The increased applicability of the suggested problem-solving method comes from its universal character (Five-step problem solving approach n.d.a). Crosbys five-step process presupposes the existence of similar stages needed to analyse any problem and find the most appropriate solution. Additionally, it introduces peculiar schemes for a person to remember the algorithm and use it in different situations (Five-step problem solving approach n.d.b). For this reason, the whole problem-solving process could be easily visualized by every individual who faces a challenge. The simplicity of the suggested approach and its understandable character along with the clear logic contribute to the enhanced results and the high applicability of the proposed pattern.
Advantages of the Suggested Method
The offered problem-solving approach has several advantages that precondition its usage in adverse situations. First of all, it remains one of the most straightforward and understandable methods that are applied to elaborate an efficient solution to the existing problem. Moreover, the Crosbys approach demonstrates the clear logic of the problem-solving process as it emphasizes the necessity of the comprehensive investigation of the issue and the main processes that contribute to a particular result (Watanabe 2009). Additionally, the advantageous character of the suggested method is preconditioned by the existence of the unified algorithm that is applicable to all situations. Furthermore, the use of Crosby approach does not demand any additional skills from an individual as it rests on basic analytical skills which every person possesses.
Disadvantages of the Suggested Method
However, there are also several disadvantages that come from the nature of the method and its focus on the broad audience. The lack of additional skills among individuals who use the Crosbys approach results in the impossibility of its application to cases characterized by the increased sophistication of the problematic issue (Lehoczky & Rusczyk 2006). Moreover, the character of the suggested solutions could also be too generalized because of the lack of in-depth analysis. Usually, numerous factors impact a certain situation and promote its further evolution. Their consideration is crucial for the improved outcomes. However, in case the Crosbys five method is used by an ordinary individual, the lack of his/her competence might deteriorate the final result (Lewis n.d).
It is important to note that Jo Boaler is a writer and educator who has received many prizes and awards. At the same time, the woman leads a movement that aims to change the way teachers and students think about mathematics and perceive it. Thus, during her speech at TEDx, she talked about the experiment she conducted at Stanford. Moreover, the speaker immediately announced that her students cried in order to interest people to listen and capture their attention. Hence, the experiment was performed with students who spent a lot of time studying algebra and really tried to improve their knowledge. However, the innovation was that Jo Boaler did not use standard tests to check their knowledge, but showed them a virtual picture with squares and assigned tasks.
Discussion
Interestingly, the students opinions were different, they believed that the squares grow horizontally, vertically, or proportionally. However, the speaker notes that two people in the group cried because they realized that the simple principle that explains the algebraic progression. Moreover, the tears were caused by the fact that these people spent many hours studying higher mathematics using standard methods, but most of them could not explain the arrangement of squares in the picture.
Then, the woman began to share her experience of studying at school, where children constantly learn new symbols and formulas, which makes them tired and afraid. Therefore, most of the students do not have enough knowledge of mathematics, because they consider this subject extremely difficult and boring. Instead, as a solution to this problem, Jo Boaler proposes to apply knowledge about the brain to make it easier to learn mathematics. Therefore, the speaker demonstrates a picture of the human brain and shows that two of the five brain pathways are visual. Thus, she showed that the brain can more easily perceive information that is difficult for it, which is presented with the help of pictures. In order to explain her argument, she gives an example of a rectangle and suggests using bright pictures to find all the rectangles depicted on them. The results show that this way is easier for perception and students offer many possible solutions. Thus, the use of visual mathematics is available to explain various topics, and resources for teacher or parent training can be found on the website of the university where Jo Boaler teaches.
In addition, the expert cites statistics as an argument for the effectiveness of virtual mathematics. Accordingly, a section with an attachment for studying visual mathematics appeared on the universitys website two years ago, and now almost three million teachers per month view these materials. This is because, in practice, teachers have become convinced that visual mathematics is a way to explain educational material to students in an accessible manner and to arouse their constant interest. Accordingly, this method allows to unlock the potential of even those students who believe that they do not have mathematical abilities. This is due to the fact that with the help of visual learning of mathematics, it is easier to solve complex problems and correct mistakes made, which provokes an increase in self-belief and self-confidence.
Thus, Jo Boaler explains why math can be such a difficult subject for some people, while other people can easily complete tasks. Moreover, she also shares the latest scientific research on the brain to demonstrate how mathematics is processed by the human brain. At the same time, the speaker demonstrated the importance of visual learning and the need for such a concept as self-confidence to obtain a positive experience of learning mathematics.
A Technique to Eliminate Math Anxiety
It is significant to mention that Dr. Katie Nall, who holds a PhD in philosophy, addressed the TEDx platform. At the same time, the speaker also has a mathematical education and received a doctorate in mathematics from the Florida Institute of Technology while working full-time. Therefore, the womans advice is extremely practical, because Dr. Katie Nalls scientific research was based on the problems she faced in practice. Accordingly, the speaker, while writing her dissertation, studied the behavior of students who felt fear and anxiety in mathematics classes.
During the speech, the speaker with the use of humor notes that since childhood she loved and respected mathematics, but her students, even those who worked hard to pass the subject, hate this science. Hence, the speaker tried to give them mathematical advice, but this method did not bring the desired results. After that, the woman decided to explore a technique that helps to escape from anxiety caused by any other factors. The woman chose the technique of emotional freedom, which is a psychological method that enables people to get rid of negativity and unnecessary frameworks. Thus, they help to achieve the stated goal. At the same time, emotional freedom techniques are easy to use and require little time, although it is strictly individual. Dr. Katie Nall suggested her students apply this method in order to reduce fear and anxiety caused by mathematics.
The technique was to admit their mistakes and try to accept themselves with them. For this purpose, it is necessary to repeat the problematic moments, and in the end to note that you are safe. At the same time, it is crucial to tap on the points, moving along the same line, for example, the inner edge of the eyebrow, the outer corner of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, at the top of the chin, the junction of the collarbones, the top of the head. This is because there are harmonizing, calming, exciting, and signal points on the line, which all need to be activated. In addition, students who previously could not pass the subject, but now used this technique were able to overcome fear and received a satisfactory grade. Furthermore, Dr. Katie Nall notes that the students continued to use this tactic during their further studies, as they received successful outcomes.
Meanwhile, the speaker recalls cases when students thanked her for suggesting they try this technique. Some students hugged her, while others said that they also used her method outside the classroom. During the speech, the speaker also noted that this practice is common in many educational institutions, for example, in California, in some schools students and teachers allocate six waves a day to reduce stress and increase the ability of students to successfully complete school tasks. Moreover, the use of this technique is beneficial for students health. Since a large number of visits to doctors are associated with stress factors.
Conclusion
Hence, on the TEDx platform, Dr. Katie Nall offered a solution to eliminate math anxiety. At the same time, the speaker explained the importance of basic methods of dealing with other fears and worries. The emotional freedom technique is a powerful method of dealing with emotional problems that students often face when studying mathematics. Therefore, using the advice of a female is extremely valuable for people studying mathematics.
Problem solving is the practice of working through the facts of a problem or situation to get a solution. Problem solving entails the systematic use of operations to measure thinking abilities and skills. Problem solving practices help children to develop cognitive skills.
Polyas model offers four principles for solving different mathematical problems. The first principle is to understand the problem . At this stage, the learner thinks of the best strategy to find a solution. The second principle is devising a conceptual plan .
The stage helps learners to consider the best strategies to get a solution. The third stage is carrying out the plan . This stage entails using the selected plan or choosing a better strategy. The fourth principle is looking back . At this stage, the learner examines what he or she has done to obtain the solution .
