Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Students at Risk and the Digital Divide :: essays papers
Students at Risk and the Digital Divide As the world advances in technology, there are many benefits and disadvantages. In the school systems, students profit from having use of more technology. Then there are schools that have this technology and schools that donââ¬â¢t. There are classes that have it and classes that donââ¬â¢t. There are students in the same class that have access to various forms of technology and others that donââ¬â¢t have that luxury. There is not a definition of students at risk, but rather common characteristics: (a) children/youths from families living in poverty, (b) children/youths with different backgrounds (e.g., experiences, education, and origins), (c) children/youths of color, and (c) children/youths from limited English-speaking families (Davis & McCaul, 1990). Low achievement, poor attendance, low economic status, and attendance at schools with large numbers of students living in poverty contribute to the likelihood of not earning a high school diploma. But students at risk ar e also characterized as students who are likely to leave school without the necessary skills to succeed academically, socially, or vocationally in today's society. These students become victims in the sense that the likelihood of reaching their full potential is diminished. The digital divide is a problem that these students at risk face. It is a divide among household computer and internet access by race/ ethnicity, income, education, location, and disability. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the inequities that exist with respect to children's educational technological opportunities (Means, 1997). Relationship between Poverty and Students at Risk There is a link between poverty and students at risk. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2005) defines poverty is defined as ââ¬Å"a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security and power necessary for the enjoyment of an adequate standard of living and other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.â⬠1 billion children live in poverty, which are 1 in 2 children in the world. The price these children pay for being born poor is enormous. Carta (1991) cites several sources indicating that low-SES (socio- economic status) children living in inner cities are much more likely to have educationally damaging circumstances as part of their life experiences than are higher SES children. The dangers these children could suffer include prenatal exposure to drugs and AIDS, low birth weight, poor nutrition, lead exposure, and personal injuries and accidents.
Monday, August 19, 2019
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Cyborg: Trading Flesh for Metal :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers
Pros and Cons of Becoming a Cyborg: Trading Flesh for Metal Since the beginning of time, man has attempted to avoid the inevitable. In his endless pursuit of perfection, man has tried to dodge the grim reaper. Death is certain; life is not. Yet through technological interventions, man is attempting to be godlike and live eternally. Through these same interventions, man is becoming transformed into a cyborg. Currently, the technology has not arrived so that a man will be able to have more metal in his body than he would have flesh. But if one could be a cyborg , if one could live longer, jump higher, store more info, and become more efficient would they? Would one become a cyborg if it meant no more pain, no more suffering, but in exchange would require thousands of dollars worth of hardware and hundreds of hoursââ¬â¢ worth of surgery. Today I will explore some of the pros and cons of becoming a cyborg. I will also explore how people today like Stelarc have already taken steps and modified their own bodies to become cyborgs. I wi ll also define some of the ethical and morals issues supporting and criticizing the transformation from flesh to metal, with the end result becoming a cyborg. First of all, one must define what a cyborg is, and also clearly define what a cyborg consist of. A cyborg is a combination of man and technology. Robocop, The Terminator, Spock are all clear examples of what a cyborg is. A cyborg is a combination of human life and artificial intelligence. What about the elderly, would they be considered cyborgs? Yes, with pacemakers surgically installed within their bodies, the elderly, according to the definition, are considered to be cyborgs. So then, what the hell is a cyborg? One may believe the best place to locate a definition is the Websterââ¬â¢s New World Dictionary; it defines cyborgs as ââ¬Å"a hypothetical human being modified for life in a hostile or alien environment by the substitution of artificial organs and other body parts. Using the basic definition will not be enough, it is too broad. One cannot really determine what a cyborg is and what a cyborg is not. For instance, suppose if people followed this definition that would mean that anyone wearing a watch, contacts, glasses, or using headphones would be considered a cyborg.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Letters vs. E-mail Essay -- Communication Writing Technology Essays
