Monday, September 30, 2019

My Oedipus Complex Essay

In Frank O’Connor’s short story â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† he writes about a young boy named Larry, who is use to his fathers absence because of World War I. Larry soon fines himself trying to take over his fathers house hold including wanting to marry his mother. When the war ends, Larry’s father returns home and Larry and his father are faced with the conflict of trying to attain his mother’s attention. Over time Larry eventually identifies with his father and starts to see his mother in a different way. Up to the age of five, Larry never really had seen much of his father only on occasions. He was very content on being with his mother. In the mornings he would wake up and climb into bed with her and begin the day talking to his mother about what they were going to do thru out the day. In the mornings after breakfast, they would both go into town to attend mass or go do some shopping. By doing this, Larry began to try to make decisions like his father would. For example Larry’s mother wanted to have another baby because they were the only family who did not have a newborn. Larry was told they were expensive and could not afford it until father came home from the war. However, Larry noticed that their neighbors had a baby and it would have done them just fine. As Larry began to settle with the idea of him and his mother Larry’s father comes home after the war has ended and everything changes. When his father was around Larry soon began to notice his mother’s attitude would change. She would start to scold Larry for being so loud in the mornings that his privileges of climbing into bed were cut off since he would wake his father sometimes on purpose for the reason that he got jealous. Her attitude began to change as well. She would tend to get anxious to please his father all the time and would now send Larry into town with his father. At first Larry was very optimistic about it, but soon realized that he and his father had different notions on their walk into town. Larry could not make his father do anything he wanted and the more he got wild the more his father didn’t seem too noticed. To Larry he just looked like an  enormous mountain that glanced down at him with a grin of amusement. During tea time she would only talk to Larry’s father about the news and get scolded if he interrupted. Larry felt this was foul play and he was prepared to compete with his father for his mother’s attention. Soon after Larry began to get himself into trouble by waking everyone up in the morning or throwing fit’s all around the house because he wasn’t treated as an equal his own home. By doing this his father lost his patients and gave Larry a slap and began to glare at him with his eyes out for murder. That’s when Larry realized that he was jealous too for the attention of his wife. Larry did not give up easily for his mother’s attention and told her one day that when he grew up he wanted to marry her and have lots of babies. She responded with a smile and told Larry that they will have one soon. Almost immediately Larry began to notice his mothers had changed even when his father was not at home. She seemed preoccupied, stopped taking him out for walks and smacked him for no apparent reason. Disaster soon came for Larry and His father and it was called Sonny. Larry disliked Sonny from the very beginning because of the constant crying that would annoy Larry and his father. Now everything his mother would do or talk about was Sonny. Larry felt so frustrated that he threatens to leave in front of his father and soon after Larry threat becomes a positive aspect. He notices his father starts to be exceedingly nice to him with a fine intelligence and his mother quite sickening in addition to being simple minded because of the baby. Also one night Larry wakes up with someone climbing into his bed and he notices it’s not his mother but his father who was now turned out of his own bed. He felt sorry for father because his mother had no consideration for no one except Sonny and gave his father a hug for assurance that he was still welcomed. Soon after Larry father went out of his way to buy him a really nice model railway.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Feminism Vs Queer theory Essay

The book by Catherine Churchill titled ‘Cloud Nine’ provides insight into the two very different types of societies in the two acts of the book and depicts the change in the characters in terms of their femininity and sexual orientation. The diverse factors impacting the lives of the characteristics like power, wealth and politics as well as their ion satisfactions levels in different relationships have been discussed through the use of comedy and the art of storytelling. The book highlights the concepts of feminism and queer theory through its content and the way the lives of the characters play out in the two different acts of the book. Feminism is basically defined as the change or orientation towards women empowerment. It is made up of the social, cultural as well as the political reforms, movements and diverse theories which contribute towards equality between makes and females and highlights the equal rights movement for the women. The basis of feminism is the exhalation of the position of women in the society. Queer Theory on the other hand is a branch of gender studies which pertains to the gay and lesbian studies. This field is specific to diverse sexual orientation in women and takes its foundation form the feminism movement and theory itself. The inclination towards feminism in the book and the play of Cloud Nine is very explicit as depicts how the women are oppressed in the Victorian era so much so that they are forced to disguise themselves as men to hide their feminine identity when giving in to their strong nature and ambitions. The play clearly and explicitly describes the differences in the roles of the women and the men in the Victorian era, and in the modern era, therefore depicting how they have changed to an extent, but not as much as they should have. in the first act the play violently depicts the male oriented society by initiating with a welcome for the male gender, and present the allude of power, in context of economics as held by men in the society. Aside from this the play also depicts the position of the women in history as the subservient gender. This established the concept that the role and cultural construction of the females in the society is a product more of history and tradition than of their own capabilities, thus reinforcing the concept of feminism. The queer theory is expanded upon by the author in the play though the confused sexual orientation of the characters and the cross dressing and role reversal amongst the cast in the play. â€Å"Churchill clearly intended to raise questions of gender, sexual orientation, and race as ideological issues; she accomplished this largely by cross-dressing and role-doubling the actors, thereby alienating them from the characters they play. † (Worthen, 807). The characters in the play like those of Gerry the homosexual man and the lesbian mother provide the essence of the queer theory. In fact it can even be mentioned that Cloud Nine is an explicitly queer play. The structure of the play is very confusing for the audience as well as the readers due to the role reversals by the characters, and the language used in the play is highly oriented towards the depiction of feminism and queer theory. The play clearly points out the underlying issues in the societies pertaining to women oppression, women’s rights as well as gay pride and sexual orientation of the men and women. Moreover the play is highly political in nature as it tends to shock the audience and the readers through the presentation and the roles played by the characters. On the whole however the play contributes towards the literary identity development of women in the modern society. References Barry, P. , ‘Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (Beginnings)’, Manchester University Press, (2002) , ISBN-10: 0719062683 Caslin, S. , ‘Feminism and post-colonialism’, accessed March 15, 2008 from Churchill, C. , ‘Cloud Nine’, Nick Hern Books, (1989), ISBN-10: 1854590901 Marx, K. , ‘The Communist Manifesto: Complete with Seven Rarely’, Filiquarian Publishing, (2005), ISBN 1599869950 Worthen, W. B. , ‘The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama’, Heinle, (2003), ISBN-10: 0838407501

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Concept Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Concept Analysis - Essay Example This essay will discuss how technology might account for the increase in the perceived stress. Stress is considered as a situation where an individual is allocated with responsibilities accompanied by pressure which exceeds the control of the person as Sorenson (2007, p. 10) puts it. Technology is a development that has emerged and keeps advancing rapidly. Technology use was limited to large corporations and the wealthy a few decades ago. In the present day technology has become personalized and is used by the corporations as well as individuals. Technology has been adapted at work, schools and in homes. According to Walz (2012, p. 4) technostress is the name given to adverse effects caused by the use of technology on individuals. One of the major effects is information overload. Students using information system technology experience overload because they acquire a lot of information within a limited time. These causes allot of brain tension together with anxiety. Tarafdar et al (2011, p. 113) add that, the student experience invasion consequences. Technology provides connectivity between people through email, text messages, chats and mobile phones. Students feel the constant need to be connected at all times so that they can be reached any time. Time for study can be easily transformed into a chat or connection which may not be academic. The student is aware of different events happening and can react by commenting and replying. Continuous links on the technology stimulates the experience of private time or space being infringed. The result is stress and annoyance. Technology is complex and requires commitment. Students are obliged to learn how to use applications designed for the information system technology. Besides creating time to learn the new applications, students should make an effort to learn every emerging technology and its application to remain updated. The applications

Friday, September 27, 2019

Enterpreneurship in action Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Enterpreneurship in action - Essay Example Their Advanced Information Based Allocation system automates allocation, booking and real time online tracking with super-sonic efficiency, enabling the company to manage a near limitless number of couriers with an exceptional customer service. Customers enter their collection and delivery addresses on the website, and the system sends the details to the courier best placed to do the job. The company has already made its mark in the previously inefficient world of courier services. Its website boasts an average delivery time of just 40 minutes. Annual sales have grown from ?100,000 to ?1m in recent years. Fast Courier has doubled in size over the last twelve months, and is on target to double again during 2013 with 40 vehicles. Next on the agenda is moving from Portsmouth to offer the courier services to other cities. There might be limited scope for the volume of business in Portsmouth; the scope is endless in other cities. Objectives The company wants to expand business across vari ous cities of United Kingdom. They are emphasizing on adopting state of art technology to provide fast courier service. Fast Courier Ltd is using eco friendly cars to provide service to customers. They want to improve online tracking system to increase efficiency in service delivery. The company has the objective to expand courier delivery network outside Portsmouth. Mission The company has a mission to provide eco friendly courier service. They want provide service beyond the expectation of customers. Company Summary The company was founded by Tina and Mike in the year 2009. Start up cost of the business was ?380,000. They gave importance to provide fast courier service to customers from day one. They have used state of art technologies like online parcel tracking to improve value delivery process. Company Ownership Tina and Mike is the owner of the company. Tina supervises technical aspects of the courier service and Mike concentrates on finance and marketing activities of the com pany. Market Trend in Courier Industry Courier industry has direct relationship with logistics sector. Logistics service includes air freight, transportation of parcels, street haulage, luggage compartment and warehousing, freights and postal services. There is more than 2,320,000 people working in supply chain and logistic sectors, which contributes 8% of the United Kingdom’s workforce. Logistic sector contributes nearly ?86.54 billion to GDP of the country. Cycle courier service is essential to provide fast service to customers in some cities due to heavy traffic congestion. There are more than ninety thousand people working in the courier industry of the country. There are more than 10,800 workplaces across the country. National and regional data East Midlands – There are almost 156,600 employees work in the logistic sector. Out of these 156,600 employees, 6,800 people are associated with courier industry, which contributes 4% of the logistics supply chain departmen t of the region. East England –

