Thursday, August 27, 2020

Phases of Opration Research free essay sample

Or on the other hand models are essentially scientific models speaking to frameworks, procedure or condition in type of conditions, connections or formulae. The exercises in this progression is to characterizing interrelationships among factors, figuring conditions, utilizing known OR models or looking through appropriate exchange models. The proposed model might be field tried and altered so as to work under expressed natural imperatives. A model may likewise be adjusted if the administration isn't happy with the appropriate response that it gives. Step IV.Selection of Data Input It is a set up reality that without real and proper information the aftereffects of the OR models can't be trusted. Consequently, taping right sort of information is a crucial advance In OR process. Significant exercises in this progression are breaking down inside outside information and realities, gathering assessments and utilizing PC information banks. The reason for this progression Is to have adequate contribution to work and test the model. Step V. Arrangement and Testing In this progression the arrangement of the issues Is acquired with the assistance of model and information Input. We will compose a custom article test on Periods of Opration Research or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Such an answer isn't executed Immediately and this arrangement Is utilized to test the model and to discover Its Limitations If any. In the event that the arrangement Is not sensible or If the model Is not carrying on appropriately, refreshing and alteration of the model Is considered at this stage. The final product of this progression Is arrangement that Is alluring and bolsters current authoritative targets. Step VI. Execution of the Solution This Is the last period of the OR study.In OR the dynamic Is choosing however usage of choice includes numerous conduct issues. Thusly, laborers and directors to maintain a strategic distance from further clashes. The hole among the board as well as researcher may offer some opposition yet should be wiped out before arrangement is acknowledged in totality. Both the gatherings should assume positive job, since the execution will help the association all in all. An appropriately executed arrangement got through OR procedures brings about improved working conditions and wins the board support.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Biography of Audrey Hepburn Essay Example for Free

Memoir of Audrey Hepburn Essay Despite the fact that her movie vocation reached a conclusion in the late 1980’s, Audrey Hepburn is viewed as one of the most dependable on-screen symbols ever. During her multi year acting vocation, Hepburn won a few honors including an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1953, and was positioned third on the American Film Institutes list, â€Å"50 Greatest Screen Legends† (Jackson). Also, Hepburn has been generally recognized as an immortal marvel and design symbol. Quite a long while after her demise, her picture keeps on being utilized in promoting efforts. Most as of late, a clasp of Hepburn moving from the film â€Å"Funny Face† was utilized in a 2006 Gap business to publicize the company’s dark gasp (Msnbc). Be that as it may, it is unquestionably the actress’s later work with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, that has had the best effect on society. Audrey Hepburn was conceived in Brussels, Belgium on May 4, 1929. In spite of the fact that she encountered incredible achievement later in her life, Hepburn confronted a lot of misfortune as a kid experiencing childhood in Europe during World War II. In 1939, four years after her father’s surrender, Hepburn, her mom, and her two stepbrothers moved to the Netherlands as the danger of a Nazi assault kept on expanding (Pettinger). Be that as it may, after one year, Germany oversaw the nation and the day to day environments of its kin started to fall apart quickly. During the Dutch Famine of 1944, where a significant part of the country’s food and fuel was appropriated by the Germans, Hepburn, alongside numerous others, experienced extreme lack of healthy sustenance and confronted starvation. Hepburn and numerous others turned to making flour out of tulip bulbs to heat cakes and biscuits† (Wikipedia). Adding to her torment, Hepburn saw the ruthlessness of the Nazi’s direct on a few events. Most horrible was the shooting of her uncle and cousin for their cooperation in the Resistance of the Nazi party. She additionally saw the killings of a few outsiders by the Nazi’s, just as the assortment of Jews f or inhumane imprisonments. She later expressed, â€Å"I have recollections. More than once I was at the station seeing trainloads of Jews being moved, seeing every one of these countenances over the highest point of the wagon† (Wikipedia). These recollections stayed with her for an incredible remainder. Regardless of the hardships that Hepburn and her family confronted, she was as yet ready to go to class at the Arnhem Conservatory, and before long turned into a capable ballet performer. She proceeded with her expressive dance exercises after the war finished in 1945; in any case, with her family despite everything battling monetarily, Hepburn before long chose to seek after a vocation in acting. She clarified, I required the cash; it paid ? 3 more than artful dance occupations (Nichols). Her acting profession started in 1948 with a little job in the European instructive film â€Å"Dutch in Seven Lessons. † She kept on assuming minor jobs in a few different movies and films, and in 1951, the entertainer moved to New York to star in the effective Broadway play â€Å"Gigi† (Biography. com). â€Å"Roman Holiday† was Hepburn’s first featuring job outside of Broadway. The job made Hepburn a practically moment big name and handled her on the front of TIME magazine in 1953. Furthermore, she got both a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress and an Academy Award for her job in the film (Wikipedia). All through her five years of administration with UNICEF, Hepburn headed out to a few nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While in these nations, it was her duty to stand out to the difficult issues confronting them. During her excursion to Ethiopia, Hepburn expressed, â€Å"Im happy Ive got a name, on the grounds that Im utilizing it for what its value. Its like a reward that my vocation has given me† (Sally Clara). Hepburn took an interest in various public interviews in the United States and other rich countries, covering her encounters in the underdeveloped nations to make mindfulness about the desperate circumstances confronting each. Notwithstanding going about as a representative, Hepburn likewise worked in the field, conveying food, inoculations, medication, and passionate help to the youngsters out of luck. During her short profession with UNICEF, Hepburn made more than fifty field visits to nations including Sudan, Ecuador, Honduras, and Thailand. In 1991, President George Bush gave the entertainer Presidential Medal of Freedom, the â€Å"highest respect any individual can get in the United States,† as an end-result of her work with UNICEF (Sally Clara). Not long after accepting the honor, Hepburn passed on of colon malignancy at the age of sixty-three. Nonetheless, her work with UNICEF lives on through the Audrey Hepburn Memorial Children’s Fund, the association made by her children, Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti in 1994 to proceed their mother’s helpful endeavors (Sally Clara). Starting at 2006, â€Å"The Audrey Hepburn Memorial Fund at UNICEF has raised over $1 million dollars for instructive projects in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan and Somalia† (Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund). It is obvious that Audrey Hepburn positively influenced U. S. history through her work as an entertainer during the 1950’s and 1960’s. In spite of her unassuming beginnings, Hepburn figured out how to get one of America’s most adored on-screen characters and style symbols of the twentieth century. Nonetheless, it was her modest beginnings that inevitably driven her to leave her acting vocation and commit her life to getting help to youngsters need. In spite of the fact that she will consistently be worshiped for her work on Broadway and in film, it is her helpful work with UNICEF that has left the most critical effect on the world.