Letters vs. E-mail: Communicating through Writing My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins live in Ireland leaving oceans and expensive air fare separating us. Through pictures, stories, letters, and phone calls I have come to know the history of my family, what brought my mother to this country, and what a life in Ireland is like. However, over time these forms of communication were not strong and consistent enough to enable me to build an emotional connection and relationship with specific members of my family. I mainly just heard my motherââ¬â¢s point of view and got to know my family through her experiences with them. That was before the invention of electronic mail, a faster, cheaper outlet for communication that can reach anyone in the world who has access to the World Wide Web. Without technology, cyber space, and e-mail I would have very little communication and understanding of my family in Ireland. Prior to the creation of e-mail, writing letters was the best way to communicate overseas or anywhere a phone company considered long distance. Phone calls were too expensive and the time difference between Ireland and Michigan made it inconvenient to reach someone at a suitable hour. Phone numbers and area codes are also constantly changing while e-mail addresses stay with you wherever you go. While I was in High School my family moved three times, making it difficult for my relatives overseas to keep up with which number was the most recent. However, they knew it was still possible to get a hold of us via e-mail. Communicating through letters was exhausting, demanded time, and required readable penmanship. It could take almost two weeks to receive mail and half the time it would... ...f writing provide for a fast and effective mode of communication. There are both positive and negative characteristics associated with the use of the postal mail system and the handwritten letter versus electronic mail and computer created text. However, without the invention of e-mail it would not be possible for me to communicate and keep in touch with my family overseas as often and frequently as I do. Thanks to e-mail I can now build a better relationship with family members I seldom get to physically interact with. Works Cited Baron, Dennis. ââ¬Å"From Pencils to Pixels: The Stages of Literacy Technologies.â⬠Tribble and Trubek 36. Lesser, Wendy. ââ¬Å"The Conversion.â⬠Tribble and Trubek, 227-231. Tribble, Evelyn, and Trubek, Anne, eds. Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., 2003
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Bathing a Baby
ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â Bathing a baby 0-1 years old- At this very young age it is important that your baby is cleaned every night. This doesnââ¬â¢t mean that you should give your baby a bath every night, but you should at least ââ¬ËTop and Tailââ¬â¢ your baby. Topping and Tailing ââ¬ËTopping and Tailingââ¬â¢ means washing your baby from head to toe with warm, damp cotton wool. This method of washing doesnââ¬â¢t require a bath being made for the baby, however there are a few piece of equipment you will need to top and tail your baby. You will need to collect: â⬠¢ Cotton wool pieces â⬠¢ A towel A bowl with warm water (38à °c) â⬠¢ A clean nappy â⬠¢ Changing mat for nappy change How to Top and Tail your baby: 1. Gather all the equipment together before you begin. 2. Undress your baby down to their nappy and wrap them in a towel. Making sure their face isnââ¬â¢t covered. 3. The next step is to get a piece of c otton wool, dip it into the water and then clean your babyââ¬â¢s eyes, wiping from the inner corner outwards. It is extremely important to use a fresh piece of cotton wool for each eye, in case your baby has an infection which could be transferred from one eye to the other. . Next clean around their nose, the skin creases around his neck and under his chin, using a different piece of cotton wool. Then clean the contours of their ears, then their face. 5. You should then use the towel to dry the baby lightly. 6. You can then clean the rest if their body if you want, using a different piece of cotton wool each time. You can clean their hands, under their arms and around their belly button, and then you can remove their nappy. 7. Changing cotton wool frequently, you then need to clean the nappy area.You must always ensure that you wipe your from front to back on a girl to avoid transferring any germs to her genitals. 8. Lastly, you should pat your baby dry then put on a clean nappy and put their clothes back on. Bathing you baby becomes part of their daily routine. When your baby is young you may find that you bath them during the day. However, it is always good to make bath time part of the night time routine before your baby goes to bed. It is very important to understand how to bath your baby correctly, so that your baby is safe.Bathing your baby When bathing your baby you need get all the equipment together beforehand, such as: â⬠¢ Cotton wool pieces â⬠¢ A towel â⬠¢ A baby bath with warm water (38à °c) â⬠¢ A clean nappy How to Bath your baby: 1. Firstly, you should wash your hands and get all the equipment together that you need for bath time. 2. You should then fill the bath with cold water first, and then add hot water to get the bath to the right temperature (38à °c). To test the temperature you should use your elbow and the water should feel lukewarm. 3.Bring your baby to the bath area and remove your babyââ¬â¢s clothes. Wrap your baby in a towel, keeping their head exposed so you can wash their face and hair before you put them in the bath. 4. Wash your babyââ¬â¢s eyes, ears, face and neck as you would for topping and tailing. 