Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Discrimination - Essay Example It can be called much close to ethnic discriminatory behavior. This Essay is based on one of the many victims of language-based discrimination. The subject is one Mr. Gafur Leka who will elaborate on the hard ships he had to face in his personal and professional life due to the bare fact that he was not well versed with the English language. Though it cannot be said as a serious handicap but people made him believe so. Mr. Gafur Leka believes that Discrimination in any form is bad for the unity and diversity of our society and men couldn’t grow and contribute positively to the society if either they are victims or perpetrators of Discrimination. He is equally critical of the Discrimination based on Language as often it goes un-noticed and seldom comes under the scanner. According to him the maximum cases of language based discrimination happen at the work place and often go un-noticed. According to Mr. Gafur Leka language based discriminatory behavior is equally bad and obnoxious for the social fabric. Mr. Gafur Leka works at Harvard maintenance at a fairly senior position of Maintenance supervisor for projects. But his position and standing in the society doesn’t reflect the prejudices and discrimination he had to face before finally attaining this position and gaining the respect of his peers. In the words of Mr. Gafur leka â€Å" I came here in the year 1970, armed with a mechanical engineering diploma from a reputed institute based in India.† It were tough times then for foreign emigrants who came, Mr. leka came here with stars in his eyes, but the moment he landed here it was a rude awakening for him. He was asked uncomfortable questions at the emigration counter about his ethnicity, his purpose of visit and more than anything he was poked at his inability to converse in English. â€Å" It was such a embarrassing experience for me, though I was able to understand a bit about what they were saying but couldn’t

Individual and Collective Responsibility in the Society Assignment

Individual and Collective Responsibility in the Society - Assignment Example In developing his society, Alexie uses the ordinary people in any other society such as fathers, sons, husbands, laborers, and artists among many others. He develops a perilous poise between external responsibility and self-preservation through family, art and the entire world through by extrapolation. â€Å"Yes the kid was a decent athlete, yet the kid was a descent yes the kid was a decent person. But he had broken into my house† Alexie 14. The adults interact with the children effectively and in a bid to create a peaceful and cohesive society, they must maintain a sense of order by addressing such social vices and deterrence to peace as theft, which the author portrays here. He develops a good child who epitomizes the desirable qualities, but due to lack in the society and poor upbringing, the child breaks into other people’s houses and steal. The society must develop ways of punishing and rectifying such. Relations and interactions exist at different levels in society. In their relations, the characters maintain the decorum that is mandatory in the development of a cohesive society. In portraying the relationship among the character, Alexie develops the balance between self-portrayal and external responsibility by defining the specific individual and communal role. At family levels, the characters maintain a level of intimacy required of couples by sharing fundamental information that sustains such relationships, â€Å"My wife paused before answering, and in the pause, I heard all the doubt and fear. So I got out of bed, dressed and left the house† (Alexie 15). Alexis develops communal responsibility as that which everyone must maintain in order to achieve a desirable and society in which people observed laws and maintained the social order â€Å"But this time when those black people walked in slow motion in front of mei did not smile or laugh.  

