Penetration Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Penetration Testing - Essay Example E-commerce systems tend to be high-end targets to security breaches and vulnerabilities. Such vulnerabilities can be exploited by conducting certain attack tests that target to steal information and corrupt the system functioning. The tests are carried out in a controlled environment where due damages may be reversed and the system retracted back to a stable state. However, not all systems use the same principles for penetration testing. Various systems call for various methods so as to exploit their varied vulnerabilities. An e-commerce system, for instance, stands to suffer security risks more through attacks where it crosses through networks. Therefore, for an e-commerce system, a unique testing methodology is carried out, where the authentication systems used are inspected and exploited to show any possible vulnerabilities. This form of tests are carried out in an environment where they can exactly mimic the behavior of such attacks. That is, they occur in real-time, parallel to the system as such attacks would. E-commerce systems keep on growing in functionalities and complexities by the day. E-commerce systems are now being spread out to include applications in mobile devices and web-based application systems. As these functionalities continue to grow, so do the security risks for such a system. For such an extensive system, to effectively do the penetration tests they need to include applications penetration tests. These penetration tests will cover the normal vulnerabilities such as SQL injections and Cross Site Scripting and Cross Site Request Forgery tests. Penetration tests conducted for this firm cover the major cross-interaction gateways in the systems. That is; payment integration flaws, flaws in the system’s content manager amongst other vulnerability tests. Several conventional attacks in e-commerce systems are carried out on the payment gateways. For example, an attacker

Geopolits and Science Fiction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geopolits and Science Fiction - Assignment Example Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the concept of Manifest Destiny was rather a mere component, which only captured popular imagination of young Americans. Over the recent year, the concept has been revived among the American population (Ekeh 2004, p.67-69). Even so, it has taken a new dimension in movies. In this regard, a variety of science fiction movies are attributable to the creation of a new wave of Manifest Destiny especially in the Young Americans. Star Trek for instance, is an American science fiction movie producer. In 2009, they produced a movie which revolved around James Kirk, Starship Kelvin and their expedition. This occurs in the future; in 2233 where the USS Kelvin ship investigating a lightning storm in the space was attacked by the Navada and a Romulan ship that emerges from the storm. On Vulcan, Spock (who is believed to be half-human), joins Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile, on Earth, Kirk becomes reckless and intelligent and is recommended to join Starfleet. While in the academy, the Cadets are mobilized to crew ships waiting in the orbit. Their ship known as the Enterprise arrives at Vulcan and is attacked by Navada which led to their surrender. Consequently, a large damage as well as mass killings of its inhabitants occurred. Spock manages to rescue his father and the high council of Vulcan. However, his mother does not survive the attack. Later on, Kirk, in conjunction with Sarek and Spoc plot a secret attack on Navada. They successfully attack and crash down the crew on Navada thus conquering them. Back on earth, both Kirk and Captain Pike were promoted to higher ranks. Spock Prime selected a planet for the surviving Vulcans to Colonize. It is therefore palpable that the events in this movie could inculcate some sense of the Manifest Dream in most of its viewers. In this regard, ultimate victory by Kirk, Sarek and Spoc could be interpreted to depict the superiority that America has towards other

Immigration in the 19th Century vs. Now Research Paper

Immigration in the 19th Century vs. Now - Research Paper Example America is a secular democratic country with high levels of living standards and equal respect to all religions which makes America the paradise of immigrants now. On the other hand, poverty and poor living standards forced people from all over the world to immigrate to America in the nineteenth century. This paper briefly compares and contrasts the current and nineteenth century immigration to America. Nineteenth century witnessed industrial revolution in America. The evolution of better technologies and advancements in science helped America to focus more on industrial development in the nineteenth century. Factories and manufacturing units established large in number during this period which forced people from other parts of the world to immigrate to America because of the scope of getting better jobs â€Å"Majorities of immigrants came during the 1820s - 1890s were mostly from Ireland and Germany. Famine and poverty in Ireland, and political upheaval in Germany brought about fiv e million immigrants† (Immigration and Industrialization in the Nineteenth century). Though life in Ireland was cruel, immigrating to America was not a joyful event...it was referred to as the American Wake for these people knew they would never see Ireland again. Those who pursued this path did so only because they knew their future in Ireland would only be more poverty, disease, and English oppression. America became their dream (Irish Immigrants in America during the 19th Century) The nineteenth century immigrants mainly focused in getting jobs in American industrial units. However, current immigrants are not only exploring job opportunities, but also exploring the opportunities for establishing small scale businesses in America. Many of the current Indian and Pakistani immigrants have their own industrial units in America. Many of the people who are relocating to America at present are looking for opportunities to establish their own business units in America, rather than exploring the possibilities of getting a job. The nineteenth century immigrants got only lowly paid hard jobs with high amount of risks. The scope for a better future forced them to accept risky jobs (Immigration and Industrialization in