Consider the benefits and challenges of social media amongst young Australians Essay Example for Free

Consider the benefits and challenges of social media amongst young Australians Essay The use of social media by young Australians has become increasingly popular. This essay will show that social media can have many benefits to young Australians by enabling them to engage with peers, the creativeness it brings out and enhanced learning opportunities. Cyber bullying and privacy issues are some of the challenges that can arise with the use of social media. One of the benefits of social media is the ability to connect and engage with others. Keeping in touch with friends and family who live far away can be made a lot easier by communicating through social media by sharing updates, photos, videos, and messages. ’In 2008, Facebook reported having 67 million active users, with more than half of them returning daily and spending an average 20 minutes per day on the site’. Social media provides young people with the right tool to be able to make new relationships as well as strengthened existing relationships. The strong sense of community and belonging fostered by SNS [social networking services] has the potential to promote resilience, which helps young people to successfully adapt to change and stressful events. Social media is a significant tool for enabling creativity and innovation for young Australians. Through social media they are able to develop a diverse range of skills such as editing content, interactive blogging, encourage the creation and sharing of poetry, arts, photography, and video content. A study conducted last year by the University of Minnesota suggested that using social networking sites improved technology and communication skills, boosted creativity and exposed students to new and diverse world views. These students also tended to do better in exams. Education through social media has great benefits for young people. Being able to learn everything from foreign languages to how to write a computer code and everything in between. Social networking services can facilitate learning and skill development outside formal learning environments by supporting peer-to-peer learning of knowledge and skills, collaboration, diverse cultural expression, the development of skills valued in the modern workplace , and a more empowered conception of citizenship. Cyber bullying on social media is a risk for young Australians. Cyber bullying is purposely using social media to communicate wrong, humiliating, or hostile information about another person. The most frequently used nature of harassments are name calling and gossiping. ‘Thirty three percent of youth reported an online harassment in the last year’. Young people usually react by pretending to ignore it, by really ignoring it or by reacting and bullying the bully. Cyber bullying is quite common and can occur to any young person online. Cyber bullying can have devastating effects to a young person including depression, anxiety, isolation and suicide. The improper use of social media by young Australians can put their privacy at risk. The volume and accessibility of personal information available on social media have attracted malicious people who seek to exploit this information. Young people who lack an awareness of privacy issues often post on social media inappropriate messages, pictures, and videos of themselves and others without understanding that it could result in future reputations being damaged. ‘Adults are concerned about invasion of privacy, while teens freely give up personal information’. Sharing too much information on social media can also make young people easier targets for marketers and fraudsters. Communicating and sharing information on social media to someone who you do not know their identity can be very dangerous as this sort of behaviour can attract online predators. To conclude, it is clear young Australian’s are faced with many benefits and challenges when using social media. From cyber bullying and privacy issues social media opens up avenues for problems but along with these challenges come opportunities for young people to learn in many different ways and express themselves creatively. It is up to the user how they want to engage and use social media.