Interactive Training Modules in Microcontrolling and Microprocessing Essay Example for Free

Interactive Training Modules in Microcontrolling and Microprocessing Essay Computer Engineering Department lacks equipment when it comes to new kinds of microcontrollers and modules. Developing interactive training modules is our proposed solution to that problem. This interactive training module will be a medium to help students and enable them to get ideas on how to do their projects. This project presents the Interactive Training Modules for Microcontrolling and Microprocessing. It consists of combinations of different modules that are used for training that is available in the market and an interactive manual. The main objectives of this project is to have a low cost training module for Computer Engineering Department that can be used as an educational material in teaching basic microcontrolling and microprocessing to give the students ideas in creating their own projects. The interactive training modules will consist a microcontroller and different types of sensors, input/output devices, motors, and communication modules. Each module will have several easy to understand educational experiments and other using the combination of different modules. The interactive manual will contain all the instructions for the experiment, information about the microcontroller and other details that can be very helpful for the user of the trainer. A Gizduino (Arduino based microcontroller) will be used for this project because of being a low-cost microcontroller and easy to understand programming language which is C-based. We decided to purchase a ready made and low cost trainer that is easy to use and will have an additional feature like having a Ethernet Shield that can be used in controlling other modules. B. Statement of the problem The proponents aim to present the general problem and specific problems. Microprocessing and Microcontrolling have become important over a wide range of applications from hobby, manufacturing, surgery until to the handling of hazardous materials. Consequently, it’s important to understand how they work, and what problems exist in designing effective project interactive training modules. In designing interactive training modules, we must understand it requires a lot of knowledge and basic information about the modules. From other research and studies, there are several problems statements that are clarify and noticed †¢Cost Initially, the cost for purchasing an interactive training module is very expensive. A quality and suitable materials for this project will cost a lot of budget and it’s clearly not affordable. This will cause a difficulty for educational purposes and many students and instructors will find lots of difficulties in doing their studies and research. Thus this project will help them to deliver a better understanding about the basic operation and functions of a Microprocessor and Microcontroller. †¢Hardware system To construct a interactive module, there are few procedures to be considered which are process etching, installating component, soldering process, testing and troubleshooting. If the constructed circuit does not function, troubleshooting must be done, thus it needs a lot of focus and knowledge about circuit process. †¢System integration Technically, it is always difficult to integrate the hardware and software. There are many ways to integrate the system to function according to instructions that are given. Loads of research and studies must be done in order to achieve the expected result for this project. Also this study provides answers to the following questions: †¢What are the problems encountered by the students and instructors in using the existing instructional tools available for the Computer Engineering Department? †¢What are the solutions that can be provided to address the problems? C. Objectives of the study The objectives of this project are: i.To have an up-to-date and low cost training module that can be used by the Computer Engineering students. ii.To produce an interactive training manual as a guide for educational purpose. iii.To build and develop both the training modules hardware and software system that could be integrated to support the application system of a basic microcontroller and microprocessor. D. Scope and Delimitation Basically the scope of this project will be the following: i.Doing research and development for the project. ii.Gathering informative source about the topic from multiple source such as books, journals, internet and also magazines. iii.Start developing and installing the materials for the hardware. iv.Integrating the developed hardware and software. v.Doing performance testing to the developed project. E. Significance of the Study This project would be beneficial for the following: i.Instructors: It will provide sample in discussing how to create projects that need microcontrolling and microprocessing, it can also be used as an instructional tool for the laboratory experiments on employing effective learning in their class. ii.Students: It will serve as a basis of reference for conducting study and a way of training themselves in basic microcontrolling and microprocessing. iii.Campus: It will provide better method of teaching new technologies to Computer Engineering students. iv.Researchers: It will serve as a future reference on the subject of Microcontroller and Microprocessor. F. Definition of Terms Arduino is an open source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy to use hardware and software. Ethernet is a family of computer networking technologies for local area networks (LANs). Interactive Accepting input from a human. Interactive computer systems are programs that allow users to enter data or commands. Most popular programs, such as word processors and spreadsheet applications. Microcontroller A microcontroller (sometimes abbreviated  µC, uC or MCU) is a small computer on a single integrated circuit containing a processor core, memory, and programmable input/output peripherals. Microprocessor incorporates the functions of a computers central processing unit (CPU) on a single integrated circuit (IC), or at most a few integrated circuits. It is a multipurpose, programmable device that accepts digital data as input, processes it according to instructions stored in its memory, and provides results as output. Module A self-contained assembly of electronic components and circuitry, such as a stage in a computer that is installed as a unit. Motor A device that converts any form of energy into mechanical energy, especially an internal-combustion engine or an arrangement of coils and magnets that converts electric current into mechanical power. Sensors A sensor (also called detector) is a converter that measures a physical quantity and converts it into a signal which can be read by an observer or by an (today mostly electronic) instrument.

