Income, Poverty, and Health Care Essay Example for Free

Income, Poverty, and Health Care Essay The objective for this paper is to explain what I have learned from our class discussion and our readings of Chapter 30 of our text, Economics Today. It will show my personal understanding of this week’s objectives through explaining what I have learned by analyzing the impacts of government regulation of the economy, including the rationalization for and history of regulation, degrees of success, and future consequences if regulation does or does not occur while applying economic concepts to explain income distribution, and its connection lifestyle choices and opportunities. In this week’s assignment, to relate them to my life experiences, I have selected two articles relating to this topic, Income, Poverty, and Health Care, and I will be explaining why we are to review what has been happening lately, and why it is happening? The first article that I have chosen relates to the same topic as our class discussion, healthcare. I chose this because it is highly relatable to not just a small group of individuals, but every American citizen in the United States. Obamacare, or Affordable Care Act, will take effect on October 1, 2013, and it is viewed as â€Å"when poor and middle-class Americans will begin signing up for the health care laws new benefits. † (Young, J. (1-19-13)) To make sure that everyone signs up for this new healthcare program, they have created â€Å"Enroll America, an umbrella organization of nonprofits and health care industry organizations, that will carry out a major national public education campaign with paid advertising, online outreach, community activities and coordination. (Young, J. (1-19-13)) The major problem that most will have a hard time swallowing is the fines that you will receive, either as an individual, or as an employer. Government Health Insurance Mandates – If an individual does not have insurance they will be required to pay a fine of up to â€Å"$750 per year or up to $2,250 per year for a family that is uninsured. Firms with more than 50 employees will receive a fine of $750 for every employee that obtains federal subsidies for coverage. † (Graham, J. Kaye, D. (2006) Pg. 79) One issue that most people would not even think about concerning the new healthcare laws is that it is going to affect out budgets a great deal more than we first thought. I know that I was shocked to learn that our family pets’ routine visits to the veterinarian office will also come with a higher price tag due to the new healthcare law. While they said this is unintended, the fact that â€Å"medical equipment and supplies will be going up in cost, that extra expense will have to passed on to the customers. (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) Most would wonder how this would affect their office visit for their furry family members. Well, â€Å"it’s part of a new 2. 3-percent federal excise tax on certain medical devices that just went into effect. The tax will help fund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, intended for people, not pets. † (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) We know that the manufacturers will have to pay this tax, which will in turn cause their costs to produce these products, to rise. They will have no choice but to have to transfer these costs onto the consumers. This affects our vet visits because some of the products that were meant for humans also are used in our vet’s office, such as â€Å"IV pumps, sterile scalpels and anesthesia equipment. † (CBSMiami (3-11-13)) This week’s topic relates to one that I had discussed not too long ago in my Macroeconomics class. Since we are to be charged an additional tax to cover this new law in healthcare, I thought it would be appropriate to bring up the following information. The hoped for results of taxation and government spending as implied by the fiscal policy, is to help keep our economy out of a recession, or even worse, a depression. Depending on how fiscal policy is used in different situations, it will affect different people, and is not always helpful to the whole economy. The economy needs to be closely monitored and adjusted on a constant basis based on what is currently, or what is expected in the future of the economy. In times of high inflation, the government will increase the taxation rate to help build up the economy and keep the inflation rate down. Fiscal policy has the right to increase or decrease government spending which can raise or lower the overall economy monies in circulation. With this being said, it makes it clearer as to why we are taxed higher as the government increases its public spending. It may not seem understandable to the general population because most are not in agreeance with this new healthcare law. Many believe the increase in taxes will not cover the costs that are going to be associated with the healthcare mandate, which will in turn cause the federal and individual states to also raise their taxes or reduce their healthcare costs in order to balance out the increased funding needed to support these new laws. (Graham, J. Kaye, D. (2006) Pg. 681) I must say that after digging deeper into this subject, I am more appalled at the fact that this new â€Å"healthcare reform act† may potentially damage our society instead of help it. In the current state of our economy, which is shaky to say the least, does our government really think this will help us? I for one am not too sure. I do not want to get slapped with a fine because I choose not to purchase healthcare, but taking on an extra payment, when our pocketbooks are already stretched past their limits, is just as equally disconcerting.

