. Once individuals know what the expected competencies are, the next question is, How am I doing on them now? Many organizations put the competencies into a format that can be used as a feedback instrument. Then they use it to gather 360 degree feedback. This refers to getting feedback from people all around you; your boss, your peers and your employees. Gathering feedback from other colleagues has many advantages. In addition to his or her managers feedback, it also reveals what peers and employees think. It is more comprehensive and less prone to individual bias, since there are multiple perspectives. For example, a manager, who may have thought that his boss was just being picky about his communication skills, will begin to take it seriously when everyone around him is also suggesting that he needs improvement in that area. But there are pitfalls to avoid when setting up competencies and a feedback system like this. If it isnt done well, the damage control will overshadow any good that may have come from it. Here are some things to consider:  · Create a participatory process, where representatives help to establish the competencies and how they will be used. If this process is done to them, rather than by giving them some control, there will be more resistance during implementation.  · Make the competencies as specific to the job as possible. The more generic they are the less effective they will be. In addition, it is key to word the competencies in behavioral language, so everyone knows what the competency means. For example, instead of Effective sales skills, include some behaviors, such as, Builds trust through accountability, honesty and follow-though, or Looks for additional ways to help clients solve their business problem before, during and after the sale, or Makes realistic commitments for themselves and the team, and does what it takes to keep those commitments.  · Use the feedback for coaching and development rather than a for a performance review or to weed out ineffective managers. Although it can eventually be folded into the performance review process, it creates less defensiveness if people have a chance to work on their skill gaps before they are evaluated on them. It isnt fair to surprise employees with a performance review on expectations they havent seen before.  · No matter how open the culture is, people are reluctant to be honest unless they can give feedback anonymously. Later, if managers are genuinely willing to discuss their feedback openly, individuals will come forward with their personal feedback and advice. Initially, each manager should collect data from a minimum of three or more peers and three or more employees so that confidentiality is preserved.  · Time and trouble can be avoided by using an experienced third party to guide the group and to independently gather and tabulate the feedback for each manager. When we help organizations with this process, we find that people are more willing to be honest when they know that a neutral party is doing the tabulation and individual feedback reports.  · Give the data and any summary report back to the manager, not to their boss. Hold managers accountable for creating an action plan that they will co-develop with their manager. The plan should include how they plan to leverage their top strengths and how they plan to improve their weaker areas. The plan should also include how the boss can help with that development.  · An overall report on the organizations strengths and development needs can be used to determine what the training priorities are, what should be included in a core curriculum and where training dollars should be spent.  · An independent third party can provide help to a manager who is struggling with his/her feedback and what to do about it. If they are unfavorably surprised by what their peers or employees think, they will probably appreciate guidance in how to approach their colleagues for more clarity.  · Managers should meet with their manager at least once a year to go over their action plan and discuss progress. The best career development happens on the job, so its important that manager play an active role by coaching their employee, giving them new and challenging assignments that will play to their strengths and develop weaker areas. Companies are realizing that more sophisticated performance management has a bottom -line pay off and individuals are demanding more coaching and development on the job. Systems like these can be a win/win for everyone. Outcome 2 Personal Skills Audit Task 3 Provide evidence of the various personal skills audits carried out as an aid to understanding where you stand with regards to achieving the objective of becoming a more effective manager. These to include the obligatory analyses of the personal learning style and skills audit. Choose from the strengths and weaknesses these reveal, samples that will affect the development of the 4 skills from outcome 1 (1.2a). SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT Good Time Management is an essential quality for anyone who needs to work efficiently and effectively in an everyday working environment. It is essential if you are to achieve the organizations objectives and indeed the individuals personal objectives. There are many techniques which, when combined, give an individual (or team) the skills required to time manage the task effectively. In a nutshell, time management is all about making the most efficient and effective use of your time. Some examples of these skills and techniques are as follows: a. Planning and Organization b. Prioritizing c. Delegating d. Review and Monitoring PLANNING AND ORGANISATION Information/Anticipation: Successful planning requires