Cost Management in the Fast Food Industry

Cost Management in the Fast Food Industry The Fast food organization which the researcher intends to carry out research is owned by a leading fast food brand ÂÂ  it is the worlds largestÂÂ  fast foodÂÂ  restaurant company in terms of system units-over 36,000 restaurants around the world in more than 110 countries and territories. In 2008, its globalÂÂ  salesÂÂ  totaled more thanÂÂ  US$11 billion was created on October 7, 1997, asÂÂ  Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc. This organization is a world wide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of fast food restaurants. The head quarters of this organization are in United States. It has a wide range of brands:- The researcher is going to research on the Pizza Hut, as it is the prime brand . 1.1 Cost Control Generating revenue is the main aim of an organization. The maximum use of resources with least expenses is cost control. Cutting costs is the simplest way to improve your bottom line. Introducing a cost control system can bring immediate savings and ensure that you remain competitive in the longer term. But cost control needs to be carefully managed. While eliminating wasteful activities is clearly beneficial, indiscriminate cost cutting can lead to falling quality and poor morale. According to (Clement Ojugo ,2003) cost control means steps taken by management to assure that the cost objectives set down in the planning stage are attained and to assure that all segments of the organization function in a manner consistent with its policies. For effective cost control, most organizations useÂÂ  standard cost systemÂÂ  , in which the actual costs are compared against standard costs for performance evaluation and the deviations are investigated for remedial actions. Cost control is also concerned with feedback that might change any or all of the future plans, the production method, or both. (Michael M, 2001) defines; cost accountingÂÂ  establishes budget and actual cost of operations, processes, departments or product and the analysis of variances, profitability or social use of funds. Managers use cost accounting to support decision-making to cut a companysÂÂ  costsÂÂ  and improve profitability. Importance of cost control in Fast -Food Industry. The operations cost in a fast-food organization depends upon how accurately the costing strategies are applied. If the cost control strategies are applied with-out considering the operational side of the organization it will have negative results on revenue. According to (Ismail A, 2001) successful cost control strategies require inventory data updated. Author suggest best practice, cost control depends upon Frequency and timeliness of inventory which means daily business reports, weekly trading reports and monthly reporting. According to (Talyn. L, 2001) because food cost is usually one of the highest cost percentages in any establishment, it is important to know how to calculate it.ÂÂ  Whether it is a steak and seafood restaurant, a family restaurant, a pub or a martini bar, it is very important to know what the total food cost is. Author says that if the food cost is not learnt or pre calculated then the end result would be a lack or lose control over the food cost giving higher losses in return. According to (Jagels.M, 2007) the implementation of cost control has number of advantages. Quantify future plans: the cost control process compels operational managers to look ahead and follow the strategies applied by the cost controller. This identifies the shortfalls in sales and resources and provides the opportunity for measures to be implemented to overcome the difficulties. Set revenue objectives and targets: the cost control process provides the opportunity to set targets to reduce operational expenditure. The restaurants cost control is dependent on the operational staff. Communicate objectives: the cost control system provides a formal opportunity for higher level managers at divisional regional levels to set targets based on the long term objectives of the organization. Control business performance: the process provides a standard based on expected revenues and costs to which actual performance can be compared. Variance between fixed cost and variable cost identifies the o pportunity to maximize profits. (Wood.R, 2008) looks at cost control with a very practical approach. (Woods R, 2008) says that costing process in its entirely time consuming and therefore costly in terms of management time and resources. (Woods. R, 2008) argues that the cost and time involved are not justifiable because the end result is based on many unknown factors and the actual performance will almost certainly be different. This criticism needs to be considered in the advantages of the cost control system, because it forces managers to consider all relevant factors likely to affect their business and plan for the effective use of resources, and this requires both an internal and an external analysis. THE RATIONALE According to ( Cohen.L, 2000) rational is sensible reason to conduct a research study. The researcher finds fast food field interesting because of the researcher is presently in the same field. This research will help the researcher learn the fast food organization cost control strategies. The organization is fast food sector have different kind of budgets like Material, capital, operation strategies. To solve the problem of high cost and generate maximum profit. The researcher is working in the fast food industry which researcher wishes to research. The main concern in this industry is to serve people and have 100% customer satisfaction. In order to present the best of amenities, facilities and infrastructure to the guest the organization has to make some expenses which have to be planned and aligned with the help of cost control strategies from the revenues generated. 