Impact of Shale Gas on Seismic Activity

Impact of Shale Gas on Seismic Activity Is shale gas development responsible for increased seismic activity? 1. Introduction In recent years, shale gas has become the notorious poster child of the fossil fuel industry (Sovacool, 2014). Proponents tout it as being the answer to current energy needs given that it is available in abundance and has a lower carbon footprint than other fossil fuels e.g. coal and oil (Sovacool, 2014). Contrary to this, opponents have a firm stance against shale gas development, having concerns about its environmental impact. Shale gas has come under fire once again as a link between fracking and earthquakes has stirred up public emotions (Walsh, 2014). There has been a dramatic increase in the number of seismic events in the central and eastern regions of the United States. The US has seen over 300 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale over a period of three years (2010 to 2012) in comparison to an average of 21 events per year over the last three decades (Ellsworth, 2013). In several states such as Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, Arkansas and Ohio these increased seismic events have been linked to underground injection of waste water from shale gas developments (Ellsworth, 2013). In the United Kingdom hydraulic fracturing at Preese Hall near Blackpool has been linked to two earthquakes of magnitude 2.3 and 1.5 on the Richter scale (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). There are a number of procedural steps required for shale gas development that include the following: road and well pad construction, well drilling, casing, perforating, hydraulic fracturing, completion, production, abandonment and reclamation. This essay focuses on the underlying potential of hydraulic fracturing and underground waste water disposal to trigger seismic activities. Despite seismic activities being recorded at only a handful of the numerous shale gas development sites, the evidence indicates that increased seismic activity can be linked to shale gas development (Ellsworth, 2013). Even though the magnitude of these earthquakes are on the scale of being nuisances rather than catastrophes (Sovacool, 2014), there is a growing interest into understanding the cause of these events and the mitigation strategies to avoid larger catastrophes in terms of earthquakes or surface damage. 2. Induced Seismicity Induced seismic events are earthquakes triggered by human activity such as injecting fluids into rock formations for waste water disposal and hydraulic fracturing (National Research Council, 2013). Induced events have a much smaller magnitude than naturally occurring events and are therefore not usually felt on the Earth’s surface (Davies et al, 2013). Induced earthquakes take place when changes occur in the pore pressure-the pressure of fluid in the pores and fractures of rock-due to injection or withdrawal of fluids from the Earth’s subsurface. This change in pressure alters the stress on nearby faults, causing them to slip creating a seismic event. There are many factors that contribute to the magnitude and likelihood of an induced earthquake which include the injection rate, fluid pressure, fluid volume and injection duration (Davies et al, 2013). Since there is no physical difference between naturally occurring earthquakes and induced earthquakes it is difficult to determine the origin of a seismic event (National Research Council, 2013). A study conducted by Davis and Frohlich (1993) proposed criteria that have to be met in order to consider an earthquake as induced. These are: 1. Are these events the first known earthquakes of this character in the region? 2. Is there a clear correlation between injection and seismicity? 3. Are epicentres near wells (within 5km)? 4. Do some earthquakes occur at or near injection depths? 5. If not, are there known geologic structures that may channel flow to sites of earthquakes? 6. Are changes in fluid pressures at well bottoms sufficient to encourage seismicity? Based on these criterion the seismic activity in Dallas Fort Worth, USA was attributed to disposal of waste water from fracking activities (Frohlich et al, 2010) and the earthquakes at Preese Hall, UK were linked to hydraulic fracturing (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). Figure 1 shows the 198 recorded global induced seismic events (Davies et al, 2013:p.178). Out of the 198 examples of induced seismicity hydraulic fracturing accounts for only 3 instances of ‘felt seismicity’ (seismic activity above magnitude 2.0 on the Richter scale) and waste water disposal, specifically from shale gas activities, also accounts for only 3 ‘felt’ seismic events (Davies et al, 2013). Figure 1. Frequency vs. magnitude for 198 published examples of induced seismicity (Davies et al, 