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Causes of Obesity

Obesity has been on the rise in the United States over the past years, and this has set a worrying trend. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, about 39% of adults over the age of twenty were found to be obese in the year 2016. Children have also been affected, with 13.9% of children aged 2-5 and 20.6% of teens 12-19 being overweight (Yang & Colditz 1412). With these alarming statistics, it is time to question what could be some of the factors that contribute to the rising numbers of obesity in the country and across the world. The three leading causes of obesity are dietary choices, lack of physical activity, and genetic factors.

Many more people choose to take diets high in food groups such as carbohydrates, salt, and sugar. Most of these foods are also highly refined, meaning that they add little or no nutritional value to the body. When young children begin to eat these foods from a young age, they get addicted to it as they grow older. Advertisers have also taken advantage of the situation to advertise more unhealthy foods, especially to children who don’t understand the negative impacts of such a diet. While it is not wrong to eat certain types of food once in a while, people must choose a nutritious diet for the majority of their meals to avoid obesity.

The second reason why the country has seen a rise in the number of obese people is physical inactivity. Most people have adopted a sedentary lifestyle, which is dangerous because it causes obesity and other related health issues. With the rise in the use of technology, children learn to use smartphones and tablets even before they can talk. As they grow older, they rarely go out to play with other children. Adults also drive to work and sit on a chair all day. Whenever someone wants to order some food or get some shopping done, all they have to do is go online, and their orders arrive at their doorstep. This lifestyle is very unhealthy.

The third factor contributing to the increasing rates of obesity is genetic factors. Research conducted by scientists shows a relationship between one’s genetics and a tendency to gain weight. Children born to obese parents are likely to be overweight, because what one eats causes some genes to be expressed more strongly. In a study carried out on identical twins to determine the effect of genetics on weight gain, it was found that the twins shared the same tendency to gain weight despite their diet (Allender et al. 28). However, people with a higher risk of obesity must make the necessary choices that can help them avoid gaining excessive amounts of weight.

In conclusion, the issue of obesity raises some serious concerns about the future. Some of the main causes of obesity are lack of physical activity, bad diet, and genetics. Obesity is dangerous because it affects the mental and physical wellbeing of a person. Some of the conditions associated with obesity include strokes, heart disease, joint pain, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, among others (Yang & Colditz 1413). In addition to this, overweight and obese people also suffer from low self-esteem and confidence because a lot of the time, they get bullied for their weight. At the individual level, people must make better choices about their eating and physical activity to avoid issues with weight. Maintaining a consistent healthy lifestyle is the only sure way to prevent obesity. The government and other nonprofit organizations have also come up with steps to address the issue, such as requiring food producers and restaurants to label calorie counts, and promote physical activity.

Works Cited

Allender, S., Owen, B., Kuhlberg, J., Lowe, J., Nagorcka-Smith, P., Whelan, J., & Bell, C. (2015). A community based systems diagram of obesity causes. PloS one, 10(7), e0129683.

Yang, L., & Colditz, G. A. (2015). Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 2007-2012. JAMA internal medicine, 175(8), 1412-1413.

Motivation At Work Application At Making Of Hotplates

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u Introduction PAGEREF _Toc379447670 h 1Changes in the workplace accounting for increase in productivity and decrease in controllable rejects PAGEREF _Toc379447671 h 1What might account for the drop in absenteeism and the increase in moral PAGEREF _Toc379447672 h 2The major changes in the situation, changes were under the control of the manager, which were controlled by workers? PAGEREF _Toc379447673 h 2What might happen if the workers went back to the old assembly line method? PAGEREF _Toc379447674 h 3

IntroductionIn the case study, Making of Hotplates, Workers seems to be having jobs which are extremely specialized. Each task is balanced for three minutes per each station making the work to be extremely monotonous to the workers making them to become unhappy, Because of unhappiness of workers at the workplace; these would have resulted in poor morale as well as low motivation. Motivation in the workplace is a form of force that makes the employees to do things which will result to high production by having an inspiration of completing the tasks allocated. When there is motivation in organization, the employees try to put more effort to increase the output standard (Whiteley, 2002). This paper analyzes the importance of motivation to the workers in the workplace and problems that result when there is low motivation.

Changes in the workplace accounting for increase in productivity and decrease in controllable rejects

An increase in productivity and a decrease in controllable rejects are due to the change introduced in the workplace. The enlargement of job in the workplace gave the workers a higher percentage of total tasks which was scheduled for the workers. Instead of the workers working on one subassembly for many hotplates, they manage to finish the entire hotplate at once then moving on to another hotplate allowing them to be responsible for more portions of other tasks. The workers on the other hand also felt more motivated and so the overall productivity increased. Motivation in organization always drives many workers forward. Little motivation on individual subassemblies make workers to be careless as well as, slow, however when they feel motivated by each having an ownership of the entire hotplate “Now it is my hotplate” enabling them to have the control of the defects and, producing more products (Stack, 2010).

The individual work seemed to have been provided a sense of clarity and speed therefore, increasing the productivity since each individual chose a goal to meet and creating a plan of actions that need to be followed. Increase in productivity could have also been brought by the idea that there are some employees who cannot work well when they are in a team; however they can do much better if they are given individual tasks where they make quicker decision since there is no need for discussion and explanation. Because of these, the work was done quickly hence increasing the productivity and decreasing the controllable reject (Stack, 2010)..

What might account for the drop in absenteeism and the increase in moralThe drop in absenteeism and the increase in morale were due to the increase that was brought about by satisfaction of workers with what they were doing in their jobs. Satisfaction is a sense of job which is worth to be done, or being contented with a task. Overspecialization of job design is brought due to job dissatisfaction, this is because, many workers no longer feel the sense of ownership or control over what they do as their jobs. They fail to feel the self-fulfilled as they have no opportunity of advancing in their jobs resulting in a tedious as well as monotonous work. All the above mentioned factors create unhappiness to the workers creating a tendency of absenteeism (Woerkom & Poell 2010.

The major changes in the situation, changes were under the control of the manager, which were controlled by workers?The major changes in the situation were the enlargement and enrichment of the work where there were so many responsibilities for the infections of final work which was added. The changes which were under the control of the manager is a change in the situation where the manager changed various jobs by reorganizing work lines creating range of movements as well as, setting tasks for each worker. Training program was also added by the manager to the workers where they were left by themselves to decide if they would like the new program or go back to the old one. The training program as well as, decision-making ability also contributed to motivation and workers empowering. Workers on the other hand, are the only people who have the ability of increasing the quality as well as productivity. However, managers alone cannot change errors which can lead to defects in the business. Because of that, they tend to punish the workers not knowing that it is the system that causes an error while not the mistake of individuals to fail making difference in business. Managers have also made it easier for workers to be more efficient and productive by setting job designs which are effective, the manager also maintained the quality of product by increasing the satisfaction as well as improving morale (Rush, 2008).