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Galaxy budgeting system Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Galaxy budgeting system - Research Paper Example hich then give periodic results regarding the resource requirements and usage by the different activities of the programs, which are then used as the basis for predicting the future budget requirements for programs and their subsequent activities (Dongsung, 97). The future budget is then informed by a comparison of the different programs and their resource consumption forming the basis for allocating future resources to such programs. Thus, the galaxy budgeting system does not only assess funding on the basis of terms only, but also on the basis of program comparison. The differentiating factor between the galaxy budgeting system and the other budgeting systems is that, the galaxy budgeting system employs the history of an organization, to determine its future resource allocation, while basing the allocations on the previous information and accomplishments (Dongsung, 103). This means that programs that make greater accomplishments have a higher chance of being allocated even more res ources, to enhance their further achievements. The advantage presented by the galaxy budgeting system is that; it safeguards against money wastage or confining of resources in the unproductive areas, since the system ensures the allocation of resources based on the productivity of the programs, thus steering the resource allocation in the right direction (Dongsung,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 20

Business - Essay Example There are various steps involved in developing and implementing organizational strategies. These steps are important part of strategic planning process. According to the requirements of a company, strategic planning process is developed. Based on that planning process a company is able to build strong and effective strategies. In this planning process an organization analyse its external and internal environment. If the strategy fits with the company’s criteria and expectations then as per the plan, strategy is implemented by the organization. In this case study the importance of strategic planning in developing organizational strategies has been critically evaluated. Many explanations are reasons are provided for showing the importance of strategic planning in forming strategies. There are some negative aspects of strategic planning for which this planning process is avoided by some companies. Strategic planning process mainly relies on figures, analysis, forecasts etc. If those data are not updated then the entire planning process and the strategy becomes wrong. Planning process of strategy consumes huge amount of time. As a result it is not always possible for companies to spend so much time in planning strategies. Sometimes strategic planning process increases confusion in developing strategies (Hooley, Piercy, and Nicoulaud, 2012). But if these factors are handled tactfully then strategic planning contributes a lot in developing effective strategies. Companies get a clear idea about its strengths and weakness by conducting strategic planning process. They can utilize its strengths effectively with the help of good strategic which is only possible through strategic plans. Top managers and Board of Directors of a company make strategic decisions. But before forming a strategy they do different types of analysis programs to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Why is it important that I understand what independent learning is Essay - 1

Why is it important that I understand what independent learning is - Essay Example Internalizing independent learning however is not easy and it would be necessary for the student to understand what independent learning is before internalizing it. It should begin in college that would later translate to our professional lives and even in our personal lives as we sought not only to become better professionals but also better individuals. Wedemeyer defined independent learning as consisting of â€Å"various forms of teaching- learning arrangements in which teachers and learners carry out their essential tasks and responsibilities apart from one another, communicating in a variety of ways †¦ Independent study programs offer learners varying degrees of freedom in the self-determination of goals and activities† (Wedemeyer 1975:11 cited in Kobuni 2013:232). This type of learning is exclusive among adults as it relates to â€Å"lifelong learning and self-directed learning† (Candy 1991; Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner 2007 cited in Kobuni 2013:232). In short, independent learning is self-motivated, lifelong and autonomous adult learning to achieve certain goals using various study programs and methods. Understanding independent learning should begin in college. It should start in college because it the stage where we prepare ourselves for our professional lives. Also, the academic rigors in college requires that we should understand and learn independent learning. College is very different in high school where many of the lessons are spoon fed. In college, we are required to look for information on our own through our research and study. We are also encouraged to think on our own and to do critical thinking. These modes of study require independent learning seeking information and learning materials using various methods such library, internet, interview, observation etch to be able to have the inputs necessary to do reports and critical thinking. It is important that

Monday, September 23, 2019

Democratization efforts in the Gulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Democratization efforts in the Gulf - Essay Example However, more still needs to be done to ensure that the democratization process is effective. There is a need to establish reforms in the judiciary and allowing the civil society to perform their oversight duties. The limits of educational policy as an engine of social change and economic uplifting can be discussed from a number of perspectives. The Middle East education is inherently based on the religious teachings of Islam2. Anything contrary to this form of education is disregarded. The Middle East does not have educational policies that bring about social change in the region. Education is centred on religion, and this, hinders other tenets of education to be wished away as they are regarded as tools that undermine the Islamic faith3. It is important to note that certain elements of the education system in the Middle East are relevant to the needs of the people only to some

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Does America Want an Unmotivated Society Essay Example for Free