accurate information from which decisions are eventually made. This accurate information is crucial if these decisions are to be well judged and implemented successfully. An element of anticipation is also a bonus if you are able to best guess a possible arising which may influence your decision. Flexibility: The planning must also be flexible as not all plans are set in concrete Circumstances change and the overall plan must remain flexible and capable of change as the situation determines. Sufficient time spent planning can greatly reduce the overall time taken to complete an activity and should always consider all factors which may have an influence on the tasks final outcome. By giving the objective the correct amount of time in the planning phase, and by factoring in any events which could (if not considered) destroy or devalue the overall outcome of the task. Goal Setting: By ensuring clear goals are set from the outset, and by keeping a constant review of the tasks progress, a successful outcome should ensue when coupled with other skills and techniques in successful time management. Planning should be considered not just in the short term for each single objective but also include daily, weekly and long term planning. PRIORTISING As suggested, planning alone will not necessarily ensure successful objectives are met. Allocated time must also be prioritized in a manner that focuses on the goals set during the planning phase. Many people often spend their day in a frenzy of activity but because they are prioritizing their time correctly, they achieve a lot less output. PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS REQUIRED TO MANAGE EFFECTIVELY ATTRIBUTES OF A MANAGER To manage effectively, an individual requires many skills and various personal qualities to enable the successful completion of his, or her, objectives. The skills and qualities combine to shape the management style of the individual and the style can directly affect the final outcome of the task completion. These attributes could be broken into four main headings as follows: Proficiency Technical Competence Social and Human skills Conceptual Ability Within each of the above headings there are many sub groups which all combine to give the individual manager his unique style of management which can, or may not be, particularly effective. SPECIFIC COMPETENCES Communication: Managing well requires sound communication skills above all else. No manager can relay their planning and intentions without this basic skill. It is vital that communication, by whatever means, relays the information to the staff and that more importantly, the information is understood and deliverable. Two way communication is essential, everyone will have some part to play in the exchange of information and the communication process. Planning: Sound planning ensures the objectives are met and met within the framework of the organizations structure. Effective planning at the outset will ensure there is a realistic chance of completion in line with the goals set. Knowledge and Information gathering: Planning without the necessary information will very often prove unsuccessful. It is vital that the information is gathered and the plan drawn up based on this information. Accurate information is essential if the plan is to prove a success. Problem solving/decision making: As with any plan there are nearly always options and many ways to skin a cat This will involve decision making and problem solving which the manager can make more effectively if the correct information is in place and the correct people in the team consulted. Time prioritizing: Good time management is vital, without it the manager will become less and less effective as his or her time will be spent less and less productively. The art of successful time management is one which all successful managers must master. Training and Development: The workforce can only be as good as they training they receive and the same applies to management. Personal development and training aimed at improving managerial technique should always be encouraged. Review and Monitor: As with all managed tasks, the monitoring and review of the progress and outcome is essential if lessons are to be learned and improved techniques are to be developed. The process on review should encourage an exchange of information of all those personnel involved and sound two-way communication is essential. Goal Setting: The planning and information gathering stage will provide sufficient knowledge for a manager to set some targets and goals. If this information is accurate and the manager skilled in making judgment, a realistic goal can be set with achievable outcomes in the time given. Interpersonal Skills: The ability of the manager to relate to his staff is vital. It is this communication and personal skill which will persuade the staff member to perform for his manager, that feeling of inclusion and a belonging which the manager relays to his staff member. The successful manager needs to be caring, companionate, and where possible remain calm under a crisis. Listening skills are also essential as are negotiating skills. A good team player normally combines most of these interpersonal skills and uses them to good effect in everyday management. 