Chinese Perception of Global Order

Chinese Perception of Global Order Chinese perception of global order and the position of China throughout history Introduction It is obvious that in the last few decades the People’s Republic of China is on the rise, both in economic and political terms. What remains unclear is how the increase in the Chinese domination will affect the global order. Three important questions arise from this uncertainty: will China be a US competitor? Can it propose a viable alternative to the existing order? How do past experiences shape the current approach of China to global order? The essay will rather focus not on how the world views China, but rather mostly how the Chinese themselves (first of all the elites and the scholars) view the role of their country in the past and present. At the beginning, just to underline the paramount importance of China to world economy and politics, a certain amount of data will be given. China is the first country in the world in terms of population (1,35 bln), third is GDP (12,61 trln in power purchasing power parity), second in exports (1.971 trln USD), third in import (1,53 trln), first in foreign exchange (3.3 trln USD), first in energy production and consumption, second in oil imports. Its military budget is second biggest (16 bln USD) (CIA World Factbook). China is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council. Despite showing almost incredible economic growth, China is not a part of classical Western civilization and the capitalist core. Becoming in many ways a modern capitalist economy, being at the heart of world industrial production, its political views on the international arena and its place in it may not fully fall in line with the Western vision of China. To try to answer the set above questions, it is necessary to go back in history and see what the Chinese perception was, how and why it was transforming. Historical perceptions During the Quing dynasty, that ruled in China since the 17th century until 1912, we can speak of a honor-based system in approach to international (regional) relations. The Emperor and the elites maintained regional order through the formal recognition of superiority of the Chinese nation by the tributary states, thus providing stability and self-respect for the Chinese people. This system was broken by the intervention of the Western states in the 19th century: military defeats and national humiliation through unequal treaties made elites to seek for a way of adapting to the new reality. One approach was to study the international laws through the legal framework to be able to defend the country, exploiting the opportunities the system gave, that is mastering the western knowledge. The second approach lied in the so called Self-Strengthening movement, aimed at using technological modernization to strengthen China, without substantial modernization of the system itself. These develop ments, however, finished with the downfall of the Quing dynasty. The dynasty itself would later be seen as incapable to defend Chinese interests, responsible for humiliation. The Republican leader Sun Jatsen proposed a new concept instead, that was based on ethnocentric honor. He put a lot of efforts into reversing the unequal treaties to which China was bound. And indeed those treaties were revoked, but rather because of the political situation of the time. China remained politically and militarily frail, it had to rely on other states, and thus it was not fully sovereign, which was clearly shown during conflicts with Japan. Even more, it was perhaps of the fact that Japan – the aggressor was defeated that China would gradually rise to prominence in the region. The beginning of the communist era brought yet another shift in Chinese inner perception and approach towards foreign policy. First, those were the communist ideas on the new society (social justice) in China. From th ese ideas the foreign policy strongly depended. Later on, Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong came with the concept of the three worlds. The concept divided the countries into three categories: First World (superpowers: the USA and USSR), Second World: allies of the superpowers (most of the European countries), and the Third World (non-aligned movement states). Mao’s idea was that China could become the leader of the Third World and thus reassert itself as a great power. Still, China at the time lucked economic instruments and military power to assert its dominance even at the regional level. Ultimately, the idea that non-aligned movement would serve for the shift of the international relations, and China would be at the core of this process, did not prove. With Mao’s death, the Chinese elites took a more firm, cautious stance on the international arena, focusing more on reforming the country and going in line with the great powers. Still, the time of the Cold War infl uenced Chinese foreign policy, with political elites having to chose with which superpower to ally. First it was the alliance with Moscow and from 1972 – closer relations with the USA. It as well kept a positive image for the developing world. With the end of the Cold War there has been expressed an opinion that the global domination of the USA should be limited and that the international order should be