The White Umbrella

The White Umbrella The narrator of The White Umbrella is ashamed of her mom because she works. Throughout the story, she begins to have a different perspective of her mom. In the end of The White Umbrella, she respects her mom and realizes that her mom likes to have a job. One of the things that helps her to realize that is she sees how much she loves working. Her mom says on page 332, â€Å"â€Å"A promotion already! † she said finally. † Her mom likes her job.The narrator learns that she loves her mom no matter what she does when they get in a wreck. The narrator says â€Å"†Mom! † I screamed. â€Å"Mom! Wake up! † Luckily, no one was hurt and she comes to realize that she does not care that her mom has a job. Back in the beginning, she is ashamed that her mom works even though she does not know where she is working. The narrator explains this when she is having a conversation with her mom; â€Å"†Lots of people’s mothers work. † â€Å"Those are American people,† I said. † In addition, she does not mention her mom’s job to her piano teacher because she is so ashamed and she and her sister have to walk to practice because of this. â€Å"â€Å"I don’t think so,† said Mona as we walked to our piano lesson after school. In the middle of the story, her mom tells her where she is working, but is even more disappointed. She still thinks it is like being poor. The narrator asks her mom to quit. Another reason why she does not want her to work is that the mom forgot them at practice. â€Å"† My mother’s almost here,† I said â€Å"she’s on her way. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦You’ve been out here an hour already. †Ã¢â‚¬  She was ashamed of her mom working but now does not mind that her mother has a job as long as she is happy. The narrator of The White Umbrella reconsiders her mother working throughout the story.

Is evil really the nature of mankind Essay

Is evil really the nature of mankind? Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Man is assumed to have morals. Morality can be defined as the ability to come up with ruled and adhere to them to the letter coupled with the ability to discern right from wrong. This raises the question whether man does wrong on purpose. Is man born evil in nature? People will go to great lengths just to fulfill their personal desires even if it goes against all morality. This essay seeks to show the depravity of man as epitomized in the allegory Young Goodman Brown.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The allegorical tale was set in the Puritan setting of the early 17th century. The writer sought to expose human depravity through the main character. Human beings hide behind masks to cover up their tracks. In modern day society people engage in all sorts of activities and use their positions, family legacy and upbringing as cover up. Goodman is a symbolic representation of this. He embarks on a journey to the witches’ meeting while he proclaims an upbringing that condemns such acts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The choice of diction, characters and colloquial expressions such as Faith and Young Goodman explicitly exemplify the paradoxical nature of man. During the setting of the novel, the Salem trials in which witches were executed were taking place. Man engages in practices that are biblically and morally evil. The minister, Deacon Gooking and Goody Cloyse are all involved in the cult. This exposes man’s folly evil nature since even those who are perceived as the righteous in society engage in questionable practices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story explicitly exposes follies in society. It is also a means in which the writer sympathizes with the beliefs and society in the Puritan religion. The church elders in the community take part in witchcraft. The story is arguably one of the best since it ridicules as well as exposes the evil nature of man. References Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Young Goodman Brown. Charlottesville, Va.: University of Virginia Library, 1996. Source document