5. Hold your baby so that their head is over the bath water and wash their scalp with a wet, soapy flannel or just water. Rinse their hair carefully and dry it. 6. Now take off your baby's nappy. If there are faeces in the nappy,à clean your baby's genitalsà and bottom before putting them in the bath. . Gradually slip your baby into the bath feet first, using one hand to support their neck and head. The water should be covering their shoulders so that they don't get cold. 8. Use the cotton wool pieces to clean your baby from top to bottom, front and back. 9. Rinse your baby thoroughly, and then lift them out of the bath. Lift them with one hand supporting their neck and head and your other hand under their bottom. 10. Wrap your baby in a towel and dry them thoroughly, checking t hat folds of skin around the groin and neck are dry.Then put a clean nappy on them. You can then redress your baby. 1-3 years old- Toddlers tend to become messier and dirtier as they are now mobile. Therefore, it is really important that they are regularly having baths to keep them clean. Toddlers should be bathed every night and their hair should be washed at least once a week. When bathing your toddler it is very important that the water is not too hot or cold as this will make it uncomfortable for them. Therefore, you should check the water temperature using your elbow.You should also use a non-slip mat in the bath now so that the child does not slip and you should ensure that your toddler is not stand up in the bath It is essential that your child is never left unattended in a bath, as a child can drown very quickly in only a small amount of water. To wash your child you should use a child friendly liquid soap or body wash squeezed onto a wet sponge or cloth. You should use this to wash their body and then rinse off the excess soap. You should use a cup or a little bowl to rinse the soap off. You should always your childââ¬â¢s face, hands, and bottom.Cleaning their face and hands helps to get rid of germs and dirt. Washing your childââ¬â¢s bottom reduces the chances of nappy rash or irritation of the skin. You should save washing your childââ¬â¢s bottom till last and once you used the sponge on their bottom or other privates, set it aside and donââ¬â¢t use it again until you wash it. To wash your toddlerââ¬â¢s hair you should use a childrenââ¬â¢s shampoo that wonââ¬â¢t sting their eyes. To wash your childââ¬â¢s hair you should start by tilting their head back and pouring water over their head to wet the hair.You should then add a small amount of shampoo and should work it in the wet hair. Finally, you will need to tilt their head back, shield their eyes with your hand and rinse the shampoo out by pouring water over their head again. It is useful to have a dry towel handy to wipe away water and shampoo that gets in their face or eyes. Once your toddler has been washed you should take them out of the bath and you should dry them off with a towel. At this age it is important to let your child to start learning how to wash on their own.Therefore, you should talk through the routine with your child, telling them what you are doing at each stage. You could also let your wash themselves with the sponge and rub the shampoo into their hair; however you should always be close at hand in case they get soap in their eyes. You should also make bath time fun for your toddler by using lots of bubbles and bath toys, e. g. boats, rubber ducks, cups etc. Also, toys that squirt water are always fun for your child to play with, although the chances are that you may get a little wet! -5 years old- Your child should now be becoming more independent at bath time and may undress themselves for bath time. They will become more involve d in washing themselves, although you are still there to supervise them during bath time. They will also be familiar with the routine of bath time, although they may still make a fuss about bath time. Therefore, it is important that you make it as fun as possible for them. There are lots of different, new and exciting bath time toys for children to play with. You can buy soap crayons hich allow children to draw on themself, on the bath or on tiles. These crayons come in different colours and they wash off. You could also get Stick-on shapes to stick to the sides of the bath and walls. Also, bath time books are good. These books are waterproof and you can get involved in your childââ¬â¢s bath time by ready them the story. You can also make up games for them to play during bath time, like I spy, or you could make a treasure hunt by throwing lots of different toys into the bath for your child to find. -8 years old- Children around 6-7 years old are now capable of bathing or showerin g alone and should be given more privacy. You should teach your child how to turn on and off the taps and you should show them how to heat up the bath properly by turning on the cold water first, then gradually warm it up and testing it. You should also go over the basic safety rules of bath time, for example, don't hop in and out of the bath, use just a small bit of shampoo, and be extra careful getting in and out of the bath.You can now also help to teach your child on how to use a shower. It is important that you stay close and within earshot of the bathroom, in case of any problems but as long as your child knows how and what to clean, you should let them have some privacy. Your child is now in control of their own cleanliness, so you should ensure that your child knows how to fully rinse their hair, and you should keep on reminding them about washing everywhere, including behind the ears and down at the feet.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Food Predicament Essay