Friday, August 21, 2020

Blog Archive Human Ventures Co-Founders Discuss Working with Good Humans via Their Start-Up Studio

Blog Archive Human Ventures Co-Founders Discuss Working with “Good Humans” via Their Start-Up Studio Heather Hartnett and Megan O’Connor, Co-Founders of Human Ventures Today, many aspiring MBAs and MBA graduates want to join start-ups or launch such companies themselves. Is entrepreneurship as exciting as it seems? Is it really for you? mbaMission Founder Jeremy Shinewald has teamed up with Venture for America and CBS Interactive  to launch  Smart People Should Build Things: The Venture for America Podcast. Each week, Shinewald interviews another entrepreneur so you can hear the gritty stories of their ups and downs on the road to success. This special podcast episode features two guests: Heather Hartnett and Megan O’Connor, co-founders of start-up incubator studio Human Ventures. Their company differs from traditional incubators in their desire to work with “good humans”â€"individuals with positive characteristics and drive. Tune in to hear the full story behind Human Ventures, including these highlights: What a “good human” actually means in theory and practice How social impact comes into play at Human Ventures How a female-driven start-up incubator differs from a male-led one Subscribe to the podcast series to hear each episode first! Share ThisTweet News

Monday, May 25, 2020

Conflict Resolution Essay - 1950 Words

I. INTRODUCTION When two or more people come together with an aligned goal, a team is formed. This team is comprised of members, each with his own plan of action to best achieve the task at hand. Many times one member believes that his point of view is the most correct or most efficient, while another member of the team may disagree, offering her idea as best. When one individual challenges another, conflict is born. This is a very basic example, and only one type of conflict is addressed. In reality, there are several types of conflict; some positive, some negative. The sources of conflict are as varied as each member’s own personality style. Humans differ in countless ways. These differences contribute to the strength of team†¦show more content†¦Negative conflict can also occur when team members cannot put aside their difference in personality and cause personality clashes. The differences in personality styles are infinite, and among them are the types that can embrace these diff erences. Unfortunately, other types cannot accept even the slightest inconsistency. These clashes can slow down or even halt the team’s progress. As we become aware of the types of conflicts we face, and the ability to understand how they affect our lives, there is also a need to understand where the root causes of the conflict stem from. Conflict arises from a multitude of sources that reflect our differences: personality, values, ideologies, religion, culture, race, and behavior. It also arises from simple miscommunication. [1] III. Sources of Conflict Sources for team conflict can come from many avenues, one of the most prevalent examples that our study will show is based on different values. Our different values are beliefs or principles we consider to be very important. Serious conflicts arise when people hold incompatible values or when values are not clear. Conflicts also arise when one party refuses to accept the fact that the other party holds something as a value rather than a preference. We must learn to understand and cope with our differences in lifestyles and choices if we are going to achieve a sense of unity a team environment. AnotherShow MoreRelated Conflict Resolution Essay1288 Words   |  6 Pages Major conflict that is not dealt with can devastate a team or organization (Make Conflict Work, 2008). In some situations, conflict can be more constructive than destructive. Recognizing the difference between conflict that is constructive to the team and conflict that is destructive to the team is important. Trying to prevent the conflict is not always the best way to manage conflict when working within a team setting. Understanding conflict, what causes it, and how to resolve conflict effectivelyRead MoreConflict Resolution : Conflicts Resolution988 Words   |  4 PagesWhen it comes to conflict resolution there are several ways to handle this. There’ve been several times that I’ve had to deal with conflict resolution. Conflict resolution also has several tips that you can learn to be able to handle a conflict. A conflict resolution can be handled in a positive way or a negative way. What is conflict resolution? In Community Tool Box it states â€Å"Conflict resolution is a way for two or more parties to find a peaceful solution to a disagreement among them. The disagreementRead More Conflict Resolution Essay614 Words   |  3 Pages Conflict Resolution nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What does conflict resolution mean to me? Conflict resolution is when an impartial or neutral person puts a plan into action to resolve and settle issues within an organization or a team. In the business world today a great amount of focus is being placed on employees working as team unit to increase new ideas, distribute more job responsibilities among a larger group, and most important create a unified front and camaraderie. Along with advantagesRead More Conflict Resolution Essay1017 Words   |  5 Pagesprofessional to personal, they are all prone to encountering some form of conflict. John Dewey has designed a problem solving sequence with 6 (six) steps, listed and explained below, to facilitate resolution of these conflicts. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Since the way one deals with conflict within the relationship will affect how the relationship progresses, it is vital that one posse all the necessary skills to resolve conflict in a way that brings satisfaction to everyone involved. Dewey’s stepsRead MoreThe Family Mediation And Conflict Resolution Process4320 Words   |  18 Pagesmediation and conflict resolution process and techniques. The student endeavored on an educational journey to study mediation within the context of families as a means of resolving conflicts without resort to adversarial means such as litigation. Focus and attention was given to family dynamics, child development, the Texas Family Code, family violence, and facilitating of communication and dispute resolution. The components and benefits of family mediation and conflict resolution were introducedRead MoreConflict Resolution934 Words   |  4 Pagesto them she has licence and authority to watch them as she is their supervisor and they have to obey her commands. This statmemt of her escalted the whole issue and continued for a long time. This situation turned in to a big arguments and conflict that it had a great imapct on the productivity of work. There was a big loss of components as they were not able to process in a timely manner. Next day the staff meeting was called on by Manager and all the night staff were called to attendRead MoreConflict Resolution Strategies Essay1444 Words   |  6 PagesConflict Resolution Strategies Conflict has long been viewed as negative, and is usually associated with things as trivial as an argument to something as extreme as war, and is seldom seen as beneficial. In the team environment however, conflict can be very beneficial if recognized early and managed properly and can enhance team performance as well as relationships between team members. Conflict is inevitable as humans interact, because not everyone shares the same beliefs, values, opinions, levelRead MoreInterpersonal Communication And Conflict Resolution1439 Words   |  6 Pagesresearch resources that helped me understand my interpersonal communication topic, Conflict Management, and how theories, relevant skills and strategies can play a big role throughout the resolution and frequency of conflict among my peers. Personality Types and Development of Adolescents’ Conflict with Friends This study aimed to examine the developmental pattern of adolescents’ conflict frequency and conflict resolution with their best friends, and differences in these developmental changes betweenRead MoreConflict Resolution1281 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Everyone faces conflict in their lives on a daily basis. It is an accepted and expected part of life. Conflict is not a problem in itself - it is what we do with it that counts. You cant avoid conflict in your life, at home, at work, and even at play. Wherever people interact, there is a potential for conflict. That is not bad news because good things can arise, and relationships can improve through conflict, provided conflict is managed with thought and attention. The bad newsRead MoreThird Party Conflict Resolution2113 Words   |  9 PagesThird Party Conflict Resolution MGT/445 Organizational Negotiations March 11, 2013 | | | | Third Party Conflict Resolution