3. RESEARCH QUESTION This research is designed to answer the question Is the Fast- Food industry able to control cost and maximize profit? According to (Jagels.M, 2007) it is difficult task because of pilferage, lack of training to the new staff, adherence to standard recipe, perishables, etc should be considered while applying cost control strategies. According to(Ralston.C, 2004) fast food operations are people oriented and people driven, it is more difficult to effectively automate and control food costs than in any other non business organization. The costs in fast food operations are fixed cost but the sales revenue are totally unpredictable. With the above mentioned statements it can be considered that cost control is a difficult task in fast food industry. There for importance of cost control can be clear seen . Considering the details wastage details affecting the sales revenue will make perfect cost control for an organization. 4. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS According to (Maxwell.J, 2005) a research hypothesis is the statement created by a researcher when they speculate upon the outcome of a research or experiment. The researcher here tries to assume that, those fast food organizations having a low food cost and higher profit are having the superior cost control strategies. In addition, those fast food organizations having a perfect cost control will be more profitable when compared to that fast food organization who often fumbles in cost control system. 5. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES According to ( Hussey.J, 1997) the underlying and overriding aims and purposes of a research or analysis exercise that is, what researcher specifically want to find out. The main aim of this research is to understand the cost control strategies in the fast food organization using costing as a tool The research objectives can be summarized as follows: To gain knowledge on how to do cost control To identify the cost control strategy in fast food organization. To analyze the importance of cost control in fast food organization, which contributes in keeping expenses in control and increase revenues. To develop a list of best practices of successful strategies, which controls the cost and helps in maximizing revenue? 6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY According to (Zikmund.W, 2006) Methodology includes a philosophically coherent collection of theories, concepts or ideas as they relate to a particular discipline or field of inquiry. According to (Klein and Myers, 1999) Methodology refers to more than a simple set of methods; rather it refers to the rationale and the philosophical assumptions that underlie to particular study. 7. METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH According to (Creswell. J , ) a quantitative approach is one in which the investigator primarily uses post positivist claims for developing knowledge i.e. cause effect thinking, reduction to specific variables and hypothesis and questions, use of measurement and observation, and the test of theories. Employs strategies of inquiry such as experiments and surveys, and collects data on predetermine instruments that yield statistical data. The research approach will be deductive to bring out the best result of research findings. The researcher emphasizes on the cost control strategies of fast food organization so the nature of the methodology will be post positivist knowledge claims, experimental strategy of inquiry. According to ( Teddlie C 1998) quantitative research includes substantial amount of literature at the beginning of a study to provide direction for the research question or hypothesis. In planning quantitative study the literature is often used at the beginning of a study to introduce a problem or to describe in detail the existing literature in a section titled review of literature. In addition literature is also included a the end of a study which the researcher compares the results of the study with the existing findings in the literature. The research will be carried out keeping the research question in focus. There will be interviews and questionnaires. (Bryman et al 2008) suggest that a researcher should give respondents the closed ended questions where there is limited choice of possible answers. The researcher plans to give limited choice of answers but also at the same time open questions will be included in order to collect accurate and as much as possible information required in conducting the research. 8. RESEARCH METHODS AÂÂ  deductive argument is anÂÂ  argument in which it is thought that the premises provide aÂÂ  guarantee of the truth of the conclusion. In a deductive argument, the premises are intended to provide support for the conclusion that is so strong that, if the premises are true, it would beÂÂ  impossible for the conclusion to be false. (Winch. W, 1913) The researcher decides to adapt the deductive method of research, as the nature research is quantitative. According to (Thomas R, 2003) quantitative research uses numbers and statistical methods. It tends to be based on nuerical measurements of specific aspects of phenomena, rather than theory and words. According to (Glesne and Peshkin, 1992) careful sampling strategies and experimental designs are aspects of quantitative methods aimed at produce generalizable results. The researcher intends to find out the cost control strategy by interviews and questionnaires etc. The interview will be conducted with top level managers who are involved in cost control. The survey participants will be all working in research related areas. The semi structured interviews may start with an organizational questionnaire to gain company information such as numbers of restaurants, average revenue/cost per cover etc. The aim of the interview will be to find out the way cost control strategies are implemented. The principles they adapt to maximize their profits. 9. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS The researcher intends to perform the research in the organization where he is employed and therefore has been granted access to carry out the interviews and survey. In addition, it is believed that the researcher may require at least two more organizations to make a comparison of the cost control strategies and how are they implemented. The researcher is confident that he will be able to gain the required number of participating organizations in the research. Interviews: The researcher intends to conduct the research in the organization where he is employed. Hence to reach to the top level managers would not be a barrier. The interviews will be planned and organized well in advance, without disturbing the outlet operations. To make the most out of the interview of the managers, researcher plans to use some tools like spidogram, voice recording and collect relevant samples of past cost control if available. This will make the research more effective. According to (Zikmund.W, 2006) in an interview where is a face to face personal interaction between the interviewer and interviewee (respondent) has several benefits that help researcher obtain complete and precise information. The researcher highlights in gathering information through the interviews as face expression can be taken into consideration. (Zikmund.W, 2006) statement is very important as it is considered that 70% of the communication is a non verbal communication. Questionnaires: The researcher intends to prepare a questionnaire for the top level managers in operating department of an hospitality organization. Questionnaires will be based to find out different strategies, methods and plans made by top level managers. This will help the researcher in gaining knowledge about how the practical budgets are made compared to the theoretical. Survey: According to ( Vaus De D.A, 2002) a survey is not just a particular technique of collecting information; questionnaires are widely used but other techniques, such as structured and in-depth interviews, observation, content analysis and so forth, can also be used in survey research. The distinguishing features of surveys are the form of the data and the method of analysis. According to (Zikmund.W, 2006) the main purpose of surveys in research is to collect primary data, which is assembled specifically for the research. Survey is something asking people who are respondents for information using either verbal or written questions. It is better to conduct a survey in written form so that information can be kept as a record. 10. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY Validity: The researcher intends to use of multiple sources of evidence, structured interviews and questionnaires (both open and closed question). The design of questions and survey will be based on understanding the cost control strategies, the interview and questionnaire will be used to make sure questions are understood as intended. (Saunders,et al 2008). If allowed by the respondent the researcher also wishes to record the interviews for future. To generalize over two organizations the cost control strategies multiple theoretical methods will be considered. According to (Saunders, et al 2008) the structure of interview and questionnaires must be consistent and understandable to each individual. Reliability: According to (Bryman, et al 2008) a research can be reliable when there is stability. The research can be stable when results are stable. The result of group of people or individual must not fluctuate. There is stability in research when the same process is used with everyone. The way of questions and interview must be same. Surveys to back up the interviews, and obtain views from different organization managers, for better understanding and in depth knowledge of the subject. According to (Saunders et al 2008) the participants involved in should understand the research in a same way; they must me asked the same questions in same way. 11. RESEARCH ETHICS The top level managers in hospitality organizations where researcher intends to research will be given a clear written description of the purpose, scope, and intended outcomes of the research. The name of the participating three hospitality organizations and the participating top level managers in the research will be kept confidential. The information gathered during research about the organization will not be presented in dissertation for the confidentiality of the organization. The research is being carried out as a academic requirement and no other intentions. The interview questions and questionnaires will be designed to examine only the strategies of forecasting and budgeting, nothing apart from that. The research interviews, surveys, or questionnaire will not be aimed at finding any other information which is not related to this research. According to ( Klein and Myers, 1999) suggest to use a hidden agenda which ensure confidentiality of the participant organizations and the individual participants in the surveys. 12. TIME SCALE Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. Gantt charts illustrate the start and finish dates of the terminal elements and summary elements of a project. Terminal elements and summary elements comprise the work breakdown structure of the project. ( Wallace.C, 1952) The plan for the research project timescale is shown in the GANNT CHART. A brief summary of time taken from presenting research proposal to dissertation is shown below. 13. BUDGET The researcher has spent about GBP40 to GBP50 approximately on preparing this research proposal.