Does America Want an Unmotivated Society Essay I. Introduction Marijuana is the name given in the United States to the drug produced from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The use of cannabis derivatives under such names as hashish, charas, bhang, and ganja is widespread throughout the world. The most active ingredient of the plant derivative is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The potency of this chemical is indicated by the fact that the average street sample of marijuana contains less than .5% THC. Some samples are considerably higher in THC content; thus, effects from the drug vary according to its quality, meaning its THC content. The flowering parts of the plant contain the greatest amounts of THC (Goode 567). These are usually dried and smoked, but they may be made into a drink somewhat like tea or blended into various cooking recipes. Somehow, marijuana has been used for some medications but it is not a valid ground to legalize it because it has negative effects to human bodies. Moreover, marijuana is still illegal in most places. Under federal law a person can be sentenced to up to one year in jail or a $5000 fine, or both, for simple possession of marijuana. Every year about 400,000 people are arrested for possession; about 80 percent are under age 26. Marijuana is being used as legal medical therapy for several conditions. Careful studies have shown that it is effective in treating severe nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. Older patients seem to respond less than younger patients do and complain more about side effects, including feeling â€Å"stoned.† The purpose of this present study is to scrutinize whether marijuana should be legalized or not. It will also tackle how marijuana will greatly affect the individuals that our country needs most, like the workforce or the man- power. II. Background Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both as a medicine and for its intoxicating effects. In the form of tablets, marijuana is frequently prescribed to relieve the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy. Its non-medical use, however, is illegal in the United States and most other countries. The penalties for possessing or using marijuana are, in many states, as severe as those imposed for the possession or use of much more potent drugs. Many argue that marijuana is no more harmful than cigarettes and liquor and should be legalized. Most marijuana used in United States is smoked—either as cigarettes or in pipes. Its effects vary with its strength, and to a great extent with the state of mind of the user (Earleywine 149). Typically, a sense of well being is experienced. In large countries, marijuana is considered as hallucinogen—a drug that produces hallucinations. Although marijuana does not produce a physical dependence in the user, there is evidence that it can produce psychological dependence. Research indicates that marijuana has serious effects on the body. It can impair memory, speech, and learning. It exposes the lungs to high levels of tar and to over 150 other chemicals. Many of these can irritate the lining of the lungs, causing inflammation and bronchitis in some cases. Marijuana decreases the production of male and female sex hormones and may cause infertility n some individuals. Pregnant women should refrain from smoking marijuana since it can cross the placenta and affect the fetus (Earleywine 150). Some authorities believe that the heavy use of marijuana may harm the body’s immune system by impairing the development of monocytes, cells that stimulate antibody production and kill foreign cells. Although no direct cause-and-effect link between found, a person who consistently uses marijuana may be likely to abuse other, stronger drugs. The use of marijuana can be dangerous to a person taking part in any activity in which quick reflexes and clear thinking are necessary (Goode 575). III. Discussion A. Effects of Marijuana Many perceptual and emotional effects follow marijuana smoking. Sensory experience may become more intense; smells are richer, textures feel more sensuous, objects are seen as more beautiful, sounds are more brilliant, and ideas flow more freely, although they may be disjointed. The person may experience an emotional high in which he or she feels joyful, tranquil, and happy. The effects of marijuana, however, are like those of other drugs; they very much depend on the person and the setting. Taken in a pleasant, relaxed social situation, marijuana can be quite unpleasant (Earleywine 123). Also, people who are naturally paranoid, suspicious, or aggressive may become more so under the influence of marijuana; the calm, better-adjusted users are more apt to experience a euphoric high. Moreover, most people use marijuana for the altered states it produces. These states are a little easier to control than those produced by other hallucinogenic drugs, unless the dosage is very high. At low to moderate dosages, hallucinations are not present. Instead, the person typically reports of calmness, increased sensory awareness, changes in space and time, and increased appetite, often with a craving for sweets. At higher dosages, the person may experience thought disturbances, rapid emotional changes, a loss of attention, and a sense of panic. Marijuana has been one of the most researched drugs in the history of pharmacology, and there is still considerable disagreement about its short-term and long-term effects (Belenko 34). It was made an illicit drug in the United States, and many states have established harsh penalties for those convicted of possession of even small amounts. In the recent years, there has been a move toward decriminalization of marijuana. Although this policy would not legalize the drug, it would establish more appropriate punishments, for example, fines instead of imprisonment for possession of small amounts for personal use (Belenko 66). The growing consensus of research on marijuana would suggest that it is not a safe drug. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any drug taken frequently by choice is advisable. Many researchers have concluded that smoking marijuana is no more dangerous, and perhaps even less so, than smoking cigarettes or using alcohol. The issue, though, is frequency of use. The literature on chronic users of marijuana—that is, people who use it a lot and over a long period of time—suggests rather strongly that there are serious deficits in some cognitive abilities such as memory. In addition, heavier users experience some undesirable personality changes, problems with sleep, deficits in psychomotor abilities such as driving, and changes in motivational levels that produce apathy and a lack of striving for achievement. Finally, there are a number of factors that influence the effect of a particular drug (Earleywine 145). There are factors associated with the drug, including its purity and the method of its purity and the method of its administration. Subject variables that are important include body weight, metabolic rate, whether or not the person has eaten, general state of health, and previous experience with the drug. In trying to predict how any one person will react to a drug, these factors, and many others, must be taken into account. But there is another important variable that plays a major role in drug reactions, and too often its effects are overlooked ( Baron 119).   That variable is the user’s expectation of the drug’s effect. Research has shown that the experience many drug users will have is not just a result of the physiological and biochemical changes produced by the drug, but also depends on how they think they are supposed to respond, or how they see others around them responding. These factors must also be considered when evaluating the reasons for altered states of consciousness through drug use. a.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respiratory effects: Because marijuana smoke is deeply inhaled, retained in the lungs, and contains many of the same harmful ingredients as tobacco smoke, users show signs of impaired lung functioning when compared to nonusers. Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains carcinogenic agents, but since many pot smokers also tobacco, it has been hard to isolate marijuana’s impact on lung cancer. At this point, the evidence is merely suggestive (Earleywine 156). b.)  Ã‚     Immune system: Animal studies have suggested that marijuana can dampen the body’s resistance to disease, but no studies have been done to confirm or refute this danger in human beings (Earleywine 156). c.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mental effects: While there is no evidence that marijuana causes the brain to shrink, it can lead to a motivational syndrome, which researchers define as a mental dulling, emotional blunting, and loss of drive and goal-directedness (Earleywine 156). IV. Why should it be legalized? Marijuana is being used as legal medical therapy for several conditions. Careful studies have shown that it is effective in treating severe nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. Older patients seem to respond less well than younger patients and complain more about side-effects, including feeling â€Å"stoned.† Researchers are continuing studies of marijuana’s possible usefulness in reducing pressure within the eye in glaucoma and in treating muscle spasticity (Goode 575). Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both as a medicine and for its intoxicating effects. In the form of tablets, marijuana is frequently prescribed to relieve the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy. Its non-medical use, however, is illegal in the United States and most other countries. The penalties for possessing or using marijuana are, in many states, as severe as those imposed for the possession or use of much more potent drugs. Many argue that marijuana is no more harmful than cigarettes and liquor and should be legalized ( Julien 489) V. Conclusion Marijuana serves as a hindrance for people to achieve high and be successful. Due to its ill effects it stops them from being an achiever and it causes them to be ill motivated. They will see things in a different outlook because of the side effects of marijuana. Yes, Marijuana could help medically but let us consider how greatly it will exploit the individual’s body. At low moderate doses, marijuana acts somewhat like alcohol and some tranquilizers, and like alcohol, the drug takes effects within minutes. Unlike alcohol, marijuana at low doses does not dull sensation but may cause slight alterations in perception, so that it is unsafe to drive a car for as long as 4 to 6 hours after a single joint. After the thorough studies, I therefore conclude that marijuana should not be legalized because it has more negative effects than positive. If our nation legalized the use of marijuana, many people including young and old suffer the above mentioned negative effects. On the other hand, the use of marijuana should be case to case basis and should only be used for medications. Generally, Marijuana does not do any good to the people. It only destroys them and eventually it will be bombarded to our economy because they are the one’s working, the citizen of a country and if the usage of Marijuana will be legalized it will just give a detrimental effec t to a country’s economy.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

An Essay about its Interpretation through Connotations Essay Example for Free

An Essay about its Interpretation through Connotations Essay In this essay we are tasked to interpret the Eskimo song/poem written above through connotations. We are also tasked to examine the given poem through the following questions: What feelings come to you as you read it? What overall sense do the various words and images create? As I was reading the poem, I felt a deep sense of sadness and regret in the writer’s choice of words. It was as if he was writing while reminiscing about the better life he had before where problems were small and Life itself was simple.    He was regretting what has become of his life and has expressed a desire to go back to that simple life.   The choice of words create images of making hard choices, doing things not on one’s own will and of deep sadness of what has become of one’s life. Now I would interpret the poem per line based on the connotation that I got from them. The lines â€Å"Into my head rose the nothings, my life day after day† connoted that he was reminiscing and memories of his life before were coming back into his mind.   The next lines â€Å"But I am leaving the shore in my skin boat† is that he had to leave the life he had been used to. The next lines â€Å"it came to me that I was in danger† may be pertaining to the grave reason that he had to decide to leave even if he does not want to or a big decision he had to make.   The next lines ‘and now the small troubles look big and the ache that comes from the things I have to do every day, big† may mean that now that he had decided or left, things will not be as simple as they were before because every decision have consequences and thus involves certain responsibilities and risks that we have to take. The next lines â€Å"But only one thing is great only one.   This, in the hut by the path to see the day coming out of its mother and the light filling the world† means that the writer still yearns to go back to his simple life before, where everything he wanted was to see the sunrise in the morning in his humble home.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Mental Health Professionals Risk Assessment Health And Social Care Essay

