House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors

House Wren Use of Riparian Corridors PROJECT JUSTIFICATION The South Platte Wildlife Management Area (SPWMA) is a 5,908 Ha property consisting of about 40km of floodplain forest with surrounding upland prairie (Knopf 1986). Riparian forests such as that which occurs along the South Platte River have been of particular interest to researchers investigating avian use of riparian corridors during migration (Machtans et al. 1996, Skagen et al. 1998), and juvenile dispersal (Machtans et al. 1996). A riparian corridor is a strip of vegetation that connects two or more larger patches, and through which an organism will likely move over time (Fischer and Fischenich 2000). Regardless of size or degree of connectivity, many studies have shown these vegetation strips along rivers support a higher diversity and abundance of birds than adjacent upland forests or grasslands (Stauffer and Best 1980, Tockner and Ward 1999). Periodic inundation of alluvial landscapes creates a shifting mosaic of aquatic and terrestrial transition zones (Tockner and Ward 1999 ). This ever-changing mosaic paired with increased water quality (Fischer and Fischenich 2000) results in the increased biodiversity. In 1980, researchers inventoried breeding bird communities at the South Platte River WMA in both riparian and upland areas and compared species densities between them (Knopf 1980). Their results indicated that the floodplain forest is valuable habitat for both resident and migratory species; while 38 species occurred along the rivers edge, only 9 species were present in the adjacent upland. In addition, 30 species were observed only in the floodplain, suggesting that these birds may not have been present at SPWMA in the absence of a riparian forest. Yet another surprising finding of this study was that House Wrens made up more than 20% of the bird community within the floodplain with an estimated density of 3.3 birds/Ha. House Wrens are secondary cavity nesters (SCN), and further studies have found that density of large trees, length of dead limbs and cavity density are the most important habitat variables for density of House Wrens at SPWMA (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Furthermore, cottonwoods are probably critical in creating suitable nesting habitat, and a lack of regeneration due to inundation could reduce the overall density of cavity nesters (Sedgewick and Knopf 1990). Many bird species not requiring cavities however, such as Brown Thrasher and Spotted Towhee, do not appear to be as immediately affected by flooding (Knopf and Sedgewick 1987). In 1992, researchers at SPWMA found that SCN bird density was indeed being limited by cavity availability along the river (Sedgewick and Knopf 1992). Knopfs studies over 30 years ago continues to be relevant to this day. As modern day urban sprawl encroaches on to natural landscapes, research on areas important to wildlife remains crucial. It is our goal to continue this study by assessing House Wren use of the area, by estimating House Wren density both within the wooded area, and in the adjacent upland using point counts. Furthermore, we would like to gain insight into whether House Wrens use this riparian corridor for dispersal movements through grasslands. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to estimate House Wren density along the South Platte River floodplain near Crook, Colorado using circular plot surveys. Specifically, our objectives are to: Compare House Wren use of a riparian forest and the adjacent prairie within the SPWMA; Estimate density of House Wrens within the riparian woodland and extrapolate this to other floodplain regions in the United States; and Compare this density with that of previous densities estimated in 1980. METHODS Survey Design Woodland vs. Upland Point Counts Building off of Knopfs 1980 study at this location, we will conduct 60- 6 minute (Thompson and Schwalbach 1995) point counts along the riparian woodland area encompassing about 3,800 Ha, and 60 counts within the adjacent upland area of 22,560 Ha. Points in both areas were created using the create random points tool in ArcMap 10.4.1, with a 300m allowance between points (Fig. 1). Any points falling in the river were moved to another random location. These surveys will be conducted between 24 May and 27 May. Riparian Woodland Use Point Counts Using a similar survey design, another set of 155 surveys will be conducted within the riparian woodland only. Although the efficiency in detecting new birds decreases after 3 visits to the same point (Smith et al. 1995), surveys will be replicated 4 times between 10 May and 26 May to adhere to Knopfs study. These survey locations were placed within the riparian buffer using a 200m allowance (Gutzwiller 1991) between points. These surveys will give a more accurate depiction of House Wren use of the woodland. Figure 1- Point count design Point Count Protocol Observers will use Garmin GPSMAP64 GPS units (Garmin Ltd., Schaffhausen, Switzerland) to navigate to each point. Observers will arrive at the first point of the day 30 minutes before sunrise, and wait silently for 5 minutes to allow birds to reposition themselves. Using a stopwatch, observers