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Alzheimer s Disease A Common Form Of Dementia - 1368 Words

Alzheimer’s Disease is a common form of dementia that progressively deteriorates one’s brain causing serious memory loss, and eventually, the inability to perform common daily tasks. This disease is also known as â€Å"The Mind Robber,† or the â€Å"Disease of Forgetfulness.† The unfortunate thing about this disease is that there is no cure. Medicines have been developed to slow the progression of the disease. It has moved up into the rankings on the leading causes of death in America to number six and the number of deaths are increasing. As of 2013, nearly 5 million Americans were suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, most of them over the age of 60. The history of Alzheimer’s Disease dates back to 1907, where Alois Alzheimer first discovered the disease. Alois was a German psychiatrist and neurologist. He was examining a 51-year old woman who had a form of dementia. (Gandy, 1) He noticed that she didn’t have many brain cells and smaller nerve cells, and had plaques instead of cells. This is what we today call Alzheimer’s Disease. After the discovery, more and more modern research was done to find out more about the disease. Modern research involves using better, and more advanced instruments such as the electron microscope which enabled the viewer to see a specimen magnified up to 10 million times. It was invented in 1931 by Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska. This was an important advancement for science, and also brought new information about Alzheimer’s Disease. Scientists were able toShow MoreRelatedAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Common Form Of Dementia1427 Words   |  6 PagesDementia, known as one o f the world s current pandemics, is estimated to be the fourth most common cause of death in the developed country, second only to cardiovascular, cerebrovascular diseases and cancer. With the aging population, dementia has gradually become a serious threat to the health of the elderly people in Australia. Alzheimer s disease is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer s disease usually occurs in a primary degenerative encephalopathy in senile and pre senior periodRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease Is The Most Common Form Of Dementia1086 Words   |  5 PagesDo you know what alzheimer’s disease is? Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and the fifth leading cause of death in ages 65 and older. â€Å"2010 Alzheimer s Disease Facts and Figures. Rep. Vol. 6. Chicago: Alzheimer s Association, 2010. Print. Alzheimer s and Dementia.† This disease is the deterioration of the brain that can, and probably will lead to brain loss that cannot be reversed. It is a very slow decline thatRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Common Form Of Dementia998 Words   |  4 Pagesaware of Alzheimer disease, especially adults who have a family member in late adulthood. If people were to have knowledge on h ow to help or treat someone who has Alzheimer disease it would be beneficial for both of them and it would make living together much easier. Many people don’t know what Alzheimer disease is â€Å"Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. The risk of AD increases with age† (Takashi 2015). As someone ages they are most likely to get Alzheimer disease, this dueRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Common Form Of Dementia2016 Words   |  9 PagesOne in three seniors die of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia (Godman). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia but all types of dementia diseases effect seniors and their families in a dramatic drastic way. Early signs of Alzheimer’s start as early as the age of 30 and can affect someone for the rest of their life. These diseases have become more reoccurring every year, effecting around 5.3 million Americans and will continue to change lives for the rest of time (BenderRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease Is The Most Common Form Of Dementia1684 Words   |  7 PagesAlzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, which slowly and steadily impairs the mental function and psychological competence. Even though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, current treatment patterns and research aim to delay the progression towards dementia and the associated symptoms. The strongest risk factor for this disease is increased age, typically seen in individuals over the age of 65, but it must be noted that Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of the aging process. Alzheimer s diseaseRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : A Common Form Of Dementia1311 Words   |  6 PagesAlzheimer’s disease is a common form of dementia that affects the brain (Bethune, 2010). It affects millions of Americans and is one of the leading cause of death in the United States (Bethune, 2010). There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, however there is ongoing research on reducing the risk and how to cure the disease (Bethune, 2010, Baumgart, M., Snyder, H. M., Carrillo, M. C., Fazio, S., Kim, H., Johns, H. (2015). Understanding the best way to manage the disease and how to care forRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Common Form Of Dementia Essay1909 Words   |  8 PagesAlzheimer’s disease, considered the most common form of dementia, is a degenerative brain disorder which leads to loss of memory and decline of cognitive thinking. Alzheimer’s disease effects over 5 million Americans, a number which is expected to triple in the projected future, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Dougherty, R.J., et al). Majority of these affected people are sixty-five years of age or older and have what is called late-onset Alzheimer’s, whilst a smallerRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease : The Most Known And Common Form Of Dementia1069 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer’s is a disease that affects a lot of older people. It not only affects the person but their families, friends, and any loved ones. The disease makes them forget almost everything they have experienced in their life. The memories they have of anything can be almost nil and they will not act like themselves anymore. This disease is a hard disease for someone’s family members to cope with because the person they once knew, is all but gone. In this paper I will be explaining the definitionRead MoreThe Common Types Of Dementia1013 Words   |  5 PagesDementia can be defined as a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life (alz.org). More than often, individuals affected by dementia are over the age of 65. In the United States, there are more than three million cases of dementia each year. According to World Health Organization, the number of people living with dementia is currently estimated at 47.5 million worldwide and is expected to increase to 75.6 million by 2030 (World Health Organization 2015). Dementia is causedRead MoreThe Disease Of Alzheimer s Disease1677 Words   |  7 Pagesone thing Alzheimer s cannot take away, and that is love. Love is not a memory - it s a feeling that resides in your heart and soul.† (Fade to Blank). The human brain is a remarkably complex organ that processes, stores, and recalls information. â€Å"Alzheimer s disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer s disease results

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

`` Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison A Black Man s Search...