2013:p.178) 3. Seismic activity due to hydraulic fracturing Hydraulic fracturing is the technique used to extract gas from ‘shale rock’ formations. Shale rock has large quantities of methane which are trapped in it due to its low permeability (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). In order to release the gas, fracking fluid is injected at high pressures to create fractures, increasing permeability of the rock and allowing gas to flow out. Micro-seismic events (less than magnitude 2 on the Richter scale) are often associated with the creation of faults in hydraulic fracturing, however their magnitude is too small to be felt on the surface (Davies et al, 2013). In the event of the presence of a pre-stressed fault near the fracked well a larger seismic event can occur although its magnitude will have an upper limit of 3 on the Richter scale (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). The magnitude of induced seismicity is directly proportional to the surface area of the fault and degree of stress on the fault (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). The magnitude also depends on the pressure in the well, which is determined by the following factors (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012): Volume of injected fracking fluid Volume of flow back fluid Injection rate Flow back rate The importance of controlling the well pressure can help mitigate seismicity, as seismic events have occurred only at wells where large volumes of fluid have been injected with little or no flow back leading to pressure build up (de Pater Baisch, 2011). The seismic activity observed at Blackpool, UK was linked to the hydraulic fracturing operations underway at Preese Hall due to spatial and temporal correlation (Green, Styles Baptie, 2012). Eisner et al (2011) conducted a study to look into the reasons behind the earthquakes, which concluded that the earthquakes were caused by injection of fracking fluid directly into an adjacent fault. The fluid injection had changed the pore pressure, reduced stress on the fault and caused it to slip resulting in a series of earthquakes. The earthquakes were also measured against the criteria suggested by Davis and Frohlich (1993) to determine whether they were induced or natural events (Eisner et al, 2011): Table 1. Criteria proposed by Davis and Frohlich (1993) to help differentiate between induced and natural seismicity applied to events at Preese Hall (Eisner et al, 2011:p. 21) The table above shows that the criteria were met and hence the events at Blackpool were classified as having been induced by hydraulic fracturing activities at Preese Hall. Mitigation: In order to avoid such events the Department of Energy and Climate Change introduced the following controls and checks for well operators (Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2014): Utilise all geological information available to determine the location of faults before drilling wells to ensure wells are at a distance from existing fault lines. Inject minimum amounts of fracking fluid Constantly monitor seismic activity Introduce ‘traffic light monitoring system’, which determines whether to proceed with injection or not on the basis of seismic activity magnitude. The implementation of these mitigation strategies would help operators assess location of faults before fracking, monitor seismic activity and stop even if minor tremors occur. 4. Seismic activity due to waste water disposal Waste water is a by-product of fracking and is often disposed of by being injected, under pressure, into disposal wells. Waste water injection increases underground pore pressure and weakens nearby faults, lubricating them, and causing them to slip resulting in an earthquake. The magnitude of induced seismic activity from waste water disposal is larger than that of fracking because it involves injection of larger volumes of fluid over a timespan of months or years (as opposed to a few days for fracking) causing greater pressures to build up (The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2012). The upper limit of magnitude of seismicity induced by disposal in 5 on the Richter scale (Majer et al, 2007). In the USA links between waste water disposal and seismicity were drawn when a cluster of earthquakes were noticed in the Guy-Greenbrier area of Arkansas. Since the first disposal wells became operational in April 2009 this area experienced an increase in the number of magnitude 2.5 (or greater) earthquakes, with one in 2007, two in 2008, ten in 2009 and fifty four in 2010 (Horton, 2012). Horton (2012) reports that 98% of the earthquakes occurred within 6 km of one of the disposal wells, began post-injection, increased when the rate of injection increased and tapered off when the well was shutdown. After an extensive study of the area it was noted that