will recording all birds they see or hear for 6 minutes. All birds detected within 200m will be recorded (Savard and Hooper 1995, Thompson and Schwalbach 1995, Wolf et al. 1995), along with the radial distance to the bird from the point using a Nikon Aculon AL11 620 laser range finder (Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). Surveys will continue until 3 hours after sunrise (Lynch 1995). Additional environmental information will be recorded according to the provided survey data sheet (Appendix A). Assumptions in Survey Design In order to extrapolate the House Wren use of the surveyed area to the entire study area, we must meet two assumptions in regards to our survey design. These assumptions are critical to address before implementing the survey to ensure extrapolation is possible. First, the points must be randomly located. This states that to the best of our knowledge, the surveyed area is representative of the entire study region. In addition, we need a large sample of points (>20 points) that are evenly distributed across the study region. A sample of 60 points in each habitat meets this criteria, and an even distribution was achieved through use of a 200m allowance between points. Analysis Detection Function The probability of detecting a bird, given that it is a distance r from the observer is the detection function, denoted by g(r). This value will tell us how many House Wrens we are detecting relative to the real number of House Wrens in a survey. This is important to know, as not every individual is usually detected. We expect to see a detection function that has a broad shoulder and then decreases as distance increases (Thomas et al 2010). This means that the observer detects birds that are nearby at a higher rate, and as the distance from observer to bird increases, detection ability falls. Distance Sampling Assumptions In order to obtain reliable density estimates from point counts, we must meet several critical assumptions. The first is that birds are distributed independently of the point, which we did by placing the points at random locations. Secondly, we assume that birds directly on the point are detected with certainty, or g(0)=1. Third, all objects are recorded at their original location, prior to movement in response to the observer. Since observers are not moving, and utilize a resting period before a survey begins, point counts for a House Wren seems to be advantageous over a line transect. Next, all distances recorded are assumed to be accurately measured. This assumption will be met since observers will be using a range finder. Lastly, all detections are assumed to be independent from one another. This means that the presence of one House Wren will not attract or deter another wren from being present. Density Estimates Density estimates will be attained using DISTANCE 7.0 (CREEM, St. Andrews, Scotland). Since we already know that density and habitat differs to some degree between the forested and upland areas, we made sure to stratify the survey area into upland and riparian. Thus, density estimates will be calculated separately for each habitat. Density in point counts are calculated using the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): where k is the number of points, w is the radius of each plot, and n is the number of birds detected within the plot. Once we have calculated House Wren density for both prairie and woodland habitats, we can also obtain global(overall) density for the entire area. This is done using the individual area sizes, and overall density for both habitats, in the following equation (Thomas et al. 2006): EXPECTED RESULTS AND BENEFITS With the South Platte River watershed encompassing such a large area, it is important to know how any land management practices would alter the bird community and secondary cavity nesters such as the House Wren. The proposed study will increase our knowledge of avian use of the woodland area surrounding the Platte River, which in turn will aid in future habitat alteration decisions. If funding for the proposed project is given, the project would start right away. Reports of raw abundance and estimated density will be submitted annually, and a final report in the form of a thesis will be presented at project closure. Project Deliverables will include: Annual Report of House Wren abundance and densities in each habitat. Final report by end of study discussing results and future considerations; final report will be in the form of a thesis. ENDANGERED SPECIES CONSIDERATIONS No special considerations need to be taken for the project in regards to endangered species, as our surveys will be non-invasive and do not require capture of animals. NECESSITY AND ETHICAL USE OF ANIMALS We will not be trapping or coming in contact with the study animals, however all federal and state guidelines regarding use of animals will be properly followed. PERSONNEL This study will require 3 avian survey technicians in order to meet the goals of the project. Two biologists already trained in identification of Colorado birds will be obtained through the Texas AM job board. The third person involved in this project will be a masters students at Texas AM University- Kingsville, and will act as the project leader. 