A Growing Problem essays

A Growing Problem essays The escalating divorce rate is a growing problem in American culture and will not get better unless drastic steps are taken. Divorce rates have steadily increased in the United States since the early 1920s. In 1920 there was approximately 13.4 divorces per 100 marriages. In the 1988 it jumped to 32.8 divorces per 100 marriages and at present it is close to 50 divorces per 100 marriages and climbing (divorce rates chart). Researchers say that the fastest growing marital status category in America is divorced people. I believe something needs to be done to preserve the once sacred institution of marriage and family values in the United States. Divorce has a profound impact on children. Children of divorce are 3 to 4 times more likely to have psychological problems, juvenile delinquencies and suicide among other detrimental problems. A child of divorce is more likely grow up and be in a marriage that ends in divorce. The child is more inclined to view divorce as an easy way out of a situation instead of working on their marital problems. They feel divorce is an acceptable option as they have seen their parents divorce. Here are few of the important factors that I believe contribute to the ever-escalating divorce rates in the United States. First, lawmakers enacted the no-fault divorce law in the 1970s. Researchers believe that the new law caused an explosion of divorces. A no-fault divorce is one in which neither spouse blames the other for the breakdown of their marriage. Both spouses agree that irreconcilable differences have arisen and that their marriage is irreparable (no-fault divorce). A no-fault divorce does not require proof in a court of law by the divorcing party. Essentially a no-fault divorce makes it much easier and much faster to get a divorce. Currently, divorce laws in nearly every state give greater legal rights to spouses who want to end the marriage than ...