the Nineteenth century). On the other hand the current immigrant community is not much keen in accepting risky jobs. They always give preferences to safe and secure jobs with the chances of getting a decent salary. Mexicans were another prominent community which started to immigrate to America during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Poor administration, low wages, poverty, increasing population etc in Mexico forced Mexicans to cross the border, both through legal and illegal channels. Mexico and America are neighboring countries which helped the Mexicans to cross the borders easily. Currently Mexicans are the largest minority groups in America. The flow of immigrants from Mexico to the United States has declined sharply since mid-decade. T he Mexican-born population in the U.S., which had been growing earlier in the decade, was 11.5 million in early 2009. That figure is not significantly different from the 11.6 million Mexican immigrants in 2008 or the 11.2 million in 2007 (Passel). The recent recession problems in America are suspected as the major reason for the stabilization of Mexican immigration. The American economic growth was seriously affected

Effects Of Child Prostitution Young People Essay

Effects Of Child Prostitution Young People Essay Prostitution refers to the act or practice of offering sexual services to another person in return for payment or other favors. Prostitution is illegal in most countries of the world but is still legal in some countries. Different countries treat prostitution and prostitutes differently and the legality of prostitution activities varies from country to country. In some countries, the governments prohibit prostitution and punish all people caught involved in these activities. In other countries, the governments are committed to abolish prostitution. Some allow prostitution but regulate its activities while in some other countries, there is decriminalization of prostitution and people carry out prostitution activities just like any other job. In any of these cases, prostitution is a crime and is associated with other crimes. Like any other form of prostitution, child prostitution is common in the world and children mostly enter into this business because they are forced by circumstance s or people especially their parents or guardians. Child Sex tourism is also common. In this type of tourism, tourists engage minors of the country they visit in sexual activity. People also traffic children across international borders for purposes of sexual exploitation. Both Child trafficking and sex tourism contribute to child prostitution in foreign countries. About 900, 000 children are trafficked across international borders each year and people hold them in brothels or in other places for sexual exploitation. The problem of sex servitude affects both male and female children. People prefer to practice child prostitution in foreign countries for various reasons. Child prostitution is a world problem that requires both national and international attention. Many factors lead to child prostitution in many countries of the world. These include misery, poverty, unemployment of either the child or the parent, human trafficking, dysfunctional family environment, deception, poor education, AIDS scare, drug abuse and addiction, incest, rape, early exposure of children to sexual activities, and internet. Some governments also use child prostitution through sex tourism to promote tourism thus gain foreign exchange. They do this either directly or indirectly. These governments are those that are struggling economically. They usually assume acts of child prostitution and thus allow this evil act to attract more tourists and boost their tourism industry. Internet and child pornography serves as a major marketing tool that promotes child prostitution. People post on websites the experiences about child sex in different places and the costs involved. They also share child pornography through such websites thus encouraging not only child sex tourism b ut also child trafficking for sexual purposes. Poverty ranks high as a major factor that forces children to be prostitutes. This is common in poor countries affected by poor economies and wavering politics. In this situation, voluntarily becomes prostitutes or their parents force them into prostitution to provide financial needs of the family. This is common in most developing countries. Lack of viable sources to support the rising needs of people in these countries makes the children vulnerable to such exploitation. The families in poverty-stricken areas also become easy targets for procurement agents who are seeking for children to sell them into sexual slavery in brothels or various homes in the world. Child labor in poverty-stricken areas also exposes the children to prostitution. When parents or other agents send children to streets to hawk items, they expose their children, especially female children, to sexual harassment and rape. Human trafficking and deception are other factors that cause child prostitution especially in foreign countries. Human trafficking is a criminal activity in which some people purport to send teenagers to foreign countries to work but end up becoming prostitutes in their new destinations. Some brothel owners or procurement agents sometimes deceive parents by paying them money and promising them that their children will work in domestic chores but these children end up in prostitution. The brothel owners control the childs activities and do everything they can to maintain those who help them earn a lot of money. Sometimes hard times hit and these children are deported back to their countries where they continue with their prostitution activities. Dysfunctional family environments also play an important role in forcing children into prostitution. Such children do not get sufficient parental care and wander around looking for places to find solace. Such children end up in night discos and in other places, which expose them to early involvement in sexual activities. In the end, these children end up trading on their own bodies in order to support themselves. Incest and rape generally changes the childrens outlook in life and make some children to give room for prostitution. Some children become rebellious and defiant of the instructions given by their parents and feel independent. They demand for freedom to do what they want with their bodies. This leads most of them