Problem solving in mathematics is vital because it helps learners develop high-order thinking and analytical skills. The learners also become critical thinkers and address the problems encountered in life.
Learners use various strategies to solve mathematical problems. The first one is model drawing . The strategy involves the use of visual effects. For example, learners required to add 5 to 2 would draw 5 and 2 cars to get 7. The other strategy is drawing a picture .
A learner can draw pictures when adding numbers. For example, a child can draw three and two pens to get five. The third strategy is making a systematic list . Systematic lists can help learners memorize numerical numbers. For example, a child expected to write numbers 1 to 10 could make a systematic list of items from one to ten.
The fourth strategy is working backwards as explained in this example. Jimmy spent five dollars to remain with five dollars. How many dollars did he have in total? The child will work from $5 and add 5 to get $10.
Learner in different grades will use these strategies differently. The first strategy is drawing a picture . A second grade science learner can use the method to solve mathematical problems as follows: A carpenter makes four pieces from a wood. How many cuts does she make?
The learner will draw a piece of wood and divide it into four pieces. The child will get three cuts . A sixth grade learner can use the strategy as follows: In a party, there were three couples. Every person shook each ones hand once. What was the total number of handshakes? The learner will draw letters to represent the couples and handshakes made.
The second strategy is working backwards as presented below. A child had saved some money. His father gave him 10 dollars. He spent 13 dollars to remain with 7 dollars. How much had he saved? From this problem, the learner will begin with 7 dollars. The next thing is to add 13 to get 20. The learner will then subtract the $10 obtained from the father to get 10 dollars.
A sixth grade learner can work backwards to solve the problem below. Agnes, Ann, and Angel had some coins. Agnes gave Ann 12 coins. Ann gave Angel 10 coins while Angel gave Agnes 4 coins. They all had 20 coins. What is the number of everyones coins at the beginning? The learner can work backwards from 20 coins to get the answer.
In conclusion, teachers should incorporate problem-solving activities into instruction because they help sharpen the learners skills and competencies. The methods can also make the learning process easier. The learners can use these strategies to achieve mastery and proficiency in mathematics problem solving.
These general heuristics for problem solving are important because they can help people become critical thinkers. Such activities can help learners develop the best interactional and decision-making skills. They also provide skills for dealing with challenges in life.
Masdar City is an innovative urban project to construct an ecological, fully sustainable city in the Abu Dhabi. It is meant to be a forward-thinking initiative with architectural and technological developments that pioneer the greenprint for the urbanization through reducing waste and relying on renewable energy. The city houses organizations and companies such as the Masdar Institute and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) that promote environmental sustainability (Masdar, 2017b).
The project is developed by Masdar based in UAE. Masdar City is owned by Mubadala Investment Company. It is primarily controlled by the Abu Dhabi government. The company is an international corporation as well as a regional leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development. Masdar seeks to be a primary industry player in transitioning of UAE towards a technological and information-based economy (Masdar, 2017a).
The purpose of this report is to identify, analyze, and propose solutions to a complex problem that Masdar is experiencing in the development of the Masdar City project. The main issue identified in the project is the slow expansion and population growth of the city, primarily caused by its lackluster infrastructure and the failure to achieve anywhere near the 100 percent renewable energy power supply that was heavily advertised. The urban development concepts and management are inconsistent and causing Masdar City to be labeled as a green ghost town since the innovative nature of the project has experienced setbacks (Liu, 2018).
It is necessary for Masdar and the Abu Dhabi government to form a realistic, comprehensible, and competent management plan for the evolution and promotion of Masdar City as a sustainable urban project that justifies the multibillion-dollar investments made into it over the last decade.
The Analysis of the Problem
When the project was announced by the Abu Dhabi government in 2008, it was considered almost utopian. Masdar City was planned to be the first urban development without any negative environmental aspects, having nearly untraceable amounts of waste and carbon emissions. Furthermore, it promised completely renewable energy and the use of recycled water. From its initial stages, the project had two major concerns, its excessive cost and the social culture of the UAE that had been engulfed in lavish, high-waste (from an environmental perspective) lifestyles.
However, the soaring prices of oil guaranteed to fund for Masdar City, while UAE leadership sought to implement various initiatives to diversify the countrys economy, focusing on innovative technological developments. Nevertheless, the economic and global climate has drastically shifted the dimensions affecting the city (McArdle, 2018). This led to the utopian dream meeting the harsh realities of the real world that drastically changed the dynamics of urban development in Masdar City.
The first part of the issue is that the ecological sustainability targets of the city proved to be unachievable. In the context of eco-modernization, the Masdar City project serves as a clear example of where policy agendas have been tailored to socio-economic targets and sustainability, sacrificing its environmental goals. Urbanization with the goal of economic growth is meant to preserve political institutions and follow imperatives set by the ruling elite which can interpret sustainability in a manner that benefits the government (Cugurullo, 2015). While Masdar City does have significant and large-scale renewable energy sources, the technology and resources to achieve 100 percent renewable energy reliance are not available. The prognosis has shifted towards reaching 50 percent renewable power by 2030 (Liu, 2018).
The constantly shifting dynamics of development and construction are a critical issue for Masdar City. The master plan has undergone three variations in four years, leaving policymakers, developers, and residents desynchronized about the future of the city. This has partially affected infrastructure, with the electrical personal transit system having only two stations out of a planned 1,500 (McArdle, 2018). Meanwhile, the city has only constructed a fraction of the real estate that was initially planned. Unlike traditional urban locations that form around specific infrastructure, Masdar City has to create its own, an aspect hindered by funding issues and lack of interest from potential residents and investors alike.
These facts lead to the final stage of the problem, which is a severe lack of population in the city. It was developed with a plan for a population of 50,000 people and approximately daily 40,000 commuters (Cugurullo, 2015). However, the current population consists of 3,500 workers and students, with 1,300 residing in the city limits (Liu, 2018). The critical backbone and driving force of any urban city or business, its human capital, is missing. As a large percentage of the population consists of expatriates, the economic and social benefits of the core UAE population are causing the city to falter as an urban environment.
Creative Ideas for Problem Solving
In the modern realities of urban development, organizations face various challenges due to diminishing resources and rapidly shrinking budgets. Furthermore, public acceptance and participation can rarely be predicted. Solutions to urban problems require the optimized use of resources and collaboration amongst the private and public sectors of the economy. Beyond being an ecologically sustainable area, Masdar City must also consider its economic sustainability.
A lack of clear decision-making processes and cost-effective mechanisms for implementing solutions to scale is often the biggest flaw in approaching systemic problems within an urban environment (CityLab, n.d.). Therefore, the following solutions must consider and encompass these concepts within the boundaries of their procedural implementation. Although the complex problem described above has been created by a combination of stakeholders and global influences, Masdar as a company is responsible for oversight of the citys development and could critically determine solutions to revitalize the project.
Solution I
The ecological sustainability theme of the city must be realigned. It should divert from the utopian perspective of clean energy and utilize the full extent of existing technologies and resources. It is impossible for an urban area in a developed country, especially so fossil-fuel reliant as UAE, to remain completely carbon-free. Therefore, there should be a shift of focus towards carbon neutrality with perspectives of renewable green energy. Masdar Citys large solar arrays are providing a significant amount of electricity demands (considering its current population and needs). It would be a vital solution to convert the business model of Masdar City into a commercial enterprise, that produces a profit. The system can become a synergy of urban, commercial, and technological development.