the waste water was being injected into an aquifer from where it increased pore pressure on an unknown fault triggering the earthquakes (Horton, 2012). Similar activity was observed in the Dallas Fort Worth area, where 11 ‘non-felt’ (magnitude less than 2 on the Richter scale) seismic events were recorded during the period between the 20th of November and 2nd of December 2008 (Frohlich et al, 2010). The epicentre of all 11 events was less than 0.5 km away from a disposal well thereby causing them to be classified as induced seismic events (Frohlich et al, 2010). Out of the thousands of disposal wells in the US only a handful have displayed seismic activity (Frohlich et al, 2010). The reason for this could be that most of the wells are drilled into porous, permeable rocks suitable for accommodating fluids and that injection induced triggering occurs only if the fluid reaches a favourably oriented fault (Frohlich et al, 2010). Mitigation: The Royal Society and The Royal Academy of Engineering (2012) have suggested steps that could be taken to mitigate the seismic activity due to waste water disposal: 1. Injection into active faults and brittle, non-porous rocks should be avoided 2. Pressure changes at depth should be minimised by reducing volume of fluid to be disposed. This could be done by building more wells to accommodate smaller volumes of fluid or injecting into highly permeable rocks. 3. A ‘traffic light monitoring system’ should be deployed to respond to seismicity. 5. Conclusion After analysis of data from shale gas plays in the US and UK it can be concluded that shale gas development is responsible for the increased seismic activity felt in these regions. It must be noted however that most cases of seismic activity had magnitudes well below what could be felt at the surface (Davies et al, 2013). According to the National Research Council (2013) hydraulic fracturing does not pose a high risk for inducing seismic activity while disposal of waste water into underground wells poses a greater risk due to the injection of larger volumes of waste water for longer durations of time. However, of the 30,000 wells in operation in the US, only 3 wells have displayed ‘felt’ seismic activity (Davies et al, 2013). A balanced approach should be taken while addressing this matter as other human activities (mining and oil recovery) are responsible for far greater incidences of induced seismicity (Davies et al, 2013). In order to allay public concerns and reduce risks associated with seismic activity the government should enforce certain regulations e.g. geological assessment of rock system at well site, deployment of ‘traffic monitoring system’, limitations on volume and rate of fluid injected and limitations on the proximity of wells to active seismic zones or critical facilities (hospitals, schools, nuclear power plants etc.). Coordinated efforts should be made between the government and industry to put in place a mechanism to respond to induced seismic events and gather comprehensive geological data from shale gas development sites to better understand why, how and where these events occur. References Davies, R., Foulger, G., Bindley, A. Styles, P. (2013) Induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing for the recovery of hydrocarbons. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 45 (0), 171-185. Davis, S. D. Frohlich, C. (1993) Did (or will) fluid injection cause earthquakes? -criteria for a rational assessment. Seismological Research Letters. 64 (3-4), 207-224. de Pater, C.J,Baish,S. (2011) Geomechanical Study of Bowland Shale Seismicity. Eisner,L.,Janskà ¡,E., OprÃ… ¡al,I.,MatouÃ… ¡ek,P. (2011) Seismic analysis of the events in the vicinity of the Preese Hall well. Cuadrilla Resources Ltd. Ellsworth, W. L. (2013) Injection-Induced Earthquakes. Science. 341 (6142). Frohlich, C., Potter, E., Hayward, C. Stump, B. (2010) Dallas-Fort Worth earthquakes coincident with activity associated with natural gas production. The Leading Edge. 29 (3), 270-275. Green,C.A.,Styles,P.,Baptie, B.J. (2012) Preese Hall Shale Gas Fracturing Review and Recommendations for Induced Seismic Mitigation. Horton, S. (2012) Disposal of Hydrofracking Waste Fluid by Injection into Subsurface Aquifers Triggers Earthquake Swarm in Central Arkansas with Potential for Damaging Earthquake. Seismological Research Letters. 83 (2), 250-260. Majer, E. L., Baria, R., Stark, M., Oates, S., Bommer, J., Smith, B. Asanuma, H. (2007) Induced seismicity associated with Enhanced Geothermal Systems. Geothermics. 36 (3), 185-222. National Research Council. (2013) Induced Seismicity Potential in Energy Technologies. Washington, DC, The National Academies Press. Sovacool, B. K. (2014) Cornucopia or curse? Reviewing the costs and benefits of shale gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 37 (0), 249-264.