into prostitution. Drug abuse by these children also aggravates the problem by subjecting the children to prostitution and making them compromise situations they cannot when they are in their sound mind. Some children also engage in prostitution due to pleasure and continue in it because of the pleasure they derive from these acts. Criminals organize the sex industry in the world and use children in prostitution for their own gain. The demand of young girls and boys in some countries also contributes to the growth of this problem as more children face trafficking to work in foreign countries as sex slaves. The increasing demand of foreign sex in many people aggravates this problem. Some customers also fear sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS and thus engage children in prostitution believing that they are of low risk. Poor law enforcement in other countries also aggravates this problem. Child prostitution is common in virtually all countries of the world. Pimps, brothels and other criminal networks collaborate to traffic about 900, 000 children across borders for sexual exploitation and servitude every year. This is not only the problem of poor countries but it is common even in rich and developed countries. Sex tourism also combines with child trafficking to make this lucrative business of child prostitution to flourish. People usually employ networks of small groups to carry out activities like recruitment, transportation, advertising and retail of trafficked children for the purposes of sex exploitation in foreign countries. These groups often achieve major success because they require little capital to start up and prosecution by the countries involved is relatively rare. The major sources and destinations of sex tourism and child trafficking for sexual exploitation in foreign countries include Thailand, Japan, Israel, China, Belgium, Germany, Bulgaria, Netherla nds, Nigeria, Italy, Brazil and Ukraine among others. Of these countries, Thailand and Brazil are the leading in perpetuating the business of child prostitution. Even though prostitution and child sex exploitation is illegal in Brazil, from 200, 000 to 2 million children aged between eight and sixteen years are forced into prostitution in this country (Charles, 2010). The children involved in prostitution face many challenges and there are many effects associated with this child prostitution. Mostly, the pimps and brothel operators direct the activities of these children and they do not give them freedom of choice. This makes the children to work against their wishes. They also rarely give these children rest from their work. The pimps also give the children little food and this coupled with the high amount of work they do makes these children weak and sometimes may lead to death of the children. Child prostitution is also economically unsound and causes the child moral and physical harm as well as psychological trauma. Those who use children in prostitution activities usually do not well address their health issues. The children also risk attack from many sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, syphilis, meningitis, anemia, tuberculosis, and others. This further weakens the health of these children and some lead to their death. Because child prostitution is an illegal business, some brothel owners or pimps fear taking the children to hospitals for treatment or regular checkups. In case they suspect a disease in any of the children, these brothel owners employ quark doctors who sometimes prescribe wrong medication for these children. As a result, the children live with a load of diseases and other health disorders, which give them problems throughout their lives. Such children especially girls are forced to enter into early child bearing and sometimes, family responsibilities. This makes those schooling to drop out of school and thus become less equipped for the labor market (Ringold, 2000). The gi rls used in child prostitution are forces to carry out frequent abortions. Unqualified doctors who also use poor methods and equipment in wrong environments often carry out these abortions. This further endangers the life of the child and deteriorates the childs health. Child prostitution also causes a lot of psychological and emotional stress to the children involved in these practices. Children in this case lose their self-esteem and give up in life. Some of the children get permanent physical damage, which they unwillingly live with. Such children do not have any confidence to engage in any other work except crime related jobs. Child prostitution is also associated with other crimes like drug trafficking and abortions. The more they get involved in other crimes, the more their morals deteriorate. They live in constant fear of raids by people and the police. Thailand has the worst record of child prostitution in the world. Even though prostitution is illegal in this country, it still takes place publicly or privately and sometimes the government regulates it. Large international criminal syndicates traffic children from other countries to Thailand and/or sends some children to other countries to work as prostitutes. Sex tourism in Thailand also contributes substantially to the problem of child prostitution. People coerce children from the age of 10 years into prostitution or some parents sell their own children into sex slavery knowingly or unknowingly. (Sorajjakool, 2003; Pusurinkham, n.d.). Poverty plays a major role in engaging minors into prostitution in Thailand. The children used in prostitution in this country come from Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Russia, and Uzbekistan. Thailand also traffics children to Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, Canada, South Africa, Singapore and Bahrain for sexual exploitation. The children are kep t in brothels, which are sometimes surrounded by electric fence thus making it hard for the children to escape. Pimps give the girls harsh treatment and brutally beat those who are not cooperative sometimes to death. Ending child prostitution in Thailand has been a challenge because of lack of commitment from most of the stakeholders and the Thai government. Currently, having sex with girls below fifteen years of age is illegal under Thai law. However, child prostitution still exists in Thailand due to corruption of the government and political leaders. This issue makes the government and political systems to