Figuring out who we are is a task that starts at birth; we learn our name from our parents, and, as we grow, we learn other identifying traits about ourselves such as the color of our skin, hair, and eyes, our general beliefs, what we like and don’t like, etcetera. In psychology, identity is the qualities, beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make a person or group; identity can also be defined as one’s name. Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison is a story about a black man’s search for identity in a racist, 1930s America. The first person narrator of this story is nameless, missing one key part of identity from the beginning; the only identifying trait that we are given is the color of his skin, which says a lot about his social position during this era, but not much about him as an individual person. â€Å"Who the hell am I?† (Ellison 386). This is the question that the narrator needs answered; the answer that he is searching for throughout the entirety of the book. He is fighting a constant internal battle with himself, trying to figure out who he is, while fighting an external battle against the society who keeps telling him what he is and who he should be. This nameless narrator experiences several different transformations and revelations in identity throughout the plot of the novel; this multitude of identities causes him confusion, leaving him with less sense of an identity than he started with at the beginning, but eventually leading to his own self-discoveryShow MoreRelatedEssay on Identity in a Color-Conscious Society in Invisible Man1842 Words   |  8 PagesIdentity in a Color-Conscious Society in Invisible Man  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Critics generally agree that Ralph Ellisons award winning novel, Invisible Man, is a work of genius, broad in its appeal and universal in its meaning. Its various themes have been stated as: the geography of hell . . . the real brotherhood of man (Morris 5), the emergence of Negro personality from the fixed boundaries of southern life (Bone 46), and the search for human and nationalRead MoreThe And Invisible Man By Toni Morrison And Ralph Ellison1726 Words   |  7 Pagesequal justice. For many black individuals, their identity was non-existent, stripped away, leaving them powerless due to white power. Race, class, and economic standing are all social issues that are prominent in both Beloved and Invisible Man. Toni Morrison and Ralph Ellison are both American novelists who have created emotional stories based on raw and authentic black history. African-American individuals were immobilized, forced to be isolated while searching for an identity in a world that choseRead MoreLiterary Analysis : `` Invisible Man `` Essay1905 Words   |  8 Pageswell. The theories of Du Bois’ â€Å"Double Consciousness† made its way into Ralph Ellison s novel Invisible Man, and Langston Hughes series of poems. All of these authors wrote about Double Consciousness in there own way but never changed the real meaning of it being, it describes the individual sensation of feeling as though your identity is divided into several parts, making it difficult or impossible to have one unified identity. Double Consciousness, had two perceptions that anyone could take eitherRead MoreThe Invisible Man And Racial Identity1813 Words   |  8 PagesOlivia Seeney 4/19/17 ENGL 365 The Invisible Man and Racial Identity The Invisible Man is a story of individuality, equality, and identity. Many of the issues that the Invisible Man encounters during his search for purpose during this time, are applicable to individuals in the society that we live in today. Is it better to exchange our racial and cultural differences for secure equality? Or should we encourage the individuality of each culture’s differing values, characteristics, and attitudes, whileRead MoreInvisible, Invisible Man, By Ralph Ellison1994 Words   |  8 PagesInvisible Race and Gender in Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison In Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, the unnamed narrator shows us through the use motifs and symbols how racism and sexism negatively affect the social class and individual identity of the oppressed people. Throughout the novel, the African American narrator tells us the story of his journey to find success in life which is sabotaged by the white-dominated society in which he lives in. Along his journey, we are also shown how the patriarchyRead More Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. Essay746 Words   |  3 PagesRalph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man. The unnamed, main character and narrator of Ralph Ellisons novel, Invisible Man, goes through the story being thrown from one ideology to another in search for a sense of individual truth. The narrator finds that following an ideology does not help him find individualism whatsoever but only confines what he can be. The narrators grandfather gave him his first and most prominent ideology in which he were to follow. Son, after Im gone I want youRead MoreEssay on Use of the Bird Motif in Invisible Man2374 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Bird Motif in Invisible Man      Ã‚  Ã‚   Abstract: According to A Handbook to Literature, motif refers to a recurrent repetition of some word, phrase, situation, or idea, such as tends to unify a work through its power to recall earlier occurrences (264). One such type of motif which has seemed to receive less critical attention is Ellisons treatment of birds.  Ã‚   Hence, my aim in this essay is to examine the references to birds in Invisible Man, attempting to show how Ellison uses the image ofRead MoreThe Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison2489 Words   |  10 Pagesâ€Å"I AM AN invisible man.† A story of obstacles of durable struggle, but hope, and everlasting search for voice in a narrow-minded society; The Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison depicts the dehumanization and feeling of being ostracized in society, of one man. Imagine a time when everyone you encounter have a racial thought or credibility toward your own races, never considering the fact that who you are as a person does not matter worth a d ime. You are better determines on shade of your skin which hideRead MoreEssay on Search for Identity in Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man2669 Words   |  11 PagesDepression and mid-1940’s, many blacks struggled for acceptance and visibility in America. Oppressed by white society and overwhelmed by its control, they often endured countless betrayals and indignities simply for acknowledgment of their existence. In spite of suffering so much, however, many blacks lost more than they had hoped to gain, including their humanity and identity. Ralph Ellison, a prominent author fascinated by man’s search for identity, thought that blacks were invisible primarily becauseRead MoreThe Invisible Man Essay1026 Words   |  5 Pageslife there are moments where an individual must conform to society and the people around them in order to be accepted, however it is the individual actions and how the individual chooses to conform that creates their unique identity and place within that society. Ralph Ellison published the novel that follows a sense of outward conformity and obedience to an established order while at the same time invoking an inward questioning of the roles an individual plays within such an order. The main character

