Presidential Elections - ESL Lesson

Presidential Elections - ESL Lesson Its the presidential election season in the United States and the topic is quite popular in classes around the country. Discussing the presidential election can cover a wide range of topics beyond just the two candidates. For example, you might discuss and explain the U.S. electoral college and process of collecting and counting votes. Advanced level classes might find the topic especially interesting as they can bring in observations and comparisons from their own electoral systems. Here are some suggestions and short activities that you can use in class to focus on the election. Ive put them in the order in which Id present the exercises in class in order to build up vocabulary. However, each exercise could certainly be done as a standalone activity. Definition Match Up Match the key vocabulary concerning elections to the definition. Terms attack adscandidatedebatedelegateElectoral Collegeelectoral voteparty conventionparty platformpolitical partypopular votepresidential nomineeprimary electionregistered voterslogansound bitestump speechswing statethird partyto electto nominatevoter turnoutvoting booth Definitions choose who will be the next presidenta state which does not typically vote either Republican or Democrat but swings back and forth between the partiesa short phrase which is used to encourage voters to support a candidatea political party which is neither Republican nor Democratthe person who runs for president  the person who is chosen by the party to run for presidentan election to decide who will be chosen by the party  a representative from a state who can vote at the primary conventiona gathering of a political party to choose a candidate and vote on other issues important to the partya standard speech that is used repeatedly during a campaignadvertising which is aggressive and tries to hurt the other candidatea short phrase which sums up an opinion or fact and is repeated throughout the mediahow many people vote in the election, usually expressed in a percentagethe group of state representatives which cast the electoral votea vote by someone in the Electoral College for the votethe number of people who vote for the president Conversation Questions Here are some questions to get the conversation going. These questions use the vocabulary in the match up to help start using the new vocabulary actively. Which parties have candidates?Who are the nominees?  Have you seen a presidential debate?How do presidential elections differ from the US election in your country?Do voters have to register in your country?Whats voter turnout like in your country?Do you understand the difference between the Electoral college and the popular vote?What do you think are the main planks in each partys platform?Which candidate appeals to you? Why? Electoral Points of View In this day and age of media sound bites, it can be a helpful exercise to remind students that media coverage almost has its own point-of-view despite claims of objectivity. Ask students to try to find examples of articles that are biased from both the left and the right, as well as from a neutral point of view.   Have students find an example of a biased Republican and Democratic news report or article.Ask students to underline the biased opinions.Each student should explain how the opinion is biased. Questions that cant help include: Does the blog post represent a specific point of view? Does the author appeal to the emotions or rely on statistics? How does the writer try to persuade the reader of his or her point of view? Etc.  Ask students to write a short blog post or paragraph presenting either candidate from a biased point of view. Encourage them to exaggerate!As a class, discuss what types of signs they look for when looking for bias. Student Debate For more advanced classes, ask students to debate the issues being presented as themes of the election. Students should base their arguments on how they think each candidate would address the issues.   Student Polling Activity A simple exercise: ask students to vote for either candidate and count the votes. The results may surprise everyone!   Finally, students might also find this presidential election dialogue helpful, as well as this longer reading comprehension on presidential elections.

