Teen Mom and Effects on American Culture

American teenagers take a lot of things for granted, but what we don’t take into consideration is what would happen if these things suddenly disappeared. Teenage life consists of school, jobs, driving, friends, sports, and going out with friends. We never consider others’ way of life. In some cultures, they are just fighting to stay alive, while others don’t have the freedom to go out with friends, or play a certain sport. They are so consumed in family life or their future jobs that they have no social life. No one ever thinks what would happen if their way of life was completely turned around.This concept is shown on a reality television show called 16 and Pregnant. It follows a group of teenage girls throughout their pregnancy and a few weeks after. It shows the trials, worries, and changes in these girls’ lives. There is also a follow up show called Teen Mom that follows 4 girls from the first season of the show. I will be expanding on these girls†™ lives from the beginning of their pregnancy to their lives now. Maci Bookout was just your ordinary teenage girl. She was an excellent student, played softball, and was very popular. She had big plans to go away for college and be a typical college student.This is the way the typical American is viewed. But things suddenly changed for Maci when she discovered she was pregnant. All her dreams and aspirations soon faded away and she had to consider her life with a baby. Maci comes from a middle upper class family, so concerns for money were minimal, and she didn’t have much of a struggle, other than with her baby’s dad, Ryan. But she couldn’t go away to college; she was just worried about graduating high school. She had to quit softball, and her friends soon turned on her. Her life was completely changed with just one decision.She took her teenage years for granted, but once she became a teen mom, that was all she wanted back. Amber Portwood was a big party gi rl, who didn’t care what others thought of her. She would party instead of doing homework, and didn’t have many friends that truly cared about her. She viewed life as a big party, and didn’t take it seriously, until she had to. She became pregnant at 16 and her whole life was changed. She dropped out of high school, and moved in with her boyfriend, Gary. They were from a lower class family, so they struggled with money. Gary and Amber soon both were working, and had to leave their aughter with Gary’s mother. It was obvious from the start that Amber and Gary were not meant for each other, because they would often get into fights. Fights started to get physical and Amber soon saw herself sitting home alone while Gary took their daughter and left, after many months of physical abuse. Amber knew she had a problem, and needed help, but she realized it too late. Gary broke up with her and she was alone, and without her daughter. She took her teen years for gran ted, and instead of living life to the best of her ability, she tried to grow up too fast, and got what she wanted.Farrah Abrams was the popular cheerleader in high school. She had great friends and an amazing boyfriend. She had big dreams of going to culinary school, becoming a chef, and opening her own restaurant. All those dreams were put on hold when she discovered she was pregnant. Things became even worse when the father of her baby, and boyfriend of 1 year, was killed in a car accident. 2 months later, her daughter, Sophia, was born. She had to go through the loss of her boyfriend, and the birth of her daughter. Soon after Sophia’s birth, Farrah began to miss her boyfriend and saw herself going out more, and leaving her baby with her mother.Farrah’s mom constantly had to remind her daughter that she was now a mother and couldn’t just go out with friends anymore. She was from a very wealthy family and had no problems with money, but all her other problems took the place of money problems. Farrah and her mother did not get along very well at all. She was constantly disrespecting her mom, and her mom was constantly nagging her about everything. When Sophia was almost 1 year old, Farrah’s mother punched Farrah. Cops came to the house and arrested her mother, and Farrah didn’t see or speak to her mom for months.Farrah had a successful life planned out for herself, but now she’s unsure of whether or not she’ll ever reach her goals. Catelynn Lowell is an ordinary girl. She doesn’t have any special gifts or talents, she’s just a teenager. She and her boyfriend, Tyler, were dating 3 years when she discovered she was pregnant. Ironically this was a good thing for her. She had no plans or goals for her life, because her mother and step-father (which is Tyler’s real dad) are both drug addicts and have never been strict on Catelynn about anything. Being pregnant made Catelynn realize she needed to do something with her life and not turn into her mother.She and Tyler talked for months, and both decided that they needed to give their daughter, Carly, up for adoption, because there was no way they could raise their daughter in the living situation they were in. Catelynn and Tyler are both from very low class families, and could barely provide for themselves, so they knew their daughter would be very unhappy. While it was a difficult decision, they also knew it was the best one. Catelynn and Tyler will be graduating from high school this year, and have many goals they’re eager to achieve. The similarities and differences between these girls are many.Amber dropped out of high school, and missed out on graduating. Will she ever get her GED? Farrah is the only one who does not have a father in her baby’s life; will her baby ever have a father figure? Maci seems to have it all together, but does is she really happy not being with her first love? Catelynn and Tyler gave their daughter up for adoption, and while it was a smart decision, will they later regret it? All these girls’ lives will be affected forever because of the decisions they’ve made. I believe this show takes the concept of the average American teenager, and adds some reality into it.While not all teen girls become pregnant, it’s amazing to see that this is what it take to make some teens grow up. Other cultures would think that this is just crazy because these girls took for granted the fact that they had people who loved them, a house to live in, and a chance for education. American culture is very different from other cultures, just in the fact that we don’t value things that should be valued, such as family, morals, and God. If we viewed life a little more seriously, and not as a game, then we may be a much stronger, happier nation.

Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing Dissertation

Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing - Dissertation Example Leadership Styles in Professional Nursing The literature suggests that there are many traits that go into forming an effective leader. As an example, Boumans and Landerweerd (1993) suggest that leaders must have "clinical knowledge, people orientation, communication skills, reality orientation, the ability to identify problems and to delegate responsibility" (p. 768). These skills were stated to be those that made a positive impact on the nurses that were supervised. Most leadership styles have their base in social leadership if the nurse is effective. Boumans and Landerweerd found in their study that when social leadership was presented, the nurses under their leadership felt that their job had meaning and they felt increased job satisfaction. Also, the social leadership style promotes more positive health and well being than a style that is more dictatorial or direct. Sellgren, Ekvall, and Tomson (2006) state that nursing leadership styles are more involved with the characteristics that leaders have rather than having a sp ecific style. There are preferred traits that are more important as well. In their style, communication was the highest ranking trait that a leader ship exhibit. This goes along with what Boumans and Landerweerd found. Therefore, communication is one of the most important aspects of a nurse's leadership style. There should also be a way to communicate the leader's needs in specific ways that are understandable to their subordinates. This will bring about a happier group of nurses on the ward. (Sellgren, Ekvall, and Tomson, 2006). Kenmore (2008) found that the styles that most nurses used were either affiliative or coaching. Affiliative leaders work well when everything is running smoothly and when staff is highly motivated. The afffiliative style creates harmony and the style also works well when teams need to be healed or when staff needs motivating. When a leader has a more coaching orientation to leadership, they are more interested in improving staff's professional development