2 field technicians to conduct point count surveys and enter data 1 project leader (M.S. student) to conduct surveys and coordinate survey methodology BUDGET Year1:$2.91 Flagging tape (Walmart), 3 at $0.97 $509.97 Laser rangefinder (Nikon Aculon AL11 620), 3 at $169.99 $599.97GPS unit (Garmin GPSMAP64), 3 at $199.99 $1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$6512.85 Year 2:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Year 3:$1000.00Apartment rental for one month $1,200. 00Rental truck (AVIS) $3200.00Technician salary, 2 at $1600.00 for one month Total:$5400.00 Project Total:$17,312.85 TIME SCHEDULE 2017Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312017 annual report turned in 2018Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData analysis July 312018 annual report turned in 2019Activity May 1-5Place flagging tape and distance markers at appropriate locations. May 10-23Conduct surveys within riparian woodland May 24-27Continue riparian woodland use surveys Begin woodland and prairie comparison surveys May 28Take down flagging tape and distance markers, data entry JuneData Analysis July 312019 annual report turned in DecemberFinal report turned in as M.S. thesis LITERATURE CITED Fischer, R.A., and J.C. Fischenich. 2000. Design recommendations for riparian corridors and vegetated buffer strips (No. ERDC-TN-EMRRP-SR-24). Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS. Engineer Research and Development Center. Gutzwiller, K.J. 1991. Estimating winter species richness with unlimited-distance point counts. The Auk 108(4):853-862. Knopf, F.L. 1986. Changing landscapes and the cosmopolitism of the eastern Colorado avifauna. Wildlife Society Bulletin 14(2):132-142. Knopf, F.L., and J.A. Sedgewick. 1987. Latent population responses of summer birds to a catastrophic, climatological event. The Condor 89: 869-873. Lynch, J.F. 1995. Effects of point count duration, time-of-day, and aural stimuli on detectability of migratory and resident bird species in Quintana Roo, Mexico. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Machtans, C.S., M.A. Villard, and S.J. Hannon. 1996. Use of riparian buffer strips as movement corridors by forest birds. Conservation Biology 10(5):1366-1379. Savard, J.L., and T.D. Hooper. 1995. Influence of survey length and radius size on grassland bird surveys by point counts at Williams Lake, British Columbia. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1992. Cavity turnover and equilibrium cavity densities in a cottonwood bottomland. The Journal of Wildlife Management 56(3):477-484. Sedgewick, J.A., and F.L. Knopf. 1990. Habitat relationships and nest site characteristics of cavity-nesting birds in cottonwood floodplains. The Journal of Wildlife Management 54(1):112-124. Skagen S.K., C.P. Melcher, W.H. Howe, and F.L. Knopf. 1998. Comparative use of riparian corridors and oases by migrating birds in southeast Arizona. Conservation Biology 12(4):896-909. Smith, W.P., D.J. Twedt, R.J. Cooper, D.A. Widenfeld, P.B. Hamel, R.P. Ford. 1955. Sample size and allocation of effort in point count sampling of birds in bottomland hardwood forests. Monitoring bird populations by point counts. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. Albany, CA. USDA, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station p. 7-18. Stauffer, D.F., and L.B. Best. 1980. Habitat selection by birds of riparian communities: evaluating effects of habitat alterations. The Journal of Wildlife Management 44(1):1-15. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, K.P. Burnham, D.R. Anderson, J.L. Laake, D.L. Borches, S. Strindberg. 2006. Distance sampling. Encyclopedia of Environmetrics. Thomas, L., S.T. Buckland, E.A. Rexstad, J.L. Laake, S. Strindberg, S.L. Hedley, J.R. Bishop, T.A. Marques, and K.P. Burnham. 2010. Distance software: design and analysis of distance sampling surveys for estimating population size. Journal of Applied Ecology 47:5-14. Thompson, F.R. and M.J. Schwalbach. 1995. Analysis of sample size, counting times, and plot size from an avian point count survey on Hoosier National Forest, Indiana. General Technical Report. PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service. Tockner, K., and J.V. Ward. 1999. Biodiversity along riparian corridors. Large Rivers 11(3):293-310. Wolf, A.T., R.W. Howe, G.J. Davis. 1995. Detectibility of forest birds from stationary points in northern Wisconsin. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-149. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. Albany, CA. Apendix A- data sheet for avian point counts at South Platte Wildlife Management Area SOUTH PLATTE WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA BIRD SURVEY Site #: ________________Habitat Type: Prairie / WoodlandDate: __________________ Observer Name: __________________________Start Time: _________________________ Wind: calm light moderate strongTemperature: 70 Cloud %: _________Precipitation: drizzle snow fog   Ã‚   SPECIES TIME Visual/ Aural DISTANCE (meters) NOT IN HABITAT (Flyover/ adjacent habitat) COMMENTS

The Link between HIV and the Development of AIDS :: Free AIDS Essays