overlook or minimize the problem of child prostitution. The offenders often bribe police officers and politicians to protect them against prosecution. Even though this is the case, the government is striving to do away with child prostitution. It is doing this in association with nongovernmental organizations and other international organizations. The concern is to end sex tourism in Thailand and prevent child trafficking both into and out of the country for purposes of sexual exploitation and servitude. Brazil, China, Nigeria and Zimbabwe also have notable cases of child prostitution in foreign countries. These are destinations for child trafficking as well as sources of children trafficked to other countries for sexual exploitation. Sex tourists also find these destinations appropriate for their activities. Child prostitution in most countries of the world is illegal but still there are many instances of child sex molestation. Most governments are committed to end this problem of child prostitution both in their countries and in foreign countries. There are also many of non-governmental organizations and international organizations involved in reducing the practices of child prostitution in the world. These organizations include End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism (ECPAT), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the World Tourism Organization, and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) among many other international, regional and national organizations. ECPAT is an international organization based in Thailand. This organization was founded in 1991 with the goal of eradicating child prostitution in the world. The organizations plan is to persuade governments to enact laws to protect children against both local and international prostitution. After the governments have enacted these laws, ECPAT then ensures that these governments enforce these laws. The organization also persuades parents through their local leaders not to sell their children into prostitution (Hancock, n.d). It also discourages sex tourism and convinces governments to accept extra-territorial laws that allow prosecution of foreign citizens who sexually abuse minors in the country where they commit the offence. This means that sex tourists who use children in any foreign country will face judgment in the country where they commit the crime while they are on their tour. Some other human rights organizations gives information to parents in poor, rural areas about the tr ibulations and molestations the children go through in the places they sell them. They do this by use of photos, videos, and/or radios. This is what takes place in Thailand. UNICEF is a United Nations organization concerned with the welfare of children. The organization works in many countries to help vulnerable children grow to early adulthood without many avoidable problems. The organization sometimes works with other NGOs in some countries to help it achieve its goals. UNICEF through its conventions sets principles and guidelines for countries to follow in combating child prostitution. The organization then asks and helps countries to commit to their action plans in protecting children. They do this regionally or in individual countries. For example, UNICEFs second World Congress against Commercial Exploitation of Children set out guidelines and some countries made commitments to develop national plans of action against commercial sexual exploitation of children. A number of countries in the Eastern and Central African region made commitments to this strategy. These countries include Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Madagascar, Mozambique, Seychelles, South A frica, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Lesotho, Mauritius and Angola (UNICEF, 2001). Many of these countries face the problem of child prostitution both in the local countries and in foreign countries. Taking an example of Kenya, this country committed itself to the development of a national plan of action on commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Through this commitment, the country has formulated policies, programs and activities to help it to achieve the goal (UNICEF, 2001). This has made the country to engage NGOs in the fight against child molestation and sexual exploitation. The NGOs have involved children in the production of drama on child sexual abuse to raise awareness about this issue. The country has also formed the children department in one of its ministries to protect children. The new constitution of that country has comprehensively covered and clearly outlined the rights of children. The countrys government with the help of children rights groups has established strong regional co-operation with other countries. This is helping in checking child prostitution in foreign countries in this region and the world at large. In conclusion, child prostitution is a common problem in many countries of the world. In this practice, the children engage in sexual activity for monetary gain especially by the adults who either are their parents or their caretakers. Some children enter into prostitution due to the hard situations they face while others ere sold into sexual servitude by their parents either consciously or unconsciously. Child prostitution in foreign countries is also a common practice. People do this through sex tourism and child trafficking. Most people practice child prostitution in foreign countries either because they want to avoid the laws of their countries by breaking law in foreign countries or because they misunderstand the people of the countries that they visit. Child prostitution is a multi billion business in the world that leads to wastage of many childrens lives. In some countries, cultural practices contribute to the involvement of children in prostitution. Large and small criminal groups arrange for Trans boundary transfer of children and clients involved in child prostitution. Even though many human rights groups are against this immoral behavior, some governments have not fully committed themselves to eradicating this problem from their countries. Still there is much demand of foreign children for sex in some countries making the business of child trafficking and sex tourism to flourish. In whichever the case, children prostitution is a criminal offence and all people and especially governments need to fight to eradicate this problem from the society.

