Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Communication Process

Hypothesis The following hypothesis is used as a logical approach for completion of the essay. A hypothesis is used in order to identify all the key elements of the essay in a logical and a systematic order. The hypothesis is as follows; â€Å"Is effective communication more about identifying and overcoming barriers to communication? What is the nature of effective communication? † Based on the above hypothesis, I have listed the following key elements. 1. Communication 1. Communication process 2. Types of communication 3. Importance of communication 2.How communication can influence an organization? 3. Effective & ineffective communication 1. What is effective communication? 2. Importance of effective communication 3. What is ineffective communication? 4. How both effective and ineffective communication affects an organization? 4. Identifying & overcoming communication barriers 1. Barriers to effective communication 2. How to overcome barriers to communication? 1. Introductio n â€Å"Communication is the use of verbal and non-verbal communication between people trying to create shared meaning. † (Yoder, Hugenberg & Wallace 1996)Throughout the history of mankind, their uniqueness in communication has become the key element in their success to become the most developed and well organized living beings among thousands of others. It is no different when comes to the corporate world, better the communication process that an organization posses, better the performances they achieve in today’s competitive world. So it has become vital for an organization to keep its communication process as effectively as possible in order achieve its organizational goals in a both effective and efficient manner.So the following essay was prepared with the intention of giving the readers a better understanding and a clear view of what is effective communication and what makes the communication a process an effective one. 2. 0 What is communication? Communication i s where two or more people will transfer information, feelings, ideas and opinions between or among each others. 2. 1 The communication process This is the standard model of a communication process. This process always takes place between two parties.Sender – The starting point of the communication process, sender will encode the message Message – The information which is sent to the receiver. Channel – Is the medium which transfers the message from the sender to the receiver. Barriers – Barriers are the distortions which make the message not to be conveyed as intended. Receiver – The person who’s at the end of the process and who’ll decode the message Feedback – It will be the final step of the communication process where receiver sends a message as reply to the sender. 2.Types of communication Different forms of communication media like televisions, radios are used by people in order to communicate information,opinions, etc, among each others. The most primitive ways of communication are by body language,speaking,sign language and eye contact. All of those communication methods can be broadly divided in to two main types. Those two types of communication are as follows. †¢ Verbal communication †¢ Non verbal communication 1. Verbal communication Verbal communication includes sounds, words, language and speaking.When it comes to business,  verbal communication  is very important for the reason being that you are dealing with a variety of people through out the day. In some cases you may deal with people who have different culture, ages and with different levels of experience. Fluent verbal communication is essential to deal with people in business meetings. Business communication  self-confidence  plays a vital role which when matched with fluent  communication skills. 2. Non verbal communicationNon-verbal communication  involves physical ways of communication, like, tone of the voic e, touch, smell and body motion. Symbols and sign language are also included in non-verbal communication. Body language is a non-verbal way of communication. Body posture and physical contact convey a lot of information. Body posture matters a lot when you are communicating verbally to someone. Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the signals conveyed by a body posture. Physical contact, like, shaking hands, pushing, patting and touching expresses the feeling of intimacy.Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication. 3. Importance of communication Every action a person or an organization takes is mostly based on the information available; to perform that specific action as intended, relevant information will be required. Even after performing the act, the party which performed it will need a feedback to identify whether the performed act bore the intended results. So it is clear that, without communication, none of those would be possible. 3. 0 Involvement of communication in an organization.For an organization to run smoothly, it has to have a well structured communication process inside its own. According to Kondrat (2009), Communication is the â€Å"lifeblood† of every organization. A vital means of attending to company concerns is through effective internal communication. Decision making is the most vital activity in an organization, to make decisions, to implement them and to reassess those decisions, organizational management will require relevant information. As discussed previously to have better information, better communication among all layers is required.So it is evident that, better the communication inside the organization, better the decision it makes and also better the results. 3. 1 Formal communication channels Formal channels are used within an organization in order to make the flow of information smoother among all levels in the chain of command. In the general aspect, there are three main c ommunication flows within an organization. Those are downward, upward and horizontal communication. 3. 1. 1 Downward communication It is the communication flow which is used by managers in an organization mainly to give orders and instructions.In a downward communication, the information flow will be from top to bottom, where managers will send messages to their subordinates. Those messages will include implementation of managerial decisions such as goals, plans and strategies, job instructions, rationale, procedures, practices, performance feedbacks, etc. 3. 1. 2 Upward communication Under this channel, information flow will be from the lower levels to the higher levels. Upward communication is more popular in learning organizations, where the lower levels of employees do get involved in the decision making process by giving their suggestions.Upward communication can be helpful in problem solving as the parties who are actually involved in the problem can give their point of view t o the higher management. 3. 1. 3 Horizontal communication In horizontal communication, parties which are in the same level will communicate with each others. (e. g. inter departmental) This can be helpful to coordinate activities and request support. 3. 2 Informal communication channel These are the communication channels which are not authorized as formal communication channels and it doesn’t have a clear pattern of the hierarchical levels included.Literally an informal communication channel is a channel which can connect anyone in the organization. Examples for informal communication channels †¢ Management by walking around (MBWA) †¢ Grapevine 4. 0 Effective and Ineffective communication As the topic of this essay relates, achieving effective communication is vital. So before discussing about methods of achieving effective communication, it is more sensible to discuss what is meant by effective communication and what is meant by ineffective communication. 4. 1 Wha t is effective communication?The communication process can be recognized as an effective one, when the receiver decodes and understand the message as intended by the sender. Furthermore, a proper feedback from the receiver to the sender will also facilitate effective communication. 4. 2 Importance of effective communication Effective communication skills is most likely to prevent conflicts and solve current conflicts it is learnt that through effective means of communication people can negotiate and arrive at possible solutions. The benefits of effective communication are many as they enhance all aspects of personal and professional lives. . 3 What is ineffective communication? This is a process by which the meaning the receiver attaches to a message may be completely different to the message intended by the sender. So it is evident that the basic concept of communication, which is sharing ideas and information among each other will be broken down if ineffective communication takes place. 4. 4 Importance of effective communication to an organization According to Panse (2009), Most companies and organizations have people working in small teams.This has been found to be more effective and productive than a single individual toiling away at a project. When you have three or four more people working on an issue, you have the advantage of having access to more ideas and solutions for the project, of having more checking safeguards against any flaws in the plan, and of being able to establish more network connections. A group is also more likely to take on and complete large-scale, complex projects. For the team to operate smoothly there must be open and efficient communication between the members of the teamTeam communication is important for the following reasons – †¢ Project-related information needs to be shared. †¢ Each member of the team needs to be acquainted with the team goal and his/her role in the team. †¢ Effective and open communic ation lines create feelings of trust and of belonging to the team. The more the members feel valued the more dedicated they are likely to be, and this in turn makes it easier for the team as a whole to achieve its goals. 4. 5 Affects of ineffective communication on an organization Ineffective communication hampers organizational success.This can also be seen as miscommunication. In an organization ineffective communication can occur due to many reasons. So it is important as a manager to curb these issues and create an effective communication channel. Ineffective communication leads to conflict within the organization and lead to distortion of information and this misunderstanding between department and individuals. Lack of effective communication may lead to a breakdown in interactions between employees in the organization. 5. Identifying and overcoming communication barriers.As discussed under the communication process, communication barriers are universal for any type of communic ation. In the perspective of an organization, barriers to communication can be divided into two main categories as individual barriers and organizational barriers. 5. 1 Individual barriers – Individual barriers are fatigue, poor listening skills, attitude toward the sender or the information, lack of interest in the message, fear, mistrust, past experiences, negative attitude, problems at home, lack of common experiences, and emotions. . 2 Organizational barriers – One of the major organizational barriers is the high power distance between low and high level employees. Due to this subordinates will not share sensitive information with their superiors as a result of the fear of facing negative reactions from the top management towards them. Poorly structured organizational channels will also active as an organizational barrier towards communication. 5. 3 Methods of overcoming barriers †¢ Using constructive feedback Training employees to involve active listening whe n they communicate †¢ Training employees to constraint their emotions †¢ Eliminating differences in perception †¢ Proper communication channel selection By using some or all of the methods mentioned above, an organization can reduce the impact done by communication barriers. 6. Conclusion In conclusion under the current situation, effective communication has universally become mandatory in order to achieve success. According to Kondrat (2009), Communication is the â€Å"lifeblood† of every organization.A vital means of attending to company concerns is through effective internal communication. If a manager is able to communicate their ideas clearly, so that employees definitely know what is asked of them, the subordinates will, consequently, perform their jobs correspondingly. On contrast, an aggressive way of managing reports results in employees’ getting more and more frustrated often guessing what their real faults are To achieve effective communicatio n, one must have a clear understanding about the communication process and how it functions.On the other hand, having a thorough understanding about the communication process will not help to build up effective communication. So it is wiser to find out what factors make communication effective. As discussed above, what make a communication process ineffective are the communication barriers. When those barriers are in place, they can disrupt the communication process in a huge manner. Those barriers will make, encoding and decoding the message hard. If it happens, the message will not be sent and received as intended.So then the whole communication process will become ineffective, as the sole reason for the process’ existence relies on conveying the intended message properly. This proves that identifying and overcoming communication barriers are important to have effective communication. Understanding the communication process will definitely help to make communication effecti ve, but it will not eradicate the main obstacles for effective communication, which are the communication barriers.So it is now very clear that identifying and overcoming the communication barriers are far more important for effective communication than understanding the communication process. 7. References Communication Skills-Start Here, (1995). Retrieved on April 30, 2010 from http://www. mindtools. com/CommSkll/CommunicationIntro. html Management Skills Resources, (2009). Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://www. bizmove. com/skills/m8g. htm Maya Pillai, (n. d). Barriers to effective Communication, Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://www. buzzle. om/articles/barriers-to-effective-communication. html Mortensen (1998) Communication Models, Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://www. shkaminski. com/Classes/Handouts/Communication%20Models. htm Overcoming Communication Barriers, (n. d) , Retrieved on May 1, 2010 from http://managementstudyguide. com/overcoming-communication-barriers. htm Sonal Panse, (2009). Effective team communication. Retrieved on May 1, 2010, from http://www. buzzle. com/articles/small-group-communication-effective-team-communication. html ———————– Feedback Barriers Receiver Message Sender