The concept of economic sustainability supports the approach to maintaining the business aspect of Masdar City. If the project does not bring revenue, it is not sustainable in the long-term. A Masdar manager mentioned that the city is not an environmental crusade because the development and implementation of eco-technologies are tremendously expensive (McArdle, 2015, par. 10). Therefore, if there is no profit to the venture, the government will eventually abandon the project due to a lack of funding, eliminating a vital real-life arena to test green technology.
Abu Dhabi maintains an extremely high carbon and waste pollution rates per capita, which warrants for drastic measures such as the Masdar City initiative. However, the technocratic plan of adoption and ecological development is neither applicable nor characteristic of any urban environment on the planet. Furthermore, the green approach must be approached with competency. For example, a city with no diesel cars will still have large fleets of vehicles parked outside from commuters or the water desalinated in large factories to avoid waste will result in pollution to nearby water sources (Jensen, 2014). This suggests that the ecological development of the city should be adopted with proven technologies that are truly efficient, practical, and environmentally-friendly.
Solution II
Infrastructure development and expansion can be resolved by attracting private investors and companies which will be willing to share construction and upkeep costs. Masdar City has been partially successful in doing so, as its largest facilities belong to organizations such as IRENA and Siemens, which also maintain relatively large workforces in the city. The buildings are insulated and energy efficiency of up to 75% solar-powered (Abdelhamid, 2016). The process of attracting companies that will benefit from the concept of Masdar City should be more extensive. The process of research for green technology focuses on adopting technological breakthroughs into urban practices. Therefore, Masdar is considered a laboratory where stakeholders can develop, test, and potentially commercialize environmentally friendly technology (Cugurullo, 2015).
Beyond, facilities, and real estate, a similar principle can apply to transportation, entertainment, and finance as more companies emerge interested in the eco-friendly approach to practically all aspects of human society. Large corporations such as Tesla, as well as start-ups with worthwhile ideas, can be attracted through monetary and technological benefits offered by the Abu Dhabi government. Their investment, innovation, and human capital will inherently lead to more efficient and competent development of Masdar Citys infrastructure and networks.
Masdar can take heed from successful examples of technology-centered locations such as Californias Silicon Valley. Although, not a traditional city (neither is Masdar City), it has transformed from an underdeveloped region to a technological powerhouse that maintains the necessary infrastructure as a sustainable city would, including green technology. Prosperous regions maintain a combination of infrastructure which offers public goods, specialized labor and input providers, strong competition, and open information available to the industry.
Silicon Valley, from the early days of its inception, has maintained the infrastructure that is meant to support private firms and mitigate liabilities for any new arrivals (Kenney, 2017). This model can be ultimately successful in Masdar City if the initial support is provided for companies to arrive. However, once settled, most firms begin to develop a wide array of public infrastructure for its functions and workforce.
Solution III
While research projects and private firms will continue to attract individuals to Masdar City, the population levels considered by the project plan will not be reached without significant interventions. Masdar must actively promote the city based on the principles on which it was developed. These include the high quality of life within a vibrant urban realm. Furthermore, the city is optimally oriented, and its design is based on traditional Arabic architecture with a low rise and high-density construction which helps to create low-energy environments. Finally, the city is fully integrated and pedestrian-friendly (TheFutureBuild, n.d.).
The Masdar City project was met with significant enthusiasm when announced, including core residents of Abu Dhabi. It may be viable to address other issues such as infrastructure and begin a widespread marketing campaign to attract migrants to the city. A wide array of UAE nationals and expatriates from developed countries have voiced a desire to seek residency in Masdar City once the infrastructure and the ecological footprint is normalized. They view living there as part of their contribution to protecting the environment.
Overall, there should be a different approach to managing the city. As a government-owned project and corporation, in a relatively authoritarian country, Masdar is not inherently transparent in its actions. The power structure is geared towards maintaining secrecy and biased media coverage, which leads to public mistrust. Furthermore, Masdar and its partners have effectively copyrighted the design concept for the city, which is unconventional and unprecedented (Jensen, 2014).
Therefore, it is not simple to gain access to or residency in the city. Initiatives should be made to attract those residents interested in the project. Utilizing the scientific and technological aspects, the company can offer opportunities for residency for prospective students, scientists, and businessmen which will contribute greatly to the citys future (Graves, 2016).
Conclusion
Masdar City is an innovative, ecological urban project developed by the Masdar corporation with the Abu Dhabi government in control. The initiative is highly ambitious and has experienced significant setbacks in development as a microcity. The complex problem consists of Masdar failing to achieve its environmental targets and infrastructure development, lagging far behind objectives and timelines, as well as showing inconsistency in the management of the project.
This has led to generally low volumes of investment and migration to the city as the project has been criticized as a failure. Potential solutions to the issue must consider socio-economic realities as well as the principles of urban city development. It is suggested that the shift from the utopian ecological ambitions be shifted towards more realistic combinations of commercialized green technology. Furthermore, infrastructure should be expanded, by offering support for new firms that will then invest in relevant public works to support their businesses. Finally, the population can be increased through widespread marketing as well as offering opportunities for those seeking to live and work for improving the environment.
References
Abdelhamid, A. (2016). Masdar City: A test case for sustainable urban living. Web.
A new approach to solving cities systemic problems. (n.d.) CityLab. Web.
Cugurullo, F. (2015). Urban eco-modernisation and the policy context of new eco-city projects: Where Masdar City fails and why? Urban Studies, 53(11), 2417-2433. Web.
Jensen, B.B. (2014). Masdar City: A critical retrospection. In S. Wippel, K. Bromber, C. Steiner, & B. Krawietz (Eds.), Under construction: Logics of urbanism in the Gulf region (pp. 134-146). Farnham, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Kenney, M. (2017). Explaining the growth and globalization of Silicon Valley: The past and today. Web.
Decisions can be made at an individual or organizational level. Individual decisions may affect the decision maker, the people who look up to them or the organization they serve. Similarly, organizational decisions may affect individuals or groups associated with the entity. In this respect, different factors affect the process of decision making.
Experiences, the level of information, the uniqueness of the situation and urgency of the matter are some of the factors that influence decision making (Dietrich 1). Having decided on whether the decision is individual or collective, the following guidelines are vital.
First, one must identify the problem that requires a decision. In the second step, one ought to generate possible solutions to the problem. The third step evaluates the consequences of each of the decisions that are to be taken. The fourth step involves choosing the measure you have decided to undertake about the problem. The fifth step is implementation. Implementation may take place at once or may be done in bits depending with the situation. The sixth step involves evaluation of the degree of success of the decision (Lunenburg 3; Anderson 9).
Making decision in the light of Ian Robertson, Religion and Social Change and Nicols Fox, What are Our Real Values
Determining whether affective domains of mankind determine culture and social change or whether social and cultural changes determine the affective domains is highly contested. In this regard, affective domains refer to the human beliefs, attitudes, social philosophies, ethics, norms and ideals. Karl Marx held the opinion that culture is made of material and nonmaterial constructs.
On the other hand, Max Weber agreed with the approach by Marx on material and nonmaterial constructs, but he held the opinion that the affective domains influenced social changes. According to him, the concept and principles of capitalism emanated from beliefs and other normative aspects (Robertson 10).
A further synthesis of the material and non material paradigms reveal that as much as the positions held by Max and Marx were based on correct constructs, they were relative and contextual. The growth of England as a capitalist over Scotland is a case at hand (Robertson 11).
The emerging modern economies in the East, especially China, complicate further, the view of Weber. Setting the ideals, believing in them and passing them on to the next generation is fast becoming an illusion. The ideals on the value of family, humanity and moral consciousness have become subject to media and celebrities (Fox 122).