Human Resource Management Approaches

Introduction In any organization, the human resource force is one of the most vital assets. In this regard, it is vital for organizations to ensure that they formulate and implement human resource management policies that will optimize employees’ contributions so as to maintain competitiveness in their different industries of operation (Armstrong, 2008; Marchington & Wilkinson, 2005). There are different approaches that different organizations use to ensure that their employees are at their optimal productivity. Some of these approaches include recruitment of highly qualified staff members, providing occasional training for employees to improve their competence at work, fair remuneration, and employee motivation (Ulrich et al., 2008). Scholars in the field of human resource management have proposed several models that can be used in managing people. Some of these are scientific management and human relations theory (Taylor, 2013; Thompson, 2011). The scientific management approach emphasis es on managing employees to increase efficiency by using monetary motivation (Taylor, 2013). The human relations approach is based on the notion that using monetary rewards is not the only way in which employees can be motivated. They can also be motivated through other social factors like being praised, promoted or making developing in them a sense of belonging (Thompson, 2011). This paper intends to examine human relations and scientific management concepts by comparing and contrasting human resource management approaches at TGI Friday’s and Christians against Poverty, one of the Sunday Times 100 best not for profit organizations. The paper also discusses whether both approaches to management are relevant in the 21st century, and whether not for profit organizations should manage their employees in a way that is different from companies whose main objectives are profit maximization. Management at TGI Friday’s TGI Friday’s is a restaurant chain with its UK head offices in Luton (TGI Friday’s, 2014). Based on an employee survey carried out by the Sunday Times, the company ranked third among the 25 best big companies. The survey sought to establish the employees’ perceptions of the way they were being managed. The company also ranked third on the overall 100 best companies to work for in the United Kingdom (The Sunday Times a, 2013). The good ranks that the company holds among the best companies to work for reflects the effectiveness of the company’s human resource management approaches. Management of people at TGI Friday’s displays both the human relations and scientific management approaches. With reference to the human relations approach, performance is enhanced by the creation of an effective working environment and instilling a sense of belonging in their employees (Thompson, 2011). The scientific management approach is also used through offering monet ary bonuses and retaining productive employees and dismissing the unproductive employees (Taylor, 2013). Examples of these approaches at TGI Friday’s is further discussed belowHuman Relations ApproachRecognitionEmployee recognition is defined as giving employees a positive feedback to let them know that they are valued by their colleagues and workmates in the organization. Wright et al. (2012) argue that for employee recognition to have an impact in the progress of an organization, it needs to encourage employees to increase their efforts towards attaining organizational goals. According to Karen Forester, the TGI Friday’s managing director in the UK; employee recognition has been part of the company’s culture since it started in 1965 (TGI Friday’s, 2014). One way in which the company recognizes its employees is through the use of achievement badges, which are given to employees as a form of appreciation for their achievements or extraordinary contributio ns they make towards the company. The company also has a program where employees are nominated by colleagues based on their performance, and are later gifted through different treats. For instance, in January 2013, TGI Friday’s UK flew 400 employees to a party that was held in Florida (The Sunday Times a, 2013). Whereas such employee recognition efforts may be costly and could cut down on the company’s profitability, the organization believes that it is a â€Å"huge deposit in the emotional bank account†.Creation of a Conducive working EnvironmentThe organizational environment also has a role to play in the productivity of employees. There are several approaches that have been suggested by researchers on the approaches that can be used to create an organizational environment that enhances employee productivity (Armstrong, 2008). One of these is creation of an open and transparent form of communication across the organization. By so doing, all employees will have a feeling that their opinions are valuable to the organization. This also instils a sense of belonging in the employees (Aula & Siira, 2010). Another approach that can be used in creation of an effective work environment for employees is ensuring that there is a work-life balance for employees (Bratton & Gold, 2012; Miner, 2005). To attain work-life balance, employees ought to be given the chance to fulfil other goals and responsibility in life apart from their work. These include responsibilities to their families and the community, spiritual needs and personal growth, among others (Clutterbuck, 2003). Other approaches include encouraging a team spirit in the organization, provision of a job security assurance and offering training to improve employee competence (Orlitzky & Frenkel, 2005). As opposed to typical fast-paced food restaurants, TGI Friday’s employees have the assurance that their jobs are secure. With reference to a research carried out by the Sunday Times, 86% of the company’s employees felt that they had secure jobs. With regard to instilling a sense of belonging in its customers, the company has a tradition for treating each of its 4000 staff members in the UK as family (The Sunday Times a, 2013). According to Karen foster, the company’s UK managing director, â€Å"We never call them staff or employees, we call them family and we treat them like family† (Martin, 2013). This also creates a sense of teamwork, which is also a factor that improves employee productivity.Scientific Management ApproachEvaluation of employee performanceThe scientific approach to human resource management emphasizes on increasing efficiency in employee productivity. One of the ways in which this can be done in an organization is through the evaluation of the performance of employees in periodic intervals (Taylor, 2013). Employees that are not competent enough ought to be trained or given a certain time to improve. If they fail to improve in performance, they are dismissed and replaced by more competent recruits (Bloisi, 2007). This also takes place at TGI Friday’s. There was a period in time when the company needed to redefine its culture and redefine itself. To do this, some brutal approaches were undertaken to ensure that only the right staff members were left in the company. This involved carrying out an assessment of each member of the company and classifying them according to their contributions. As argued by the company’s UK managing director, â€Å"Everyone in the organisation was assessed and classified as ‘players’, ‘wannabe players’ (who needed more training), ‘potential players’ (who could go either way) and ‘assassins’ (who had the ability to sabotage the transformation project)† (Martin, 2013). The group of employees that was referred to as the assassins was dismissed from the company, a step that resulted in the improvement of the company’s performance. This is an ideal approach of increasing the efficiency of the company, which is quite synonymous to the scientific management approach.Monetary MotivationTo motivate employees, TGI Friday’s also uses the monetary approach. Employees at the company receive annual pay reviews. In 2013, members of the company’s kitchen staff were offered a 9.5% pay rise as a gesture to appreciate their contributions to the company (The Sunday Times a, 2013). Even though the monetary incentives are used to motivate the company employees, they are used alongside other forms of incentives. The reason for this is that when monetary incentives are used exclusively by a company, it may limit the creativity and innovation of employees (Adeogun, 2009). Management at Christians against Poverty (CAP) Christians against Poverty (CAP) is a not-for profit organization operating the United Kingdom. It specialized in debt counselling, a charity work that that is based in different local churches across the UK (Christians Against Poverty, 2013). It offers solutions and hope for people who are in heavy debts by providing advice to the affected people on the ways in which they can generate income to enable settle the debts and relieve themselves from the associated stresses that could be even detrimental to their health. Apart from helping the company’s target populations to get out of poverty, CAP has also received recognition by the Sunday Times as being among the best not for profit companies to work for (The Sunday Times b, 2013). In a study that was carried out by Sunday Times on opinions of the company’s employees about how they felt about their leadership and whether they enjoy working at CAP, there was a 95% positive response that indicated that employees loved to w ork for the company. 97% of the employees indicated their pride in being employed by the company, while 99% of the employees believed that the company makes a positive contribution in society (The Sunday Times b, 2013). Just as was the result at TGI Friday’s, this response from the company employees indicates that the approaches used in the human resource management of the company is appropriate. The main difference that exists between TGI Friday’s and CAP is that whereas TGI Friday’s incorporates monetary incentives in employee motivation, there is no evidence that indicates that CAP uses the same.The Human Relations ApproachCommunication at CAPIn any organization, effective communication is one of the factors that contribute towards an improvement in employee performance. Communication often depends on the structure of the organization. Hierarchical organizational structures are characterized by vertical communication channels, where employees pass information to managers through their immediate bosses (Adeogun, 2009). On the other hand, adhocratic organizations are characterized by horizontal communication channels, where employees are free to address top managers in case they need to pass across a certain message (Ulrich et al., 2008). The structure at CAP is adhocratic, based on the fact that senior managers and employees interact to share information that id positive for the organization’s progress. Not only does this reduce the channels through which information it passed, but also motivates employees by providing them with a sense of belonging (Armstrong, 2008). They are also motivated to contribute more towards the organization because they know that their opinions and ideas matter. Effective communication at CAP was demonstrated in 2012 where there was a restructure of client service teams in the organization. When staff members that had been adversely affected by the reshuffle voiced their concerns, the original restructu ring plans were changed (The Sunday Times b, 2013). In another demonstration of effective communication at CAP, there was a Dragon’s Den-style event, where teams were established to propose improvements on the company’s operations. All the proposals were presented, and a vote was made to select those that had to be implemented immediately. Afterwards, the managers pledged that they will ensure that the suggested proposals will be implemented (The Sunday Times b, 2013). This clearly indicates that the company involves its employees in decision making.Catering for Employees’ WellbeingEnsuring that the well being of employees is catered for is another approach that CAP uses to motivate its human resource force (Meyer & Allen, 2007). According to the research that was carried out by the Sunday Times, the company has an 88% score on how effectively it addresses the wellbeing of its employees. One of the ways in which the company addresses the wellbeing of its employe es is through setting aside a full day every year, referred to as the wellbeing day. On this day, employees are informed on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, encouraged to use the staff gym. Several group exercises are also carried out (Christians Against Poverty, 2013). Another approach that is used to address the wellbeing of employees is through organizing motivational talks to empower them. Matt Barlow, the chief executive director of CAP, gives regular motivational speeches to the company’s staff members, which mainly aim at inspiring them to attain their potential in life while at the same time ensuring that they adhere to their moral principles (The Sunday Times b, 2013). This has increased the faith that employees have in him and the company. When employees are aware that the company is concerned about their well being, there is an increased likelihood for them to be more committed to the organization (Orlitzky & Frenkel, 2005).IncentivesAs opposed to TGI Fridayâ⠂¬â„¢s where employees are provided with monetary incentives in form of bonuses and salary increments, the incentives that employees at CAP get are usually in form of free drinks and fruits, a cycle to work program and being provided with free sports facilities (The Sunday Times b, 2013). There is also a program where employees are nominated by managers for awards, depending on their performance. When employees make contributions that are beyond what is expected of them, they are recognized and awarded. Far from financial rewards that are given in most companies, the rewards that are given at CAP include meals, cinema tickets or chocolates. The annual salary of a caseworker in the company is at ?21,164, of which employees believe is a reasonable pay for their efforts (Christians Against Poverty, 2013). Being a not for profit organization, this explains the fact that there are no incentives in form of financial reward. Relevance of the Human Relations and Scientific management in the 21st Century To establish how relevant these approaches of human resource management are in the present-day organizational environment, it is vital to have an understanding of the principles that govern them. The scientific management approach has four core principles (Taylor, 2013). The first is referred to as the replace rule of thumb work approaches. These approaches have to be arrived at by carrying out a scientific study. The second principle is that every employee in the organization ought to be scientifically selected, trained and developed, as opposed to letting them train themselves with work experience. The third principle is that managers ought to cooperate with employees so as to ensure that they are strictly adhering to the operational methods that have been scientifically developed. The fourth principle is that work ought to be equally divided between workers and managers to allow managers to apply the principles of scientific management to plan duties for workers (Taylor, 2013). Cr itics of this approach of management argue that it increases work monotony and reduces avenues through which employees could provide feedback to their managers (Ulrich et al., 2008). However, there is still relevance of this approach in present-day human resource management. One of the principles that are still applicable is that employees ought to be scientifically selected, trained and developed by organizations (Taylor, 2013). Even present-day organizations have certain criteria that they use in selection and recruitment of their employees, and also emphasize on training them so as to make them more capable in executing their responsibilities (Bratton & Gold, 2012). The human relations approach to management is based on three underlying principles (Thompson, 2011). The first principle is decentralization, where hierarchy that is often employed in classical management is replaced with providing employees with greater autonomy. The second is participatory decision making, where employees ought to be involved in the decision-making process of the organization. The third principle is that managers need to develop employees that are self-motivated (Thompson, 2011). This management approach is supportive of an organizational structure that is adhocratic (horizontal), and against the hierarchical organizational structure. Given that present-day organizations are becoming less hierarchical and more horizontal, it can be thus stated that the human relations approach to management is quite relevant in the 21st century (Ulrich et al., 2008). In regard to whether not-for-profit organizations and organizations that aim to maximize their profits need to apply different management approaches, this is quite debatable. Whilst the objectives of these organizations might differ, it is vital for both to ensure that their employees are motivated and efficient. The main aspect that may differentiate not for profit organizations with the profitable ones is that while employees in not for profit organizations may not prioritize monetary incentives, those in profitable companies expect such incentives to be incorporated in their motivation strategies. Conclusion As aforementioned in this study, human resources are the most important assets owned by any organization. Therefore, human resource managers ought to use people management strategies that motivate employees to increase their contribution towards attaining organizational goals. Two main approaches to people management have been addressed here. These are the scientific management approach and the human relations approach. Explanation of these approaches has been done by comparing management approaches in two organizations ranked among the top 100 companies to work for in the UK. One of the companies, TGI Friday’s, is a profit oriented company, while other, CAP is a not for profit organization. Similarities and differences that exist in the human resource management approaches of these companies have been highlighted in this report. In establishing the relevance of scientific management and the human relations approach of management, future research should carry out a more in-dep th analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of both in the present-day organizational environment. References Adeogun, J., 2009. Monetary Motivation, Performance and Job Satisfaction. New York: ILEAD Academy. Armstrong, M., 2008. Strategic Human Resource Management: A Guide to Action. London: Kogan Page. Aula, P. & Siira, K., 2010. Organizational Communication and Conflict Management Systems: A Social Complexity Approach. Nordicom Review, 31, pp.125-41. Bloisi, W., 2007. An Introduction to Human Resource Management. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education. Bratton, J. & Gold, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). London: Palgrave. Christians Against Poverty, 2013. About Us. [Online] Available at: https://www.capuk.org/ [Accessed 20 February 2014]. Clutterbuck, D., 2003. Managing work-life balance: a guide for HR in achieving organizational and individual change. London: Chartered Institute Of Personal Development. Marchington, M. & Wilkinson, A., 2005. Human Resource Management at Work: People Management and Development. London: CIPD. Martin, P., 2013. TGI Friday’s MD: my people management secrets. [Online] Available at: http://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/hr/features/1078162/tgi-fridays-md-people-management-secrets [Accessed 20 February 2014]. Meyer, J.P. & Allen, N.J., 2007. A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment: Some methodological considerations. Human Resource Management Review, 1, pp.61-98. Miner, J.B., 2005. Organizational Behavior: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. New York: M.E. Sharpe. Orlitzky, M. & Frenkel, S., 2005. Alternative pathways to high-performance workplaces. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16(8), pp.1325-48. Taylor, F.W., 2013. Scientific management. New York: Routledge. TGI Friday’s, 2014. About Us. [Online] Available at: http://www.tgifridays.co.uk/ [Accessed 20 February 2014]. The Sunday Times a, 2013. The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies. [Online] Available at: http://features.thesundaytimes.co.uk/public/best100companies/live/template [Accessed 20 February 2014]. The Sunday Times b, 2013. 100 best Not for Profit Companies. [Online] Available at: http://features.thesundaytimes.co.uk/public/best100companies/live/template [Accessed 20 February 2014]. Thompson, J.D., 2011. Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. California: Transaction Publishers. Ulrich, D., Younger, J. & Brockbank, W., 2008. The twenty-first-century HR organization. Human Resource Management, 47, pp.829-50. Wright, B.E., Moynihan, D.P. & Pandey, S.K., 2012. Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service, Motivation, and Mission Valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), p.206–215.

Public Policy in the American Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Comte and Durkheim Concern with Social Order Essay - 1

Comte and Durkheim Concern with Social Order - Essay Example They are the pillars of comte’s study to bring social stability. They are the two aspects of a theory and correlative to each other. Dynamics (process of evolution) can only be occur in society when the society in stable or equilibrium (static) phase. Comte does not place individual as the base of society. According to his studies, base of a society is family. Families become tribes and tribe nations or all other elements of society build upon family element. Family makes a man adoptable to the society he lives and responsible and a functioning member of his surroundings. He says binding forces and key factors for the stability of society are language, division of labor and religion. Without knowing language, you won’t be able to communicate and share knowledge to each other and in society. Religion binds and stabilizes the society by some common beliefs. He says religion acts as positive guide. And division of labor keeps the chain intact in society on the basis of sim ilarity of class (Comte & Lenzer, 1998). The relation and interaction of family element with the rest of society explains Comte’s theory of labor division. They are correlative and interdependent to each other it helps in holding together the social structure firmly. His studies states that everyone has his own roles to play in a society such as husband is dependant upon his wife for his needs and it binds them together in a society. Division of labor explains and creates interdependency and social control. According to his law, human brain, communities and world history has gone through a process through three phases for its evolution and development. The theological stage is consumed by a search for the necessary things of life, and people used to believe that all the things have been created by god and supernatural forces. According to Comte, positivism can overcome and replace the negativism.