Mental Health Professionals Risk Assessment Health And Social Care Essay This assessment item requires students to compare and contrast traditional risk assessment approaches that offer static predictions of risk versus risk assessment approaches that offer dynamic holistic predictions of risk. Students are expected to research theoretical and empirical literature. This assignment emphasizes academic writing skills. Since the 1980s there has been increased pressure on mental health professionals to improve their ability to predict and better manage the level of risk associated with forensic mental health patients, and offenders being dealt with in the justice system (Holloway, 2004). This increased pressure has also increased interest within a wider spectrum of researchers and forensic clinicians working within the justice system to improve the accuracy and reliability of their analysis of whether recidivism is a high possibility. The overall value of this research is that it enable the improvement in the assessment, supervision, planning and management of offenders, in conjunction with a more reliable base line for follow up evaluations (Beech et al., 2003). However there continues to be an increasing interest and expectation on professionals from the public and the criminal justice system in regards to the potential danger posed by serious offenders being released back into the community and the need for the offenders to be better managed, in order to adequately protect the public from dangerous individuals (Doyle et el, 2002). As the assessment of risk is made at various stages in the management process of the violent offender it is extremely important that mental health professionals have a structured and consistent approach to risk assessment and evaluation of violence. (Doyle et el, 2002). This paper will examine three models of risk assessment that are used currently in an attempt to reduce potential danger to others when integrating violent offenders back into the community. These three approaches are unstructured clinical judgement, structured clinical judgement and actuarial assessment. It is not intended in this paper to explore the various instruments used in the assessment process for the respective actuarial and structured clinical approaches. Unstructured Clinical Judgement Unstructured clinical judgement is a process involving no specific guidelines but relies on the individual clinicians evaluation having regard to the clinicians experience and qualifications (Douglas et al, 2002). Doyle et el(2002, p650) refers to clinical judgement as first generation, and sees clinical judgement as allowing the clinician complete discretion in relation to what information the clinician will or will not take notice of in their final determination of risk level. The unstructured clinical interview has been widely criticised because it is seen as inconsistent and inherently lacks structure and a uniform approach that does not allow for test, retest reliability over time and between clinicians (Lamont et al, 2009). It has been argued that this inconsistency in assessment can lead to incorrect assessment of offenders, as either high or low risk due to the subjective opinion inherent in the unstructured clinical assessment approach (Prentky et al, 2000). Even with these limitations discussed above the unstructured clinical interview is still likely to be the most widely used approach in relation to the offenders violence risk assessment (Kropp, 2008). Kropp (2008) postulates that the continued use of the unstructured clinical interview is that it allows for idiographic analysis of the offenders behaviour (Kropp, 2008, p205). Doyle et al (2002) postulates, that past clinical studies have shown that clinicians using the risk analysis method of unstructured interview, is not as inaccurate as generally believed. Perhaps this is due largely to the level of experience and clinical qualifications of those conducting the assessment. The unstructured clinical assessment method relies heavily on verbal and non verbal cues and this has the potential of influencing individual clinicians assessment of risk, and thus in turn has a high probability of over reliance in the assessment on the exhibited cues (Lamont et al, 2009). A major flaw with the unstructured clinical interview is the apparent lack of structured standardized methodology being used to enable a test retest reliability measure previously mentioned. However the lack of consistency in the assessment approach is a major disadvantage in the use of the unstructured clinical interview. The need for a more structured process allowing for predictable test retest reliability would appear to be a necessary component of any risk assessment in relation to violence. Actuarial Assessment Actuarial assessment was developed as a way to assess various risk factors that would improve on the probability of an offenders recidivism. However Douglas et al (2002, p 625) cautions that the Actuarial approach is not conducive to violence prevention. The Actuarial approach relies heavily on standardized instruments to assist the clinician in predicting violence, and the majority of these instruments have been developed to predict future probability of violence amongst offenders who have a past history of mental illness and or criminal offending behaviours. (Grant et al, 2004) The use of actuarial assessment has increased in recent years as risk assessment due to the fact that more non clinicians are tasked with the responsibility of management of violent offenders such as community corrections, correctional officers and probation officers. Actuarial risk assessment methods enable staff that do not have the experience, background or necessary clinical qualifications to conduct a standardised clinical assessment of offender risk. This actuarial assessment method has been found to be extremely helpful when having to risk assess offenders with mental health, substance abuse and violent offenders. (Byrne et al, 2006). However Actuarial assessments have limitations in the inability of the instruments to provide any information in relation to the management of the offender, and strategies to prevent violence (Lamont et al, 2009). Whilst such instruments may provide transferable test retest reliability there is a need for caution when the instruments are used wit hin differing samples of the test population that were used as the validation sample in developing the test (Lamont et al, 2009). Inexperienced and untrained staff may not be aware of the limitations of the test instruments they are using. The majority of actuarial tools were validated in North America (Maden, 2003). This has significant implications when actuarial instruments are used in the Australian context, especially when indigenous cultural complexities are not taken into account. Doyle et al (2002) postulates that the actuarial approach is focused on prediction and that risk assessment in mental health has a much broader function and has to be link closely with management and prevention (Doyle et al, 2002, p 652). Actuarial instruments rely on measures of static risk factors e.g. history of violence, gender, psychopathy and recorded social variables. Therefore static risk factors are taken as remaining constant. Hanson et al (2000) argues that where the results of unstructur ed clinical opinion are open to questions, the empirically based risk assessment method can significantly predict the risk of re offending. To rely totally on static factors that are measured in Actuarial instruments and not incorporate dynamic risk factors has lead to what Doyle et al (2002) has referred to as Third Generation, or as more commonly acknowledged as structured professional judgement. Structured Professional Judgment Progression toward a structured professional model would appear to have followed a process of evolution since the 1990s. This progression has developed through acceptance of the complexity of what risk assessment entails, and the pressures of the courts and public in developing an expectation of increased predictive accuracy (Borum, 1996). Structured professional judgement therefore brings together empirically validated risk factors, professional experience and contemporary knowledge of the patient (Lamont et al, 2009, p27). Structured professional judgement approach requires a broad assessment criteria covering both static and dynamic factors and attempts to bridge the gap between the other approaches of unstructured clinical judgement and actuarial approach (Kropp, 2008). The incorporation of dynamic risk factors that is to say taking account of variable factors such as current emotional level (anger, depression, stress), social supports or lack of and willingness to participate in the treatment rehabilitation process. The structured professional approach incorporates dynamic factors which have been found to be also significant in analysing risk of violence (Mandeville-Nordon, 2006). Campbell et al (2009) postulates that instruments that examine dynamic risk factors are more sensitive to recent changes that may influence an increase or decrease in risk potential. Kropp (2008) reports that research has found that Structured Professional Judgement measures also correlate substantially with actuarial measures. Conclusion Kroop (2008) postulates that either a structured professional judgement approach or an actuarial approach presents the most viable options for risk assessment of violence. The unstructured clinical approach has been widely criticised by researchers for lacking reliability, validity and accountability (Douglas et al, 2002). Kroop (2008) also cautions that risk assessment requires the assessor to have an appropriate level of specialized knowledge and experience. This experience should be not only of offenders but also with victims. There would appear to be a valid argument that unless there is consistency in training of those conducting risk assessments the validity and reliability of any measure either actuarial or structured professional judgement will fail to give the level of predictability of violence that is sought. Risk analysis of violence will always be burdened by the limitation which lies in the fact that exact analyses are not possible, and risk will never be completely era dicated (Lamont et al, 2009, p 31.). Doyle et al (2002) postulates that a combination of structured clinical and actuarial approaches is warranted to assist in risk assessment of violence. Further research appears to be warranted to improve the methodology of risk management and increase the effectiveness of risk management. References Beech, A.R., Fisher D., Thornton D, 2003. Risk Assessment of sex offender. Professional Psychology, Research and Practice 34: 339-352. Borum, R. (1996). Improving the clinical practice of violence risk assessment. American Psychologist, Vol 51, No 9, 945-956. Byrne, J.M., Pattaviana, A. 2006. Assessing the role of Clinical and Actuarial Risk Assessment in an Evidence-Based Community Corrections System: Issues to Consider. Journal of Federal Probation, Vol 70, No 2 p64-66. Douglas, K.S., Kropp, P.R., 2002, A prevention-based paradigm for violence risk assessment: Clinical and Research Applications. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, Vol. 29, 5, 617-658. Doyle, M., Dolan, M. 2002. Violence risk assessment: combining actuarial and clinical information to structure clinical judgements for the formulating and management of risk. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 9: 649-657. Grant, T.H., Rice, M.E., Camilleri, J.A., 2004. Applying a Forensic Actuarial Assessment (the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide) to Nonforensic Patients. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Vol 19, p 1063-1064. Hanson, R. Karl, Thornton, David, 2000. Improving Risk Assessments for Sex Offenders: A Comparison of Three Actuarial Scales. Law and Human Behaviour, Vol 24, No 1. Holloway, F. 2004. Risk: More questions than answers. Invited comment on Psychodynamic methods in risk assessment and management. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10: 273-274. Kropp, P.R., 2008, Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment and Management. Violence and Victims, Vol 23, No 2. Lamont, S., Brunero, S.,2009. Risk analysis: An integrated approach to the assessment management of aggression violence in mental health. Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care, Vol.5, 25-32. Maden, A., 2003. Standardised risk assessment: Why all the fuss? Psychiatric Bulletin, Vol 27: 201-204. Mandeville-Norden, R., 2006. Risk Assessment of Sex Offenders: The Current Position in the UK. Child Abuse Review, Vol 15, 257-272. Prentky, R.A., Burgess, A.W., 2000. Forensic Management of Sexual Offenders. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press: London. Introduction Since the 1980s there  has been increased  pressure on mental health professionals to improve their ability to  predict  and better manage the level of risk associated with forensic mental health patients, and offenders  being dealt  with in the justice system (Holloway, 2004).  This increased  pressure  has also increased interest within a wider range of researchers and forensic clinicians,  working in the justice system to improve the accuracy and reliability of their analysis of whether recidivism is a strong possibility.  The overall value of this research is that it allows the improvement in the assessment, supervision, planning and management of offenders, in conjunction with a more reliable base line for follow up evaluations (Beech et al., 2003). However, there continues to be an increasing  interest  and  expectation  on professionals from the public and the criminal justice system in regards to the potential  danger  posed by  serious  offenders  being released  back into the community and the need for the offenders to be better managed, in order  to adequately protect  the public from dangerous individuals (Doyle et el, 2002). As the assessment of risk  is made  at various stages in the management process of the violent offender,  it is  extremely  crucial that mental health professionals have a structured and consistent approach to risk assessment and evaluation of violence. (Doyle et el, 2002). This paper will examine three models of risk assessment that  are used  currentlyto  reduce  potential danger to others when integrating violent offenders back into the community.  These three approaches are unstructured clinical judgement, structured clinical  judgement  and actuarial  assessment. It is not intended, in this paper, to explore the various instruments used in the assessment process for the  respective  actuarial and structured clinical approaches. Unstructured Clinical Judgement Unstructured clinical judgement is a process involving no specific guidelines,  but relies on the individual clinicians  evaluation  having regard to the clinicians experience and qualifications (Douglas et al, 2002).  Doyle et el(2002, p650) refers to  clinical  judgement as first generation, and sees clinical judgement as allowing the clinician  complete  discretion in relation to what information the clinician will or will not take notice of in their final determination of risk level. The unstructured clinical  interview  has been widely criticised because it  is seen  as inconsistent and inherently lacks structure and a  uniform  approach  that does not allow for  test, retest reliability over time and between clinicians (Lamont et al, 2009). It  has been argued  that this inconsistency in  assessment  can lead to  incorrect  assessment of offenders, as either high or low risk due to the subjective opinion inherent in the unstructured c linical assessment  approach  (Prentky et al, 2000). Even with these limitations discussed above the unstructured clinical  interview  is still likely to be the most widely used  approach  in relation to the offenders violence risk assessment (Kropp, 2008). Kropp (2008), postulates that the continued use of the unstructured clinical  interview  allows for idiographic analysis of the offenders  behaviour (Kropp, 2008, p205).  Doyle et al (2002) postulates, that  clinical studies have shown,  that clinicians using the risk analysis  method  of unstructured interview, is not as  inaccurate  as  generally  believed.  Perhaps this is due, largely to the level of experience and  clinical  qualifications of those conducting the assessment. The unstructured clinical  assessment  method  relies heavily on verbal and non verbal cues and this has the potential of influencing individual clinicians assessment of risk, and thus in turn has a high probability of over reliance in the assessment on the exhibited cues (Lamont et al, 2009).  A major flaw with the unstructured clinical  interview,  is the apparent lack of structured standardized methodology  being used  to  enable  a  test  retest relia bility  measure  previously mentioned.  However, the lack of consistency in the assessment approach is a  substantial  disadvantage in the use of the unstructured clinical interview.   The need for a more structured  process  allowing for  predictable  test retest reliability would  appear  to be a  necessary  component of any risk assessment in relation to violence. Actuarial Assessment Actuarial  assessment  was developed  to  assess  various risk factors that would improve on the probability of an offenders recidivism. However, Douglas et al (2002, p 625) cautions that the Actuarial  approach  is not conducive to violence prevention. The Actuarial approach relies heavily on standardized instruments to assist the clinician in predicting violence, and the majority of these instruments  has  been developed  to predict future  probability  of violence amongst offenders who have a history of mental illness and or criminal offending behaviours. (Grant et al, 2004) The use of actuarial  assessment  has increased in recent years as risk assessment due to the fact that more non clinicians  are tasked  with the responsibility of management of violent offenders such as community corrections, correctional officers and probation officers.  Actuarial risk assessment methods enable staff that do not have the experience,  background  or necessary  clinical  qualifications to  conduct  a standardised clinical  assessment  of offender risk. This actuarial  assessment  method  has been found  to be extremely  helpful  when having risk assessing offenders with mental health, substance abuse and violent offenders. (Byrne et al, 2006). However, Actuarial assessments have limitations in the inability of the instruments to provide any information in relation to the management of the offender, and strategies to prevent violence (Lamont et al, 2009).  Whilst such instruments may provide transferable  test  retest reliab ility, there is a need for caution when the instruments  are used  within differing samples of the  test  population that  were used  as the validation  sample  in developing the  test  (Lamont et al, 2009).  Inexperienced and  untrained  staff  may not be aware of the limitations of the  test  instruments they are using. The majority of actuarial tools  were validated  in North America (Maden, 2003). This has  significant  implications when actuarial instruments  are used  in the Australian context, especially when indigenous cultural complexities are not taken into account. Doyle et al (2002) postulates that the actuarial  approach  are  focused  on prediction and that risk assessment in mental health has a much broader  function  and has to be  link  closely with management and prevention (Doyle et al, 2002, p 652). Actuarial instruments rely on measures of static risk factors e.g. history of violence, gender, psychopath y and recorded social variables.  Therefore, static risk factors  are taken  as remaining constant.  Hanson et al (2000) argues that where the results of unstructured  clinical  opinion  are  open  to questions, the empirically based risk assessment  method  can significantly predict the risk of re offending. To rely  totally  on  static  factors that  are measured  in Actuarial instruments,  and not incorporate dynamic risk factors has  lead  to what Doyle et al (2002) has referred to as, Third Generation, or as more commonly acknowledged as structured professional judgement. Structured Professional Judgment Progression toward a structured professional  model  would  appear  to have followed a process of evolution since the 1990s.  This  progression  has developed through  acceptance  of the complexity of what risk assessment entails, and the pressures of the courts and  public  in developing an expectation of increased predictive accuracy (Borum, 1996).  Structured professional judgement  Ã‚  brings together empirically validated risk factors, professional experience and contemporary knowledge of the patient (Lamont et al, 2009, p27).  Structured professional judgement approach requires a  broad  assessment  criteria covering both static and dynamic factors, and attempts to bridge the gap between the other approaches of unstructured clinical judgement and actuarial  approach  (Kropp, 2008).  The incorporation of dynamic risk factors that are  taking account of variable factors such as current emotional  level  (anger, depression, stress), so cial supports or lack of and willingness to participate in the treatment rehabilitation process.  The structured professional approach incorporates  dynamic  factors, which  have been found, to be also crucial in analysing  risk  of violence (Mandeville-Nordon, 2006).  Campbell et al (2009) postulates that instruments that  examine  dynamic risk factors are more  sensitive  to  recent  changes that may  influence  an increase or decrease in risk potential. Kropp (2008) reports that research has found that Structured Professional Judgement measures also  correlate  substantially  with actuarial measures. Conclusion Kroop (2008) postulates that either a structured professional judgement approach, or an actuarial approach presents the most viable options for risk assessment of violence.  The unstructured  clinical  approach  has been widely criticised by researchers for lacking reliability, validity and accountability (Douglas et al, 2002). Kroop (2008) also cautions that risk assessment requires the assessor to have an appropriate level of specialized knowledge and experience. This experience should be not only of offenders but also with victims.  There would  appear  to be a valid argument that unless there is consistency in  training  of those conducting risk assessments the validity and reliability of any  measure  either actuarial or structured professional judgement will fail to  give  the  level  of predictability of violence that  is sought.  Risk analysis of violence will always be burdened by the  limitation  which lies in the fact that  exact   analyses are not  possible, and  risk  will never be totally eradicated (Lamont et al, 2009, p 31.). Doyle et al (2002) postulates that a combination of structured clinical and actuarial approaches  is warranted  to assist in risk assessment of violence. Further research appears to be warranted to improve the methodology of risk management and increase the effectiveness of risk management.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