Lilian Smith: When I was a child
The article is a classical analogy of racial discrimination in the south of the U.S. The parents talk of the goodness of God, of the virtue of their society, and of the value of life while at the same time they segregate against the people with the colored skin. As a little child, the author wonders why the family treated Janie without regard although she had showed good manners (Smith 36-37).
The white skinned society in the south denies children a chance to demonstrate hospitality, goodness and kindness to their colored skin friends. The only frame of reference in determining civility was in keeping slaves and disregarding them.
Plato: the parable of the cave
The article is about prisoners who perceive the objects of the world in form of shadows. One of the prisoners is freed and told to give his view of the world; the impact of the light hurts him. The cave has conditioned the prisoners into understanding the shadows as the true and real objects (Plato 80). The article is an insight on enlightenment. It advises one on viewing a situation in a new paradigm that is held as the true and real. It is relativistic.
Henry Thoreau: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience
The article systemizes the tenets of social organization. It observes the existence of individual human beings, property and the laws that govern their interaction, appropriation and increase. The society in collective terms, contract a few of its own to oversee the social order. In times of inefficiency and misappropriation of the stewardship of power, the citizens opt for disorder. They become disgruntled by oppression, slavery and short-change their trust in the elected few to oversee social order.
This is the beginning of revolutions (Thoreau 194). The articles advice for the current situation is that it is not absolute for the collective responsibility to be undertaken directly. Social order is already contracted to the government by the way of election. Furthermore, one continues to contribute to the stewardship of the law and order by way of taxation and service to the government.
E.E Cummings: LIV
The poem is a presentation of the concept of reductionism. Although we are independent as individuals, many factors unite us. The poem states the importance and the reality of unity. The imageries given on tree, leaf, and on the growth of buds is an indication of the society comprised of many components yet united by the virtue of love and co-existence.
A show of love explains who we are (Cummings 181). The poem advises the situation on the value of compassion. The poem completely ignored the personal dreams, economic value and responsibility of provision on the east coast.
Martin Luther king, Jr, Letters from a Birmingham Jail
The letter speaks of the issues on racism in the south of the United States. As indicated, the racial discrimination anywhere had effect everywhere. Luther wondered what response he could give to a five year old if they wanted to know causes of segregation. Children understand that all mankind deserves good treatment. The section of the letter that touches on children is especially critical in deciding whether to go to Boston or remain in Iowa with the family (King 77-100).
Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
The myth is anchored on the condemnation of Sisyphus to roll the rock up the cliff and just before it topples over to the other side, it falls back to the foot of the cliff and he has to repeat. The punishment is given after the accusation of his role when Jupiter stole Aegina who was the daughter to Aesopus (Camus 237).
The myth is a demonstration of the power of divine creatures over the beings on the earth. Sisyphus suffers from labor in futility. The mythology informs the decision to remain in Iowa or leave to the east coast. The decision that violates the will of the divine power comes with adverse consequences.
Auden: the unknown Citizen
The Bureau of Statistics considered the unknown citizen as one with good conduct. He was on the good side of demography according to the Eugenist, he had modest interaction with colleagues, and he was in good health. He also had a reasonable material fortune of radio, automobile, fridge and phonograph. He was well informed from the media and his level of education was apt. (Auden 98).
The unknown citizen is the ideal representation of the decisions that ought to be made in the described situation. He can meet the expectation of serving his community and undertake his employers assignment. The decision should strive to meet the ideals posed in the case of the unknown citizen.
Precepts from the living quotations
The message in the quotations is derived from the scripture. It emphasizes on service to humanity through the lessons drawn from the stories of the Biblical personalities. The quotations reveal the benefits of working together as a community and treating each other with kindness (Bacote 155). The message in the nuggets informs the process of making decision in the present scenario by a historical and transcendent understanding.
Conclusion
The decision must strive to meet the ideals observed by the unknown citizen meaning it must be conscious of the family. The decision should also note that the current is an act of nature. The emerging obligations need character, strong will and decisiveness. The economic and social family obligations must be met despite the desire to offer a helping hand in the aftermath of the disaster (Adair 10 & 11).
Decide to be in Boston as your family remains in Iowa to assist the victims then they join you later. They ought to accept leaving old friends is hard but it also gives them opportunity to visit new places. Significant decisions involve breaking with the past (Anderson 11; Ehrgott, Figueira & Greco 88).
Works Cited
Adair, John. Decision making and problem solving. London: Kogan Page Limited, 2007. Print.
Anderson, Barry F. The Three Secrets of Wise Decision Making. Portland: Single Reef Press, 2002. Print.
Auden, Hugh Wystan. The Unknown Citizen. Sunnyvale: Shmoop University Incorporated, 1940. Print.
Bocote, Vicente. Precepts for living2007-2008: Umi Annual Sunday school Lesson Commentary. Illinois: Urban Ministries, Inc., 2007. Print.
Camus, Albert. The Myth of Sisyphus. Washington: Penguin Books Limited, 2013.Print.
Cummings, E E. 100 Selected Poems. New York: Grove press, 1954. Print.
Dietrich, Cindy Decision Making: Factors that Influence Decision Making, Heuristics Used, and Decision outcomes. The International Student Journal 2.02 (2010): 1-3. Print.
Ehrgott, Matthias, Figueira, Jose, & Greco Galvatore. Trends in Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis. New York: Springer, 2010. Print.
Fox, Nicols. Against the Machine: The Hidden Luddite Tradition in Literature, Art, and Individual lives. Washington: Island Press, 2002. Print.
Lunenburg, Fred The Decision Making Process. The forum of educational administration and supervision journal 27.4 (2010): 1-12. Print.
King, Martin Luther Letter from Birmingham Jail why we cant wait. Martin Luther King, Jr., papers project (1963):77-100. Print.
Plato. The allegory of the Cave. London: P & L Publication, 2010. Print.
Robertson, Ian. Sociology. New York: Worth Publishers, 1981. Print.
Smith, Lilian. Killers of the Dream. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1949. Print.
Thoreau, David Henry. On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Washington: Arc Manor, 2007. Print.
Human growth, personality development and problem solving skills are a vital aspect of societal development and well as academic attributes which an individual should not only possess but apply in al life challenges. Towards this, it is the responsibility of every parent as member of a society not only to take care of the children but also to know how to help the children pass early childhood stage in life smoothly. This will help the children to adopt desirable character traits which make them responsible citizen of a country. Crisis analysis is a critical aspect in prevention and management of crisis in human life (Soifer, 2009) and (Masters, 2003). It is prudent to note that human life is full of challenges that require amicable solutions. Towards this, it is important to for human being to analyze the challenges in life and offer solution to them. This will go along way in curbing the negative impact of crisis in the society.
Teaching mathematics is quite important and plays a pivotal role in knowledge development among the students. In this regard, to provide students with the right insight and channel of mathematics, a procedural vivid program of teaching and understanding is necessary. Towards this, the whole concept of studying mathematics boils down to three main components; conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and problem solving. In addition, the concept of mathematics is not only critical to problem solving in human life but also in everyday business. According to Soifer, (2009), A well organized instructional programs should enable all students to build a new mathematical knowledge. The concept of mathematic in solving problem and decision making is crucial and should be learnt at early stages of life. This will give the students an easy time developing critical thinking at early stages of academic life.
In the process of mathematical problem solving there exist a number of methods which are used. These include, one step problem, multi-step problems and process problem. In most cases, student encounter multi-step problems or process problems and the workings and solution to these problems involves a collaborative and procedural knowledge. This paper takes a critical analysis and a presentation on NYS Math Standards on Problem solving and further looks into the impact and role of mathematical problem solving concept in knowledge development.