Standardized Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Factors influencing Language and Literacy - (4) Language Change Essay

Factors influencing Language and Literacy - (4) Language Change - Essay Example With the shift to understanding the importance of culture in teaching English as a second language, teachers are faced with new challenges when teaching adults. Language is complex, far more than just making language and grammar choices. For instance, try translating the phrase â€Å"Linguists have been interested in several aspects of language variations† into Spanish, and then translating the Spanish back to English: Los lingà ¼istas han estado interesados en varios aspectos de la variacià ³n de la lengua. The translation reads: â€Å"The linguists have been interested in various aspects of the variation of the tongue.† That might be quite true because the tongue has a great deal to do with forming words, but it isn’t the phrase that was originally translated. Translation is one of many specific factors that influence language change. What else must be taken into consideration in an analysis of change? An effort will be made to investigate factors such as cultural variation, social networking, ethnicity, communication in a family-unit and technological advances, as they relate to teaching and learning a different la nguage. Looking back at the history of the English language over the past hundred years, pronounciation, spelling and meaning have changed very little, but the number of words has greatly increased because of the industrial revolution and the advent of a technological society. Also, military history, with wars throughout the 1900s, made military language very much a part of the century (Wilton, 2005). In Great Britain, the variances of language, i.e. accent, dialect, variety and register, are especially evident in different sections of England. American English has its own regional dialects, as well as different spelling, pronounciation and meaning for many English words. In Australia, both accent and dialect, as well as several words unique to the continent, make the English language distinctive there. For people from Asian

Assignment3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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Term paper-ceramics Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

-ceramics - Term Paper Example The input of ceramic materials to automobile technologies ranges over driving performance, fuel efficiency and exhaust gas purification. A number of ceramic parts, such as knock sensors, oxygen sensors, exhaust gas catalysts, and silicon nitride components for automotive engines, have been well utilized to automobiles. Ceramics revolution is not just confined to the automotive industry- producers in aerospace, defense, medical and telecommunication firms are also progressively utilizing ceramic alternatives. The material is fast becoming to be much known for its application in earthenware and pottery and more for the opportunities it creates in the production of goods necessary in our daily lives. This paper will examine the contribution of the ceramics to advances in automotive technologies. It will also try to explore the possible contributions of ceramics in the future such as ceramic gas turbines, adiabatic turbo-compound diesels, electric vehicles and fuel cells due to advances in ceramic technologies. Ceramics is an inert composite containing a metal and a non metal or several non metals. These materials have several properties that identify them. For instance, they are delicate thus easily broken, elastic, quite hard, and need high melting temperatures. They are also electrical, act as thermal insulators and have a high chemical stability. Examples of ceramics include silica (an ingredient used in glass products and contains silicon dioxide), alumina (used in abrasives and contains aluminum oxide) and complex compounds that contain hydrous aluminum silicate used mostly in clay products. Ceramic products are clay in form of bricks, cement used for construction, intractable ceramics that can withstand high temperatures like furnaces used in factories, glass and glass fibers, abrasives, and white ware products. Ceramics are divided in three categories: Traditional ceramics, new ceramics and glass. Ceramics are stronger than metals thus are

Math problem Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Math problem - Speech or Presentation Example Middle is the value that represents the center of a variable. In this case, both the median (3.7) and the mode (3.7) are in middle. This list is negatively (left) skewed as the value 1.0 is very low compared to all other values 4.0, 3.7, 3.7 and 3.7, and thus has an effect on average value. We take average value as middle for normally distributed data, however, in this case, data are left skewed, and therefore, appropriate choice for middle is median. The mode value is rarely taken as a middle value. If, I look at the routine that I do every day at work, the average time it takes to complete it matters most. The reason for this that there is not much variation in time for doing the routine work (it is a habit), therefore, average time represents the middle. However, in some cases when there is a problem, the time take more than usual, in such circumstances, the median is more appropriate because time taken will be right skewed. For finding the middle of process, I look first whether distribution is normal or not. For normal distribution, the average represents the middle of the process. If distribution is skewed, than the median represents the middle of the process. The normal distribution is symmetric and bell shaped. The scores in a normal distribution are more concentrated in the middle than in the tails. It is an example of continuous probability distribution. It has two parameters, the mean mu and the standard deviation sigma that is used to specify a distribution completely.   If we look at a process and can use a tool to normalize the data, or convert it to a normal distribution, than we will be able to know the range of the values for the process. By using a normal distribution, we can set an upper and lower limit for the process mean so that anytime the process mean is outside this range (above upper limit or below lower limit), we will know that there is some problem and the process

1.Government funding of faith schools is a flawed policy. It Essay

1.Government funding of faith schools is a flawed policy. It undermines community cohesion and contributes to social division. Discuss - Essay Example 2004: 38) that are sustained by government funding. Hence, the issue raised over and over again is whether it is justifiable for the government to fund faith schools. The objective of this essay is to review and discuss the alleged negative implication of faith schools on community and social cohesion. The discussion will involve a broad array of stakeholders, such as students, local authorities, education practitioners, teachers, religious leaders, and parents, through an array of various ways whereby we could gain something from their awareness and experiences about the challenges and advantages to community cohesion that a faith school system provides. This essay will provide a brief discussion on the major views and recommendations of various stakeholders abovementioned. It also connects the current status of faith-based schools in England to substantiate further discussion on this important issue. The recommendations put forth in this essay have comprehensive repercussions for the nation’s whole education system. In our joint efforts to build a productive multicultural society, major change may at times be essential. Too frequently the dispute about England’s faith schools has been founded on bare rhetoric; in this essay the author provide a more well thought-out and evidence-based framework. Recently, there have been extensively documented exchanges of opinions concerning the issues of faith-based schools, specifically those in the government sector. Often controversial, the debate has mirrored the views of a wide array of groups and individuals, outside and within education (Johnson 2006). Myriad of those issues revolve around the contribution of all schools in enhancing social cohesion in the face of growing government sponsorship of and interest in faith schools (Johnson 2006). Faith-based schools are viewed by government policy as a medium for providing enhanced parental choice,

Prejudice And Discrimination Article Essay Example for Free

Prejudice And Discrimination Article Essay One of the most interesting places to visit in this world is India. Located in South Asia it is officially called the Republic of India. India is well-known for being the second most populous nation in the world next to China.   There are many diverse ethnic groups among the people of India. The six (6) main ethnic groups are Negrito, Proto (Australoids or Austrics), Mongoloids, Mediterranean or Dravidian, Western Brachycephals and the Nordic Aryans (â€Å"People of India,† n.d.). India is also known to be the country from which one of the world’s largest religious congregations has originated, Hinduism. Thus, â€Å"about 80% of the population is Hindu, and 14% is Muslim. Other significant religions include Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists. There is no state religion (â€Å"India,† n.d.).† India and the large number of its population is home to a vast array of culture and people, and a distinct classification of its Hindu believing population of the structural and hierarchical classification of its own members known as the caste system.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"The caste is a closed group whose members are severely restricted in their choice of occupation and degree of social participation. Marriage outside the caste is prohibited. Social status is determined by the caste of ones birth and may only rarely be transcended† (â€Å"Caste,† n.d.). The caste system is an intricate classification of its population and many people can directly associate the said term with the â€Å"untouchables† or the Panchamas or Dalits who are the lowest ranked within the system and are tasked to perform the most menial tasks of the community (â€Å"Caste,† n.d; â€Å"Dalit,† n.d.). Even though the Constitution of the Republic of India disallows â€Å"untouchability† the caste remains to be very influential in Indian Society (â€Å"India,† n.d.). Likened to other countries or states, India is also home to its own indigenous people, one of which is the so called Adivasis or literally the original inhabitants† who comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India.   These Indian tribes are also called Atavika (forest dwellers, in Sanskrit texts), Vanvasis or Girijans (hill people, e.g. by Mahatma Gandhi) (â€Å"Adivasi,† n.d.).† Together with the Dalits, the Adivasis form the most discriminated group of people in the Indian community. These groups of people are said to be constantly subjected to ridicule and shame all over India in a constant basis. A study conducted by Mayell, H. (2003) has chronicled some atrocities committed particularly against the Dalits who are historically the only   ones referred to as â€Å"untouchables† by citing that â€Å"Statistics compiled by Indias National Crime Records Bureau indicate that in the year 2000, the last year for which figures are available, 25,455 crimes were committed against Dalits. Every hour two Dalits are assaulted; every day three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered, and two Dalit homes are torched.† Furthermore, she stated that â€Å"No one believes these numbers are anywhere close to the reality of crimes committed against Dalits. Because the police, village councils, and government officials often support the caste system, which is based on the religious teachings of Hinduism, many crimes go unreported due to fear of reprisal, intimidation by police, inability to pay bribes demanded by police, or simply the knowledge that the police will do nothing (Mayell, 2003.)† The Dalits can trace its being oppressed from the fact that India being largely a country of people adhering to Hindu beliefs from which the caste system is derived, are the people who are supposed to be the untouchables or, as discussed, ranked at the lowest. As a result of this, naturally the Dalits are can be rightfully perceived and treated the way religion, tradition and history has treated them, which is sadly bordering on slavery.   However, without passing judgment, albeit being quite possibly insensitive, the plight of the Dalits can easily be viewed as part of the natural made up of the Hinduism belief from which any non-Hindu society member can not and should not question. Religiously speaking, based on the Hindu belief a Dalit is a person who has does not have any varnas. Varna refers to the Hindu belief that most humans were supposedly created from different parts of the body of the divinity Purusha. The part from which a Varna was supposedly created defines a persons social status with regards to issues such as who they can marry and which professions they could hold (â€Å"Dalit,† n.d.). For their parts, the Adivasis being the original dwellers of India had their own unique way of societal structure, culture and tradition which has like most indigenous tribes all over the world become outmoded as the modern world around them evolved. The discrimination and pitiful situation of the Adivasis are not directly rooted to Hinduism but possibly to a mix of modernization and the former. This possible mix can not be easily discounted knowing the fact that most people in India are Hindu or believers of Hinduism. It is important to stress that the Adivasis as a classification within the Indian population is not brought about or classified as such by Hinduism per se or as part of its caste system. As discussed, the Adivasis is an ethnic group who are original inhabitants of India possibly even prior to the birth of Hinduism whose culture has failed to completely cope up with the modern world. Thus, Bijoy, C. (2003) said â€Å"relegating the Adivasis to the lowest rung in the social ladder was but natural and formed the basis of social and political decision making by the largely upper caste controlled mainstream. The ancient Indian scriptures, scripted by the upper castes, also further provided legitimacy to this.† Hence, even though that the Adivasis can mostly trace their own problems from the failure of their culture and practices to conform to the modern world, as contrast to that of the Dalits, which can easily trace their own problems from its religion, the Adivasis by simply being not well-equipped enough to cope with the modern world are easily lumped together with the Dalits. As a result, together the Dalits and Adivasis form the most oppressed people in India who are more known as the untouchables. According to Tarique (2008) it is not only a struggle for dignity and self-respect that these poor groups of Indian people are fighting for. They are also engaged in the â€Å"struggle for their rights and entitlements for land, access to natural resources, livelihood, employment and to market in general. (Tarique, 2008.)† It is sad to note that these said factual happenings in a modern world such as ours are still happening.   It is but a semblance of irony knowing that the problems that these people are facing and fighting everyday are rooted to one of man’s most sacred possessions, his religious beliefs, which in itself has taught us notions of goodness and the proper way to which we should live our lives; religion, from which ideas of turning away from sin and helping one’s own fellowman being the exact cause of a structuralized system of discrimination and oppression.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strictly speaking it is difficult to question the plight of these untouchables more so with the Dalits than the Adivasis because the former’s pitiful situation can be justified by the fact that society has adapted it as part of its religious beliefs. An outsider or any non-Hindu looking into the said situation may not have the proper perspective to look into the plight of these untouchables.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is without a doubt that when one adapts the globally accepted notion of humane treatment, the sorry plight of these untouchables more so that of the Adivasis who are clearly not directly   Hindu in origin, but more of an â€Å"accidental untouchables†, are well   below the world standards of humane treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Today as the world has chosen to progress and adapt globally its own evolving norms of legal and illegal, acceptable and taboo, good or bad, the world has given more emphasis to equality among ALL MEN without qualifications based on race, gender, birth, color of skin and etc. It is without a doubt that the untouchables of India both the Dalits and Adivasis are victims of a society who have failed to progress with the times.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Adapting the global perspective and the trend to which modern world is predominantly practicing, today’s world would put any country into shame when one does not act upon or even question the sad and pitiful plight of the Dalits and the Adivasis, the so called untouchables, the accidental slaves of society, people who are as early as birth are discriminated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In fact as already pointed out, it shall be everyone’s dream to realize and fulfill the perceived mandate of the Indian Constitution itself that outlaws this form of treatment of the so called untouchables. Perhaps only then one can give more emphasis and be prouder to claim India as a country truly rich in culture and proud history. References: Adivasi. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Adivasi Bijoy, C. (2003). The Adivasis of India. A History of Discrimination, Conflict and Resistance. PUCL Bulletin. Retrieved January 8, 2008, from http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Dalit-tribal/2003/adivasi.htm Caste. (n.d.). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/columbia/caste Dalit. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved January 8, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Dalit India. (n.d.). Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from Reference.com website: http://www.reference.com/browse/columbia/India Mayell, H. (2003). India’s â€Å"Untouchables† Face Violence, Discrimination. National Geographic News. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/06/0602_030602_untouchables.html People of India. (n.d.). People of India. Retrieved January 9, 2008, from http://www.webindia123.com/india/people/people.htm Tarique (2008). Fact Finding Mission on the Violence against Dalit and Adivasis Kundahamal District. India News. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2008/jan/09/fact_finding_mission_violence_against_dalit_and_adivais_kundahamal_district.html