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Health and Social Care Communication Essay

The communication cycle was discovered by Argyle in 1972. The cycle consists of six areas, all of these six areas are important during communication, if any of these areas of the cycle are disrupted then the receiver would not understand or may interpret the message wrongly. The first stage to this cycle is to have a starting idea or the code of the message; in this stage the mind processes on how the sentence is going to be told, such as the tone of the voice and also what words will need to be used so that the receiver will interpret the message correctly. The thoughts will be put into the language or into some other code such as sign language. The second stage of how to say what you want to say to make sure the receiver understands what you are saying and interprets it how you are meaning them to. see more:promoting effective communication and relationships in health and social care This means what non-verbal language you are going to use as you are talking so they understand what you mean, also the tone. The tone is the key to how the receiver is going to interpret your message. The third stage to the communication cycle is to say it or to send the message, during this stage you will speak or sign or communicate in some way as long as the message is sent. During this stage the environment around you is the key to making sure the receiver can understand the words that you are saying. For example if you are in a loud room, and you are trying to communicate with another person the receiver is more than likely going to get the message you have sent, wrong because the receiver might not be able to hear all of the words that are said. This means that they will have to assume what words were said to make the sentence make sense. The fourth stage is message received, the receiver here hears or sees the words that you have said, and they have heard you properly and not missed any words out because if they have then this is where the communication goes wrong. The fifth stage is message decoded the receiver now has to interpret your message, e.g. what you have said. This is not always as easy as it seems as the other person will make some assumptions about your body language and the words that you have used. The final stage of the communication cycle is message understood, the final stage is the receiver has to understand what your message is through all the correct non-verbal language, and verbal response, if all goes well the cycle is finished. Tuckman made a theory about group discussions in 1965.Tuckman suggested that nearly all groups go through a process involving four stages when they first meet. The stages are called forming, storming, norming and performing. All these stages make the group become stronger and make sure that they are in the correct group. Forming is the first stage of the theory, so when a group gets together, they introduce themselves to the group. Most people have their best faces on and are polite; people do this because of first impressions. First impressions are important to people in the group because the impression a person sets is what other people expect from that person all of the time. Storming is finding out about each other, find out more about each other what people interest and strengths is, this is also the stage where people brain storm. But this is the stage where most people drop out because they find out that this is not the correct group for them. Norming is where the trust begins, this is the stage where team members support others and listen to other team member’s opinion. Everyone seems to get a sense of belonging and the group is now recognised and identified as a group. The final stage performing is where group members can rely on others on helping them if they are needed, where loyalty is high now. People can go in sub groups to get the work done faster. â€Å"Tuckman then added a fifth stage (Adjourning) in the 1970s to cover the end-game in his explanation of how groups develop.† Adjourning was added to end the group when the group finishes and separates as eventually all groups will separate, when groups separate they might have a party, or they might make plans to what they want to do next in life. Tuckman said after completing his theory: â€Å"Groups initially concern themselves with orientation accomplished primarily through testing. Such testing serves to identify the boundaries of both interpersonal and task behaviours. Coincident with testing in the interpersonal realm is the establishment of dependency relationships with leaders, other group members, or preexisting standards. It may be said that orientation, testing and dependence constitute the group process of forming.† (Wolfwise, 2012) It is important to have effective communication in the work of health and social care because if there isn’t effective communication between doctor and patient then the patient will get confused and overwhelmed. They will just want to walk out. It is important that doctors or nurses do not use jargon whilst talking to a patient as this will affect communication dramatically. If the doctor talks in jargon to a patient in the cycle they will only get to stage four because the patients won’t be able to decode what the doctor has just said this means that this communication is ineffective and this will have affected the patient. But if the doctor used language she understood then the patient would understand and would complete the conversation. There are lots of different types of ways to communicate in a health and social care environment there is: one to one, group, formal, informal, verbal, and written and loads more. All of these ways of communicating is great for health and social care all depending on how you use them all. If you use all these but you use them poorly then this is poor communication but if you use them all well then this is obviously good communication. (Developing effective communication in Health and Social Care. June 2011) Developing effective communication in Health and Social Care.

Monday, July 29, 2019

Financial Markets and Bank Management Coursework - 1

Financial Markets and Bank Management - Coursework Example The company sells second-hand clothes in the African markets. Rive Gauche plans to explore a new market opportunity in Asia. The company plans to meet the demand in the new market by importing more clothes from Germany. Rive Gauche Ltd seeks for working capital funding through overdraft. The facts point that the company prefers meeting the shortage in its working capital by seeking for short-term sources of funds (bank overdraft). On that note, the current overdraft of the company stands at  £ 90,000. The management plans to increase the overdraft level to  £ 400,000, which is an increase by  £ 310,000. In other words, the company is seeking for a loan worth  £ 310,000 to meet its working capital needs as it explores the new market. Working capital is arrived at by the following formula: working capital = (current assets – current liabilities). The company relies on its working capital to meet current obligations and run the day-to-day operations. Therefore, is advisable for managers to formulate and implement more efficient working capital management strategies. The primary reason behind the most effective strategy is to ensure the constant availability of sufficient levels of working capital. Rive Gauche Ltd.’s current assets are (stock + debts + cash) = (311,000 + 208,000 + 40,000) =  £ 559,000. On the other hand, the current liabilities are (creditors + other liabilities) = (200,000 + 200,000) =  £ 400,000. Based on the working capital formula, the company’s working capital = (559,000 – 400,000) =  £ 159,000. The estimation states that Rive Gauche Ltd currently has  £ 159,000 to meet its current obligations. The analysis clearly shows that working capital is not sufficien t to cover the current obligations. Therefore, the company’s working capital requirement is determined as follows: working capital requirement = (current liability – working capital) = (400,000 – 159,000) =  £ 241,000 (Bhattacharya 2009, pp).

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Power of will and choice Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Power of will and choice - Research Paper Example Among many other works of literature we have studied are ‘the hunger games’ by Suzanne and ‘twilight’ by Myer which are all topical and hence the following analysis. Books of literature are normally written to communicate certain topics as shown and the two books are no exception. This paper therefore intends to analyze the thematic representations these two books as they are written in the contemporary US environment. Our analysis revolves around the theme of power in choice as presented within the two books. Power dynamics within the ‘hunger games’ is seen through the eyes of two young persons engaged in the games which are conducted annually with a motive of selecting the district to which food aid would be advanced. The plotting of the story covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capital district capitol represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger and general misery is shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement is what characterizes the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and such other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the hunger games, which are conducted annually. Every district therefore selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advance food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppressio n. Totalitarian governance in the country is the main thematic depiction of the book, which shows how capitol adopts the games in order to punish the twelve districts because of rebellion in the past, which lead to destruction of the thirteen districts. Besides, the fights, which are televised, serve as entertainment to the capitol while at the same time conveying the message of capitol’s power as well as lack of remorse towards the twelve districts. In fact, this is therefore a clear depiction of power influence and the theme of wrong choices as contrasted with good choices. To begin with, the adoption of such annual games has historically been developed from the fateful rebellion, which led to total destruction of the thirteenth district after all the districts within the country chose to revolt against capitol and its rule. Choice was therefore involved in the decision and the capitol district equally chose to retract through so much power that led to total destruction of one of the districts. Besides, out of choice, the capitol district and its power devised the games, which involve young adults who are selected through lottery to participate. Besides the games being entertaining to the capitol dwellers, they serve as memorial to the power of the capitol district as well as the capitols lack of remorse. It is therefore worth noting that capitol had the capacity to help other districts without engaging them into such deadly wars and rule effectively through equal regard to all persons. This is not however the case as revealed through the mechanisms adopted to exert authority towards the natives of the rest of the d