Pedagogical skills of problem solving
Mathematical topics and skills can be easily got from active participation among the students. This is because participation enhances their ability to conceptualize and carry out a logical problem analysis and solution. Participation among the student will go along way in preparing each one of them to the task of solving real life problem as they occur. In this regard, participation in problem solving should be encouraged among the students (Masters, 2003).In the task of problem solving, students normally employs several strategies and tools. Towards this, teachers have the responsibility of ensuring that students are not only taught several strategies in problem solving but also encouraged to use different strategies and compare the results.
Souviney, (2005) illustrates that, Show a 6th grader one-fourth of a real cake and then ask, If I eat this much pizza, and then one-third of another cake, how much will I have eaten altogether? Show a 6th grader one-third of a real cake, and then ask, If I already ate one-fourth of a cake, and now eat this much, how much will I have eater altogether?
Neither of the preceding problems is a symbol-symbol or word-word problem. Instead, the situations in both problems include a real object for instance a piece of cake, and a spoken word (to represent a past or future situation (Souviney, 2005). Souviney, (2005) state that, Like many realistic problems in which mathematics is used, the situation in these two cakes problems is inherently multimodal and each of the problems is a cake word problem in which one of the students difficulties is to translate the two givens into a homogeneous representation mode so that combining is sensible. Not only may problems of the preceding type occur naturally in a multimodal form but solution paths also often weave back and forth among several representational systems, each of which typically is well suited for representing some parts of the situation but is ill suited for representing others (Masters,2003). For example, a student may think about the static quantities in a concrete way perhaps using pictures but may switch to spoken language to carry out the dynamic combining actions (Souviney, 2005).Efficient problem solvers normal employ different methods and strategies.This strategy helps in enhancing the accuracy and the authenticity of the answers or solution got.
It is prudent to not that mathematics is crucial to personal and interpersonal development I the society. Personality development is an integral part of human growth and therefore parents should guide their children during childhood life. This is because self-esteem is quit important in strong personality development. Good parental advice and life changing events normally shape peoples personality either positively or negatively and the same concept applies with problem solving skills. It is therefore upon us to choose what is good for our growth and development.
Problem solving example
Given the equation below as illustrated by Behr, Lesh, Post & Silver, (1983)
5(-3x 2) (x 3) = -4(4x + 5) + 13
* multiply all the factors.
-15x 10 x + 3 = -16x 20 +13
* Group like terms. Xc
-16x 7 = -16x 7
* Add 16x + 7 to both sides and write the equation as follows
0 = 0
source: Behr, Lesh, Post & Silver, (1983)
Comparison of Primary and Intermediate level
The concept of problem solving in both primary and intermediate level are the same in procedural steps taken so as to come up with a realistic solution. However, the difference occurs in the nature and level of ambiguity of the problem.
Conclusion
Mathematics plays a critical role in problem solving and remains one of the best
tools in critical thinking as well as knowledge development. In this regard, it
is the responsibility of the government and all the education stakeholders to
ensure that student are adequately prepared to face real life challenges through
an organized and well prepared mathematics curriculum.
References
Behr. M., Lesh, R., Post, T., & Silver, E. (1983). Rational number concepts. The acquisition of mathematical concepts and processes. New York: Academic Press.
Larson, L.C. (1990).Problem-solving through problems. Problem books in mathematics. New York: Springer.
Masters, M. (2003).Lets Prepare for the Grade 4 Math Test.New York: Educational Series.
Soifer, A. (2009).Mathematics as problem solving. New York: Springer.
Souviney, R. J. (2005).Solving math problems kids care about. New York: Good Year Books.
The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) first made its appearance on a gameshow “Let’s Make a Deal” hosted by Monty Hall. Contestants would be given the choice of three doors and two had a goat behind them and one had a car behind it. Contestants were then asked to choose one of the doors, hoping to choose the car. When they made a choice, Monty would reveal one of the goats and then contestants were questioned about if they wanted to now choose the other unopened door or if they still believed the car was behind their first choice. Many people decided to stick with their first response instead of switching, when switching actually provided better odds of winning the car (Krauss & Wang, 2003). However, this problem seems to stump people of all ages, despite the fact that it seems to be a fairly intuitive problem. Ben-Zeev, Dror, and Stibel (2009) (Age,Hand Preference, Gender)
De Neys and Vanderputte (2011) studied the idea that due to certain heuristics and biases, children sometimes reason more logically and have better choice judgement than adults. This is due to the fact that some stereotypes and heuristics are typically not introduced or available to children. Previous research done on the topic suggests that humans tend to make decisions based on intuitive feelings and stereotypical beliefs instead of a deliberate, controlled reasoning process. This study takes that idea and builds on it by looking at children who do not yet have enough life experience to have developed said stereotypical beliefs and intuitions. The main goal of this study was to prove that children may sometimes be able to make a more statistically accurate choice judgment than an adult given the same scenario, because the child will reason the situation out to the best of their abilities instead of unconsciously acting on a stereotype they believe or a heuristic they have been introduced to.
This research supports the hypothesis that children would respond more accurately to stereotype-based questions because they haven’t been exposed to this type of behavior.
There is an expectation that young or younger children don’t know as much, as many people believe knowledge comes with age. De Neys and Feremans (2013) chose to test younger children’s logistical abilities. This was accomplished by testing the ability and accuracy of of elementary children’s capability to identify their own biases created from associations, for example blue is generally more associated with boys than it is girls. This research was carried out by showing third graders and sixth graders cards they had inherent associations tied to them or there was a higher rate of a certain color than the other and then tested the children to see if they could identify the relation with confidence (De Neys & Feremans, 2013). The children were better able to comprehend and make confident decisions at similar rates as adults when the researchers included a conflict dynamic, but their results did not reach significance (De Neys & Feremans, 2013). De Neys and Feremans (2013) concluded that a potential explanation was children have less confidence when choosing answers based on heuristics in comparison to adults. This implies there may be fewer differences in children’s and adults’ thought processes even as children are coming out of elementary school.
Dickerson and Fisher (1997) researched the impact of age on completing familiar and unfamiliar tasks. These researchers found that older adults actually performed worse than younger participants. Their tasks tested abilities that while consisting of familiar and unfamiliar tasks, were also tasks that may have been easier to do if you had better motivation to do them or more experience with them like cooking or preparing food (Dickerson & Fisher, 1997). Dickerson and Fisher (1997) also tested participants motor skills and their mental processes. Older participants’ results were significantly poorer in motor skills and mental processes (Dickerson & Fisher, 1997). These results imply that physical and even thought tasks become harder as one grows older.
Kahlbaugh & Mazur (2012) found in their heuristic emphasized research, related to the Monty Hall dilemma, that adults often times fall victim to their natural senses. By that, researchers found that similar events have the same probability of occurring repeatedly. Due to this, the pigeons out performed the humans on original Monty Hall dilemma (Kahlbaugh & Mazur, 2012). The three to five year olds had a more difficult time of understanding how likely an event is to occur in comparison to another event that is similar in nature. The researchers found that this may account for the three to five year olds better performance on the Monty Hall task compared to the adults (Kahlbaugh & Mazur, 2012). While the pigeons often outperformed the adults on the original Monty Hall task, there’s little evidence that either the pigeons or the preschoolers did any better than the adults when the consequences of staying or switching became more apparent. The college students picked up the strategy of switching in fewer tries than the pigeons, whom had more trials in the entire study (Kahlbaugh & Mazur, 2012). This study found in order for better performance to occur on the Monty Hall Dilemma with the college-aged adults and the pigeons that repeated trials, in addition to more variation in the consequences of staying versus switching, has to be present (Kahlbaugh & Mazur, 2012).