The Role Of Teaching Grammar In School

The Role Of Teaching Grammar In School In the past, in a traditional classroom, grammatical competence and explicit knowledge of language rules were emphasized. Grammar teaching held such an essential part in language teaching that other aspects became either ignored or downplayed. People assumed that if the grammatical rules of a language were mastered, the success of communication in that language was ensured (Richards and Renandya, 2002, p.145). Therefore, at that time this assumption required learners to pay much attention to grammar rules, sentence structures and forms. Every leaners, even children at a very young age, were made to study the complicated rules of grammar (Dash, 2007, p.91). This viewpoint inherits in itself several weaknesses. Dash also pointed out one of them, saying that modern educationists believe although a pupil has known all the grammar rules, he or she still makes the most elementary mistakes in grammar. Moreover, increased knowledge in grammar doesnt help students to increase the ability to use english correctly (p. 92). If learners just spend years learning only the formal properties of the language, they cannot exchange information, express ideas or feelings. To be able to communicate, they must learn grammatical rules in real communication. That is the reason why though students can do excellent exercises after studying grammar lesson, their ability to speak may not be improved. It is traditional grammar teaching that led to failure in communication. Acknowledging the imperfection of traditional view of grammar, things began to change in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is argued that to be a competent user of a language, one needs to knows not only the rules of grammar, but also how the rules are used in real communication (Richards and Renandya, 2002, p.145). During this period, grammar teaching became less important or in some cases was abandoned. Many other teaching methods which were sought to replace traditional language teaching such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Functional grammar and Consciousness-raising mainly focused on how to use it communicatively. To replace traditional grammar practice, Consciousness-raising is offered. Consciousness-raising, also known as awareness-raising, is part of the process a learner can go through with new language. Students first become aware or conscious of the new language, then recognise and distinguish it, then produce it. Through Consciousness-raising, learners will develop an explicit knowledge of the grammar of the language which facilitates their ability to communicate (Richards and Renandya, 2002, p.146. Opposite to traditional approaches, the goal of teaching grammar in a consciousness-raising is to instil correct grammatical patterns and habits directly through carefully-designed activities. This means it is not always a must to teach grammar points explicitly. Learners may also be led to grammatical rules implicitly. Nevertheless, this method has its own limitations. Because this method requires thinking much, it may not be appropriate for young learners and beginners, or others who prefe r learning by practising to thinking may dislike it. In addition, the aim of this method is helping learners to know about the language and it does not emphasize on immediate language use. Consequently, it may take a long time for the learners to be able to communicate in L2 spontaneously. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) mainly focused on the communicative process and the negociation of meaning between participants. Learners need to know not only forms but also meanings and functions.That is, according to Hymes (1971), in CLT they will develop communicative competence, knowing when to say what to whom and how. (Freeman, 2002, p.121). Therefore, the activities in CLT are often meaningful tasks which involve real communication such as: language games, picture strip story,role play..etc. Though this is an effective approach of teaching grammar communicatively, it is believed to fill the gap in traditional grammar between forms and usage indirectly. The reason is that it does not necessarily deal with grammar sytematically. Actually, when communicative approaches are adopted, they are often represented as a combination of traditional grammar with communicative enhancements. (Hinkel and Fotos, 2002, p.79) Another approach related to CLT is teaching functional grammar. It is a general theory of the organization of natural language developed by Simon C. Dik, Michael Halliday and others. In general, the difference between functional approaches and traditional approaches is their focus. Functional approaches primarily focus on the communicative aspect of language in a particular context while traditional grammar focus on rules and syntax. According to this method, a given language form cannot guarantee an effective communicative skill without referring to the circumstances because some forms of expression may be appropriate while the others are not. Therefore, this way of teaching grammar provides leaners with good knowledge of using the right forms in different situations. Nonetheless, though representing an important advance in tying grammar to meaningful functions (Hinkel and Fotos, 2002, p.79), it causes some difficulty for learners. For instance, systemic functional grammar developed by Halliday mainly deals with meaning in context, it is often more complex than traditional