1. List three factors largely responsible for the significant increase in North American food production since the end of World War II. a. Population Growth b. Rising personal income 2. Describe the trends in world food production vis-a-vis population growth from 1950 to the present. There is more people to supply food than before. 3. To what extent does expanding the amount of land under cultivation offer hope for significantly increasing world food supply? Why? To permit unproductive lands to be farmed, making it possible to raise two to three crops a year on the same land. 4. List four reasons for the loss of currently productive agricultural land. a. erosion b. desertification c. salinization d. water-logging 5. What factors make it unlikely that ocean fish harvests can be increased substantially above present levels? Large predator fish, overexploitation by industrial fishing fleets has reduced stocks of some species. 6. List several changes in food-handling practices that poor countries could implement to prevent loss of harvested crops. Store grains in bins that may not be easily penetrated, have good refrigeration and have reliable transport for the food. 7. To what extent can ââ¬Å"eating lower on the food chainâ⬠help to solve problems of world hunger? It will help until the population grows more and going vegetarian would not be possible. 8. Why are a number of relatively affluent countries purchasing farmland in other nations? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such purchases for the host country? Because of the productive soil their food will grow much better in each different region. Some advantages might be that they will have that food available for the consumers and some disadvantages might be that there is a climate change and loose the crop. B. Match the following deficiency diseases with the nutritional factor (shown below the table) whose absence provoked these conditions (you can use the factor or corresponding letter (a, b, â⬠¦.): 1. childhood blindness 2. marasmus 3. anemia 4. kwashiorkor 5. mental retardation 6. pellagra 7. scurvy 8. rickets 9. beri-beri a. protein b. fiber c. vitamin A d. vitamin Bl (thiamine) e. vitamin C f. vitamin D g. vitamin E h. niacin i. iodine j. iron k. overall calorie/protein shortage C. True/False. Indicate T or F in the space before each numbered question. If the statement is false, revise it below in the box provided to make a correct statement; focus your response on the words in bold. 1. As incomes rise, food demand increases because more affluent people eat larger quantities of food. 2. It is estimated that approximately a billion people in the world today are undernourished. 3.Within families in poor societies, adolescent boys are the most likely to suffer from malnutrition. 4. Overpopulation is the major cause of chronic hunger problems in the developing world. 5. In societies where hunger is widespread, the rate of malnutrition among children and women is much higher than it is among men. 6. Malnutrition is most harmful when it occurs among children under 5. 7. The damaging effects of childhood malnutrition are reversible if the child receives an adequate diet when he/she becomes older. 8. Malnourished women are likely to give birth to underweight babies and to produce poor quality breast milk. 9. Marasmus is responsible for more childhood deaths in developing countries than any other single cause. 10. The most common nutritional deficiency disease worldwide is kwashiorkor. 11. A swollen belly, discoloration of the hair and skin, and stunted physical development are all classic symptoms of overall protein/calorie deprivation. 12. The worldââ¬â¢s single most important cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation is Vitamin A deficiency. 13. Aquaculrure offers greater hope for increasing the worldââ¬â¢s fish harvest than does intensifying efforts in ocean fishing. 14. World livestock production, which rose steadily from 1950-1990, has subsequently leveled off because of falling market demand for meat. 15. Anemia is a leading cause of high female mortality rates and problem pregnancies in many poor countries. 16. Aquaculture supplies almost all of the tuna fish found in American supermarkets. 17. Biotechnology can help reduce farmersââ¬â¢ reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides and may make it possible to cultivate lands currently too dry or too saline for farming. 18. Among species commonly raised to supply animal protein for human consumption, fish are the most efficient energy converters, requiring just 2-3 pounds of feed to gain one pound of flesh. 19. In sub-Saharan Africa, grain production has remained stagnant at about one ton/ hectare since the early 1960s. 20. Significant increases in agricultural production achieved by technological breakthroughs such as the ââ¬Å"miracle grainsâ⬠or genetically modified crop and livestock varieties will ensure that all the worldââ¬â¢s people enjoy an adequate diet.