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Theoretical Framework Centered on Term Paper

Strengths and Weaknesses of a Theoretical Framework Centered on Universal Notion of Gender - Term Paper Example Because of the situations presented to them by such a framework, members of the same gender learn to love and help each other in the society. For example, men may learn to work together and help each other as they strive for financial resources to help their families. On the other hand, women also learn to help each other in carrying out household chores. A theoretical framework that is centered on universal notion of gender has strength of helping the society maintain law and order. Once a belief concerning a certain gender becomes universally known, those concerned, that specific gender, tends to abide by what that theory states. Women for example naturally respected men and effectively take care of the family. In this case, gender roles in the society are strictly observed thus maintaining law and order. From birth, each child learns what is expected from him or her in the society. If such children learn that, that is what is universally expected of them, or that is their status in the society, they easily accept and practice it. In most western countries, though women are engaging themselves in professional jobs, they still uphold the universal believe that they are their family’s caregivers. Therefore, they ensure, at all costs, that they observe their roles at home as expected. After work, they go home to take care of chi ldren and cook for the family as men go out to enjoy themselves in bars. The weaknesses of a theoretical framework that is built on universal notion of gender include gender discrimination. In this case, if a certain gender, male or female, is universality viewed as weak, for example females, such a gender will be discriminated universally in every society because such a notion is usually believed to be a fact. The other weakness of a theoretical framework that is built around the notion of gender is that, it hinders self expression and individual strengths. In this case, individuals may fear to come out publicly and express themselves because of fear of the way the society might perceive them. For example, the African woman is believed to be inferior to the man, and is only supposed to care for the family. Such a woman may hardly express herself, and interests in the society, especially political ambitions. In Africa, women rarely stand out in the society for political or education al reasons because they can rarely succeed as almost everyone believes that that is not their role because of gender. Domestic labor among girl children has also had a negative impact on school performance among girls. They are expected to help their mothers as they learn the roles of motherhood instead of fully concentrating on education. Kinship and the Understanding of Gender Kinship is the study of links between different people that is based on descent, adoption or marriage (Vigdis, n. d.). Kinship has been a domain of definition in anthropological investigations since it was incepted in the late 19th century. Major paradigmatic changes in anthropology like feminism, cultural turn and political economy made kinship to undergo many restructuring phases. Detailed complexities in the system of kinship were considered important in the understanding of societies that were not from the west. Anthropological studies of kinship have been used to help in the understanding of gender as w ell as new forms of family, genetic development, lesbian and gay movements. In anthropological history, kinship is seen like a social institution

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Effect of Social Media on Childrens Academic Performance Essay

Effect of Social Media on Childrens Academic Performance - Essay Example Technological advances at this day and age have brought about a lot of changes in the way children and teens communicate socially by the use of social communication platforms such as Facebook, Blogging, Internet TV, Skype, Twitters, YouTube and MySpace and so on. Younger children are also indulged in social networking heavily. This is according to a study conducted where websites such as ClubPenguin, Poptropica, Habbo, Neopets and Stardoll have managed to register millions of users who mostly are younger children (â€Å"Your Children and the Internet: Social Networking Sites†). According to the study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (2010, January), more than eight in ten, that is 84%, of young people now have fast Internet access at home, this has increased from a record of 74% in 2004 and 47% in 1999. As a result, they spend more time online when they are at the comfort of their homes. Computer usage has also sky rocketed where many homes now own a computer, so as to get access to the Internet. Seven in ten 8- to 18-year-olds go online; this can be translated to about 70%. Where home use if around 57% whereas going online at school, in the library, community centre is about 20%. These networking tools have brought about a lot of time focus by the children and they lose focus of their studies and education which is quite important too. At this point internet being easily affordable and readily available and the occurrence of smart phones, tablets and other internet enabled gadgets; children are prone to be subjected to all they would want to access at just a click away. i. Vulnerability of children’s level of development According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (2001), "Children are influenced by media–they learn by observing, imitating, and making behaviors their own". The continuous access to the internet by children has caused them to be vulnerable to a lot of things. For instance, children development has been hindered to a capacity that is quite alarming. Children are influenced by what they see on the television, magazines and the likes to a point they can be able to depict exactly what they see others doing. This also makes them vulnerable in the fact that social media such as the internet, texting and networking can lead to reduced concentration and academic performance. This has definitely led to reduced grades and progressive dependence on social media has shown that the same children who spend more time on TV than physical activities tend to be slower at grasping facts. In addition to that, exposure to unrated adult t elevision has been noticed to lead to increased exposure to violence or sexual content and this in turn lead to aggressive behavior and thoughts respectively and other factors such as fear and less helping in house chores (â€Å"Anti-Social Networking: How do texting and social media affect our children? A panel by CSC clinicians at the Nightingale Bamford School†). Renee Hobbs, an advocate for media literacy education commented on that issue stating, â€Å"Just because our students can use media and technology doesn't mean they are effective at critically analyzing and evaluating the messages they receive. Students need a set of skills to ask important questions about what they watch, see, listen to and read. Often called media literacy, these skills include the ability to critically

Friday, July 26, 2019

Critiquing the Article Psycho-Social Factors Affecting Elders Research Paper

Critiquing the Article Psycho-Social Factors Affecting Elders - Research Paper Example Loiselle, McGrath, Polit, and Beck (2010) stated that a good title must reflect the key variables and the population being studied (p. 359). In this case, the article reflects psycho-social factors and maltreatment as variables under study and the elderly as the study population instead of Israeli elderly. Abstract An abstract should correctly summarize the problem, methods, design, results, conclusion, and implications of the study, must be convenient to the reader, and reflects the worthiness of the article (Taylor & Kermode, 2006, 86). Almost all of the contents of the abstract are correct and concise except for the method section. The abstract stated that a quantitative correlational method was used whereas the methodology section identified a quantitative correlational study which made the methods used conflicting. The author also thinks that the abstract of the article is too brief. Upon analysis of the article, the author noticed the following: the aim of the study is too gene ral and stated that the study will examine and analyze ‘major variables’ affecting maltreatment of elderly when the title specifically stated that psycho-social factors will be studied; theoretical frameworks should not be included in the aim and must be included in a separate subheading; the statistical methods were not stated in the abstract; and the conclusion and recommendations did not summarize or recommends anything as it only stated that it is first study to examine elder maltreatment in the long-term care population of Israel. Introduction Statement of the Problem. In my own words, the research problem should be stated as: â€Å"What are the psycho-social factors affecting Israeli elders’ maltreatment in long-term care facilities? What are the relationships of each psycho-social factor in Israeli elders’ maltreatment in long-term care facilities? What psycho-social factor has the major impact in Israeli elders’ maltreatment in long-term ca re facilities?† These are the research problems which came in my mind upon reading the article as it intends to examine and analyze psycho-social factors especially major factors that affect elders’ maltreatment in long-term care facilities. In addition, I have read in the discussion that relationships were identified for each psycho-social factor so the problem could be stated in a way that would illustrate the relationship between psycho-social factors and elders’ maltreatment. According to Loiselle, McGrath, Polit, and Beck (2010), the statement of the problem must be easy to identify, has clear concepts and study population, has significance for nursing, and matches with the paradigms and methods used (p. 359). The article only implied that elderly maltreatment is common in long-term care settings and include various behaviors but did not establish a problem statement; thus, it was not easy to identify. Concepts and population under study are clear and establ ished a cogent and persuasive argument for the new study as the full prevalence of elderly maltreatment in long-term care facilities is unknown. The problem has significance for nursing as it will address the factors on the side of the nurse that leads to maltreatment, leading to prevention. The article matched with paradigms such as the theoretical model for predicting causes of elder maltreatmen

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Are humans sinful Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Are humans sinful - Research Paper Example Temptations have existed from the ancient times when the serpent had mischievously tricked Adam and Eve into disobeying God’s command that presented they refrain from the forbidden fruit. Humanity has since been plagued with faults and negligence to present their evil nature towards the society. Murders, robberies and fraud cases have been evident in various cases including the parables presented by Jesus Christ like in the good Samaritan. This has been the argument presented to deduce the true nature of humanity the motive to participate in committing evil that break the supreme law. The slow change from the pure soul is witnessed within the development stages of humanity. Although human beings appear pure when they are born, the seed of sin has been buried inside their mind for generations. Evil has been developed within the society to take effect within the activities performed by humanity and these are found within the law of the land. Jesus himself was crucified for the sins of man upon the rules that had been created by the sinful society. This was the example given in the presence of the ancient evil political regime that incriminated innocent people out of the interest to be gained to deliver selfish ambitions. John the Baptist had been murdered out of a corrupt political regime that was against Christianity. Without Christianity, humanity has been tempted into sin to break the law presented in the land. Humanity had been cursed after the events in the Garden of Eden when the seeds had been cast within the soul. Those who had gone against God’s commandments had been punished, like the Israelites on their pathway to the Promised Land. The prosperous have boasted of finding means to enrich their desires after applying the means to excel in harsh presentation s among the less fortunate. However, the Bible has been extended to explain that those without the