Report on takotsubo cardiomyopathy

Report on takotsubo cardiomyopathy Abstract This is a report on Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. It includes details of the left ventricle, proposed mechanisms of the disease, reasons as to why certain regions are affected and some arent, the exact problem in detail, symptoms and clinical features including tests and ECG readings, treatment options used and prognosis, incidence and recurrence, some case reports to show the condition in its clinical setting and a conclusion summing up the important points and what direction needs to be taken with regards to the disease. Introduction What do I mean by a broken heart? A broken heart can mean many things, both physiologically and philosophically. Physiologically a broken heart can be a myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, angina, the list is endless. However, philosophically speaking a broken heart is generally perceived as the loss of a loved one or a relationship breakup but in this context can also mean other things which would also cause severe emotional stress such as legal issues, sudden poor financial situation, intense arguing, finding out you have a chronic terminal illness or a loved one does, surgery and car accidents and even the stoppage of use of addictive drugs. We know profound stress can cause certain cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. A relatively recent cardiomyopathy has been discovered, and is called broken heart syndrome. This is because it is highly associated with having a profound amount of emotional stress. Heres some anatomy of the left ventricle and myocardium muscle. The left ventricle will be concentrated on as that is the general area this cardiomyopathy occurs. The left ventricular free wall is thickest at the base and thinnest at the apex (usually around 1-2mm). The left ventricular free wall in general is 3 times thicker than the right ventricular free wall. The role of noradrenaline Noradrenaline is a hormone and a neurotransmitter produced in the human body. It is released upon excitement, threat etc and directly increases the heart rate. It is released in the fight or flight response. So what is broken heart syndrome? Broken heart syndrome was first recorded by Dote et al in 1991. They discovered that this form of cardiomyopathy involved the left ventricle and particularly the apex. They found that instead of contracting normally to pump blood around the body, the ventricle ballooned and expanded. This is due to akinesia of the distal anterior wall and apical wall and hypercontraction of the basal wall. Obviously, this would have a severe effect on the blood flow to vital organs so could be quite problematic. It was named Takotsubo cardiomyopathy because the appearance of the left ventricle in an angiogram resembles an octopus pot, which translates as Takotsubo in Japanese. It is also referred to as apical ballooning syndrome, due to the ballooning of the apex. A shows what happens in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in contraction, as can be seen the volume of the ventricle increases. B shows what a normal contraction should look like. What are the physiological mechanisms behind Takotsubo cardiomyopathy? There have been a few proposed theories, but no one is quite sure. Multivessel coronary vasospasm One theory is that many of the coronary arteries spasm and constrict at the same time so blood flow is greatly reduced to the myocardium muscle and other areas of the heart. However in some studies a vasospasm has been induce by acetylcholine and it has not been conclusive. Also the duration of the abnormal wall motion is longer than it should be. Release of catecholamines In almost all cases of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, increased levels of catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine) have been found in the body. There are many things which can induce a release of catecholamines and emotional excitement or stress are some of them. The catecholamines would be released to the heart to make it beat harder and faster. This is the most widely accepted mechanism for Takotsubo but as mentioned earlier, there is no clear answer. Microvascular spasm It has been found that there is impaired microcirculation in this syndrome, but again there are many challenges to this theory. The â€Å"slow-flow† phenomenon is not observed. Impaired microcirculation may be the result of the primary myocardial injury not necessarily the cause of it. So why is the apical wall of the left ventricle and the mid-ventricle the place that is most affected by a surge of these catecholamines? Well, there are a few anatomical and physiological causes for this. There is a markedly higher concentration of adrenergic receptors in the apex of the left ventricle than other parts of the heart and it is these receptors that noradrenaline and adrenaline will bind to. Also due to increased responsiveness of the apical myocardium to stimulation of these receptors. The apical wall is especially vulnerable structurally as when the rest of the heart has a three layered myocardial composition, the apex does not and is therefore a lot thinner. The area of the apex tends to lose its elasticity a lot more easily after many extreme expansions and does not correctly go back to its original state. The apex is a lot more likely to become ischemic as the blood flow is not large in that area so at any time when blood flow is reduced the apex loses out quickly. The Electro Cardio Gram of a person with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy usually shows ST elevation in the acute stage, T wave inversions and a prolonged QT interval in the sub acute stage and the inverted T wave can persist for weeks in the recovery stage. Clinical presentation The clinical presentation and diagnostic tools are very similar to that of acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial ischemia. A diagnosis of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy should not be made until ACS, coronary artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, pericarditis etc have been ruled out. Along with the ECG there are other symptoms which might lead to a diagnosis. Among these are chest pain and shortness of breath. Temporary loss of consciousness and shock have been reported. A slight elevation of cardiac damage bio markers troponin and creatine kinase can be detected. Surprisingly, it generally occurs in patients without significant blockage of coronary arteries or any acute plaque rupture. Treatments Long term therapy should include: Beta blockers, which work by blocking the transmission of certain nervous impulses to the heart and reduces the heart rate and force of the beat. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which stop the conversion of angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 2, which reduces arteriole resistance and increases the venous capacity. Diuretics get rid if the water built up in lungs from heart failure. Aspirin is used to reduce the risk of another heart attack and prevent more cardiac muscle death. Calcium channel blockers are generally used to lower blood pressure. The treatment for this disease is generally to try and take the stress away that caused it in the first place and is of a supportive nature. Most people suffering from broken heart syndrome recover within about 2 weeks to 2 months. Incidence Various different studies have shown that Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a generally a female condition as between 70% and 100% of all cases are in women, most of whom are post menopausal. The reason for this is unclear, however some explanations have been proposed. Sex hormones may definitely influence the sympathetic neurohormonal axis and coronary vasoreactivity. Females may also be more susceptible to myocardial stunning that is mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Endothelial function is altered due to changes in oestrogen levels and this could be another reason for the much more common occurrence in post menopausal women. A Danish study suggested that 234 out of 100,000 people get acute coronary syndrome and an American study reported that 1.7% to 2.2% of patients thought to have acute coronary syndrome actually have Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. So as can be seen it is a very rare illness. Around 99% of patients in hospital with Takotsubo survive the disease and fully recover. Some reports suggest that up to 10% of patients who recover will get it again. This makes it difficult from a treatment point of view as to how long to treat for. Some case reports Case 1 67 year old woman presenting with chest pain that has lasted a day has ST elevations on ECG. Chest pain is substernal and is linked with dyspnoea. Pain radiates to left arm. When resting pain and dyspnoea goes after an hour but comes back throughout the day. ECG is concerning. She is sent to the emergency department from a clinic. Her blood pressure is 140/86 mmHg, pulse is 86 beats per minute, breathing is 14 breaths per minute, O2 saturation is 100%, she is cannulised and on 2 litres per minute nasally. Her temperature is 37.1 °C. She smokes 20 packs of cigarettes a year. She is asked about a history of heart problems in her family and she begins to cry and describes her sisters death from a heart attack just 2 days before. ECG shows small Q waves, T wave inversions, ST elevation and poor R wave progression. All other tests are normal, a left ventriculogram reveals akinesia of parts of the apex. 7 days later she has normal left ventricular function and apex wall motion is normal, though the base appears to be contracting harder than apex. Case 2 86 year old woman is in emergency department presenting with chest pain that has lasted 10 hours. It is substernal and does not radiate. Her blood pressure is 185/88 mmHg, pulse is 71 beats per minute, breathing rate is 20 breaths per minute O2 saturation is 98% and she is breathing normal air. Her temperature is 35.7 °C. Medical history is hypertension, gout a hysterectomy and hypothyroidism. She has a family history of coronary disease. ECG shows ST elevation and T wave inversion. All other tests are normal. The left ventriculogram reveals akinesia of the apex and mid anterior wall. The base has normal function. Mid septum shows hypertrophy and apex shows hypotrophy. Left ventricular function is at just 34% ejection fraction. It is found out that her son was killed accidentally just 2 weeks prior to onset of symptoms. Conclusion Yes, by all means it is possible to die of a â€Å"broken heart†. Both cases showed that a profound amount of severe emotional stress led to the Takotsubo â€Å"broken heart† syndrome Although it is a very rare disease and almost all patients survive and recover fully, if the condition goes unnoticed or untreated it can prove fatal. As can be seen from the cases, the symptoms are very general with tests not showing many abnormalities. It seems to have no predisposition in people with heart problems. Its symptoms and clinical features are very similar to that of acute coronary syndrome. The most defining tests seem to be the ECG which shows similar results each time, and a left ventriculography, which can show up exactly which parts of the ventricle wall have akinesia. The relatively recent discovery of the disease means that although it is fully recognised by medical institutions it is not fully integrated into clinical practise. Although incidence is rare, this does need to change. More research must be done in the field to fully understand the mechanism behind the illness, as all the proposed mechanisms are unproved and conflicting. By finding the correct mechanism the treatment options can also be broadened to suit more specifically the cause and not just management. References Apical ballooning syndrome or takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a systematic review Gianni M, Dentali F, Grandi AM, Sumner G, Hiralal R, Lonn E. European Heart Journal 2006. Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, or Broken-Heart Syndrome Virani SS, Khan AN, Mendoza CE, Ferreira AC, de Marchena E. Texas Heart Institute Journal 2007 v.34 Recognition of the Apical Ballooning Syndrome in the United States G. William Dec, MD Circulation 2005 American Heart Association Stress, emotion and the heart: tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy Iqbal MB, Moon JC, Guttmann OP, Shanahan P, Goadsby PJ, Holdright DR Postgrad Med J 2006;82:e29 www.takotsubo.com www.wrongdiagnosis.com Hursts The Heart A case of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy mimicking ACS Metzl et al 2006 Nat Clin Pract Cardiovasc Med Apical and Midventricular Transient Left Ventricular Dysfunction Syndrome (Tako-Tsubo Cardiomyopathy): Frequency, Mechanisms and Prognosis Kurowski et al 2007 CHEST Systematic Review: Transient Left Ventricular Apical Ballooning: A Syndrome That Mimics ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Bybee et al December 2004 Annals Takotsubo cardiomyopathy a case series and review of the literature West j emergency medicine Acute coronary syndrome: incidence and prognosis, Nielsen KM, Danish Medical Bulletin No. 1. February 2006. Vol. 53 Page 95