What might happen if the workers went back to the old assembly line method?If the workers happen to go back to the old assembly line method, the problem will absolutely arise suppose the method was reinstated. There would be dissatisfaction and low motivation for the workers making things to get worse and worse since they would have seen better ways of work approach. In most cases, the management did not have problems with the workers deliberately sabotaging the flow of work in an organization; it is therefore possible that, the managers might start practicing such behaviors under those circumstances. Workers would never feel the responsible for the quality of the individual hotplates compared to what they seem to do now while the gains made would also be lost instantly.

References

Rush, H. M. (2008). Job design for motivation; [experiments in job enlargement and job enrichment,. New York: Conference Board.

Stack, L. (2010). Super competent the six keys to perform at your productive best. New York: Wiley.

Whiteley, P. (2002). Motivation. London: Capstone Pub..

Woerkom, M. V., & Poell, R. F. (2010). Workplace learning: concepts, measurement, and application. New York: Routledge.

Adoption of Square Payroll by Great Lakes Brewing Company for better Processes and Higher Sustainability

Name:

Title: Accounting Manager

For: The Company and IT Steering Committee

Executive Summary

Our company should strive to determine and embrace the most suitable system that facilitates the attainment of our target goal and objectives of ensuring sustainability, more efficiency, higher-convenience, reduced costs of operation, higher accuracy, and more transparency. Unfortunately, we have been relying on a payroll system that is less-automated and does not have a mobile app. Accordingly, this report relies on TELOS and NPV analysis to determine the most suitable system. Subsequently, exhaustive analysis and evaluation of available systems with regards to feasibility by considering aspects such as required resources, and desired outcomes would reveal the most suitable one for our organization. Fortunately, Square Payroll system acts as the most appropriate one since it has higher feasibility capacities. Also, the project would facilitate the attainment of all the desired goals and objectives on matters concerning payroll processes. Even so, this document elaborates on some alternative systems that Great Lakes Brewing Company could adopt to realize all or the majority of its target goals and objectives.

Business Case/Statement of Needs

Our company has benefited immensely from an antiquated payroll system that has been in operation for over ten years. However, it is high time that our organization determines and adopts a better payroll software to realize more efficiencies, higher accuracy, reduced operation costs, and higher transparency and sustainability. 

As an organization that significantly values its employees, we should adopt a payroll system that satisfies the demands and needs of all workers. Unfortunately, our workers find it difficult and almost impossible to access and learn how our payments to them are processed. Accordingly, we should choose a payroll system with ease of access and use by every employee. Thus, we should determine a suitable payroll system with a Mobile App to encourage remote and convenient access. Moreover, a suitable payroll system would allow employees to access, analyze, and evaluate their remunerations and relevant deductions with relative ease and comfort.

Moreover, our company should adopt a more transparent and reliable payroll system that offers all the essential details and reports to every worker and our accountants. Since our firm embraces and encourages employees to own stock, it is crucial to ensure that a highly-reliable and easy-to-study payroll system is adopted to promote workers’ satisfaction. That is, each employee would probably be more most concerned with details such as applicable State and Federal taxes, the number of paid hours per employee, and the date of depositing money in banks. 

Additionally, our company should adopt an appropriate payroll system that promotes continued prosperity and sustainability. As an entity whose primary focus is on sustainable development, it is crucial that we rely on a payroll system that facilitates the attainment of our goal by minimizing operation costs, encouraging more efficiency, and exhibiting reasonable adaptability to the ever-changing work environment (Gatrell, Reid & Steiger, 2018). Accordingly, a suitable payroll system should always remain efficient and up-to-date. Unfortunately, our current system is outdated and lacks vital support services. 

Further, the current payroll system is less-efficient because some of its processes are not automated. For instance, the system relies on manual updating of tax percentages. Consequently, accountants consume substantial efforts and time in processing payrolls for the workers. Therefore, we should embrace a more automated system to ensure higher efficiency, accuracy, and speed (Haris, 2003). Also, we need a system that provides a direct deposit of funds to employees’ bank accounts for speedy payments. Moreover, we would drastically reduce the amount of money that we spend on printing paychecks for employees. 

Goals of the Project

This project endeavors to identify and elaborate on a suitable payroll system that our firm should embrace to encourage more efficiency, higher accuracy, reduced operation costs, higher transparency and sustainability, and more automation in our organization with regards to our payroll system. Thus, this project analyzes and evaluates on available payroll systems that our firm could adopt to realize such objectives and goals.

Constraints

This research study relies on TELOS analysis to determine the most appropriate payroll system for our firm. TELOS analysis plays vital roles in elaborating on feasibility of a project (Šerman, Glavaš, Vukobratović & Kraus, 2017). The first constraint that influences this project is sustainability. As a firm whose primary aim is to ensure sustainability, a suitable payroll system would encourage the attainment of such a goal. Accordingly, we should determine and embrace a payroll system that would remain effective, efficient, and reliable over an extended period. Besides, we should adopt a system that is compatible with a wide array of devices, including mobile phones and computers.

Secondly, we should identify, purchase, and install an affordable yet efficient and effective payroll system. Since we engage in a number of events that are meant to support the local communities while conserving the environment, we should acquire a comparatively cheap payroll system to save significant amounts of money. Still, we need a system whose maintenance is less costly.

Additionally, we need a system that attracts a smooth and seamless transition from our current payroll system. Specifically, we need a better and more automated system compared to the one we are using. Moreover, an appropriate system would facilitate the accurate transfer of vital details from the current system. Also, a suitable system would aid in determining and highlighting failures and mistakes in the existing system to encourage timely corrections, thus helping our firm in avoiding unnecessary penalties and fines. For example, a suitable system would reveal pending Federal or state taxes. Still, we need a system that is compatible with available devices, including those that are used by the current system. Therefore, we need a system that improves the existing. 

Also, we need a system that will not demand advanced skills and knowledge from the users. Instead, a suitable system would require some basic training while causing insignificant impacts with regards to the smooth operations of our organization. That is, we need a system that would encourage continued operations during the installation, training of employees, and subsequent use. Since our employees and accountants would continue accomplishing their tasks and responsibilities during the adoption of the new system, we have limited time for training.  

Furthermore, we need a system that meets legal requirements to operate in the US where our firm is placed. Specifically, we need a system that ensures the deduction and remittance of all the necessary taxes while ensuring timely and accurate payment of employees to avoid unnecessary lawsuits. 

Time Vs. Relevancy 

We need a payroll system that would be in full operation in the next five months. Since our firm encourages its employees to take ownership of the organization’s stock, a suitable payroll system should be adopted and implemented within the shortest time possible to speed up the ownership process (forbes.com, 2019). Employees could need to gain a better understanding of how the firm has been operating with regards to the remittance of federal and state taxes as well as the processing of staff salaries. Such information could be necessary to facilitate informed decisions on matters about ownership of the organization.

Besides, we need a system that would remain relevant, effective, and efficient over an extended period because we are concerned with sustainability. Still, we need a system that would attract more convenience and efficiency while reducing operating costs in the short run. Thus, we need a more automated system to get rid of the costly practice of printing paychecks for employees. Precisely, we need a system that would lead to a drastic reduction in the cost of handling payroll, hence encouraging more saves withing a short while.

Impacts

Impact: Costs and Risks

Although a suitable system would facilitate the attainment of the above-stated goals and objectives, certain costs and risks could occur. First, a new system could have some hidden costs, such as those required for upgrading software or conducting relevant maintenance services. Unfortunately, virtually every appealing project has hidden costs (Weibel, Rost & Osterloh, 2010). Besides, a new payroll system may discourage identification and exploration of other opportunities that could emerge in the market place. For example, it could be difficult and costly for our firm to adopt better payroll systems in the future. Still, the new system may fail to deliver its promises. Manufacturers and promoters of current payroll systems could have used unproven claims and characteristics to boost sales rather than providing accurate information.

Moreover, a new system could result in unwanted delays and disruptions from the usual operations of our firm. For instance, employees and accountants may become demonstrate lower performance as they adjust to the use of a new system. Also, our organization could incur certain costs while training accountants and other employees on how the new system works. Still, some employees may exhibit some dissatisfaction with the use of a new system. Finally, the system may prove unprofitable in the long-term because extra costs such as those for maintenance may occur. Therefore, our organization may experience additional costs and risks that are not easily noticeable.

Impact: Benefits and Opportunities 

 A new payroll system could attract vital benefits and opportunities for our organization. Although a project could appear less attractive, certain hidden opportunities and benefits would render it beneficial after implementation (Grant, Teller & Teller, 2005). First, our firm may realize substantial savings and profits from the long-term use of the system. Precisely, the practice of automating almost every process and elimination of paperwork would result in more efficiency, accuracy, and a dramatic reduction in operation costs (Haris, 2003). Besides, it could become easier for our organization to adopt other improved payroll systems after embracing a new one. Moreover, our staff, especially accountants, could become more productive and efficient when handling their roles and responsibilities. As a result, employees could become more satisfied and motivated, following timely and accurate payment of their salaries.

Also, a new system could lead to significant changes with regard to payroll processes. For instance, employees could gain the opportunity to edit details on their payroll system, while accountants and the human resource manager would have to check and confirm the information in the system. Still, our firm could realize better competitive standing by ensuring timely and accurate processing and remittance of state and federal taxes as well as employee salaries. Subsequently, our firm would attract more competent individuals following an improved reputation. Therefore, a new system could attract essential benefits and opportunities that are not easily noticeable.

Potential Solution/ Recommendation

Our organization would realize its target goal and objectives by purchasing and using the Square Payroll system (McQuarrie, 2020). Square Payroll software is one of the most affordable payrolls in the market. Accordingly, our firm will spend relatively little amounts of funds to acquire, install, and use the software. As a medium-sized company with a focus on encouraging sustainability, it advisable that we acquire Square Payroll to minimize expenditures on matters concerning payroll. Unfortunately, Square Payroll has a limited number of add-on features compared with other payroll systems such as QuickBooks and Gusto. Since our key concern is on ensuring an efficient and effective system, we should adopt Square Payroll because it offers all the basic and vital features. Besides, Square Payroll relies on low cost-maintenance tends to be low. Precisely, our organization would be paying about $29 every month to acquire payroll services from the online platform.

Moreover, Square Payroll is the best option because it has a mobile app for Android and Ios, hence attracts more convenience for accountants, human resource manager and the employees. As such, our organization and employees would not have to acquire expensive computers and phones to utilize the software. Thus, employees and the organization would not incur extra costs of purchasing new phones and computers since they can install the app on their current devices.

Additionally, Square Payroll does not demand advanced skills and knowledge from the users. Instead, its basic features are relatively easier to use and discourages complexity. As a result, users would quickly identify the icon and feature to use. As a result, our organization would spend comparatively little amount of time, funds and relevant resources in training the staffs on the use of the software. Therefore, it will take a relatively short time for our firm to acquire, install and use the Square Payroll system. 

Further, Square Payroll is suitable for our firm because it facilitates smooth switch from the existing payroll system. Specifically, Square Payroll automatically retrieves vital documents and details from the current system (McQuarrie, 2020). Besides, it checks for any errors and mistakes with regards to functions such as payment of Federal and state taxes and employee salaries in the current system. Subsequently, our organization would avoid the otherwise costly, tedious and timeconsuming practice of switching from one payroll system to the other.

Accordingly, we should acquire and install Square Payroll system within the next few months to ensure we realize our target goals and objectives without delays. Moreover, all employees and accountants should strive and ensure that they have appropriate smartphones to facilitate ease of access and use of the new payroll system. Nonetheless, our organization should encourage ease of access and use of all the available computers and phones by every staff member so that those without the required devices do not feel excluded from the new system.

Still, Square Payroll would work best for our organization because it automatically updates all the crucial federal and state deductions. As such, our organization would comply with all the necessary legal requirements by accurately paying taxes on time. Similarly, Square Payroll encourages speedy and accurate payment of employees since it automates virtually all the relevant processes. Accordingly, our organization would avoid costly lawsuits that could emanate from practices such as delayed or incorrect payments. Therefore, Square Payroll is legally feasible for our firm.

However, it is relatively difficult to tell if Square Payroll will remain effective and efficient over an extended period because it is one of the newest payroll systems in the market. Hence, the software could exhibit some technical problems, especially with regards to the use of mobile app. Moreover, the Square Payroll may not prove attractive to the users due to its limited features. Also, Square Payroll could be missing some useful features that could attract better performance. Therefore, further research studies should be conducted to collect information from firms that have adopted the use of Square Payroll before purchasing, installing and using it.

Alternative Solutions

Although Square Payroll could be the best solution for our organization, alternative payroll systems that could effectively deliver the desired goals and objectives exist. First, Gusto could be the best alternative since it has more features and higher-performance compared with Square Payroll. Moreover, Gusto has a mobile app, thus attracts more convenience among its users (McQuarrie, 2020). Also, Gusto has gained good repuration and proves to be highly-efficient and effective. Still, the system is highly-automated for speedy and accurate processes. Besides, Gusto is legally feasible for our firm because it facilitates accurate and timely payment of state and federal taxes . However, Gusto is comparatively more expensive since its software cost over $39 per month. Still, Gusto demands advanced skills, hence, more training resources would be used to develop employees and accauntants. Further, Gusto does not have a reliable and readily available support because its support team is operate daytime on weekdays only. Hence, our firm’s payroll system could remain unoperational during weekends or at night when a technical hitch occurs. Hence, Gusto does not appear as the most suitable system for our organization.

The other alternative is OnPay. This payroll system could partially meet the required goals and objectives. The system offers payroll basics that facilitate accomplishment of virtually all the necessary processes in medium-sized businesses. As such, it could make a sutiable option because it does not require the use of advanced skills and extensive training. Luckily, OnPay provides employee onboarding guidelines to encourage switft adoption. Still, OnPay is legally feasible for our firm and other organizations in the US because it facilitates timely and accurate tax filing. Unfortunately, the system attracts inconviniences among its users since does not have a mobile app. Moreover it is relatively expensive for our firm to use OnPay system because it requires over $36 as maintenance fee every month (McQuarrie, 2020). Therefore, our firm’s focus on sustainability and support for local communities may be compromised by lack of adequate funds because OnPay requires money. Therefore, our firm should not acquire and use OnPay because it does not meet the specifications and requirements.

References

Gatrell, J., Reid, N., & Steiger, T. L. (2018). Branding spaces: Place, region, sustainability and the American craft beer industry. Applied Geography, 90, 360-370.

Grant, D. B., Teller, C., & Teller, W. (2005). ‘Hidden’opportunities and benefits in using web-based business-to-business surveys. International Journal of Market Research, 47(6), 641-666.

Great Lakes Brewing Company. (2019). Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/companies/great-lakes-brewing-company/?list=best-small-companies#6c2e5c2e5fc6Haris, M. H. (2003). Automated payroll system (Doctoral dissertation, German-Malaysia Institute).

McQuarrie, K. (2020). Best Small Business Payroll Software 2020 | Business.org. Retrieved 8 March 2020, from https://www.business.org/finance/accounting/best-payroll-software/#OnPay_reviewŠerman, B., Glavaš, H., Vukobratović, M., & Kraus, Z. (2017). TELOS Feasibility Analysis of Photovoltaic Power Plant. Applied Engineering Letters, 2(3), 91.

Weibel, A., Rost, K., & Osterloh, M. (2010). Pay for performance in the public sector—Benefits and (hidden) costs. Journal of public administration research and theory, 20(2), 387-412.

Causes of Poverty in Developing World Today

Student’s Name

Institution

Causes of Poverty in Developing World TodayWhat are the devastating causes of poverty in the developing world today? It is an inquisitive question with a wide range of answers starting from corruption, illiteracy, political instability, limited social amenities, low technology level and rural-urban migration among many other social and economic factors. Poverty is a degrading issue in the third world countries that threaten the well-being of the civilians in these nations. With poverty the general economic level of the country low when it comes to the gross domestic income and per capita income. There are various strategies put in place to eradicate these poverty causing factors in different parts the world. Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and the Caribbean are put in consideration in the discussion regarding causes of poverty in the developing world today.

To start with Sub-Saharan Africa, Congo nation will be put in consideration in evaluating the various causes of poverty in the region. In Congo, corruption is the primary cause poverty that makes people face lots challenges in establishing the everyday life requirements. Despite the fact that the nation has vast of natural resources, Congo poverty has been the topic of the penetrating throughout the entire parts of the country. The mining industry has been one central sector in the country that has been entirely ruled by corruption (Gaynor, 2015). The local people own the land where these valuable minerals and industrial raw materials are mined, but all the benefits go to the few wealthy merchants in the Congo. The people in the lower class level are used as a source of labor to the mining industries where they are subjected low wages and unconducive working environment conditions. Apart from corruption, lack of investments, diseases, and other natural calamities also plays a significant role in causing poverty in Congo.

In the Caribbean, Haiti is one of the nations that significantly face poverty. In winning its independence, it significantly took a long time for Haiti to undergo the revolution process which effectively left the national power. Foreign ownership, inadequate food, and deforestation, as well as soil erosion, are among the depriving causes of poverty in the region. Foreign investors and other unfamiliar people have significantly taken a large sector of the country’s economy. For example through the land ownership and investing in other industrial areas, while the local people who face financial constraints act as a source of labor (Raybould, et al. 2017). Inadequate food to sustain the entire population in Haiti also serves a significant cause of poverty in Haiti. Without food, people are not productive when it comes to working as well as enhancing other economic developments. Soil erosion, as well as deforestation, on the other hand, cause soil erosion where the fertile soils are carried away leading low agricultural production in Haiti.

Today, Poverty exists in all the parts of the universe when it comes to the third world countries as well as in the modern world. China is an excellent example of such developed world where poverty is a major degrading factor. Among the significant causes of poverty in the China include rural-urban migration, education gap, and access to healthcare as well as the adopted agricultural lifestyle (Piachaud, 2017). The rural-urban migration significantly leads to poverty in China where a high number of people move to the cities where they are overcrowded leading to devastating living conditions. The poor people in the nation leads to largely depends on the agriculture. They do not have adequate income to carry out advanced agricultural production thus end having low products.

As discussed above, Congo, Haiti, and China are among the developing countries in the world that are faced with the high level of poverty. It harshens the people’s living condition in the affected nations. Poverty dramatically leads to economic instability as well as influencing the social way of living among the affected societies. The governments, as well as other international bodies, have to efficiently support the affected communities whether financially or in different practical ways that will enhance agricultural and industrial development.

References

Gaynor, N. (2015). Poverty amid plenty: structural violence and local governance in western Congo. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 33(3), 391-410.

Piachaud, D. (2017). Reflections on Inequality and Poverty in China. In Social Policy Reform in China (pp. 103-110). Routledge.

Raybould, S., Ward, T., Burnett, R., Manikam, L., Tibe, M., & Munslow, B. (2017). Problems of dual vulnerability in nutrition: A qualitative study of older persons caring for under 5‐year‐olds in post‐disaster Haiti. The International journal of health planning and management.

ADP software is well designed to support the best practices of performance management systems. From its features the software is flexible and allows for reporting in the report section where there is a wide range to choose to range from payrolls, earning summaries, taxes benefits and others. The departments can customize these reports to how they best want it. The time recording and attendance is a feature that comes with ADP software that makes the record of hours simpler. According to the 2012 research by Pay Stream Advisors, 47% admitted that manual processing of employee information was a great challenge to them (“ADP”, n.d). The time recording and attendance feature make it easy to track employee working hours since it is automated. ADP integrating with ZipRecruiter makes hiring easier creating the best way to recruit top talent. These are some of the features of the software that support best practices of performance management systems.

SilkRoad being a talent acquisition software comes with best features that support talent management systems. The first feature id the recruitment that makes it easy to hire employees by enabling recruiters to source employees online. Onboarding feature makes it easy to create and easily personalize the onboarding journey including customized payrolls. The performance part in the software allows for the best practices in Performances management where employees own their performance through frequent check-ins, feedback and goal setting (“SilkRoad” n.d). This allows for the connection between an employee and the manager where they can engage. Both software allows for best practices in the performance systems through some of the features stated above.

References

SilkRoad Performance Pricing, Features, Reviews & Comparison of Alternatives (n.d) retrieved from https://www.getapp.com/hr-employee-management-software/a/silkroad-performance-wingspan/ADP Run Review (n.d) retrieved from https://selecthub.com/hris/payroll-solutions/adp-run-review/

Motivation For College Application

Student’s Name

Institution Of Affiliation

Instructor

Course

Date

Motivation For College Application

My desire is to pursue nursing and I hope through nursing I will be able to reach as many people as possible and take care of them as I have a caring personality. One of the major career goals I would like to achieve is not only becoming a nurse but also becoming a senior nurse and an instructor. After I finish my initial studies of becoming a nurse I would like to practice and after a while go back to school to further my studies in the field of nursing and enable other young people to take care of the patients in hospitals who need care given to them. I chose nursing because being a nurse feels the best thing to me. This is because through nursing I will be able to interact with patients, know what their problems are and try to help them to the best of my ability. The human connection, love and care that is needed for nursing describes me as well as the hard work that is needed for nurses. Nursing also provides a person with a platform for them to be able to take care of others and not just to focus on themselves. Focusing on oneself even though important is not the most important thing to do when it comes to caring for other people and therefore the best thing to do in the case of a nurse is to focus on the patients and that is what I would like to do. The desire to become a nurse therefore motivated me to apply for college since there is where I will learn on how to take care of patients and learn what it takes to make a good nurse.

Some of my personal goals for applying to college is that the college I applied to is one of the best and it is a good one. Another reason is that the college has a very good environment through which I can be able to freely interact and make friends whole at the same time making sure that I am on the course of making sure that my scores and performance is good in my course as a nurse. I have had many accomplishments and experiences which have made me come up with the desire to become a nurse. One of these experiences have been the learning about first aid and how to take care of injured people. When I did the course, I got to learn how nursing is important even though it can be a difficult job at times as some people do not wish to be consoled or it can be very difficult to take care of a person for example who has lost all their family members. One thing that made me understand myself better was the pharmacy job I did and the different types of volunteers works I have done and all I have seen is the importance of taking care of people and therefore I decided to become a nurse and take care of all the people who are sick or who needs a nurses help.

Name

Professor

Course

Date

Table of Contents

C TOC o “1-3” h z u auses of Soccer Not Being Very Popular in US PAGEREF _Toc321666696 h 3Introduction PAGEREF _Toc321666697 h 3Status of Soccer in the U.S PAGEREF _Toc321666698 h 3Reasons Why Soccer is Not Very Popular in the US. PAGEREF _Toc321666699 h 4Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc321666700 h 6Works Cited PAGEREF _Toc321666701 h 8Appendix PAGEREF _Toc321666702 h 9

Causes of Soccer Not Being Very Popular In USIntroductionProfessional soccer in the US has grown less popular than in most other regions of the world. The U.S professional first-division league, the Major League Soccer (MLS) is not, generally, as attractive in comparison to the American baseball and football major leagues. However, the importance of soccer in the United States has continued to grow since the 1990s. The major reason being the fact that in1994, the U.S hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time. The general league structure in the U.S is considerably different from that employed in nearly all other parts of the globe, but comparable to that employed by other sports leagues in the U.S. This is evident in that, it lacks a relegation and promotion system between the lower and higher leagues, but utilizes a minor league system. It is essential to note that, despite its definite popularity in the world’s sports arena and in spite of recent achievements, U.S soccer continues to thrive only in the minor leagues. This is despite the development of the soccer market in the U.S since the World Cup in 1994, the MLS teams go on to struggling despite their projected market potential (Markovits 12).

STATUS OF SOCCER IN THE U.SIn the U.S there are four most important sports namely: the National Football League plays football, the Major League Baseball plays baseball, the National Basketball Association plays basketball, while the National Hockey League plays hockey. These four major sports are entirely characteristic of the American identity and culture. As a result of competition from other kinds of sports, soccer in the U.S has continued to struggle to achieve an economic grip in the country. The economic, cultural, as well as psychological space accessible for sport is narrow and that space is already full. This may be seen in the fact that the MLS continues to loose dramatically in TV deals, average salaries, as well as revenues in comparison with other key US sport. Since its inception in 1996, the MLS has lost approximately $350 million. Secondly, the average MLS player salary is approximately $115,000, while a basketball player earns an average salary of approximately $5.3 million (Stewart 101).

Reasons Why Soccer is Not Very Popular in US. The U.S overcrowded its sports space with only three games thus diminishing the chances of soccer of being integrated into the sports culture of the U.S. these factors demonstrate that the U.S has not acknowledged soccer as a mainstream sport. In the history of the United States, this nation has always resisted external influence (Foer 62). This can also be the case in regard to soccer, since soccer is perceived as a European sport. Therefore it fails to be acknowledged along with the sports that were invented in America, like, basketball, baseball, and football. In addition a large assortment of sports to select from, there are a number of more reasons why soccer fails to rank highly in popularity in the U.S. One of the major factors is scoring limitations in the sport. Some observers define soccer as a sport whereby 22 players run up and down on a grass field for one and a half hours with few incidents as fans shout wildly. This kind of a description recapitulates the overall American perception and attitude in regard to soccer. Baseball might be regarded as America’s most favorite pastime, that sports enthusiast would rather watch.  For the majority of Americans, soccer does not have a sufficient amount scoring. Although soccer players might be the best-conditioned sportspersons in the world, the American fans may probably prefer to watch less running in the field and more scoring. 

The majority of Americans perceive soccer as a low-scoring, slow-paced, and unexciting game. This perception of soccer is fairly precise when comparing the soccer to other sports like basketball, hockey, or American football. Scores of Americans are of the opinion that it fits in American culture to abhor soccer. Some observers are of the opinion that the hatred soccer in the U.S is increasingly American way of life. However, the lack of interest has more to do with the comparatively low scores in the soccer games. According to American sports enthusiasts, teams are loved because they score, since scoring is a tangible achievement that can be acknowledged, quantified, compared, tabulated, analyzed, and, primarily increased. This forms the American way of life (Trecker 6).

Youth involvement in soccer in the U.S has been associated with high school in such a way that, once the youth graduates from high school, participation in soccer drops. A major reason for this may be the fact that soccer is not showcased adequately in the media and consequently, it is not perceived as an adequately lucrative, professional option. Fundamentally, soccer in the U.S does not transition into a mainstream sport that is pursued by the majority of American fans. 

Though a number of American sports enthusiasts may refute it, the U.S is mesmerized by sporting violence. The attractiveness of American football is a demonstration of America’s adoration of sporting violence as well as aggressive behavior. Basketball as well, has evolved from the finesse sport it was to a reasonably violent game. Soccer definitely has intensity as well as some degree of contact, but it is not mean enough for the American fans (Warfield 32).

Commentators, sports writers, athletes, as well as American politicians continue to speak negatively in regard to the game. Jack Kemp, an ex- quarterback in Buffalo Bills, and also one of the most prominent conservatives in the 1980’s, tried to influence the US Congress to endorse a resolution that attempted prevent the US from playing host to the 1994 World Cup. According to Kemp, a distinction ought to be made that American football is democratic, and capitalistic, while soccer is a socialist sport from Europe. According to an influential sports commentator, Jim Rome, soccer does not fit in the definition of a sport, and therefore should not appear on his TV shows. These two Americans represent a vast majority of Americans who feel that soccer does not represent the American culture as well as history, but rather it represents the history and culture of European countries as well as their ways of life (Stotlar 89).