An Australian researcher took a look at how attention, intelligence and aging may be interconnected. In the study, there were three sets of variables to measure the interconnectedness of age, measure of intelligence, and attentional variables (Stankov, 1988). The variances in attention were measured with concentration, search, divided attention, selective attention, attentional flexibility, and vigilance tests (Stankov, 1988). A total of 36 tests were given in order to measure crystalized intelligence, fluid intelligence, short-term memory acquisition and retrieval function (Stankov, 1988). The results of the study concluded that selective attention is affected by any outside factors. As well as among the three attentional factors the most entrenched factor is search, which is the ability to find a specific signal among an array of similar signals. Fluid intelligence has been shown to be better measure competing tasks, these tasks allow for short-term recall, retrieval function, as well as more limberness in how one goes about solving problems (Stankov, 1988). Age-related change in fluid and crystallized intelligence in combination with attentional processes are linked leading with decreased attention capabilities and ending with an affect on intelligence (Stankov, 1988). However, the study also concluded that age has no effect on one’s aptitude to divide attention as well as including that perhaps a third factor that cannot be measured may have an influence on intellectual functioning and attention (Stankov, 1988).
There is always a question of if getting older or if being younger hinders or aids a person. These studies looked at age in many different ways and how that affects one’s problem solving abilities. In studies like De Neys & Feremans’ (2013) we see that age has little effect on statistical reasoning as adults and elementary children performed at relatively similar rates. Then in Dickerson and Fisher’s (1997) research we see that age may have had an impact on not just physical condition, but also mental condition. It is our belief that age is associated with people’s problem-solving abilities.
References
Ben-Zeev,Talia; Dror Itiel; & Stibel, Jeffrey M. (2009). The Collapsing Choice Theory: Dissociating Choice and Judgement in Decision Making. Theory and Decision, 66, 149-179. doi 10.1007/s11238-007-9094-7
De Neys, Wim; Feremans, Vicky. (2013). Development of the Heuristic Bias Detection in Elementary School. Developmental Psychology, 49(2), 258-269. doi 10.1037/a0028320
De Neys, Wim; Vanderputte, Karolien. (2011). When Less is Not More: Stereotype Knowledge and Reasoning Development. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 432-441. doi 10.1037/a0021313
Dickerson, Anne E.; Fisher, Anne G. (1997). Effects of Familiarity of Task and Choice on the Functional Performance of Younger and Older Adults. Psychology and Aging, 12(2), 247-254. doi 0882-7974/97/53.00
Kahlbaugh, Patricia E.; Mazur, & James E. (2012). Choice Behavior of Pigeons (Columba livia), College Students, and Preschool Children (Homo sapiens) in the Monty Hall Dilemma. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 126(4), 407-420. doi 10.1037/a0028273
Krauss, Stefan; & Wang, X. T. (2003). The Psychology of the Monty Hall Problem: Discovering Psychological Mechanisms for Solving a Tenacious Brain Teaser. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 132(1), 3-22. doi 10.1037/0096-3445.132.1.3
Stankov, Lazar. (1988). Aging, Attention, and Intelligence. Psychology and Aging. 3(1), 59-74. doi 0882-7974/88/S00.75
There is simply no end to the number of instances where one has seen how poor alignment among the several values of an organization and the individual principles of the employees have immensely impacted and resulted in poor performance of the organization. Researchers are of the opinion that even though most of the organizations across the globe have recognised the importance of values but there are still quite a lot of companies who are yet to understand the same, completely. Apart from the importance of the organizational values this work will also take into account the significance of problem solving in a business and how important it is a mechanism for determining a course of action.
Comparison
It has been observed time and again that the organizational leaders, who have concentrated well in the values and ethics have come up with more success rates than that of their counterparts. But as has been pointed out in the study conducted by the authors Malbašić et al. (2015), there still prevails an unsolved question that is mainly concerned with the making of a well-balanced organizational value that will serve adequately to achieve the manifold goals of an organization. While exploring the balanced organizational values and their importance in the modern-day organization, the authors have found out the various ways in which it contributes in making the business story a success. With the help of the chosen source where the authors stated that they have quite aptly explained that organizational values play a number of crucial functions for which they are being considered with such seriousness. The next journal regarding ted talk demonstrated that TED Talks have an inspiring complete outreach as it is open to everybody and thereby allow the organisational members to gain an understanding of the sustainability goal. According to Tarsha (2017), this is not just helping in determining the distinctive features of the company but at the same time command to a great extent the personal participation and alignment of the company values. Moreover, in order to communicate what the company considers important for its operations, organizational values play a vital role and at the same time have the power to affect the overall behaviour as well. The employees, stakeholders, clients can be easily inspired to take positive action with the help of the core organizational values. Furthermore, author Arbor (2019) asserted the core impotence of micro-credential in solving the business case problem. It is proven from the chosen journal that Micro credentials supports organisation to upsurge the value of business policy by enhancing the scope of learning and development. It also reduces time to capability, resultant in more affianced learners within the organisation. Therefore, a possibility of better productivity can also be increased concurrently. This also goes on to donate largely to the overall success and goal accomplishment of the organization.
When it comes to the importance of various organizational values, it is seen that most of the modern organizations have widely recognized the cruciality of the same. Organizational values, as been opined by experts, are ideologies that direct and guide, most of the vital activities of a company. They are basically the belief system that is seen to be held by a specific person or group concerning the resources and purposes that companies have to categorise in order to run the run the company successfully. In the investigative work of the authors Malbašić et al. (2015), the relationship among business model innovation and commercial sustainability along with organizational values have been demonstrated thoroughly. The main objective of the investigative work in the chosen journal was to examine the manner in which these three scopes associate with corporate economic performance (Ehtisham, 2018). The study related with TED Talk revealed that companies that had innovative models for business operations have an enhanced possibility of addressing commercial sustainability. Moreover, that business model invention and commercial sustainability are similar. In fact, these traits are characteristically seen in organisations that are deeply rooted in ethics of suppleness and decision. The business model invention and commercial sustainability as has also been observed in the study of micro credential. In this study Tarsha (2017) gives the impression of having their basis in the essential principles that guide the establishment towards its goal fulfillment. Moreover, the study has also found out a positive affiliation amongst the core structural values and economic performance. In order to uphold the accuracy of the work, the author has made the analysis based on a survey, where responses were collected and considered from the managers. Furthermore, the importance of problem solving in any business environment has been discussed through an innovative model of micro-credential. The authors of the research paper have stated that individual and business surroundings are filled with objects, actions, interactions and procedures that are fragmented or are acting as obstacle (Arbor, 2019). Adding to this, these are not letting it to operate exactly in the manner the company desires it to work. This is precisely where the ability of problem-solving plays a crucial role by offering the organization a mechanism to recognize and categorize these obstructing elements and to figure out the reasons why they are in a broken state. Moreover, problem solving also helps in determining the befitting course of action that will being the situation under control as well.
Discussion
The fact that the unethical behavior is one of the major issues that concerns both the organizations and persons specifically, in relation to the people who are widely engaged in such applications, cam hardly be denied. There are many instances where they have been harmfully impacted by such practices as well. In this regard, Arbor (2019) mentioned that the approach of micro-credential presents a concrete structured for the process of problem-solving and underlines the organizational culture where problems can be considered as future prospects for improving the corporate goal. There have been attempts by not only philosophers and professionals but also by organizations and society to define a well-structured problem-solving process, so that it serves the organization adequately to fulfill its purpose. A structured problem-solving process is seen to be greatly influenced by both the organizational values and the individual concerned. Creative problem solving (CPS) is an approach where an organization tries to solve it in an inventive or innovative manner (Ehtisham, 2018). The aim of CPS is to produce innovative results, decide and act rapidly. The issues that affect problem-solving actions comprises the thought procedures or thinking designs of the concerned person. The chief thought process scopes comprise of tactical intelligence or a better long-standing concentration and not just a temporary departmental emphasis.