Thursday, August 15, 2019
Color in Do the Right Thing
Jionne McMichael November 17, 2012 Art of Film Color As A Formalistic Device in Do The Right Thing Spike Lee presents his ââ¬Å"truthâ⬠about race relations in his movie Do the Right Thing. The film illustrates the spectacle of black discrimination and racial altercations and portrayed the ââ¬Å"trueâ⬠realities of an African American living in the 1980s. The movie is set in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York on the hottest day in the summer where racial tensions are growing.Spike Lee uses color dramatically to help illustrate and emphasize these growing tensions that ultimately escalates to violence and tragedy and also, to help emphasize emotions. Color, as defined by Gianetti, is a realist technique but can be formalist having a subconscious impact on the viewer. There are two types of colors; warm and cool. Warm colors stress adjectives such as violence, stimulation, aggressiveness etc. Cool colors stress adjectives such as serenity, tranquility etc.Spike Lee definitely embraces this by using the elements of both warm and cool colors to emphasize the theme of escalating racial tensions that come to a climax at the end of the movie. In addition, it emphasizes the weather and the heat with bright tones. The color red is used symbolically to convey a variety of emotions. Mood and tone are created by this use of color. As racial tensions escalate, the color continues to visually dramatize what is going on in the minds of the characters as well as what is occurring in each scene.From its first frame, the energetic credit sequence in which actress Rosie Perez dances in a red bodysuit vibrantly to Public Enemy's powerful anthem ââ¬Å"Fight the Power,â⬠against a rear-screen backdrop that is lit in vivid blues and reds, right to its final shot. The film is an explosion of bright and warm colors and glows in an almost burning-furnace light full of vibrant red, orange, and yellow hues. In the first scenes, yellow light pours t hrough windows of shuttered apartments, nearly obscuring or melting the actors and scenery around it.In later scenes, particularly the nighttime sequences, a chiaroscuro effect is used, with blue and purple light surrounding the outer areas of the screen, and bright yellows and reds lit on the actor's faces and bodies. Overall, color is used as a metaphor for the emotions of the characters as well as to set the tone and mood. At the end of the movie, the culmination of these elements parallels the violent consequences of racism and prejudice. The different colors used in the film create a visual experience that helps to set the tone.The bright, vibrant colors create strong impressions of the charactersââ¬â¢ emotions, as well as the overall mood of the movie. The main color used is red, which emphasizes the high temperatures experienced by the people in the neighborhood. In a scene showing Da Mayor's bedroom, the whole room is tinted with yellow, orange, and red to symbolize the h eat. After this scene, we get introduced to the character Smiley who is standing in front of a big red building and he is being shown with an orange tint.Then this scene is followed with Mookie in his sister, Jadeââ¬â¢s room. This room is totally red, to show that it is very hot in there. We can see the use of red, orange and yellow through out the movie to keep reminding us of how warm it is. The bright red brick wall that serves as a background for the three men on the corner gives the scenes involving them a tone of the weather. This brick wall is a reoccurring object in the movie, and it gets lighter or darker depending on the mood of the particular scene.Tints of red, yellow, and orange are shown during the course of the film to maintain the mood of heat created by them. As the day progresses, bright yellow colors slowly transition into a darker yellowish or orange color. This is used as an indication of the setting sun and the dissipating heat. Color not only emphasizes the heat, but also emotions. The red color used so often reflects the tension, conflict, anger, and frustration among the characters. Their strong and passionate emotions are complimented by the tints of red, yellow, and orange used in the scenes.As rising racial tensions mount, color is used again to emphasize the heat and emotion. When the rioters set Sal's pizzeria on fire, it is a bright contrast to the surrounding dark night. The bright color of the flames conveys the rage of the rioters over Radio Raheem's brutal death at the hands of the police. As Sal and his two sons watch their pizzeria burn down, we see that reoccurring red wall behind Vito. The red color stresses their emotions of anger about the injustices that are taking place. The color red is also used in reference of love and hate.When Sal and Pino are sitting together in the pizzeria, the tone seems to be a bit red hinting some kind of love connection between the two. It is not the usual red color that shows the hot w eather. Also Da Mayor gives red roses to Mother Sister, the red in the roses stands out from all the color during the scene. The use of color in the lighting also brings another important element into the ways that certain scenes play out through the movie. There is a lot of natural lighting being used portraying the characters just as they are. But at the same time, different locations provide for different lighting styles.Such as is the case in Salââ¬â¢s Pizzeria where it seems everything is a bit too dark and somewhat shady. Even in the introduction when Mookie wakes up for the day the lighting