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Group Work A Personal Analysis

Question: Discuss about the Group Workfora Personal Analysis. Answer: Dynamics of the Group I worked in a group in my company that can be called as a functional group in terms of group dynamics. This group was created by the organization to achieve some particular goals within a specific timeline. Normally, functional groups do exist after the accomplishment of goals and objectives (Levi, 2015). However, our functional group was asked to help the customer service department that was overwhelmed by the complaints of the consumers about a new product that the company launched. There were 20 members in my group with a formal social structure. We all had the common goal that was to deliver additional support to the customer care executives of the company. Information Sharing Process My group was working to provide additional support to the customer service department; however, we did it under a separate supervisor and not directly under the customer service department. Within my group, information sharing process mainly included four methods which are hereby mentioned below. Face-to-face meeting: This method was considered as the most safe and efficient method of information sharing (Hogg Terry, 2014). In meetings, all the group members could easily share their knowledge and could ask questions. On the other hand, the supervisor could easily convey his message to all the members of the group at a time through this method of information sharing. However, as we were working as separate group, we never got the chance to conduct meeting with the employees of customer service department. This, from my point of view was a major problem with this method. E-mail: E-mail was another process that was used to share information. Sometimes when it was not possible to conduct meetings, our supervisor placed information in an e-mail and sent it to the group members (B?l?u Utz, 2016). However, this method also a major disadvantage. When the supervisor was not available, we used to mail him to have advices related to our work. At that time, we had to wait until he called or sent an e-mail in response to our questions. Forums: Forums are the newer form of information sharing method. Generally, forums are useful in organization that have large number of employees and work groups (Li, 2014). However, for our group, the organizations developed a forum where were allowed to share information in a central webpage with controlled access (Park et al., 2014). We had to log into the forum and then we could talk to each other by posting information and question in the forum. This was a very helpful method as multiple people could see any information and could response at a time. Conference calls: Conference calls were also used as an additional method of sharing information (Park Nam, 2015). Just like the face-to-face conversation, it allowed everyone to ask questions and get answers during the call. On the other hand, another advantage of this method was that group members did not have to present in the same building or location. Generating Ideas While generating ideas in the group, brainstorming method was used vastly. According to Wilson (2013), brainstorming is mostly a group idea-generation method that helps to find a solution for any specific problem by creating multiple solutions. There are mostly two types of brainstorming methods, which are individual brainstorming and group brainstorming. In our group, group-brainstorming method was implemented where we could take the advantage of complete experience and creativity of all team members. On the other hand, this process also helped every member of the group to feel that they have contributed to the solution. It also helped the group members to understand that others also have creative ideas to offer. This increased the sense of respect in the group. Positive Behaviors Positive behavior in our group was a critical ingredient is that helps to establish a successful team. According to Ashkanasy and Dorris (2017), positive behavior that is shared with other group members can attract a healthier group dynamics. Some positive behaviors that were present in my group were positive conflict resolution, support to the peers, active listening, contribution of knowledge and analyzing the tasks. As all the group members were working to achieve a common goal, a sense of teamwork was there in the first place. All the group members used to help each other in difficult situations. Group conflicts were there, but it never hampered the group dynamics as our supervisor implemented appropriate conflict resolution skills to handle and eliminate any negative effects of group conflict. Negative Behaviors Some major examples of negative behaviors in a group can include blocking ideas of other group member, wasting time of the group, failing to stay on tasks and unsatisfied performance (Samnani et al., 2014). Initially none of these problems hampered the group dynamics. However, later the management of my organization declared that after the completion of the project, group members with superior performance would be able to get additional payments. After this declaration, individual needs became more important than group needs. Group members who used to help others in difficult situations stopped to do so. Members of the group started to improve their individual performances. Some group members also tried to block the ideas of the others. In this situation, some of the group members became de-motivated as they started to think that they are not going to get any additional payment like others. Those group members started to arrive late in the workplace that dampened the energy of the gr oup. On the other hand, group members who thought that their performance is better than other group members started to ignore group process and strategies. They also refused to participate in some brainstorming sessions as they thought that other group members would steal their ideas. Besides, they also started to dominate the other group members that also hampered the environment of teamwork in the group. Because of these negative behaviors, in the end, the outcomes of the group were not satisfactory. Some group members did receive additional payments, but overall all the objectives of our group was not accomplished. References Ashkanasy, N., Dorris, A. (2017). Emotions in the Workplace.Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior,4(1). B?l?u, N., Utz, S. (2016). Information sharing as strategic behaviour: the role of information display, social motivation and time pressure.Behaviour Information Technology, 1-17. Hogg, M. A., Terry, D. J. (Eds.). (2014).Social identity processes in organizational contexts. Psychology Press. Levi, D. (2015).Group dynamics for teams. Sage Publications. Li, G. (2014). Information sharing and stock market participation: Evidence from extended families.Review of Economics and Statistics,96(1), 151-160. Park, J. H., Gu, B., Leung, A. C. M., Konana, P. (2014). An investigation of information sharing and seeking behaviors in online investment communities.Computers in Human Behavior,31, 1-12. Park, S., Nam, T. J. (2015). Product-personification method for generating interaction ideas.International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM),9(2), 97-105. Samnani, A. K., Salamon, S. D., Singh, P. (2014). Negative affect and counterproductive workplace behavior: The moderating role of moral disengagement and gender.Journal of business ethics,119(2), 235-244. Venkataramani, V., Labianca, G. J., Grosser, T. (2013). Positive and negative workplace relationships, social satisfaction, and organizational attachment.Journal of applied psychology,98(6), 1028. Wilson, C. (2013).Brainstorming and beyond: a user-centered design method. Newnes.