What is Cystic Fibrosis? :: essays research papers

Your child is under weight, has greasy, smelly diarrhea, a chronic cough and seems to always be getting pneumonia. He wheezes when he breathes and has impaired exercise ability. He seems to never being growing to the average size of his peers and his skin is very salty (5). The doctor’s first instinct should be to test your child for a disease called cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a disease, which causes the mucus in your body to be thicker in some areas. The most affected areas are the lungs and digestive system. As a result, the person may get chest infections and have difficulty digesting food. When cystic fibrosis is a consideration for a person’s disease the physician will do what is called a sweat test. This is a simple and cheap way to determine if your child has the disease. Because people who have cystic fibrosis (CF) have saltier sweat than others, the sweat test detects the amount of salt in the sweat of the individual (4). This is the best way to diagn ose a person with the disease (5).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  CF is a genetic disease, meaning that a person does not â€Å"catch it†, it is inherited in the genes passed down to the person. Cystic fibrosis lasts with the patient for their whole life. This makes it a chronic disease, not communicable (9). All symptoms of CF are caused by a mutation to the single chromosome 7. This particular gene is responsible for the building of the protein called the cystic fibrosis trans membrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Normally, the gene regulates the passage of chloride ions in and out of the cell, but when mutated as in the case of CF patients the chloride ions cannot move throughout the cell membrane because the CFTR does not open. In about three- quarter of CF cases the CFTR is not just broken, but is completely missing from the cell. The missing CFTR has many effects on the human body. One is saltier sweat because as the sweat rises to the skin, cells reabsorb sodium and chloride molecules. The loss of the CFTR does no t allow the body to reabsorb the sodium ions making a CF patient’s sweat five times saltier than that of a normal person. This can lead to irregular heart rhythms. The loss of chloride ions affects the pancreas also. The loss of the CFTR ultimately makes it impossible for digestive enzymes to be sent to the intestines.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Free Essays On Shakespeares Sonnet 55 :: Sonnet essays

Analysis of Sonnet 55 Not marble, nor the gilded monuments Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme; But you shall shine more bright in these contents Than unswept stone besmear'd with sluttish time. When wasteful war shall statues overturn, And broils root out the work of masonry, Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn The living record of your memory. 'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room Even in the eyes of all posterity That wear this world out to the ending doom. So, till the judgment that yourself arise, You live in this, and dwell in lover's eyes. [Line 2]* - The poet could be referring to his own sonnet specifically, or to poetry in general. [Line 4]* - "'stone' (1) gravestone set in the church pavement on which the memorial inscription is rendered illegible by accumulated dust and the footsteps of the congregation; (2) uncared-for upright tomb or monument (the prey of dust and passing time)" (G. Blakemore Evans, Shakespeare's Sonnets, 163). [Line 7]* - Mars is the Roman god of war, often portrayed as a warrior in full battle armor, including a sword and shield. In Greek mythology Mars is known as Ares. [Line 12]* - 'that' refers to 'posterity', not to 'eyes'. [Line 14]* - Some scholars believe that Shakespeare is saying that his friend will be a source of inspiration for lovers everywhere (ie. 'dwell in the eyes of lovers everywhere'). But it most likely means that the poet's friend will dwell in the eyes of people who grow to love the friend through the poet's verse. Sonnet 55 is one of Shakespeare's most famous works and a noticeable deviation from other sonnets in which he appears insecure about his relationships and his own self-worth. Here we find an impassioned burst of confidence as the poet claims to have the power to keep his friend's memory alive evermore. Some critics argue that Shakespeare's sudden swell of pride in his poetry was strictly artificial - a blatant attempt to mimic the style of the classical poets. "It is difficult on any other hypothesis to reconcile the inflated egotism of such a one as 55 with the unassuming dedications to the Venus and Lucrece, 1593 and 1594, or with the expressions of humility found in the sonnets themselves, e.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

