« Older Entries

A Neighborhood Is Not Safe

Introduction
The term neighborhood has numerous meanings and uses according to different people, environment, and context (Kawachi et al. 2003). For instance, neighborhood may refer to a small group of houses in the immediate vicinity of one’s home or a larger area covered by a number of houses of similar structure and market values. A deeper look at the contextual meaning of the neighborhood shows that it relates both to social (people-oriented) and geographic. In other words, the term neighborhood refers to the people who live near each other and occupy a section of an area in town or city (Kawachi et al. 2003). According to former studies and research about, it’s of strong evidence that many of these neighborhoods are not safe to live. That insecurity entails the hygiene, security and immorality conducted within their bounds. One would notice that a bigger hand of danger of these places rests on them. Inhabitants of the neighborhoods are themselves sources of risk. This paper looks deeper into safety breaches of neighborhoods.

Background information

Cases of community violence have been the talk of the day in many neighborhoods. That renders many families to experience regular chronic worries and stress. Most of the crimes involve immoral acts such as burglary sexual harassment, bullet shots, as well as to social disorder issues like the trafficking and sale of graffiti, development of teen gangs and drugs abuse. Such activities are said to be so epic and have developed to be daily routines in several neighborhoods (Bursik, 2007).

The unsafe nature of neighborhoods

It is of great concern that children begin to witness events of a crime while very. They get to view acts of violence such as the use of guns such as robbery at home. Some got to see murder through stubbing. These actions teach them no morals, but only brutality. A good number of them could turn into bullies (Bursik, 2007). Furthermore, some neighborhoods are much squeezed. Amenities such as playgrounds or community centers are not available. The shortages deny children the opportunities to be proactive and hamper their opportunity to get engaged in the broader community. Poor conditions such as dilapidated housing and litter at door-steps always cause series of impacts that may be harmful to health of residents and their overall well-being. Playgrounds for children are mostly unavailable. However, in places where they exist, they sometimes turn out to become a dangerous spots and hideouts for bad planners (Rubinowitz, 2009).

Not all neighborhoods are unsafe. Some residents have been able to make collaborative measures towards making their communities healthy places to live. One method they have found to be effective is through neighborhood watch programs. Diligently, neighbors have effectively succeeded to prevent violence and crime within their vicinity.

Conclusion
It’s evident that the unsafe nature of a neighborhood cannot only be seen in the angle of crime, but also on the basis of hygiene. In most cases, crime activities involve theft and fights. Lack of space, dirty, littered areas are other issues related to neighborhoods. There are too many instances of violence and ever-present threats, gun sounds, and drug dealings. Residents of such zones are always in worry about what is coming next (Rubinowitz, 2009). Some families spend nights worrying about themselves. All these collectively prove that indeed there exist security issues in these areas. Though unsafe, they form home to many people who have little or no alternative places of abode. All they can do to survive is awaiting the next episode. Many of these neighborhoods are thus unfit to the morality and value incorporation to young growing children, particularly boys.

Tags:

How Examinations Like TEAS Tests Are Beneficial For Students Nowadays

The term examination is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, (2019) as the process of assessing an individual’s skills and knowledge through written or oral questions as well as practical tasks. Examinations in higher education are significant to assess the capacity of learning for a student. Recently, there have been many emphases on abolishing examination, especially in higher learning institutions. Most students have tension over examinations: it changes them from happy beings to nervous and frustrated. However, examinations have been a major part of schooling that students have to undergo in their course of study. The purpose of the examination is to measure a student’s know-how on a given topic.

Graded Examination Systems Ensure Competitiveness
Tests are of different forms where some are designed to test the memory and understanding of the examinee about a specific topic. Higher learning examinations like the ati teas are graded and interpreted according to the criterion, which is established mostly through statistical analysis. Some students have to read overnight if the examination is on the next day. The major argument behind exams abolishment is the negative psychological impact they have on students. Most students find examinations threatening and causing anxiety. Students accumulate negative thoughts and depreciating self-statements common during assessment which affects their performance. Such anxiety affects the student physically in terms of tensed muscles and trembling as well as behavior wise which affects their study skills.

Exam Preparations Can Be Stressful And Enjoyable At The Same Time
An experiment on the impacts of examination stress shows that students’ anticipation for the examination harms their sleep and eating habits. Test related anxiety would lead to severe impacts on test outcome. On the contrary, some form of stress in life has contributed to a positive impact on results, which would also apply to student’s examination. Stress can be part of a student’s motivation during the exam period. It becomes easier for students to retain examinations knowledge when they are faced with acute stress. In most cases, students approach examination unprepared, which leads to their anxiety, while those who are ready for the test remain calm and anxious free. Other scholars have thought that if ati teas examinations are so stressful, the students’ needs to be engaged in more coursework which is deemed to be less stressful. Although, it is important to consider that even coursework is associated with stress just like tests.

Another criticism of examinations in higher education is the misuse, unlike other assessment tasks within the course work. Exams allow students to retrieve knowledge from memory and apply it on the spot, as in most real-life professions. But, the way exams are delivered in higher learning is questionable. Examinations in higher studies are vital in assessing the role of studying for a student. Lately, there have done various accents on finishing tests, particularly in higher learning organizations. Most exam questions only test what the student can recall, but not a deeper understanding of the subject. It occurs when teachers prepare tests hurriedly or borrow exam questions from previous years or test banks.