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

A Great Wagon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Great Wagon - Essay Example The description ‘the beauty we love be what we do’ explains the extent to which the speaker may defy every ordeal and obstacles to satisfy the emotional desires. Explicitly, wrongdoing or right doing is of less concern to the speaker until the emotions furnished with gratification of the soul. Apparently, the speaker points the lover to be spiritual or sexual. Ideally, the speaker expresses sexual desires to the lover, though in a controllable limits. This the speaker expresses by warranting flexible terms that are not bound to any disagreements to the line ‘if you do not come, these do not matter’. The comparison of the speaker to Solomon, are invariably similar where he points the body of the world to be the soul, and it is this that depicts desire to be above worldly or heavenly-it stretches beyond limits (john). The phrase ‘do not go back to sleep’ symbolises the attention that lovers need to accord one another throughout the love

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Place Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Place - Research Paper Example This report will examine the growth of Shenzhen, an industrial town in China with a great potential to rise above the different issues within the local systems. With the modern post-industrial societies, the impact that skills have in the society is high and thus the globalization of an area may occur at a faster rate due to the skills available. In the world today, the impact that skills have in everyday life is quite essential for human survival. The goal of the society is to nurture people and make sure that these skills are used appropriately for the right work. The various geographical regions that define the areas that people live have been redefined by globalization as people make use of the available space for their living quarters (Rosa, 2013). The people create different housing structures to ensure there is a room for anyone wishing to live in that particular area. Most affected by these changes are the laborers who have to look for daily wages for their upkeep. The goal is to enhance the role of the society in improving their attributes as they utilize their skills in meeting their daily goals. This is what people in Shenzhen have to live with in their growing city as people struggle to keep up with the increasing populations (Jacques, 2009). As Parenti notes regarding the area of Juarez, the people will look for various means of survival, even if it means endangering their lives by taping electricity from poles near their houses (2012). Most of the people live dangerously because any flooding will result into increased chances of electrocution, something that they have to look out for as a way of minimizing their chances of death. However, they have to survive because of the high living standards that are in place (Rosa, 2013). People now have to benefit from what they have rather than what the country possesses. The richer nations are taking advantage of the

Monday, July 22, 2019

Teenage Suicide in the Middle East Essay Example for Free

Teenage Suicide in the Middle East Essay Generally-speaking, from the data available, the teen suicide rate in the Middle East is tremendously low – lower in this region than anywhere in the entire world. Part of this, however, may be due to underreporting. Few nations in the Middle East have actually submitted data to WHO as far as suicide rates are concerned, and those that have are characterized by incredibly low rates. Egypt’s last report to WHO was in 1987: a 0.0 youth suicide rate (15 to 24 year olds), statistically-speaking, with only 3 total suicides (1 male, 2 females). Iran’s last report to WHO came in 1991: a 0.3 youth suicide rate with only 34 total deaths (25 males, 9 females). Jordan reported to WHO in 1979: a 0.0 youth suicide rate, zero total suicides for those between 15 and 24 years old for that entire year. Kuwait’s report is the most recent, as it came to WHO in 2001: a 0.6 youth suicide rate, with 2 total deaths (both males). It’s so intriguing compared to the rest of the globe. If the data that has been submitted is accurate and holds true across the region, it actually wouldn’t be that surprising. The Middle East is one of those difficult-to- decipher regions as far as East or West is concerned. As far as its leaders are concerned, it seems to prefer neither, or at least somewhere in between. Going back to Durkheim, this would be considered a moderate region. Its social integration and regulation are both moderate. Again, as Durkheim said, this would mean low suicide rates; the theory seems to be fit. However, what about the center the Middle East is becoming for radicalism in recent years? It has become a base for religious fundamentalism, led by terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda and Hamas. These groups use violence to get their points across and it is beginning to catch the eyes’ of the region’s young people. The terrorists know that teenagers are easiest to recruit – they don’t fully have their lives planned out and many of them become attracted to doing something for a greater cause. These teenagers have grown up learning about violence and how it can be glorified. They have been taught by radicals that being part of a suicide bombing is a noble deed that will gain them everlasting life and the adorned title of ‘martyr.’ The textbooks that children currently use in Afghanistan are filled with violence. The books are â€Å"lavishly illustrated with bombs, landmines, guns, and soldiers and filled with [†¦] jihad and other milita nt Islamic teachings† (Sluzki 3). How ironic it is that these books were given to Afghan schools from the United States, in an attempt to increase children’s interest in waging war against the Soviet Union. Now children read these books and become interested in fighting the United States after hearing the repeated call, often propaganda, from nearby terrorist groups. This is just one example of how â€Å"seeds of violence† as Sluzki put it are being instilled in children’s minds (Sluzki 3). For more instances of violence being portrayed to youth, one need not look further than Palestine. Journalist Kenneth Timmerman wrote a disturbing article about the Palestinian Authority under Yasser Arafat. It was producing music videos, meant to appeal to children and teens, that encouraged the young to become martyrs and kill Israelis. The videos were made out of popular music and aired continuously on television. In one video in particular, a young boy is shown on his way to commit a suicide bombing. He says his goodbyes and sings, â€Å"Mother, do not cry for me.† That very line has appeared in at least three actual suicide notes between May 2001 and December 2002 – those who wrote the notes were between the ages of 14 and 17. This makes it clear that the videos were having an effect on teens. The worst part about the videos is that they glorify the act, make it seem painless, and in every way make it positive, an achievement, a holy and honorable act for the Palestinian people. (Timmerman 35) Another article sheds further light on violence and children in Palestine. According to Eyad Serraj, a psychologist in Gaza, many older children and teenagers view martyrdom in a positive light. Serraj says â€Å"that a poll conducted in the summer of 2003 showed that 36% of 12-year-old boys questioned in Gaza said they believed sacrificing themselves for the Palestinian cause was the best thing they could do with their lives† (Blanche 24). Serraj is not surprised by the find: In their minds, the only model of power and glory is the martyr. Palestinian society glorifies the martyr. They are elevated to the level of saints. In the hopeless and inhuman environment in which they live there is the promise that they will have a better life in heaven †¦ There’s a very big pool of potential martyrs. They’re queuing up, and that happens because hope is diminishing. (Blanche 24) To be fair, not all Middle Easterners are in favor of this trend – using children and teenagers as suicide bombers. Even in Palestine, where the act is being most promoted, it is hearing stern criticism from some. An article elaborates on an incident in March 2004 in which a teen, who was about to commit a suicide bombing, was caught before the act. It has stirred a lot of concern and emotion in Palestine. The 16-year old surrendered at an Israeli checkpoint and was held briefly by Israeli forces. A day later, his mother Tamam Abdo issued a statement: â€Å"No one the age of my son should be used to commit such acts [†¦] Maybe if he was 20, perhaps I could understand. At that age, they know what they are doing.† She said he was nothing more than a misguided teenager. Following the incident, several other Palestinians were interviewed and voiced their anger about the young being used as suicide bombers. Mohammed Zeidal, a college student, said that â€Å"to use someone his age is very, very wrong.† Bassem Eid, head of the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, went on the record saying, â€Å"It is really shameful for the Palestinian reputation [†¦] to misuse our children and push them to their death.† This is not to say that all are opposed to such acts – as mentioned earlier, there is support for youth suicide bombings in Palestine –, but it should also be clear that there is some resistance to them as well. (â€Å"Teenagers in Suicide Bombings†) This information about terrorism and suicide bombings is not at all meant to overshadow the earlier data, but it is certainly pertinent in a discussion about teen suicide in the Middle East. Again, it must be reiterated that teen suicide rates are indeed among the lowest in the Middle East of any region in the world – at least according to the data that is available (it is scare for the region). The region serves as a living testament to Durkheim’s theory; it fully supports his belief that more moderately structured societies will have lower suicide rates. Teenage Suicide in East Asia Japan It is not uncommon for Americans to think of Japan as a whole different world. After all, it is on the other side of the globe. The similarities though are striking, thanks to the impact of the Western world. After much resistance, Japan finally opened its nation up for trade with the West in the 1850’s, falling to pressure from the United States. Ever since, Japan has adapted to Western life in many forms. It has seen that for it to compete on the global scale it has little choice but to make changes to its traditional way of life. In the 20th century, Japan blossomed with technological advances and finally put itself on the map. It took up competition with the United States and countries in Europe. This history may not seem relevant, but it is important to understanding the development of teenage suicide in Japan. Ever since being exposed to the West, Japan has felt extreme pressures from the outside world. These pressures have forced its people to fight in an ongoing struggle to be competitive. However, they have also done harm to its people. Japanese teenagers especially grow up being reminded of this need to be the best that they can. Sometimes it can be too much to bare. So why not suicide? Everything can end in one instant. The teen suicide rate in Japan has fluctuated considerably over the course of the last 35 years. According to WHO, the Japanese suicide rate in 1970 for 15 to 19 year olds was 7.8 per 100,000. By 1991, WHO reports that the suicide rate for the very same age group had been cut in half to just 3.8. A 1994 study by Zinn, et al, also alluded to a dropping rate, stating that â€Å"suicide is no longer an honorable act† in Japan (7-11). It adds that â€Å"teenagers (10-19 year olds) made up just over 2% of suicides† in Japan in 1992. However, the most recent reports point to Japan’s suicide rate being on the rise, and that includes teenagers. A BBC News article published in 1999 discounts Zinn’s earlier statement, explaining Japan’s increase in suicides in the mid-to-late 1990’s as a result of its â€Å"deeply ingrained culture that regards suicide as an honourable way to atone for failure and express remorse† (â€Å"World: Asia-Pacific Japan on suicide alert†). The article mentions that from 1997 to 1998 â€Å"junior high school student suicides increased by 40 to 102. At high schools, 220 students took their own lives in 1998, an increase of 51.† Japan’s most recent report to WHO in the year 2000 further supports an increase. The youth suicide rate was reported to have jumped to 11.5, higher than the United States rate of 10.2 for that year. While the most recent data encompasses 19-24 year olds in addition to those 15-19, the increase has been consistent with the rise in other industrialized nations. One particular article of interest, as to explicate possible motives for teen suicide, is â€Å"Bullied to Death in Japan† by Lauren Freedman. The article takes a look at the pressures of teenage boys growing up in Japan in the early to mid 1990’s (recent statistics make it probable that these pressures still hold true today). Bullying is the central focus, something that has become a huge problem in the nation, strikingly similar to what bullying has become in the United States. â€Å"Bullying is an old and widespread problem in Japan,† Freedman writes. Katsuyuki Ogawa, a psychologist in Tokyo, went so far as to say just about everyone will undergo the experience of being bullied. According to Freedman, and many Japanese experts who she refers to in her article, society is to blame. Professor Yaichi Wakai put it very bluntly: â€Å"Japan is a competitive society, and bullying is one distorted phenomenon of that severe competition.† (Freedman 25) Taking this into account and looking again at the history explained earlier, hearing that bullying occurs in Japan is not much of a surprise. The fact that it results in suicide isn’t that shocking either when everything is taken into consideration. So Japan, in fact, isn’t a whole different world. Many Japanese parents are forced to bury their teenagers just as in the United States. Although on the other side of the globe, Japanese instances of teen suicide actually mirror that of America in the ways discussed. China Hong Kong China is immensely different than nearby Japan. It isn’t considered a Western nation. Instead, it is deeply rooted in a tradition and history of its own, which of course has included thinkers like Confucius. It strives for excellence and works together as a people. It has continued along these lines into the new millennium and is widely known for its communist government. In such a place, where the individual isn’t strived for, but rather the collective whole, some may initially think suicide does not exist. But this thinking would be absurd. It is absolutely true that, based on the data available, teenage suicide doesn’t occur in rates as high in China as it does in Western nations, but teenage suicide in China does occur. One of the problems to investigating it is simple: it has not been well documented. The fact that it doesn’t appear to be a widespread problem may attribute to the lack of documentation. It seems that teen suicide in China is sporadic and the cases almost very isolated from each other. In China’s 1999 report to WHO, the nation reported a low 6.9 youth suicide rate – 5.4 for males and 8.6 for females. This comprised 1,541 total deaths in that year, 626 males and 915 females. This is the first occurrence of the female rate being higher, possibly suggesting that the high male rate may be associated with Western nations. The reason for the high female rate in China has not been explained, but it could be due to the fact that males are seen so much more important in Chinese socie ty. The â€Å"one-child† rule in China forces parents to give up their daughters, as they usually want sons. Perhaps, and it is only a theory, many of these girls grow up contemplating suicide and ultimately commit the act. If there was more data available, better sense could be made of these figures. In an article about Chinese suicide ideation, the lack of information is mentioned. â€Å"We could find only one study specifically assessing suicide ideation in a community sample of Chinese young people,† it said. That study, conducted in 1996 by men named Zhang and Jin, compared suicidal thoughts between college students in the United States and China. It found that the idea of suicide between cultures differed in many ways, with religiosity ending up the only definitive reason that both cultures would take suicide into consideration. (Stewart 227-240) This leads to the Hong Kong study, which was published in the article mentioned above. Interesting about Hong Kong is that it has been much more wrapped in Western culture than nearby China. After all, it had been ruled by the British for over a century. Once it began adopting Western ideals, teenage suicide occurred more frequently in Hong Kong. Again, the highest rates of suicide have long been associated with the Western way of life. However, as the study points out, it didn’t experience teen suicides rates quite as high as elsewhere. A probable reason for this is that it held onto at least some of its Asian roots, heavily based on Chinese culture. This makes Hong Kong quite a unique and interesting place when we look at suicide among teenagers. Here is a place that is being tugged by both Western culture and its traditional Eastern culture at the same time. Both influences have remained prevalent, at least to some extent. Even more interesting then – what if we took a look at teenagers in Hong Kong who were born in China, and had emigrated? This is precisely what the â€Å"Suicide Ideation† study addressed. The study took a look at 996 Chinese adolescents living in Hong Kong: 500 male and 496 female. They were asked to complete a survey in school and then conclusions were drawn. A significant difference from the majority of suicides in Western nations was uncovered. It was found that those who were considering suicide were doing so not because of reasons like peer pressure or the media. Instead, and overwhelmingly, the Chinese teenagers said they were doing it because of pressure from their parents. This remained consistent between both males and females too. (Stewart 227-240) Although there are many differences between Japan and China, similar to the former, China strives for excellence among its people. A major difference is Japan does it for the good of the individual where in China i t occurs for the good of society as a whole. Nevertheless, this work ethic, deeply rooted in East Asian tradition, is once again creating pressures. But instead of blaming specific, isolated individuals (as in bullying) for their suicidal thoughts, these Chinese students are pointing to the closest collective item they know and constantly come into contact with – their parents. Their parents, mother and father, are pressuring them to do the best they can for society. They hear it over and over from them. They are not attributing the suicidal thoughts to peers or pressures to be â€Å"cool† for instance, but instead to their elders who they are told to follow in every respect. The difference in their state of mind is significant. (Stewart 227-240) Still, as proven by this study, the thoughts do exist, even among Chinese teenagers – that thought of putting an end to one’s life. Perhaps because they have that support group, that collective society, and are not being singled out by others, is why their actual rates of suicide are low. The thoughts exist among Chinese teens, but it seems fewer actually go t hrough with the action.