George Mackay Brown’s short story ‘Andrina’ Essay

George Mackay Brown’s short story ‘Andrina’ has an element of mystery which leaves the reader in wonder and makes ‘Andrina’ an extremely pleasurable read. Andrina is an old sailor’s granddaughter who visits him as a ghost when he dies: however he does not know she is his granddaughter or that she is a ghost and is dreadfully upset when she leaves him. I think the main reason why George Mackay Brown is so successful in making the story an enjoyable read is due to the complex structure of the story, the setting and also its links to a mystical fairytale. The story of ‘Andrina’ has a very interesting structure of a story inside a story. The outer story is in the present tense and concerns the old sailor in his daily routine. The inner story is in the past and tells of the old sailor when he was younger and of a love affair that he had. This structure makes the story intriguing as the reader at first does not know who the characters in the inside story are and thus it has a great sense of mystery surrounding it. Another interesting feature of the structure is the fact that it is cyclical in that it relates to the seasons. The story opens in the winter where the sailor is ill and feeling that he has lost his good friend and helper Andrina. It moves on in the inner story, where the sailor tells of his love affair with Andrina’s grandmother. The summer conveyed happiness and helped give the impression that they were deeply in love. The love affair ended in the autumn when wildlife died out and the sailor discovered a terrible secret about Andrina’s grandmother and then left the island. When spring returned in the outer story the sailor discovered Andrina was a ghost and why she had left. This let him understand and gave him the feeling of hope to move on. This structure is used to portray the inner feelings of the sailor and in my view is very effective. As well as the cyclical structure, the earth’s elements are also referred to throughout the story. This reflects on the sailor’s old days and he often tells the reader of memories and links to the sea. One example of this is at the opening of the story when the sailor is describing Andrina – ‘She lights my lamp, sets the peat fire in a blaze, sees that there is enough water in my bucket that stands on the wall niche.’ Here the peat links to the element of earth and fire and water are also mentioned. This helps the reader relate to where the seaman lived, in George Mackay Brown’s homeland of Orkney. The land here is windswept and the descriptions of the elements help the reader relate to how bare it is. The story could not have worked in any other setting. Another interesting point in this quote is the description of Andrina in that she ‘lights my lamp’. This is symbolic and shows how she gave the old sailor light and hope and also comforted him. She is referred to with this symbolisation throughout the story, which gives her the image of a kind, angelic figure. In the third paragraph she is also described with ‘I expected her with the first cluster of shadows†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ which has alliteration of the soft ‘s’ sound. This gives the reader the impression she is sweet and innocent. George Mackay Brown literary skills are excellent in creating the right atmospheres to portray different situations. When Andrina did not come he used short sharp sentences to convey how shocked and distraught he was – ‘She did not come’ followed in the next paragraph by ‘She did not come again†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The repetition here shows how he was lamenting his loss and wondering why she may not have come. In another section of the story, the sailor had a bad dream where he had flashbacks to previous events in his life. Here the author used short and long sentences to convey to the reader the fear that he was going through. This technique also highlighted sentences such as ‘It was a black night.’ which made the ordeal seem even more dark and terrifying. The story of ‘Andrina’, and especially the story inside ‘Andrina’, has many comparisons to a fairytale, which helps give it an element of mystery. It has the classic main theme of love and the ideal setting of summertime. Not only is the language archaic, but it is also very simple, like in a fairytale, such as ‘†¦but on one particular day in early summer this boy from one croft and this girl from another distant croft looked at each other with different eyes.’ The sentence structure is very simple which makes it easy for every reader to understand. The ‘tremendous perilous secret thing’ that the girl had to tell the boy also strengthens the mystery theme as the reader is, at first, left wondering what it is. The language in this section is very poetic, with lines such as ‘†¦lingering enhancement of twilight†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This gives the reader the impression the situation was perfect and they were both very happy. In this section the reflection of the sea are also used, an example of this being ‘Far in the north-east the springs of day were beginning to surge up.’ This quotation conjures up two images, one of the two peoples’ love growing stronger and secondly of the sea surging and crashing about. The combination of setting, structure and atmosphere make ‘Andrina’ an excellent read. The story could not have taken place in anywhere apart from Orkney and the windswept emptiness gives the story an eerie atmosphere. George Mackay Brown has the ability to put the story together and make the reader ponder afterwards on what actually happened to Andrina. The question of whether Andrina was real or whether she was just a figment of the sailors’ imagination is left for the reader to interpret in their own way, which means the story has a lasting effect for everyone.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Developing Manager Essay