Masai Mara is Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Masai Mara is Kenya - Essay Example The climate here is gentle, rarely too hot and well spread rainfall year round. Rain, when it falls almost always chooses the late afternoon or night. Between July and October, when the great wildebeest migration is in the Mara, the sensation is unparalleled. This spectacular expanse of open grassland covers around 1520 sq km in the south-west corner of Kenya. The Masai Mara lies about 270 km from Nairobi and takes about 5 hours by road. There are scheduled flights, twice daily from Wilson Airport Nairobi, which take about 40 - 45 minutes. The first sight of this natural wonderland is breathtaking. Here the great herds of shuffling elephants browse among the rich tree-studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of a solitary and ill-tempered rhino. Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, topi-an antelope not found in other major parks and eland and many more species of plains' game offer a rich choice of food for the dominant predators; lion, leopard and cheetah which hunt in this pristine wilderness. In the Mara river, hippo submerge at the approach of a vehicle only to surface seconds later to snort and grumble their displeasure. Seemingly drowsy crocodile sunbathe on the river banks, mouth agape, waiting with subtle cunning for prey at which to strike with lightning swiftness. But this richness of fauna, this profusion of winged beauty and the untouched fragility of the landscape, are all subordinate to the Mara's foremost attraction, the march of the wildebeest. Each year, far south in the great vastness of the Serengeti, the wildebeest raise their dignified but quaint heads, sniff the air and, as if by one accord, start the long trek to the Kenya border and the Masai Mara. After exhausting the grazing in Tanzania's northern Serengeti a large number of wildebeest and zebra enter the Masai Mara. Around the end of June drawn by the sweet grass raised by the long rains of April and May. It is estimated that more than half a million wildebeest enter the Mara and are joined by another 100,000 from the Loita Hills east of the Mara Driving in the midst of these great herds is an unimaginable experience. Whilst the eyes feast on the spectacle, the air carries the smells, the dust and the sounds of hundreds of thousands of animals. This migration of the wild beas ts has been considered as the seventh New Wonder of the World. Wildebeests may have been making the trek for millions of years, coping with disease, drought and predators. "It's one of the great wonders in terms of animal migrations," says oceanographer Sylvia Earle. "It's just over the top." The wildebeests do bring balance to this fragile ecosystem, made up of the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. They are the heart and soul of the Great Migration - the key to survival on the vast plains. "Without the migration, it's harder to conceive Serengeti-Mara being what it is today," Hirji said. "Everything else survives within that migration - the predators and so on the vegetation." The journey is quite literally the circle of life. It happens year-round, a 700-mile trek, finely tuned to the region's rainy seasons. The herds follow the rain. "Serengeti-Mara ecosystems [are] considered to be perhaps the last of the

Enterprice system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Enterprice system - Essay Example Therefore, client-server systems can definitely help them in making effective use of client-server technology. However, increased dependence on the centralized server is a disadvantage of such models because if the server goes down, the entire network of computers becomes unable to work. b) Thin-Client Model The thin client technology also provides server-based computing facility to companies (Kumar 2007). There is a browser terminal or a central server from which all other computers can access required information, as well as can do required work through sharing. Companies can use either standalone or wireless thin clients to run their business processes. The purpose of the technology is to facilitate businesses through reducing the total cost of ownership and providing easy and efficient usage. The main advantages of using think clients are security, efficient use of resources, and low cost (Kumar 2007). The main disadvantage of this technology is that not is not designed for heavy tasks. Answer No. 2 a) Risks to Data Integrity of Distributed Databases â€Å"A distributed database is a database that is split over multiple hardware devices but managed by a central database controller† (Holmes n.d.). A distributed database means division of a database into different physical units separated by business or geographical regions. Some of the main advantages of using distributed databases in business include better control of resources and improved business performances. However, the risks associated with data integrity of distributed databases include accuracy of stored data and the risk of unauthorized access to spoil or alter the stored data. b) Strategies to Overcome Risks The first strategy that can be used to overcome such risks include double checking the database for database integrity, domain integrity, and referential integrity before and after making changes to the data. The second strategy is using authentication of the people trying to log on to the network. Using this feature, only officials are provided with passwords and biometrics that they can use to prove their identity, as well as to make secure use of the distributed network. Authentication is done to make the network safe by stopping and preventing unauthorized attempts to the network. Answer No. 3 Groupware is a term that refers to specialized software applications that help members of a group in sharing and synchronizing business information, as well as in communicating with each other in an effective manner. â€Å"Groupware can allow both geographically dispersed team members and a company's on-site workers to collaborate with each other through the use of computer networking technologies† (Pinola, n.d.). Some of the main groupware technologies that are widely used in companies include shared Microsoft Office applications, email systems, video conferencing, electronic whiteboard, and instant messaging through messengers. All of these techniologies help e mployees in communicating with eah other regardig every business matter. These technologies also increase business efficency, as well as employee productivity. Therefore, the statement that helps in icnreasing on-going coordination between people is true. Answer No. 4 ICT, Information and Communication Technology, refers to every such technology that deals with electronic transfer of information from one point to another (Singleton 2010). The information exchange