The Link between HIV and the Development of AIDS The breakout of the AIDS pandemic during the early eighties is considered one of the biggest challenges in modern medicine. Twenty years after the first AIDS cases were recorded, we are far from developing a cure for this devastating pandemic. Although our knowledge of this condition remains limited, the vast majority of scientists now agree that the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the predominant cause of AIDS, and the notion that HIV equals AIDS is widely regarded as a fact by the general public. Since 1998, however, a group of dissenters led by Dr. Peter Duesberg has questioned the validity of this theory. Duesberg, an accredited biologist, believes that there is no cause and effect relationship between HIV and AIDS. Instead, he has proposed that drugs, recreational or prescribed, are responsible for the onset of AIDS in humans. Although his claims have been largely refuted by the scientific community, Duesberg has generated a large supporter base, which includes activist Christina Maggiore and South African President Thabo Mbeki. Since Duesberg's ideas were first introduced to the public in 1987, hundreds of HIV positive patients have followed the dissenter's advice and stopped taking available medication, even when there is no clear scientific evidence supporting his theory. Despite the gravity of the situation, the approach taken by the media and the scientific community has been to ignore the issues at hand, giving little to no coverage of this critical topic. Meanwhile, the number of dissenters continues to rise, as does the number of patients jeopardizing their lives. The first cases of the condition now known as AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) were reported in the United States in 1981, when five young males died from severe cases of pneumonia. At the time the disease was thought to be strongly associated with homosexuality and was known as the "gay cancer" or "gay pneumonia" (Duesberg 1996). The number of deaths under similar circumstances rose to over eight hundred in 1982, but it was not until 1984 that Dr. Robert Gallo successfully isolated the human immunodeficiency virus and declared it "the probable cause of AIDS" (Derbyshire 1997). No one has ever acquired AIDS symptoms without first having HIV. Over the past twenty years, our knowledge of HIV and AIDS has increased. We know that HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact, as well as through blood transfusions and during pregnancy from mother to child.

Career Success at What Cost? Essay

This essay is about how a woman adjusts and sacrifices her life to be able to meet needs of the work life balance vs. the personal life balance. It is achieved by looking closely at the two main characters and how they constantly have to choose between personal and work life and to be able to maintain a balance or rather not. It is a good choice of movie to look into the theme of work life vs personal life, as this is a common existing problem in today’s work culture and it enlightens the choices and options one has to choose from. This essay looks at two different women who work in a same field yet are worlds apart and end up having to choose either or . The essay then concludes about that choices needed or demanded to be made and sacrifices are made by every individual in the end whether they want to or not. We all hope to have a boss who guides and inspires us to fulfil our professional goals as we contribute to our organization’s success. However, recognizing how rare that kind of mentor is, many of us are satisified to work for someone who is unsuccessful, but pleasant to work with, someone who would guide us and be approachable without biting our heads off. Such a person is, at least, more tolerable than a boss who makes every workday a living hell. The Devil Wears Prada brings to life that very terrifying scenario. Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a college graduate who won writing prizes as a student but is unable to secure a job in journalism, had to settle for a job that is related creatively to her choice of expertise. Andrea (Andy) is assigned as the assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), who is the editor in chief of Runway magazine based in the busy lives of Manhattan. The tasks Miranda assigns her – range from finding and fetching only vaguely described pants to scoring the latest unpublished Harry Potter manuscript within a very limited time frame. All these have nothing in relation to Andy’s passion of journalism. This is the first evidence of sacrifice that is made by Andy. She chose to work in a place not familiar or relevant to her but she has to work in order to earn to be able to support herself. One problem Andy faces is her inability to fit in with Runway’s corporate culture. Whereas her co-workers dress in perfectly put-together top-designer clothes, Andy wears a comfortable off-the-rack sweater and sensible shoes. She sees no reason to change herself for a job she is using only as a steppingstone for a job at a† real† magazine such as The New Yorker. (Frankel,pg42) This is the next choice Andy makes. She chooses to remain her own self and be in her comfort zone rather than trying to fit into an image which is not favoured by her. She ignores the