grammar in terms of labels while traditional grammar is more concerned with rules. Therefore, it may take time to learn functional grammar. After a period in which the role of grammar declined, in recent years it has regained its rightful place in the language curriculum (Richards and Renandya, 2002, p.145). Now people realize that grammar is very important to the leaners language development. Teaching grammar in classroom today In today classroom, though there are many methods for teaching grammar, some teachers still prefer traditional grammar because it does not require much of the their language competence beyond the texbook. (Ho, 2007, p.28). This method is also supported by public attitudes. People assume that in public high schools teachers will teach good grammar for student success. Therefore, traditional grammar teaching is still widely accepted. There are others who believe an integrated method may be a good choice. In sum, until now there is no conclusion which is the best method in teaching grammar and methodologists are still doing researchs to find as many effective ways as possible.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell :: Animal Farm Essays

Animal Farm George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm, is a deceitfully simple story about a group of farm animals who, tired of toiling for the benefit of humans, rebel and create their own way of life only to find themselves, several years later, toiling for the benefit of one of their own kind, the pigs. Because of the simplicity of this novel, many people consider it to be a children's story. However, beyond it's lighthearted surface, it is truly a satirical attack against Stalinism. "It is also a lament for the fate of revolutions and the hopes contained in them." Adding to the complexity of the book, it also shows man's willingness to compromise the truth. In the short scope of this novel, Orwell expresses many of his ideas about men and politics. Major, an elderly pig, is the one who plants the seed of rebellion in the minds of the other animals by sharing with them a song which he had learned as a young pig, but which he has just recalled during a dream. This song "Beasts of England" describes a peaceful life where all animals will live in harmony, no longer enslaved by humans. Riches more than mind can picture, Wheat and barley, oats and hay, Clover, beans and mangel-wurzels Shall be ours upon that day. Bright will shine the fields of England, Purer shall its waters be, Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes On the day that sets us free. (pp. 7-8) The character of Major symbolizes the Soviet Union leader, Vladimir Ilich Lennin. Lennin too had caused his comrades to rise up in rebellion against the Czarist form of government in the hope of creating a country where everyone would be equal. Before he saw his ideas fully enacted, he died. After the death of Major, the power is left in the hands of two other pigs, Snowball and Napoleon. Napoleon, who, without anyone else discovering, had raised a litter of puppies into fierce dogs, now uses them to chase Snowball off the farm. This shares many similarities with the way a leader came into power to succeed Lennin. Lennin's choice was Leon Trotsky, but Stalin, who is represented by Napoleon, uses tactful maneuvers to work his way into government and establish a totalitarian system. As the only leader, Napoleon quickly begins to abuse his power. Using his superior intelligence, he soon has the other animals doing all the farm work while he and the other pigs take on the roles of supervisors. The attitudes of the animals, especially Boxer, with his motto, "Napoleon is always right," are representative of the way people in a totalitarian state blindly follow their

A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

Most stories’ titles give readers some insight of what the story will be about. This important concept is seen in the novel, A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles. In general the setting is its own separate peace. There are also specific examples of when characters in the novel try to create their own separate peace. The winter carnival is a good example, which shows the students at the Devon School creating their own separate peace. After being severely maimed, Finny enters his own state of mind, where there is no war occurring. He tries to put this state of mind into the other students’ minds. Finny starts a winter carnival during which the boys at Devon feel a degree of freedom in this time of war. At the carnival the boys drink cider and dance on the tables. They all feel that nothing matters anymore but their own fantasy world. Even the boys that were uptight about the war, like Brinker, loosened up and enjoyed the fantasy that Finny created. Finny successfully creates his own separate peace by creating a fantasy world. Gene and Finny create their own peace after there is a period of guilty tension. After Gene shakes Finny out of the tree, he feels guilt start to fall upon him. He is hesitant to tell Finny the truth about his accident, and as a result his guilt jumps to a higher level. Gene tries to tell him at the hospital that he is responsible for Finny falling out of the tree, but the doctor interrupts them. This tension between them builds until Gene admits to Finny what really happened. After that, Finny forgives him, and they resume their friendship, and their separate peace. A Separate Peace is shown through many examples in this novel.