being used makes his room seem jumbled and is an insight into his life being a mess. The bright fluorescent lighting in the Korean store makes everything stand out too much, and does not make the place seem inviting, but strictly business instead. The light in DJ Mister Senor Love Daddyââ¬â¢s booth is relaxed and calm, just enough light comes in reflecting the cool personality he por trays.In the scene where Mookie decides to take yet another break from work and visits Tina the mood is entirely set by the color of the lighting. The sun is going down and the room becomes blue. It provides the cool, just as the ice Mookie brings, and makes everything slow down as it happens. The scene where the character Buggin Out gets his shoes scuffed by a white pedestrian is complemented by the warm colors of the mise-en-scene along with the costumes which are important in suggesting the positions of the characters in the community.The mise-en-scene includes the brightly colored cars on the road as well as the red and brown buildings, all very warm colors. It appears that in the post-production the shots may have been edited to posses a red hue, intensifying the hot atmosphere that is created by the heat wave. Along with this, Bugginââ¬â¢ Out and his group all match the mise-en-scene, wearing bright yellow, orange and red costumes suggesting their sense of belonging to the neighborhood. The contrast is presented through the entrance of the white man who is wearing a green t-shirt with lue socks pulled up, the antithesis of the warm colors the audience has been consistently presented with. The color difference is emphasized in the juxtaposition of the shot, reverse shots where we see the frame filled with Bugginââ¬â¢ Out and his friends wearing the warm colors and then the quick pace of the cuts to the white man wearing the cool green color. The contrast in colored clothing between the characters accentuates the difference in skin tone, instigating the audienceââ¬â¢s insight into the importance of racial tension within the film.The out of place coloring in the white manââ¬â¢s costume, suggests the unusual nature of him being in this black community, an idea pointed out by Bugginââ¬â¢ Out when he says, ââ¬Å"what do you want to live in a black neighborhood for anyway? â⬠Also, the cool nature of the manââ¬â¢s clothing could be seen to emulate the calm and collected manner in which he handles the situation, he keeps trying to diffuse the argument with apologies and through this, Lee highlights the hot-headed nature of Bugginââ¬â¢ Out, a characteristic the audience is shown more explicitly later on in the plot.In conclusion, Spike Lee is very clever in his use of colors. Warm colors, especially red, are used in characters clothing as well as props and lightening to help put emphasis on the growing racial tensions among the characters that ultimately ends in a huge riot and tragedy. Color is also used to help express emotions that the characters are facing. For instance, in the riot scene, there are so many reds and oranges that clash with the dark blue night to illustrate the anger of the riots after the murder of Radio Raheem at the hands of the police.Spike Leeââ¬â¢s use of color is forcing us to take sides with his ideology, which is very explicit in this film. The principal idea of Leeââ¬â¢s film is that of the oppression of the black working class, by the non-black capitalists in their very own community. Lee has his characters basically come right out and express their view on this subject. The black characters of the community are alienated from their capitalist counterparts and therefore feel a certain rage against them. By using color, he forces us to take sides with them and succeeds in that.
Wednesday, August 14, 2019
Book Review on Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement Essay
Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement by Kevin M. Gilmartin, Ph. D. is a book that seeks to inform and instruct those seeking to be in law enforcement, law enforcement professionals and their families of the realities of a career in law enforcement- professionally and personally. And how to best prepare for emotional survival of ââ¬Å"on-duty and off-dutyâ⬠life. It also compares and contrasts what happens to officers at the beginning of this journey and what typical happens to officers overtime; focusing mainly on what happens to officers that donââ¬â¢t know the techniques of emotional survival. Though it does give some examples of officers who have emotional survival skills, it focuses on exemplifying the officers whose lives suffer from the lack of these skills and what great detriment it causes. Gilmartin begins by describing the early years of oneââ¬â¢s law enforcement career. How typically- idealistic, enthusiastic and driven rookie officers are. And how quickly this world can change from positive to cynical and emotionally charged. How these long term behaviors if uncorrected, exacerbate, leading to mental and physical changes. Gilmartin uses personal experiences and stories to relate the topics addressed in this book, in a way that of? cers can readily see some of the same characteristics in themselves. Gilmartin also discusses psychological changes officers endure that can be caused by frequent exposure to horrific events. The most important definition made by Gilmartin describing officers on and off-duty is Hypervigilance; ââ¬Å"the necessary manner of viewing the world from a threat-based perspective, having the mindset to see events unfolding as potentially hazardous. â⬠(Gilmartin Pg. 5) According