Conclusion
Behind the successful operation of an organization, one should not only recognize the vitality of its top executives but at the same time one must also admit the role of its employees, clients and stakeholders as well. To maintain the much-needed alignment among them, individual and organizational values along with an effective problem-solving process have a vital role to play. Therefore, organizations across the globe should consider these factors for the successful operations and further development.
References
Arbor, A. (2019). ‘Micro-Credentials: The Badges of Professional Growth’, The Education Digest, 82(9), pp. 21-28. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/1889701511/47129E632447418APQ/2?accountid=13552
Tarsha, R. (2017). ‘Understanding Public Perceptions of TED Talks: Influence and Impact of a Multi-Platform, Multi-Venue Non-Profit Organization as a Communicative Space’, Regent University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 10271269, pp. 1-225. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/1896118757/CBDB98B741614E33PQ/1?accountid=13552
Malbašić, I., Rey, C., and Potočan, V. (2015). ‘Balanced Organizational Values: From Theory to Practice’. Journal of Business Ethics, 130(2), pp. 437-446.
Ehtisham, A. (2018). ‘The Value of Values: The Role of Personal Values, Organizational Values and Values-Congruency in Business Purchase Decisions’, University of Lethbridge (Canada), ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 10837213, pp. 1-170. https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/docview/2090022334/9E3A8B484CB945F4PQ/2?accountid=13552
Looking at Angelique Patterson today, you would never guess that her run-ins with sexual violence started at the very young age of five. After being sexually abused, Patterson started down a ‘dark path’ that made her begin cutting herself at the age of seven, and by age eleven, she had begun abusing drugs and alcohol. Her parents, fearing for her life, found Patterson a treatment center in Florida. So, they sent her on a flight to Florida. However, instead of going to rehab, she used the money to check into a hotel. When she could no longer pay for the room, she lived on the beach. Everything was becoming a blur to her due to her getting so high on heroin that she could not think. When she was loitering outside a liquor store, a man approached her and said, “Are you doing alright?” The man told her he had a place to stay. Without thinking, she went with him back to his house. Later that same night, the man took her away and she was raped by three men. When she asked for an explanation, he said simply, “Nothing in life is free baby, so if you want to stay here, you have to earn your stay.”
Angelique was taken to highways, motels, and truck stops and sold ten to fifteen times a day. After a severe beating, she remembered a local nurse had given her a phone number to call if she ever wanted to leave. After coming to her senses, she called the nurse, and she drove her five hours to a rehab clinic to help her begin to heal her addiction to heroin and alcohol. After being in detox and finding Jesus, she shares her story with survivors just like her and speaks to many crowds across the country (NBC News). Angelique’s story is one of millions of other women and girls across the United States. The issue is spreading rapidly throughout the country, and it is eighty- percent of what human trafficking constitutes. Sex trafficking is a problem in the United States because of the easy money that is earned, the manipulation of women and girls, and how the “industry” is concealed.
According to Polaris, a sex trafficking awareness website, there have been thirty-four thousand, eight hundred cases of sex trafficking in the United States since 2007. (Polaris Project) Sex trafficking is a problem in the United States because of the easy profits that can be e made by exploiting young women and girls. In the sex trafficking business, girls come with a price. Prices can vary from pimp to pimp, but prices can usually go from fifty to three hundred dollars an hour. According to a source, one pimp had three girls bringing him back five hundred dollars each, a day. (Frundt) And all this money adds up, and the result is scary. The International Labor Organization, or ILO, estimates that human trafficking, which includes sex trafficking, generates an estimated one hundred fifty billion dollars per year, illegally. (Collins) It is also popular because the profits are more promising than drug or weapon trafficking. Vanity Fair states that “You can sell a pound of heroin or an AK-47 once, but you can sell a young girl multiple times a day.” (Collins) Money is a major factor in the sex trafficking world, and it can make or break a trafficked girl. If the girls do not meet the “quota” set by their pimp, they can face punishments ranging from forced sexual intercourse to actual beatings, and like Angelique, even threatened to death. To avoid this, some girls stay out longer than they are allotted to get the profit they need to make their pimp happy and satisfied. They also must obey any rule the pimp gives them. One girl recalls that they “had to avoid any type of law enforcement-he said we couldn’t risk getting caught.” (Archer) If girls disobey their pimp, it could result in severe repercussions, from no food for a week to isolation. These punishments can damage the girls mentally, and for some, send them into a downward spiral into oblivion.
Police departments across the country are warning users of popular dating apps such as Tinder and Match.com to be on the lookout for anything that looks suspicious. Why? Pimps are now using dating websites and services to lure in unassuming users of the app. (Polaris Project) However, this is only one of the many ways pimps use to lure in new girls. Sex trafficking is a problem in the United States because of how pimps are manipulating women and girls. Tsin Yeh Koh, a student at Harvard University, states that the most common ways pimps use to lure in girls are fake job offers, fake companies, Craigslist ads, and newspaper job postings. (Yeh Koh) And according to the FBI, it’s becoming more and more common in many cases they come across all around the country. Investigators also disclosed that they target girls who have low self-esteem, are impoverished, have been previously sexually abused, and in general want a better life for themselves. When Angelique ran away, she wasn’t impoverished, but she had been sexually abused and she was writhing in self-hatred. Pimps prey on this, as they see that this vulnerability can lead them easily to win over a girl’s mind and heart. Often, pimps will buy the girls drugs and alcohol, but it is not for the girl’s personal enjoyment. Pimps use these to make the girls unaware of the real world and zombie-like, which means they are less likely to argue when they are to be serviced. Brittni Lange, a survivor from Hope House in New Orleans says, “All the drugs in the world couldn’t numb the pain that the girls I lived with and myself felt.” (Lange) To prevent this, many mothers are educating their daughters on how to keep themselves safe when they are out and about. (Collins) They are told to never walk the streets alone, especially at night, to avoid talking to strangers, and to always refuse anyone’s request to take them or drive them anywhere. These mothers hope that if they can educate their daughters, then it will inspire other women to teach their daughters the same. One mother of three teenage girls says, “If we keep our girls educated and help them use common sense…we can keep our beautiful girls out of the hands of these predators.” (Archer)
Looking at the city of New Orleans, one would expect to see the city’s energetic atmosphere, its French roots, and its historic architecture. However, what most Americans don’t know about the city is that it is a hotbed for sex trafficking. Alongside Dallas, Texas, it is ranked one of the worst cities for sex trafficking in the United States. Just recently, the state of Louisiana was awarded a one-point two-million-dollar grant to help the victims of sex trafficking. But the question is, how do the residents of New Orleans not see or notice anything suspicious going on? Sex trafficking is a problem in the United States because of how the “industry” conceals itself. Thankfully, researchers have been able to help provide information and signs on what to keep an eye out for when it comes to sex trafficking. According to UNITAS, parents should be worried if there are drastic changes in mood, behavior, grades, slang, and overall contentment with life. (Collins) Experts and law enforcement hope that these signs can help alert parents and friends of exploited teenagers and women to escape captivity. Thousands of miles away in New York City, Rachel Lloyd’s nonprofit organization is helping to rescue girls from the commercial sex life and help them get the healing they need and deserve. The Girl’s Education and Mentoring Services (GEMS) have helped hundreds of thousands of girls across the United States since nineteen ninety-eight. Lloyd started the nonprofit organization to help educate and bring girls back to a normal lifestyle. Lloyd herself has said, “Girls weren’t drug addicted, they were love addicted, and that, I’ve learned, is far harder to treat.”