3. PERSONAL SKILLS AUDIT AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TABLE 1:- PERSONAL SKILLS AUDIT Skills Examples and evidence Score 1 5 (5 highest) Communication and Literacy skills Good use of written English gained from producing engineering assignments and written formal management reports during my seven years in the Aeronautical Research and Development. department at Bae Systems. Oral presentation skills adequate and improving. Many chances to practice them in seminars and presentations. Prefer making individual presentations to group presentations as then I am more in control of the structure and flow etc. In future I intend practicing any presentation that I have to give in front of a small audience of friends a few times in order to check that it has good content, structure and timing. I am also developing communication skills in a work context. Clear communication between myself and my sub contractors and boss is important. Also, am developing good interpersonal and communication skills in my contact with colleagues at work as well as in my dealings with customers. 4 Group Interpersonal Skills Working with others I have plenty of experience of working as part of a team and being an effective member of a group. This began with sport at school and continued throughout my 27 years in the armed forces where teamwork is essential and vital in certain situations. My current employment offers frequent opportunity to take part in group work as part of the weekly team planning and reporting meetings. I always try to make a positive contribution as my final decision on the outcome of the discussions will decide if the objectives are met, or not. At work, I play the lead role in decision making but consult all my team members on a democratic basis.. This ensures all the team members have a valued input and builds a healthy team ethos. I think that I am quite good at welcoming new employees and helping people to fit in and adjust to the pattern of work. I want to improve my leadership skills further through courses targeted in this area and by continuing to plan and organize team events and expeditions. 4 Organization Personal Skills Independent Learning and Working I am self-motivated as long as the task is interesting and holds my attention. The freedom to make decisions free from senior managers input helps greatly and means I can plan and schedule the work as I choose. Although I feel my Time Management is quite strong, I aim to improve my time management strategies regarding the meeting of programme deadlines for the customer. I currently hold three levels of Sports coaching award and coach Tennis at several different locations. This requires commitment and dedication as the lessons are not always charged for. I have had a number of jobs in the past two years and have been lucky in that I have had to take the responsibility and act on my own initiative in each of the roles. 3 Research Problem Solving Skills I try to view problems as challenges rather than major obstacles. I think that I am systematic and logical when it comes to thinking about problems and their solution. I have developed these skills both as an individual and as part of working in groups where the group task which we are set is frequently of a problem-solving nature, have also gained a good grasp of the processes which one needs to go through to solve problems i.e. problem definition, generating alternative solutions, selection of most appropriate response and the eventual implementation of a carefully-considered solution. 4 ICT Skills I started developing computer skills when I entered into the Research and Development department 9 years ago. I have since carried out the European Computer Driving Licence and work regularly with all MS Office products. I also use MS Project for my planning and scheduling of works but am without formal training on this software. I would like to spend some time on a placement course to improve my skills on this product. I am confident using e-mail and use it on a daily basis both to communicate with my clients, customers and sub-contractors. I also use email a great deal at home to keep in touch with my friends and family. I use the internet for research as well as online banking and booking holidays, reservations, flowers and shopping etc. 4 Application of Numerical Techniques Good basic grounding in maths skills including graphs/charts GCSE grade A and BTEC mechanical engineering. I have good skills at mental arithmetic which is vital for fast track quotations for the customer during unforeseen work and additional items not scheduled. 4 Outcome 3 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Task 4 Provide a personal development plan- see format supplied by Edexcel showing how you intend to use the knowledge from outcomes 1 and 2 to further enhance or develop the skills you need to improve your managerial effectiveness. This to include a statement of objectives (SMART) and a SWOT analysis.(1.3a) DELEGATION Another important technique of successful time management is the ability to delegate work effectively. Delegation, used wisely, is an essential tool of the successful manager. It can free valuable time to enable the manager to target his or her time more effectively and thereby increasing the chances of a successful outcome. Delegation should be applied using the S.M.A.R.T. principles and not over ambitious. Where: S à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Specific M à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Measurable A à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Achievable R à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Realistic T à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Time The delegation should achieve the desired results through a clear, concise brief which should match the authority and responsibility of the individual and should be used consistently and through the management/staff chain as required. Another positive outcome of successful delegation include improved flexibility within the team, upskilling, increase in morale and motivation, reduced sick leave and a improved team environment where team members feel more informed and inclusive. Task 5 Provide evidence of the monitoring and feedback undertaken where relevant and any adjustments made to the plan so that