taunts of her co-worker Emily (Emily Blunt), who puts down Andy’s uninspired outfits. Andy, who sees fashion as useless and irrelevant, has no intention of becoming a part of the fashion industry. For her, this job is just a means to an end. Here she chooses her personal life style over the professional expected level. For Andy it is more convenient and easier to portray her as she identifies with her own choices of clothes rather than branded items that many choose otherwise. Andy eventually comes to recognize that Runway sells an image, and that her loyalty to this image is part of her job description. Through her hard work and efficiency on being able to meet deadlines before time, she becomes a walking advertisement for Runway. As she concedes her previous image to one of style, grace, and elegance framed by the clothing of the designers she once found so disgraceful, she crosses a boundary. Her friends and boyfriend question her transformation. But Andy, striving to fit into her new role and please her boss, is too busy for introspection. (Bolen, Everywoman,pg 262). This again is another example of choice and sacrifice evident in the movie. At first Andy was not willing to change her image but eventually she gives up her stand to be able to fit in with her company’s image. A pure example of sacrifice of own personal choices over the need to impress her co-workers and her demanding boss. Andy’s transformation increases her willingness to respond to Miranda’s unreasonable requests, which becomes irritating as they seem to come at any time of the day. From 6 a. m. until 2 a. m. , Andy can be found answering the phone, dropping whatever she is doing to attend to Miranda’s demands. (Bolen, Everywoman, pg 265). When Andy skips out on friends and family, telling them – and herself – that she is working hard only in order to attain her ultimate goal of a position as a true journalist, her friends worry that she has been seduced by her current job responsibilities, which she has come to take seriously. In time, putting work first costs Andy her closest friendships, including her relationship with her boyfriend. As Andy’s job at Runway collides her nonworking life, she complains to Nigel, who has become her mentor and confidant, â€Å"My personal life is hanging by a thread. † He explains, â€Å"That’s what happens when you start doing well at work. Tell me when your whole life goes up in smoke. That means it’s time for a promotion. †(The Devil Wears Prada, 2006). The main theme of the movie of work life vs. personal life is utmost the most central at this point in time. Andy sacrifices her personal life; she risks her relationships in order to suit needs of her work life. She is constantly being put on spot to choose either way. Her work life has driven her much to the place where she time and again sacrifices her personal life and chooses her work life. She ends up on a unbalanced sea saw where her work life is proving to be on the heavier scale compared to her personal choices and the relationships that existed way before she had a compelled full on work life. It is interesting to compare Andy’s sacrifices with Miranda’s efforts to separate her own personal and work lives. When Andy is required to deliver mock-ups of the magazine to Miranda’s home after ten o’clock each weeknight, she is banned from interacting with Miranda’s children or even going beyond the first floor. Although Miranda does not have the time to be a caring mother, she thinks often of her children, whose daily schedules she coordinates and whose special occasions she celebrates. Miranda chooses to maintain a balance with her work and personal life but ends up losing a bit of both. Although she is able to make time to be there for important functions for her children, she is not able to shower them upon with lots of time and love from day to day as her work life demands and makes up most of her life’s space. Although it may seem like Miranda is able to juggle both, it is evident in the movie that she cannot always have what she wants and ends up losing one or the other. For example, when the weather turns horrific, she is unable to attend her children’s recital. On the other hand, to be able to meet with Miranda needs and get her across the state, Andy ends up sacrificing her time with her father to be able to find a suitable flight for Miranada. In this scenario both are on the losing end. Miranda ends up not being able to reach the function as she could not put her work to hold and Andy ahs to sacrifice her personal life (time with her father/family) to be able to please her boss. The question that raises here is â€Å"Can people at the upper level of a corporation afford to have meaningful personal lives? Not necessarily† (Betts, 2003). According to The Devil Wears Prada, by the time someone makes it to a top spot, it may be too late. Certainly Miranda is not immune to work’s erosion of her personal life. Already twice-divorced, she learns that her third husband d wants out. Apparently, one cannot hold a highly well paid, demanding, and prestigious job and also maintain a fulfilling personal life at the same time. Miranda’s life is based around this. Her sacrifice is her personal life. She chooses her career and her