One way we can end this issue in our country is to revise and revisit the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2013, as well as strengthen the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act and the Fight Online Sex Traffickers Act. Sex trafficking has become an epidemic in the United States due to the easy money that can be earned, the manipulation of women, and the concealment of the “industry”. As a country, we need to raise more awareness of this very important issue. As President Trump stated in his State of The Union address, there has been an influx of migrant girls being sexually exploited on American soil. He asked Congress to pass legislation helping to prevent this from happening. Whether these girls are migrants or not, they do not deserve to be exploited for a sick person’s own benefit or enjoyment. Many girls who have escaped ‘the life’ have become activists who are pushing for a crackdown on sex trafficking, longer sentences for offenders, and relief for girls who are rescued. In January, he made the following statement regarding human trafficking, which constitutes sex trafficking: “This is an urgent humanitarian issue. My administration is committed to leveraging every resource we must to confront this threat, to support the victims and survivors, and to hold traffickers accountable for their heinous crimes” (Trump). If there is more done to combat these issues, we can possibly eradicate sex trafficking. This horrible issue has continued in our country for too long, and we haven’t done enough to stop it. We should come together as Americans as friends and as activists and help the cycle of sexual trafficking and exploitation. The thousands of girls who are exploited and abused every day are silently pleading for help, and more often than not, their pleas are never heard. These girls are silently suffering, and it is time we save them from these monsters that control them and destroy their lives and well-being. For our country, for our safety, and for our girls.
Frundt, Tina. “Enslaved in America: Sex Trafficking in the United States.” Women’s Funding Network, WFA International, 28 Nov. 2015, www.womensfundingnetwork.org/enslaved-in-america-sex-trafficking-in-the- united-states/.
UNITAS Public Charity. “Human Trafficking 101.” UNITAS – United To Fight Against Human Trafficking, 2018, www.unitas.ngo/humantrafficking101? gclid=EAIaIQobChMI19z5teya4AIVUD0MCh2jgAh-EAAYAiAAEgJgRfD_BwE.
“President Donald J. Trump Is Fighting to Eradicate Human Trafficking.” The White House, The United States Government, 2019, www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-fighting-eradicate-human-trafficking/.
“President Donald J. Trump Is Fighting to Eradicate Human Trafficking.” The White House, The United States Government, 2019, www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-fighting-eradicate-human-trafficking/.
Litten, Kevin. “The Track: How Sex Trafficking Has Taken Hold of Bourbon Street.” NOLA.com, NOLA.com, 23 Oct. 2017, www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/10/the_track_how_sex_trafficking.html.
“Human Trafficking In America.” Edited by PT Editorial, Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201304/human-trafficking-in-america.
Problem solving is the ability to work through problems by using critical thinking skills to arrive at a solution (Janowiak, III, The Conover Company, & St. Norbert College, 2019). Being able to solve conflicts in the workplace is a great way to show leadership. Numerous issues emerge at work environments because of misguided thinking and misconstruing thus there is a requirement for critical thinking (Baldwin, Rubin and Bommer, 2013). There are many ways issues at the workplace can be handled. For one, you must be able to acknowledge what is going on with your employees and the work environment. As a leader, fairness and equality is extremely important.
Allowing everyone to express their views concerning the problem lets them know that everyone is being heard and that you are not being bias. Once the issue is discovered, you will be able to know the differences that the workers have and a better idea as to how you can overcome the problems that they may have over each other. Another way is by coming up with possible solutions to ensure these problems are resolved. Before jumping into major decisions, a leader must come up with temporary solutions. Thinking things through allows you, as a leader, to be able to put all things into perspective. After developing a couple of temporary solutions, you can then implement or pick the best solution from the temporary ones (Parrott, 2009). As a leader you must determine the best solution that will resolve the issues amongst employees. The final solution should appear to be fair and considerate and employees should be able to apply it to the issue.
When an individual has poor judgement, it is when the individual fails to use sound judgment about the things and people around them as well a lack of value and consideration. This prevents a person from performing admirably in their everyday obligations. There are several ways in which people exercise poor judgment in the workplace. One of them is an inability to control emotions. Some people transfer their problems to work. This causes disagreement among the workers and the employers which leads to poor work performance because of disunity caused by lack of sharing ideas. Inability to control emotions leads to impulsive decision making (Parrott, 2009). A person only caring about their own accomplishments and their goals are one of the ways that people exercise poor judgment at work. Some people would rather tear someone else down than to help build someone else up. This makes them be famous and receive praises which are supposed to be for other people (Baldwin, Rubin & Bommer, 2013). When coworkers lack communication, they are showing that they have poor judgement as an employee and a person. Workers sometimes fail to communicate with each other due to some issues among them. When there is poor communication the employees submit incomplete or poor work as well as giving the wrong impression of themselves or others. Self-centeredness is major way that a person can appear to have poor judgement. This causes them to be acclaimed and get acclaims which should be for others (Baldwin, Rubin and Bommer, 2013).
I would say, I have experienced a few judgment mistakes of my own. One of them is being too in touch with my feelings and not being able to control them. I have encountered poor judgement from professionals in the medical field. Once I visited the emergency room with a fever and sore throat. The doctor ran no test and jokingly said that I was faking. He and his nurse argued in front of me about rather or not I should have a test done. I visited my family doctor and learned that I had the flu. The doctor was very inconsiderate of both his nurse and I. That situation possibly created tention among the doctor and his nurse which probably made the workplace atmosphere tense and stressful.
There are a lot of factors in the work environment that can lead to poor judgement. Some people tend to take their problems with them wherever they go. If someone had car trouble, spilled coffee on their favorite blouse and locked her keys in the car, this can transpire negative energy to the workplace. Stress causes employees to feel uneasiness and creates poor work execution and this energy could easily be transferred to others, basically creating a domino effect of negative energy and poor work performance. Rivalry becomes sometime rough especially knowing that employees want to be recognized as the best. Employees can go as low as refusing to help others to get an experience like them. This cause not only that person but the entire department to eventually suffers. Friendly competition is great to have and initiates the drive amongst coworkers but when it becomes unfriendly and spiteful it becomes a real problem. Competitions make workers uncooperative since everyone wants their work to be better than the next. When they become uncooperative, some workers are creating tension in the workplace. Insisting on personality and specialization is also one way of minimizing poor judgment at work (Parrott, 2009). In conclusion, poor judgment in the workplace can cause a great deal of loss than gain. When a real leader implements effective problem-solving in their work as well the employees and the workplace, it shows. Effective problem solving creates a better workplace and eliminates future problems that arise from poor judgement.
References
Baldwin, T. T., Bommer, W., & Rubin, R. S. (2013). Managing organizational behavior: What great managers know and do. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Janowiak, A., III, A., The Conover Company, & St. Norbert College. (2019, September 30). Teamwork: Solving Problems. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://www.conovercompany.com/teamwork-solving-problems/
Kerns, C. (2017, October 30). Why Good Leaders Do Bad Things – A Peer-Reviewed Academic Articles: GBR. Retrieved April 17, 2020, from https://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/why-good-leaders-do-bad-things/
Parrott, R. (2009). The longview: Lasting strategies for rising leaders. Colorado Springs: David C Cook.