Leaving Home for College: Expectations for Selective Reconstruction of Self

In this article the author’s goal were to analyze the perspectives of 23 upper-middle-class high school students as they move through the college application process and contemplate leaving home. While the students in this study viewed college as a place to develop skills and knowledge to become self-supporting adults, they also viewed it as a place to find their â€Å"true† identity, or simply changing a few things about themselves. This article relates the turning point of attending college to marriage, having children, etc.The students in this study viewed the meaning attending college as finding who they are, starting over, becoming adults, gaining independence, beginning a new life, entering the â€Å"next stage. † All of the students were stressing more on the personal changes in identity and their opinion on themselves more than the actual move to college. It’s a mind over matter issue. Along with finding their true identity, the college bound senio rs in this study viewed attending college as a time to create the person they want to be.They view their upcoming experience as a chance to edit or revise certain parts of their â€Å"biographies. † Also wondering if their families will miss them, if they will no longer play the role they once did before moving away for college. The students in this study were all upper middle class students. They come from families that are well off, successful parents. Most of them knew they were going to college because that’s the thought their parents engraved in their heads therefore they never questioned the idea.Other students just want to keep their social class, coming from a well off family; they themselves also want to be set for their futures. The chapter book that relates to this article, states that academic achievement varies by social class. Basically meaning the more money your family has, the higher chance you have in attending college. That is true in most cases. Jus t as mentioned above, most of the students in this study wanted to carry their social class, and others were going because their parents went.Also, being raised in a low-income family doesn’t predict academic failure. The choice of attending college is mostly up to the person not their background. Many students undergo different experiences in college. Their journey never goes as expected. Along with many experiences are changes. The experience of college changes a lot of students, sometime for the better, others for the worse. It depends wholly on the change the student wants to bring upon their life.

Past and Current Trends Of Use and Abuse of Substances in the United States Essay

Current trends show that illicit drugs are a source of significant cause of mortality in the United States. It accounts for approximately 17,000 deaths annually nearly a thousand in persons aged 12 to 21 years. Illicit drug use is also associated with significant morbidity and has far-reaching public health effects. A National House Hold Survey on drug abuse in 2003 showed that an estimated 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or over were current users of drugs at that time. The survey showed that marijuana was the most commonly used illicit drug. There was also the use of non-medical use of any prescription-type pain relievers, tranquilizers, sedatives or stimulants. Marijuana even currently is widely used because of its low cost and easy availability. New drugs that have gradually been noted coming into the market include methaqualone in the late 1970s, crack cocaine in the early 1980s, flunitrazepam in early 1990s and most recently Oxycontin (Bulletin on Narcotics, 2003). Teens are the group that is most affected by the drug use in the US. National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) shows that among the drugs highly used in the United States are Marijuana which has a the highest consumption, then followed by Psycho- therapeutics, cocaine, Hallucinogens and inhalants. Alcohol is a substance that has a detrimental effect on peoples’ health and is equally commonly used. The survey shows that over 50% of teens have tried an illicit drug by time of high school completion. This is an alarming percentage bearing the devastating effects drugs have in individuals’ lives. However, there is a notable decline in the use of nicotine among the youth- this trend in the history of survey that began in 1997. This is particularly notable since nicotine is often used before any other drugs of abuse (it is used by armatures), and tobacco addiction is the leading contributor to many of America’s public health problems. It is estimated that 19. 5 million Americans aged 12 or older are current users of illicit drugs. The use of cocaine in the US has equally declined over years while that of crack has increased. This has been attributed to the risk that comes along with injecting of ones’ self thus risking AIDS infection. Marijuana was the most widely used illicit drug, in 2003, with an estimated 14. 6 million people being users of marijuana. 