to Gilmartin this- ââ¬Å"permits the on-duty of? cer to develop a subjective state of increased alertness/awareness of his/her surroundings required for maximum of? cer safety. â⬠(Gilmartin Pg. 36) Gilmartin elaborates on his term of ââ¬Å"Hypervigilanceâ⬠and how it becomes problematic when he introduces the concept theory of the ââ¬Å"Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster. â⬠Stating that the on-duty of? cer is ââ¬Å"alert, alive, energetic, quickââ¬âthinking, involved and humorous,â⬠And the off-duty of? cer is ââ¬Å"tired, isolated, detached, apathetic and angry. (Gilmartin Pgs. 48-50) Gilmartin goes on to illustrate; If law enforcement of? cers want to survive emotionally, they must examine their on-duty and off-duty life. Taking control of the events in their lives they can control and survive and move on from the events they cannot control. Gilmartin describes how officers can become equipped professionals of emotional survival on and off-duty. On-Duty; knowing as an officer there are only three things you can control; integrity, professionalism, and how well you do the job you are assigned to do. Off duty; proactive goal setting (outside of police work), exercise, and developing and nurturing other roles in life besides the hypervigilant police role; enabling of? cers to manage their lifestyle healthy. I believe this encapsulates Gilmartinââ¬â¢s books main points and demonstrates his goal; to help keep law enforcement officers healthy, by providing skill sets physically and emotionally, to survive the career. By not losing all of ones identity to just being a cop, while remaining committed, engaged and productive on and off-duty. Now I would like to analyze Gilmartinââ¬â¢s books strengths and weaknesses. This work is well organized, written and easily read. To the point that I believe that it would keep anyone engaged no matter if the reader was part of the intended target audience. For audience the book does target, I believe it clearly demonstrates the internal and external assaults officers will experience both personally and organizationally. And how officers can train themselves to perceive and act as a victim in everything they do and in every way they think. Or how they can emotionally survive these assaults by balancing their identity and by acquiring healthy outlets to be proactive and engaged in personal affairs. This is clearly demonstrated by various case study examples throughout the book. Examples of officers that fall directly in line with Gilmartinââ¬â¢s Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster theory and how some of these studies show the result of an officers application of emotional survival. This is what makes the book so strong. Gilmartinââ¬â¢s ability to give validity to his concepts by comparing and contrasting officer action and reaction of similar situations. Then applying his theory of those who fall victim to the Hypervigilant Biological Rollercoaster, have the victim mentality and the unbalanced identification with solely being a cop. To those officers that display emotional survival techniques. By doing this Gilmartin shows clear distinction; drastic outcomes of similar situations. Reinforcing the importance of acquiring emotional coping tools and exemplifying the devastation in an officerââ¬â¢s life lacking these skills. The weaknesses I encountered in this book where; little if any emphasis was placed on teaching of? cers how to avoid the other dangers they will ultimately face. Mainly focusing on the Hypervigilant cycle of officers and their loss of identity. I would have liked Gilmartin to explain how an officer handles a tough situation in the matter of life or death. And I would have liked Gilmartin to have more than one chapter that focused on the emotional survival of law enforcement personnel. I believe it leaves the targeted audience waiting and wanting more instruction on how to become an emotional survival. Lastly I would have loved to have understood the compilation of data retrieved by Gilmartin. Discovering how he came up with his concepts and theories. Over what period time did he construct these particular studies and how many agencies did he work with to compile this data? What where the percentages of officers that suffered from a lack of emotional survival skills to those that had these skills? What percentages of officers fell in the middle? I believe knowing the quantitative component to this research would have further qualified his findings. Overall this book was fantastic. I believe this book will help those interested in law enforcement as well as of? cers and their families. I believe this book can help plot a path through a dif? cult journey in a law enforcement career. Helping sustain relationships, families and positive professional attitudes. Though I hoped for some addition information in this book it does not lack in quality or clarity of its messages. It is a strong book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in law enforcement, anyone currently in law enforcement, family members of law enforcement personnel and those who have been in law enforcement. I believe the goal of this book is to provide officers the information of how to recognize the deterioration of core values (personally and professionally) and what can take place in their lives if gone uncorrected. Then provides specific strategies that can be utilized to reduce the negative emotional and physical impact of a law enforcement career. I believe the book succeeds in doing this.
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