Ford Motor Company Essay -- Ford Transportation Vehicles Automobiles E

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company, a large United States automotive corporation, strives for success each and every year. The success of Ford Motor Company, as well as other corporations, can be measured by analyzing the two most important goals of management, maintaining adequate liquidity and achieving satisfactory profitability. Liquidity can be defined as having enough money on hand to pay bills when they are due and to take care of unexpected needs for cash, while profitability refers to the ability of business to earn a satisfactory income. To enable investors and creditors to analyze these goals, Ford Motor Company distributes annual financial statements. With these financial statements, liquidity of Ford Motor Company is measured by analyzing factors such as working capitol, current ratio, quick ratio, receivable turnover, average days' sales uncollected, inventory turnover and average days' inventory on hand; whereas profitability analyzes the profit margin, asset turnover, return on assets, debt to equity, and return on equity factors. LIQUIDITY Working Capital Ford Motor Company's working capital fluctuated significantly in the years 1991-1995. This phenomenon is directly attributable to the fact that Financial Services current assets and current liabilities are not included in the total company current asset and current liability accounts. For example, the fluctuation from 1994 ($1.4 billion) to 1995 (-$1.5 billion) of $2.5 billion would suggest that Ford would be unable to pay liabilities during the current period. However, examination of the Financial Services side of the business reveals that surpluses of $13.6 billion existed in both 1994 and 1995, convincingly mitigating the figures indicating negative working capital. Current Ratio & Quick Ratio The current ratio in the years 1991-1995 has remained stable, fluctuating between 0.9 and 1.1. The quick ratio has also remained stable, fluctuating between 0.5 and 0.6. The larger fluctuation in the current ratio versus the quick ratio is caused by inventories being included in the asset side of the equation. Although inventories were significantly higher in both 1994 and 1995, current liabilities were also higher. In addition, marketable securities decreased substantially in 1994 and 1995. These factors resulted in the stability of both the curren... ...company APPENDIX DESCRIPTION PAGE Consolidated Income Statements...................................Appendix 1-2 Spreadsheets..................................................Appendix 1 Graphical Representation......................................Appendix 2 Consolidated Balance Sheets......................................Appendix 3-5 Spreadsheets.................................................Appendix 3-4 Graphical Representation.....................................Appendix 5 Consolidated Retained Earnings Statement.........................Appendix 6-7 Spreadsheets.................................................Appendix 6 Graphical Representation.....................................Appendix 7 Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows.............................Appendix 8-9 Spreadsheets.................................................Appendix 8 Graphical Representation.....................................Appendix 9 Evaluation of Liquidity..........................................Appendix 10-11 Evaluation of Profitability......................................Appendix 12-13 Liquidity & Profitability Formulas...............................Appendix 14

The tale of Beowulf

The tale of Beowulf begins and ends with the funeral of great kings. The funerals represented in this tale are decorated with rites that derive from the cultural traditions of the kings being laid to rest. Scyld Scefing is entombed within a barge decorated with signs of his accomplishments, while com/beowulf-as-an-epic-hero/">Beowulf is enshrined within a barrow filled with relics of his rule. Yet within these traditional burials one can find traces of the men themselves as each makes requests that lead to the distinctiveness of their burials.This allows the funerals to become particularly distinctive as the author makes use of the elements, such as earth, fire, and water (Smith). Each funeral defines the symbolic ideas of motion versus grounded-ness represented in the lives of these two men, and the method in which each is carried out emphasizes the opposite ways in which they entered their lands and mounted their thrones. The funerals of both men are representative of their persona lities as shown through their deeds and the ways in which they lived their lives. Though both men were valiant warriors and kings, their lives as youths and kings appear to be very different.The movement characteristic of Scyld Scefing’s funeral represents a continuation of the boldness and vigor with which he sailed through life. His life was continually one of forward motion from low to high estate, and he does not cease this motion in his death. The poem continues, â€Å"Forth he fared at the