democratized, there appeared a debate among the scholars whether a unipolar or multipolar world is appropriate. Globalisation was seen as a process beneficial for the USA, in which China had to find its place. To sum up the past experiences and the way it shapes the current approach of China to global order, it can be said that the past times are seen as a period of humiliation and injustice, especially up until the communist times. Subsequently, in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, China perceived itself to be a victim in an unjust world of aggressive, powerful Western states. Contemporary Chinese perceptions of a just international order have been formed by such past experiences and contain a strong element of restitution. Its justice claims start with the Chinese state itself rather than with the needs of a broader global community, focusing on the internal damage. Its activity on the international arena can be explained by the need to return the prestige and honour that was presumably lost in the early 20-ies. Economic factors determining current perception of global order Modern Chinese perspectives on the global order and China’s role in it is a matter of debates between the political elites, as well as economic managers and scholars. Increased by the Chinese paramount economic importance and growing military power, as well as participation in the work of a number of regional and international organizations (WTO, UN and Security Council, Shanghai Cooperation Organization) there are several viable strategies present. What must be taken into account is that Chinese view and strategy is strongly intertwined with the country’s foreign economic policy. There can defined five major principles, characterizing Chinese economy and demanding adherence to them. First, is keeping open world markets for its exports, more than half of which are produced by factories that are wholly or partly owned by foreigners. The second principle is about securing access to international supplies of energy resources and natural resources, which serve a determining factor to the Chinese industrial development. The third principle demands China is to insulate its economy and national wealth from potentially destabilizing international risks. The fourth principle demands that new technologies are acquired, together with knowhow and skills. The fifth principle presupposes promotion of global expansion of Chinese own industries through foreign investment (de Jonquieres, 2011). One of the possible dangers to the development of the Chinese national economy is the fact that it strongly relies on the energy imports. Moreover, as most of the markets for extracting resources are occupied. The data proposes that the Chinese export 4.754 million bbl/day (2010 est.), making them second largest importer of crude oil in the world. It is fourth in the world in importing refined petroleum products: 1.571 million bbl/day (2011 est.). As well, China imports natural gas: 42.5 billion cu m (2012 est.), making them 13 largest importer. Chinese often have to focus on those not so favorable, for some reason abandoned by the West. As a big market player, furthermore, China cannot switch out of investments rapidly without risking substantial losses on them – and consequent fierce criticism from nationalistic sections of public opinion and the Communist party that view the reserves as precious patrimony. In search of an escape route and, in particular, of ways of reducing dependence on the US dollar, China is taking steps to promote international use of the renminbi. They include agreements with selected partners to use the currency to finance bilateral trade (chiefly China’s imports), the launch of an offshore ‘dim sum’ bond market in Hong Kong, and authorisation of limited purchases of domestic Chinese bonds by Japanese investors. Yet, estimated two-thirds of the foreign exchange reserves are held in USD-denominated assets while about a quarter of the reserves are in Euro. This amount was partially formed as a reward for economic success first of all export earning and capital inflows, but at the same time because f skewed social policies through the excess of domestic savings over investment. Generally, they do not contribute to national prosperity. And the issue of investing abroad is under question, partially because China wanted to invest in euro, while the eurozone is still getting out of crisis, partially because China is still too much dependent on the US dollar. As well, the measures to make renminbi convertible brought only to partial advancements. This shows how China may be vulnerable as it increases at the margin of those available markets. Chinese financial system remains underdeveloped. Both external economic factors and social domestic, urge Chinese policymakers for precaution when acting on the international arena. In this way, China remains strongly dependent on the international markets and cannot allow itself grave confrontation with the main trading partners and at the same t ime adhere to the current policy in international relation. Political factors determining current perception of global order. Aside from economic necessity, changes in the Chinese foreign policy there can be traced through bilateral and multilateral acts, as well as inner reforms. Thus, in 1996 