Which Colleges Superscore the SAT

Which Colleges Superscore the SAT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Your SAT scores are a very important part of your application, especially as the applicant pool gets bigger and more competitive every year. So how can you make sure colleges will consider your very best scores? This article will discuss the colleges that superscore the SAT. After giving you a list of every college that superscores the SAT, I'll talk about how you can use this information strategically as you prepare to apply to college. To start, let's briefly review what "superscoring" means. What Is an SAT Superscore? Superscoring is the process by which colleges consider your highest section scores across all the dates you took the SAT. Rather than confining your scores to one particular date, these schools will take your highest section scores, forming the highest possible composite score. On the current SAT, this means taking your highest Math score and your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score across all test dates. Maybe you scored a stellar 750 on Math on your first SAT, but your Reading and Writing fell into the low 600s. To improve your EBRW score, you spent a few months prepping and managed to bring your EBRW score up 100 points! To your dismay, though, you focused so much on reading comprehension and grammar that you forgot some of your math skills, and your great math score dropped the second time around. If your colleges superscore, then you'd have nothing to worry about! They'd take your original 750 in Math and combine it with your new and improved EBRW score. Even though it took you a couple test sittings to achieve, you'd end up with a strong SAT score in all sections of the test for your college applications. While the superscoring policy is ideal for you as an applicant, it's not entirely an act borne out of generosity. Superscoring can benefit colleges by improving their ranking. By showing that their admitted students average higher SAT scores, their ranking may get higher as well. Before getting into the full list of colleges that superscore, there's another important consideration for current high school students. With the switch to the new SAT in 2016, how were colleges' superscoring policies affected? For the most part, colleges agree that superscoring across the old and new versions of the SAT wouldn't make sense. Bonus: Want to get a perfect SAT score? Read our famous guide on how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT. You'll learn top strategies from the country's leading expert on the SAT, Allen Cheng, a Harvard grad and perfect scorer. No matter your level, you'll find useful advice here - this strategy guide has been read by over 500,000 people. Read the 1600 SAT guide today and start improving your score. Popular Colleges that Superscore the SAT The following colleges superscore the SAT. In addition to their superscoring policies, I included most of their stances on the College Board's Score Choice. Even though these colleges take your highest section scores, many don't want you to use Score Choice to pick and choose which scores they get to see. If you're taking and sending scores from both the old and new versions, make sure to call up the admissions office of your prospective college and clarify its policy on superscoring and Score Choice. We'll make sure to provide any updates as more information becomes available! School Official Statement Admissions Site Boston College If you have taken the SAT more than once, Boston College will take the highest individual section scores from each date and combine those scores. BC Admissions Boston University Boston University will allow students to choose [the College Board's Score Choice]; however, we strongly recommend students submit their scores each time they take the SAT. BU has always considered a student’s highest SAT section scores in making admissions decisions and will continue to do so. BU Admissions Columbia If you take an exam more than once, you will be evaluated on the highest score you received in any individual section. Columbia Admissions Duke Students who have taken multiple tests may choose which scores to send to Duke. For students who elect to send multiple test scores Duke will use whichever score is highest. Duke Admissions Georgetown Georgetown University does not participate in the Score Choice option available through the College Board. Georgetown requires that you submit scores from all test sittings of the SAT ... If an applicant takes the SAT more than once, the admissions committees will consider the highest critical reading score and the highest math score from multiple test sessions when reviewing the application. Georgetown Admissions Georgia Institute of Technology We super score within the same test, using your highest section scores from any test date. Each time you submit new scores to us, we will update your record with your highest scores. We evaluate all your sub-section scores, not just the sum or composite. Georgia Tech Admissions Harvard You are free to use the College Board Score Choice option. Harvard Admissions Johns Hopkins We'll consider your highest section scores across all SATs taken- even if they were on different test dates- in our evaluation of your application. We therefore encourage you to update your application with new test scores each time you take the SATs. Hopkins Admissions MIT If you take [the SAT] multiple times, we will consider the highest score achieved in each section. This superscoring also applies to students who submit scores from both the "old" and "new" SAT. We do this in order to consider all applicants in their best light.Students are free to use the College Board's Score Choice option ...to submit the scores of your choice as well. MIT Admissions New York University For both the SAT and ACT we will review the highest of each section, regardless of test dates. This practice is commonly known as the â€Å"superscore.† NYU Admissions Notre Dame If you submit multiple scores, we will superscore the tests for our evaluation. This means we will consider the highest composite score and highest scores on each section, regardless of test date. Notre Dame Admissions Princeton We allow applicants to use the score choice feature of ... the SAT ... but we encourage the submission of all test scores. Princeton Admissions Stanford All scores from all high school sittings of either the ACT or SAT (or both if you took both) are required....For the SAT, we will focus on the highest individual Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Math, and Essay scores from all test sittings. For SAT exams taken prior to March 2016, we will focus on the highest Critical Reading, Math and Writing scores. Because we are not able to superscore across the two exams, we will superscore results within the old and new SAT exams separately. Stanford Admissions University of Chicago We recommend you send us all of your test scores. Only your best testing results- your highest sub-scores and the best result of the two testing options, if you've taken both the SAT and ACT- will be considered in the review of your application. Lower test scores submitted will not be used in the review of your application. U Chicago Admissions University of Connecticut We will combine the highest scores from each subsection of an exam to create the best overall score (within same exam formats) for exams taken more than once. U Conn Admissions University of Miami If you take the test more than once, please ensure that the testing agency sends all of your scores so that we have your best performance on record. The Admission Committee will consider all official test scores from multiple test dates. We will use the highest composite score from among each test that you’ve taken. U Miami Admissions University of North Carolina If you send us scores from multiple test dates, we’ll take your highest score for each section of the test and consider those scores as we evaluate your application. If you send us both an SAT and an ACT, we’ll look at whichever is higher. UNC Admissions University of Pennsylvania We superscore the ACT and we superscore within old and current SATs but not between old and current SAT tests. UPenn Admissions University of Southern California For students who take the SAT more than once, USC records the highest scores for each section. USC Admissions University of Virginia It has been the Office of Admission’s long-standing policy to consider the best test scores submitted by applicants. When reviewing SAT scores, we use the top score from each section across all administrations of the exam. Scores from the previous version of the SAT and the current SAT will not be combined ...We hope you will submit all of your scores knowing that we will recombine the sections to get the best possible set of scores. UVA Admissions Vanderbilt Vanderbilt strongly encourages students to submit scores each time they take the SAT. Vanderbilt will super-score among Old SAT tests and among New SAT tests, but will not super-score between the Old SAT and the New SAT. Only the highest section scores for either the Old SAT or the New SAT will be considered as part of the admissions review process. Each time SAT scores are submitted, the student's record is updated with the new high section scores. Vanderbilt Admissions Villanova Candidates are asked to submit their scores from each sitting of the SAT ... understanding that the Admission Committee will superscore the highest Evidence-based Reading and Writing scores and Math scores from the SAT. Villanova Admissions Virginia Tech At Virginia Tech, we superscore across test dates AND across exams- meaning we’ll look at your highest Math and English subscores and even combine scores from the SAT and ACT. For example, the Committee could consider your SAT Math and ACT English subscores when reviewing his/her application. Virginia Tech Admissions Yale When assessing SAT results, admissions officers will focus on your highest individual old or new scores from all test dates. For example, if you took the old SAT twice, your highest Critical Reading, Math and Writing scores will be considered individually. If you took the new SAT twice, your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, Math and Essay scores will be considered individually. If you took both types of SAT, the admissions office will treat them separately and review the best scores on each test. Yale Admissions For most schools, you can find their policies toward standardized testing on their admissions website. You can also search for "name of college + PrepScholar" to access our large database of colleges and their admission requirements. Below is the complete list of colleges that superscore the SAT. Get ready: it's a pretty long list. Complete List of Colleges That Superscore the SAT Here are all the schools that have a policy of taking your "highest section" scores across test dates to form your highest possible composite score, according to the College Board. Since this list is huge, I recommend using ctrl + F to find any particular schools of interest. Let me know in the comments if I missed any, and this list will be regularly updated! Abilene Christian University Dunwoody College of Technology Mid-South Community College Southern Vermont College Adelphi University Durham Technical Community College Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Southern Virginia University AIB College of Business Earlham College and Earlham School of Religion Millersville University of Pennsylvania Southside Regional Medical Center School of Nursing Alamance Community College East Carolina University Milligan College Southwestern Christian University Alaska Bible College East Los Angeles College Minnesota State University Moorhead Southwestern University Albany State University Eastern Connecticut State University Misericordia University Spartanburg College of Aeronautics Albion College Eastern Illinois University Mississippi Delta Community College Spartanburg Methodist College Alfred University New York State College Ceramics Eastern Kentucky University Missouri Baptist University Springfield College Algoma University College Eastern Maine Community College Missouri State University Springfield St John's University Jamaica Allegheny Wesleyan College Eastern Oregon University Missouri Western State College St Joseph's College of Nursing Allen County Community College Eastern University Monmouth University State University of New York College at Brockport Ambrose University College Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Monroe College State University of New York College of Agriculture and Natural Resources American College of the Building Arts Edison State College Montana State University State University of New York Binghamton American International College EDP College San Sebastian Montana State University Northern State University of New York at Albany American Musical and Dramatic Academy El Centro College Montana State University Tech Greater Falls State University of New York at Buffalo American University Rome Elizabethtown College Montclair State University State University of New York at Fredonia American University DC Elmira College Moravian College State University of New York at Geneseo American University of Puerto Rico Elon University Morehouse College State University of New York at New Paltz American University of Sharjah Emerson College Mount Allison University State University of New York at Oneonta Amherst College Emmanuel College Georgia Mount Holyoke College State University of New York at Oswego Anderson University (SC) Emory University Mount Mary College State University of New York at Potsdam Andrew College Erie Business Center Main Campus Mount Saint Mary's College Stephens College Anne Arundel Community College Erie Business Center South New Castle Mount Saint Vincent University Sterling College (KS) Antietam Bible College Escuela de Artes Plasticas Puerto Rico Mount Vernon Nazarene University Stevenson University Aquinas College (TN) Essex Community College Muhlenberg College Stockbridge School Argosy University Twin Cities European College of Liberal Arts Berlin Muskingum College Stonehill College Arizona State University Tempe Fachhochschule Aachen Abteilung Juelich Nash Community College Stony Brook University State University New York Arkansas State University Fairfield University National Polytechnic College of Science Suffolk University Arkansas State University Beebe Fairhaven Baptist College National University Suffolk University Madrid Armstrong Atlantic State University Fairleigh Dickinson University Vancouver Campus Nazareth College of Rochester Sul Ross State University The Art Institute of Ohio Cincinnati Faith Baptist Bible College Nebraska Christian College Swarthmore College Assumption College Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Nebraska Methodist College Sweet Briar College Atlanta Christian College Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising San Francisco Neosho County Community College Tama University Augsburg College Feather River Community College New College of Florida Taylor University Upland Campus Augustana College South Dakota Ferris State University New England Institute of Technology Texas Christian University Austin College Ferrum College New Jersey Institute of Technology Texas Tech University Austin Peay State University Fitchburg State University New River Community College Texas Womans University Ave Maria University Latin American Campus Flagler College New World School of the Arts Thammasat University Azusa Pacific University Florida Atlantic University New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts The King’s College Babson College Florida College New York Institute of Technology Three Rivers Community College (Poplar Bluff, MO) Bainbridge College Florida Gulf Coast University Newberry College Tomball College Baker University Florida Institute of Technology Niagara County Community College Towson University Baldwin-Wallace College Florida International University Nichols College Trenholm State Technical College Ball State University Florida State University Nihon University Trine University Baltimore International College Florida Technical College Jacksonville North Carolina Agricultural Tech State University Trinity College Baptist Bible College and Seminary Fordham University North Carolina Central University Trinity International University College of Liberia Barbados Community College Frankford Hospital School of Nursing North Carolina State University Raleigh Truett-McConnell College Barclay College Franklin and Marshall College North Central College Union Bible College Barton College Franklin College North Dakota State University Fargo Union College New York Bates College Franklin Pierce University North Georgia College and State University US Air Force Academy Baylor University Free Will Baptist Bible College Northeastern Technical College US Coast Guard Academy Beacon University Frostburg State University Northeastern University US Marine Corps Syracuse Belhaven College Furman University Northern Arizona University US Military Academy Bellarmine University Gainesville State College Northern Illinois University US Naval Academy Belmont Abbey College Gannon University Northern Maine Community College University of Edinburgh Belmont University Gardner-Webb University Northern Marianas College University Central Florida Beloit College George Mason University Northern Michigan University University Georgia Athens Bemidji State University Georgetown College Northwest Christian University University of Alabama Birmingham Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology Northwest Missouri State University University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Bentley College Georgia Perimeter College Northwest University University of Arkansas Fayetteville Berea College Georgia Southern University Northwestern Technical College University of Arkansas Monticello Berks Technical Institute Georgia Southwestern State University Northwestern University University of Calgary Bethany Lutheran College Gettysburg College Northwood University Texas University of Charleston Bethel College Indiana God’s Bible School and College Northwestern Polytechnic University University of Chicago Biola University Gogebic Community College Oak Valley College University of Cincinnati Bloomfield College Goldey-Beacom College Oakland University University of Colorado Boulder Blue Ridge Community College Grayson County College Oberlin College University of Connecticut Blue River Community College Great Basin College Occidental College University of Dallas Bluefield College Griffith College Dublin Ocean County College University of Dayton Boise State University Grinnell College Ogeechee Technical College University of Delaware Boston College Grove City College Ohio Bible College University of Findlay Boston University Guilford Technical Community College Ohio Business College University of Florida Bowdoin College Gwynedd-Mercy College Ohio Dominican University University of Hartford Bowie State University Hagerstown Community College Ohio State University Columbus University of Hawaii at Manoa Bowling Green State University Hamilton College (IA) Ohio University Athens University of Houston Main Campus Brandeis University Hamilton College (NY) Ohio Valley University University of Idaho Brevard Community College Hampden-Sydney College Ohio Wesleyan University University of Illinois Chicago Brewton-Parker College Hanover College Okefenokee Technical College University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Bridgewater State College Harding University Oklahoma Panhandle State University University of Indianapolis Brookdale Community College Hardin-Simmons University Olin College of Engineering University of Iowa Broward Community College Hollywood Harford Community College Omore College of Design University of La Verne Brown University Hariri Canadian Academy of Science and Technology Onondaga Community College University of Maine Orono Bryan College Harris-Stowe State University Oral Roberts University University of Mary Hradin-Baylor