The Lowest Moment in Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Lowest Moment in Advertising - Essay Example While motion picture companies all over the world use this advertising tool to advertize the favorable reviews their movies received, Sony Pictures went ahead of the game. They invented their own critic by the name of David Manning and under this name wrote fake favorable reviews for not just the Knight’s Tale but also for Hollow Man, The Animal, The Patriot and the Vertical Limit (Lawrence and Webber, 2010). Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment was found in 1987 in California. SPE is subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. Sony Corporation of America is further a subsidiary of Sony Corporation based in Tokyo, Japan. This multinational media conglomerate produces and also distributes motion pictures and television serials. SPE is one of the biggest media and technology conglomerates that provide entertainment in the form of movies, television, and technology to more than 140 countries around the wor ld. It reported total revenue of more than seven billion in 2010 (Sony Pictures, 2011). Where Sony failed With an organization as big and as established as Sony Pictures, this kind of advertising was not expected. The use of David Manning in numerous such advertising projects led Sony Pictures to incur a fine of 1.5 million pounds (BBC News, 2005). While Sony Pictures can easily recover from the financial aspect of the situation, it is the resulting brand value that creates challenges for the company. This particular advertising approach has affected Sony Pictures on different scales and aspects. Social, Ethical, Regulation aspects   Advertising has quickly become one of the five largest industries of the world. We are constantly exposed to advertising. Even when we do not realize it, advertising moulds our lives in such a manner that we are being constantly hypnotized with it. This has raised concerns among various critics who demanded the need for regulatory practices on adverti sing. The government was forced to take notice to protect the interest of the consumers against false advertising. However, even when the government has posed sanctions on certain types of advertising, social and ethical issues still arise which are outside the boundaries of these laws and here companies must take on their corporate social responsibility to ensure good practices. On the social level, advertising interacts with the consumers to educate them, create a feeling of happiness and generally improve on the standards of living (O’Guinn, Allen and Semenik, 2008). However, the use of David Manning’s review created the opposite effect. It misled the consumers through wrong information and those who went to watch the movie based on the review did not receive the level of satisfaction that they expected from a movie that was favorably liked by a critic. From an ethical stand point, advertising is supposed to be honest, fair and sensitive. Even if we often assume cre ative license to sell products through advertising, ethically we are required to ensure that the advertising is not deceiving. The use of David Manning was particularly deceiving since no such review was written and no such critic even existed at The Ridgefield Press. Such practices in advertising are called deceptive