2004 reports show that approximately 23% of the students in grade 7-12 had 5 or more drinks on one occasion during the past year. The rate of binge drinking is decreasing from 27% in 2000 to 26% in 2002. Among the 18 to 25 years old group, about 58% were current drinkers and 40% were binge drinkers. The current drinkers among the older group drops to about 50%. Binge drinkers drops to about 23%, and 5% heavy drinkers. About 14% of students in grades 9 through 12 admitted they had driven a car after having had a good bit to drink at least once in the past year, and 24% of the seniors said so. 11% of students in grade 9 through 12 reported having driving when they were high on drugs and 18% of the seniors said so. Cocaine has high prevalence in the United States especially in Texas State. Approximately 7% of the 18 to 25 years old population reported using cocaine. Use of alcohol, but not cigarettes, marijuana and cocaine, is higher among college students than among non-college youth of the same age. There is a significant difference in the use of cocaine between border and non-border Hispanics. More recently, while the use of crack cocaine was decreasing among some populations, in particular African-American, it was increasing among Hispanic youth. The finding shows that there is a disparity by ethic/racial group. Although African-Americans have lower rates of substance abuse prevalence, they have a higher rate of homicides. The attitudes towards the use of drugs have changed over the period of times in American culture. (Kozel, 2003) argues that substance abuse or use in American society reflects â€Å"a wrenching tension between conflicting ideals of liberation and communal obligation. † This has been noted by the increase of use of drug during the period of national crisis like American Revolution, in the civil war and the 1960s, as drug use was linked to independence and forging of new identities. In one way or another change in prevailing ideological and religious beliefs, fluctuations in norms and values and transformations in technology are some of the cultural fluctuations that affect drug use in American society. The African American music, which glorifies drug and violence, is a significant example of how culture promotes and encourages the use of drugs. It is also the norm in the United State for young people to have alcohol as a regular drink forgetting that alcohol is addictive; this culture works to promote the use of drugs. Drugs use has adverse effects on the health of Americans. Mental health of individuals is affected when people use drugs. Drugs use and abuse has been associated with risk-taking behaviors that leads to multiple consequences, including the on going transmission and acquisition of HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmission diseases. These are some of quite challenging health hazards in the contemporary world. In addition, impairment due to drug use can lead to unintended pregnancy, impacts of which are far reaching, as teenage mothers are more likely to not finish high school or college. Drug use is the source of chronic liver disease. America’s chronic liver disease prevalence rate is high at 9. 5. Over 90% of deaths due to this disease happened to individuals in the older age groups. Hispanics have a greater rate of deaths due to chronic liver disease (25. 5) than other groups, 18. 6 for Whites and 12. 7 for African-American. This reflects the effect of Hispanic culture and the influence it has in encouraging drug use. Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States. Lung cancer, heart disease, and illnesses such as emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airways obstruction are responsible for largest number of smoking related deaths. Majority of individuals whose cause of death is lung cancer were in the 65 years old or older group. The age disparity shows long-term effects of cigarette smoking. Alcohol is the substance that is used by the greater percentage of population who use substances. Its use begins early, and the percent of users peaks in early adulthood. Its use continues to be high during adulthood, but the percent of users decline with age. Most hard drug users develop from the use of alcohol and thus alcohol acts as a bridge. Essentially, each drug has its physiological effect on the user. Most drugs are not used in their pure form and may be mixed with harmful substances. In addition the way the drug is used can have health effects. For instance, injecting drugs, in particular with unclean needles, can cause emboli or clots, sepsis and other infections that require medical attention. Sometimes users overdose and die.

The Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy - 2186 Words

Philosophy has always been a part of my thoughts throughout my life, but it seems like I have never truly given as much time into these thoughts until this semester. Philosophy is something that is exposed on a daily basis and should be talked about. I think that it is interesting to talk about philosophical subjects with friends and family to learn more about their way of thinking, morals, and who they are as a person. This class has definitely widened my horizon without me even realizing that it was happening. Talking about different subjects, and learning about how my classmates viewed things differently, were some things that I would have never expected from a philosophy class. Ethics Ethics is best described as a system of moral values that is followed by human beings. In this chapter, I found myself connecting with Mo Tzu’s statement about Universal Love. His statement followed his principle that everyone should have access to peace, food, and clothes. Food and clothes, I believe, are two basic needs that a human being needs on a daily basis. As for peace, I believe that it is something that all human being should have to feel in their life and strive for. This is something that I can definitely relate to because my family and I are constantly involved in making other lives better when things are rough for them. I was taught at a young age that not every one on this planet was as fortunate as I was, and I will forever be thankful