Thursday, April 9, 2020

Insider Trading Law

Introduction Insider trading has rocked newsrooms lately. Some of the most famous incidences that had serious consequences on the companies that were involved include Martha Stewart, WorldCom and Enron scenarios. The illegal form of insider trading is the trading that takes place in a security market, following exchange of material information, which is not offered to the general public.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Insider Trading Law specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a results of its undue and destructive nature â€Å"this trading is outlawed by the US Securities Exchange Commission SEC – this is particularly because it tends to devastate the investors’ confidence† (Reh, 2012, p. 1). This paper seeks to analyze an article that features an insider trading in Tokyo, followed by a critical analysis of insider trading. Summary of the article – JPMorgan Implicated in Japan’s I nsider Trading Probe This CNBC article shows how JPMorgan was caught up in Japan’s Insider Trading Probe. In this drama, some insiders had conspired to help Nippon Sheet Glass get some shares in 2010. It was alleged that the material information was leaked to Asuka Asset Management Fund by a salesman from JPMorgan. This insider trading has become the order of the day in the Tokyo securities market. Astonishingly, the penalty imposed by the Japanese stock market regulators is inconsequential and may not bar a repeat of the vice. As such, it was probable that JP Morgan would get away with it, as the penalty that could have been imposed is inconsequential. One of Asuka’s fund managers was said to have been involved in the insider trading, and he was relieved from his duties, though it was not clear whether he was fired. Investigations revealed that Asuka had benefited from the leak, something that had not been investigated well by the bank. This left questions on whether the whole organization was involved, or it was only JP Morgan. Daiwa distanced themselves from any blame by stating that there was no credible prove that they were involved in any illegal behavior. This incident and many others, which are similar to this have led to a criticism of the Japanese regulator’s crackdown, which is seen as grossly shoddy as it does not involve tough sanctions in major markets. Critical analysis of insider trading An insider is a party that is privy to critical information regarding an entity, which has an impact on the price of its stock, or which can have some impact on the investors’ decisions. In the case analyzed above, it was alleged that a JPMorgan sales man was responsible for leakage of materials information, which was not made available to the public. This JPMorgan salesman is the insider in this case, and the information he leaked was material, because it influenced the decision of the investors, ahead of a $505 million share offer. Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is obvious that the company’s executives who are involved in such a deal, including share brokers have access to material information. The JPMorgan top sales executives, for example, knew the plans of the share offer. Furthermore, a clerical officer who prepares information to be published in the press, or the accountant who undertakes sales estimates analysis can as well be considered to be insiders. To prevent illegal passing of material information, there should be a policy to regulate the number of people who can access material information due to its sensitivity. There are scores of reasons why this should be done. First, there is the obvious reason of limiting the possibility of some people disclosing information, which is material. The second reason is that the insiders should be limited on the time they can trade on the enti ty’s stock – which can be the middle of months. As evidenced in the case of JPMorgan, the top sales people are also insiders who are privy to very critical information. Those who are engaged in public relations, for example, by preparing public declarations are insiders whose ability to leak material information should be controlled. As an insider has been defined above, the people involved in RD, during the introduction of a new product in the market are also insiders, who can leak material information. Lastly, other parties who are insiders includes bankers, legal representatives and other institutions that could be having access to some critical information of the company, during discharge of their duties. This law has effectively netted even a person who is not a senior member of the management. For example, if the senior manager of an entity reveals, to an ordinary person, that its best expectation for a step forward product will not be approved by the regulatory body; then it means that that person is in all respects an insider, just like a senior manager as far as that information is concerned. The essence here is that such a person should not be allowed to trade with courtesy of that information before the general public becomes privy to it. Consequently, such people are considered to be â€Å"temporary insiders†, and therefore, cannot get involved in trading to take advantage of such information, without being accused of breaking the law. The Security Exchange Act of 1934, section 10(b) and 14(e) accord the SEC the powers to obtain a court order to force the accomplices to return the profits they have obtained from such a deal. Additionally, SEC can ask the court to force the company to pay a very heavy penalty, which is proportional to the amount of profits realized from the illegal trading. Alongside these financial fines are criminal fines.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Insider Trading Law specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Just like the Japanese regulator’s crackdown that has been discussed above which seems to be grossly ineffective, I think these fines are not adequate, and should be made significantly more severe. I strongly support a United States bill, which will make those who are accused of insider trading accountable for committing a felony that leads to incarceration for a period not less than 10 years. Conclusion In view of this discussion, it has been found that insider trading is a retrogressive activity that amounts to defrauding of shareholders, and which should be punishable by the toughest terms possible. The illegal form of insider trading is the trading that takes place in a security market, following exchange of material information, which is not offered to the general public. The strong criticism of the Japanese regulator’s crackdown is a wakeup call. It shows that this issue is not taken with the se riousness it deserves, by the regulatory bodies, which are entrusted to curtail the insider business. It should be in the best interest of companies to avoid insider trading so they are not investigation by the regulatory bodies – this is particularly because, even after being cleared of any wrong doing, such an investigation can have a lasting damage on the company’s reputation. Reference Reh, F.J. (2012). Insider Trading. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/insider-trading-2275117 This essay on Insider Trading Law was written and submitted by user Kristen W. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, March 9, 2020