Worldviews and Its Formation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Worldviews and Its Formation - Research Paper Example One of the areas of contention is religion and the belief in God. In the world, there are thousands of distinct religions, each purporting to follow a certain faith. However, all these religions can be grouped into seven major categories, which include all the dominant worldviews. These worldviews include Monotheism, Deism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Pantheism and New Consciousness. This paper will thus discuss all the major worldviews, and compare and contrast them with a Christian Biblical worldview. Worldview and its formation Generally, a worldview is a group of presuppositions that people hold concerning the basic setup or makeup of the world. Specifically, it is an explanation of the divergent views of the people concerning the makeup of the world. People try to apply these views in their day-to-day existence. Some authors go further to suppose that a worldview is a model of the world that is used to guide the various assumptions of a set of people (Futrell, 2006). H owever, not all presuppositions of the people consist of a worldview, as the assumptions have to pass certain tests. The first test is rationality, in which case people should not be asked to believe contradictory events. The second test is that there should be enough evidence to support the theory, mostly from the things that are observable. Another test is that of reality, as it should be able to provide a comprehensive explanation of the way things are. This explanation should be satisfying to those who believe in it. Lastly, the worldview should be in a position to provide a purpose for life. People should not borrow elements from other worldviews to explain their purpose on earth (Solomon, 2001). A worldview is formed by joining certain components together, which serve as self-evident. Infants have no worldview, and the perception of life for everyone takes shape as the he grows and develop. The surrounding environment shapes most of the components of individual worldviews (Sir e, 2009). This environment starts to take charge at an early age, when the infant is under the care of the parent. Parents are the one who shape the first perception of the infants (Futrell, 2006). As the children grow, they develop their unique worldview based on the four fundamental components. The first component is the belief that something exist. This is because the experiences of the people have causes and effects that must be in existence. The second component is the belief that all people have absolutes, which serves as a reference point for their existence. Some people take God as their reference point, while others take love or power (Solomon, 2001). Another component for the formation of a worldview is the belief that two contradictory statements cannot both be right. In this regard, the basic law of logic applies as only one worldview can reflect the reality of life. For a worldview to be formed, it must thus have a unique belief from the others. The last fundamental com ponent in the formation of a worldview is the belief that all people exercise faith. Everyone in the world must assume at one point that certain things or events happen without absolute proof. One of the common beliefs in many worldviews is that a personal God exist (Solomon, 2001). Comparison and contrast of the seven worldviews with a Christian biblical worldview Monotheism The Monotheistic worldview is based on the people’s belief that there is only one God. This personal God has a distinctive personality and not just a divine power. In addition, there is a belief that humankind is a special creation of God in His own image. God manifests Himself though revelation and the truth about Him is beyond all rational

To what extent do companies benefit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

To what extent do companies benefit - Essay Example Such actions suggest that corporations will increasingly be held accountable for activity of concern to multiple stakeholder groups. As a result there will likely be a renewed interest in identifying the dimensions and consequences of corporate social responsibilities. Cameron has suggested that multiple perspectives of organizational effectiveness exist and that "consensus regarding the best, or sufficient, set of indicators of effectiveness is impossible to obtain" (1986: 541). The same arguments can be made regarding social performance as a specific aspect of overall corporate performance. Social responsibility continues to be a poorly defined as well as difficult to measure concept. There appears to be no real agreement as to what constitutes social performance. What is indicated, however, is the need to apply measures which address multiple criteria of social performance. This study attempts to specify the underlying dimensions of a multiple measure of corporate social responsibility and investigate the relationship between corporate social performance and multiple measures of financial performance. For the purposes of this study, corporate social performance represents a measure of a firm's attentiveness to multiple stakeholder groups. ... This perspective generally cast corporate activity as a zero-sum game. Whatever resources were expended in the interests of social responsibility came at the expense of shareholders (Wartick and Cochran, 1985). The interests of shareholders and other stakeholders were defined implicitly as conflicting and mutually exclusive. Many criticisms have been leveled at this perspective and it seems safe to conclude that corporations are no longer viewed, even theoretically, as solely economic institutions (Sharfman, 1992). At a very minimum, there appears to be a consensus that firms serve multiple constituencies and stakeholder groups whose memberships are overlapping and whose interests are interdependent (Aram, 1989; Freeman, 1984; Nash, 1990). An understanding of such relationships and an attendant concern for the interests of all stakeholder groups may force firms to act in a socially responsible way regardless of their motivation (Sen, 1993). Out of these perspectives come varied hypotheses regarding the relationship between social responsibility and corporate economic performance. When corporations are viewed as economic institutions, a negative relationship between social responsibility and profitability is assumed (Ullmann, 1985). The opposing hypothesis suggests a positive relationship between social responsibility and performance. Proponents of this perspective argue that socially concerned management is likely to also possess the skills necessary to achieve superior financial performance (Alexander and Buchholz, 1978; Metzger et al., 1993). A final perspective hypothesizes an inverted U-shaped correlation between social and economic performance. To an