Ethical Issues Qualitative Research On Internet Communities Media Essay

Ethical Issues Qualitative Research On Internet Communities Media Essay Ethics are always considered in conducting social research. Ethic is a set of principles, moral duties and obligations that guides the conduct of people (American Correctional Health Services Association, 2010). For social research, ethical is to conform to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group (Babbie 2007, p62). Generally, there are four ethical principles should be concerned in conducting social research including no harm to participants, informed consent, voluntary participation, and privacy and confidential. Here, Qualitative research into internet communities has created new ethical issue of informed consent. Informed consent means that subjects must base their voluntary participation in research projects on a full understanding of the possible risks involved, (Babbie, p64). In fact, the research on internet communities has led to a violation of this principle. Internet communities such as discussion boards, mailing lists, chat rooms, or newsgroups, provide rich information about peoples opinion or daily experiences. It is useful for researchers to obtain relevant data, such as some patient self support communities sharing their personal experiences. Researchers can access to those communities for acquiring information and observation. However, it brings a problem that some internet communities members do not want to be the research subjects and being monitored. Researchers might be intruders and damage the communities. Here, members are not the voluntary participants. Then, informed co nsent here may not work. Besides, there is also harm to research subjects on the internet communities when researchers are interested in insight research. For example, some of the members on Breast Cancer Mailing List claim that they do not want to be observed. When researchers are gaining insight personal experience about the breast cancer patients, it can recall their negative memories which lead distress to them. And the second main ethical issue is that there is a risk of disclosing to the privacy and confidentiality of internet communities member. Privacy and confidential is about the researcher can identify a given persons responses but promises not to do so publicly (Babbie 2007, p65). Since internet contains many of powerful search engines such as Google, it can search anything a user wants. For example, when the authors search for the Dejanews archive to find comments of newsgroup participants responding to researchers requests, it can show many of related messages. Another issue on privacy and confidentiality is that there could be various pitfalls for researchers. Particularly researchers may unintentionally violate the privacy of some members due to the blur spaces of internet. For example, even if researchers remove any personal information about research subjects, they may also breach the participants confidentiality due to the power of search engines. Thus, privacy and confidential on internet community is difficult to achieved. Words: 482 The authors distinguish three different types of research into internet communities. Summarise them in your own words. (400 words) Generally, the three types of research methods may include the passive analysis, active analysis, and identifying themselves as such and gathering information in the form of using internet. First, the first type is the passive analysis which the researchers would not actively participate in the online study. However, they would focus on the studies of information patterns on websites, interactions on discussion groups through observation. They may analysis those studies about helping mechanisms, and content of online self help groups for some patients like colorectal cancer, breast cancer, Alzheimers disease, and eating disorders. Second is the active analysis which is the researchers would participant in such internet communications. That means researchers try to be a participant to communicate with others. For instance, researchers would determine whether the responses to healthcare questions on the Usenet accurate or not. And the third type is that researchers would identify themselves as and gather information by using different forms of online methods. They may include online semi structured interview, online focus groups, or internet based surveys or use the internet to recruit participant for traditional research. Therefore, it is a more diverse way for researchers to use. Words: 213 Research into Internet communities blur the boundaries between public and private space. Describe the issues identified in the article. (400 words) In the article, it stated there is a difficulty to dichotomize the boundaries between public and private space appropriately during the process obtaining an informed consent from research subjects. In fact, research into internet communities is quite different to the traditional research for obtaining informed consent. Traditionally, informed consent is required when the research is occurred in a private context where individuals are expected there is no observation or reporting is taking place. If it is a public space, the research about natural observation is acceptable without obtaining consent from those subjects. And it does not require Research Ethics Board to review when the research is about observation, as it can be expected participants are seeking public visibility. Therefore, it has more clear boundaries between public and private space. However, research into internet communities may blur such boundaries as people participate in online discussion groups cannot be assumed to be seeking public visibility. And there are various ways of defining public or private space from researchers and internet communities users. Here, some issues are identified which relate to how to perceive the level of privacy in internet communities. Firstly, it noted that most of the subscribers are likely to see the group as a private space in cyberspace when a subscription or some form of registration is required to access a discussion group. Therefore, when there is a registration in that internet community, it is a private space. Secondly, it is pointed out the numbers of (real or assumed) users of a community determines how a public is. The public space is perceived to be a posting to mailing lists with 10 subscribers here is different 100 or 1000 subscribers in mailing lists. However, the problem now is that it is impossible to determine the actual or assumed users when sending messages as some messages may store in web accessible archives. Therefore, using the number of determining the space is public or not may cause the blur of boundaries. Finally, the perception of privacy sometimes is depended on an individual groups norms and codes, target audience, and aim may lay down in the frequently asked questions or information files of internet communities. In this way, it is firstly not easy for researcher to distinguish whether it is a private or public space. More importantly, researchers cannot access to those individual groups as they have set some norms and policies which not allow them to observe those subjects even researchers interested in. For example, a self support group of sexual abuse survivors has a group policy not allow those who were not sexual abuse survivors participating in. On the whole, research into internet communities blurs the boundaries between public and private space where it is difficult to determine these two spaces appropriately. The article mainly identified some issues about the level of privacy or the types into internet communities are various. Words: 480 Using an example of an internet community familiar to you, how might informed consent be obtained to study that community and discuss any problems in the methods you suggest? (800 words) Internet communities provide conveniences and rich information for qualitative research. However, how informed consent might be obtained is a problem that researchers encounter. Here, an example of internet community will be used to show the method of obtaining informed consent. And also discuss the problem may rise. One of the internet communities I familiar to is the discussion board from Facebook. It can connect many of different self support groups. Particularly, an example of support group that I know is the SoulTalk which has established within Facebook. SoulTalk is a non-profit organization with website and discussion board in Facebook. It provides professional, personalized care, support and resources for women share with emotional or relationship crisis. In the discussion board, it is a private group which only opens for its members to share emotional and experiences. Moreover, there are professional counselors helping members to solve problems. There are about 20 members within this discussion board, which they share their experiences about emotional problems. For those who are not the members can only view the basic information and no sharing is allowed. For someone who wants to access this discussion board, they can request for join it but should be confirmed by the group administrator. At first, we should register to be a member of Facebook. And then we can be the member of that community. While the researchers want to study this community, they may firstly need to register to Facebook and then wait for the confirmation of this community. Since this discussion board is a private group, it can be expected that all the information and data from the members are confidential, and they are not seeking public visibility. Therefore, informed consent is required to study this online community. First, as suggested by McCleary (2007), getting permission to enter the group from the administrators is necessary when studying that community. Since they know that community better than researchers, therefore, it should be a better way to understand the group norms or standards from that community, and what would be the best way to obtain consent from members. To obtain the permission from the group organizer, the researchers should explain their purposive of the research, and what form of the members data would be analyzed, and how they ensure that there will be no harm to members. Then, when there is a need to analyze the research result by quoting or using the postings of members, it is important to send emails and ask retrospectively each member of informed consent. Informed consent should note the content of consent form should explain the purpose of the research, and provide a description of any reasonably risks or discomforts to the subjects (Frankel and Siang 1999). Also, it should state the extent of members confidentiality of records would be used and maintained. In this way, members may know more about the research and the possible risks to them, thus, it can give members the considerations whether to withdraw or not. For example, to explain the obtained of their data would only be used in report with anonymity. If members are still refused to participate in, there are also alternatives to them withdraw from the analysis of research. Therefore, the ethical principle of obtaining informed consent can be maintained. Moreover, there will be less intrusiv e in this way and avoid the artificial of the stories made by participants. Indeed, the methods bring some problems. First, the method of asking each member of consent is quite time consuming and unmanageable. As said by Eysenbach and Till (2001), the email address may not be valid and some of them would respond to you. Thus, it may cause some troubles where researchers do not know the email is valid or not. And it is quite difficult for researchers to receive all the consent forms and analyze the result. It generally would be a problem of obtaining informed consent. Also, there would be also a problem that it is possible the administrator does not allow to access the discussion group where the researchers are interested in studying that issue. Therefore, it brings disadvantage to researchers. Besides, even if the administrator allows researchers to enter the group, it does not mean that all of other members agree their information is disclosed. Although researchers may try to conform to the ethical principles to obtain members consent, some of the members indeed do not expect and want to be research subjects. They may perceive researchers as intruders as a result of damaging that community. For example, after the members knowing there are researcher lurking on the discussion board, they may decide to leave the community. Therefore, it is a possible problem that this method of informed consent brings out. On the whole, researcher can identify whether the discussion board as a private space from the example because it has stated that the board would open to non-members. So, it is clear for researchers to follow the ethical principles. However, it still brings problems that cannot be solved during the process of obtaining informed consent which the above have stated. More importantly, the deeper problem should be considered is there is no a consistent guideline to define the boundaries between public or private spaces. Therefore, it brings difficulty to researchers when conducting online research particularly the different level of measuring private spaces. Words: 885 Total words: 2060