Arthur Miller, A View from the Bridge Essay Example for Free

Arthur Miller, A View from the Bridge Essay The relationships in ‘A View from the Bridge’ are very complex as because of people’s attitudes back then. There is secrecy, suspicion, love and concern. Eddie is weirdly attracted to Catherine and his relationship with his wife Beatrice deteriorates. The relationship between Eddie and Catherine is very close, although they are not immediate family Eddie has become a surrogate father and thinks of himself as her real father. He is very protective of his daughter and would probably die for her, but this first innocent love perverts into a weird incest like love for his niece. Eddie still treats her like she is five although she is going out into the big wide world, this shocks Eddie and it makes him closer to her and more possessive which turns ugly when Rodolfo is introduced. At the start of the play Eddie has a go at his daughter about what she is wearing, ‘Catherine I don’t want to be a pest†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.  Walkin’ wavy’. This shows he has genuine concern for his daughter similar to how modern fathers would react today; this is more of an example to show how much he loves her like a father rather than a lover. He also doesn’t want to let go for his ‘daughter’ and tries to shoot down any discussion of a job, ‘near the navy yard†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Longshoremen’ he is unreasonably disagreeing with any suggestions of a real job for Catherine which just amplifies his blatant love for her. Catherine and Beatrice’s relationship is very different to the relationship between Eddie Catherine, Beatrice wants the best for Catherine and wants her to go get the job and wants her to leave, and she is more positive than Eddie and less caring for her. This could be that she was not as committed to the adoption of Catherine compared to Eddie, but also as she has had less to lose because Eddie has paid for her to go through school and to live, whereas Bea is probably getting a little sick of her hanging about. She is very supportive of Catherine’s independence ‘Well I don’t understand when it’s going †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. It’s an honour for her’. Catherine is also less fond of her and cares more for her uncle as he is the man of the family and provides for her and doesn’t feel for Bea as much because she had less of a role in bringing her up over the years. The relationship between Bea and Eddie starts of normal as the play starts innocent and all happy families but hen as the play progresses Bea starts to notice changes about how Eddie is acting towards her. As Eddie is spending more time chasing Catherine around he is spending less time with his wife and she becomes distraught and upset and also starts to understand why this is happening. Because of Bea realising his it explains why she is so keen for her to become independent and leave because it would be better for everyone if she did leave. ‘When am I going to be a wife again Eddie? ’ shows how upset she is becoming and Eddie doesn’t seem to care about her and tries to ignore the conversation and not provide her with a straight answer. The play basically steers the whole relationship systems so that Eddie and Bea come off worse while Eddie and Catherine gets better. It is obvious that Eddie starts to stop caring about Bea and more about Catherine; Catherine doesn’t seem to notice the weird attraction that Eddie has towards her and carries on like normal. And the more she is around the worse Eddie will get and the more attracted the will become. So Arthur miller presents the family as a normal generic happy family that during the course of the play deteriorates into a weird perverted relationship.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Pluralist and ruling elite accounts of power