there was adopted a new security concept, that surpassed the Cold War thinking and called for a new mentality. Later on, China provided economic assistance to countries affect whose economy was damaged by the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1999. On overall, there is a strong incentive for regional integration (ASEAN plus Three cooperation, the signing of the â€Å"Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed in 2002, treaty of Amity and Cooperation, signed in 2003). On the regional level, China aims to be on leading positions, which cannot be done without the agreement with the other countries in the region. One direction of cooperation at which China aims is naval: partner relations with the other states would spur Chinese ambitions and capacity of becoming a great naval power. Another strate gic Chinese partner in the region is Russia. A large part of Russia-Chinese cooperation is arranged through Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This cooperation is as well ambiguous as Russian leadership is aware of the Chinese economic expansion and the demographic shift in the Russian Far East. Thus, the idea of Chinese to establish a free trade zone among the member states of the SCO has not received further development. Yet, military cooperation of the countries is increasing. Official declarations of the Chinese politicians stress the necessity for promotion of peace and development, the need for multipolarization. Some scholars argue that this approach through the regional cooperation and cooperation with great powers (USA, EU, Russia, Japan) on the one hand, and increasing the role of the international organizations (first of all the UNO) is the actual Chinese strategy on the international arena. Such a strategy presupposes democratization of the international relations, furth er support of the concept of the sovereignty of the states. Ideally, the strategy of transcending would lead to slow but secure increase in Chinese importance and multipolar world. Chinese relations with the world hegemony – the USA, is a separate issue. Ever since the Cold War partner relations with China in political sphere slowly drifted from partnership to competition. Yet, political leaders of the USA varied in their opinion on Chinese-American relations. Those relations are at times worsened by several issue, which prove to retain constant character: Taiwan issue, relation s with Iran, devaluation of renminbi, protectionist measures of the Chinese government, violation of human rights in China with special attention to Tibet. Despite the enormous growth in trade and economic cooperation in the last decades, the USA leadership often shifts attention to military-political cooperation and confrontation. China, remaining the greatest developing country, while the USA is the main developed country, has the USA- Chinese relations as the primary focus, and its external policy in various issues is dependent on these relations. Scholars propose three main p ossibilities for further development of China-US relations: long-term accommodation, which presupposes gradual shift of balance between the two great states; long-term cooperation, that presupposes further mutually beneficial partnership without significant shift in the roles; and possible conflict, based on the supposition that the USA will never tolerate China as the second world hegemon. So far, whichever strategy is to take place, China accepts the unipolarity in the international relations. But this may not remain a status quo. Despite the often bright statements announced by the Chinese official, the current approach to global politics is centered around a strategy of bandwagoning and transcending. This means that first China adopts to the US leadership and serves as a partner in various spheres, while the second stage presupposes a peaceful and gradual transition to a more democratic (balanced) world order, with more active participation of the other powers and international organizations. Chinese concept of a new order includes promotion and defense of state sovereignty, support of the role of the UN. On the other hand, constant comparison of the position of China and the USA may not draw a full picture. The Chinese leadership itself emphasized the importance of developing stronger economic and political links with other countries, thus, so as not to remain â€Å"trapped† and tied mostly in their relations with the USA. The ever increasing role of China on the international arena make the other players to study more attentively the Chinese ideas and approach to the global order. And though the Chinese economic policies may go in line with the development of modern economic system, political suggestions may reveal a different picture, that in part center around Chinese history (especially of the last two centuries) and the ideas of retribution for national humiliation, demand for justice and equality, honorable place of China on the international arena, multilateralism; and Chinese internal policy. Although, as this essay suggests, there is no single approach to the global order and the future of the international relations proposed by the Chinese political elites and scholars, certainly whichever this approach be, it will to a large extent shape world politics in the next decades.