Tags:

Conceptual Framework

Conceptual Framework
According to Creswell (2014), the conceptual framework does create a logical chain of evidence through which the researcher does test and verify conclusions. The conceptual framework is usually developed so as to generate a comprehensive understanding of the applicability of employee involvement in project management. Involvement in decision-making is the independent variable while the goal achievement is the dependent variable.

Goal Setting Theory
The identified conceptual framework for this study is based on Goal Setting Theory. The goal setting theory normally assumes that a direct relationship does exist between the definition of the measurable and specific goals and the performance. The researcher, Edwin Locke primarily developed the theory when he started the goal setting research in 1960s (Locke & Latham 1979). Goal setting theory does involve the process of establishing levels of performance so as to obtain the desired outcomes. Based on the theory, it purport that the source of motivation involves the desire and the intention to reach a particular goal. According to Armstrong (2013), when managers know what they aim at achieving, they are motivated to put more effort that increases performance. The goal setting theory was advanced by Armstrong (2013), who emphasize on goal setting and encouragement of decision rights as the basis for employee performance. When the management allows the employees to get involved in decision-making on matters concerning them and the organization, it tends to increase the employee’s commitment. Employee involvement in decision-making wins the commitment of employees and when the management can win the employee’s commitment; it does increase job satisfaction and motivate employees to work hard.

Taking responsibility for the results requires that the members of the organization receive a chance to influence their results favorably and have freedom of taking action. Based on the theory, the decision rights tend to allow greater involvement of employees in deciding issues that do affect their work Armstrong (2013), He argues that employees are likely to meet their performance goals when they are empowered with authority to make decisions and also solve problems that relate to the results that they are accountable. The goals of an organization represent a shared responsibility among all its employees each of whom has a role in the success of the organization. The contribution of the employees tends to be a starting point for enumerating the results of which they are accountable. Thus, the goal setting theory is used in developing the study’s conceptual framework.

The employee can contribute significantly towards achieving the objectives and the goals of the organization. Hence, it is essential that the organization should have knowledge of the various factors that affect the behavior of their staff so as to bring out the best in these employees. Because of this, the researcher selects the goal setting theory as the conceptual framework for the study. The goal setting theory tends to be one of the most practical and influential theories of motivation. Several studies have been conducted to support the theory, and there tends to be a strong support that is setting goals related to performance improvement. The aim of the study is to examine how employee involvement in decision-making predicts goal achievement. Locke suggests that goals normally tell an employee what they need to do and how much effort should be expended (Latham, 2004). The theory does suggest that specific goals tend to increase performance and that the difficult goals when they are accepted do lead to higher performance.

From the theory, it suggests the significance of setting difficult goals as it leads to the increase in the likelihood of goal achievement. Locke postulated that through employee involvement and participation in goal setting, the employees are likely to participating in the goals and increasing performance; thus, enhancing the job satisfaction (Latham & Locke 2006). Goal setting tends to be an effective strategy of affecting performance through employee involvement, participation, and providing feedback. The involvement of the employee in setting goal tends to direct the behavior of the employee, and it contributes to higher performance than the absence of feedback and the lack of involvement. Latham, (2004) claims that difficult goals normally lead to participation through involvement employees in decision making and setting goals, enhanced employee-employer relations and also improved performance through producing high levels of planning and effort. Hence, goal setting may be an effective strategy for influence performance through enhances the initiatives of employee involvement by providing regular feedback and appropriate communication (Locke et al. 2010).

According to Latham & Locke (2006), the employee involvement in decision-making does include the process that results in some degree of transfer of then decision control and the responsibility from the superior to his subordinates. The participation in the setting of the work goals tends to fall in this definition as employee’s determination of goals is the transfer of the decision control and the responsibilities from the superior to the subordinates. Locke et al. (2010) conclude that participation in goal setting leads to increased performance. Erez et al. (1985) conducted a study to investigate the impact that participation in goal setting has on goal acceptance and the performance of the American college students. The researchers hypothesized that the level of the goal acceptance would increase as participation increased and participation influence performance through influence on acceptance. The study by Erez et al. (1985) revealed that the participative and representative goal setting increased the individual goal acceptance and the goal acceptance contributed to the performance. Locke et al. (2010) state that the involvement of employees in decision-making may contribute to the development of an effective strategy for attaining the goals that in turn increase the self-efficacy of the participant that the goal is attainable.

An examination of the goal setting theory, purport that the participation of the employee in setting the goal makes the goals to be more acceptable and it also leads to more involvement. With regards to involvement in setting the goals, the employees need to ensure that they have the necessary skills, abilities, and knowledge for reaching the goals. When the employees do not have the necessary skills, setting the outcome goals, have indicated to result in a lower level of performance (Seijts & Latham, 2005). Seijts & Latham (2005) state that people are more likely to feel helpless when they do not have the ability to reach the goals and making it difficult to achieve the goals.

Tags: