The day that changed my life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The day that changed my life - Essay Example After finishing my classes, I intended to go and play with my friends as usual. However, my mother stopped me and said: â€Å"Son, you have to finish your homework first. If not, I will not let you go out and play with your friends!† After I heard my mom saying that to me, I gave up arguing with her. I walked to my room very slowly because I did not want to do the homework. I was angry and sad. I used my tears as a â€Å"weapon† against my mother. However, my mother was angry too so any â€Å"weapon† was useless. Because of my strong emotions, my mother locked me in my study room and took all toys and games away from me. Finally, I made a compromise with my parents. I started to do my homework. However, it was not easy to calm down when I just started doing my homework. I shouted, tore paper from the notebook and threw it everywhere to show my dissatisfaction. After these crazy actions, I was pacified. I went to the window and looked outside. I saw that many children were playing games; they were jumping, and running and laughing. When I heard them were laughing, I thought they were laughing at me. Suddenly, I said to myself, â€Å"why should I play with my friends before doing my homework first?† I spent a few minutes thinking about these questions, but I could not find the answers. I sat down and did my homework. I did not finish until it was dark outside. When I finished, my father came into my room and talked to me. He said, â€Å"if you want to have more time to play in the future, you have to finish your homework first. If you want to be a good student, and son, spend more time studying instead of playing.†Eventually, I found the answers I needed from my father’s conversation. The answer was that I wanted to be a good student and a good son. I realised that studying can make my parents happy and make them relax from their hard work. Since the day my father talked to me, I significantly changed my behaviour. I became a good student who likes to study.

Sections of the Library Essay Example for Free

Sections of the Library Essay 1. Acquisition Section The objectives of the Acquisition are Selection , Ordering and Accessioning of books in Accession Registers. The library procures those books which are recommended by the teachers / Scientists of the university. Further Chief Librarian also takes initiative in selecting books of general nature and text books. The list of recommended books is placed before the Primary Purchase Committee (PPC) exclusively for selection of books and periodicals. Orders are placed when the PPC approves the list of books and journals. 2. Processing Section Processing Section undertakes two vital functions, viz. , (a) Classification and (b) Cataloguing (a) Classificaton Class numbers are given to the books according to the Dewey decimal Classification Scheme (DDC). (b) Cataloguing Books are catalogued according to Anglo American Cataloguing Rules -II (AACR-II) . For each book three entries are prepared. 3. Circulation Section The function of the circulation section centers round issue and return of the books. The lending period without fine is one month. The over due fine rupee one per day is charged on every book issued beyond the lending period. 4. Current Periodical Section Current Periodical Section is located at the ground floor. In this section , journals which are subscribed to the library for the current year are displayed. 5. Reference Section -Reference books are not issued , but readers may consult it within the premises of the Library. The reference books are shelved in three different Halls. Reading Hall I : For current information. Reading Hall II: For books on Agriculture and allied subjects. Reading Hall III: For books on Home Science 6. Text Book Bank Section There is a separate Text Book Bank ( TBB ) Secton in the Library. Books from TBB are issued for one semester against a nominal charge of Rupees 2 ( two) for each book. 7. Reprography Section The facility to photostat is also available in the library against a nominal charge of 75 paise per document. 8. Exhibition-cum-Conference Section In this section collection of books / documents of a few eminent scientists are available . Informations regarding different courses inside and outside the country are also found here . 9. Stack Areas The library is proud of having large stack areas. Side by side, the facility for reading is also available in this stack room 10. Back Volume Section A large number of bound old journals are available in the Back Volume section. These journals are  arranged alphabetically by title. 11. Computer Unit Computer unit is the latest addition . Preparations are about to develop this section. SectionAbout The Stacks— The Dewey Decimal System (000. 00 ABC)The stacks are generally considered the NON-FICTION section of the library. Here, books are classified and arranged by number in the Dewey Decimal System. The general categories for Dewey are below: 000 Generalities 100 Philosophy psychology 200 Religion 300 Social sciences 400 Language 500 Natural sciences mathematics 600 Technology (Applied sciences) 700 The arts 800 Literature rhetoric 900 Geography history  This is not a section students â€Å"browse†Ã¢â‚¬â€it is difficult to locate a book if you don’t know its number! Reference—REF The second Dewey section—usually not for general checkout. Oversized—OvzThis is the third Dewey section, where books that are too large for the shelves in the stacks are located. In-house readers usually know that the Guinness Book of World Records is on the first shelf of this section. Biography—B 92The biography section is placed just before fiction. Here, you find books on a specific person, organized alphabetically by last name. Short Stories—SCLocated between Biography and Fiction is the Short Story Collection. Books that are only made up of short works are located here. Fiction—FThe fiction section is alphabetized by author’s last name. Books by each author are then organized by title. Graphic Novel—GrNvlThis collection is the â€Å"Not for Checkout† collection. We try to keep a variety of comics, manga, and special graphics for your in-house use. If you’ve never read something like this, ask a librarian for suggestions! Different materials used in the library 1. magazines 2. newspapers 3. reference books 4. encyclopedia 5. dictionaries 6. books films 7. computer terminals 8. audio-visual equipment circulation books.

Examination Of Muted Group Theory Sociology Essay

Examination Of Muted Group Theory Sociology Essay Imagine for a moment that you find yourself in an exotic and far off land. You have been forced to live in a foreign country that speaks a completely different language than yours. You struggle day after day not just to articulate yourself in this strange, foreign tongue, but to simply be heard and have your opinions appreciated by your new peers. Instead you find your new neighbors disregard every word you say and write you off as inarticulate or just plain dumb; or even worse they ignore your unique existence and experiences altogether. This is exactly the sort of phenomenon that Muted Group Theory details and why it is so incredibly fascinating. This literature review will define exactly Muted Group Theory and its basic tenets are, delve into the theorys origins, and provide a few examples of its further use before moving on to several research studies illustrating the theory in practical, scientific application. The Muted Group Theory of Communication seeks to explain and rationalize the faults inherent in language and the ways in which it fails many of its users. While most individuals would simply dismiss language merely as a tool of communication to be molded in order to fit their specific needs; in actuality, language acts as a dominant and controlling factor in establishing and shaping its users. Muted Group Theory asserts that because language was developed primarily by the dominant group of society; specifically white males of greater income and socio-economic status, that minority cultures and non-dominant groups such as women, individuals of lower economic means, and non-whites are thus muted by their own lack of influence on the formation of their language (Wood, 2008, as cited in Turner West, 2009). Because non-dominant groups have had little to no contribution towards the creation of their language they are poorly served by it. Muted Group Theory emphases a minority groups inabi lity to fully and properly articulate themselves or designate their unique experiences due to the necessity of translating their individual views and opinions into what is essentially a foreign language (Wood, 2008, as cited in Turner West, 2009). The language of a particular group does not consistently support or function for all of its members with any sense of equality due to the disparity in their involvement in their languages development (Kramarae, 1981 as cited in Orbe, 1998). Muted Group Theory posits that language acts as a representation of a societys overall ideologies. The dominant sector of a group conceptualizes a means of communication which not only maintains, but perpetuates their specified worldview and establishes it as the correct and proper language for all of said groups remaining members (S. Ardener, 1975, as cited in Orbe, 1998). As it is defined as a critical theory, the Muted Group Theory of Communication is both valuable and worth exploring because it str ives to reexamine the established status quo of a society or culture, it highlights the imbalances and unfairness within said society for its possibly unsuspecting inhabitants, and lastly; and most importantly, it proposes potential solutions to these problems plaguing said culture (Turner West, 2009). Muted Group Theory interestingly illuminates individuals to the unconscious methods through which a language and its creators dictate and manipulate interpersonal behaviors and relations as well as concepts of ones own self-identity. Muted Group Theory finds its origins within the research of social anthropologists Edwin and Shirley Ardener and their work on social hierarchy and structure. Muted Group Theory developed following the Ardeners examination of the, at the time, male dominated fields of ethnography and social anthropology (Turner West, 2009). Individuals and groups which inhabit the highest tiers of a social hierarchy define the specific communication system within a culture and the non-dominant groups are thus relegated to working within the confines of whatever communication guidelines the ruling class has consciously or unconsciously imposed upon them. Subordinate groups are thus rendered mute as the mainstream structures of communication echo the dominate groups perceptions (E. Ardener, 1978, as cited in Orbe, 1998). A further implication of Muted Group Theory founded by the Ardeners is that the silencing of women as a muted group bears a direct correlation to deafness of their male counterparts. The notion put forth here is that even if a minority group has yet to be muted, on the whole or in a specified subject, the continued obliviousness committed by the dominant group as they ignore the assessments and opinions of their subordinates results in a lack of any further articulation on said subject by the non-dominant group as they thus become muted over time (S. Ardener, 1978, as cited in Turner West, 2009). Put simply, a dominant group, by not understanding or completely ignoring the views of their subordinate counterparts, can in essence silence these views completely. The repercussions of this sort of passive thought suppression are staggering. The undesirable ideologies and wishes of a silent minority can be expunged over time simply by ignoring them. This idea is highly reminiscent in the old adage to ignore a bully into leaving one alone. Though its genesis lies with the work of Edwin and Shirley Ardener, Cheris Kramarare is commonly regarded as the true founder of Muted Group Theory. Kramarares work expanded on the ideas brought on by the Ardeners, and tailored it primarily to the study of communication. Kramarare focused Muted Group Theory into three paramount assumptions: women, and other minority groups, view the world far differently from men due to the division of labor, due to male-centric political superiority, mens views and communication systems are given priority, thus restricting the communication of women, and other subordinate cultures, and lastly, in order to effectively partake in a society, non-dominant groups are forced to shoehorn their own ideologies into the dominant groups established system of expression (Kramarare, 1981, as cited in Turner West, 2008). Kramarares work expanded the bounds of Muted Group Theory and inspires further inquiry and analysis to questions and concepts raised by the Ard eners initial research. Far more intriguing than the unfortunate in-articulation of minority groups brought on by Muted Group Theory are the stunning implications of the theory on the development of an individuals self-concept. From birth men and women are treated vastly different by society at large. From the color of the clothes they are put in to the way in which they are described, male and female infants are immediately indoctrinated by the societal views and expected gender roles of the dominant group they were born into. Muted Group Theory further invades into ideas of self-concept via the ways in which dominant groups perceive society. Female nurses, for instance, are limitedly defined by societys dominant group as either hardened battle-axes of anti-femininity, or ultra-compassionate and sensitive angels of mercy. These highly constricting labels, imposed by dominant groups, limit these women to identifying themselves as one of these two, polar descriptors (Callan, 1978, as cited in Turner West, 2 009). Because of the restricted definitions provided by dominant groups, these nurses can only potentially conceive themselves as aligning with one of these completely differing camps and are thus limited in the development of their own self-concept and individual identity. The first of the research studies examined here focuses on the muting inherent in the culture of date rape found on many college campuses. A rape culture can be defined as an environment which supports attitudes conducive to rape and increase sexual violence risk factors (Buchwald, Fletcher Roth, 1993, as cited in Burnett et all., 2009). The study in question, Communicating/Muting Date Rape: A Co-Cultural Theoretical Analysis of Communication Factors Related to Rape Culture on a College Campus was authored by Ann Burnett, Jody L. Mattern, Liliana L. Herakova, David H. Kahl, Jr., Cloy Tobola, and Susan Bornsen and was first published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research in November of 2009. Burnett et al. (2009) sought to uncover how certain attitudes and outlooks regarding the act of rape, as expressed by social, individual, and cultural perspectives, stemmed from various behaviors preceding a possible rape, during a rape itself, and as a response to a rape occurring. Th ese attitudes served to mute college students, primarily women, and possibly perpetuate the continued creation of a rape culture on college campuses. Their research primarily utilized Muted Group Theory in a co-cultural theoretical paradigm in order to define campus rape culture through communication focused on rape and sex, the negotiating of sexual consent, the potentiality of a rape to occur, a rape itself, the aftermath and repercussions of a rape, and peoples perceptions of, and reactions to, date rape (Burnett et al., 2009). Burnett et al.s (2009) study methodology chiefly utilized hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry. Hermeneutic phenomenological inquiry involves delving into the shared, lived experiences of individuals who have been involved in a specified phenomenon (Lanigan, 1979, as cited in Burnett et al., 2009). Researchers utilizing a phenomenological approach search for any central, underlying themes behind a given experience and attempt to develop general or universal implications from them (Creswell, 2007, as cited in Burnett et al., 2009). Phenomenological inquiry involves researchers gathering descriptions of lived experiences, reviewing the various capta found to uncover any essential themes of the experiences, and discovering any interrelatedness among the established themes (Nelson, 1989, as cited in Burnett et al., 2009). The capta for Burnett et al.s (2009) study were gathered through nine separate focus groups at a Midwestern university. These focus groups contained five with just wome n, two of only men, and two groups were co-ed in composition. The university in question housed an approximate population of 12,000 students, contained fifteen fraternities or sororities, and had a Division 1 athletics program on campus. The study did not specify a need for focus group members to have been rape victims to be involved. Focus group moderators utilized an open-ended conversational style in order to encourage member participation (Nelson, 1989, as cited in Burnett et al., 2009). Topics put to the focus groups included various definitions of, and motivations for, rape, alcohols role in rape, post-rape options, potential reasons why rape is not reported, how to avoid possible rape scenarios, and group members perception of the prevalence of rape on their campus (Burnett et al., 2009). Following this, the gathered capta were reduced by recognizing what given factors were essential to the experience and which were not, and then attaching meaning to the essential elements re maining by contrasting and comparing the different given experiences and how the identified themes contributed to them (Nelson, 1989, as cited in Burnett et al., 2009). Burnett et al.s (2009) results indicated an ambiguity surrounding date rape that silences potential, meaningful intercourse on the subject and mutes both possible and actual victims of date rape. Burnett et al. (2009) found that focus group members had great difficulty in pinpointing a firm definition of date rape as they felt situational factors affected any interpretation of the event. For instance, although sexual consent was suggested as an essential element, focus group members probed which non-verbal and verbal actions could be construed as consent. Because they had no firm way of defining what date rape was, both male and female participants were muted from recognizing the signs of date rape or when to report it. Students are thus forced to rationalize their notions of rape because their culture, the college campus, fails to do so (Burnett et al., 2009). On an individual, psychological level, the focus group members, even the women, utilized primarily dominant, male-driven language to characterize known date rape victims as overtly promiscuous individuals whose state of dress could almost function as a form of consent. Participants also noted how males are often praised for extreme sexual prowess and a high number of partners whereas women are cast in a negative light for the same sort of behavior. These common views reiterate the dominant position of men in society and their influence on the language and ideologies concerning date rape (Burnett et al., 2009). From a post-rape perspective, female focus group members questioned the strength and validity of their ability to communicate a lack of consent. This sort of interrogation places the responsibility for the rape on the victim (Burnett et al., 2009). Both female and male focus group members agreed that the reporting of date rape is muted due to further ambiguity regarding the cor rect steps to take following a rape and a fear of others reactions to said rape. This fear of victim blaming only serves to further isolate and mute anyone who has been the victim of date rape or knows a victim who is choosing to remain silent (Burnett et al., 2009). Additional dominant groups such as a colleges administration and staff can silence victims and perpetuate a date rape culture through a lack of backing for anti-rape preventative education and post rape support services on campus. This lack of recognition of date rape in the dominant discourse leads individuals to mute themselves via various explaining-away tactics in order to not contradict the mainstream. Following their study, Burnett et al. (2009) concluded that both male and female students participate in the inherent muting of a date rape culture and that date rape victims are actively muted before, after, and even during a rapes occurrence. The largest factor in the continued perpetuation of campus date rape culture is the failure of the student population to properly and affectively define what constitutes date rape and sexual consent. Because there is no firm classification of either of these, date rape victims, and potentially the rapists as well, have no clue they are actually involved in a date rape. The scope of this study, while thorough on the campus it took place, is in actuality quite limited. Because Burnett et al. limited their focus to one specific college campus in one specific area of the country it cannot be considered an entirely accurate representation of possible rape cultures on college campuses across the board. Along with its scope, the studys testability is extremely limited because of their research methodology. While relying on interpersonal communication allowed for a more personal and in-depth examination of various individuals experiences with date rape, these particular views are that of the individual in question and cannot be affectively measured with any sort of documentable accuracy. The parsimony and heurism of the study are both notable, however. At its core, the explanation for the continuance of date rape culture is exceedingly simple and direct and the new thinking initiated by the study is of paramount importance. Hopefully, colleges can use the data provided here to better arm their student bodies against possible date rape in the future. The second research study being examined here involves the gender specific effects of muting on outdoor ropes challenge courses. The study, authored by Phillip A. Irish III, first appeared in the Journal of Experiential Education in 2006. Irish (2006) sought to discover the myriad of effects that verbal muting, a primary means for modifying a courses objectives, has on both genders and how successfully they can accomplish the tasks set forth by the moderators of these ropes courses when thusly limited. The ultimate goal of the study was to better arm ropes course facilitators with documented research to supplement their own experience and intuition in an effort to further the communication enhancing nature inherent in these sorts of challenges. The ropes course study examine two primary hypotheses: on specifically masculine-attributed outdoor ropes courses, muted males will experience stronger goal engagement, specified by proximal distance to said objective, than their muted, female counterparts, and, conversely, the greater time spent on a particular task will result in greater disengagement of muted males, measured by increasing distance from goal, than muted females in the same given time span. The methodology of Irishs (2006) study involved adult groups being given one of three possible outdoor ropes challenges: Doughnut, Thread the Needle, and Water Wheel. These challenges were selected specifically for because they involve the team members navigating a specific, centralized piece of equipment while simultaneously not limiting participants free movement about the challenge arena. These trials were also selected due to their generally male oriented objectives, such as lifting individual members up into the air. In differing groups, either all of the men or all of the women were verbally muted though gesturing and pantomime were allowed. The average group makeup consisted of five males to three females with individuals being lined up and divided my height in an effort to spread the height advantage out to each group. Distance measurements were taken every two minutes during the planning phase of the given challenge. The results of Irishs (2006) study indicate varying shifts in involvement by both sexes in regards to factors of group composition and the handicap of verbal muting. When looking at group makeup, there was no correlation on the involvement of males or females in the task based upon the increased number of females in the group, or male involvement based on the increased number of males in the group, however, when the number of males increased, regardless of other factors involved, female involvement dropped significantly. When the influence of verbal muting is examined, again, male involvement is curiously unaffected by muting or not, but female involvement dramatically lowered when they were muted. Irish (2006) felt his research was successful in terms of providing future researchers a methodology for empirically measuring involvement and interest in a task with relation to muting and non-muting factors. While muting had little variant effect on the position and involvement of males, muted females were generally twice as far away from the specified goal as non-muted females (Irish 2006). Muted females seemed to disengage entirely from the task as the positioned themselves farther away from the goal than their male counterparts. Irishs (2006) research shows slight correlation to male disinterest and disengagement overtime, but not enough, he felt, to be entirely conclusive and supportive of his original hypothesis. Irish posits that greater effect of muting on women may be due to the verbally communicative style generally attached to women. The implications of Irishs research on future Muted Group Theory are compelling. Even though Irish was not trying to illustrate the ways in which male dominant groups subjugate female non-dominant groups, the results of his research still support that central tenet of Muted Group Theory. As discussed previously, Muted Group Theory posits that male originated language forces women to translate everything into what essentially amounts to a foreign tongue. Irishs examination demonstrates how the severity of the male language barrier places women in an ingrained mindset of near constant verbal translation in order to be heard and understood by their male counterparts. When this verbal element is removed from their repertoire, women are left with no further tools to successfully navigate the ropes course or contribute in any meaningful way; because of both an inability to fully articulate themselves in a now non-verbal, male-centric language and because their male counterparts will essent ially ignore their female-oriented non-verbal communication tactics. The scope of this study is quite narrow as it only delves into a small aspect of muting; however, the study provides a high level of testability as the data provides an easily repeatable experiment in an effort to replicate the results and has great utility as it can be used to reinforce the basic notions of Muted Group Theory. The third research study being explored delves into the realm of email communication and how the once gender neutral communication arena now exhibits gendered voices which are being muted. The study, authored by Heather Kissack and Jamie L. Callahan was first published in the Journal of European Industrial Training in 2010. Kissack and Callahan (2010) sought to critically asses the validity of newfound research indicating increased textual gender cues in regards to preferred language use in email based communications. Kissack and Callahans goal was to illustrate how the muting of feminine voices occurs even in email communications. The methodology of Kissack and Callahans (2010) study is fairly straightforward. The study utilizes a vast array of previously completed research into the foundations and implications of Muted Group Theory on subjugating the speech of women and draws logical correlations to previous research on male-female communication in a structured organization as well as studies on genders impact on email conversing. The arguments posited are logically consistent and draw understandable conclusions between already researched topics. Kissack and Callahan (2010) discovered that feminine voices are more than simply marginalized in the work place as was once believed, but are in fact muted as well. Despite lacking the visual and audio cues of verbal language, email communication has still developed unique male and female centric consistencies which allow them to be easily distinguishable to a given reader (Corney, de Vel, Anderson, Mohay , 2002, as cited in Kissack Callahan, 2010). Even if the names of sender and receiver are omitted, either sex can easily identify the gender of email senders as gender specific language cues aid in this accuracy (Savicki et al., as cited in Kissack Callahan, 2010). Kissack and Callahan (2010) successfully accomplish their studys goal of shedding light on the still prevalent issues of feminine voice muting, specifically in an arena that most thought to be gender neutral be default. What is most intriguing about the work of Kissack and Callahan is that the majority of email users would claim the format to be primarily without gender bias. After all, the anonymity presented on the internet allows a user to appear as any gender they wish. This research study shows great logical consistency and scope through the great volume of research Kissack and Callahan have done to draw successful correlations between preexisting research topics. This study also shows potential to stand the test of time because it initiates a heuristic response to a fairly modern invention and the biases that have unfortunately come along with it. These growing trends could even be reexamined in the future to further track the validity of Kissack and Callahans work and to measure if any improvements have been made in the field. Kissack and Callahan focus strongly on the critical aspects of Muted Group Theory in an effort to inform (re: warn) our modern, technology-dependent society; as forward thinking as we think we are, to the dangers of gender muteness now creeping its way into email communication. The suggestions of their work are frightening. If gender bias and muted groups can find new life thriving in technology can these relics of a bygone era ever truly be stamped out? The fourth study observed focused on the application of two primarily feminism based theories, standpoint theory and Muted Group Theory, to emphasis the resilience and fortitude of individuals living in rural America and plan more effective methods of community-based healthcare promotion to better suit their needs. The study was authored by Deborah Ballard-Reisch and was first published in Women Language in 2010. Ballard-Reisch (2010) sought to rectify the vast differences in her previous research on the lives of rural Americans with that of some of her statistician and epidemiologist peers whose own research painted a vastly different, and far less optimistic, picture of frontier life. Ballard-Reischs (2010) methodology, in a similar fashion to the previously explored work of Kissack and Callahan, utilized a veritable melting pot of formerly gathered research and theoretical ideologies in an effort to repurpose them into a grounded, community based approach to better serve the healthcare needs of diverse rural and frontier constituents. Ballard-Reisch (2010) combined aspects of Muted Group and Standpoint Theories together with engaged scholarship and a community-based participatory research approach to more effectively recognize the strengths, needs, health issues, and dynamics of these rural residents to create and exercise far more efficient health promotion interventions. Ballard-Reischs research showed that rural areas contain a higher percentage of older adults than anywhere else in America (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010) and that women constitute a far larger portion of this percentage than anywhere else in the country; representing 52% of individuals aged sixty to sixty-four, and representing 68% of individuals aged 85 or older (CDC, 2010; ERS/USDA, 2001, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010). Ballard-Reisch also discovered that despite containing a far larger portion of elderly Americans, one of the largest groups of consumers of healthcare products and services in the country (Wright, Sparks, OHare, 2008, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010), rural areas hold a far lower concentration of able, effective healthcare professionals than their urban counterparts (ERS/USDA, 2007, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010). The engaged scholarship approach suggested by Ballard-Reisch emphasizes collaboration and cooperation between both r esearchers and collaborators in a learning community to cultivate a theoretical and practical knowledge base (Van de Ven, 2007; Barge Shockley-Zalaback, 2008, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010) and the community based participatory approach she posits underlines the participation of community members along with scholars to more properly research and address various issues of mutual interest (Israel et al., 2005, as cited in Ballard-Reisch, 2010). Ballard-Reisch (2010) theorizes that these two approaches in tandem can be utilized to unmute the healthcare issues of the disenfranchised elderly population of rural America and more successfully serve their needs. Ballard-Reisch believes the older individuals living in rural America must un-silence themselves and take an active role in shaping the future of their health. Ballard-Reischs research highlights the ways in which rural Americans, primarily older women, have their problems muted by a mainstream that instead chooses to focus its attention on the healthcare needs of urban individuals only, leaving the frontier population to fend for themselves. Because they are members of several non-dominant groups; elderly, female, and rural-based, these individuals are triply muted and to such an extent ignored by the urbanite healthcare professionals they so desperately need. Ballard-Reischs proposed solution would seem to be the most effective approach as it plays to the community focused nature of these rural areas and allows them the forge their own path to health moving forward instead of relying on the otherwise preoccupied dominant, urban groups for a hand out that may never come. Ballard-Reischs ideologies most notably show heurism as they seek to stimulate new kinds of thinking to solve old problems. The utility is less substantial as Ballard-Reis chs ideas require a lot of additional legwork and extensive knowledge and research of individuals who are often less educated, and less willing to educate, than their urban counterparts. The ramifications of Muted Group Theory are astronomically important. Something as simple and taken for granted as ones language has astounding implications towards ones ability to not only articulate their thoughts, but also generate said thoughts in the first place. By not having a specified word for something; whether it be an object, an idea, or a feeling, that notion cannot exist. It is fascinating to explore how; hopefully unconsciously, white, heterosexual, upper-class, males have strictly dictated for muted groups exactly how they can not only think, but perceive.

francis of assisi Essay -- essays research papers

Francis of Assisi was a poor man who astounded and inspired the Church by taking the gospel literally—not in a narrow fundamentalist sense, but by actually following all that Jesus said and did, joyfully, without limit and without a mite of self-importance. Francis was famous for his love of all creation. He called for simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God. He worked to care for the poor. Thousands were drawn to his sincerity, piety, and joy. In all his actions, Francis sought to follow fully and literally the way of life demonstrated by Christ in the Gospels. My report is going to discuss the life and contributions of St. Francis of Assisi. Francis of Assisi lived about eight hundred years ago. He was born in the city of Assisi, Italy, in 1182. He was the son of Peter Bernardone (A wealthy merchant) and Madonna Pica. His father sold spices and fabrics and was often out of town on business. While Peter Bernardone was traveling in Provence on business, Madonna Pica gave birth to his son. Far from being excited or apologetic because he'd been gone, Pietro was furious because she'd had his new son baptized Giovanni after John the Baptist. The last thing Pietro wanted in his son was a man of God -- he wanted a man of business, a cloth merchant like he was, and he especially wanted a son Francesco -- which is the equivalent of calling him Frenchman. Francis spent a happy childhood under the watchful eye of Madonna Pica and the attention heaped on him by his father, who was certain that Francis would follow him in the merchant business. His strict education and healthy moral upbringing gave everything he did a sense of balance . Francis enjoyed a very rich easy life growing up because of his father's wealth and the permissiveness of the times. From the beginning everyone loved Francis. He was constantly happy, charming, and a born leader. If he was picky, people excused him. If he was ill, people took care of him. If he was so much of a dreamer he did poorly in school, no one minded. In many ways he was too easy to like for his own good. No one tried to control him or teach him. As he grew up, Francis became the leader of a crowd of young people who spent their nights in wild parties. Francis himself said, "I lived in sin" during that time. Francis fulfilled every hope of Pietro's, and despite his dreaming, Francis was also good at busin... ...tous. Perceiving that he had come to the end of his days, he asked to be brought to the Porziuncola, in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the place from which his message was spread. During the last years of his relatively short life (he died at 45) he was half blind and seriously ill. Two years before his death, he received the stigmata, the real and painful wounds of Christ in his hands, feet and side. On his deathbed, he said over and over again the last addition to his Canticle of the Sun, "Be praised, O Lord, for our Sister Death." He sang Psalm 141, and at the end asked his superior to have his clothes removed when the last hour came and for permission to expire lying naked on the earth, in imitation of his Lord. Francis' final years were filled with suffering as well as humiliation. When he began to go blind, the pope ordered that his eyes be operated on. This meant cauterizing his face with a hot iron. Francis never recovered from this illness. He died on October 4, 1226 at the age of 45. Two years later, on July 16th, he was canonized a saint by Pope Gregory IX. Francis is considered the founder of all Franciscan orders and the patron saint of ecologists and merchants.

‘One Flesh’ by Elizabeth Jennings and ‘I wanna be yours’ by John Cooper Clarke Essay

‘One flesh’ by Elizabeth Jennings has the overall impression after reading the poem that it is about 2 old people who have grown apart from being with each other for so long. It is written in 1st person, by one of their children, who is observing them ‘lying apart’ It is visible that one of the descendants is telling the poem from lines such as ‘whose fire from which I came’ and ‘these two who are my father and mother’. Their child will now be an adult as references that refer to the couple as being ‘old’ suggest this. ‘Do they know they’re old’. This person is telling the poem in 1st person and is visible from words such as ‘my’ and ‘I’. But however in ‘One Flesh’ the emotions of the child are not about them, it is about a 3rd person, but still it is written in 1st person. ‘I wanna be yours’ by John Cooper Clarke is a poem regarding a person expressing their love for someone. The poem consists of a great number of metaphors and similars to express the way he feels. He uses these literary devices to show that he ‘wanna be yours’ even if he is just an everyday item such as a ‘ford cortina’ or a simple ‘raincoat’. From words such as ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’ it is apparent that the poem ‘I wanna be yours’ is written in 1st person. This allows the author to express his thoughts and emotions directly from him and not through another person e.g. 3rd person. Individually both poems are about expressing an opinion about relationships. The relationship in ‘One Flesh’ may be coming to an end, but the relationship in ‘I wanna be yours’ is coming together. As both poems regard relationship, it is obvious that love associates with them. Both the poems refer to love, passion and emotion indirectly. ‘One flesh’ uses the comparison of fire to love in the line ‘whose fire from which I came’. This line also explains that the person revealing the situation within the poem, is a child of the two lovers. Within ‘I wanna be yours’ a line such as ‘that’s how deep is my emotion’ reveals how much the author cares for the person the poem is directed towards. The attitudes of the writers are hugely different. As the writer of ‘I wanna be yours; wants someone for their self, the writer of ‘one flesh’ is concerned about the relationship and well being of their parents. The attitude, which expresses itself in the title ‘I wanna be yours’, is a selfish attitude, as the author wants that person whatever the consequences. This is visible in ‘take me with you anywhere’. However, at the same time, a loving and thoughtful attitude is presence from lines such as ‘you get cold without’ and ‘with deep devotion’. The poem ‘I wanna be yours’ utilises many metaphors and similars in the poem to signify that he wants to be hers even if he is just an ‘electric heater’. ‘One flesh’ includes half rhyme, which is inconsistent. This inconsistency deliberately relates to the inconsistency in the sex within their relationship. ‘Strangely apart, yet strangely close together’ is a metaphors in ‘One Flesh’ which shows how they are emotionally apart, but they are physically close together within the house. ‘Whose fire from which I came, has now grown cold’. The fire expresses that once they were passionate lovers and produced a child, but ‘grown cold’ expresses that they are no longer passionate. The author uses metaphors in ‘I wanna be yours’ to express his feelings such as ‘deep as the deep atlantic ocean that’s how deep is my emotion’ By using the depth of the atlantic ocean to compare to his devotion, he express love. Repetition is used to create a beat to the poem ‘deep deep deep deep de deep deep’. It is also re informing how deep his devotion is. Overall ‘One flesh’ is about a relationship that has already occurred, and ‘I wanna be yours’ is about a relationship that is at the beginning where there is a lot of passion.

Effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care Essays

Effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care Essays Effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care Paper Effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care Paper In this assessment I am going to demonstrate an understanding of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care. I am also going to talk about the types of communication i.e. formal and informal and also what is good or bad communication. One-to-one communication When starting a conversation with someone you have never met before, you should first try to start a positive atmosphere with the right kind of feeling. It is also very important to create a positive emotional atmosphere so that the person can feel comfortable with you from the start so you can discuss complicated issues or give information. For example when I was working in the nursery I had to talk to the child that was crying because they didn’t want to leave they parents so I had a one to one conversation with him and I made sure that the child knew that I was happy with him and wanted him to come play with me and to stop crying by my facial expression and body language. I asked him a lot of open questions like ‘What did you do at the weekend? and How was you Christmas? He was talking back. He felt relaxed and happy which made him forget about his parents not being around. He was happy to speak to me and he felt like he was not alone. How a conversation could go Greeting or a warm up Conversation or information exchange Farewells or winding-down When you have got someone talking and relaxed you have created a good feeling. You can now start to talk about anything with them. Sometimes you can even start a personal conversation asking how their health and family are and talk about any problems they are going through. When the conversation is coming to a end you would want the person to want to talk to you again so you have to leave with the right kind of emotions. You could end it with a phrase like ‘see you soon’ which shows them that you enjoyed their company and would like to talk to them again and to also show that you value them. Group communication Group communication only works when everyone is involved. Some people are open but on the other hand some people are quiet and don’t like to talk so they feel threatened if their have to speak within a formal group of people so there might stay quiet because they are worried about people reactions, I was working in a youth club and I had to get the children talking about an activity the club wanted to do with them. It’s very important that everyone in the group feels included because that will bring the right atmosphere and my job was to hear what they wanted to do. The youths in the group often use humour or other friendly ways of behaving to create the right group feeling, this will encourages them to talk and get involved. Creating the right atmosphere involves ‘maintaining’ the group so this aspect of group communication is often called group maintenance. Group leader There are different type of groups sometimes you need a leader and other times you don’t, but the groups with the leader turn out to be more successful than those with out a leader. In meetings or classroom discussions you would find a leader or a chairman for example in the youth meeting I took with the youths I was the leader and because the discussion had a leader it was successful everyone new I was the leader as well so when I said you talk there talk and I made sure there was no trouble makers there. When talking or arguing with your friends you often don’t have a leader that’s why it’s often loud and get out of control. Having a leader is very useful because the leader can encourage people to say what they have to say and for people to speak one at a time. The leading also often encourages people to focus on a particular task within a group. See of signs and symbols In a working environment signs and symbols are everywhere because its one of the best way of communicating without saying anything instead putting a picture where everyone can see it. I am going to be talking about how effective signs and symbols are in a care setting environment. People from backgrounds ages and even race if you put a sign in front of them there would be able to tell you what the sign says. When I was working in a nursery there was a child who could not speak English so we had to teach her using signs and symbols. When we wanted to talk to her we used sign language and she could understand everything we were trying to say. In the nursery I was working in there was lots of signs everywhere because children like colours, signs and symbols these are normally in lots of different colours. There could be signs or a symbol for every word in for example This sign mean wash your hands after using the toilet. Sign language is used a lot even in a nursery because Written communication Written communication is the best way of remembering what you have been told for example when I started my work placement I was given an introduction package showing me where everything was and what the nursery was all about. I still use it even through I am working there. Written communication allows you to keep information for as long as you want. When we had staff meeting we would have a sheet that tell as what the meeting is about before the meeting start and the order the meeting is going to go. When something is written its also easier to understand when someone is saying it because you can read it as much times as you want where us if someone is saying it and you miss what there said you would have to ask to say it again and if you keep asking then the person will be angry with you. In class when we are set work the teacher will tell us to write down or take notes on what he is saying so that when we are doing it alone we would know what to write and how to do it. In the nursery I was working in I had to do an activity with the children so I done a written activity where there are going to learn how to write and spell there names it was very successful because there got to take it home and learn it even more and now there all know how to spell there names and write it. Language (first language, dialect, slang, jargon) When it comes to language and communication it goes to ways because sometimes when you want to communicate with someone you have to speak in a language where there can understand you. Because different localities, ethnic groups and cultures all have their own way of communicating with each other and if you’re not from that group you would not be able to understand what there saying. The fact that you can’t understand what there saying some people are threatened or exclude by the kind of language they encounter in these speech communities however just using formal language will not solve this problem for example jargon is when complicated words are been used because the person and the phone is not going to understand so the communication with you and the person will be broken. People from different geographical areas also use different ways of speaking to each other for example there are words that is used in south east London that are not used in north London for example strap in south means gun straly in north also means gun this is called slang. Slang is non-standard words that are understood by other members of a speech community but which cannot usually be found in a dictionary. When I was working in my nursery I child came from France and not speak a word of English so it was hard to communicate with her so we had to teach her English using her language and mixing it will English so that she can learn. There was another case where a child has an older brother and the older brother speaks slang and the child picked it up and could understand so when I speak to the child I would use slang and the child could understand me more than any other teacher. It is very hard to communicate with someone if don’t speak there language because you would have to keep repeating yourself. According to the author and psychologist Steven Pinker (1994) estimated that there maybe about 600 languages in the world that are spoken by more than 100,000 people he also believe that there are many more minority languages. Some people grow up in multilingual communities where they learn several languages from birth. Where us children in the UK have grown up to only use one language to think and communicate with which is English. The people who learn second language later on in life often find that they cannot communicate their thoughts as effectively as they might have done using their first language. The first language that people have learned to think in usually becomes their preferred language. Non-verbal communication (posture, facial expression, touch, silence, proximity, reflective listening) From the first time you meet someone you usually be able to tell how there are feeling for example if there angry, tried, happy, sad and even frightened even if there haven’t said anything. You can usually guess what a person feels by studying their non-verbal communication. Non-verbal means with out word. We send this message using our eyes, the tone of our voice, facial expression, our hands and arms, gestures with our hands and arms, the hands and arm the angle of our head, and the way we sit To tell people what you‘re thinking of or how you are feeling. When I was working in nursery from the first moment I walked in the room where the kids was I new their characters just my the way their was sitting to listen to the story for example some children were next to the teacher listen to teacher does was the children I thought are good students and a child was trying to talk to the other and he said no. So from that moment I could just see who troubles are and who are not. From the moment I walked in I new the children that was happy to see and the ones that are not just by their facial expression and when I said hi the voice of their voice in the reply. I was talking to a member of staff and this child came up to me and put his hands out and I picked him up I didn’t even have to say anything for the child he just felt happy with me. The use of British sign language The British sign language is used in the UK and it’s the first preferred language of some deaf people. The language involves movement of the hands, body, face and head. Thousands of people who aren’t deaf also use British sign language for example if a person is angry and someone is asking them a question they might answer with a head nod. As hearing relatives of deaf people, sign language interpreters or as a result of other contact with the British deaf community Use of sign Its not only people who have a disability .i.e. deaf or blind use signs and signed languages to communicate as many people who have perfect hearing frequently use non-verbal communication techniques when your out socializing with friends and even out home. We all use sign language in fact it is probably used more often than we realise as sometime you are unaware that you are using forms of sign language to communicate. Variation between cultures Culture variations can have a big effect on the way people communicate non-verbally. For example actions that are not seen as offensive in your home country may be seen very offended to foreign countries. That’s why communication with people from different cultures is especially challenging. Cultures provide people with different ways of thinking, seeing things, hearing, and interpreting the world.

Environmental Law Midterm Exam 2 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

Environmental Law Midterm Exam 2 Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers Environmental Law Midterm Exam 2 PLST 35001 Amanda Webb March 28, 2017 Sovereignty in general means authority or supreme power. Sovereignty exists in environmental law within the powers that control and regulate environmental law. State and National governments' hold authority over environmental law with the Supreme Court being the ultimate arbiter of the inter-sovereign relations. One way that sovereignty exists within environmental law is through the state police power. The state police power is the traditional body that regulates health, safety, and welfare, which includes environmental matters. The state police hold their power in environmental law by regulating the resources themselves and regulating the harms caused by pollution and environmental externalities. Generally, the states' environmental quality was the main province of the states through their police power, but has switched between the federal and state government. Before the states the full purpose sovereigns in the United States are displayed through preemption. A state law that affects intersta te commerce must be tested under the Pike test. First the state law is evaluated to determine if the statute holds a legitimate local public interest. If a legitimate local purpose is found, then n ext the burden on interstate commerce must be weighed against local benefits. This is a complex calculus that seeks to account for the importance of the local benefits and the extent of the bur den on the interstate commerce and whether this could be promoted as well with a lesser impact on interstate activities. An example of this test being applied is shown in Minnesota v. Clover Leaf Creamery Co. , 449 U.S. 456 (1981). Minnesota created a statute that restricted plastic milk containers that arguably favored pulpwood manufacturers (a Minnesota industry) and disfavored plastic manufacturers (a non-Minnesota industry). The Court found that the statute was not discriminatory and proceeded to measure the burdens on inter state commerce. The Court concluded that even if the out of state plastics industry was burdened, the burden is not clearly excessive considering the substantial state interest in promoting conservation of energy and other natural resources and easing solid waste and disposal problems. Although the Snail Darter case is not widely known it is widely recognized as classically illuminating. This case was the Supreme Court's first encounter with ESA 7. This case has held a highly significant impact on the country's interpretation on laws regarding endangered species. ESA 7 became a significant regulatory program in the years immediately following the snail darter decision resulting in substantial increases in its annual budget allocations and a new degree of respect for its regulatory potency from agency bureaucrats and industrial lobbyists. Scientific surveys for endangered species impacts became an accepted part of agency project planning and permit application processes. Since this case the courts have been more attentive to the Act's requirements. The courts have strictly interpreted this act without reference to the significance of the species concerned. The Clean Air Act's standards for regulating hazardous air pollutants first step involved the EPA identifying the air pollutant levels consistent with the goal of the air throughout the country being safe to breathe. Next the states would choose the means of achieving the goal of clean air. Mobile sources would be regulated primarily by the federal government and the stationary sources would be regulated primarily through the states. The harm-based approach dealing with hazardous air pollutants was substituted by a technology based approach that called for the employment of MACT. The legislation called for 180 substances to be regulated by that method. Technology based standards can be costly for the industry to comply with and adopt. One inadequacy of the harm based standards was the EPA was required to compile a list of HAPs and promulgate emission standards directly applicable to sources that emitted the hazardous pollutants in question. The harm based approach was not easily applicable to the problems of HAPs. The agency was limited by the availability of adequate scientific studies on which to propose standards and dogged by judicial challenges to those standards that they did propose.

buy custom Philip Dick essay

buy custom Philip Dick essay Introduction Philip Dick is a renowned author whose work has received a lot of appraisal from people of different walks. He is known for a number of speculations especially the presentation in The Man in the High Castle and the Valis. To Philip, in order to manipulate man and understand what he real wants, you must know the things that will affect him most, with this, the people shall always be at your mercies, The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words (Dick 82). It is blatant clear that Philip was so much interested with the reality of things; he considered reality to be of much significance compared to a persons position or stand. With reality, things that are hidden and in the dark shall be brought to light. Understanding how important reality is and attaching this importance to people can act as a weapon, a weapon that may prove to be more destructive and fatal. Similarly, Philip is quoted saying that the most important matters in life should not be solved at night, Don't try to solve serious matters in the middle of the night. In trying to comprehend the works of Philip Dick, it is of essence to try to grapple his unique state of emotion and the unique interpretations that he has assigned to the same. Most of the works that he dealt with can be regarded to be as unique as they can be thought to be. It is not surprising that by the time Philip was dying in 1982, he could not tell of the origin of most of the works or what they meant. When Philip died, he left behind a eight thousand paged Exegesis that constituted a million worded document that consisted of a continued dialogue with himself that he held late at night. Philip is said not to have been able to solve the mystery behind the puzzle to the point of his satisfaction, it is believed that he enjoyed the pursuit for the answer much more than he would have enjoyed finding the solution to the mystery. How Philip K Dick Uses Landscape or Physical Details To Make Meaning Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. Mainstream science has described reality as the actual state of things as they exist in the real sense. This can be simply put to refer to all the things as they exist in their real state when they are observed. As it can be denoted, the human brain exists in two specific portions that are divided into right and left. This are further categorized as the right and the left brain. To Philip, the roles and agendas that are attached to these distinct brains are very specific and different. However, for the brain to function, it is a must for the two half human brains to communicate and act as one through the corpus callosum. According to Dick, the right side brain is entirely owed with the role of dealing with the present, the things that are taking place right now and here (Dick 177). It carries out its functions through the use of pictures and its learning is through the kinesthetic body movement. Energy is absorbed from our surroundings and translated into information for the sensory systems. There is no difference that exists between individual consciousness and the world around us. There is only one universal energy field that is seen by the right brain, this is the field of awareness. Philip. Dick believes that despite the fact that we can not be able to correlate effectively with the world, the things in our surroundings will not have to change. Our ability to know that they exist and they are material will remain even when the brain, our brains can not be bale to transmit this information to our sensory nerves. On the other hand, Philips definition of the left brain is so different from the rest. This side of the brain thinks methodically and linearly. There are countless details that are picked up by it especially regarding past events and through it; calculations are made thus being able to predict the future. The left hemisphere of the brain is believed to think in language form, through this, an internal voice is made possible. Importantly, the left hemisphere leads to the creation of awareness of our existence. This awareness makes us know that we are very distinct and different from what the right brain perceives. Philip Dick makes it possible for us to know and distinguish between what is false and real, he makes it possible to distinguish between what is part of us and what is not part of our bodies. Philip is said to have suffered several setbacks before coming up with the reality experience. For instance, he was suffering from stress as a result of his son and wife, he had problems with drugs, break in that is not explained among many more set backs. In addition his role in politics played another major part in influencing his life. Giving me a new idea is like handing a cretin a loaded gun, but I do thank you anyhow, bang, bang. Philip Dick suffered a number of depressions during his life time. Due to these thoughts, he almost turned suicidal more than once in his life (Dick 181). More significantly, Philip suffered a lot of severe pain when one of his wisdom teeth was removed. On a certain day, we are presented with Philip who is mesmerized by the fist that was dangling between the delivery girls breasts. When Philip asks what the fish is for, she tells him that it is a representation of the ICHTHYS; this is a Greek ter that refers to fish. The fish was used by ancient primitive Christian believes. In relation, the ICHTHYS is an acronym that refers to "Iesous CHristos, THeou Yios, Soter". This when translated to English stands for Jesus Christ, Son Of God and the Savior. As it is later unfolded, Philip and the girl were all Christians thought they were hiding from the Roman persecutors. The fish was used as a symbol of identification among the people who were Christians. The fish was considered as a harmless pendant to many peoples eyes although it meant a lot. The girl does not only bring medicine to heal Philips ailing tooth, but she also brings with her medicine, medicine that can be termed to as spiritual. The tooth in Freudian terminology can be considered as libido symbol. This is not necessarily the sexual libido. When Philip keeps dreaming about his loss, we are presented with the loss that a person can incur especially when one stands on your way either mentally, physically or emotionally. To Philip, his tooth was regarded to as a Gynopsis, it was still waiting for a proper stimulus for his anamnesis to be triggered. Libido can be also illustrated by the sleek phalliform fish. The shape of the fish makes it possible for it to glide silently in the unconscious minds of the deep waters. It is Christ who strengthens the Christians libido, he is the energy needed and the psyche that is very important. Christ does all these for those who believe in him and asks for nothing in return. I think that, like in my writing, reality is always a soap bubble, Silly Putty thing anyway. In the universe people are in, people put their hands through the walls, and it turns out they're living in anot her century entirely. ... I often have the feeling and it doesshow up in my books that this is all just a stage. Can any of us fix anything? No. None of us can do that. We're specialized. Each one of us has his own line, his own work. I understand my work, you understand yours(Dick 102). The society that man lives in is structured and equipped with a mechanism that forces people tom adapt to the conditions of live there. As the world keeps on evolving, people with skills and experience in a number of areas with be regarded as the indispensable assets that will lead the world forward. This thus means that specialization will be greatly valued. Anything that is outside a persons expertise will seem to be very complex, this is why no one can do everything and fix anything. According to Philip, he is categorical when saying that not everybody is capable to deal with all kinds of situations. Things according to Philip are so different and by this different approaches are required to deal with them. However, people with skills and specialization are regarded highly to fix a number of things that may be regarded to be spoilt. This is an implication that for anything to work efficiently and as it may be assumed, expertise is needed. Philip is said to have seen the soviets scientists in one of his dreams trying to mange and keep an alien satellite functioning. This to Philip was a way through which different experts were planning on attacking the peace of the world and bringing it crumbling down on its knees,with the complexity. "I want to write about people I love, and put them into a fictional world spun out of my own mind, not the world we actually have, because the world we actually have does not meet my standards" this is a quote that Phillip K Dick used after he released the novel Flow My Tears, the policeman said. In his works, he tries so much to bring real life experiences in his work of fiction making it unique and only to his own standards. This is one of the books that the fusion of nature with fiction can be seen as extrapolated by Dick. It portrays an imaginary future of the United States and he uses the past experiences of the United States to project the future, sometimes in satirical manner like suggesting that a sterilization law was put in place to control the population of the United States and most importantly for African Americans in America. The reason why this statement so much fits the argument he presents in the book is that he is so well acquainted with the character of his book and more so with their daily activities. Unlike many writers who were showing the effects that the racial disparity in the United States had so directly, he uses his work in form of a fictitious form that shows this disparity and the aid of a Whiteman to a black man. Apparently, there was so much difference in the interrelation of races in the United States at the time but what the book was projecting is that one day black men and white men would interact with ease. What a way to present something that would be guided by nature and which to you is only a projection of imagination than to use fiction (Dick 7). This was so creative of him but unlike makers of science fiction stories he made it that all things about nature taking its course are manifested in the work of literature. "In my writing I even question the universe; I wonder out loud if it is real, and I wonder out loud if all of us are real." These are words from the man who referred to himself as the philosopher of fictionalization. According to his books, A Scanner Darkly and Valis, one cannot help but to notice how dedicated the man was to simple things in life that had great impacts in life. These two books were mainly based on the daily activities of youngsters in America and concentrated mainly on what nature had to offer to the youths; that are in foorm of drugs. It therefore implies that Phillip was not only a writer but a strict and focused one whose aim was to glorify Mother Nature and advocating what was right for nature. A scanner darkly shows life in a fictionalized way but presents exactly what happens in the normal daily life of real people in the United States and even in other parts of the world. As he personally pointed out, "Everything in A Scanner Darkly I actually saw. This indicates that although the book was fictionalized, Philip Dick knew exactly what he was addressing in his book because not only was he familiar with the effects of the misuse of nature in drug abuse but he was personally a pusher at one time in his life and had even been in correctional facility in several instances (Dick, A Scanner Darkly 204). Substance D is presented in the book as coming from a types of plant with blue flowers, a creation beauty and which was on several occasions was used by addicts, he also shows the effects of these drugs when he pointed out that Bruce had been considered a walking shell of a man by his handlers. Apparently, the use of drugs was supposed to be so bad that a man suffering from drug abuse withdrawal or cessation, not to mention those who had already developed dependence were in so bad situations health wise that even medical practitioners loose hope of ever gettin g the men back in shape again. "The grasshopper shall be a burden" is a phrase that triggered Dick into writing his novel, the man on a high castle which shows the lives of Americans and the totalitarian government at the time and following the assassination of President Franklin Roosevelt. The whole novel is a fiction story that revolves around the governance of the United States and political atmosphere of the countries that surrounded America or were allies of America. Note that he indicates many aspects of nature that took course after a successful assassination of the head of the United States. Unfortunately, the life was too harsh for the people in the United States that the author conjures up an image that suggests that the president did not even die but was still the leader. This is a kind of fiction that he uses to draw the reader to the possibility of a reincarnation that was affecting the United States of America. Note that when we refer to nature, it may be even the intangible elements brought about by a certain situation in nature that have the propensity of causing some unwanted effects or changing the course of nature of the life of an individual. 'When a thing has history in it, listen. One of those two Zippo lighters was in Franklin D. Roosevelt's pocket when he was assassinated. And one wasn't. One has historicity, a hell of a lot of it, as much as any object ever had and one has nothing.... You can't tell which is which. There's no "mystical plasmic presence", no "aura" around it (Dick, The Man in the High Castle pp 65). This quote was used by dick to show the thinking and the reasoning of the elite class of the America and those of Britain which was at the time headed by winston churchil. All this have been put not only symblolically, satirical but also in a fictional manner that depicts that political atmosphere of the nation was not only dependent on the fear of people of their leadership but also the totalitarianism of the ruling class. It would be a great injustice for anybody denying that phillip Dick was not a man in love with nature and a man who knew exactly how nature affected the daily activities of the people o f america. Conclusion Literature is art and therefore demands that an individual becomes creative in designing how to present their information in the book. As has been indicated throughout the discussion, Phillip K Dick was a great author who presented all his views in a fictional setting which ranged from politics to simple things about lifestyle and most importantly his contribution in his last books in drug abuse. In as much as he was creative by presenting his experiences, as most of the books were personal accounts, through fictionalization to a point that he considered himself as fictionalization philosopher, he went ahead to forge an introduction of natures landscape and physical details in order to enhance the effectiveness of his presentation as well as assist an individual in the interpretation of the different works of literature. Note that in the world of art, in which literature dwells, the message is not presented in such a straight forward manner that the reader makes out the meaning immed iately but rather a reader is expected to decipher the meaning of the text from deep mental evaluation, what is commonly referred to as reading between the lines. As this is the case, in most of the books by Phillip, symbolism has been greatly used in the literature not only in a bid to fictionalization but also in an effort to present harmony in nature. Sometimes the landscape is presented to show the status of the people in which he is referring to. for instance in the rehabilitation center in the book A Scanner Darkly, he uses it to show the economic activities taking place there as well as the need for the drugs that had driven the members of the correctional facility to plant the plants that were a source of the drugs. All in all, it is true and in fact, quite right to conclude that the man was a master, not only of literature but also of presenting the facts of nature in his fictional creation of real life experiences showing different disparities among people not with words but with creation of imagery using what is physical and normal in the universe. Buy custom Philip Dick essay

To What Extent can Standardized Tests be used in Measuring the Article

To What Extent can Standardized Tests be used in Measuring the Competitiveness of Nursing School Curricula - Article Example Administering the same tests for all nursing graduates can judge whether or not the curriculum of a greater number of nursing schools across the country are competitive enough compared to other schools in producing highly-skilled nurses. Article Summaries The first article discusses the comparison of baccalaureate students from different schools that were enrolled in either problem-based curricula (PBL) or those in a conventional nursing program. Using a self-report questionnaire and scores in the National Nursing Registration Examination (RN Exam), the perceptions and abilities of the students were measured. It was found out that although the RN Exam scores did not differ significantly among the different schools that participated, the perceptions of preparedness and educational satisfaction did differ in the two curricula, with the PBL students reporting higher perceived preparedness and satisfaction (Rideout, et al., 2002). The authors recommended exploring further the relationshi p between educational approaches and student outcomes in order to create better nursing curricula in different schools. The second article discusses the importance of the use of external curriculum assessments like the NCLEX-RN. Every three years or so, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) updates their licensure exams to reflect the changing trends in healthcare. While the NCLEX-RN was not specifically designed to be used as an assessment tool for measuring the effectiveness of the curricula in all nursing schools, pass rates for each school in the NCLEX-RN determines whether the nursing degree program deserves to be accredited or not (Morrison, 2005). Thus, the higher the pass rates the school has, the more competitive it seems in the eyes of incoming students as well as for hiring parties. Integrated Analyses Both articles discussed the use of standardized examinations and assessments in order to measure the abilities and perceptions of various graduates of nur sing schools. The first article used the RN Exam as a standardized test in assessing the preparedness of newly-graduated students from different schools and curricula for their career in nursing. The second article brought focus on the use of NCLEX-RN in assessing the curriculum’s effectiveness or weaknesses in preparing students for national licensure exams. By using standardized tests, biases in the judging of school curricula can be eliminated. To put contrasts between the two articles, the first one used the RN Exam was as a standard in measuring the preparedness of newly-graduated students from different schools and nursing curricula. While it was a good measure of knowledge, it was not able to measure the satisfaction of the students in their education or in their perceived efficiency of the curriculum of the school. The second article used NCLEX-RN as their standard in assessing whether the curricula of most nursing schools need improvement, or if the teachers needed t o modify their methods in teaching. Reflection Based on the two articles, it can be inferred that the use of standardized testing is very relevant and imperative in comparing the capabilities of

The author notes that there are three general strategies used by moral Essay

The author notes that there are three general strategies used by moral philosophers who wish to explain the sort of variation in moral codes discussed by Ruth Benedict. Which of - Essay Example One of the most important strategies that are used by moral philosophers is to look at the universal principles that seem to drive the activities of people. This can be done through a systematic analysis of cross-sections of people who would then provide frameworks that are followed on a general basis. This would then be accepted as the norm which would then be accepted as the bedrock of the society’s morality. Another strategy that is used is to provide the basis of morality and ethics in reason and the abilities of the individual to ascertain the suitability of a certain action. This was also to a great extent the result of the thought of Kant and other enlightenment philosophers who held reason to be the greatest defining feature of man and thought of it as being able to solve the greatest problems that mankind has when it comes to moral dilemmas. Another way in which the problem can be dealt with is to understand the relativity of morality when it comes to different communities and people. There are people who believe that there is no possibility of understanding any form of ultimate truths that may enable the laying of a framework that would be able to define acts that are committed in a moral way. This approach is termed as ethical scepticism. This approach made it possible for other approaches that did not argue for a monolithic view of morality, to flourish. Ethical relativism may be considered to be one of these approaches. It favors no particular code of morality over the other and recognizes the importance of the uniqueness of each culture and in some cases, each individual. Extremes of this approach may lead to problematic situations in a society. However, it is better placed than the other approaches that have been referred to in this essay to assess the moral codes of a society that is multicultural and multilingui stic in its

International Business - Export Business Plan - China Essay

International Business - Export Business Plan - China - Essay Example That’s why economists and pundits expect that China’s GDP (presently 3rd largest) will easily surpass the Japan’s GDP (presently 2nd largest) in next few months or within a year. China has not become an Asian tiger in just 10 years rather it has covered a long journey in past 30 years. In fact, the open-door policies of successive Chinese governments and their business friendly strategies not only attracted the private sector in China but also the foreign investors who shifted their assembly lines, plants, manufacturing units and factories to China to make the most of its cheap labor and infrastructure to become competitive and maximize their profit margins. In short, the business friendly policies although enabled China to now become a 2nd largest economy and ‘a place to produce goods for customers across the globe’, however, these strategies, policies and tactics have adversely affected its environment. Many industrial cities such as Beijing (capital), Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou in China have seen an increase in pollution as factories dispose their waste including, paper, dye, fertilizer, chemical waste, and many other different products. Also, the increase in standard of living has increased the demand of cars, automobiles and other means of transport. Simultaneously, the demand of fossil fuels has skyrocketed in recent years, thereby heavily contributing in environmental pollution. Many different organizations especially the manufacturing businesses such as consumer goods producers, plastics, chemicals, cement, textiles, fertilizers, pharmaceutical etc. get rid of their industrial waste by dumping it in lakes, rivers, and canals, thereby contaminating the water and making it pernicious for any human-being to drink. It must not be forgotten that these rivers, lakes and canals are the main source of drinkable water for millions of Chinese residents. (Halasz, 2009) Taking the above facts and

Colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colonies - Essay Example However, each of them had their own resources, ways, and dispositions. This is where exactly the three of them diverge. Smith believed in employing labor to acquire all the necessities of living. Bradford believes freedom of religion. Winthrop believed in only one kind of worship. While some colonizers did venture through vast lands and perils for the purpose of flourishing wealth thereby expanding their trades and purposes, some still aimed to instill religion and education to the naivetà © of people who needed them and of whom they thought needed a certain social culture. Such were some of the major goals of the three colonizers. Smith’s leadership during the starvation produced a lasting effect upon the people when he resorted to labor to increase production and diminish subsistence. Bradford wanted an intact society especially as he depicted by creating a pact with the Indians. Moreover, although Smith may have believed in God, it was not as explicit as Bradford had professed in his writing. He considered that the hardships they had encountered were only proof’s of God existence. Winthrop’s sermon was less like a combination of Bradford’s and Smith’s ideologies. He believed in equal responsibility towards one another th ough in essence people are not born with equal reserves. This being said, Winthrop was the colonizer who confined religion and faith to one God as his front and weapon. Even without wealth in mind, John Smith successfully inspired the habit of responsibility among the natives with the effective use of labor while instilling that no person survives without working. He provided an integrated form of leadership which actually worked in all due fairness (Seiferth, n.d.). Aside from that, he also managed to unite conflicting lands in Virginia despite the fact that he suffered incarceration. Meanwhile Bradford’s services as

Channel conflict and resolution paper Assignment

Channel conflict and resolution paper - Assignment Example The emergence of electronic commerce has resulted in new business models that proffer marketers with opportunities such as access to diverse markets and reduced business expenses. E-commerce also comes with a bunch of challenges such as channel conflict in many businesses to date (Webb 96). The manner in which a business manages the aforesaid channel conflict is a pertinent aspect in its success. A marketing channel is a set of mutually dependent firms engaged delivering a product or service. Multiple channels arise when a company employs separate channels to sell the same products to markets differing in some important way. A multichannel conflict occurs when the producer/ manufacturer have established two or more different channels to sell the product to the same target market. For illustration, a motor company may have its own retail showroom, authorized dealers, and also sells online. Sometimes, the middlemen come in conflict with the manufacturer, employing both direct and indir ect channels of distribution. Such a conflict is known as the multichannel level conflict. A conflict may arise when a producer’s franchise prices its products lower than the middlemen, wholesaler or dealer. Conflicts can also arise when a producer sells a larger range of products through its own outlet than through the wholesaler or retailers (Webb 98). This discussion explores the role that suppliers play in managing conflicts between multiple channels. Suppliers can employ the marketing mix variables to manage multichannel conflict. Pricing Price is one of the prominent factor in which the most channel conflict is generated. Intermediaries closely watch what manufacturers or producers do through the online channel of distribution. Intermediaries express concerns regarding producers’ site and interpret it as a move to lessen their role with the customer. As a result, suppliers have started acknowledging that their channel partners will see and react to everything the y put on the internet. In order to reduce conflicts, suppliers have chosen not to place and offer discounts on the internet in a bid to reduce price related conflicts (Brennan,  Canning,  and McDowell, 316). Distribution An internet channel of distribution has a key limitation in that it does not have the ability to offer physical delivery of tangible products. Suppliers work in conjunction with other channel partners to carry out the fulfillment role of orders placed on the internet. For illustration, HP employs this aspect of involving channel partners to drive its online sales efforts. By involving other channel partners in the sale serves to manage and avoid cannibalization the channel. In addition, by involving channel partners, suppliers build trust and cooperation between the intermediaries and prevent unwarranted channel conflicts (Webb, 100). Promotion Promotion entails persuading customers to purchase a product. An internet channel of distribution gives suppliers a fav orable opportunity to promote their product offering directly to the end users. However, in order to avoid conflicts with other channels of distribution, suppliers are cautious on providing detailed product information along with search engines (Saxena 463). However, they choose not to accept orders online. Moreover, suppliers actively promote their channel partners on their websites, as well as permitting them to place their own adverts. Product Suppliers also manage their online product offering in a

Cultural and Intercultural Communication Practices Essay

Cultural and Intercultural Communication Practices - Essay Example For example, the United States of American and the United Kingdom are countries that considered low context groups due to their standard form of communication style and tone. In these countries, communication is done in the context of messages to a large population versus a specialized group. With this understanding, low context culture is also known to communicate through words and verbal cues versus allowing people to make their own inferences through the context of a given scenario or event. Because of these aspects, people in low context cultures tend to be more logical, individualistic, action-oriented and linear than those in high context cultures (Marin n.d.). Low context communication is expected to be concise and straightforward so there is little room for error when listening to communication messages. While low context cultures center on large populations, a high context culture focuses on types of communication messages that are specific to a certain group within the cult ure. With the purpose of high context cultures being to communicate specifically between specialized groups within a culture, people have a lot more opportunity to use their own inferences to make decisions and gather information versus those in a low context culture. Examples of high context cultures include France, China, Japan, Russia and India. Within high context cultures, people generally focus more on interpersonal relationships and building trust within the groups. Communication, whether written or verbal, in a high context culture is more formal than low context with special attention being paid to the way a message is delivered. People in a high context culture will focus on a person’s tone, facial expression and demeanor when communicating just as much as they focus on the actual message itself. With the definitions of these terms established, the focus can now shift to analyzing how low context and high context cultures interact with intercultural contact and inte rcultural ethics. When people from differing cultures communicate, there is a need for each party to assess their own communication tendencies as well as those of the person they are hoping to communicate with. For example, an American who is native of the state of New Jersey may have trouble communicating with a person who lives in Japan or China. When analyzing the more formal and contextual ways in which people from many Asian countries communicate, the laid back, potentially brash way in which someone native of the state of New Jersey, which is a low context culture, communicate might not mesh well with the Asian culture. In order to understand the potential issues that can arise when cultures and contexts mix, it is important for all parties involved to do some preparation work before the meeting takes place. First, people from both cultures need to gather some background information about the culture the other person is coming from. By asking themselves if it is a high context or low context culture, they will be able to determine if the person they are going to be attempting to communicate with is comfortable with a laid back style or expects a formal tone and sense of conduct

Colonies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Colonies - Essay Example However, each of them had their own resources, ways, and dispositions. This is where exactly the three of them diverge. Smith believed in employing labor to acquire all the necessities of living. Bradford believes freedom of religion. Winthrop believed in only one kind of worship. While some colonizers did venture through vast lands and perils for the purpose of flourishing wealth thereby expanding their trades and purposes, some still aimed to instill religion and education to the naivetà © of people who needed them and of whom they thought needed a certain social culture. Such were some of the major goals of the three colonizers. Smith’s leadership during the starvation produced a lasting effect upon the people when he resorted to labor to increase production and diminish subsistence. Bradford wanted an intact society especially as he depicted by creating a pact with the Indians. Moreover, although Smith may have believed in God, it was not as explicit as Bradford had professed in his writing. He considered that the hardships they had encountered were only proof’s of God existence. Winthrop’s sermon was less like a combination of Bradford’s and Smith’s ideologies. He believed in equal responsibility towards one another th ough in essence people are not born with equal reserves. This being said, Winthrop was the colonizer who confined religion and faith to one God as his front and weapon. Even without wealth in mind, John Smith successfully inspired the habit of responsibility among the natives with the effective use of labor while instilling that no person survives without working. He provided an integrated form of leadership which actually worked in all due fairness (Seiferth, n.d.). Aside from that, he also managed to unite conflicting lands in Virginia despite the fact that he suffered incarceration. Meanwhile Bradford’s services as

Cultural and Intercultural Communication Practices Essay

Cultural and Intercultural Communication Practices - Essay Example For example, the United States of American and the United Kingdom are countries that considered low context groups due to their standard form of communication style and tone. In these countries, communication is done in the context of messages to a large population versus a specialized group. With this understanding, low context culture is also known to communicate through words and verbal cues versus allowing people to make their own inferences through the context of a given scenario or event. Because of these aspects, people in low context cultures tend to be more logical, individualistic, action-oriented and linear than those in high context cultures (Marin n.d.). Low context communication is expected to be concise and straightforward so there is little room for error when listening to communication messages. While low context cultures center on large populations, a high context culture focuses on types of communication messages that are specific to a certain group within the cult ure. With the purpose of high context cultures being to communicate specifically between specialized groups within a culture, people have a lot more opportunity to use their own inferences to make decisions and gather information versus those in a low context culture. Examples of high context cultures include France, China, Japan, Russia and India. Within high context cultures, people generally focus more on interpersonal relationships and building trust within the groups. Communication, whether written or verbal, in a high context culture is more formal than low context with special attention being paid to the way a message is delivered. People in a high context culture will focus on a person’s tone, facial expression and demeanor when communicating just as much as they focus on the actual message itself. With the definitions of these terms established, the focus can now shift to analyzing how low context and high context cultures interact with intercultural contact and inte rcultural ethics. When people from differing cultures communicate, there is a need for each party to assess their own communication tendencies as well as those of the person they are hoping to communicate with. For example, an American who is native of the state of New Jersey may have trouble communicating with a person who lives in Japan or China. When analyzing the more formal and contextual ways in which people from many Asian countries communicate, the laid back, potentially brash way in which someone native of the state of New Jersey, which is a low context culture, communicate might not mesh well with the Asian culture. In order to understand the potential issues that can arise when cultures and contexts mix, it is important for all parties involved to do some preparation work before the meeting takes place. First, people from both cultures need to gather some background information about the culture the other person is coming from. By asking themselves if it is a high context or low context culture, they will be able to determine if the person they are going to be attempting to communicate with is comfortable with a laid back style or expects a formal tone and sense of conduct

Internet Privacy Essay Example for Free

Internet Privacy Essay Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is a great opportunity for any fledging entrepreneur to expose his goods to buyers all over the world through the internet. Small and medium scale businesses, with the right mixture of products and e-commerce capabilities can thrive in a global market. Geography is now longer a hindrance. One doesn’t even need a great amount of capital outlay to get started. For $ 25 a month, one can get an e-commerce start up kit (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Every imaginable commodity is now sold on-line. It would be wise for any business minded person to ride the information age. Of course, one area of concern when it comes to electronic transactions is security. There have been many instances where credit card information submitted to certain business related websites were stolen and used for other purposes. Customers would need some measure of guarantee that they are not getting scammed. At the same time, businessmen, especially the newer ones, would like to minimize costs of implementing a highly secure environment. Like everything else, a balance must be reached between security for the customer and cost for the business owner. The advantage of a non-secure e-commerce environment is that the business can start right away, even at the comfort of your own home if you prefer. Starting capital would be affordable since one only needs to register a website name and post the products he is offering. The site functions as a showroom for global customers. The disadvantage is that the number of hits on the site doesn’t necessarily translate to customers. 54% of prospective buyers cancel their transactions because of concerns which include insecurity (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Another disadvantage is that safe payment options are limited. Because non-secure e-commerce sites are vulnerable to hacker attacks, customers would prefer not to use any kind of electronic payment. This would limit the customer’s options to bank deposits and cash-on-delivery schemes. If credit card payment is offered in an insecure web environment, the risk of theft is increased. Overly secured e-commerce sites provide the customer with a blanket of safety and convenience for both the customer and the site owner. With up to date security measures, the owner opens his business to the more than 1. 2 billion credit card owners, world wide (â€Å"Exploring E-Commerce†). Applying encryption methods such as the widely accepted secure socket layer (SSL) certificates on the business website shields important customer information, like credit card numbers, from hackers and other web predators. One disadvantage of a highly secure e-commerce setup is the cost in putting up the safeguards. Verisign, the company that offers SSL certificates, charges over $1,000 for an extended SSL good for 1 year (â€Å"Verisign†, 2007). Other security costs include purchasing and updating of anti-virus software and firewall infrastructure. A minor inconvenience for the customer would be repeated input of customer information including passwords to help secure a transaction. These are not one time only costs. SSL and anti-virus software need regular updates to adapt to relentless hackers and virus code programmers. Even with all of these, there is still no 100% guarantee that the e-business is safe since security is meant to â€Å"manage not eliminate risks† (Tung, 2007). If the entrepreneur is new to the e-commerce business and confined with a limited budget, it is advisable that he start with registering the website first and live with the payment limitations. If the product is good, and the owner makes up for the limitations with above average service like on time delivery and packaging, then he may gradually add components that would make his e-business more secure. If money is no object to the businessman, then adding market accepted security features will certainly not hurt and will even attract repeat business. References: E-commerce 101. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from Sell it on the web Web site: http://sellitontheweb. com/ezine/webstore101. shtml Exploring E-Commerce. Entrepreneur. com , Retrieved December 10, 2007, from http://www. entrepreneur. com/growyourbusiness/howtoguides/article81238. html Tung, Liam (2007, November 2007). Friendly rootkits proposed for safe e-commerce. Retrieved December 10, 2007, from ZDNet. co. uk Web site: http://news. zdnet. co. uk/internet/0,1000000097,39291134,00. htm? r=2 Verisign (2007). Retrieved December 10, 2007, Web site: https://ssl-certificate- center. verisign. com/process/retail/product_selector? uid=f149c3d301a629c3897d6187982dbfe7