Dred Scott case Essay -- American History, African Americans

On June 19th 1862 the US Congress prohibits slavery in the United States territories nullifying the Dred Scott Case. This was the most important day in US history for African Americans. This is because it helped blacks gain the rights they deserve. It also gave them rights they never thought they could achieve. This Court case of Scott vs. Sanford was a catalyst to riots, other court cases such as Brown vs. Board of Education, Rachel vs. Walker and many acts and amendments resulted from one mans wish to be free. Dred Scott was a slave to the Emerson family of Missouri. Emerson soon died in 1846 making Scott sue for his freedom. He soon lost the case in a state court, but shortly after he was introduced to a national court. Scott Soon after lost the case again but then was later considered free man. This case caused many good things to occur, and many things bad to occur. Some of these things include the strengthening of the Republican Party in opposition to the courts decision; and it increased the abolitionist to get rid of slavery which eventually leads to the civil war. There are also some negatives to the Dred Scott Case like how it eventually led to the Panic of 1857. As well caused fights like Bleeding Kansas. Even the system of checks and balances was hurt by the Dred Scott Case. This case played a major role in how African Americans live today and how they are accepted among people. Without the efforts of Dred Scott and the people who followed in his footsteps there would be no way African Americans can live with the freedom and rights they have today because of the Dred Scott Case. Scott in addition caused people to really understand what life was... ...gislative branch, but also strengthened all the power of the republican party and there abolitionist ways. There was other things that have helped like the Rachel vs. Walker and James Tallmadge. These other cases and people have really helped Dred Scott gain his freedom and effect the world in so many ways that have effected the world so blacks no longer have to worry about being whipped, hit , or any racial discrimination without justice stepping in. Dred Scott was easily the most important person to ever live he has done so many great things. Dred Scott has become a major topic in all United States history, he will also go down as the best civil rights activist to ever live even though he did not realize at the time that he would become a major celebrity in history. Easily Dred Scott is known as the greatest person in history.

Slavery in Huckleberry Finn :: essays research papers

The conquest to destroy slavery played an important role in the development of our country and made an impact in many lives. It brought about new ideas in art, music, literature and gave insight to a novel written by Mark Twain. Twain contributed an aspect of his perspective on slavery and racism and incorporated it into a novel named Huckleberry Finn. Slavery in Huckleberry Finn This novel was written during a reconstruction period in our country in which the slaves had already been freed by the emancipation proclamation. However, the blacks were struggling for equality and their acceptance as free individuals, They were not taken seriously and were still segregated from the whites. Although they were free, the south still had a negative view upon the black population and maintained their hatred towards them. Twain wrote this book in the sense of being in the past and showing how the blacks were treated throughout slavery. Twain utilized his knowledge of the past and created a novel based upon a runaway boy and an escaping slave. Huckleberry Finn (the boy) and Jim (the slave) both escaped from society and traveled amuck down the river. Symbolically, they were both dependant on each other and they developed a special bond which aided them on their journey. Twain takes advantage of their separation from society and relays to the reader how the characters viewed their diversity. The two individuals become very close to each other even though they realized they were comprised of a different race. However, the thought of taking the role of a white man and turning Jim into custody crossed Huckleberry?s mind sporadically. Thus, Twain showed that he had assumed the role of the stereotypical white individual, and broke their bond of trust. Developing upon this his of the turmoil between the two, Twain shows us a little bit about himself as a writer. He shows the reader that he?s an individual who displays diversity as a complexity and something that isn?