BryanLGH College of Health Sciences Hartwick College Oregon State University University of Mary Washington Bryant and Stratton Eastlake Campus Harvard College Otero Junior College University of Maryland Baltimore County Bryant University Haverford College Otis College of Art and Design University of Massachusetts Amherst Bryn Athyn College Hawaii Pacific University Otterbein College University of Massachusetts Boston Bryn Mawr College Heidelberg College Our Lady of Corpus Christi University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Bucknell University Helene Fuld School of Nursing Camden Oxford College University of Miami Butler County Community College Kansas Henry Ford Community College Ozark Christian College University of Michigan Ann Arbor Butler University Herbert W Armstrong College Pacific Union College University of Michigan Dearborn Cabarrus College of Health Sciences Heriot-Watt University Paris Junior College University of Minnesota Crookston California College of the Arts Heritage Baptist University Park University University of Minnesota Morris California Maritime Academy Heritage Christian University Parsons Paris School of Design University of Minnesota Twin Cities California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (CalPoly) Herzing College Orlando Patrick Henry College University of Montevallo California Polytechnic State University Pomona Hesston College Paul Quinn College University of Nebraska Lincoln California State University Bakersfield Hillsdale College Peabody Conservatory of Music University of Nevada Las Vegas California State University Channel Islands Hinds Community College Penn View Bible Institute University of New Hampshire Durham California State University Chico Hodges University Pennsylvania College of Technology University of North Carolina Chapel Hill California State University Dominguez Hills Hofstra University Penn State University Park University of North Carolina Greensboro California State University East Bay Hogeschool Universiteit Brussel Pepperdine University University of North Carolina Pembroke California State University Fresno Holmes Community College Peru State College University of North Dakota Grand Forks California State University Fullerton Holy Family University Pfeiffer University University of North Texas California State University Long Beach Horry-Georgetown Technical College Philadelphia Biblical University University of Northern Iowa California State University Los Angeles Houghton College Philadelphia University University of Notre Dame California State University Mentor Houston Community College Philips Beth Israel School of Nursing University of Oregon California State University Monterey Bay Hudson County Community College Phoenix College University of Pennsylvania California State University Northridge Humboldt State University Piedmont College University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh California State University Sacramento Huntington University Piedmont Community College University of Pittsburgh Titusville California State University San Bernardino Husson University Piedmont Technical College University of Portland California State University San Marcos Illinois College Pitt Community College University of Prince Edward Island California State University Stanislaus Illinois Eastern Community College Frontier Pittsburg State University University of Puget Sound Calvary Baptist College Illinois Eastern Community College Olney Pitzer College University of Rhode Island Calvin College Illinois Wesleyan University Platt College Colorado University of Richmond Canadian Mennonite University Indiana State University Plattsburgh State University University of Rochester Canisius College Indiana University Bloomington Plymouth State University University of Saint Thomas Cape Breton University Indiana University East Post University University of San Diego Cape Fear Community College Indiana University Kokomo Potomac State College University of San Francisco Cardiac Vascular Technology Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts Presentation College University of Scranton Carleton College Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne Prince Georges Community College University of Sioux Falls Carlow University Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Princeton University University of South Carolina Aiken Carroll College Montana Instituto Tec y de Estudios Superior de Monterrey Purdue University West Lafayette University of South Carolina Upstate Carroll University Internationa Christian University Japan Queens University University of South Florida Carson-Newman College International School University of Haifa Ramapo College of New Jersey University of Southern California Carthage College International University in Germany Randolph-Macon College University of Southern Maine Case Western Reserve University Inver Hills Community College Raphael Recanati International School University of Tampa Casper College Iona College Rasmussen Business College Eagan University of Tennessee Knoxville Catawba Valley Community College Iowa Lakes Community College Redlands Community College University of Texas Arlington Catholic University of America Island Drafting and Technical Institute Reed College University of the Arts Cathy McMorris Ithaca College Regent University University of the Cumberlands Cayuga County Community College ITT Technical Institute Tucson Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of the Incarnate Word Cedar Crest College Ivy Tech Community College Evansville Rets College University of the Ozarks Cedarville University Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette Rhode Island College University of the Southwest Center for American Education Jacksonville College Rhodes College University of Toledo Central Alabama Community College Alexander City James Madison University Rich Mountain Community College University of Tulsa Central Alabama Community College Childersburg JNA Institute of Culinary Arts Richard Bland College University of Utah Central Carolina Technical College John Carroll University Richmond Community College University of Vermont Central Connecticut State University John Paul the Great Catholic University Ripon College University of Virginia Central Wyoming College Johns Hopkins University Rochester College University of Virginia's College at Wise Centre College Johnson C Smith University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Washington Bothell Charleston Southern University Johnson College Rock Valley College University of Windsor Chattahoochee Valley Community College Jones College Rockingham Community College University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Chippewa Valley Technical College Kalamazoo College Rocky Mountain College University of Wisconsin Fond Du Lac Christendom College Keene State College Roger Williams University University of Wisconsin Green Bay Christopher Newport University Keiser College Kendall Rollins College Winter Park University of Wisconsin Madison Chukalongkorn BBA Kenai Peninsula College Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology University of Wisconsin Marshfield City Vision College Kennesaw State University Rosemont College University of Wisconsin Osh Kosh Claremont McKenna College Kent State University Rowan University University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Clarendon College Kentucky Wesleyan College Rutgers University University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie Clark University Kenyon College Sage College Albany University of Wisconsin Whitewater Clarkson University Keuka College Saginaw Valley State University University Tokyo PEAK Clearwater Christian College King College Saint Andrews Presbyterian College University of Wisconsin Colleges Clemson University Kings College Pennsylvania Saint Anselm College University of Wisconsin Richland Center Coastal Carolina University Kings University College Saint Bonaventure University University of Wyoming Coe College Knox College Saint Charles Community College Ursinus College Cogswell Polytechnical College Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Saint Clares Ursuline College Coker College Kuyper College Saint Cloud State University Valdosta State University Colby College Kwansei Gakuin University Saint Elizabeth School of Nursing Valley College of Technology College of Charleston La Salle University Saint John Fisher College Valparaiso University College of Coastal Georgia Lafayette College Saint John Vianney College and Seminary Vance-Granville Community College College of Eastern Utah LaGrange College Saint Johns River Community College Vanderbilt University College of Mount Saint Joseph Lake Area Technical Institute Saint Johns University Staten Island Vassar College College of Mount Saint Vincent Lake Forest College Saint Joseph's College Vesalius College College of New Rochelle Lake Superior State University Saint Joseph’s College ME Villanova University College of Office Technology Lakeland College Saint Joseph’s College Patchogue Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University (Virginia Tech) College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University Lancaster Bible College Saint Joseph’s University Waldorf College College of Saint Mary Landmark Baptist College Saint Lawrence University Walla Walla University College of Saint Scholastica Latter Day Saints Business College Saint Leo University Warner Pacific College College of Santa Fe Lehigh University Saint Louis College of Pharmacy Warren County Community College College of Southern Maryland Lenoir Community College Saint Louis University Madrid Campus Wartburg College College of Southern Nevada Lenoir-Rhyne University Saint Margaret School of Nursing Washington and Jefferson College College of the Atlantic Lesley University Saint Martin's University Washington and Lee University College of the Mainland Lester L Cox College of Nursing and Health Science Saint Mary’s College (IN) Washington Bible College College of the Ozarks Lewis-Clark State College Saint Mary’s College (MD) Washington Hospital School of Nursing College of Westchester Lexington College Saint Mary's Seminary and University Washington University College of William and Mary Liberty University Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Watkins College of Art and Design College of Wooster Lincoln College Saint Mary’s University Texas Waukesha County Technical College Colorado Christian University Lincoln Technical Institute Allentown Saint Michael's College Vermont Wayne State University Colorado College Lincoln Technical Institute Columbia Saint Olaf College Waynesburg University Colorado State University Ft Collins Living University Saint Peter's College Weatherford College Columbia Union College Lon Morris College Saint Thomas Aquinas College Webb Institute Columbia University Lone Star College System Saint Thomas University Webber International University Columbia-Greene Community College Longy School of Music of Bard College Saint Vincent College Weber State University Community and Technical College West Virginia University Louisburg College Salem State College Wellesley College Community Christian College Louisiana State University Baton Rouge Salisbury University Wentworth Institute of Technology Concordia College Louisiana Tech University Salve Regina University Wesleyan University Concordia College New York Louisville Technical Institute Sam Houston State University West Chester University of Pennsylvania Concordia University (Ann Arbor, MI) Loyola Marymount University San Diego State University West Shore Community College Concordia University Wisconsin Lubbock Christian University San Francisco Art Institute West Virginia University Hospitals Radiologic Tech Contra Costa College Luther College San Francisco State University West Virginia University Morgantown Cornell University Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts San Jose State University Western Career College Stockton Cottey College Lynchburg College Sandhills Community College Western Carolina University County College of Morris Lyon College Santa Clara University Western International University-Online Craven Community College Manatee Community College Santa Fe Community College Western Michigan University Creighton University Manhattan School of Music Savannah College of Art and Design Western Nevada Community College Crossroads College Mansfield University of Pennsylvania SBS Swiss Business School Western New England College Crown College (TN) Marian College Schuylkill Health School of Nursing Western Washington University Danville Regional Medical Center School of Health Professions Marist College Seattle Pacific University Westfield State College Dartmouth College Marlboro College Seattle University Westminster College Pennsylvania Darton College Marquette University Sewickley Valley Hospital Westwood CollegeDuPage Davidson College Marshall Community Technical College Shawnee State University Wheelock College Davidson County Community College Marshall University Simmons College Whitman College Dawson Community College Mary Baldwin College Sinclair Community College Widener University Daytona State College Maryland Institute College of Art Singapore Polytechnic Willamette University Delta State University Marymount Manhattan College Skidmore College William Jessup University Denver Academy of Court Reporting Maryville University Saint Louis Smith College William Paterson University of New Jersey DePauw University Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Somerset Christian College William Penn University DeSales University Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Somerset Community College William Woods University DeVry University Master's College and Seminary Sonoma State University Williams College DeVry University Alpharetta Matanuska-Susitna Community College South Carolina State University Wilson College DeVry University CA Mayo School of Health Sciences South Piedmont Community College Wilson Community College DeVry University Centers McNally Smith College of Music Southeast Technical Institute Winthrop University DeVry University Houston MedCentral College of Nursing Southeastern Bible College Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College DeVry University Long Beach CA Mercy College Dobbs Ferry Southeastern Free Will Baptist College Wofford College DeVry University Missouri Mercy School of Nursing (PA) Southeastern Oklahoma State University Worcester Polytechnic Institute DeVry University Texas Mercy School of Nursing (NC) Southeastern Technical College Worcester State College Dickinson College Mercyhurst College Southern Arkansas University Tech Branch Word of Life Bible Institute Digipen Institute of Technology Messenger College Southern California Institute of Architecture Wright State University Dayton Divine Word College Messiah College Southern Catholic College Xavier University Dominican College of Blauvelt Miami Dade College Southern Connecticut State University Xavier University Louisiana Dominican University of California Miami University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Yellowstone Baptist College Dowling College Middle Georgia College Southern Methodist University York College of Pennsylvania Drake University Middle Tennessee State University Southern New Hampshire University York St John Drexel University Middlebury College Southern University Agricultural and Mechanical College York Technical College Duke University Midreshet Lindenbaum Southern Utah University Young Harris College Since policies can change or be unclear, definitely write to or call up the school you’re interested in to ensure you understand how they consider SAT scores during the admission process. Want to learn more about the SAT but tired of reading blog articles? Then you'll love our free SAT prep livestreams. Designed and led by PrepScholar SAT experts, these live video events are a great resource for students and parents looking to learn more about the SAT and SAT prep. Click on the button below to register for one of our livestreams today! Now that you know which schools superscore the SAT, what can you do with this information? Tips for Applying to Schools That Superscore Superscoring can benefit you after you apply to colleges, but it can also be a helpful strategy as you take the SAT. If you're applying to schools that superscore, you yourself can superscore, in a sense, when you're taking the SAT. What I mean by this is that you can concentrate on building up your highest composite score across test dates rather than trying to achieve it on a single test date. You could prep intensively for one sectioneach time you take the SAT. Of course, this method was a bit more helpful for takers of the old SAT, which had three separate section scores out of 800. The new SAT will combine your Reading and Writing scores, so you'll essentially only have two section scores to "superscore." However, the concept of building up your highest composite score against two or more test dates still applies. How can you use this strategy and become an SAT super-scorer yourself? Read on to find out. How to Be Strategic About Taking the SAT If you use this strategy, then you should start taking the SAT early, perhaps in the spring of your sophomore year or the fall of your junior year, so that you have enough test dates to build up your superscore. If you're one of those students caught in the transition between the old and new SAT, then unfortunately this strategy might not be available to you. If you're retaking the SAT with the new version, then you'll probably have to treat it as its own separate set of scores. And if all the changes get just too confusing, you could always take the ACT! There are a bunch of colleges that superscore the ACT, too. Unless a college explicitly discourages it, don’t worry about taking the SAT too many times, as long as you don’t exceed five or six tests- getting a higher score helps your application a lot more than taking it one too many times hurts it. Plus, unless you're caught between SAT versions, you don’t have to feel anxious about the possibility of retaking the test and getting a lower score than you did previously (unlikely as this is). At the same time, remember- everything in moderation. Even if schools superscore, college admissions officers are still people who might get thrown off if they see huge variations in your scores, especially compared to all of the other candidates. So don’t just skip your Math section completely! In conclusion, you should give your best effort on any SAT you take while also being strategic about building your highest superscore section by section. If you’re researching school policies on superscoring and Score Choice, then you’re already doing the most important thing: being thoughtful and intentional about every aspect of your college application to put forward your strongest candidacy. Bonus: Looking for the very best guides to every SAT section? Check out our top guides for every single section of the SAT. Choose the score level you're aiming for: 800 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring a 600 or above on a section, and you want to get the highest SAT score possible. 600 Score Guides: SAT Reading | SAT Writing | SAT Math | SAT Essay Choose these guides if you're scoring below a 600 on a section, and you want to boost your score to at least a 600 level. These are the very best guides available on boosting your SAT score, section by section. They're written by Harvard grads and perfect SAT scorers. Don't disappoint yourself - read these guides and improve your score today. What’s Next? To learn more about the current version of the SAT, check out our complete guide to the redesigned SAT. Once you've familiarized yourself with the test, head on over to this guide to learn about how to study for the SAT. Are you aiming for a top school and want to earn a perfect score on the SAT? Check out our detailed guide on how to achieve a perfect SAT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers, the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible. Check out our 5-day free trial today:

Art history blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Art history blog - Assignment Example The fundamental difference between Pollock’s paintings and the traditional paintings is that unlike the traditional paintings, there is little respect of any boundaries in Pollock’s paintings. His paintings have the power to provide the audience with a way out of the materialistic world into a world which Pollock created using his exceptional sense of art. As Kaprow mentions in his article, Pollock’s art is unique in that it tends to break free of the constraints of the materialistic world in terms of looks, impulse and meanings, this feature of Pollock’s art adds many metaphysical and superficial properties to it. Kaprow puts a question in front of the audience that now that Pollock has died, it is for us to decide what do we do with the kind of art Pollock proposed. Kaprow himself offered two alternatives for this in the same article. The first one suggests that Pollock’s art be taken further. This can be achieved by varying his esthetic without g oing away from it. The second alternative suggests that the making of paintings according to the conventional concept of oval or rectangle painting be given

Law and Social Work in the United Kingdom Essay

Law and Social Work in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Also, this Act is especially in favour of service users in need of assistance from government agencies, since there is no question they must give consideration to individual rights, especially when certain decisions are not always the individuals to make. Agencies and workers affected by this change would be those in public positions such as: In social work there has often been a lack of understanding of the service users predicaments. This revision of the Human Rights Act insures that all people will be treated with fairness and respect that is due to any person. The main issue is making those in public service positions aware that there are some rights that are pertinent in considering and they are protected by law. Other aspects that social work is affected by, through this new act is the assurance they must give to clients that their right to privacy will be strictly upheld. Although it is a natural fact that social workers do have to ask questions in regards to the client's personal information, this does not mean they can share that information with outside sources (The Liberty Guide to Human Rights 2005). In Article 8, there is a special notation which guarantee's this right to respect privacy of the individual. Previously, there had not been an exception for this, but now, there is generalized protection availabl e to honour and respect the person's personal and family life unless there is a legitimate reason to acquire this information. If there is a necessity to inquire into these areas of a persons life then they must follow the established guidelines set forth, such as in the outline below. They must be in accordance with law It must remain within the interests of the legitimate objectives identified in Article 8 (2) It must show the necessary reason in a democratic society (The Liberty Guide to Human Rights 2005). Also, there are sometimes legitimate reasons and pertinent objectives to be gained for requesting more personal information from the individual by the social worker. There are many instances where the client divulging the information is within his or her best interest. The objectives that Article 8 stipulates are acceptable in seeking or sharing confidential information are as follows: Acting in the interests of National Security, public safety, or the economic well being of the country Acting for the prevention of disorder or crime Acting for the protection of health or morals Acting for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others (The Liberty Guide to Human Rights 2005) There is an unquestionable duty now, by public authorities to act within the stipulations of the new Human Rights Act but there are still instances when it seems these rights are being neglected or ignored. Therefore, there are a variety of other common laws that have been laid out as well to insure there is not an invasion of these rights. The piecemeal protection is one of these laws intertwined in common law practice to insure the rights that are endowed. Public authorities, including those in social work,

Microeconomic Theory Essay Example for Free

Microeconomic Theory Essay 1. Explain why society faces a trade-off between consumption goods and capital goods. Society is faced with trade off between consumption goods and capital goods in that resources are scarce, and therefore it has to make choices based on the opportunity costs of benefiting from consumption at present or having a greater level of consumption tomorrow through investment in capital goods. 2. Distinguish between absolute and comparative advantage. Absolute advantage refers to that trade, which is not reciprocally favorable as opposed to a Comparative trade, where trade is reciprocally favorable. 3. Explain the Law of Demand. The law of demand states that as the price of a service or good increases, consumer demand for the service or good will decrease and vice versa, provided all other factors remain constant. 4. Explain the Law of Supply The law of supply states that as the price of a service or good increases, the quantity of services or goods tendered by suppliers increases and vice versa, provided all the factors remain constant. 5. Explain the effects of price ceilings. It is a kind of government measure, where it fixes a limit on the price to be charged on a product. Effective price ceiling must be different from the free market price. A price ceiling positioned below the free market price will put suppliers in a state where they can no longer charge what they had been charging, for that particular product. This will force some suppliers to move out of the market, hence reduction in the quantity produced. On the other side quantity demanded will increase for the same product because consumers are able to buy at a lower price. Since quantity demanded exceeds quantity produced, a shortage will occur and it will result to non-price competition 6. Explain the effects of price floors. It is a kind of government measure where it imposes a limit on the lowest price that can be charged on a product and for it to be effective it must be set higher than the equilibrium price. When the price floor is position above the market equilibrium price, consumers observe that they now have to pay a higher price for that particular product. Suppliers, on the other part are ensured higher price than what they were charging before. This has the effect of increasing production, hence excess supply of the product in the market. Thus to maintain price floor over a longer period, the government will be forced to take action to reduce the excess supply 7. Distinguish between private goods and public goods and explain the nature of the free-rider problem. Private goods are the kind of goods whose profits, are indivisibly spread over the whole community, even if the individuals do not desire to purchase it. While private goods refers to the ones that are divisible and can be provided separately to various individuals, without external costs or benefits to others. Positive externalities that are not remunerated normally result from the production of public goods. When private organizations are not getting all the profits of a public good that they have produced, there will be no sufficient incentives to produce it voluntarily. Hence, consumers will take advantage of public goods without sufficiently contributing to their production. Distinguish between average tax rates and marginal tax rates. Average tax rate refers to the total amount of taxes paid divide by income. It shows the sum of tax paid per dollar earned while marginal tax rate refers to the income tax rate paid on the last dollar of income earned 9. Distinguish between average tax rates and marginal tax rates. Average tax rate refers to the total amount of taxes paid divide by income. It shows the sum of tax paid per dollar earned while marginal tax rate refers to the income tax rate paid on the last dollar of income earned 10. Explain the structure of the US income tax system. The structure of US tax system is very complex one that entails payment to at least four various levels of government and many ways of taxation. US taxation comprises local government possibly consisting of one or more of township, municipal, county and district governments. It may also embrace regional entities like school and utility and transit districts as well as incorporating federal government and state 11. Describe how prices indexes are calculated and define the key types of price indexes Price indexes refers to a standardized average or a weighted average of prices for a given category of services and goods in a given place, over a given intermission of time Types of price indexes include consumer price index, producer price index and GDP deflator 12. Distinguish between nominal and real interest rates. Nominal interest is the rate of interest prior to adjustment for inflation in contrast to real interest rate and it encompasses all three risk factors plus the time value of money in contrast to real interest rate, which includes only systematic and regulatory risks. Generally, real interest rate is equal to nominal interest rate minus inflation and currency adjustment. 13. Describe the circular flow of income and output. The circular flow of income and output shows joint flow of income between consumers and producers. The mutually supporting entities of consumers and producers, referred to as households and firms respectively offer each other with factors to facilitate the easy flow of income. Firms supply consumers with services and goods in exchange for consumer spending and factors of production from the household. 14. Define gross domestic product (GDP). Gross domestic product is the total market value of all the final services and goods produced within a country over a given period. 15. Define economic growth. Economic growth refers to the sturdy process by which the productive capacity of the economy is increased over time to produce growing levels of national income and output 16. Discuss the fundamental factors that contribute to a nation’s economic development. Policies of national development need to be formulate in conformity with national needs, development priorities and conditions and should focus on the lessons erudite from decades of development. International cooperation in the formulation and implementation of macroecomic policies need to be reinforcing with an analysis to enhancing greater lucidity and consistency of domestic policies and in so doing reinforcing their effectiveness. 17. Describe the effect of economic growth on the long-run aggregate supply curve. Economic growth will cause the aggregate supply curve to shift. Positive economic growth will lead to increase in productive resources that will make it possible to produce more final services and goods, thus the natural level of real GDP increases. Positive economic growth will make the LAS curve to shift to the right and vice versa 18. Discuss the meaning of the long-run equilibrium for the economy as a whole. Long run equilibrium refers to where the aggregate demand and long run aggregate supply curves intersect. Output is fixed and the price level is variable in the long- run. Thus increases in aggregate demand leads to higher prices and vice versa 19. Discuss the central assumptions of the classical model. The central assumptions of classical model are that it assumes that economic agents’ posses’ perfect information and the markets are characterized by perfectly flexible wages and prices. The result of these assumptions if functional on the short run with fixed capital stock is that output is dogged by independent supply factors 20. Describe the short-run determination of equilibrium real GDP and the price level in the classical model. The aggregate supply-aggregate demand is the fundamental macroeconomic tool for studying output variations and the resolve of the price level and inflation rate. The intersection of the aggregate demand and supply curves determines the economy’s equilibrium price level and equilibrium real domestic output 21. Distinguish between saving and savings and explain how saving and consumption are related. Saving refers to that process of constantly putting aside a sum of money while savings is that income received by a consumer not used in the output of firms through spending. Savings and consumption can be related in the equation where income is equal to the sum of savings and expenditure (consumption) 22. Identify the primary determinants of planned investment. The primary determinants of a planned investment include the expected return from investments, the taxation of returns, the cost of capital in relation to interest rate and the ease of use of savings to meet investments 23. Discuss ways in which indirect crowding out and direct expenditures offsets can reduce the effectiveness of fiscal policy actions. Inflation has an indirect outcome on international competitiveness. As prices increase, products tend to be more expensive relative to foreign products. This will result to reduced demand for exports as compared to imports. Net export being a parameter of aggregate demand will contracts GDP and partly offsets the expansionary fiscal policy. Expansionary fiscal policy makes interest rates to increase because the government must borrow to finance the increased deficit. The government raises revenues through taxes or borrowing. Hence, as the interest increases, private investment decreases. In the short run, it will decrease private investment demand, a parameter of aggregate demand and this will effectively lower GDP. Describe how certain aspects of fiscal policy function as automatic stabilizers for the economy. Automatic stabilizers are programs that automatically increase fiscal policy during recessions and contract it during booms. Unemployment insurance is an exemplar of automatic stabilizer in that the government spends more money for the period of recessions when unemployment rate is high. Equally, taxes are roughly proportional to profits and wages; hence, the size of taxes collected is higher during boom than recession. 25. Explain how federal government budget deficits occur. Federal government deficit occurs when it pays out more money than it can receive 26. Define the public debt and understand alternative measures of the public debt. Public debt refers to the credit or money owed by any echelon of government; federal government, central government and municipal government or local government. The debt is seen as an absolute number and can therefore measured as a percentage of the GDP. Alternatively, it can be measured by the amount owed in any given year. 27. Define the fundamental functions of money. Money can be described in terms of its core functions that are; it act as a medium of exchange, store of value and as a unit of account. 28. Identify key properties that any good that functions as money must possess. Properties of money is that it should be able to serve as (1) means of exchange (2) a enumerative (3)a source of liquidity and (4) store of value 29. Describe how the Federal Reserve assesses reserve requirements on banks and other depository institutions. The reserve requirement is a bank rule that puts the minimum reserves each bank must hold to customer notes and deposits. The reserves are meant to assure withdrawal demands. Federal Reserve approval is essential to begin any foreign banking institution in the US. Foreign banks need acquire regulatory approval from the OCC or the state banking supervisor when establishing new branches and agencies. Banks that are federally licensed must deposit cash or suitable securities at approved depository to convince the capital equivalency requirements specified by the IBA 30. Explain why the money supply changes when someone deposits in a depository institution a check drawn on the Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities. These, increases or decreases banks capabilities of making loans. This equally decreases or increases interest rates. If Federal Reserve sells a bond, an institution or individual buys the bond with a debit on their account and transfers the funds to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve removes an equivalent amount from the bank reserve of the customer. The bank will then take away the equivalent amount from the customer’s account who bought the bond. This will decrease money supply and increase interest rates. The trend changes when the Federal Reserve decides to buy a bond 31. Identify the key factors that influence the quantity of money that people desire to hold. Motives for holding money, which can be expressed as factors that influence people to hold money, are transaction motives, precautionary motives and speculative motives 32. Describe how the Federal Reserves Tools of monetary policy influence market interest rates. The Federal Reserve buys and sells government securities. These increases or decreases banks capabilities of making loans. This equally decreases or increases interest rates. If Federal Reserve sells a bond, an institution or individual buys the bond with a debit on their account and transfers the funds to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve then removes an equivalent amount from the bank reserve of the customer. The bank will then take away the equivalent amount from the customer’s account who bought the bond. This will decrease money supply and increase interest rates. The trend changes when the Federal Reserve decides to buy a bond 33. Explain why the actual unemployment might depart from the natural rate of unemployment. The departure of the natural and actual rates of unemployment is a sign of the business cycle. The stages when actual unemployment exceeds the natural unemployment are times of recession or early stages of economic recovery. The stages when actual rate is below the natural are times of a booming economy 34. Describe why there may be an inverse relationship between the inflation rate and the unemployment rate, reflected by the Phillips curve. The inverse relationship in the Philips curve can be explained well when you consider that with high unemployment laborers would accept lower wages and this would reduce firms’ cost. High wages bring about high inflation and the lower the rate of unemployment, the higher the rate of inflation and vice versa. 35. Explain why population growth can have uncertain effect on economic growth. There is no clear-cut explanation of the effect of population growth on economic growth. It can be argued that high population growth creates pressures on limited natural resources, decreases public and private capital formation and redirects counts to maintaining relative to increasing the stock of capital per worker. It can also have affirmative effects like economies of scale and specialization. Describe how government inefficiencies have contributed to the creation of relatively large quantities of dead capital in the worlds developing nations. Government poor policies make capital investment impossible. The government tends to involve in the production of consumption goods that are less important. The rate at which the economy can absorb extra human capital is low and therefore it leaves the available resource idle. The government is also not receptive to new technology whish is important in the formation of capital. Discuss the worldwide importance of international trade. International trade is very crucial for the development of a country in that it expands the choices that could otherwise been limited to what can be produced locally. Thus, countries can access goods and services cheaply from abroad. Labor can also be obtained cheaply in some countries. Cheap labor reduces production costs and this will have effect to low prices to the final product. Therefore, countries can import final product at a much lower price compared to when produced locally where labor is very expensive. Explain why nations can gain from specializing in production and engaging in international trade. A country specializing in the production of goods which it has comparative advantage will profit and it will trade for goods which it does not have comparative advantage. Therefore, free trade will make a country to use its resources efficiently. Efficient use of resources will increase the amount of goods available for production and consumption. Hence, the benefits of trade will be the outcome of specialization 39. Distinguish between the balance of trade and the balance of payments. The balance refers to discrepancy between a county’s exports and imports and it is the major part of a country’s balance of payments, which is an accounting report of the economic transactions that have taken place stuck between the inhabitants of one country and the inhabitants of other country over a particular period. 40. Identify the key accounts within the balance of payments. Key accounts within the balance of payments are current account, capital account and financial account. References Ariel, R. Lecture Notes in Microeconomic Theory: The Economic Agent. New York: Princeton University Press, 2006