Dramatic Tension in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestly Essay -- Engli

How does J.B. Priestly create dramatic tension in An Inspector Calls? In "An Inspector Calls," dramatic, tension is created in many ways. First of all is Conflict. There is conflict within the family initially. This is mainly in the generations; Mr Birling isn't particularly proud of his son Eric and so he isn't as kind to him as he is to other members of the family. Just keep quiet Eric. As you can see, he doesn't really respect him at all. This is what Mr. Birling says to Eric after Eric asks if it was because of Mr. Birling firing Eva that she committed suicide. Rubbish! If you don't come down sharply on some of these people, they'd soon be asking for the earth. This is Mr. Birling's response after Eric tells him that he wouldn't have fired Eva. Eric is implying here that Mr. Birling was over-reacting in throwing her out, and that he should have kept her working there. After this, Eric once again brings the topic up that Mr. Birling shouldn't have fired Eva. Eric says this: And I don't see why she should have been sacked just because she'd a bit more spirit than the others. This is how Mr. Birling replies to that comment: (Rather angrily) Unless you brighten your ideas, you'll never be in a position to let anyone stay or to tell anybody to go. It's about time you learnt to face a few responsibilities. Mr. Birling saying this shows that he has no faith in his son and he feels that he will not amount to anything. Mr. Birling prefers Gerald to his son. This is obvious as he is always flattering him and giving him more respect than to Eric. This is probably another way to make Eric feel bad, to maybe get him motivated. This is the sort of thing Mr. Birling says to Eric: I'm treating ... ... to help with the baby. All of the sequences connect well and very neatly which helps to give the play more tension; because of what one person, the next thing can happen, and because of what they did, the next thing can happen and so on. This makes the play more exciting and helps it flow better, which shows it is professional and well written. In conclusion to the question, J. B. Priestly creates tension through Conflict, Dramatic Irony, Interrogation Techniques, Relief, Creation of Doubt, chain of consequences and Mystery, and Shock. These methods of creating tension are very effective and ultimately there is a lot of tension in the play. The play can get exciting in certain places due to the tension of what will happen next; what effect will one thing have on another? All in all, the play is Very well written and the dramatic tension is excellent.

Traditional Values :: Personal Narrative

Traditional Values Traditional values can sometimes sway us to do wrong things parallel to our own personal beliefs. People, places, and things shape these values and cause us to surrender to situations that neither influence nor hold our interest. This is a scary concept: What if one of these situations put our life or someone else’s life in danger? This is a question that crossed my mind when I thought about conformity in my life. One memory in particular involves my football team. As did Langston Hughes in his experience with conformity, I too felt pressure from my peers to do something I didn’t want to do. During my sophomore year, my teammates wanted to take part in hazing a younger freshman football player. They asked me to help them take all of his equipment out of his locker, find him, and beat him up. This went against my personal beliefs. In no way did I want to take part in something that had to do with the humiliation of another teammate. Also, when I was younger, I had to go through the same thing, and it hurt me deeply. Then and now, I looked at my own embarrassment as something I don’t ever want to see someone else go through. Before I gave my answer to my teammates, other consequences rolled through my head; hazing is illegal, and if convicted, the offender would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I was doing well both on and off the field, so why mess it up? So I devised a plan. I would agree to help my teammates, but I would also agree to help the young freshman find his equipment and help him elude a vicious beat-down. â€Å"Well are you gonna help us or not?† the quarterback of my team impatiently asked.â€Å"Yeah sure†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I said, â€Å"Just let me take care of everything ‘cause I really don’t like this kid.† He looked at me and smiled. â€Å"There you go, Taylor!† He turned to the posse of football players, â€Å"We got a sophomore that’s stepp’n up!† It was like I killed two birds with one stone and saved both my butt and the kid’s in one throw.

Middle Childhood and Adolescence Paper Essay

The change that occurs from middle childhood to adolescence is arguably one of the most profound changes that children go through. Not only do children change physically but emotionally. â€Å"Adolescence is the transitional period between late childhood and the beginning of adulthood, and marks the beginning of the reproductive lifespan in humans. Adolescence involves sexual maturity in terms of hormones and physical development of the body, and is also characterized by an increase in the complexity of group interactions and thus social behavior (Lerner and Steinberg, 2004)†. During this time of transition many develop a stronger sense of self and begin to separate from completely associated themselves with their family members. This is a completely normal stage of transition for children turning into adolescents and becoming a vital part of a larger community. Family Dynamics There are many ways a child’s upbringing can affect how they mature into adults. A primary aspect taken into consideration is the family dynamic in which a child is raised. In many cases a child with a family that is well structured, has sound moral characteristics, and provides a stable environment is more likely to be a successful member of society. Whereas a child who has a family that is dysfunctional is less likely to be in a healthy environment emotionally or physically. For example, â€Å"Recent research has suggested that the family plays an important role in depressive disorders (Keitner & Miller, 1990; Keitner, Miller, Epstein, & Bishop, 1990). More specifically, research has demonstrated that families of depressed patients manifest significant impairments in family functioning during the patient’s acute episode relative to control families (Crowther, 1985; Dobson, 1987; Keitner, Miller, Epstein, & Bishop, 1986) with 50%–75% of families of depressed patients manifesting significant family dysfunction.