Voluntary Childlessness Essay -- essays research papers

â€Å"There has been an unprecedented decline in childbearing in the Untied States over the last decade and a half. This change has been attributed to a number of factors, such as later marriage, fewer marriages, higher levels of female employment and education, and most remarkably, an apparent increase in voluntary childlessness† (Silka and Kiesler: 1). â€Å"The voluntary childless are those who do not have children, expect none, and have no known biological impediment to childbearing, or have been sterilized for contraceptive reasons† (Abma and Peterson 1995). These individuals have many personal, economic, and monetary reasons for a childless marriage and the majority of these women fit into one of four categories; practical, hedonists, idealistic, and emotional. Although, these couples vary in their reasons for not wanting children they have carefully examined the pros and cons of a childless family and made their choices accordingly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Couples today are less sure about the rationale for having children. In former times (and in many non-western cultures today), children were seen as playing an important role in the continuance of family. Children may have been needed for kinship ties, to work on the family business, to look after parents in their old age, or to safeguard an inheritance. Presently, in Western society, the economy and the interests of industry have generally taken precedence over parenting and the interests of family (http:/wwwcfi.ie/feb2001/crisis.htm 3). There are two categories of women who wish to remain childless, as identified by Baum, which fit into this particular scenario. The first group of women falls under the heading of â€Å"practical†. They have a practical reason for being childless, such as a desire to pursue their career without the interference of a family life, or the fear of passing on a genetic defect. The second group of women who share this viewpoint are â€Å"hedonists†. These women choose to remain childless through a desire to preserve their standard of living and who are unwilling to invest either time or money into raising children (Baum 1994). Working parents with children are faced with limited daycare options, lack of quality time with their children, and less influence over their child’s developing values. These difficulties alone may be enough in order to discourage many couples from having chil... ... in their old age (http://femrhet.cla.umn.edu/proposals/gillespir_rosemary.htm).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The prominent view of children as a status symbol and a social identity still lives on to a certain extent. Married couples are still â€Å"expected† to have children. Although, voluntary childlessness became more acceptable in the 1980’s, couples still feel the social pressure to have children (especially from family members). When deciding whether to bear children or to remain childless, couples must sort through many variables in order to make a unanimous choice on the issue. Having children brings with it large opportunity costs for working mothers. In most cases, they must choose between putting their careers on hold for at least six years or placing their child in the hands of a full time caregiver. Children also bring additional expenses, responsibility, and consumption of free time to the family environment. For some couples, this choice is simple because they may not have the desire to bring a child into this already overpopulated world or t hey may not have any interest in becoming a parent, but for others this choice is a difficult one.

Food Labeling :: essays research papers

Introduction There once was a time where words like "light" and "low-fat" on food packages that had no nutritional meaning. As a result, shoppers were often led to believe they were buying products that were more helpful than they really were. Nutrition panels on labels were also confusing and hard to read. But the Australia New Zealand Authority (ANZFA) changed all that. In March 2001 the ANZFA defined new standardized terms that appear on food labels such as "low-fat", "reduced" and "lean" to control how food manufacturers could put their facts that are relevant to most of our dietary needs. This meaning that food labeling helps consumers to make the best possible food choice. What is a food label? What is on a food label? A food label is a source of advertising a food product. Manufacturers try their best to make their product food label as attractive as possible, by using bright colours, bold text, food claims, and a lot of information. Too much information on a food label might have caused a lot of painful headaches for consumers; but it's all worth it, due to many health and nutrition problems. By law, manufacturers must abide by the standard code terms of what is put on their food label. By this, a food label must have no false claims or information, be in English and legible and easy to see. Also must contain a barcode, name of food, list of ingredients in descending order of weight, net weight, any additives in the food, country of origin, use of imported ingredients, name and address of manufacturer, date marking and nutrition panel if any claims are made. Food and Health claims Food claims seemed to be marketing for a manufacturer, but now it is a warning to a consumer's health. Some examples of claims are "low-fat", "lite", "light", "reduced", "%fat free" and "No added". The food industry is very keen to make health claims on food labels, and the ANZFA has considered lifting the ban that stops them from doing so. Many disagreeable claims are made regarding the ability of nutrients to prevent certain diseases. Food manufacturers are now only allowed to make the following well-established claims concerning relationships between diet and disease: ƒÞ Calcium and a reduced risk of osteoporosis. ƒÞ Fat and increased risk of cancer. ƒÞ Saturated fat and cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease. ƒÞ Fiber and a reduced risk of cancer.

Physical Education Essay

1. A self-reports are completed by the subjects themselves. Proxy reports are completed for someone who is unable to self-report accurately. A recall is a survey asking to ‘recall’ what they did at a certain time in the past (their activities). 2. A recall is answering questions asking about past events where as a diary is updated daily on an overview of many things and is on more than the recall. 3. The sources of error: Poor respondent memory and/or motivation Susceptibility to socially desirable responses Under-estimation of incidental activities Low sensitivity to change. Individual variation in intensity within the same activities 4. Questionnaires are given to the participant before physical activity, to get the basic information about the participant including name, age, recent injuries, what they know about the physical activity, recent sporting activity they have been involved in etc. Pg 327 1. A setting is typically a geographical area or insinuation containing a large, ‘captive’ audience where health messages can be delivered efficiently. 2. Settings approach can be used for health promotion to get people more active. Within the setting based approach, the choice to be physically active can be made convenient, easier, safer and enjoyable by creating an environment to help the participation in physical activity. This will result in getting more people active. This statistic can then be used in advertising campaigns to promote health. 3. List possible settings in which intervention strategies could be applied. home school community workplace 4. List the possible settings the World Health Organisation has identified. schools workplaces cities  clinical Pg 334 1. Read more:  The Importance of Physical Education Characteristics of a school setting for suitable setting physical activity. A major role in providing a physical and social environment so that children can enjoy an active life. A school setting has the can reach all children, providing an opportunity to reach even inactive children. 2. The difficulties experienced of applying the experienced in applying intervention strategies in a school setting are that if there is no pressure is placed on students and teachers, a big decline in participation could occur. 3. The World Health Organisation suggests that policy-makers in education should: strengthening national policies related to physical education providing sufficient playgrounds and sport facilities on school premises increasing physical activity in cultural and leisure programs and events 4. A workplace setting makes an ideal location for delivering physical activity strategies. Many Australian adults spend a number of hours at work and travelling to and from work. In the workplace, adults are grouped together in the one location, which makes it promoting a strategy easy, influencing many adults at once. Student activities Pg 319 1. The adult did not meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines 2. The individual averaged 3 hours of physical activity a week 3. The individual was only active on 2 days each week 4. The individual got most of their physical activity from work (Occupational) 5. 480 minutes per day was the average sedentary behaviour 6. For a 15 year old the individual did not meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines 7. The young person was only slightly under recommended minute for screen time, on screens an average of one and a half hours a day 8. The individual most common physical activity is soccer playing four times a week for two hours 9. The young person was much more active on week days participating in sport classes and soccer, whereas on weekend spent most of their time on screens. 10. Did not participate in any â€Å"other† physical activities Pg 326 1. BHCS does meet the mandate with all ages groups with the amount of hours given to physical activity 2. The mandate from the department of education and early can be inforced by monitoring schools by sending a worker to schools to check the physical activity routine 3. Primary school could open up lunchtimes to dedicated sports involving children in them and give teaches training in physical education for a broader knowledge. Chapter Review Questions Pg 338 1. a) Describe three reasons physical activity is assessed at the population level? Determine the amount of physical activity required to influence specific health area. Identify biological, psychological and environmental factors that influence physical activity. Study the relationship between physical activity and health conditions. For example, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular risk factors, mental health, and obesity. b) The difference between a recall and a survey is a recall (remember) is what they did either yesterday, last week, last month or last year depending on the measurement of time used. Usual a survey is how much physical activity you do in a typical week. c) A physical activity log is the personal record of the individual’s physical activity. This is different to a recall survey because a recall is to recollect what they did either yesterday, last week, last month etc. d) A proxy reports are sometimes used for someone who is unable to self-report in a reliable way. They may be completed for a child by a parent. 2. a) A error of a recall survey could be that the participant answers sounds more socially accepted. They could also forget physical activity they have done, more often forgetting incidental physical activity. b) To get better quality data, you make it clear that if there is anything that the participant don’t understand. You can also explain to the individual what incidental physical activity is. c) Both GPAQ and MARCA surveys have the potential to measure physical activity over all domains d) There are three different measures to tell you if you have done 150mins a week. Two only calculate the 150 minute guideline. The third measure calculates both 150 minutes and 5 sessions, (the guidelines for physical activity). 3. a) The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire is a recall instrument its purpose is to assess physical activity patterns. b) Sedentary behaviour is assessed by using a 16 item GPAQ questionnaire. 4. The Active Australia Survey can measure: physical activity based on a log recording a week walking for transport moderate physical activity and vigorous physical activity gardening and yard work physical activity differently from the National Health Survey 5. a) The most commonly used measurements in Australia to assess children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour is the MARCA and CLASS surveys b) No the CLASS survey is not the same as a recall survey, a recall measures the amount of physical activity during a previous day/week/month. The CLASS survey measures the amount of physical activity on a typical day or weekend. c) You would assess physical activity before and after an intervention program to see what the change in physical activity behaviour is. 6. a) A setting is typically a geographical area or insinuation containing a large, ‘captive’ audience where health messages can be delivered efficiently. b) Three physical environment approaches are: Develop well-equipped playgrounds with playground equipment, line markings on courts, walls, grassed areas and goalposts. Establish walking/cycling paths around the school perimeter for use by students, families and the community. Ensure speed humps, signage, roundabouts in streets around schools to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists. 7. Describe what the notion ‘walk-ability’ refers to and how it is measured. Walkability is the measure of the overall walking conditions of an area. Factors that are commonly assessed in walkability are; crossings, lighting, shade, access to footpaths, driver behaviour, traffic calming, safety and crime. 8. a) Schools should be providing: Prep to Year 3: 20-30 minutes of physical education a day Years 4-6: 3 hours a week of physical education and sport with a minimum provision of 50 per cent for physical education Years 7-10: 100 minutes per week each for physical education and sport Schools are recommended in providing 2-3 hours of physical activity b) List 5 factors that could be potential barriers to classroom teachers delivering physical education classes in primary schools: Little amounts funds put towards physical education, limiting what equipment school has No spare classes for physical education. Computer devices being promoted in the schools, children are becoming less interested in physical education A lack of equipment or space Not enough training for teachers c) Three strategies that could be implemented to assist primary schools in meeting this mandate and overcoming some of the barriers: lack of equipment, you could get some of the children sporting equtment Lack of space, play games inside the classroom Lack of training, organise a training for the teachers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Synchronous and Asynchronous Learning in an Online Class Essay

The advantages of asynchronous learning far outweigh the disadvantages and this approach has the ability to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the overarching learning objectives for most courses. One such advantage is the result of the way asynchronous learning is employed. All comments from the students and the instructor are saved throughout the class and organized by discussion and date. This provides students with the opportunity to take in all of the materials that are presented and reflect on all of the concepts at an appropriate time. This advantage benefits students who generally take poor notes or are forced to attend extremely large classes by assuring they do not miss important information. One of the most prevalent and potentially problematic disadvantages of the asynchronous environment is the sense of being disconnected from the group that students may potentially develop. A student that does not feel connected with the class or instructor may lose motivation, interest and ultimately find that learning and retaining the material is nearly impossible. This disadvantage is exacerbated as students feel more and more isolated as time passes and no intervention takes place. The longer this sense of being disconnected continues, the more likely it is that course concepts will fail to become anything more than words on the screen causing a potentially serious disadvantage to become an almost insurmountable obstacle to success. In what ways should making money online have its limits? For example, is pornography, online gambling, etc, fair game? What are the ethical considerations involved? I honestly dont feel that there is a problem with making money online as long as its legal. When people have the opportuinty to take advantage of such things like porn and gambling,they get addicted to it and sometimes overuse it not know what the circumstances will be afterwards.