fated moment, sturdy Scyld to the shelter of God† (lines 26-27). His clansmen and subjects seem determined that their king should keep moving though he has been cut off from life, as they immediately â€Å"bore him over to ocean’s billow† (line 28).He is placed on a barge that is taken by the floods to an even higher and more celebrated place, and the words used by the author to describe this continue this motif of motion to an even higher estate. Such words and p hrases as â€Å"outbound† highlight this motion, and as â€Å"No man is able to say in sooth [†¦] who harbored that freight,† his burial demonstrates that his resting place could mean yet another promotion for this king who had risen from foundling to royalty. The funeral given Beowulf differs greatly from that granted Scyld Scefing.Beowulf’s rites represent that of a more grounded king who had been home grown and bred specifically to become royalty. His funeral demonstrates no great motion, as his lineage is anchored and steeped in royalty. The rites take place within the land of his birth, and his tomb is laid upon a foundation of the soil upon which his ancestors walked. The writer establishes this in his recounting of the events: â€Å"They fashioned for him the folk of Geats firm on the earth a funeral-pile† (line 2821). The firmness with which this tomb is established upon the earth symbolizes the strength of Beowulf’s roots within his h omeland.Around this is erected a wall, and this further strengthen’s Beowulf’s position as a foundational leader of his land. The monuments given to house this leader are built into the ground of the kingdom and given foundations akin to the roots that one finds in Beowulf’s lineage. His burial is akin to burying treasure (gold and precious stones), â€Å"trusting the ground with treasures of earls, gold in the earth† (2850), and this is in essence an act of giving back to the earth the treasure it has afforded. The funerals of Scefing and Beowulf also differ in the elements that attend each.According to critic George Clark in his essay â€Å"Beowulf’s Armor, † â€Å"Each funeral places the final offering of arms and armor and treasure in the context of one of the elements, water, fire, or earth† (429). While water is the dominant element in Scefing’s funeral, fire is used to herald the burial of Beowulf. The significance of th e water for Scefing derives mainly from his history, as he was borne to the Danes on a small vessel as an abandoned infant. The water represents the deep, the void from which the king came and to which he is allowed to return.The story comes full circle for this king, as he is again borne away at the end of his life, given back to the water that offered him to the Danes. This is done on purpose by his clansmen, and highlighted by the narrator who writes, â€Å"No less these loaded the lordly gifts, thanes' huge treasure, than those had done who in former time forth had sent him sole on the seas, a suckling child† (lines 43-46). He is again sent by himself â€Å"on the seas† into the unknown belly of the flood which had offered him up as a child.The fire for Beowulf is the opposite of this water, and this might also be seen as a reference to difference in his birth and youth. However, the narrative continues, â€Å"Wood-smoke rose black over blaze, and blent was the ro ar of flame with weeping (the wind was still), till the fire had broken the frame of bones† (2827-30). While the water takes Scefing away from the land, Beowulf’s fire offers up incense that rises and, as the ashes fall, remains forever mingled with the soil in the land of his birth.The narrator mentions that the wind was still, emphasizing the idea that no part of Beowulf’s burnt body or ashes is allowed to fly beyond the land of his birth and rule. He utterly belongs to this land, and the roaring of the fire becomes a dirge that rises and mingles with the sound of his subjects’ weeping. Yet the reader gets the feeling that Beowulf is not lost to his people. This fire is allowed to burn beyond Beowulf’s bones, consuming his flesh and, as â€Å"the smoke was by the sky devoured† (2838), the fire sends up Beowulf’s essence as a protection and covering for his land and people.Though the lives of Scefing and Beowulf were similar in many w ays, they also differed in some very significant areas that have to do with how they came to be king. While Scefing begins life as a foundling and sustains upward motion that raises him to the estate of ruler, Beowulf is born a prince whose roots are grounded in his homeland. The elements used to represent these two men are also representative of their origins. Water is used to symbolize the rootless Scefing, while fire and earth symbolize Beowulf’s grounded ancestry.Both men are treasured by their people, yet allowed to fulfill their destinies by drifting or remaining rooted as has been their custom. Works Cited Beowulf. The Harvard Classics, Volume 49. Frances B. Grummere (Trans. ) 1910. P. F. Collier & Son, 1993. Clark, George. â€Å"Beowulf’s Armor. † ELH. Vol. 32. No. 4. Dec. 1965. pp. 409-441. Smith, Jennifer. â€Å"Paradise Lost and Beowulf: The Christian/Pagan Hybrids of the Epic Tradition. † Department of English. Long Beach: California State University. http://www. csulb. edu/~jsmith10/miltbeow. htm