Introduction There are certain skills that need to be learned in order to assess the potentiality of someone in becoming a manager. This assignment aims to achieve this by understanding principles and practices of management behaviour, reviewing own potentiality as a prospective manager via stimulations and role plays and how to show managerial skills within a business and services context. Then finally, addressing and analysing a real life case study and relating it to the theories learned. PART A-REPORT AND ACTION PLAN: 1.1 (P1) Management theories are an assortment of ideas and rules which aims to present how a business or organization should be managed. Therefore it focuses on how managers and supervisors centre their attention on their goal by ensuring that they accomplish all the business goals and the motivation of employees to carry out their work at a high standard. There are numerous different types of management styles that are implemented when figuring out how their business or organization should be led. It is vitally important to choose the right type for the business as it can have a big impact on the staff’s motivation and what they produce. On the basis of the individualities of the staff can help in coming to the decision of what management style is best for the business. Firstly, one type of management style is autocratic management style. An autocratic manager is one who enjoys the fact that they are in control hence they prefer that they made all decisions of the business on their o wn without any sort of discussion with anyone else in the business. A benefit of this type of management is that it is not time-consuming as work can be done on time with decisions being made at a speedier rate where less people are having to be involved. However, a disadvantage of this type of management style is that is can lead to a fall in motivation in the staff. As they feel that in such an environment, they do not have much say nor any impact on any decisions made  within the business therefore they choose to shift to another workplace, in search of a better opportunity where they can portray a better influence on the business and its decisions. This type of management proves to be best in circumstances where decisions are needed to be made on spot whereas if an autocratic style of management continues for a long period of time, it can result in a great headache for all those involved. Therefore it can be effectively used in settings including prisons or military. Secondly, another type of management style is democratic management style. In comparison to an autocratic manager, a democratic manager enjoys to share the work with staff and depends on their co-operation to get the work completed on time and correctly. This type of management is where employees feel more valued by their manager and more involved in the business process. This can be very beneficial for the business as it can result it an increase in motivation where the staff’s job performance is much better than in an autocratic environment. In contrast to this, a disadvantage of this type of management is that the staff may feel that the manager is putting too much work on them and pushing them to work hard as he does not feel like doing it himself. Furthermore, it can be very time consuming in terms of decisions being made too slow or the staff are having to wait for confirmation by the manager until the next step can be proceeded which can delay the speed of the completion of the work. Also for the manager as they are having to continuously stop their concentration on their own work in order to answer the team’s question. Moreover, another type of management style is participative management style. This type involves the manager gaining feedback from all the staff before reaching any decision. The advantage of this type of management is that by getting an agreement on a major decision may mean that those people agree that would not have in the first place hence instead of being opposed to the changes that are being made, they agree to it. Nevertheless, a downside of this type of management is that it can take longer than usual as everyone’s opinion is having to be heard before forwarding to the next step. Additionally, if despite listening to the employees perspective on the change; the manager still decides to listen to their own opinion without integrating the feedback may mean that the staff feel that the manager does not value their opinion enough consequently he is choosing to ignore it instead. Comparing this to autocratic and  democratic management, this type of management style is bes t in making the team feel more involved and making it easier for the staff to implement towards all the changes coming down. It also works well in situations where the business may need to brainstorm ideas where teamwork can be convenient in coming up with new product ideas or marketing promotions. Lastly, one last type is laissez faire management style. In this leadership management style, the team are free to complete the job or task in any way they wish. But the manager is still there to provide any guidance or answer to any questions the team may have. This is beneficial in allowing the individual to build up leadership skills which they can apply in future careers. On the other hand, this can prove to create conflict amongst the employees as one may feel that they can dictate over others and make the assumption that they know only how the work should be done. Reference – Study Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 236-238 1.2 (P2) Leadership characteristics are what defines how a leader should be and what characteristics they should consist of in order to prove that they are a good enough to play the role as a leader. Also, a set of skills are also needed to help build the characteristics of a leader. Firstly, interpersonal skills are needed to build trust and respect of their groups which enables the progression of work towards the achievements of its goals. By having these set of skills, the leader is able to work through any difficult relationship, maintaining peace throughout the business environment along the way. Furthermore, they have to hold good listening skills and have the ability to provide constructive feedback. Secondly, communication skills is where through speaking, leaders are able to demonstrate the correct capability of keeping their staff motivated and dedicated. By listening, they can then ask appropriate questions in order to assess the staff’s understanding of what they are convey ing. Thirdly, values is vitally important as it portrays how the leader accepts the diversity of the workforce and how this helps to bring a wider perspective to the organization and making vast improvements in every aspect. By respecting the staff and preventing favouritism will express the leader with a high level of morals resulting in being a role model for others to follow and the birth of better leaders. Moreover, leaders must also have  organisational consciousness or knowledge therefore they understand what the organisation is aiming to achieve and know all the objectives behind these aims. They are skilful and intelligent in creating schemes within the organisation to guarantee the completion of work by the groups and that all barriers are broken to allow progression within the business. Confidence is also very important for a leader to have in order to successfully take both popular and unpopular decisions without any fear or distress. The confidence will allow them to learn from their criticisms to support them make improvement and progression in all fields of their career. Furthermore, they are able to then persistently maintain a calm manner during emergencies and busy times which can be effective in terms of helping motivation for others around them too. Additionally, flexibility is another significant characteristic that every leader should have, to allow adaptations or al terations of their leadership style to be made. This will help to meet the needs and requirements of the present work setting. They must then be able to work with different types of people in a team to help come up with objectives to the organisation’s goals, even if a change of focus in needed. Creativity skills can be useful for a leader in many ways including coming up with unique solutions to problems and comprehensive answers to routine questions. A creative leader can have a significant impact on the organisation through developing innovative suggestions and improvements in all aspects. Then they can also consist of the capability to interpret technical information into simpler form which is understandable to everyone. Finally, all their characteristics have a great impact on achieving results. Their deep understanding and knowledge helps to build objectives of the organisation and then successfully apply them to the goals which can then be accomplished. Their performan ce is at very high standard which is beneficial for both the organisation and the employee’s motivation. Employee’s motivation is very important for all reasons as this will then result in them having the ability to tackle even the most impossible situations. Reference – Study Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 239-241 1.3 (P3) Communication processes is the sharing of meaningful information between two or more people where the sender who initiates a message to the receiver to whom the message is directed to. The key elements involved in this process  are the sender, receiver, message, context, noise and feedback. Effective communication is when goal of the receiver understanding the sender’s intended message is accomplished. The sender is the source who initiates the communication process and the receiver is the other person involved. In dyadic communication or public speaking, the channel which is the medium by which the message is delivered or received, is both verbal and non-verbal speaking. Verbal is when his/her voice is used to communicate-the spoken word and non-verbal being the use of gestures and one’s appearance. Interaction is then how one party or person therefore the sender and receiver can affect each other. Therefore the participants that are involved in the process take turns either sending or receiving. Context refers to the idea that all communication process take place in some sort of surrounding. This could be in your living room, bedroom or somewhere outside which is the physical context. The event or people involved is the social context – group of friends in a club. Then the wider set of situations and beliefs comes under the cultural context hence it would matter if the funeral that we were attending was in a Hindu or Muslim context. The noise in the communication process is what disrupts and interferes the communication between the sender and the receiver. This can be physical or psychological. The feedback is the last part of the communication process in which the receiver responds to the sender’s message in the format of a spoken word, sigh, written message, smile or some other action. Without feedback, the sender will be unable to know whether or not the recei ver has correctly understood the intended message therefore the feedback also confirms whether effective communication has been carried out. Lastly, the co-orientation of the communication process explains how similar perceptions and interpretations of the same object will mean that the flow of communication is much more efficient. This in turn increases the co-orientation. McDonald’s communication process involves running different advertising campaigns to ensure that customers are accessible to all the great offers and products that come available and other information such as training and education opportunities. They also have a media team that deals with the press. Another hospitality organisation is Hilton Hotel. Their communication process is where ownership, the Management Company, GM and key designees get a login and password to Hilton OnQ Insider. Important brand communications are sent via the Hilton News newsletter. References – Study Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 242-245 http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/running-the-business/marketing/how-do-mcdonalds-communicate-internally-externally-and-to-its-customers.html http://www.hiltonworldwide.com/assets/pdfs/brands/Hilton_BecomingAHilton.pdf 1.4 (P4) Due to the 21st century having brought constant change, increasing technological complexity, rapidly escalating levels of competition, heightened stakeholder expectations and the rise of knowledge workers has meant that companies are having to adapt to this in order to continue. They have had to reassess their objectives, operations and leadership views and what makes an organization effective is also being re-examined. Now, leaders are required to have a different perspective and are expected to focus on factors such as psychological commitment, communication, empowerment, teamwork, trust, participation and flexibility compared to the past who were only under the expectations to produce and make profit. Those companies that have thrived in the 21st century are those that have been able to adjust to the change and manage it effectively enough. There are particular actions that need to be carried out to reach objectives. This includes power concentration where power is not concentrate d, includes focus on knowledge and performance. Personalism is using their speech and power to build relationships with other influential people in the company. Paternalism is when the leader and employees relationship is not based on dependence therefore all interactions are carried out with pure independence. Expectant posture is where the leaders and assistants negotiate leaving little space of responsibilities for difficulties from assistants to leaders. Formalism; produce norms and values that everyone needs to follow to avoid nepotism, favouritism, corruption and impunity. Personal loyalty is where the leader’s need are of less priority to the whole of the company’s needs. Conflict avoidance where empowerment, independence and autonomy is leader is enforced to create a more motivated and initiated environment. Flexibility, where organisations are able to adapt their environment both internally and  externally for more equal opportunities amongst all individuals. This will allow more room for effective improve ments including efficiency, effectiveness and competitiveness increasing the probability of the business being successful. In addition, currently, people’s motivation is now entirely based on personal purpose and meaning at work. Mitroff and Denton (1999) argued that ‘what gives employees meaning and purpose at work is: the ability to realize their potential; being associated with good or ethical organization; interesting work; making money; having good colleagues; believing they are of service to others; believing they are of service to future generations and believing they are of service to their community.’ The purpose is to observe how organisational culture influences the possibility of change schemes to succeed and to offer tools that the reader can use to apply to their organization. If the organization’s culture is linked to the mission and goals of the company, employees are more motivated to change. A cultural analysis is carried out to enable th e planning and implementation of organizational change. There are two ways in which culture can be understood-cultural insight is the degree that organization members are prepared to accept change and cultural assessment is the first cause of the problems that delay stronger performance. Barros and Prates (2006) carried out a study on the main cultural traits present in Brazilian organizations which showed that managers bought a management style that imitated the characteristics of Brazilian culture into their organizations. Hilton Hotel’s organizational structure is called the formal organization. It is flexible where personal and social relations are not required. Each distinct area, division or branch of the organisation is powered by a certain manager who directs all activities occurring there. It involves two spans of management-wide and narrow span. Due to the highly competitive market after the 9/11, the Executive Board of Hilton UK and Ireland recognised that they nee ded to invest more time in development where they then introduced the talent development. This was given great importance on the Board’s Three Year Strategic Plan where they intended to make people feel more valued and provide them with the opportunity to work and achieve their best potential. They also used coaching in order to help them achieve their HR programmes which included Hilton’s New Leadership Styles Programme and Hilton’s Personal Development Plans for employees. References – Study  Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 246-251. http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/human-resources-management-h-r/214926-organisational-structure-hilton-hotels-corporation.html http://www.fullpotentialgroup.co.uk/Page.php?ID=FPG_Case_Study_Hilton 3.1 (P8) I would motivate my team to achieve the goals and objectives of the company if I am unable to increase their payment by the following steps. Firstly, I believe in my team’s objectives therefore they will then sense this through your dedication and will respond to this. Secondly, I model the behaviour I want from the team hence communicate and interact with others in a professional manner and set aside some time by putting extra hours into your job as a leader beside your team. Thirdly, I keep a positive attitude thus ensuring that every project succeeds by resolving every issue related to it without giving up. The team will pick up and respond to this positive attitude accordingly. Moreover, be clear on my goals, this will ensure that the team are aware and know what all the goals are and what their leaders expectations are of them and therefore this will result in them knowing what they need to do as a team member to ensure all the goals are accomplished. Additionally, I get feedback from the team members by listening to them and separating the message and issue from the person. This will lead to the team being less hesitant in coming to me in the future. In addition, set expectations so even that I may or may not adopt their suggestions, leaving them to be less disappointed and surprised with the outcome. Furthermore, I try to avoid mixed messages like for example, when a parent says to their child ‘Any time you have a problem, you can talk to Mommy or Daddy?’ but when they do come to you, you become all irritated and scream at them telling them to come back later. If you send these type of mixed messages to your staff, this can result in things becoming harder that they already were in the case of getting them to act the way you want them to. Also, know the difference between exhorting and belittling hence bring out the difference between making my team do better rather than telling them that they aren’t there right now. For exampl e, if after a rehearsal of choir, I say ‘I want to see confidence in your eyes when you’re singing’ is better than ‘you idiots, you don’t even know the music’. Likewise, I be correct in private,  if I see some fault in one of my team member whether it is to do with attendance, punctuality, dress or general professionalism, I consult them about it in private rather than in public where I will only just end up embarrassing them. Furthermore, I praise them in public so they look good in the eyes of others and this can also result in others being motivated to improve their own performance. Lastly, I believe in my team. Reference – Study Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 292-295 3.2 (P9) The team turnover can be kept low by developing and describing the mission, policies, objectives of the organisation. Secondly, establish formal and informal organizational structures to give authority and share responsibility. Thirdly, set priorities, review and revise objectives. Moreover, communicate effectively with the team, other groups and community. Furthermore, select, motivate, train and appraise staff. In addition, secure funds, manage budgets and evaluate accomplishments. Finally, be responsible to staff, the larger enterprise and the larger community. Reference – Study Manual, HND Hospitality Management, page 296-298 4.1 (P10) The managerial and personal skills that will support career development are being able to identify, organize, plan and allocate resources including time, money, material and facilities and human resources. Secondly, being interpersonal therefore working with others-participates was a member of a team, teaches others new skills, services clients/customers, exercises leadership, negotiates and works with diversity. Thirdly, ability to – acquire and evaluate information, organize and evaluate information, interpret and communicate information and use computers to process information. Also, work with systems hence understand complex interrelationships. They will then understand the systems, monitor and correct performance and improve or design systems. Moreover, can work with a variety of technologies, this includes – selecting technology, applying it and maintaining and troubleshooting equipment. Furthermore, they also consist of the basic skills such reading, writing, per forming arithmetic and mathematical operations, listening and speaking. They have the thinking skills so can think creatively, make fast decisions, solve problems effectively, visualize and know how to learn and reason. Lastly, they have