Pluralist and ruling elite accounts of power Pluralist Power Political Compare and contrast the pluralist and ruling elite accounts of political power This essay will discuss the above question and analyse the relevance of similarities and differences to the modern political system. It will look at empirical evidence from a number of pluralist and elite writers and explain the weaknesses in both arguments. The differentiation of the distribution of political power between the pluralist and elitist accounts is relatively simple to determine loosely. The elite approach argues that there is one group which dominates in a political system, although that class is not necessarily determined by the economic system. Pluralist theories state that political power should be regarded as analytically distinct from economic power and, in contrast to elitists, power is not concentrated in the hands of a single group, but widely dispersed among a variety of groups and actors.1 The central position of pluralist power is that all citizens have a chance to become politically active through either individual or group action. Views are represented in policy making not only through representative elections but also through the participatory mechanism of group politics. The process of decision making is merely the outcome between different groups, with government institutions acting as a mediator. No group tends to dominate this process because of the plurality of political resources. The diverse base of group power means that if a group has little money, it may call on public opinion to sustain its views in the decision making process. The electoral mechanism assumes that government doesn’t persistently favour one group as bias alienates the government from the rest. The government acts as a broker, independent from interest, and responds to pressure from different sides. The outcome of the policy making process is an even gamble – all win some bets and lose others, in contrast to the elitist view that the odds are stacked in favour of the house.2 Mosca used the term ruling class to denote the permanent group of organised rulers in society, but his use of the term ‘class’ creates an element of confusion in that his ruling class is very different in its function and characteristics from those of the Marxists. Power exercised by Mosca’s ruling class occurs from the organisational capacity of the ruling minority. This is the basis for their power and the characteristics that distinguishes them from the powerless minority.3 Criticism of classical elite theorists by writers such as Meisel centres on the notion that the ruling elite is claimed to be a class.4 It is an important idea in Pareto’s theory and Mosca founds the power of the elite on their greater organisational capacity. The three functions that Meisel identifies Mosca’s elite must have – consciousness, coherence and conspiracy, mean that such an elite should be able to maintain itself purely by its organisational capacity, its ability to adapt to new forces and its dynamic positive relationship expressed through the rule of law. The elite in a modern sense connotes a looser group of individuals, each exercising power and united by one or more factors such as wealth, social origin or achievement. What remains of classical elite theory is the powerlessness of the masses and the rational unifying capacities of the minority groups. Power pluralists such as Dahl and Polsby argue that a pluralist approach is far more rigorous than the elitist model when determining the distribution of power in political systems. Power is defined as an ability to influence policy outcomes rather than having a reputation for power. Studies of power distribution should be analysed using empirical methods finding those groups responsible for the decision making process Dahl contended that ‘although there are many different approaches and theories of power, so long as we can subject the hypothesis contained within these thesis’ to empirical investigation then it will be possible to arrive at an all embracing definition of power’.5 The pluralist approach stresses a need to look at actual decision making. A study by Dahl in 1965 looked at electoral apportionment, urban development and education to see who tended to dominate. The conclusion showed that it was impossible to identify a single powerful elite. Decision making tended to be a complex bargaining process between a plurality of different sectors. Pluralist theory has not been unchallenged by elite theory. Elite theories emphasise the stability and survival of political rule through the visible exercise of power. The difference of perspective results in research methods which are more approximate in their definition of power distribution. ‘Power involves relationships between individuals and groups, both controllers and controlling. It is a relatively constant factor in social relationships with policies as a variable and structured on national and local levels’.6 Elitists argue that expressed or perceived political preferences can be distinguished from objective interests. But this is because of the influence of the dominant class circulating a political formula, as Mosca put it. In this approach such perceived intent is the product of a power relationship rather than the pluralist approach of being the basis for understanding these relationships. In elite theory, where perceived interests differ from objective interests, evidence of the dominant class shaping the values of those whose power is exercised can be seen. Pluralists ignore the concept of objective values as it suggests that group goals can be determined from information of the social or economic nature of the group. They argue that such goals are vague and contradictory and difficult to determine.7 Marxist theories have tended to show a link between economic and political power. The notion that there is a political authority which can be separate from economic relationships is one which runs through Western politics. Aristotle argued that the polis allowed free men to take decisions, for the good of the citizens and not for the private advantage of the powerful.8 Hegel distinguishes between the public authority of the state as distinct from the relationships that prevail in civil society.9 This view is widely shared in pluralist political science that since power is a type of influence, a power holder may owe his power to his wealth, ability, reputation or any favourable position with regard to any value.10 Elite theory argues that the basis for assessing political power lies in the assessment of the degree in which particular groups can produce policy outcomes which are in their interests. Pluralist approaches reject the idea that an explanation can be based on the argument of the policy outcome with the interests of a certain group or class. Rather they argue the need to establish that a group consciously wants a particular policy outcome and take successful measures to secure it.11 Just as important as the plurality of resources, pluralist approaches stress the ability to transform the potential of those resources into the actual exercise of power. It’s not enough for a leader to be popular; he must have strategies to exercise his influence. In this sense power is not something that individuals and groups do; rather it is something gained through the deployment of political resources in order to achieve objectives.12 Power in pluralist analysis, is not just a property given or denied on the basis of social or economic position. The link between these and political power is weakened by the fact that strong political resources can coexist with weak political influence through the influence of inappropriate strategies. Like elite theory, pluralist theory doesn’t assume that those in formal positions of authority are necessarily those with political power. Those without policy making authority may be highly influential, and vice-versa. Where elitists differ from pluralist approach is that they argue that the influence of outside powers of government is limited to those exercised by specific economic and social classes. Pluralists stress that the types of pressures on government come from a wider array of different types of interest. Whilst they cannot suggest that there is a perfect distribution of power in government decision making, pluralists argue that more groups are involved in decision making than elitists, who claim that a particular class or group has a monopoly of influence.13 A study in 1980 showed the style of policy making in the UK. When drafting legislation based upon engineering reports, the government consulted over 500 groups, 16 of which were deemed to be influential.14 There is now a clear distribution between the two strands of modern elite theory. Mainstream elitism refers mainly to the interaction and function of ruling and strategic elites, and though it differs in emphasis from earlier theories, the normative assumptions are not that different from classical elitist like Pareto. The second strand of elite theory is neo-elitism, and is highly critical of both mainstream elitism and pluralism, which it regards as a revision of democratic theory.15 Its main issue with pluralism is over the community power debate, which had implications for the definition of power. There are many criticisms of pluralism who object to its normative implications. ‘Elitist ideals can logically contrast with facts without being invalidated by empirical research which does not in any obvious way call for its general revision’.16 It is argued that pluralists ignore the ‘face of power’ which contains the scope of decision-making to safe issues. The main weakness of the pluralist approach to power is that it is a description instead of an analysis of power relationships. This has been recognised because, if true, the elitist idea of the importance of non-observable influences and constraints from one group would have important repercussions for the way that western political systems are characterised.17 Elite theory is still opposed to class analysis at several levels, arguing the interests and power of elites are not based on economic factors. Elitism lends itself to a concentration on organisational identification of power. These differences in orientation separate elitism and pluralism, rather than the argument over the distribution of power. Power is not central to elite analysis; it is given in a certain way.18 The main criticism of elitism is that it assumes what it should be proving – the distribution of power. The other major similarity between the two theories is the idea of democratic elitism. This suggests that modification of democratic theory accepts that most citizens do not take part in politics. It argues that a number of elites who are forced to compete for power through public support, as is the case with party politics. The most influential democratic elitists were Schumpeter and Dahl, who argued that elites could exist whilst democracy was in place. They also stress that elites do exist but are in control of different policy areas. Schumpeter stated that the key to democracy was the existence of the mechanism which forces elites to compete for support and that the majority of citizens aren’t capable of taking part in governing.19 Dahl analysed these ideas forming the argument that politics is a ployarchy, essentially meaning rule by a number of elites. This reworking of pluralism into pluralist elitism is the synthesis of the two theories. References 1 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaf, 1985) P107 2 P.Norris, Do Capitalists Rule (Oxford: Robertson, 1982) P194 3 P.Bachrach, Theory of Democratic Elitism (Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1967) P64 4 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P79 5 R.Dahl, Critique of the Ruling Elite model (New York: Macmillan, 1958) P463 6 A.Birch, Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy (London: Routledge, 1993) P6 7 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P85 8 Aristotle, The Politics (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972) P271 9 G.Hegel, Philosophy of Right (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968) P78 10 N.Polsby, Community Power and Political Theory (London: Penguin, 1961) P96 11 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P116 12 F.Castles, Decisions, Organisation and Society (Middlesex: Penguin, 1971) P83 13 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P114 14 J.Richardson, Governing Under Pressure (Oxford: Robertson, 1979) P126 15 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P89 16 P.Bachrach, Theory of Democratic Elitism (Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1967) P122 17 A.Cox, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) P121 18 R.Dahl, Critique of the Ruling Elite model (New York: Macmillan, 1958) P254 19 P.Bachrach, Theory of Democratic Elitism (Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1967) P78 Bibliography Aristotle, The Politics (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1972) Bachrach.P, Theory of Democratic Elitism (Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1967) Birch.A, Concepts and Theories of Modern Democracy (London: Routledge, 1993) Castles.F, Decisions, Organisation and Society (Middlesex: Penguin, 1971) Cox.A, Power in Capitalist Societies (Brighton; Wheatsheaft, 1985) Dahl.R, Critique of the Ruling Elite model (New York: Macmillan, 1958) Hegel.G, Philosophy of Right (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968) Norris.P, Do Capitalists Rule (Oxford: Robertson, 1982) Polsby.N, Community Power and Political Theory (London: Penguin, 1961) Richardson.J, Governing Under Pressure (Oxford: Robertson, 1979)

Saturday, July 20, 2019

love :: essays research papers

Ordinary People is the story of both Conrad and Calvin Jarrett. Because the novel focuses on two different people, there are several conflicts throughout the novel that are specific to those individuals. The central question in Conrad's story is whether he will be able to recover after his suicide attempt. As Dr. Berger points out, half the people who attempt suicide will try to do it again at some point in their lives. The inclusion of Karen's suicide towards the end of the novel is a way of reminding the reader that Conrad may not have recovered completely even when he seems to be getting better; after all, Karen seemed to be doing well when Conrad met her for a Coke earlier in the novel. The main question in Calvin's story is whether he and Beth will be able to make amends. Their conflict is based essentially in a communication problem: Calvin believes that the way to heal the wounds of the past is to talk through them and discuss feelings, while Beth only wants to move on from the past. She dislikes Calvin's attitude and his insistence on worrying about his son. The conflict between the two parents is resolved at the end of the novel when Beth leaves. Structurally, the novel does two things. First, it alternates back and forth between the stories of Calvin and Conrad, with each chapter shedding some new light on their individual struggles and conflicts. This alternating style gives the novel a kind of mirror-image structure: just as Conrad gets better over the course of the novel until he is really healed, the marriage between Calvin and Beth spirals downward until it fails. The second structural tactic of the novel is that it begins in a world that is already in some way ruined: Buck has already died, and Conrad has already tried to commit suicide even before the first chapter opens. On the one hand, this indicates that the book is a novel about healing and rebuilding a ruined world, rather than about how that world got ruined in the first place. This structure, however, also gives the book a reverse coming-of-age feel. There are countless children's books about boys who begin the novel as innocent kids and after a series of life experiences end the novel as slightly more mature and wiser young adults (Huckleberry Finn and The Catcher in the Rye are examples.) Ordinary People tells a coming-of-age story backwards. Conrad has already been through his moment of great experience--the death of Buck--and the novel is really the story of how

Friday, July 19, 2019

Comparing the American Dream of the Transcendentalists with that of The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

Comparing the American Dream of 19th Century Transcendentalists with that of The Great Gatsby The American Dream remains viewed as the success which one obtains. The American Dream has had a great impact on literature as well as an impact on the changing of time periods. The 19th century Transcendentalists’ idea of the American Dream focuses on reaching one’s goals by honest, hard work. On the other hand, Gatsby’s idea of the American Dream in the 20th century centers on becoming successful by way of illegal money that was not acquired through working. Ultimately, the Transcendental and Gatsby’s beliefs reveal a great deal of contrast. The American Dream of the Transcendentalists centers on being all that one is meant to be. First of all, the ideas of the Transcendentalists did not revolve around society and materialistic possessions. Transcendentalists felt that â€Å"society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of everyone of its members†(from Self-Reliance 194). Also, Transcendentalists believed that â€Å"The nation itself, with all its so-called internal improvements, which, by the way, are all external and superficial, is just such an unwieldy and overgrown establishment, cluttered with furniture and tripped up by its own traps, ruined by luxury and heedless expense† (from Where I Lived and What I Lived For 212) and for which the only cure is simplicity. In addition, Transcendentalists believed that man should live life to the fullest by seeking to reach their potential. Thoreau â€Å"did not wish to take a cabin passage, but rather to go before the mast and on the deck of the world, for there I [Thoreau] could best see the moonlight amid the mountains† (from Conclusion 217). Seeking to reach one’s potential means that one must â€Å"Absolve you to yourself, and you should have the suffrage of the world† (from Self-Reliance 194). Furthermore, the Transcendentalists sought self-knowledge through the study of nature. â€Å"Nature never became a toy to a wise spirit. The flowers, the animals, the mountains, reflected the wisdom of his best hour, as much as they had delighted the simplicity of his childhood† (from Nature 191). â€Å"The life in us is like the water in the river† (from Conclusion 217) because some days one rises like the river and drowns out all of ones problems. Most importantly, the ideas of nonconformity and individualism illustrate the Transcendentalist beliefs. â€Å"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist† (from Self-Reliance 194) shows that every man should have a unique quality that separates him from other men.

Getting Back To Basics :: essays research papers

Getting Back to Basics In earliest times primitive people made contact with the outside world through the same five senses used by people today. They could hear the sounds of animals, see objects, feel the rain on their faces, smell the fragrance of wild flowers, and taste berries and other foods. Primitive people also expressed their feelings through art and dance. The cave paintings in Lascaux, France, which were drawn some 27,000 years ago, depicted animals of the time. Do these images show Paleolithic man’s continuity with nature? It is not known whether these pictures had a methodical, or a magical or religious purpose; however, they did show that primitive people had both a need and a talent for self-expression. In Suzi Gablik’s book, Conversations before the End of Time, Gablik touches base with several artists analyzing the discontinuity between man and nature, nature and art, and art and man. During interviews with each artist, philosophical questions arise, such as what is art for (Ellen Dissanayake), are humans really at the apex of the pyramid (Christopher Manes), and can mankind survive without modern technological civilization (Rachel Dutton and Rob Olds)? Links between ecology, psychology, and art are explored, and the consensus among the artists states that mankind needs to change how we live with the earth by getting back to the basics. What is Art For? & Making Art About Centipedes If you were to ask Ellen Dissanayake what is art for, she would reply that art is â€Å"making special.† Dissanayake believes that humans, since the beginning, have been attracted to objects that were ‘extraordinary or special’, and ‘make special things’ to show that we care and have regard for those things. Most importantly, â€Å"art is for everyone and not solely for an elite group of artists in the art world.† Upon first reading this article, I agreed with Dissanayake, however after rereading, I discovered that there was some hypocrisy in what she was saying. Initially, Dissanayake created a solid argument on why art is important to man, why we create art, and to whom art is created. However, when linking this to the importance that man must â€Å"realize that we cannot go on living in ways that are so mechanical, materialistic and hard on the environment (Dissanayake, p.54), Dissanayake separated man into a Darwinist view of nature, and m an’s superiority over it. In my opinion, this view is the reason man is disconnected with nature.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Factors that influence public trust in government Essay

Trust is an intricate interpersonal as well as organizational construct, which occurs when parties who have certain favorable perceptions of each other allow this relationship to develop and reach the expected levels. Trust is an effective way through which social, economic and political relationship transaction costs can be lowered . In political arena, citizens may either be trusted or distrusted in their capacities to choose elected officials or support for a variety of public policies based on the evaluation of citizen’s competence to make decisions in this domain. Government officials, on the other hand, may be trusted or distrusted in coming up with and implementing public policy, based on the expectations of knowledge as well as the expertise of the officials involved in the policy making process. There is a large proportion of the U. S population that continues to distrust the government in spite of the presence of an assortment of programs aimed at restoring public trust in government . Lack of trust in government by the people is strongly associated to the way people feel concerning the overall state of a country. Read more:Â  Influences that affect children’s development essay Even though personal satisfaction is slowly increasing and confidence in local and national government is increasing due to presence of a thriving economy, restoration in addition to maintenance of public interest remains a major and challenging objective . Regardless of the fact that the national mood and trust in the government have increased since the mid 1990s, a considerable proportion of the United States citizens is still highly unsatisfied with the status of the nation, an aspect that lowers their trust in government . Besides persistent worry concerning the moral health of American society, a factor that lowers the satisfaction of the people to the state of the nation, lack of contentment with the honesty of the elected officials is another major factor that leads to distrust of government. A variety of ethical concerns are now lowering the positive attitudes of the American people towards the government. Dissatisfaction with political leaders is one of the most important factors that result in lack of trust in government by the people . This is due to the numerous criticisms of the way politicians, who form the functional part of the government, carries out their duties. However, there is no clear indication that discontentment and distrust with the government are near a crisis phase . The public desire to be served by government officials has remained steady for more than three decades. Distrust and discontentment with the government has not resulted in disregard for nation’s laws. It also does not erode patriotism or discourage public officials from carrying out their duties. Even in times when public trust in government has gone down, a percentage of the population still recommend a government job to their children. Lack of trust in government does not imply that the public is angry at it; rather it implies that the level of frustration emanating from poor delivery of services by government officials is very high. Increase in the level of frustration deteriorates the quality in addition to the nature of dialogue between the Americans and their leaders. Factors that influence public trust in government Lack of trust in government by the people is one disastrous factor that can negatively impact on the functioning of the government. This is due to the fact that numerous governmental activities call for cooperation between the government and the people. Without the cooperation of the people, it would be totally impossible for the government to implement some policies . Besides challenges in implementation of policies, distrust in government has got other adverse consequences. Some of these negative consequences are that voter turnout during presidential elections has become significantly low . In democratic nations, the trust of the people in government is a major factor that contributes to the growth of economy in addition to providing a base on which political leaders can make rational decisions. The magnitude of public trust in government influences the ability of the government to generate the revenue required to support public programs . However, it can also be considered as disastrous factor for people to totally trust the government without questioning its operations. Putting total trust in the government may result in the government degenerating into making ineffective and bad policies. In a number of studies conducted by the Pew Research Center for The People and The Press to determine the factors that result in distrust in government, Americans were revealed to be less critical of the government in various ways as compared to the way it was in the previous decades . Even though these studies revealed increased distrust in government by the people, evaluation of public workers and specific government departments found out that the delivery of services had improved drastically over the last few years. These studies revealed that only a few people criticize the federal government as compared to the case in the 1990s, when the government was regarded as inefficient, wasteful, unresponsive and too stringent. The numbers of those who think that business operations are negatively affected by the strict regulation strategies employed by the government were also revealed to have dropped. Nevertheless, distrust of government by the American population remains substantial, only less than 40% of the population maintains its trust in the government all the time . More than 50% of the population makes it clear that they are frustrated by the government rather than angered by it . Currently, in the United States as revealed by Pew Research Center for The People and The Press, more people have trust in local government than they have in federal government . This is a factor contrary to the way it was about two decades ago, when Americans were more contented with the federal government than with the local government. Trust in state and local government has however grown considerably along with considerable reduction in trust in federal government . Pew Research Center surveys however did not reveal presence of adverse consequences to the country as a result of distrust in government. One of the major factors that influence the public trust in government is the mode of operation of the politicians who lead the government. Failure of elected officials to serve the public in accordance with the interest of the people results in decline of public trust in government. Incompetence of elected officials also results in deterioration of public trust in government. Public trust in government comprise of expectation of fiduciary obligation and responsibility . The perception of fiduciary responsibility is grounded on the belief that some people in society have moral obligation as well as the responsibility to express special concern for interest of others above their own. In policy development, fiduciary obligation is illuminated by the expectation that politicians and other public officials will develop policies that will benefit the public in addition to making decisions based on the interest of the public rather than on personal and partisan gains . Citizens willingly go along with policies they regard as convenient and made within a legitimate process. On the contrary, citizens do not go along with policies they regard as problematic and developed within illegitimate procedures . Development of policies is therefore a major factor that determines whether the public will have trust in the government or not. Various factors that emanate from the developed policies may also lead to development of or decline in public trust in government. These policy outcomes include: peace, prosperity, in addition to other desirable aspects that are associated with public satisfaction with the services of the government . The direction of the country is the other factor that determines the level of public trust in government. Perception that everything is going in the right direction results in increase in trust of public trust in government. On the contrary, if citizens perceive that everything the government does in addition to the direction of the country is not headed in the right direction; they may lose their trust in government. In addition, public perception that the government officials are to blame for the adverse circumstances that lock the country, may result in a decline of public trust in government . The ability of the government to provide security to the public is another factor that can increase public trust in government. The public elects public officials expecting them to come up with policies and strategies aimed at generating and maintaining security of the nation. Failure to develop security policies lowers public trust in government, whereas development of security policies in addition to implementation of these policies results in augmentation of public trust in government. A government that does not guarantee security to its people should not expect the public to have trust in it . Reverence to the rights of individuals is the other factor that greatly influences the trust of the public in government. Citizens look upon the government to protect them from violation of their rights. If a government is characterized by rampant violation of the rights of citizens, it should not expect to have public trust in it. People highly detest government officials who violate their rights. Public trust is very low in a government that does not guarantee protection of the rights of individuals who make up the greater community. Nevertheless, public trust in government increases when government officials respect the rights of citizens. Economic trend is the other factor that can greatly affect the level of public trust in government. The public looks upon the government to come up with strategies aimed at providing a base for economic growth. Failure of the government to develop such policies destroys its trust by the public. Research conducted by Pew Research Center survey concerning public trust in government make it clear that the trust of Americans in their government tend to increase at times when the country is enjoying economic growth and decline when the country is going through economic recession . Presidential approval is the other factor that may influence public trust in government. Perception that the president is incompetent and does not handle national matters in an appropriate manner may result in a decline in public trust in government. The president occupies a core position in government and as such, he/she is subject to public scrutiny. If the public is contented with the way the president handles national matters, its trust in government is likely to increase. Presidential approval is based to a great extent on economic growth. The public tends to lay the blame of emergence of adverse economic conditions such as lack of employment, inflation and loss of jobs on the president. High rate of unemployment results in decline of public trust in government . The mode of service delivery by civil servants is a major factor that may destroy or build public trust in the government. This takes into account the mode of delivery of service in numerous government sectors including health, education, welfare, transport, security, and environment among many others. Higher values of public contentment with the mode of service delivery by public service officials illuminate trust in government by the people. Accountability of the government also influences public trust. Implementation of strategies that allow for easy access to government information in order to evaluate performance and results is the other factor that influences public trust in government. A large proportion of the public’s trust rests on the government’s open accountability for its decisions, policies and mistakes . A government that operates in privacy and refuses to reveal its mode of operation to the public is in essence getting rid of the public’s capacity to scrutinize as well as hold the government accountable. Access to information concerning the government’s mode of operation and outcomes of various government activities, is vital to increasing the capacity of the public to scrutinize the performance of the government in addition to holding the government responsible. Lack of information implies that the public cannot comprehend the context in which decisions on national matters are made . Government’s accountability builds public trust in it due to the fact that information concerning the performance of government officials is disclosed, and strategies through which waste, inefficiency, misconduct and corruption can be tackled are developed . Conclusion It can therefore be concluded that there are numerous factors that greatly influence the public trust in government not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Lack of trust in government by the people is one disastrous factor that can negatively impact on the functioning of the government. Putting total trust in the government may also be disastrous as it may result in the government degenerating into making ineffective and bad policies. One of the major factors that influence the public trust in government is the mode of operation of the politicians who lead the government. The direction of the country is the other factor that determines the level of public trust in government. Perception that everything is going in the right direction results in increase in trust of public trust in government. The ability of the government to provide security to the public is another factor that can increase public trust in government. Reverence to the rights of individuals is the other factor that greatly influences the trust of the public in government. Citizens look upon the government to protect them from violation of their rights. Economic trend is the other factor that can greatly affect the level of public trust in government. The public looks upon the government to come up with strategies aimed at providing a base for economic growth. Failure of the government to develop such policies destroys its trust by the public. The mode of service delivery by civil servants is a major factor that may destroy or build public trust in the government. Bibliography: Braithwaite, Valerie and Levi, Margaret. Trust and governance, ISBN 0871541351: Russell Sage Foundation, 2003. Chanley, Virginia. Rudolph, Thomas. and Rahn, Wendy. The Origins and Consequences of Public Trust in Government: A Time Series Analysis, Public Opinion Quarterly 64, (2000): 239-256 Dalton, Russell. The social transformation of trust in government, International Review Of Sociology, 15, no 1 (2005): 133-154 Halloran, Liz. 2010, Pew Poll: Trust in Government Hits Near-Historic Low, http://www. npr. org /templates/story/story. php? storyId=126047343 (viewed on August 2, 2010). Hibbing, John and Theiss-Morse, Elizabeth. What is it about government that Americans dislike? ISBN 0521796318: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Open The Government, n. d. Public Trust & Accountability, http://www. openthegovernment. org /article/articleview/32/1/15 (viewed on August 2, 2010). Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Trust in government: ethics measures in OECD countries, ISBN 9264185194 OECD: Publishing, 2000. Pew Research Center. 1998, How Americans View Government: Deconstructing Distrust, http://people-press. org/report/95/how-americans-view-government (viewed on August 2, 2010) Trattner, John. Government and public trust: views from the top: selected reading from the John C. Whitehead Forum of the Council for Excellence in Government, 1997-2001, ISBN 0761823131: University Press of America, 2002. Warren, Mark. Democracy and trust, ISBN 0521646871: Cambridge University Press, 1999