work over her personal time with the family. Due to this she has experienced fall outs from her ex partners and also has a very disconnected relationship with her twin daughters. As mentioned before, although she is able to make it to important family functions at times, she is not fully present as Miranda a mother or wife. She is there as Miranda Priestly, the chief in editor of the Runway magazine. Her image is more important to her and she ends up sacrificing her personal life over and over again. The supporting characters repeatedly tell Andy that she has a choice – that she can decide to leave her job. She has to decide whether to surrender her personal life for the advantages that working for Miranda Priestly confers. She makes her choice. Work over personal life. As Emily observes she says to Andy, â€Å"You sold your soul to the devil when you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choos. †(The Devil wears Prada, 2006). Whether or not the job is worth Andy’s personal and social life, this becomes the driving point of the film. As work consumes almost all of her time, she cancels dinner dates, loses sleep, and misses her boyfriend’s birthday party. Her single and resounding excuse is that she has work and that she has no choice in the matter, to which everyone responds with that she does have a choice — and that choice is to quit. Andy refuses, claiming that she is not the kind of person that quits. Yet again Andy chooses work over personal life, another sacrifice of her personal life. When Andy accepts Miranda’s invitation to accompany her to Paris for fashion week, she knows full well that she is taking Emily’s place. In Paris, Andy sees Miranda backstab a dear friend in order to keep her job. Andy tells Miranda that she could never backstab a friend. Miranda reminds her that she has already betrayed Emily. MIRANDA: You chose to get ahead. If you want this life, those choices are necessary. ANDY: But what if this isn’t what I want? What if I don’t want to live the way you live? MIRANDA: Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Andrea! Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us. (The Devil wears Prada, 2006) The job is Andy’s choice, and she has chosen to live life this way. Andy then has a revelation about what she seems important in her life. In a negative gesture, she flings her company-issued cell phone into a nearby fountain. Here she sacrifices her fame and image and chooses herself. The image with which she identifies with and the way she used to live before entering these prestigious and demanding work lives. After leaving Runway, Andy applies for a job at a newspaper. With a positive, although brief, reference from Miranda, she gets the job. The film ends happily enough, as we are left to infer that Miranda, despite her cold behaviour and exploitation of Andy, she is satisfied with the choice Andy has made for her. Through her journey of ridiculous errands, stressful assignments, and overworked life, Andy has developed a deeper understanding of the role work plays in her life. She may live for the job, but that does not mean that it is all she lives for. (The Devil wears Prada, 2006) Conclusion This scenario is quite common in today’s work life ethics. Success, image and good earning jobs are becoming so demanding in today’s work life cycle that most people end up choosing their wok life over the personal aspects. The movie depicts a lot of uprising newbie’s in the workplace especially woman who have the need to be able to create a self image and respect in the society and to be independent, compared to the past where women were limited to nursing and nurturing duties in the boundaries of their homes. The need for strive is increasing rapidly at the cost of having to sacrifice time and again. In the movie, on many occasions the characters were compelled to making a choice between work and personal life. It was more like sacrificing one to meet the needs of the other. The characters, Andy and Miranda consistently chose work over every other aspect present and part of their life. Andy ruins her personal relationships with her loved ones and Miranda is seen having difficulties in playing for the caring and loving motherly role. In the end they both make sacrifices. Both are not entirely happy neither are they fully sad. The fact remains that we can’t have the best of both worlds without having to make adjustments and sacrifices now and then. It is also evident that people always end up making a choice and have to lose one or the other. Andy chose to restore her normal way of life over the high class flashy life that she got used to. She ended up giving her demanding work life which offered her being in the limelight often. Yet she was happy to be back in a place where she was more comfortable with and with which she could easily identify herself with. Miranda ends up choosing her work life again over the personal life and is shown to still have the power and success and keep her personal life shaky and unstable as they way it started off with. In life everyone has to make choices and sacrifices, at some point in time. The question remains, which way do we go because naturally you have to give up something in order to get the other.