A Reflection in Learning Essay

Introduction I am a registered nurse of twenty years of experience. After graduated from my three-year training in a nursing school, I had been worked in an intensive care unit (ICU) and a pulmonary unit of a public hospital. Now I am working in a non-government organization serving the mentally disabled. No matter which specialty I am working in or how senior I am, I found learning being crucial for professional competence, job satisfaction and personal growth. In this paper, I would like to reflect critically on my experience of learning in nursing with reference to relevant learning theories. Learning in workplace At the time when I started to work as a registered nurse in a new workplace after graduation from nursing school there was no structured orientation program like nowadays. As an enthusiastic beginner with an imminent need, my motivation to learn was very high. I clutched every opportunity to observe how other colleagues perform, to ask questions proactively and to study references from ward manuals and books by myself. In addition, the colleagues were willing to teach and finally I was able to meet the requirement of my new role quickly and smoothly. Formal learning With about a year of experience, I started attending formal in-service training courses. I was assigned to attend trainings of the specialty I was working with and some core management skills. Nevertheless, I got little satisfaction but I did not know the reasons at that time until I was studying my bachelor’s degree program and was promoted to Nursing Officer later on. As a new Nursing Officer I had to deal with a lot of problems which I had not come across before but some issues were the topics that I was studying at that time. I then tried to apply the knowledge and theories into practice. Not only could the knowledge solve my problems, but also the application of theories had enhanced my learning. I realized that putting theories into practice make the learning and working effective and interesting and vice versa. I felt the sense of satisfaction of learning by then. Advanced academic learning I started to pursue a master’s degree program last September. My motivation for advanced academic learning is both extrinsic and intrinsic. The academic requirement for professional nurse is increasing now and I need to upgrade myself so as to be synchronized with the pace of professional development. Academic study has made me more knowledgeable, more critical and more assertive. Moreover, the qualification enhanced my self-confidence directly. The program is actually imposing great pressure on me that I need to struggle for a balanced life between work, family and study. In order to up keep my motivation in learning, I tried hard to make the study more interesting and pragmatic by integrating theories into practice, sharing and discussing with colleagues as much as possible. Social learning My learning experience in the workplace when I was newly qualified was a kind of social learning which Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith, Bern, and Hilgard (1990) described as learning by watching the behaviors and the consequences of others. Social learning is a human instinct and we learn by it consciously or unconsciously. When I was a newly qualified nurse, the need to learn was immediate. I consciously went into the learning process of attention, retention, reproduction, and also motivation. If the displayed behavior was perceived favorable to me, my motivation was particularly high. It was because of my active participation and my self-directed learning, I had a good learning outcome at that stage. Quinn (2001) believed that the quality of the model influence the result of learning. I am always aware of my behavior when I become a senior nurse, need to act as a preceptor or a mentor and especially when I have become the ward-in-charge which Fretwell and Melia (as cited in Hand, 2006) f ound to have an exceptional strong influence on colleagues in their studies. The reinforcement of the displayed behaviors has influence on individual’s motivation to reproduce the behavior. To ensure a favorable learning outcome, I intentionally give positive reinforcement for favorable behavior and negative reinforcement for unfavorable behavior. I value social learning because it is much safer than trial and error in clinical practice and it is a natural way to learn. Reflection and critical reflection From time to time, malpractices happen in every workplace. It is important for persistent reflections to improve nursing qualities. Reflection being described by Raelin (2002) is the practice of standing back to examine the meanings of things happen around us. Reflection helps to identify malpractice and makes improvement accordingly. By reflection, nurses identify areas for improvement and improve their â€Å"quality† as models. Besides, reflection makes us more receptive to the alternatives of reasoning and behaving (Raelin,2001). There is critical reflection which is a deeper and broader type of reflection and is a collective action to enhance organizational learning and change (Gray, 2007). Furthermore, it encourages learning at a more profound and transformative level (Mezirow, 1990). Now I have established the habit of periodical reflection and I am striving to achieve appropriate critical reflection. Critical reflection involves questioning long-established believes and attitudes but may lead to resentment of the staffs. It has to be carried out skillfully at appropriate time. I discovered that the practice of critical reflection would be more receptive if it is done immediately after a critical incidence. Andragogy A part of my learning journey had contradicted to andragogy. Knowles (1990) recognized that adults learn best when they are self-directed and assume responsibility for their learning. He also expounded the following six assumptions of andragogy: 1. Adults need to know the reason to learn. 2. Adults have a self-concept of being responsible for their own decisions and need to have a self-directed learning. 3. Adults come to learn with rich experiences which are the foundation and resources for learning. 4. Adults are more ready to learn if there is a need to learn. 5. Adults’ orientation to learn is problem-centered. 6. Adults are responsive to external motivators and respond better to internal motivators. When going to formal professional trainings, I was assigned to attend some management workshops and lectures when I had only two or three years of experience. At that stage my job duty and responsibility did not include management and I was not interested in it either. So I did not know why I had to learn management. The knowledge I had learnt could not be applied into practice. Actually I was not ready to learn management at that time. It was not self-directed. I am sure that these learning would have been more fruitful if they were arranged when I needed to assist in ward management or if I had at that time a long term perspective of seeing the need to take up a management role one day. Then when I attended the ICU courses, many of the course contents could not be practiced in my hospital which was a rehabilitation hospital that the ICU was small and did not provide care as â€Å"intensive† as other large acute hospitals. A point I had to admit is that my attitude of learning at that time was passive and dependent. After attending a course or a lecture, I could actually discuss with the ward in-charge and give new ideas but I had not done so. My learning at that stage had several points contradicted to andragogy and was the reason why I did not feel satisfied with all that learning. Having got such experience, now when I do training and development plan for my staffs, I usually discuss with them about their needs and preferences. If they need to take some mandatory sessions as required by the hospital, I must make sure they know the reasons. When I coach or mentor new staffs or clinical placement students in my workplace, I would emphasis why they need to learn those things I showed to them. After my colleagues attending a course or a lecture, I usually ask them what they have learnt and encourage them to put theory into practice. Learning style Honey and Mumford (as cited in Penger and Tekavcic, 2009) categorized learning styles into four types as pragmatist, activist, reflector and theorist. My learning style can be described as pragmatist or activist. I enjoy trying new ways and test their practicability in work. I appreciate knowledge and theories that can be put into practice and solve problems. I understand that the characteristics of a reflector being favorable to listen, think and evaluate thoroughly and the characteristics of a theorist loves to see things globally are as valuable as other styles. Now I am trying to further develop my learning style because as remarked by Astin, Closs and Hughes (2006), no one learning style is regarded as the best and it is beneficial to use all four learning styles. From my point of view, different learning style is advantageous to different focus or context of learning. If the focus of learning is to acquire a hands-on skill, activist and pragmatist are more advantageous. If the focus of learning is to understand a phenomenon or a theory, reflector and theorist are more advantageous. Therefore, developing learning styles beyond our dominant types can strengthen our ability to learn. Conclusions This article reviews my learning experience in nursing. Starting with informal learning in workplace, then proceeding to formal in-service education and academic learning, I was being highly pragmatic and my orientation to learn can be explained by andragogy. I value social learning, reflection and critical reflection. My experience has impacted on my style of mentoring and coaching in clinical practice. I am striving to further develop myself to think more proactively and globally which is essential for on-going learning. References Astin, F., Closs, S.J. & Hughes, N. (2006). 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