for my parents for teaching me thisShow MoreRelatedThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy998 Words   |  4 PagesPhilosophy is the attempt at answering or understanding the questions that the being who is philosophizing yearns to know or wishes to understand. The importance of what the philosopher wishes to know or understand is not a determinate factor in what it means to do philosophy. The act of doing philosophy is not defined by the subject of examination but by the driving passion of knowing and understanding. This means that an individual that wishes to know why a laptop is a laptop or why is it thatRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy And Philosophy1292 Words   |  6 Pages As a student at Richland college, I have never studied philosophy before, and I have heard very bizarre claims about what philosophy is. For that reason, I wanted to take a philosophy class so I can learn more about it. Due to lack of knowledge, I used to think philosophy as involving a kind of mystical significant, sometimes resulting from observing problems without solutions. In addition, sometimes I accustomed that philosophy is nothing more than a name that does nothing more than feelingsRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy And Philosophy1035 Words   |  5 Pages As a student in Richland college, I have never studied philosophy before, and I have heard very bizarre claims about what philosophy is. For that reason, I wanted to take a philosophy class so I can learn more about it. Due to lack of knowledge, I used to think philosophy as involving a kind of mystical significant, sometimes resulting from observing problems without solutions. In addition, sometimes I accustomed that philosophy is nothing more than a name that does nothing more than feelings ofRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy1451 Words   |  6 Pages Philosophy is recognized by the questions being asked, and the methods used to answer them. These questions are usually the ones that are open-ended, abstract, or the ones that lead to controversial answers. Due to the openness in philosophy, the uncertainty, there is not just one viewpoint that is completely accepted by all to be true. This leads to many disputes and conversations that are ultimately driven by th e core of philosophy, which is its latin translation, the love of wisdom. Now, theRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Philosophy Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesWhat is philosophy? Philosophy could be defined in many ways, but I believe that the Oxford dictionary defines it best: â€Å"The study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience or a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour†. That definition basically encapsulates the entirety of what we have discussed during the time that we have been in this course. It covers the basic ideals of both eastern and western philosophy quite eloquently over the spanRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy1122 Words   |  5 Pagesof whether philosophy from hundreds of years ago, are still relevant to today and the society of which we live? The answer, simply put is yes. It is still relevant because we still do question everything, we still wonder about topics that were discussed b ack then, and because philosophy is the basis of critical thinking, a quality that is still useful today. We often ask questions, which in turn led us to the discovery of the discipline of philosophy. The primary reason for philosophy is to gainRead MorePersonal Philosophy : Philosophy And Philosophy1318 Words   |  6 PagesPersonal Philosophy Paper Introduction For the purpose of the paper, famous philosophies and a personal nursing philosophy is presented, including the personal definitions of the four phenomena of nursing namely person, environment, health, and nursing. The said philosophy will then be compared to other professionally-acclaimed philosophies. Included in the discussion is the importance of a nurse’s role in providing health care to persons, family, and the society and how it is able to address problemsRead MorePhilosophy : Philosophy Of Education1328 Words   |  6 Pages Philosophy of Education Jihyae Choe Liberty University TESL 419 â€Æ' Philosophy of Education A good educator decides the direction of teaching based on a resolute educational philosophy. A firm and resolute philosophy does not equate with a fixed perspective, instead it is a strong foundation that can stabilize the life long educational career. In order to establish a firm philosophical basis, passion toward education should accompany proper understanding. Successful educators who establishedRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Education1866 Words   |  8 PagesPhilosophy of Education An educational philosophy gives teachers and all educators’ ways to use problem solving in schools. For a lot of practitioners, actual teaching has been reduced to action lacking of a rationale or justification. According to Alan Sadovick, the author of our textbook, a philosophy of education is â€Å"firmly rooted in practice, whereas philosophy, as a discipline, stands on its own with no specific end in mind† (Sadovnik, 2013, pg. 179). All teachers and prospective teachers haveRead MorePhilosophy And Philosophy Of Teaching999 Words   |  4 Pages Philosophy of Teaching Essay Assignment Mohsin Rasho Valparaiso University NUR 641 â€Å"I have neither given nor received, nor have I tolerated others use of unauthorized aid.† Mohsin Hussein Rasho Philosophy of Teaching Essay Assignment There are many students thinking about their future because they desire to be the great teacher or professor in the future. It is necessary