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Case Study: Nordstrom

Answer Question 1: How else can Nordstrom continue to provide exceptional customer service and increase brand loyalty? Brands is the relationship between products and customers. It contains a collection of quality and service that customers expect. The loyalty of the customer service for brands is due to meet the expectations of customers, or even better, exceed their expectations, giving customers prefer interesting .Nordstrom , a department store in the synthesis of America ‘s most successful , with the index ranking for customer loyalty high , there are many stories about companies that are spread among customers and others . We have heard the story about the man walked into Nordstrom stores carry tires for automobiles , and demanded a refund . Nordstrom has returned the money to him . Nordstrom It is not attractive selling automobile tires .Now that is customer care . If you buy shoes at Nordstrom , and your feet are not the same number , the sellers will take a number just one side with your legs and a foot to the other to the other side of you , but only charge a shoes . If you have to buy a cashmere sweater blue but according to the ad has been sold , the sellers will certainly make suggestions to find a shirt like this or a similar store competitors competition and will send it to you .Nordstrom has been particularly successful in completing strategic customer service , customer is a centric approach and attentive customer care . The consistent , customer is a centric with innovative thinking has helped to speed up development Nordstrom and stayed for more than a century, after many turbulent economy . Beside, to build brand value, Nordstrom to ensure customer loyalty through brand awareness and ensure it meets the needs , wants of customers . Enhance product awareness , increasing the perceived quality .Enhance perceived value and enhance consumer experience of our customers. Considerate service, return policy surrender unconditionally, email reg imes that include photos of new products for our valued clients and thank you card after purchase are factors to help retailers are not too worry about the price and competition. Nordstrom never focused on the company or its employees, All energy of Nordstrom is put on both the customer, and that is the secret to success of them.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Online Enrollment Related Study

I was able to use the student enrollment system of University of Ulster for the first time and it was a WEB based enrollment system/application. A web application or web app is an application that is accessed via the Internet or an Intranet. Web applications are popular due to ubiquity of the client. The ability to update and maintain web applications without distributing and installing software on potentially thousands of client computers are key reasons for their popularity. A significant advantage of building web applications to support a standard browser feature is the ability to perform as specified, regardless of the operating system installed on a given client and it enables the students, faculty, and administrators of the institution to gain 24-hour access and use to the proposed system via a client computer without any needs of installing or distributing any software.The Automated Enrollment System of University of Ulster aims for an accurate, user friendly, efficient system that can help both the student and personnel for fast data processing of enrollment. And now we are going to talk whether we have achieved that aim or not. I was able to use the student enrollment system of University of Ulster for the first time and it was a WEB based enrollment system/application. A web application or web app is an application that is accessed via the Internet or an Intranet. Web applications are popular due to ubiquity of the client.The ability to update and maintain web applications without distributing and installing software on potentially thousands of client computers are key reasons for their popularity. A significant advantage of building web applications to support a standard browser feature is the ability to perform as specified, regardless of the operating system installed on a given client and it enables the students, faculty, and administrators of the institution to gain 24-hour access and use to the proposed system via a client computer without any n eeds of installing or distributing any software.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Banana as a Natural Superdisintegrant

Banana as a Natural Superdisintegrant The objective of the study was to evaluate banana powder as a superdisintegrant for the formulation of oral disintegrating tablets and to compare the results with commonly used superdisintegrants like croscarmellose sodium, pre gelatinised starch and sodium starch glycolate. Oral disintegrating tablets containing Domperidone as the model drug were formulated using five different concentrations of each superdisintegrant (2%, 4%, 6%, 8% & 10%) and compressed by direct compression. The formulations were subjected to various evaluation studies such as wetting time, water absorption ratio, disintegration time and in-vitro dissolution. The results showed that the disintegration time and drug release of the formulation containing banana powder (6%) was comparable to other super disintegrants. The IR spectrum analysis demonstrated that banana powder was compatible with the drug. These results suggest that banana powder can be used effectively as a superdisintegrant in orally disintegrating tablet formulations. Banana, is a natural product which is available in plenty, economically affordable and has its own nutritional value. It can be used as a potential additive in the formulation of oro -dispersible tablets. Keyword: orodispersible tablets, superdisintegrants, disintegration time, natural excipients. INTRODUCTION The tablet is the widely used dosage form because of its convenience in terms of self-administration, compactness, and ease in manufacturing. For the past one decade, there has been a demand for more patient-friendly and compliant dosage forms. As a result, the development of new technologies has been increasing annually. Since the cost for development new drug molecule is very high, efforts are now being made by pharmaceutical companies to focus on the development of new drug dosage forms for existing drugs with more safety and efficacy together with reduced dosing frequency, and the production of more cost-effective dosage forms. However, geriatric and p ediatric patients were having difficulty in swallowing conventional tablets, which leads to poor patient compliance. To overcome this problem, scientists have developed innovative drug delivery systems known as â€Å"melt in mouth† or â€Å"mouth dissolve (MD)† or sometimes â€Å"dispersible† tablets. These are novel types of tablets that disintegrate /disperse in saliva. Their characteristic advantages such as administration without water, lead to suitability for the geriatric and pediatric patients. They are also suitable for the bedridden patients, and patients who do not have easy access to water. The advantages, in terms of patient compliance, rapid onset of action, increased bioavailability (in some instances) and comparable stability to conventional tablets make these tablets popular as a dosage form of choice particularly in these populations. Domperidone maleate is a widely used anti-emetic drug, acting by inhibition of the dopaminergic receptor. Domper idone maleate does not cross the blood brain barrier. Domperidone maleate is also effective in gastro paresis, pediatrics gastro esophageal reflux (infant vomiting). Domperidone maleate after oral dosing undergoes extensive gastric and hepatic first pass metabolism resulting in low bioavailability (15%) which therefore, may not minimize the rate of vomiting. In context of the above principles, a strong need was recognized for the development of mouth dissolving tablets of Domperidone maleate to improve its bioavailability for relief on nausea and vomiting. In mouth dissolving tablets, disintegrants plays a major role. A  disintegrant  is a substance in a tablet formulation that enables the tablet to break up into smaller fragments upon contact with gastrointestinal fluids. Such a rapid rupture of the tablet matrix increases the surface area of the tablet particles, thereby increasing the rate of absorption of the active ingredient and decreasing the onset of time to therapeutic effect. A new disintegrant class has emerged during the recent past known as the Superdisintegrant. Superdisintegrants improve disintegrant efficiency resulting in decreased use levels, typically 1-10% by weight relative to total weight of tablet when compared to traditional disintegrants.

Evaluation of three websites Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluation of three websites - Essay Example The color of the price was the same as the color of other text, so the prices were not quite obviously identifiable. Bright colors, sequenced information, large font and appropriate proportioning of the figures and text with respect to the space available made the design of Apple’s website was the most convenient of the three websites. Amazon displayed three models of the Kindle while Barnes Noble mentioned two models of the Nook. I was not able to locate the link to reviews for my products on Amazon and Apple but they were pretty visible in the case of Barnes & Noble. I found Apple the most informative followed by Amazon and then Barnes & Noble. Among the three, I found the Apple website most informative, followed by Amazon and lastly the Barnes & Noble. Amazon’s navigation is the easiest. All information about the product is on the same page. I don’t have to click frequently to learn more and more about the same product. When I click for information about a product, they mention everything including the product’s technical details, pictures, comparison of features with other models of the same product in a tabulated form and details of each of the features on the same page. I didn’t have to click more to learn more about the same thing. Barnes & Noble’s navigation is difficult as compared to that of Amazon but is better than that of Apple. Barnes & Noble displays different subjects of information on different pages. This, in a way, makes the content more organized, though I have to click multiple times which makes it slightly inconvenient. Nevertheless, since all links are arranged on one side of the page, it is not difficult to trace my way back. Apple is the most complicated to use probably beca use it has so much more to offer than the other two. While navigating Apple’s site, I get so lost in one product, its features and their details that I am hardly able to trace my way back to the