Family Therapy Essays

Family Therapy Essays Family Therapy Paper Family Therapy Paper This purpose of this assignment is to provide an outline of the major concepts of six different systemic family therapy approaches including: adlerian family therapy, multigenerational therapy, the human validation process model, experiential symbolic family therapy, structural family therapy and strategic family therapy. A brief overview of each modality will be given and then an exploration of the value of working systemically with the case study of Stan will be made. In addition, two social construction therapies, including solution focused therapy and narrative therapy will be reviewed and then finally these therapies will also be applied to the case study of Stan. PART A- SYSTEMIC THERAPIES A systemic perspective holds the assumption that an individual is best understood in the context of their family system. Family members interactions and behaviours are interconnected with others within the family and symptoms are often viewed as an expression of patterns within a family (Corey, 2005, p. 424). In this section, six different systemic family therapies will be outlined and the case study of Stan will be discussed from a systemic perspective. Adlerian Family Therapy: Alfred Adler was an Austrian Doctor and Psychologist who was one of the first members of Freud’s Vienna Psychoanalytic Society in the early 1900’s (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 151). He later diverged from Freud’s theories, as he perceived man as a social being with a natural inclination toward other people. He maintained that to understand an individual we needed to understand them within the social context that they exist (Adler, 1929, pp. 0-116). Adler was interested in a client’s social perspective and sense of community, birth order and family relationships and family constellations (ibid). Adler’s theories evolved from the concept of an inferiority complex which he believed motivates us to strive for success and work towards life goals that will see us overcome this com plex (Corey 2005, pp. 94-95). Adlerian Family Therapy is referred to as teleological. That is a belief that we are motivated by our future and drawn to our goals and life purpose, rather than driven by our instincts or past trauma as was believed by Freud (Boeree, 2006). : The stages of Adlerian Family Therapy can be described as Relationship, Psychological Investigation, Interpretation and Reorientation (Sweeny 1989, pp. 239-260). The basic aims of the therapist are establishing and maintaining a good relationship with the client, exploring the dynamics of a person by looking at their birth order characteristics and assessing their lifestyle, encouraging the development of insight and helping the family to set new goals that are aligned and encourage cooperation, self esteem and social interest (ibid). Adler considered encouragement to be the essential element in working towards change with a client. He believed that people who feel encouraged are more likely to accept themselves and strive for improvement (Sweeny 1989, pp. 239-260). Adlerian Family Therapists assume roles of educators, motivational investigators and collaborators. They will identify and discover the meaning of transactional patterns, set homework, teach new skills, promote effective parenting and build family pride with an emphasis on â€Å"changing the system and individual functioning within a new system† (Sherman Dinkmeyer, 1987, p. 39). Multi-generational Family Therapy: Murray Bowen was a psychoanalytically trained American psychiatrist who used a multigenerational approach when working with individuals (Brown, J. 2007, p. 12). The major concept of his theory is Differentiation of Self, which refers to the degree to which a person can think, act and follow their own values without having their behaviour automatically driven by the emotional cues of others (Bowen, 1994, pp. 476-477). Bowen maintained that levels of differentiation, patterns of behaviour and ways of relating to others are passed down through multiple generations and he described this as the Multigenerational Transmission Process (ibid). He also emphasised the role that Triangles, or three-way relationships, play in diffusing anxiety within a system and he used the term Nuclear Family Emotional System to explain patterns of emotional interaction that occur within a family to manage or absorb anxiety (ibid). Other concepts in this theory include: The Family Projection Process or the process of parents transmitting their own low level of differentiation onto the most susceptible child (Bowen, 1978, p. 204); Emotional cutoff which refers to a person emotionally distancing themselves in an attempt to reduce their anxiety (Bowen, 1978, p. 35); Sibling Positions which illustrate that similar characteristics are found among people who share the same order of birth and the final concept of Bowen’s Theory is Societal Emotional Process which refers to the way increased levels of anxiety within society are managed resulting in both progressive and regressive periods (Bowen Kerr 1988, p. 334) The main goal of Multi-Gener ational Therapy is to reduce chronic anxiety by increasing levels of differentiation and awareness of how the individuals emotional system functions (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 195). Reflections are not on the individual’s intra-psychic processes but on their own family’s intergenerational patterns of relationships (ibid). The therapist adopts a neutral and objective position acting as a coach. They assist family members to become their own researchers in their patterns of functioning within the context of their family system using genograms, homework and visits to family of origin (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 197). Human Validation Process Model: Virginia Satir was an American social worker, therapist and writer and is considered a pioneer in the development of family systems therapy. Her Human Validation Process Model grew from her desire to bring each family to its inherent potential and thereby achieve family ‘wellness’ (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 222). Her approach emphasises congruent communication, emotional experiencing and building the self-esteem of each family member as essential components to the therapy (ibid). Satir believed the relationship between the therapist and the family was more important than any techniques being used and she thought of the therapist as a model of effective communication and a resource for developing ways to express emotions (ibid). Jordan (2008, p. 313) illustrates the five major concepts of the Human Validation Process Model. These include: A focus on health and growth as apposed to pathology; the role of the therapist as being helping individuals to draw on their intrinsic resources to develop coping skills; symptoms and dysfunctional behaviour result from these internal resources being constrained through rigid beliefs and unrealistic expectations; systems operate with universal principles; and change is always possible and can be most effectively activated when therapists work with process rather than content. Satir used an intergenerational approach to discover family patterns and worked under the premise that our behaviour reflects what we have learned, learning is the basis of behaviour and thus to change behaviour we have to have new learning (Corey, 2005, pp. 183-185). To accomplish new learning Satir believed in creating a nurturing context where the relationship between the therapist and the family was of primary importance. Some of the various techniques Satir used included humour, touch, role-playing, reframing, family reconstruction, and family sculpture (ibid). Experiential Symbolic Family Therapy: Carl Whitaker was an American psychiatrist who is also considered a pioneer in family systems therapy. Corey (2005, pp. 183-185) describes the goals of experiential symbolic therapy, as being to increase awareness of one’s present experiencing, facilitating individual growth and more effective interactional patterns, and promoting authenticity. Whitaker’s approach was unorthodox, active and confronting and he believed that to bring about change and flexibility within a family, the therapist needed to be personally involved in the therapy (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 08). He stressed the importance of the therapist finding a balance between strong emotional confrontation and warmth and support. Several generations of a family are included in the therapy as Whitaker considered the family as an integrated whole, not as a collection of individuals. He also pioneered the use of co-therapists