Community Development And Civic Engagement - 1538 Words

The title of our course is community development and civic engagement. Please define community development and the community development process. Please provide the various approaches that one can use in conducting community development? What are the similarities and/or differences among the approaches you that selected? Do you think one approach is better than another in addressing community issues? Why or why not? Community development is a multifaceted process that involves members of community working together to try and solve issues (physical, environmental, cultural, social, political, economic etc.) within the community. The goal of community development is to improve the quality of life. Ultimately, the most difficult aspect of†¦show more content†¦Creative community building is the process of using arts, culture and creativity to rebuild the social, civic, physical, economic, and spiritual fabrics of communities. Creative community building bring together best practices from a myriad of fields professions together to create new ways to transform communities. Art has many categories and provide a way for community to get involved with skills they already have. Moreover, artists can use these creative skills to create engagement in ways that invite more diverse participation. On the other hand, culture is the shared customs, and beliefs that distinguishes one group of people fr om another. People can be creative and artistic in formal ways such as theatre performance as well as informal ways that can be a cultural gathering. These creative processes can allow the community to preserve the historic and cultural heritage of a place and give them a sense of ownership. Creative Community Building can provide jobs through arts and culture. 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The focus on youth, in terms of their engagement inRead MoreResearch Communication Competition1038 Words   |  5 PagesCollective to learn how to engage campus and community stakeholders to commit to collaboratively ending sexual violence at Illinois State University. The team provides leadership, planning, and oversight for sexual violence prevention and response initiatives at Illinois State University. Strategy 4: Strengthen the University’s commitment to civic engagement. Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning The University opened the Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning. The center’s purposeRead MoreThe Center For Child And Family Policy1555 Words   |  7 Pagesof higher education should not promote civic engagement, universities such as Duke University heavily push students to become more civically and politically engaged, even making certain courses have requirements to complete a service component. Numerous civic engagement programs exist at Duke that offer different services and opportunities for students to engage with the community. Duke University’s Center for Child and Family Policy offers a civic engagement program the School Research PartnershipRead MoreThe Current Chinese Government Fits Into The Category Of Authoritarian Regimes856 Words   |  4 Pagesefforts should be made to redistribute economic wealth as much as possible and that a single political party should direct the government and control the state. After 1978, Mao’s successor Deng and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000, output had qua drupled. Therefore, after 1978, China changed the system of government to allow more freedom for citizens instead of the total control over citizens by the coercive mobilization.For much of the population, living standardsRead MoreThe Principles Of Convergence For Students871 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstanding that leadership is not performed in a vacuum. On the contrary, leadership is a process that arises from and within the context of relationship with followers (Greenleaf, 1977; Burns, 1978; Komives et al, 2007). Developing and valuing community (Fairholm, 1997), collaboration, and citizenship (HERI, 1996) are essential components to leadership and its activities. Relationship values others for their own unique skills and talents, and seeks to empower others to develop and utilize thoseRead MoreHow Crowdfunding Campaign On Culture And Civic Engagement895 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Internet. Businesspeople and citizens rallied to a civic cause so a gift from the French governmen t could find a home. Pulitzer used a single collection point to raise money from an enormous pool of donors and pledged amounts from pocket change upwards. Many crowdfunding experts consider The Statue of Liberty project the most successful crowdfunding campaign. This paper explores crowdfunding campaigns on culture and civic engagement, how it aligns with a corporation s mission, vision, and