Jazz Showcase Essay -- essays research papers

Jazz Showcase The concert I attended was the Jazz Showcase in Rudder Theatre on Monday June21, 2004 at 7:30 p.m. Surroundings Rudder Theatre is a large venue for this Jazz Showcase. There are five sections with fifteen rows deep in each section. The theatre is decorated modestly with solid colors and nothing too spectacular or eye catching. The chairs were covered in a yellowish fabric. The initial backdrop behind the stage was a white backdrop with red and blue lighting. This backdrop would change colors throughout the concert. Located at the doors were ushers with programs detailing the Texas Music Festival. The seats inside were not assigned but on a first come first serve basis. Seated in the very front and centered to the audience were the performers. The stage was set up with five chairs lined up three rows back. Each row was more elevated than the previous. The piano was at the far left, the guitar and bass were next to the piano, and the drums were in the back. The first row of chairs included the saxophone players, the second row were the trombone players, and the trumpet players were in the third and last row. Audience The audience, for the most part, seemed to be made up of college students attending for the same reasons as myself. However, there were some audience members who are part of older age groups in the audience. They were there only seeking a good performance and a great time. These older age group audience members were located mostly in the center section of the theatre seated in the first few rows. The dress was more casual among the students but dressier for the older people. Some people were in jeans and a T-shirt, including myself, while some wore nice clothes. The audience rewarded each soloist with a warm ovation of applause after their turn was finished. This led me to believe the audience enjoyed the performance and was very respectable to the performers. Performers I counted nineteen total performers with occasionally two others and a vocalist. Each performer was dressed in black pants and a black shirt except one who showed up late. He was wearing blue jeans and a sports coat and he definitely stood out from all the others. The performers related very well with the audience. Each acknowledged the audience after applauses and there was a narrator between pieces. There was a lot of humor among the performers and they seemed ... ...ked throughout the concert. The pacing of the selections seemed appropriate. No piece sounded like the one before it. There was a great variety of songs played. There were songs played that were written by famous jazz composers and songs played that were written by some of the performers themselves. This added to the excitement of the show. Opinions I enjoyed this concert. It was my first real experience with jazz music. To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect, but I left satisfied that I attended. However, there was one thing I did not enjoy. The narrator between songs was not very effective and actually took away somewhat from the concert. He failed numerous times at trying to be humorous and rambled on. My favorite piece was 88 Basie Street. It gave me that easy and relaxed feeling. This piece started softer, and then seemed to pick up with more energy. With my lack of knowledge of Jazz music, I certainly enjoyed this piece the best. I learned how exciting and fun listening to jazz being played live can actually be. I found it very interesting. Like I said earlier, the only thing I would change to make the concert more effective would be to have the narrator speak less.

Counseling Class Final Exam Paper Essay

After this class and taking all the different assessments and inventories, my number one career choice as of right now is an Elementary School Teacher. The tests have actually helped me learn a lot about myself and helped me determine what certain fields of work I would succeed in. Being an Elementary School Teacher would be a fulfilling career, and would allow me to be creative and interact with children, which are two things that are very important to me. 2. On the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, my four letter word was INFJ, which stands for introversion, intuition, feeling, and judgement (although my scores between extroversion/introversion and judgement/perception were a point off). According to the Myer-Briggs personality description, INFJs prefer occupations that involve the big picture, involve conceptual awareness, and lead to a better understanding of the spiritual, emotional, of future needs of people. They want their work to have impact or meaning and for it to bring them admiration and respect. Different occupations that seem to be attractive to INFJs include education consultant, English teacher, fine arts teacher, psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, scientist, and other occupations that allow INFJs an opportunity to make their own creative contribution. The list of occupations INFJs seem to enjoy include a lot of education type career choices, so elementary school education would be right up my alley, according to this assessment. Being an elementary school teacher would allow me to be creative and also allow me to help children learn, not only academically, but socially as well. My Holland Code was ISA which stands for Investigative, Social, and Artistic. Investigative people are known as â€Å"The Thinkers†. These are people who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems. Artistic people are known as â€Å"The Creators†, They have artistic innovation or intuition abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity. Social people are known as â€Å"The