According to Hellerman and Markovits the issue revolves around the concept of American exceptionalism in regard to the global order, as well as how this exceptionalism, as well as influences the sporting space in the U.S. American sports depicts an entirely different relationship in regard to nationalism, compared to that of soccer played in rest of the world. This sense of self-contained nationalism that acts differently from the rest of the global arena typifies America’s most important sports, namely baseball, football, and basketball. Through the comprehensive analysis of Hellerman and Markovits, the unpopularity of soccer to emerge as a main sport in the U.S has far-reaching cultural as well as historical roots that are demonstrated in a comparative perspective to other modernized and industrial nations (Trecker 9).

Probably the unpopularity of soccer in the U.S is as a result of its diversity as a sport and depiction of a cross-section of America, in regard to the players, as well as the fan base. These range from stereotypical urban Latinos to white sub-urbanites. If the major three sports are primarily dominated by the working poor, and middle class in distinction to the white, sub-urban affluence associated with soccer, then race and class are definitely concerns that inform the unpopularity of soccer in the U.S.

CONCLUSIONHowever, even though soccer may not be traditionally perceived as a major sport America, it is currently growing in popularity. The 2006 World Cup for instance, witnessed the highest viewer numbers for a soccer match ever in the U.S. These are highly hypothetical arguments.  It is essential to cite a few survey data from a study conducted by Foer (2010).  The study entailed a mail analysis of 21,106 adults in the U.S conducted in the initial quarter of 2010.  According to this survey, 4.6% of the study respondents claimed that they had engaged in playing soccer in the past 1 year (see Appendices 1, figure 1. The figure depicts the incidences by gender, age, county size, household income, and education. Demographically, the soccer players in the U.S are fundamentally a broad range of individuals from diverse social structures. The men, they are younger than the women, who are primarily college-age, and 35 to 44 years of age. As measure of urbanization, the study utilizes the county sizes variable. The “A” counties are found in the largest metropolitan regions like Queens, Kings, and New York counties in New York City, Los Angeles county in Los Angeles, Cook county in Chicago. Whereas the “D” counties are found in the hinterlands, which have several hundreds of households scattered over a huge area. The results of the survey demonstrate that soccer playing has a higher incidence in the urban areas, while the soccer players have a propensity to be better educated as well as more affluent.

Works CitedFoer, F. How Soccer enlightens the World: An Implausible Globalization Theory, New York: HarperCollins, 2010.Print.

Markovits, S. Soccer & the American Exceptionalism. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2008. Print.

Stewart, G. Quest for Value. N.Y. HarperCollins. 2007. Print.

Stotlar, D. Developing Successful Sports Sponsorship Programs. Macmillan: London. 2010. Print.

Trecker, K. “Cup & Cuts Brightens MLS Outlook.” Journal of Sports & Business 5. 2(2010): pp 6-9. Print.

Warfield, T. “Donovan Returns a Kick For the League”. Journal of Sports & Business 50.3 (2009): pp. 27- 32. Print.

AppendixFigure 1

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Professor

Course

Date

Needs and Motivation

Motivation is a difficult topic. A number of approaches try to explain how motivation works. In management, the most known descriptions of motivation in regards to needs of the employees. There are factors that motivate a person; these factors are found within a person. However, there are other factors outside the person can also have effects on the person. Every person has needs that he or she wants to be satisfied. All people have needs that they want satisfied. In management, there are several theories of motivation and needs (Cliffs Notes 1). This essay will discuss the Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory and how it is applied in Southwest according to the “People” section of 2011 Southwest One Report.

Maslow was and industrial psychologist who studied human behavior. He said that human needs can be arranged in a hierarchy as individuals progress from the lower level to the higher level needs. Individuals would be motivated to fulfill whichever needs were important to them at a given time. These needs include self-actualization needs, Ego/esteem needs, socio-affiliation needs, safety/security needs, and physiological needs (Lauby 1).

The Southwest satisfies the physiological needs of their employees by putting them first and offering them an opportunity to pursue good health. The need for safety and security is catered for by creating financial security for the employees. The socio-affiliation needs are taken care of by allowing employees to travel and socialize, have fun and stay connected. Making a positive difference caters for the ego and self-esteem needs of the employees. Self-actualization needs are met by allowing employees to learn and grow, create and innovate, and work hard to achieve their goals. The Southwest’s way, of motivating employees, is a good one and if I were one of its employees I would be positively motivated to work harder. I would work to achieve both personal and organizational goals. Putting employees first is a good way of motivation.

Works Cited

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Benefits of Open Adoption

Adoption is a sensitive topic. Biological parents may give up their children for different reasons, for the state may take children away from their parents when they find it necessary. The main reason why children are separated from their parents is when their parents can no longer care for them adequately or when they have suffered some form of abuse while with their parents. In any case, giving up or losing a child is often a painful process for a parent. These children still need a loving home and parents to care for them, which is where adoption comes in. individuals or couples who feel the desire to adopt a child goes through official processes where they are vetted. If approved, they choose which child or children they would like to adopt. Millions of children have found loving homes in their adoptive families, a happy ending to often difficult situations. Despite the many positives of adoption, one primary concern is the grief process that both birth parents and children experience after the adoption is complete.

The New York Times published a story on the grief and pain around adoption. Steve Inskeep, the author of the story, was adopted fifty years ago. He was happy with his new parents and grew up to be a responsible adult, and he adopted a child as well. During the adoption process for his daughter, the social workers told him that the child might have questions about her birth parents. The child was from China, and it was natural that she would want to know more about her origins when she was older (Inskeep 1). This information brought up similar feelings that Steve had while growing up. At the back of his mind, he always wondered who his birth parents had been and why they had given him up for adoption. However, at that time, many states In the US kept adoption records a secret, reasoning that it would be best for all parties involved. For Steve, this secrecy gnawed at him and made him want to know his story even more.

Steve’s story is not unique. Naturally, any child would want to know who their birth parents were, no matter how happy they are with their adoptive parents. Steve had accepted the fact that he would never know anything about his birth parents as most states, including Indiana, where he was adopted, had a closed adoption policy. His daughter’s story inspired him to keep trying, and he got a break when Indiana changed its adoption law and allowed adoption parties to obtain information about each other. Steve explains that he would never want his daughter kept in the dark as he was about her birth parents. He knows from personal experience how lost he felt, not knowing his birth story. He has met many people whose lives were severely affected by their adoption and struggled to come to terms with their situation. Every child deserves to know their birth story if they wish; it helps with their feelings of self-identity. For those children who wonder why their birth parents abandoned them, learning more about their birth situation would help them resolve their issues and understand what happened.