†(Miller, I. W., Keitner, G. I., Whisman, M. A., Ryan, C. E.,  Epstein, N. B., & Bishop, D. S. ,1992). A dysfunctional family can become a catalyst for many undesirable emotional attributes and or physical reactions that can occur after being subjected to higher levels of dysfunction. For example if a child is verbally abused by a parent they may exhibit such behaviors towards their peers to gain some form of control in their life. Peer Influences: From Middle Childhood to Adolescence Peers from middle childhood onto adolescence make a substantial change with age. Many children at a young age learn how to socialize with other children and generally behave well with the collective group. As children grow in age and their hormones develop, they become more aware of their surrounding social group. This can have both negative and positive impacts on development. â€Å"The poor peer relations of aggressive children could make them isolated psychologically or physically from peers, which in turn might result in depressive or disruptive problems.† (Yamasaki, K., & Nishida, N. 2009). Whereas in a healthy peer relation environment a child will be more likely to excel socially and develop a strong sense of individuality amongst those around them. Pressures faced in Adolescence vs. Middle Childhood. During the change from middle childhood to adolescence, children are begin to develop their own identity. They are physically going through major changes. Where sexual differences before adolescence usually played a dividing factor when it comes to social interactions, chemical changes that happen to most adolescent boys or girls bring about a change in interest. Often children begin to think more abstractly during this change instead of just asking why they think of the multiple possibilities. Children going through adolescence are going through body image struggles, boys feel pressured to have to meet â€Å"masculine† standards, whereas girls go through major changes in body image and can feel vulnerable. â€Å"With puberty, normal increases in girls’ body, fat can impact body image and self-concept negatively for many. Both boys and girls might be concerned with skin problems, height, weight, and overall appearance.† (Oregon State University, 2001). Almost all children face this significant change through puberty, which brings on emotional changes as well. It is important to encourage an understanding of healthy body image to boost confidence. Changes in Moral Values from Middle Childhood to  Adolescence During the change from middle childhood to adolescence moral values begin to advance beyond just the understanding of what is right or wrong determined by peers. During middle childhood children think more along the lines of what is fair, and rely on more of a give and take dynamic. With a transition to adolescence children begin to take into account others feelings and their perspective. Also when a child becomes older they come to see â€Å"the bigger picture†, and become influenced by society’s moral standards. â€Å"Increasing ability to take perspective of others into account with own perspective. (Children) Begins to question social conventions and re-examine own values and moral/ethical principles, sometimes resulting in conflicts with parents.†(Oregon State University, 2001). The mind begins to open to understanding different scenarios. This is when most children begin to question their peers and even formulate their own opinions, sometimes that involves changing from having the same ideals as their parents. Conclusion There are many changes that happen during the change from middle childhood to adolescence. Physical changes include changes in bodily image, many children enter into puberty at this time. When children become adolescents they become more involved with their self-image and individuality. Emotional changes begin to happen at this age as well, some attribute it to hormone changes, however cognitive growth also has a lot to do with the change. During this time of change it is important for families to provide helpful guidance without over stepping personal boundaries of young budding adults. Being a supportive family will increase a child’s ability to transition well and become a successful, well-rounded member of society. References Choudhury, S., Blakemore, S., & Charman, T. (2006, December). Social cognitive development during adolescence. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2555426/ Miller, I. W., Keitner, G. I., Whisman, M. A., Ryan, C. E., Epstein, N. B., & Bishop, D. S. (1992). Depressed patients with dysfunctional families: Description and course of illness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(4), 637-646. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.101.4.637 Nickerson, A. B., & Nagle, R. J. (2004). The influence of parent and peer attachments on life satisfaction in middle childhood and early adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 66(1-2), 35-60. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000007496.42095.2c Oregon State University. (2001, January). Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development [Chart]. Retrieved from http://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook/sites/default/files/documents/4h/ecno1527.pdf Yamasaki, K., & Nishida, N. (2009). The relationship between three types of aggression and peer relations in elementary school children. International Journal of Psychology, 44(3), 179-186. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207590701656770