Helpers† and are people who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, or help. Elementary education is a Social college major. According to the occupational scales on the Strong Interest Inventory, I scored a 56 for Elementary School Teacher, which means I share interests with women in that occupation and would probably enjoy the work. Teaching & Education was also number two on my tops five interest areas. The personal style scale reveals many different things. As for my work style, I prefer working with people, I enjoy helping others, and I am outgoing. In a learning environment, I prefer academic environments; I learn well through lecture and books, and I seek knowledge for its own sake. As for my leadership style, I am comfortable taking charge of and motivating others, I enjoy initiating action, and I express my opinions easily. I think being an elementary school teacher would be a good match for me, according to the Strong Interest Inventory. It would allow me to observe, investigate, and solve problems, as well as help and inform children, and it would also allow me to be creative; which fulfills all aspects of my Holland Code. My top five values according to the Work Values Inventory are Altruism, Way of Life, Prestige, Economic Returns, and Security. Altruism is present in work which enables one to contribute to the welfare of others. As an Elementary school teacher, I would definitely be contributing to the welfare of my students and helping them to blossom and thrive in academic and social settings. Way of Life is associated with the kind of work that permits one to live the kind of life she chooses and to be the type of person she wished to be. Elementary school teachers normally work nine months out of the year. Those other three months off would allow me to spend time doing other things I love, like vacationing or spending quality time with my family. Also, I plan on being a parent after I get married and find a stable job. My schedule would correlate with the schedule of my future children and allow me to spend more time with them, which is very important to me. Prestige is associated with work which gives one standing in the eyes of others and evokes respect. An elementary school teacher may not be the most prestigious job in the eyes of some, but it definitely is in the eyes of the students. When I was in elementary school, I admired all of my teachers greatly. Educating the next generation and giving them a solid foundation on which to apply further education, I believe, is a very respectable career. Economic returns is associated with work which pays well and enables one to have the things wanted. Elementary school teachers make a decent amount of money, and although it might not be the highest paying job, I’m willing to push this value to the side to fulfill the others and do something I would really truly enjoy. Confucius once said â€Å"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. † Security is associated with work which provides one with the certainty of having a job even in hard times. According to the Eureka program, there are very many estimated jobs in elementary education within the next 20 years and the estimated growth is above average. My top ten skills based on my skill assessment results were Integrity, Questioning, Synthesizing, Tact, Understanding, Dependability, Tenacity, Advising, Cooperating, and Investigating. As an Elementary School teacher, I think you definitely need integrity. Actually, i listed this skill as a Very Satisfying skill, and is also listed as a Very Satisfying skill for Elementary school teachers. I think as an Elementary School teacher you need to be able to synthesize many different elements into your lesson plans. As for tact (a keen sense of what is appropriate, and what to say or do to avoid giving offense), I think it is an important skill for every career choice. I listed tact as a Very Satisfying skill and many Elementary School Teachers listed tact as a Moderately Satisfying skill. Understanding and dependability are very important skills for any career choice and are especially important when working with younger kids. I listed dependability as a Moderately Important skill and many Elementary School teachers did as well. Advising could be a helpful skill while trying different methods of learning certain subjects. Also important if a student was seeking my help. Cooperating is an important skill, because as an Elementary school teacher, not only will i be working with children, but I will also be interacting with their parents and other teachers. 6. Going forward from this class, I plan on majoring in Liberal arts at either Cal State Fullerton or Cal State Long beach, and from there I plan on getting my teaching credentials and ultimately becoming an Elementary School Teacher!

American Horror Story: the Affects of Sex and Violence in Media