Many birth mothers struggle to give up their children for adoption, though they may be forced to do so due to unavoidable circumstances. Just like Steve, not knowing where their children is a difficult situation for birth mothers. Closed adoption rules further complicate the situation as mothers have no way of comforting themselves with the idea that they made the right decision giving up their children. Lisa Krahn and Richard Sullivan explore how open adoptions reduce the grief that birth mothers experience letting go of their children. The process of giving up parental rights is a significant psychological burden on birth parents (Krahn & Sullivan 29). These parents then have to go through the process of mourning their child who is still alive. They wonder if they made the rights decision if their child would hate them for their decision, and who their child might grow up to be. Open adoptions make the grieving process easier, knowing that they can see their child or find out about them when they choose to. Open adoption leaves a channel of connection open, giving birth parents the comfort of knowing where their child is and how they are doing.

Many birth mothers who give up their children for adoption do so because they know they cannot care for their children as they would like. Most of these mothers tend to be very young and choose adoption as the best way to give their children a better life. Lynn Clutter explored the benefits of open adoption for mothers in their twenties who give up their children for adoption. The study involved fifteen women giving their opinions on the benefits of open adoption. All of the women interviewed agreed that giving up the children was a painful and difficult decision, but they knew it was the best choice they could make (Clutter 349). However, open adoption gave them comfort, knowing they could see their children and the better life they lived after adoption. The birth mothers reported that they knew their stressful situations meant that they could not afford their children the lives they deserved, and adoption would give them better opportunities. Open adoption eased their grief.

To summarize, open adoption goes a long way in easing the grief of birth mothers and adoptees in adoption. Giving up a child is never easy, and birth parents will likely struggle with guilt for the rest of their lives. Adopted children also have questions about their birth parents and why they were given up. If left unanswered, these questions could cause a lot of personal grief and turmoil in the adoptee. Open adoption eases both birth parents’ and adoptees’ grief and peace of mind. Birth parents get the comfort of knowing how their children and doing, and adoptees learn about their adoption story, giving them closure. Open adoption has many benefits for all parties involved.

Works Cited

Clutter, Lynn B. “Open adoption placement by birth mothers in their twenties.” MCN: The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing 42.6 (2017): 345-351.

Inskeep, Steve. “For 50 Years, I Was Denied The Story of My Birth.” The New York Times. 26 March 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/03/26/opinion/closed-adoption-laws.htmlKrahn, Lisa, and Richard Sullivan. “Grief & loss resolution among birth mothers in open adoption.” Canadian Social Work Review/Revue canadienne de service social 32.1-2 (2015): 27-48.

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Dear Mr.

Please accept the following as the final draft of my research project on Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs). A significant amount of information on this topic has been generated over the last twenty years. According to the literature, the research is still in its infancy, and there is more work to be completed. Throughout the research and writing process, I gained a good deal of insight and knowledge regarding ACOAs and have presented information in my research paper on the following topics:

Alcoholism and alcohol consumption in the United StatesCharacteristics of ACOAs

Family relationships in alcoholic families

Symptoms of ACOAs

Treatment for ACOAs

In conducting my research for this project, I found several valuable books on ACOAs. I supplemented the information from the books with various journal articles and internet resources. By the end of the research process, I realized I had gathered more information than I could realistically use for this project.

I would like to thank you for your support and encouragement throughout this process. I appreciated the opportunity to build up to the final project by working through the smaller projects you assigned throughout the semester. Over the course of the semester, I feel I have been able to carefully evaluate sources of information and construct a thorough report on ACOAs. Please feel free to contact me at (302) 555-5555 if you have any questions regarding my research project.

SincerelyTable of Contents

Letter of Transmittalii

List of Figuresiv

Abstractv

Alcoholism1

Alcohol Consumption in the United States1

Definition of Alcoholism1

Adult Children of Alcoholics2

Definition2

History of the ACOA Movement3

Characteristics of ACOAs4

Family Relationships6

Family Systems6

Family Roles8

Symptoms8

Depression9

Anxiety9

Alcoholism10

Eating Disorders11

Treatment11

Self-Help Groups12

Individual/Group Therapy13

Future Prospects14

References15

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………16

Abstract

Alcoholism is a family disease that affects every member of the family. Within alcoholic family systems, children often take on various roles and characteristics that allow them to survive while maintaining the dysfunction in the family. Without intervention or treatment, children often carry these negative roles and characteristics into adulthood, only to find that they no longer provide the same benefit they did in childhood. As a result, many adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) develop symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, or they may develop compulsive behaviors such as alcoholism and eating disorders. Fortunately, therapy has proved very successful at helping ACOAs who are trying to heal themselves and move on with their adult lives.

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Alcoholism

Alcohol consumption in the United States

Throughout history, alcohol has played a major role in the lives of Americans. While the amount of alcohol consumed has increased and decreased over time, it has remained a constant in society. Even the enactment of Prohibition in the early 1900s failed to eradicate alcohol consumption completely. After Prohibition was repealed in the 1930s, alcohol consumption increased rapidly from 1935 to 1945. Another substantial increase in alcohol use was experienced in the 1970s, which was accompanied by a decrease in the minimum legal drinking age (Rhoden & Robinson, 2009, p. 42). According to Rhoden & Robinson (2009), a slight reversal of alcohol consumption trends was witnessed in the early 1980s, along with the return of the minimum legal drinking age to twenty-one (p. 45). More recently, The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence reported that “from 2006-2007, annual per capita consumption of alcohol in the US decreased 0.5 percent to 2.18 gallons; per capita consumption in 2007[was] second only to 1995 in being the lowest in 35 years” (Alcoholism, 2008, Statistics section, para. 1).

Definition of alcoholism

In American culture, drinking alcohol in moderation is a socially acceptable way to celebrate, relax and unwind. The alcoholic beverage industry and the media support this notion through advertising that glamorizes alcohol consumption. Additionally, for many Americans, drinking is tied to family traditions. Alcohol is often used during holiday celebrations and to commemorate religious occasions. Unfortunately, attention is not always given to the harmful effects alcohol can have on a person. Due to various biological and environmental factors, many people do not enjoy alcohol in moderation. A report from the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence suggests that while two-thirds of the population engages in the consumption of alcohol, half of the total amount of alcohol is consumed by only 10 percent of the population (Alcoholism, 2008, Statistics section, para. 1). In fact, the 2007 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse reported that 8.2 million Americans were dependent on alcohol (Office of Applied Studies [OAS], 2008, para. 7). Alcohol dependency is a component of alcoholism, which can be defined as:

A chronic condition characterized by the habitual consumption of alcoholicbeverages to such an extent that it impairs physical or mental health and interferes with the activities of daily living; it may be progressive in nature and potentially fatal when producing pathological changes in organs. (Alcoholism, 2008, Introduction section, para. 1)

As the definition implies, alcoholism has devastating effects on many aspects of one’s life. It is important to recognize that alcoholics do not live in seclusion and that their behaviors have a profound impact on the people surrounding them, even on their adult children.