Health and social unit

In my report I will show my understanding and knowledge of the importance of communication skills in care settings and about values involved in care practices. I have chosen to do my report on educational settings and I will focus on how individuals with specific needs communicate In both group Interactions and one-to- one interactions. I will do this by working in a class on both Thursday and Friday mornings where the pupils have specific needs.I will observe the communication with the teacher and students and also the communication between the students and myself when I take on the role of the teacher. Also, I will take into account the barriers that effect communication such as; cultural differences, Language differences, difficulty In understanding accents and physical tattletales such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. I have chosen to focus on Individuals with specific needs as I am interested in how people with specific needs communicate.For example, a woman named Hel en Keller who was born in 1880, was oaf, dumb and blind and learned to communicate through feeling the vibrations of a person's face when they spoke. I also would like to see how practitioners react and respond to Individuals with specific needs; how they adapt their voice and body language to slut the student. For example, how they change the tone, pitch and pace of their voice to get the student's attention or how they change their facial expressions to show they're unhappy with the students.I also want to see how they follow the care value base to ensure they are treating all of the students correctly ND providing quality service. Know that communication is very important, especially in health and social care settings, as effective communication skills help the practitioner develop an appropriate relationship with the service user, the service practitioner is likely to have regular interactions with service users and the family and friends of the service user. Interactions occur for a variety of reasons in care settings, such as when people give and receive information.The communication cycle is very important as interpersonal interactions in care settings involve two-way communication. I will change the names of the students, teachers and the school throughout my report to maintain confidentiality and their privacy. By doing so, I am following the care value base. Setting the scene: I did my two interactions at Round Hill Secondary School with a class of year 7 students who all had specific needs. Most of the students have reading levels below average and have certain needs that must be met in order for them to learn effectively.The school is a local authority school in statutory services, education is compulsory and provided by law. The school has around 1000 students all aged 11-18 years old. It is the only secondary school in the town and the town has a population of approximately 14,750 people. Many people are unemployed and Working class' and many stu dents are on pupil premium which means that the school is provided with additional funds for disadvantaged students so they are given the same opportunities as other students.The classroom in which the students are taught in is bright and colorful with posters on the walls and some of the student's work on the walls. There are three tables of 6 and a table of 4 pointing towards the whiteboard and teachers desk. There are around 14 students in the lass I am helping in. The students in the year 7 class (EGG) are all aged 11-12. Williams KS sub level is b which is above average; however his attitude to learning is a 3.Ethane's KS sub level is a AAA which is below average and his attitude to learning is a 1. Grace's KS sub level is c which is also above average and her attitude to learning is a 4. The Care Value Base The care value base is a set of values which give guidelines on how the practitioner should treat the service user. It also outlines the rights service users have and what they should expect from health care services. The care value base is very important for anyone working in or using health care services.It is important for clients as it helps them promote their rights by outlining what they should expect from practitioners so they can identify when they are being treated unfairly or incorrectly. Many laws are against discrimination. For example, the equal opportunities legislation prohibits discrimination; the sex discrimination act, the race relations act and the Disability Discrimination act. All care workers must treat all service users without unfair discrimination as this could affect a person's self- incept and lead to loss of self-worth.The care value base helps practitioners to ensure they treat all their clients correctly and equally and ensures that practitioners meet the needs of all service users. For example, It is important for practitioners to avoid any stereotyping or prejudice behavior and ensure that they treat every client as an individual, taking into account the clients personal beliefs, likes and dislikes, and background to provide quality care. Any violation of the care value base made my practitioners can lead to dismissal. It is therefore very important The Care value base transmissions:Promoting anti-discriminatory practice Maintaining confidentiality of information Promoting and supporting an individual's right to dignity, independence, health and safety Acknowledging an individual's personal beliefs and identity Protecting individual's from abuse Promoting effective communication and relationships Providing individualized care AI Types of communication: There are many different types of communication that practitioners will need to use to provide good quality service which meets the needs of each individual service user such as; Non-verbal communication, Written communication, Verbal immunization, Electronic communication and Communication for individuals with specific needs. These are all ways in which the practitioner uses to meet and respond to the service user's physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs.They will need to use these ways of communicating to: Give information, Understand information, express thoughts and feelings and exchange information so that the person they're communicating with can fully understand what they're saying. Verbal communication involves using the mouth and sound to communicate ideas and thoughts for example through words, sounds, speaking, and language. Strong and clear verbal communication gives us the ability to explain our ideas through spoken words and also allows us to listen to other people's ideas and understand them. When communicating verbally, the person must be able to actively listen to the other person's message that they're sending, paraphrase, clarify and respond.An example of verbal communication I observed in EGG was when a student asked the teacher what they had to do through speaking, and the teacher answered by r epeating her instructions and explaining each part of the task. Non-verbal communication is communication that doesn't involve sound or language. For example, this can be body language, facial expressions and gestures such as sign language. An example of non- verbal communication that I observed was when the teacher asked the students if they understood the task before she moved on to the next one, she asked them to show her a thumbs up if they were confident and understood the subject, and to show a thumbs down if they needed a bit more help.This gesture is a simple way for the teacher to find out how her students feel about the topic so that she can make sure she is meeting all of the student's individual needs. Written communication s when ideas are written down for somebody else to see and understand. For example, written communication can be reports, worksheets and letters. An example of written communication that I saw was when the teacher asked the students to draw an arrow i n their book at the end of their work and put a smiley face on the arrow where they think they are, the face being far to the right meaning fully communication that I witnessed, this allows the teacher to see how each individual student feels about their work to Judge their understanding when marking it.The teacher explores ways in which the students can express themselves and get their linings about the topic across to her in simple ways such as these which help her provide the students with the quality care, teaching and learning that they have a right to. Another example of written communication is when the teacher wrote out the whole task on the whiteboard so that the students knew what they had to do. Formal and Informal Communication The language register (the degree of formality or informality) changes depending on the situation a person is in. Formal communication is most likely to be used when a person communicates in an ‘official' way, such as when a care worker is p resenting their care organization. For example, answering the telephone and saying â€Å"Good morning, Round Hill Secondary School, How may I help you? † Can make the person feel respected and valued.Whereas If the care worker answered the phone in an informal way such as â€Å"hello, what's up? † it could be perceived by the person the care worker is communicating with as being disrespectful or even rude. However, informal language might put a service user at ease and make them feel more comfortable. (Promoting effective communication and relationships) Another issue with informal communication is ‘speech communities'. People from different localities or ethnic groups, for example, may use different phrases or words which might not be understood by others and could lead service users to feel excluded and uncomfortable. However, using formal language could lead to the same problem.For example, a person who doesn't work in a hospital isn't likely to understand the technical terminology that the nurses use, such as ‘Myocardial Infarction', but would understand the term ‘heart attack. Using technical terminology might create barriers for people who are not part of that ‘speech community and it is wherefore important to communicate with appropriate language to suit the individual service user. In EGG, the teacher asked a student to ‘multiply 100 by 4' the student didn't understand the question as he didn't understand the terminology used. By using the term ‘multiply instead of times' the teacher confused the student. This shows that terminology can act as a barrier to good communication. The conversation Sandwich Conversations have a beginning, a middle and an end.At the beginning of a conversation a person has to create the right atmosphere and at the end of a conversation a person should leave the right feelings behind. For example, I created the right atmosphere when starting a conversation with a student by sho wing them that I was relaxed. I did this by keeping my muscles relaxed and avoiding tension. My tone of voice also showed I was relaxed as I used a calm voice with varying tone which also showed that I was being friendly. I left the right emotions behind after the conversation took place by smiling. Open and closed questions: While working in EGG, I took into account the questions I was asking the students.I used mainly open questions to encourage the students to speak to me and lead to silences which can make people feel awkward. By using open questions, I encouraged the students to discuss their thoughts and feelings with me. Open questions are likely to encourage the person you are communicating with to give a longer answer. In some situations it is important to use open questions as the person who you're communicating with is more likely to give a better response which can give opportunities to carry on the conversation smoothly and comfortably. I used open questions to develop conversations with the students that can be quiet or shy and encourage them to talk to me. For example, I asked one of the students, â€Å"What were you doing last lesson?Which required an answer other than yes' or ‘no? However, In some situations, such as a Job interview, Closed questions are more likely to be used as they are quick and easy to answer and usually give the questioner the facts they require, for example â€Å"Are you happy? † is a closed question, it only requires a yes' or ‘no' answer. The questioner also usually keeps control of the conversation. Closed questions are more likely to be used in formal situations. I also used probes and prompts to encourage the students to carry on speaking. For example, when a student told me they did not enjoy History, I said, Why not? O encourage them to tell me why they didn't enjoy it.Closed Questions I could have used: Open questions I used to encourage the students to communicate with me: Do you not like mat h's? Why don't you like math's? Did you have breakfast today? What did you have for breakfast today? Do you like school? What do you like about school? Proximity and Personal Space: The space between people during a face-to-face conversation can sometimes determine how friendly the conversation is. In different cultures, people have different views of how close people should be when they're talking. If a care worker eats too close and enters a service user's personal or intimate space without permission they could be seen as being aggressive. Edward T Hall described four levels of proximity: Intimate distance which suggests a closer relationship between individuals if their intimate space is entered, For example, Hugging. Personal distance which usually occurs between people who are family members or close friends. Social distance which is usually between people who know each other well, such as a co- worker. Public distance, Physical distance at this level is often used in public s peaking situations. Talking in front of a class full of students or giving a presentation at work are good examples of such situations. In EGG I witnessed a student who was in trouble being reprimanded by a teacher, who obviously felt that their personal space was being invaded.I know this as Firstly, they turned their face away, then they took a step back and put their hands in their pockets (a defensive action) and lastly the student walked away. In order for strong communication to take place, the communication cycle has to be used effectively. The communication cycle is the process of us thinking of an idea e want to communicate, for example thinking about a task we want to do. Deciding how we're going to communicate the idea, e. G. Speaking about the task. Sending the message. (speaking) The other person then receives the message for example through hearing it, decodes the message, and if the message is understood by the person, they will give you feedback and send a message ba ck.This process is repeated again and again throughout conversations. An example of the communication cycle being used badly was when I observed during a group interaction using verbal communication with three students, myself ND the teacher, The teacher sent a message verbally to the three students explaining the task she expected the students to complete- To work in a group, roll two dice and then multiply the number on the first dice by the number on the second dice and write it down. Some of the students in the group I was working with didn't understand what they had to do as the noise in the classroom from other students served as a barrier which meant that they could not hear the entire message.However, one student in the group, Ethan, listened to the message, decoded the message and understood what he had to do and was able to repeat the message to he other two students, as well as showing them what they had to do successfully as they both listened and understood what he was saying. I then asked the two students what they had to do and they both explained the task correctly, showing that the communication cycle was used correctly between the students and understood. Another example of the communication cycle being misunderstood was one I came across whilst helping in the specific needs class in a one-to-one situation with a student named Adam and myself.There was music playing in a different room and it distracted Adam which served as a barrier to effective communication as the music as a distraction which made hearing the complete message I was sending difficult. Adam couldn't concentrate to listen fully what I was asking him to do and I could see by his blank facial expression and how he started fidgeting by not sitting still that he didn't understand what I had said, I had to repeat what I said and I could see he still didn't understand me as he frowned and looked down at his work and nodded. This is an example of the communication cycle not being en coded correctly as the message I was sending wasn't received and understood and Adam couldn't return the message and he tried to hide the fact he didn't understand. If I hadn't â€Å"read† his facial expression and body language I wouldn't have known this.Examples of the care value base principles being used in the classroom: A principle of the care value base is that all service users have the right to be respected. Another is promoting anti discriminatory practice. I noticed that the students raised their hand when they wanted to ask a question or answer something and waited patiently until the teacher asked them to speak. By doing this, all of the students would be able to speak without being interrupted and all get a turn to answer, getting their point across. If a student interrupted another student when they were speaking, I noticed that the teacher did this, she raised her voice slightly and quickened the pace of her voice to show that the student had done something wr ong.She also changed her body language to show that the student had done something wrong by widening her eyes slightly and also crossing her arms. This way of taking turns to speak promotes equality and respect and encourages the students to treat everybody fairly in later life, regardless of who they are. Another principle of the care value base is maintaining confidentiality of information. An example of this being used effectively that I noticed whilst in the lesson was that if the teacher was away from her laptop during the lesson or had to leave her laptop for any reason, she would always lock it and close it so that none of the students or anybody except herself could access the student's records or any other file on it.She would also keep any information about the students on paper in a locked drawer so nobody except herself could access them. Another example of respecting the student's confidentiality and privacy, when the teacher is speaking to an individual student one-on- one she talks quietly so that what he is saying cannot be heard by others. For example, The teacher was telling one of the students what she had done wrong in her work and explaining that she had to set it out differently to make it easier. When she did this, she lowered her voice so only the student she was speaking to could hear and she also bent down so she was at eye level with the student.This made the student more relaxed and comfortable and didn't give any messages to make the student thinks he had done something wrong. An example where the teacher showed respect while seeking to ensure that a student named Sam didn't cause harm to himself or others around him was in situation where Sam lost his temper and showed aggressive behavior due to another student being disrespectful toward him. Sam was about to approach the student to physically harm him, I know this as he had fixed eye contact with the boy and his muscles were tense. When the teacher noticed what was happening, she quickly raised her voice and told Sam to stop what he was doing and calm down.When she did this, she stretched her arm out in front of Sam with her palm out to show that he must stop what he was doing and she also looked over his shoulder when she was doing it so she didn't look directly at him as that could be seen as aggression. She asked the two boys to leave the classroom and followed them out so that they didn't disrupt the rest of the students in the class any more than they already had. This is an example of both verbal and non-verbal communication as the teacher used spoken language to tell Sam to stop and also body language to effectively send the message to him. Comparing the teacher's quick pace and raised voice in this situation to the calm, slow voice with varying tone when she uses giving instructions, this shows how changing your voice can convey different meanings and effectively get your message across to others.AAA My interactions with the clients/Students: While w orking in a one to one situation with a student named Grace, I had to be aware of the body language and voice I was using as these can send different messages to the student. I made sure I had open body language by moving my chair outwards so that I could sit on an angle facing her instead of sitting straight forward as this could make me seem more approachable. I also kept my arms open and feeling intimidated. I kept my facial expression friendly by smiling slightly. I also had to be aware of proximity and kept out of her personal space as entering this could aka the student feel uncomfortable, awkward or even intimidated.To help the students practice their spelling in a fun way after they had a spelling test, they were allowed to use plasticize to shape letters and then place them on a board to spell words. I noticed that Grace asked me to shape a lot of the letters even though she could do them herself. I asked her why she wasn't doing them herself but made sure to smile slightly and raise the pitch of my voice a little bit so that she didn't think I was angry with her. She said she couldn't do them although I knew that she could as I had seen her do it before. I encouraged her to shape the letters by asking her to try and telling her that if she couldn't I would help her and then praising her when she did.I noticed that when she was praised this encouraged her to do more letters quickly and correctly. I noticed that praising the students made them want to complete tasks correctly. I also followed the care value base by promoting independence as I encouraged Grace to try before I would help her shape the letters. I also followed the care value base as I tried to interact with each student for an equal amount of time each lesson and I encouraged them to interact with me by ending them positive body language. I also promoted effective communication and relationships, for example, I assigned two students a task such as to hand out plastic wallets to each stude nt in the class.AAA: In order for me to be able to deepen and widen my understanding of how communication is used within health and social care settings and not Just what I observed in educational settings (EGG), I used a range of sources such as text books, websites and videos to understand the factors that affect good communication and also the values involved in care. The sources helped me understand why the teacher communicates in the way that she does, such as using appropriate language and body language to suit the students to get her message across to them and they also helped me understand why the Care Value Base is used. Barriers to communication: The term ‘barriers' refers to when communication becomes blocked so that good communication cannot take place. This can be through a person not being able to see, hear or receive the message such as when a person has visual disabilities or hearing disabilities.For example, a student named William who had visual capabilities could not see the white board to check his spellings which lead to him getting out of his seat and moving closer to the board each time he wanted to check a spelling. This situation have disrupted other students and also prevented William from completing his work in time. This situation could have been easily prevented by the teacher taking the time to read Williams SEEN plan which would make her aware of his visual disabilities and allow her to plan a way for William to be less affected by them, such as planning to seat him in closer proximity to the board or giving him the peelings on a sheet of paper. Communication can also become blocked when a person can't understand the message or misunderstands the message.There are many different barriers that can prevent effective communication from occurring ‘norms' which may be confusing or hard to understand for somebody outside of that religion. For example, it might be normal for a Muslim woman to cover her body with loose fittin g clothes as the Islamic religion requires her to cover her body except from her hands and face. A person from outside of that religion may be confused or even offended by this dress code. Environmental barriers. Such as space and noise. Language barriers. For example, a student from another town may have a different accent which might be hard to understand for other students. Emotional barriers. For example, Fear can stop a person from doing something they want or need to do. Disabilities.Such as physical disabilities for example being in a wheel chair. However, people can overcome barriers by learning more about them, finding different ways to communicate and being calm and patient. I noticed that there were simple rules that the teacher had set for the students in her lassoer which made the lesson run more smoothly with less interruptions. For example, when the students were to get their math's folders, they had to get them one by one in the order of the register. This way there would be no crowding around the folders and chance for the students to get distracted by other students or any barriers which could get in the way of the lesson.Whereas if all the students had to get their folders from a cupboard all at the same time, it would take more time and could unsettle the class. Comparing this to the way students get their folders in the ordinary year seven class, where one person from each table gets the folders for everyone on their table, the ‘ground rules' or ‘norms' that the teacher had set for the students in EGG help to overcome barriers and ensure that the lesson is used effectively and no time is wasted. (Promoting and supporting an individual's right to dignity, independence, health and safety) AAA: Conclusions. From my time in EGG I have come to the conclusion that a number of things can effect communication; Body language, Proximity, Appropriate language use, barriers, the type of voice used.I know that Communication is not Just spea king and listening and a person must take into account all of the possible things that can affect A person must think about what message their body language is sending to the person they're communicating with and whether it's appropriate to convey their feelings, such as whether they could be seen as aggressive or assertive. For example, open and closed body language can determine whether or not a person feels comfortable speaking to you. They must think about how the tone, pitch and pace of their voice can portray their feelings such as when I was angry or annoyed at student I would raise the pitch of my voice and quicken the pace of my voice. Think that one of my strengths when communicating is body language.I think I use the correct body language to suit my feelings and the situation I am in and I am aware of the messages that I am sending through my body language. However, I think I could improve my facial expressions when communicating with the students as they sometimes send t he wrong impression. For example, in one situation when I was angry with a student I smiled slightly which confused the student as she didn't think I was being serious. I should have kept my lips pressed together and widened my eyes that I was angry with the student. I understand that throughout all communication in health care service the care value base must be used correctly and appropriately in order for quality service and strong communication to be provided.The values involved in care help both the practitioners and service users develop a strong relationship through communicating effectively as the care value base outlines what to expect for both practitioners and clients. The main conclusion that I have drawn from my research for this report is that good use of communication is n essential tool for anybody working in care services and in everyday life. Strong communication skills are essential for a teacher, as I observed in EGG, to enable learning and provide quality teachi ng to the students. It is also essential that practitioners, such as teachers, follow the care value base rules to improve the client's quality of life by meeting their physical, intellectual, emotional and social needs.The teacher empowered her students by promoting the seven values; Promoting anti-discriminatory practice, Maintaining confidentiality of information, feet, Acknowledging an individual's personal beliefs and identity, Protecting individual's from abuse, Promoting effective communication and relationships and Providing individualized care. Observing policies are essential in order to protect the students from harm or abuse (protecting individuals from abuse) and to build appropriate professional relationships with clients and co-workers (Promoting effective communication and relationships). Teachers should always be trying to improve the quality of their teaching and find ways to provide quality education for each individual student. (Providing individualized care).