Schizophrenia Essay -- Schizophrenia Essays

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that Encarta (2001) describes as an illness that results in delusional thought patterns, hallucinations, and inappropriate effect. It literally means â€Å"split-mind’, but is not a multiple personality disorder. According to DSM-IV (1996) schizophrenia is categorized under the diagnostic code, ICD-9-CM or International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification of 295.xx. Symptoms of schizophrenia can be positive, which occur during the active phase, and negative, which are present before the onset of the disorder. Positive symptoms of the disease include delusions of grandeur (a belief that one is a famous admired individual), delusion of control (when they believe something wants to control them), delusions of broadcasting (belief that another can read their minds or their thoughts are being aired on the radio), delusions of persecution, and thought withdrawal (belief that their thoughts have been removed from thei r brain). Negative symptoms include anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure), alogia (disorganized speech), and flat affect (when the individual does not show any emotion even in situations that strong reactions are expected). According to the DSM-IV (1996) one must fall under these explicit categories in order to be diagnosed with schizophrenia: A.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Characteristic Symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a one-month period (or less if successfully treated): 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Delusions 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hallucinations 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disorganized speech (e.g.. Frequent derailment or incoherence) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening, alogia, or avolition Note: Only one Criterion A symptom is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person’s behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other. B.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social/occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to ... ...mily members of the sick individual as most schizophrenics are released into their family’s care. It helps the family members learn to see â€Å"early warning signs† of probable relapse as well as different methods of problem solving. Self-help groups are for both the schizophrenic individual as well as their families. These groups are not led by professionals, but rather are groups of schizophrenics and their families leaning on each other for psychological support. Works Cited American Psychiatric Association (1996). Diagnostic Criteria from DSM-IV (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. (1, 22, 23, 147-152) â€Å"Schizophrenia†. Encarta Encyclopedia(2001). Ireland: Microsoft Co. Searles, Howard F. (1956). The Effort to Drive the Other Person Crazy-An Element of the Aetiology and Psychotherapy of Schizophrenia. New York University School of Social Work-Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 133-148. Taylor, Edward H. The Biological Basis of Schizophrenia (1986). New York University School of Social Work-Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment. 51-57. National Institute of Mental Health. Schizophrenia (1999). Retrieved from http://www.medhelp.org/NIHlib/GF-359.html