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Definition

When a child has an alcoholic parent, the child grows up in a dysfunctional environment. This experience can potentially have a negative effect on a child throughout his lifespan. Adults who are coping with issues resulting from parental alcoholism are known as Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOAs). An ACOA can be defined as an adult suffering post-family effects of alcoholism (Ruben, 2008, p. 6). Ruben (2008) further describes the ACOA as “an adult who is trapped in the fears and reactions of a child, and a child who was forced to be an adult without going through the natural stages that result in a healthy adult” (p. 8). As this definition suggests, an ACOA’s social, emotional and possibly physical development may have been hampered as a result of being raised in an alcoholic household. Without some type of intervention, it is likely the negative characteristics and behavior patterns from childhood will carry forward into adulthood (Woititz, 1983, p. 50); luckily, therapy has proven effective at helping ACOAs heal themselves and move on with their adult lives.

History of the ACOA movement

In American society, the subject of alcoholism has been examined from many different points of view. From a moralistic perspective, people engaging in the abuse of alcohol are thought to be of weak character and lacking will power. From a medical perspective, alcoholism came to be understood as a disease process. In 1966, the American Medical Association accepted a resolution stating, “alcoholism is recognized as a serious major health problem throughout the land; therefore be it resolved, that the American Medical Association identifies alcoholism as a complex disease and as such recognizes that the medical components are medicines’ responsibility” (Black, 2009, p. 9). While the resolution was passed in 1966, according to Rhoden and Robinson (2009), it was not until the late 1980s that the majority of the population accepted alcoholism as a disease (p. 13). Meanwhile, in the 1970s, researchers and clinicians in the alcohol treatment field began to treat alcoholism as a disease reaching beyond the alcoholic.

In the mid-1970s, Janet Woititz, author of Adult Children of Alcoholics, was working on her doctoral dissertation on self-esteem in children of alcoholics. Through her research and her own family’s experience living with an alcoholic husband and father, Ms. Woititz began to consider the impact of alcoholism on the entire family unit. At the time, she was involved with Al-Anon, a self-help support group for friends and family members of alcoholics. She realized that some members of the group were having difficulty relating to the discussions because they were not currently living with someone actively involved in alcoholism. Through the meetings, she learned many members were dealing with issues from their childhood stemming from parental alcohol abuse.

In the 1980s, Ms. Woitiz began a group specifically for ACOAs. With the information gained from two years of managing the ACOA group, Ms. Woititz wrote the bookAdult Children of Alcoholicsin which she describes the issues and difficulties experienced by ACOAs. More and more interest on this topic was generated, and a proliferation of self-help books and group meetings became available. At the same time, other researchers and clinicians were involved in the birth of the ACOA movement. While the movement gained much support, it also gained its share of detractors. According to Black (2009), some complained the ACOA movement was an excuse to shirk responsibility for one’s behavior (p. 70). Fortunately, the movement has weathered such criticism. During a lecture on children of alcoholics,Woititz (1983) eloquently stated, “The child of an alcoholic has no age. The same things hold true if you are 5 or 55” (p. xiii).

Characteristics of ACOAs

ACOAs comprise a large and diverse segment of the population in the United States. One study suggested up to 22 million adults in this country were reared in a family with at least one alcoholic parent (Sher, 2009, para. 4). Because ACOAs are such a diverse group, researchers caution against grouping ACOAs in one broad category. Sher (2009) asserted that the difficulty in making generalizations about ACOAs stems from the fact that alcoholics are themselves diverse, thereby creating very different home environments for their children. As a result, each ACOA likely acquires different coping and behavior styles that carry over into adulthood (para. 5). With this in mind, gleaning information from clinicians who have worked directly with ACOAs is crucial. In her book, Adult Children of Alcoholics,Woititz(1983) outlined13 characteristics of ACOAs she found in common among members of her ACOA group (p. 22). These characteristics may not apply to all ACOAs; however, many of these characteristics continue to appear in books and journal articles on the subject

As with other types of dysfunctional families, many ACOAs grew up in chaotic, stressful households. Children in alcoholic and other dysfunctional families learn to obey the following rules as a means of survival: do not talk, do not trust, do not feel, do not think, and do not ask questions (Black, 2009, p. 13; Copans, 2009, p. 21; Rhoden & Robinson, 2009, p. 41). These rules allow the family to continue functioning without addressing the alcoholism.

Family Relationships

Family systems

One way to conceptualize alcoholism as a family disease is to view the disease from a family systems perspective. Family systems theory was derived from general systems theory, which can be described asa way of thinking about the world in which objects are interrelated with one another (Rhoden & Robinson, 2009, p. 3). Just as computers, biology and medicine can each be regarded as integrated systems, so can families. From the family systems perspective, the family is viewed as a unit or system rather than a group of individual members. Attention is given to the functioning and interactional dynamics within the family system.

Included in the dynamics of the family system are subsystems, which can be composed of a parental subsystem and a sibling subsystem. Additionally, alliances and coalitions can be formed within the family system. An alliance can be defined as a subsystem of two or more family members based on a common interest. A coalition, on the other hand, can be viewed as a triangular relationship where one family member sides with another family member against a third member (Rhoden & Robinson, 2009, p. 45). These subsystems can be dissolved and recreated depending upon the situation the family is facing. The subsystems include the parental subsystem, the sibling subsystem and the subsystems existing between parents and children. All together, these subsystems create the dynamics that play into the functioning of the family system.

In addition to the attention given to the family system itself, attention is also given to how the family interacts and relates with the larger and broader systems outside of the family, such as community, work, school and church (Sharf, 2009, p. 56). When a parent drinks, the behavior affects every member of the household and how the members relate to those beyond the boundaries of the family system. These effects occur through mutual influence, which stresses that whatever happens to one part of the family system affects every other member of that system (Rhoden & Robinson, 2009, p. 62). Applying a . . .

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References

Alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. (2008, January). Retrieved from http://www.ncadd.org/facts/problems.html

Black, C. (2009). Double duty: Dual dynamics within the chemically dependent home. New York: Ballantine Books.

Copans, S. (2009). The invisible family member: Children in families with alcohol abuse. In L. Combrinck-Graham (Ed.), Children in family contexts: Perspectives on treatment (pp. 277-298). New York: Guilford Press.

Kingree, J.B., & Thompson, M. (2010, March). A test with adult children of alcoholics with personal substance abuse problems. American Journal of Psychology, 28(3), 325. doi:10.1037/a0016248/93472394ajp099

Office of Applied Studies. (2008, March 9). Substance abuse and mental health statistics. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/oas.html

Rhoden, J.L., & Robinson, B.E. (2009). Working with children of alcoholics: The practitioner’s handbook. (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Ruben, D.H. (2008). Treating adult children of alcoholics: A behavioral approach. New York: Academic Press.

Sharf, R.S. (2009). Theories of psychotherapy and counseling: Concepts and cases.NewYork: Brooks/Cole.

Sher, K. (2009). Psychological characteristics of children of alcoholics. Alcohol Health and Research World, 21(3), 247. Retrieved from CINAHL Premier database.

Woititz, J.G. (1983). Adult children of alcoholics. Florida: Health Communications, Inc.