Family Assessment: Pratt and Cartwright Essay

The movie Tyler Perry: The Family That Preys is about Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates) who is a white wealthy socialite and her dear friend Alice Pratt (Alfre Woodard), an African-American working class woman of high ideals. These two have enjoyed a lasting friendship throughout many years after all the ups and downs of life. Alice Pratt, a hard working Christian woman, who raised her two daughters Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) and Pam (Taraji Henson) while managing a simple diner of her own. While Charlotte owns a very profitable construction company in the area in which they both live. After graduation from college Andrea decides to work in a construction corporation owned by Charlotte Cartwright while her sister stays with Alice to work in the diner. Andrea is married to construction worker Chris (Rockmond Dunbar), who works in the same corporation as his wife but dreams of starting up his own business with his brother-in-law Ben (Tyler Perry). Throughout the movie Alice’s self-centered newlywed daughter Andrea is betraying her trusting husband Chris by engaging in a torrid affair with her boss and mothers best friend’s son William (Cole Hauser). While cheating on his wife Jillian (Kadee Strickland) with a string of ongoing dalliances with his mistress Andrea, William’s true focus is to replace Abby Dexter (Robin Givens) the COO of his mother’s lucrative construction corporation. Meanwhile, Alice’s other daughter Pam, a kind but no nonsense woman married to a hard working construction worker Ben, tries to steer the family in a more positive direction. While Alice travels with Charlotte on a road trip, the ambition and infidelity of William triggers a series of events that will affect relationships in both families. Suddenly, their lives become mired in turmoil as their adult children’s extramarital affairs, unethical business practices and a dark paternity secret derails family fortunes and unravel the lives of all involved. This movie is based in a modern day southern city, mostly likely Atlanta, Georgia, and revolves around two families from completely different financial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. Both of the main characters are business owners but that is one of few things they have in common. Alice is woman who is very religious woman but it comes to Charlotte’s religion it is implied that she is not very religious at all. Both women own their own businesses. Alice who owns a diner is depicted to be struggling to get by; while Charlotte is the head of a major construction company has everything she always wanted and seems to want for nothing. The educational level of these characters is not stated, but it seems that any education has nothing to do with life experiences, their friendship, and how they run their businesses.   Alice is depicted to be a loving mother to her two daughters, while Charlotte comes off to be cold and harsh to her son and daughter-in-law.   Both women are the matriarch of their families and are without a husband. Charlotte lives in a big mansion that sits on top of a hill. While Alice lives in town. Both women seem to be well known in the community. Alice is known for her gentle kind heart and Charlotte for her ruthless and witty business practices. Both women have various family issues that seem to be ignored by them throughout the movie. This denial of the past seems to brew its ugly head towards the end of the movie and causes both women to confront the issues they have been putting on the back burner. Alice tries to pass on her religious and moral beliefs to both her daughters, but Andrea seems to have plans of her own. She is very resentful towards her mother for letting her father run off with another woman. She feels like her mother should have fought for her father instead of letting him run off with some woman and leaving them behind broke and struggling. Alice tries to explain to Andrea that what happened to them happened thirty years ago and the path she is going down by having an affair with William isn’t going to come out the way she expects.   Alice tells hers daughter that she needs to try and let go of what happened in the past and that William and her are from two different worlds. She tries to tell her daughter that he will not leave his wife and child for her and that she is ruining her life by have this affair. She tells her daughter that this was not how she raised her children. She tells her daughter that she can’t make herself happy bringing misery to others. Andrea tells her mother she’s going to enjoy the ride all the way. On the other hand Charlotte doesn’t trust her son or his intentions. It seems that he reminds her of his father. She makes this evident when her daughter-in-law Jillian comes to her and tells her that she found out that William is having an affair and it has been going on for years. She tells her daughter-in-law that she thinks she’s weak and that’s why she’s never really cared much for her. She explains to her daughter-in-law that in order to be a Cartwright woman she has to be able to en dour many things to enjoy the comforts that comes with the title. She tells her that his father did the same thing to her and Cartwright men are the kind of men that wonder and they have to be the kind of women that stay a few steps ahead. She explains to her that she