High School Courses for Careers in Architecture

High School Courses for Careers in Architecture Architecture is usually not part of a high school curriculum, yet the skills and discipline needed to begin a career as an architect are acquired early on. Many paths can lead to an architectural career - some roads are traditional and others are not. If you are a high school student considering a career in architecture, consider taking the following steps to prepare for your future profession. Key Takeaways Make sure your high school curriculum includes humanities, mathematics, science, and art courses.Carry a sketchbook and use it to record notes and sketches of your surroundings. Even a family vacation to Disneyland is an opportunity to observe new building styles.Consider attending an architecture camp to develop your skills. Plan to Pursue Higher Education College is the traditional route to an architecture career. While still in high school, you should plan a strong college preparatory program. Youll make important connections (fellow students and professors) in what is called higher education, and the university program will help you become a registered architect. An architect is a licensed professional, like a medical doctor or public school teacher.  Although architecture was not always a licensed profession, most of todays architects have been to college. A degree in architecture prepares you for any number of careers, if you decide the architecture profession is not for you - the study of architecture is interdisciplinary. High School Courses to Prepare for College Humanities courses will sharpen your communication skills and your ability to put ideas into words and concepts into historic context. Presentation of a project is an important business aspect of the profession and vital when working in a team of professionals. Math and science courses help develop problem-solving techniques and logic. Studying physics will get you familiar with important concepts related to force, such as compression and tension. Tensile architecture, for example, stands up because of tension instead of compression. The PBS website for Building Big has a good introduction and demonstration of forces. But physics is old school - necessary, but very Greek and Roman. These days you want to know about the changes in Earths climate and how buildings must be built to stand up to extreme weather above the Earths surface and seismic activity below. Architects must keep up with building materials, too - how does the new cement or aluminum affect the environment during its entire life cycle? The research in the growing field of Materials Science affects a broad range of industries. Research in what architect Neri Oxman calls Material Ecology explores how building products can be more biological in nature. Art courses - drawing, painting, sculpture, and photography - will be helpful in developing your ability to visualize and conceptualize, which are both important skills to an architect. Learning about perspective and symmetry is invaluable. Drafting is less important than being able to communicate ideas through visual means. Art history will be a lifelong learning experience, as movements in architecture often parallel visual art trends. Many people suggest that there are two avenues to an architecture career - through art or through engineering. If you can have a grasp of both disciplines, youll be ahead of the game. Electives to Take in High School In addition to required courses, the optional classes you choose will be extremely helpful in preparing for a career in architecture. Computer hardware is less important than knowing about how software works and what you can do with it. Consider the simple value of keyboarding, as well, because time is money in the business world. Speaking of business, think about an introductory course in accounting, economics, and marketing - especially important when working in your own small business. Less obvious choices are activities that promote cooperation and consensus. Architecture is a collaborative process, so learn how to work with many different kinds of people - groups that have common objectives to attain the same goal or make one product. Theater, band, orchestra, chorus, and team sports are all useful pursuits...and fun! Develop Good Habits High school is a good time to develop positive skills that you will use your entire life. Learn how to manage your time and get your projects done well and promptly. Project management is a huge responsibility in the architects office. Learn how to get it done. Learn how to think. Keep a Journal of Travel and Observations Everyone lives somewhere. Where do people live? How do they live? How are their spaces put together compared with where you live? Examine your neighborhood and document what you see. Keep a journal that combines sketches and descriptions - pictures and words are an architects lifeblood. Give your journal a name, like LAtelier, which is French for the workshop. Mon Atelier would be my workshop. Along with art projects you may do in school, your sketchbook could become part of your portfolio. Also, take advantage of family travel and be a keen observer of your surroundings - even a water park has organizational design and color, and Disney theme parks have loads of different architecture. Brenner Motorway Viaduct at Gossensaas, Southern Tyrol, in the Alps, Italy. Construction Photography/Avalon/Getty Images (cropped) Observe how problems are solved. Examine how architects, designers, and urban planners have solved the problems of people living and working on the planet and in space (for example, the International Space Station). What choices do governments make about the built environment? Dont simply be critical, but come up with better solutions. Do towns and cities seem planned or have they gotten bigger by simply adding on, in all directions including skyward? Are designs chosen because they fit into their surroundings or because they dignify the architects vision of engineering or beauty? The Brenner motorway bridge is the most important thruway over the central Alps, connecting the Austrian region of Tyrol with Italys Southern Tyrol - but does the roadway destroy the natural design of its environment and the place where people have chosen to live quietly? Can you make an argument for other solutions? In your studies youll also discover the politics of architecture, especially when it comes to the power of eminent domain. What Others Say Since 1912, the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) has been a leading organization in architectural education. They have written that aspiring architects should learn as much as possible about the field of architecture, by talking to architects and by visiting architectural offices. When you have a research project for a humanities course, keep in mind the profession of architecture. For example, a research paper for an English Composition class or an interview project for European History are good opportunities to get in touch with architects in your community and find out what influences their thinking. Research historic architects of the past to gain a broader perspective of how the profession has changed - construction materials, engineering, and a sense of what is beautiful (aesthetics). Architecture Camps Many schools of architecture, both in the U.S. and abroad, provide summer opportunities for high school students to experience architecture. Talk with your high school guidance counselor about these and other possibilities: Career Discovery, University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, IndianaTeen ArchStudio Summer Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, CaliforniaSummer Academy, Boston Architectural College, MassachusettsSummer Design Academy, The University of North Carolina at CharlotteArchitecture Summer at Penn, University of Pennsylvania, PhiladelphiaYouth Adventure Program, Texas AM University, College Station, TexasSummer College for High School Students, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New YorkSummer Pre-College Program at Tulane School of Architecture, New Orleans, LouisianaSummer College at Cornell University, Ithaca, New YorkCU Summer Scholars, Clemson University, Clemson, South CarolinaOngoing Programs at Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin, Spring Green, WisconsinProject Pipeline Architecture Camps, The National Organization of Minority Architects What if You Dont Want to Go to College? Only registered architects can put RA after their names and really be called architects. But you dont have to be an architect to design small buildings. Maybe being a professional home designer or building designer is what you really want to do. Although all of the courses, subjects, and skills listed here are equally valuable to the professional home designer, the certification process is not as rigorous as licensure to become an architect. Another avenue to a career in architecture is to seek a career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The USACE is part of the U.S. Army but also hires civilian employees. When talking with an Army Recruiter, ask about the Army Corps of Engineers, in existence since the American Revolution. George Washington appointed the first engineer officers of the Army on June 16, 1775. Connections A book such as The Language of Architecture: 26 Principles Every Architect Should Know by Andrea Simitch and Val Warke (Rockport, 2014) will give you the scope of what an architect needs to know - skills and knowledge that are not always obvious in the profession. Many career advisors mention hard skills like math and soft skills such as communication and presentation, but what about tropes? Tropes build connections between many aspects of our world, write Simitch and Warke. Books such as these help you make connections between what you learn in the classroom and the real world profession of designing and building things. For example, you learn about irony in English class. In architecture, ironies are most effective in challenging beliefs that may be entrenched, or in overturning formal complexes that have been overcome by facile interpretations, write the authors. What you need to know to become an architect is as diverse as architecture itself. Other useful books for students interested in a career in architecture are the how-to types of books  - Wiley publishers have a number of career-oriented books, such as Becoming an Architect by Lee Waldrep (Wiley, 2014). Other handy books are ones written by real, live, practicing architects, such as Beginners Guide: How to Become an Architect by Ryan Hansanuwat (CreateSpace, 2014). Make a smooth transition from high school to college life by understanding the different types of architecture programs available. The course of study in colleges can vary from place to place, just like house styles can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. You dont need to be a mathematician to be an architect. Source Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), High School Preparation, https://www.acsa-arch.org/resources/guide-to-architectural-education/overview/high-school-preparation; https://www.studyarchitecture.com/

Discussion questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion questions - Assignment Example This feedback goes a long way in informing the management of an organization on areas of strength or weakness and thus enables the organization to make strategic decisions that with improve the service delivery and hence compete favorably in the industry/market. For instance, I am a subscribed member to an online library from where I frequently visit for academic materials. I often submit a feedback concerning the level of satisfaction I get whenever I use the website and I have noted often that the admin to the website always responds to the comments. I therefore note that my opinions are appreciated and this leads to better service reception whenever I revisit the website for a similar service. Organizations adopt marketing strategies that improve on their competitiveness within the marketing. According to McFarlane (2013), global competition has advanced to take customer value in higher regard and a change has been noted in how customer value is perceived. Unlike in the past times when it was perceived to be driven by the market, the current day perception shows that customer value is responsible of driving the market. The customer feedback should therefore be used to guide managers in making marketing decisions, set goals in marketing as well as evaluate on performance in marketing strategies adopted (Morgan & Rego, 2006). Decisions on the marketing channels to be used are also arrived at by marketers through involving customer