Motivation and Learning in Physical Education

Physical Education is undoubtedly important in the total development of the individual pupil. It is beneficial not only in the physical sense but also in the intellectual and emotional aspect of the child. In the physical sense, the child’s physical self-concept is influenced by the results and accomplishments in exercise and sports. Jarmo Liukkonin pointed out that the resulting self-concept â€Å"relies heavily on social comparison process, this means that the reference group and the class environment contribute to the developing self concept† (p 137). In view of the above, this paper intends to provide an overview of the learning situation in the physical education as well as an analysis of the issues in motivational learning in physical education, particularly on how effective are the different approaches to learning and teaching. This paper will also discuss on the application of the different theories about whether or not they are useful in the classroom instruction. At the last part, is a case study of a particular student featuring particular issue on the student’s physical, intellectual, and emotional growth. In general the paper will be more on analysis of the motivational and learning process in physical education involving all the different factors such as teachers, students, the different approaches used, and the relevance of the different theories in physical education. Overview Research and knowledge in Physical Education has been in rapid expansion over the last twenty years concerning the many factors that influence the learning and teaching of the Physical Education. Colin A. Hardy and Michael Mawer pointed out that this learning and teaching â€Å"include such issues as the context in which physical education teachers work, what teachers think about when they are teaching and planning their teaching, and the knowledge they require to teach effectively† (p. 1). Colin Hardy and Michael Mawers view seemed to be pragmatic yet analytical of the learning situation of the physical education. They were quite critical also of the enormous years spent on research yet it was only in recent years that the real emphasis on physical education was put on the limelight. They contend that despite of such amount of time spent on research, Hardy and Mawer contends that it is only in current years that research has begun to provide an insight into what physical education teachers feel about their role and their lives in teaching, and what pupils themselves feel about the physical education they experience in schools. In order to understand fully the importance of physical education subject, the question ‘why is physical activity valued’ deserves an answer. Katherine T. Thomas cited the health benefit associated with physically active lifestyle as will as other physical advantages resulting from physical exercise. Thomas pointed out, â€Å"One reason we value physical activity is the health benefit associated with physically active lifestyle. Other reasons are the developmental need to explore and master our environment, to express our selves through movement, and to feel satisfaction resulting from successful movement. Physical activity also provides an opportunity for affiliation. Being part of a group—as a fan, a team member, or a walking partner—meets human need† (p. 5) Thomas thinking on this subject is certainly practical and seemingly based on actual personal experience. Her statement sounds to be a good advice for anyone whose health condition is not in the best state. Indeed, physical education truly brings a lot of physical benefit to our physical body. Other authors however emphasized the achievement of goal in order to understand the motivation and behavior of physical activity such as in sport. Robert Daniel Steadward, Elizabeth Jane Watkinson, and Garry David wheeler noted some authors such as Nichols (1984, 1989) and Harters (1978) which pointed out the goal concept theory. According to them, the concept of the achievement goal theory, refer to how people evaluate their competence. It assumes that individual are driven to demonstrate competence, and that perceptions of competence are critical determinant of motivated behavior. Analysis of the Issues in Motivational Learning in Physical Education The issue that I found interesting is â€Å"how effective are the different approaches to learning and teaching.† Susan Piotrowski noted that there is no single approach is going to be the most effective way to cater for progression and continuity. She pointed out that several or all of these approaches need to be used together to achieved effective progression and continuity in the transfer from primary and secondary school. Piotrowski stated that â€Å"what will work in any one situation depends on a number of factors, including the schools and their transfer structures and procedures, the head teachers, primary and secondary education teachers and their ability to work together collaboratively† (p. 204). Piotrowski further stated that local conditions, facilities, expertise, and policies have a bearing on the type of curriculum that can be realistically offered in both primary and secondary in any given area. It is quite easy to accept Piotrowski’s view as it draws a practical option. Regardless of how others would look at the learning process, I believe it is complicated in the sense that physical education students have different level of intelligence, different cultural orientation, and physical and emotional developments, which affects their own learning process. Thus Piotrowski wisely stated ‘that there is no single approach is going to be effective, and that combining two or more of the various approaches may be more effective.’ On the other hand, Colin Hardy suggested that more pupil-centered and less direct teaching approaches would allow pupils to take a more independent and active role in decision making in physical education lessons. Ken Green and Ken Hardman, quoting Kane, (1976), Underwood (1988), and Wright (1995) identified differences in teaching approaches used in physical education; either due to the demands of different activities or different intended out comes. Green Hardman pointed out that the recommendation, which suggest that in order to achieve the range of the learning outcomes, â€Å"teachers should employ a variety of teaching strategies to cater for differences in pupils’ abilities, attainment, needs, and ages† (p. 112). Green and Hardman also recognized that there is a need for employing variety of teaching strategies. But they noted that this is because of the demands of the different activities, or the different intended outcome. Regardless of the reason, it is clear that there is a need for teachers to employ variety of approaches in the motivational learning in physical education, to insure progressive learning process. These approaches, however, must be suited to the local conditions, expertise of the teacher, facilities, and policies, all of which have bearing on the type of curriculum. An Application of the relevant theories from each topic Theories on motivation and learning in physical education have been formulated in an attempt to extend our understanding of the teaching and learning process. Among these theories, the theory of constructivism, the theory of behaviorism, and the theory of cognitive mediation are particularly helpful in understanding the learning process in physical education. Stephen J. Silverman and Catherine D. Ennis explained that Cognitive Mediation Theory â€Å"recognizes the significance of reinforcement activities in the learning process.   This explains that what students do in classes is an important step, or mediating factor, between what teachers do and what students learn† (p. 151). According to them, what the students do in classes affect also what teachers do.   Basically, these activities shape teacher’s lesson and students’ understanding of the lesson.   Here is the full explanation of Silverman and Ennis regarding this theory â€Å"Although this modification seems so simple, it is a powerful reconceptualization of the role of the teacher. Rather than directly causing learning, as inferred in the process product paradigm, the teacher from this perspective has the job of structuring the learning environment in a way that encourages students to think and act in ways that will, in turn, enables them to learn† (p. 151) The main architect of the constructivism theory is Von Glasersfeld (1987), which views students as active agents in their learning. According to this view, students brings with them to an educational setting prior â€Å"knowledge and experiences from which they interpret and give meaning to their present experience† (p. 151). Silverman and Ennis noted that in this theory, knowledge is not something transmitted from the teacher to the students but learner constructs knowledge through her or his interpretation of events from the framework of prior experience, in effect, building or constructing knowledge that has individual meaning.   Ã‚  To apply this theory, teacher must relate the lesson on students’ sphere of experience and allow students to explore the given knowledge utilizing their own experience.   As a result, students will gain meaningful experience out of the new knowledge learned in the classroom. On the other hand, adherents of behavioral theory emphasized that the study of learning focused on the memorization of simple and rote elements and on the behavior of the learner. Silverman and Ennis pointed out, â€Å"This view of learning focuses on the learner as a rather passive responder to externally imposed factors† (p. 134).   Silverman and Ennis stated that this theoretical lens views students as recipients and accumulators of knowledge, able to learn by listening to lectures, by reading or by rote drill and practice of isolated decontextualized skills. This particular theory is very significant in most studies wherein students have to gain basic understanding of theories of studies before finding the general concept; such as in the case of nursing in which fundamental issues such as anatomy and health ethics must be memorized well before finding its relevance to the field of work. Learning all these theories provide ample understanding as to how students could learns best the subject of physical education. It means that teachers must employ the use of these theories in their teaching strategies in order to ensure efficient learning process.   Physical Education as a subject is not that interesting for many students; and in that case, teachers must make every learning situation a worthwhile experience.   Hence, applying these theories can help learning enjoyable and fruitful. In the cognitive theory, students learn through the activities. It means, the physical activities in the physical education provide the pupils learning opportunity. In many cases, this subject is most of the time seventy-percent activities with thirty-percent lectures.   Students are expected to learn from physical exercise of the techniques with occasional coaching from the instructors.   They learn from trying and from their mistakes. Using Constructivism Theory, students learn by utilizing their own interest and socialization in the learning process.   By relating physical exercises in their own experience will result to students’ acceptability of the learning situation, which may result to higher learning of the subject. Behavioral Theory could be applicable in terms of learning the theories of the subject.   Here, students are expected to memorize different terminologies and techniques of the subject as well as history and rules of the game. Below is a case study of a student in high school who has an obvious intelligence yet performing just above average student. Case Study of a Student Rick is a high school with obvious sophisticated intelligence but performs merely just above average student in most of his academic subjects in school.   Although, he excelled in Mathematics, but his ratings in his physical education class has been poor because he is not participating in all the physical education activities class.   He has a lung problem that is why he does not participate in his physical education class. According to the theory of cognitive mediation, reinforcement activities in school such as physical activities in the physical education class, shape the teachers’ lesson and the student understanding. The theory of cognitive mediation implies that student learning can be cause by these activities too. In the case of Rick, although he has obviously sophisticated intelligence, yet his academic performance reflects merely that of above average student. Ricks problem is that because of his inactive physical condition, his learning potential is not fully consummated. Learning coming from his experience of the physical exercise is lacking. The theory of constructivism also teaches that ‘experience provides learning aside from the class room instructions. The theory of constructivism emphasized that ‘knowledge is not something transmitted from the teacher but learner constructs their knowledge through their experience. Rick’s knowledge has been only a result of spoon-feed learning. He could have excelled in all his subjects had he tried himself to be involve in the physical activities in his physical education class. On the other hand, Rick can be a good model in the behavioral theory of learning as the behavioral theory emphasized that students are passive responder of the externally imposed factors. In general, the theories of learning have been great help in the learning process. Work Cited Capel, S. & Piotrowski, S (eds). 2000. Issues in Physical Education.   London: Routledge. Green, K. & Hardman, K. 2005. Physical Education: Essential Issues. London: Sage Publications Company Hardy, C.& Mawer, M. 1999. Learning and Teaching in Physical Education. Great Britain: Biddles Ltd. Liukkonen, J. 2007.   Psychology for Physical Educators: Students Focus, 2nd Edition. USA: Human Kinetics. Silverman, S. & Ennis, C. 2003. Student Learning in Physical Education: Applying Research to Enhance Instruction. USA: Human Kinetics. Steadworth, R.,Watkinson, E. & Wheiler, 2003. G. Adapted Physical Activity. Canada: University of Alberta Press. Thomas, K.   2003. Physical Education Methods for Elementary Teachers 2nd Edition. USA: Human Kinesics.      

African American History: A Close Up on Baptist Churches Essay

As you enter through the door on the first level of this San Francisco-based Baptist-rooted church, you become overwhelmed by the warm hug and kiss of Sister â€Å"What’s-her-name?† as she bold and kindly greets you, â€Å"Good morning! God bless you!† Walking up the stairs heading into the Worship Center, Brother and Sister â€Å"So and so† affectionately embrace you, just as an aunt or uncle would at a family function. In an instant, you are drawn in by the harmonious singing of the choir over the upbeat sounds of musicians playing the drums, keyboard, guitars, organ and tambourines. As you look around, you may not recognize everybody, but you sense a powerful family-like bondage. Although the love of Christ is all-inclusive to any and everyone, this non-exclusive church is predominantly African American in population. There is a noticeably implied bond which seems to be more genuine, the more melanin you contain. This tremendously impacts individuals within the congregational community. Why is it that the most segregated hour in America continues to be 11:00am Sunday morning? Research directs us towards clues on how church origins and U.S. history has and still is heavily influencing African Americans in the Modern Church of today. In James P. Eckman’s Exploring Church History he writes about the foundation of the church starting with the Apostolic Age, which began around 30 B.C. and immediately followed the death of Jesus Christ in the first century, through the modern church of the 21st century. Reviewing the timeline from the Apostolic Age (1st century) to the Church Fathers (95-300s), onto Ancient Church and Theology (4th century), following the Medieval Church (400-1500s), through the Reformation period and Catholic Church (16th century), to the Scientific Revolution (1600-1700s) onto the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century, we discover that many events influenced the building and forming of the â€Å"black church† in America. Tracing these events we can see a thread of the Christian Church trailing through European countries for several hundreds of years. In the latter of events above, we learn that Europeans began enslaving Africans and started to migrate over to a land that we now know as America. During the  developmental period of the first African American Churches in the 1700-1800s slavery was very prevalent in the United States. Henry H. Mitchell, author of Black Church Beginnings, predisposes how though enslaved Africans had their own religious traditions and practices, there were some overlooked factors that contributed to their fascination in Christianity which soon took route in the African American Society. He goes on to state that the typical West African town was a community of faith. The tribesmen generally assumed that if they lost a war to another tribe or nation, the god of the triumphant party ought to be included in their beliefs since the conquerors’ god was strong enough to grant them victory (Mitchell, page 33). He discusses how they found commonality between their expressive African culture and the unheard of, free expressiveness for whites in their churches. The Africans became more and more interested as they began interpreting the Bible for themselves and found parallels in traditional African religion. They were able to relate to the Old Testament stories [like the enslavement of Hebrews by the Egyptians] and saw hope in Moses and Jesus as mighty deliverers. The above mentioned were significant factors which ultimately led to African slaves placing their hope in â€Å"the white man’s† God and Bible: The Black church in America had its origins in the slave religion of the American South. Deprived of their identity, oppressed by their masters, and unable to establish their own institutions, many slaves turned to Christianity. Faith in Jesus Christ gave them hope for the future when His justice would right the wrongs done to them. (Eckman, page 98) Near the dawning of the formation of the original black churches in the 18th century, some slave masters allowed [or even required] slaves to attend church services with them. Others allowed monitored the worship services, however, they were plagued with fears of possible rebellion. Mitchell describes contrasts between liberal and oppressive slave masters. Some oppressive masters withheld knowledge of Christianity from slaves and beat or even killed those who began to worship God devotedly (Mitchell, page 33). Many, if not all, plantations held stealthy worship services in the woods, swamps or brushes. L. Maffly-Kipp describes, in her article â€Å"African American Religion in the Beginning†, how the slaves used symbolism that was not detectible by their captors. It’s as though Africans began to develop a secret society and reactively initiated exclusive churches. The underground services of worship were labeled as the â€Å"Invisible Institution† since they were invisibly held to the eyes of slave masters. Here the slaves began mixing the Christian faith with African rhythms and singing, which led to the formation of the Negro spirituals (Maffly-Kipp). Most spirituals contained two-folded meanings of worship and freedom. [From time to time, (especially in February or around January 15th) we’ll hear some of these old Negro spirituals in today’s predominantly black churches.] Maffly-Kipp infers as the Africans made their appeals of justice unto God, they were also organizing and planning escapes. According to Melva Wilson Costen, author of African American Christian Worship, the first African American church of record, founded in 1758 in Luneberg, VA, was called Bluestone African Baptist Church —owned mostly by slaves. The number of African American churches grew throughout the U.S. between the years of 1750-1800 (over 20 churches of record). Bluestone and subsequent black founded congregations contained partial white populations where they were outnumbered by blacks however Euro-American preachers, as controlling moderators, oversaw these churches. African Americans were not encouraged to lead the congregations (though many were considerably powerful preachers and potential leaders) nor were they allowed any voting privileges. The African American Church continued to evolve in the South and dominant denominations of Baptist and Methodist expanded nationally from 1841-1865. Leadership began to change as did laws towards the end of the 19th century, post the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, 1865 Abolition of Slavery (13th Amendment), 1868 Civil Rights (14th Amendment) and 1870 Voting Rights (15th Amendment). The early Black Church played a significant role in social activism by oratorical pressing towards the abolitionist movement, assisting  in the Underground Railroad, ministration in civic and social responsibility, and through slave insurrections. As Mitchell put it, â€Å"in the root culture of African Americans, nothing is excludable from the design and will of God† (page 138). [This is noteworthy; we’re able to see a continuum of legislative struggle against Africans throughout American history, in a way which the church is affected and involved.] In 1894, a pride-filled, yet rare, exception for African Americans occurred when the pastor of the first African Baptist Church was elected Moderator and Preacher of the Philadelphia Baptist Association. While racial discrimination took many blows, one civil case in Louisiana devastated the progression towards its elimination. In 1896 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to enact the separate-but-equal principles in the famous Plessy v Ferguson case, disregarding equality while planting proliferate seeds of segregation throughout the nation (Records of Supreme Court). This ruling gravelly punctured the church as it promoted separation between Christians, which was contrary to the â€Å"Love thy neighbor as thyself† Christian teachings. As history reveals, for more than 50 years our national society was structured in such way to where the non-association between European Americans and minority races was the norm. After several years of social discomfort, the church began to take a stand against this legal inequality. In Rhetoric, Religion and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965 by Davis Houck and David Dixon a passion-filled recording of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking at a conference in Nashville, TN on April 25, 1957 is referenced (pages 217-224). We find Dr. King proclaiming his strong conviction of faith and declaring his hope in God for deliverance while attacking the moral issues of the Supreme Court’s decision made in the 1896 case. The revolutionary reverend, who led the Civil Rights Movement, charged the Christian Church with the responsibility of standing up against segregation and discrimination (Houck & Dixon, page 220), speaking to all Christians urging them to keep in mind that they answer to God and not the opinions of men. {In all my research, it was here that I saw the shift of focus from African American Christian Heritage to just Christian Heritage.} How difficult would it be for the masses to grasp this concept after hundreds of years of contradictory conditioning? We now live in an era postdating the Civil Rights Movement by more than 40 years; in a time where we [as a nation] elected our first African American president. In the most diverse area of the country (San Francisco), while we are starting to see more racially integrated churches in the Bay Area, 11:00am Sunday morning [for some reason] continues to be the most segregated hour across the U.S. Clearly these historical events continue to affect today’s African Americans within church communities and all people within congregational communities. What else can be concluded from this research? Old habits die hard. . Works Cited Ammerman, Nancy Tatom. Congregation & Community. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1997. Print Costen, Melva Wilson. African American Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993. Print. Eckman, James P. Exploring Church History. Wheaton: Crossway Books a division of Good News Publishers, 1996. Print. Houck, Davis W.; Dixon, David E. Rhetoric, Religion and the Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1965. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2006. CityCat.Web. March 3, 2010. Maffly-Kipp, L.. â€Å"African American Religion In the Beginning. † Mississippi Link 4 Feb. 2010,Ethnic NewsWatch (ENW). ProQuest. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Mitchell, Henry H. Black Chruch Beginnings: The Long-Hidden Realities of the First Years. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publising Company, 2004. Print. Records of the Supreme Court of the United States. â€Å"Plessy v Ferguson† OurDocuments.gov, May 18, 1896, Web. March 3, 2010

Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay

Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Lack of High School Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Lack of High School Female Students in Sports Sociology Essay The Social Factors Which Contribute to the Lack of High School Female Students in Sports In the United States, organized sports activities constitute a crucial part of high school life, particularly for male students. However, the situation is not the same for female high school students who have been historically sidelined in sporting activities at the high school levels (Arzu, Tuzun, Eker, 2006). In an attempt to ensure equality with respect to the access to all institutional activities, including sports, the Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments was passed. It has played a crucial role in ensuring that female students would also be involved into sports activities (United States Department of Justice, 2012). Before the passage of Title IX legislation, female students were mainly involved in the cheering of their male counterparts. However, the passage of the law helped in ensuring actual female participation in the field. Despite the significant efforts adopted at the policy level aimed at improving female students’ participation in sports activities at v arious institutional levels, equality in sports participation between male and female students is an issue that still has to be realized. It is evident by the under-representation of female students in all sports activities at all institutional levels (Cozby, 2012). Title IX greatly emphasizes the structural mechanisms that institutions can implement in order to ensure equal participation in sports between female and male students. Nevertheless, such structural measures tend to be ineffective when not used in combination with other measures that deal with the social barriers to participation in sports (Gratton Jones, 2010). Underrepresentation of female students in sports stems from the fact that the ratio of male students taking part in sports to the overall male student population has been consistently higher than the ratio of female students participating in sports to the overall female student population. To this end, there is the need to have an understanding of the factors th at hinder and promote female students’ participation in sports activities at various institutional levels. The proposed study seeks to explore the social factors contributing to lack of participation in sports by high school female students. Statement of the Problem The specific research problem to investigation relates to the social factors that contribute to lack of female participation. Various studies have tried to outline the issue of sports participation. However, few of them have focused specifically on social factors, especially for young females (Coleman, Cox, Roker, 2008; Craike, Symons, Zimmermann, 2009). Moreover, a majority of studies on sports participation and the factors that influence the process have utilized structured quantitative approaches, which are deemed effective only when describing phenomenon rather than exploring it. Therefore, there is a need to make use of unstructured qualitative approach in order to develop a comprehensive list of social factors influencing female participation in sports (Dagkas, Benn, Jawad, 2011). Knowledge gained from current research will supplement the existing information regarding social factors that influence female participation in sports. Moreover, the findings from the proposed rese arch will be helpful in formulating measures that can be used to improve female participation in sports activities. Purpose of the Study The proposed qualitative grounded theory seeks to explore the social factors contributing to lack of female high school students’ participation in sports activities. In this respect, the proposed study will gather the views of female students having varying levels of sports participation in order to ascertain the social factors that either encourage or discourage them from participating in sports activities. The proposed study also seeks to explore the reasons for participating or lack thereof, as well as the ways that can be used in encouraging female students to participate in sports. In addition, despite the fact that participation in sports by female students has received considerable attention in literature, relatively few studies have tried to address the social factors at the individual level that encourage or discourage female students from participating in sports. Therefore, the proposed study seeks to address such gap in literature. Research Questions 1.What are the experiences and motivations that female high schools associated with participation in sports? The focus of current research question is on the manner in which female students describe and perceive sports, including their experiences associated with it. In addition, emphasis is placed on the factors that encourage or discourage participation in sports. The differences in the perceptions, experiences and motivations among female students with varying levels of sports participation will be reported. It will be helpful in ascertaining which perceptions and experiences associated with high levels of sports participation and vice versa. 2. How to transitions in high school affect participation in sports among female students? Current research question emphasizes on the key transitions that take place in the lives of female high school students, and how they affect the level of participation in sports events. Some of the transitions that may influence the female high school students include the progression to higher grades and transition to young adulthood among others (Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni, 2003). In order to answer the question whether such transitions encourage or discourage participation in sports, it is necessary other potential transitions. They include the developmental challenges associated with adolescence, including how they affect participation in sports (Hsu, et al., 2011). 3. What are the environment factors affecting participation in sports among female high school students? Current research question emphasizes on the environmental factors that may influence participation in sports among young female students in high school. Environmental factors relate to the descriptions that participants will provide regarding the school and their area of residence. Some of the environmental factors that will be investigated in the proposed research include the availability and accessibility of sports facilities in school and within the community, opportunities to participate in sports and perceptions regarding the nature of sports facilities among others (Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey, 2010). 4. What are the social factors that influence participation in sports among female high school students? Current research question places emphasis on the social factors that influence participation in sports among young female students. The scope of social factors is diverse and will comprise of such factors as gender influences, influence of peer grouping, socioeconomic status (Dollman Lewis, 2010), influence of culture, influence of religion and family background among others. Specifically, the study will try to delineate the social factors that are associated with low levels of participation in sports. 5. What are the psychological factors that influence participation in sports among female high school students? Above-given research question will emphasize on the psychological factors influencing participation in sports among young female students. Some of the psychological factors that will be explored in the proposed study will include the perceived competence and ability in sports, self-motivation to participate in sports and personal effort and commitment to participate in sports (Kurc Leatherdale, 2009). Theoretical Perspectives on Gender Inequality in Sports Participation A number of theoretical perspectives have been used in explaining gender disparity in sports participation, which include male dominance, masculinity and influence of religion on women. With respect to male dominance, lack of female participation in sports has been attributed to a patriarchal system characterized by males having power, exercising authority, dominating leadership roles and exercising authority over women and children (Eitzen, 2012). In the context of sports, male dominance is manifested through men managing and controlling almost all sports organizations across the globe, including the United States. In addition, male dominance is evidenced by the relatively small percentage of women in decision-making positions in sports organizations and institutions when compared to men. Essentially, sports is perceived to perpetuate the already existing dominance in other aspects of society. Masculinity adopts a different view in trying to explain lack of female participation in s ports by suggesting that sports is perceived to be a masculine activity. Therefore, women are considered intruders. In this regard, women trying to participate in sports may face institutional and ideological barriers that diminish their desire to participate in sports events (Eitzen, 2012). O’Reilly (2012) suggested that the fact that sports is considered to be an activity that allows men to show their masculine competency implies that women have no place in sports. It is similar with activities considered feminine, where males have no place. Therefore, the masculine-feminine dichotomy can be used in explaining lack of female participation in sports (OReilly, 2012). The influence of religion on women has also been used in explaining low level of female participation in sports, particular for Muslim women. In this regard, Islamic concerns associated with modesty and body culture explains such tendency among Muslim women and girls (Benn, Pfister, Jawad, 2010). Sports particip ation among Muslim women is limited by sportswear, which is considered revealing in Muslim world. The influence of religion on female sports participation is evident by the fact that Arab countries have the lowest female representation in sports when compared to countries from other countries (Benn, Pfister, Jawad, 2010). Despite the fact that such three theoretical perspectives can be based on different explanations, they all comprise of social factors that warrant investigation with respect to how they influence sports participation among young females. Empirical Research on Factors Influencing Sports Participation The issue of sports participation has been vastly explored in literature by various authors. One of the factors reported in literature that influences sports participation among both girls and boys relates to perceived image associated with sports (Casey, Eime, Payne, Harvey, 2009; Dollman Lewis, 2010; Grubbs Carter, 2002; Murphy, Dionigi, Litchfield, 2014). In this regard, Casey et al (2009) reported that girls in grade 7 are positively influenced by sports and physical activities. Another study by Kurc Leatherdale (2009) also reported that sports activities are perceived by students as fun, resulting in high rates of sports participation among both male and female students. In another study, Coleman, Cox and Roker (2008) reported significant differences in terms of images and perceptions towards sports among female students with different levels of sports participation. Specifically, the authors reported that female students having high levels of sports participation had posit ive perceptions regarding sports in general, whereas non-participants had negative perceptions of it. The competitive nature of sports has also been identified as a barrier to sports participation among Australian students. Specifically, female students reported significant differences regarding their perceptions about the competitive nature of sports, which hindered their participation (Murphy, Dionigi, Litchfield, 2014). The authors also reported that the competitive nature of sports reduces the perceived level of fun associated with it. Regarding the image of sports, it can be inferred that sports activities perceived to be fun and positive images and experiences associated with sports are facilitators of sports participation. However, the competitive nature of sports activities acts as a barrier that prevents young people from participating in it. The role of social support in influencing sports participation has also been affirmed by various studies. In this respect, various aspects of social support have been explored, including social relationships with friend, family, peers and role models among others. For instance, Casey et al. (2009) found that support from friends, teachers and family influenced the decision made by rural adolescent girls to participate in sports and physical activities. In another study by GÃ ³mez-LÃ ³pez, Gallegos, Extremera (2010) inadequate social support was identified as a barrier to sports participation among university students. The findings of GÃ ³mez-LÃ ³pez, Gallegos and Extremera were also consistent with the findings reported by Hsu, et al. (2011) who found that support from friends and family is a significant predictor of participation in sports and physical activity. In addition, lack of family support has been cited by students as one of the primary barriers to sports participation (Kelishadi, Hosseini, Mirmoghtadaee, Mansouri, Poursafa, 2010). Another study by Kurc and Leatherdale (2009) explored the relationship between social support and levels of participation in sports and physical activities and showed that male and female students having low social support were less likely to participate in sports and physical activities when compared to students having higher social support. Other studies that have identified lack of family support as a barrier to sports participation include the works of Shields, Synnot, Barr (2012) and Yungblut, Schinke, McGannon (2012). The role of the family, besides social support, is also crucial in influencing participation in sports and physical activities. Various studies have investigated the effect of different family aspects in influencing sports participation. For instance, it has been found that having active parents and siblings is positively associated with sports participation among young people. In addition, family encouragement and family members’ physical activities behavior have been reported to be predictors of participation in sports (Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni, 2003). On the other hand, discouragement from family members negatively influences sports participation among young people (Lovell, El Ansari, Parker, 2010). The significant role that fathers play in influencing sports participation has been emphasized in literature. In addition, the nature and level of participation in sports is usually influenced by the beliefs and expectations of parents, particularly fathers. Despite the fact that most studies acknowledge the crucial role that fathers play, Ullrich-French Smith (2009) found out that the relationship with mother played much greater role in continued participation in soccer among boys aged between 10 and 14 years. The crucial role that the family plays in influencing sports participation was discredited by Thompson et al. (2010). They found that the family is an insignificant factor with respect to influencing participation in sports. It is mostly attributed to such factors as different interests and ages of children and adults, busy lifestyle, transportation problems, inadequate money to support family physical activity, bad weather and facilities being inaccessible. Among Muslim girls, parental influence has been cited as one of the primary obstacles to sports participation, especially among girls (Dagkas, Benn, Jawad, 2011). Other parent-related barriers to sports participation include unhealthy parental modelling and poor parent relationship (Casper, Bocarro, Kanters, Floyd, 2011). The socializing nature of sports has also been reported as a crucial factor for sports participation in various studies. For instance, Craike, Symons and Zimmermann (2009) found out that making sports appealing to the socializing needs of women plays an important role in increasing sports participation. In addition, Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey (2010) revealed that women who participate in sports are mainly motivated by the need for social interaction. Therefore, the authors conclude that socialization plays a crucial role in influencing sports participation. In another study by Jamalis and Fauzee (2007), the findings indicated that majority of students who take part in after-school activities were mainly motivated by the need to socialize with friends. Socioeconomic position is another factor that has been found to influence participation in sports among young people. Casper, et al. (2011) explored the relationship between socioeconomic status and participation in sports among young people in middle school, and found that more constraints to sports participation were reported among lower socioeconomic status students, girls and Latinos who did not participate in sports. In another study by Dollman Lewis (2010) to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic position and the level of participation in sports and physical activities among young South Australians aged 10-15 years, it was found that students from high socioeconomic positions reported higher participation in organized sports compared to low socioeconomic position students. In addition, low socioeconomic position girls had lower parental support to participate in sports and physical activities. Cultural influence as a barrier to sports participation has also been investigated in literature. With respect to this, Araki, Kodani and Gupta (2013) studied the meanings and understandings that various cultures associate with sports. The authors found that culture had a profound impact on the motivation to take part in sports and physical activities, as well as the experiences associated with them. Another study by Hassandra, Goudas, Chroni (2003) reported cultural values as one of the socio-environmental factors that influence participation in sports and physical activities. In a study by Kahan (2009) to determine the correlates, types and level of physical activity and sports participation among university students of Middle Eastern origin, it was found the level of sports participation was influenced significantly by religion and the level of acculturation to the American culture. Specifically, the study reported that highly acculturated and moderately religious individuals wer e more likely to participate in sports. A number of socio-environmental factors influencing sports participation have also been explored in literature. They include social preconceptions, cultural values, participation in community sports and physical activities and availability of sports facilities in schools. Apart from the socio-environmental factors that influence sports participation, studies have also reported a number of individual factors that influence the level of sports participation, which include students’ perceived competence in sports (Craike, Symons, Zimmermann, 2009), goal orientation and physical appearance, personal choice and motivation to participate in sports (Eime, Payne, Casey, Harvey, 2010), and self-esteem (Markowitz, 2012). A positive association exists between self-esteem and the levels of sports participation (Markowitz, 2012). As Markowitz explains, despite the fact that sports participation helps in building one’s self-esteem, a reciprocal relationship exists between them in t he sense that self-esteem is a determinant of sports participation. Specifically, students having lower self-esteem are likely to report lower levels of sports participation when compared to students having high self-esteem. Despite the fact that the issue of sports participation is vastly explored in literature, little attention has been directed towards the social barriers that influence sports participation among women. In addition, most studies have used structured quantitative measures, which are only effective in describing phenomena rather than exploring it. As a result, there is a need to use unstructured qualitative methods in understanding the topic of interest. Research Method The proposed study is primarily explorative, which justifies the use of a qualitative approach in addressing the research problem. The study places an emphasis on gathering detailed information to help understand human behavior, including factors that determine human behaviors. In this case, such method relates to the female students’ decision on whether to participate in sports or not. The explorative nature of proposed research is the main reason for preferring a qualitative approach to a quantitative one that is mainly used in confirmatory research (Creswell, 2011). According to Daymon and Holloway (2010), confirmatory research focuses on determining the relationships between variables using statistical techniques. Anyway, it cannot be applied to the proposed study, which focuses on exploring the social factors contributing to lack of participation in sports among female high school students instead of determining the relationships that may exist between the identified soci al factors. In addition, the qualitative approach was deemed suitable for the proposed study because it will not utilize a tentative hypothesis to be evaluated. On contrary, the study will utilize open research questions, which means that the researcher anticipates the discovery of new insights in the course of the research. The proposed study is flexible, which makes it inappropriate for quantitative research (Daymon Holloway, 2010). The specific qualitative design that will be employed in the proposed study is grounded theory. Silverman (2013) points out that the grounded theory is a research tool that seeks to help the researcher in exploring and conceptualizing social patterns about a topic that is under investigation. Moreover, grounded theory seeks to help the researcher in developing theory about the topic being studied (Nardi, 2003), which in the context of the proposed study is the factor that hinders female high school students from participating in sports. By employing grounded theory, the proposed research study seeks to develop a conceptual model that can be utilized in having a detailed understanding of the factors that affect the decision made by female high school students on whether to participate in sports or not. Data Collection and Analysis Data for the proposed research will be collected using semi-structured interviews (Silverman, 2013). In this respect, the researcher will conduct interviews to a point at which no new information can be received. The semi-structured interviews will be guided by an interview protocol, which focuses mainly on the social factors that influence the behaviors and attitudes of female high school students towards level, reasons and ways that can be used in encouraging sports participation among female high school students. All the interview sessions will be recorded upon the consent of participants. In addition, the recorded interviews will be transcribed verbatim. After that, thematic content analysis will be used to process the transcribed qualitative data. The proposed qualitative grounded theory research seeks to explore the factors that discourage female students from participating in sports. Data will be gathered using semi-structured interviews, which will be transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The findings presented by the proposed research will be helpful in understanding why female high school students refrain from participating in sports events.