now has the upper hand in the relationship and she holds all the cards and it’s up to her how she plays them. Both the Cartwright and the Pratt families have unhealthy coping skills and have big problems with denial. Whether is the way Charlotte interacts with her son and daughter in-law or the feelings of resentment that Andrea feels towards her mother for letting her father leaving them for another woman. Both of these families have unresolved issues that affect their everyday lives and the decisions that they make. This is depicted in the movie by various actions by its main characters. Things such as: Andrea’s unhealthy relationship with a married man, William going behind his mother’s back to try and steal the company from up under her or even Charlotte, unbeknownst to Alice, convincing her to take a road trip West after finding out she has been diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s. Each person in this movie has a difficult problem with facing the truth that seems to be staring them right in the face. Each family’s core issues and their inability to resolve these problems are tearing them apart. I believe if it wasn’t for her Alice’s strong belief in God she would have buckled under the stress of her families poor decisions. Because she believed that when trouble hit if she stayed faithful and prayed that everything would work itself out. Whereas Charlotte believed that she controlled her own destiny through strategy and manipulation. The core differences between these two families are that the Cartwright’s believed that money and power are the most important things in life. Whereas the Pratt family, with exception of Andrea, believed that good things come to those who are faithful and good to others. References  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Perry, T. (Director). (2008). Tyler Perry: The Family That Preys [Motion Picture].  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (2010). Retrieved April 28, 2010, from The Internet Movie Database:  Ã‚   http://www.imdb.com/title/tt114279  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Friedman, M., Bowen, V., Jones, E. (2003). Family Nursing: Research, Theory, and Practice 5th edition.   Ã‚  Saddle River, New Jersey. Pearson Education, Inc.

Humanitarian activities Essay

Humanity can be defined as quality of being human; the peculiar nature of man, by which he is distinguished from other beings. Being human does not mean that an individual possesses humanity. If you want to understand the quality of humanity in an individual take note of what he does for people who give noting back in return to the favour they have offered. One of the most outstanding examples of extra- ordinary humanity in a human being has been portrayed beautifully by Mother Teresa. Humanity means caring for and helping others whenever and wherever possible. Humanity means helping others at times when they need that help the most, humanity means forgetting your selfish interests at times when others need your help. Humanity means extending unconditional love to each and every living being on Earth. A perfect example of humanity can be demonstrated by the following story. This story can be understood as an exaggerated statement so that individuals understand the importance of humanity in their day to day lives. It is important to understand one important fact; an individual’s life is successful not by the number of degrees he or she attains but by the degree of humanitarian activities that individual is into on a day to day basis. Serving the poor and the disabled is one of the greatest humanitarian help an individual can provide in his or her lifetime. It is essential to understand the fact that we are extremely lucky to have everything we desire at any point of the time we need. Serving the needy means that you yourself think that you have more than enough resources to your disposal. People who always crib that they do not have sufficient facilities available despite having everything can never provide humanitarian services because if one has the mind set of not being self- sufficient, how can he or she help someone else. One is always remembered for his or her good deeds and it is essential to understand that there is no better deed than providing services for humanitarian causes. If eating and having fun is only what we are born to do then we should keep one thing in mind; even animals can do such activity; if God has made us humans there has to be some reason behind it. Only human beings can understand the importance of humanity and it is humanity as a result of intelligence which actually gives the core essence to human existence. You will not need a hefty bank account to contribute towards humanitarian activities. Paying your domestic help fairly is also humanity. You are willing to pay thousands of bucks for your medical check- up but when it comes to paying your employee; you want to save every penny. Humanitarian activities should never be performed in order to achieve fame or to gain a status symbol. You can easily achieve fame by the work you do. Lifting the heavy bag of an old woman is humanity, helping a disabled to cross the road is humanity, helping your mom in doing work is humanity; in fact helping anyone who is in need is humanity. As soon as we understand the importance of humanity in day to day life, the purpose for which we are on Earth is automatically fulfilled.