Media Analysis: American Horror Story American Horror Story is an FX horror-drama television show, as well as an anthology series; each season of the show has a different cast and storyline. The show was created by Ryan Murphy (creator of the FOX show Glee) and Brad Falchuk (producer of Nip/Tuck), and premiered on October 5, 2011. The first season of the show follows the Harmon family as they settle into their new home in Los Angeles. They are unaware, however, that the mansion is haunted by its many former owners. The two main topics in which we covered in class that are utilized in the show are frightening and sexual content in media.The focus of the first season is on infidelity and temptation. Ben and Vivien Harmon moved to Los Angeles from Boston with their daughter Violet in an attempt to start over and save their fragile marriage, after Ben had an affair with one of his students. Although they think the move will help, it only worsens their situation. The cable series is full of as much violence and sexual content as the writers and producers can get away with. With multiple instances of violence, sex, and nudity in every episode, the show draws a very large audience.American Horror Story is FX’s most viewed series, with the pilot of the first season bringing in 3. 2 million viewers. The show gained viewers as it progressed, and the premiere of the second season had 3. 85 million viewers. In an interview by AfterElton. com contributor Brian Juergens, when asked about what he wanted to bring to the horror genre, producer Brad Falchuk said â€Å"In the case of the horror genre, your main goal is to scare people. You want people to be a little bit off balance afterwards. You want people to have their friends sleep over that night.And you want to deliver iconic images that stay with people. † The writers of American Horror Story make use of many of the subjects from chapter 13 of our textbook. There are many realistic scenarios that occur in th e series, such as a home invasion and multiple murders. This is an example of stimulus generalization. Because many of the scenes are highly realistic, the generalization stimulus is very high, which consequently increases the fearful or emotional response. American Horror Story is rated TV-MA, which means that it is intended for mature audiences, and not children (usually age 17 or older).It also has a sub rating of LSV (offensive language, strong sexual content, and violence and gore). R-rated videos and magazines contain far more profane and explicit sexual content than network television shows, but sexual remarks and suggestions are becoming ever more frequent in public media today. In American Horror Story there are elements of the four major themes of sexuality in media. Sexual scenes in the show include examples of domination (sexual control of a person), exploitation (coercion of one person by way of power or status), reciprocity (consensual sex), and autoeroticism (self-sti mulation, such as masturbation).In the pilot of the first season Ben walks in on the housekeeper, Moira, masturbating. She tries to get him to sleep with her but he goes to another room and masturbates as well. Yet another storyline consists of Ben’s former student, Hayden, in which he had an affair with, who shows up and tries to convince him to stay with her. These scenes, along with many others throughout the season, go back to the theme of infidelity and temptation. The trailer for the first season of American Horror Story gives the basic plot of the show. It also makes use of frightening music and sounds to get the attention of fans of the horror genre.The season two trailer also highlights each character’s traits and occupations briefly (Leo’s photography, Shelley’s sensuality, Lana Winters’ love for her partner, Wendy, etc. ). These short advertisements appeal to viewers by the use of catharsis. The audience of American Horror Story wants to be scared. It’s a way for them to escape, or animate, their own violent predispositions or inclinations; to purge themselves of their personal worries and apprehensions. Personally speaking, I find the sadistic and erotic nature of the show enjoyable.It allows me and other viewers to gain vicious pleasure by identifying with the immoral and shady personalities of the characters in the show. The intent of the show can be pretty well summed up by the theories of scholar and professor, Dolf Zillmann, in Fundamentals of Media Effects (Bryant and Thompson): â€Å"Zillmann (1991a, 1991b) described horror as frightening because it releases empathetic responses toward victims and makes viewers apprehensive about becoming victims themselves. In other words, viewers identify with the victims and experience their terror vicariously.Horror also frightens viewers because of their apprehensions; they fear being victims themselves. Finally, horror usually features a satisfying ending that viewers enjoy. † American Horror Story has had its share of controversy with viewers already. Erin Brown, contributor for the Culture and Media Institute at the Media Research Center, writes: â€Å"The premiere of â€Å"American Horror Story† wasn't just sexually and physically repulsive. Flashback scenes also featured a large dose of verbal and mental cruelty toward a Down syndrome girl – including her mother, played by Jessica Lange, wishing she'd aborted her.To add to the violence, sex and abuse, there were 13 versions of the word â€Å"s**t,† and such delightful terms as â€Å"p***y† and â€Å"c**ksucker. † With all this objectionable content, Entertainment Weekly still named American Horror Story one of its â€Å"Top Ten Things We Love this Week† putting it on their famous â€Å"Must List† in the October 7 issue. â€Å"This show has a potential to literally be shattering to all of the things that we consider to be normal ,† one of the actors said during production. † Many parental reviews of the show describe it as disturbing, terrifying, and even repulsive.The three main age groups discussed in the Reactions to Disturbing or Frightening Media Content chapter of Fundamentals of Media Effects, 3-8, 9-12, and 12-17, are all thought to be too young for most parents. Some critics also consider American Horror Story to be a strained and overexcited mess. Though there are many frightening elements to the show, most of them are written off as cliche. The fact that in society today we are so used to seeing violence and sexual content in media, these happenings in the show are not as disconcerting as they would have been in the decades prior to the twenty-first century.