as a means of maintaining objectivity while using his highly provocative techni ques to turn up the emotional temperature in families (ibid). Whitaker viewed family therapy occurring across several different stages (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 15). The engagement phase sees a battle for structure ensue. During this phase it is the therapists role to set minimum standards and take control of the therapy. Following this phase a battle for initiative often sees a family become eager for the therapist to fix them or provide them with solutions but instead they are introduced to change through confrontation, exaggeration, anecdote and play. As the family progresses to a stage where they only require minimal intervention, the therapist can become more creative and provoke more spontaneous responses. Finally as the family begins to utilise more of their own resources and take on increased responsibility for their way of living the therapy moves to the separation phase where there can often be a sense of loss and sadness over the therapy terminating (ibid). Structural Family Therapy: The development of the structural approach began with Argentinean family therapist, Salvador Minuchin in the early sixties (James MacKinnon, 1986, p. 223). This approach views behaviour as a response the familial and social system in which it occurs. Problematic behaviour is maintained, not caused by the system and often only presents when the system is faced with major stresses or transitional periods (ibid). Structural family therapy views the family in terms of structure, subsystems, boundaries and hierarchies. Structure describes the repeated patterns that define family relationships, and includes the rules that govern behaviour and dictate the assumption of roles and functions. The hierarchical structure of the family describes the framework of authority, which in turn determines how conflict will be mediated (Sholevar Schwoeri, 2003, p. 40). Structural family therapy is more action focused rather than insight oriented. The therapeutic relationship in structural therapy is not emphasised. Rather a therapist will join the family system and attempt to manipulate structures, regulate intensity, and modify dysfunctional patterns with techniques such as reframing, enactment, unbalancing hierarchies and tracking of transactional sequences (Corey, 2005, pp. 183-185). Fundamental goals of this therapy are to transform the systems homeostasis, or the desire to maintain stability or the status quo, develop new structures and altering the family’s transactions (Sholevar Schwoeri, 2003, p. 9). Strategic Family Therapy: Jay Haley was an American Psychologist and Family Therapist who began working with Salvador Minuchin at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic in the late 1960’s (Corey, 2005, p. 429). Their work was very similar and widely practised by family systems therapists during the 1970’s. Both the Structu ral and Strategic models are directive and seek to modify maladaptive structures or interactional sequences within families. Similarly insight is considered unimportant and the therapeutic relationship is not considered a major component of the therapy (ibid). The structural and strategic models differences lie in the way that the family’s problems are viewed. Whilst Minuchin viewed a family’s symptoms as involuntary, Haley viewed a family’s symptoms or problems as an adaptive strategy that served a function in the system (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 277). Cloe Madanes is an American Family Therapist and Psychologist who joined her husband, Jay Haley in 1975 to form the Family Therapy Institute of Washington DC (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 277). The Haley-Madanes approach sees therapists working directively as consultants and experts. Therapy is carefully planned and goals are set to alleviate the presenting problem and problematic family structures are explored. (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p. 275). The primary goal of the interventions carried out by the therapists is to shift the family structures so that symptoms or the presenting problem no longer serves a function within the system (ibid). Working Systemically with Stan Corey (2005, pp. 10-15) presents a case study of a Stan, a 25-year-old male who has been mandated to attend counselling after a drink driving offence. Stan has presented as a psychology student, working in construction with problems with relationships and alcohol. As Stan has identified that most of his relationships with other people are difficult, especially those with his family of origin, working with him from a systemic perspective could be particularly beneficial. Stan has commented â€Å"although I’d like to have people in my life, I just don’t know how to go about making friends or getting close to people† (Corey, 2005, p. 14). Working systemically would assist Stan in gaining insight into his interpersonal style and how this affects his relationships. Family of origin work would provide Stan an opportunity to discover patterns of interacting that occur within his family across multiple generations. He would learn rules within his family that have dictated decisions that he has made in his life with people outside of his family and it would provide him with clarity around the difficulties he has with getting close to people. By constructing a genogram of Stan’s family it would allow him to see very clearly that problems with alcohol are a prominent pattern within his family of origin. This may be new information to Stan that he may not have conceptualised before seeing the pattern depicted visually, even if he had an awareness of particular family members who drank heavily. The genogram would be a useful tool in providing Stan many other hypotheses that could help him to comprehend some of the underlying emotional processes that occur within his family (Goldenberg Goldenberg, 2008, p194). The genogram also offers the family a way of understanding the therapeutic exploratory process in a way that is not highly emotive (ibid). By including his family in the therapy various other interactional patterns could be presented in a multi-generational context to explore how the family maintains alcohol as the problem (Corey, 2005, p. 450). Working systemically provides the therapist with more than one perspective, allowing the therapist to track interactions and to facilitate changes in the way the family communicates and interacts with each other. According to Satir, by offering the family a nurturing context in which they can gain new learning, new patterns of behaviour can emerge (Corey, 2005, pp. 83-185) and Stan can begin to experience meaningful and fulfilling relationships such as he desires without having to rely on alcohol to facilitate them. PART B- SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION THERAPIES Social constructionism has brought about a therapeutic perspective where truth and reality are viewed as being subjectively bound by history and context as opposed to objective, irrefutable facts (Corey, 2005, p. 385). In postmod ern thinking there has been a shift from experts assigning meaning to an individuals experience to a more collaborative approach where the client is considered the expert and therapists the consultants (ibid). Social constructionists challenge conventional knowledge, they encourage suspicion of assumptions of reality, they assert that language and concepts used to form meaning are historically and culturally specific, and that what we consider to be truth is constructed through social processes (Corey, 2005, p. 386). This section will outline two modalities of social construction therapies and then apply them to the case study of Stan. Solution Focused Brief Therapy Steve de Shazer was an American Social Worker, Psychotherapist and author who along with his wife, Korean born Social Worker and Psychotherapist Insoo Kim Berg, founded the Brief Family Therapy Center in Milwaukee in 1978 (Simon, p. 27. 2010). Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) differs from traditional psychotherapy where the therapist’s focus is on problem formation and problem resolution. Instead, SFBT focuses on client strengths and internal resources by exploring previous solutions and exceptions to the problem, and then, through a series of interventions, encourages clients to do more of those behaviours (Macdonald, 2007, p. ). Therapists allow clients to determine the goals of therapy and assume a respectful, cooperative stance where interventions are delivered within the client’s context of understanding, often in the client’s own language or phrases (Macdonald, 2007, pp. 7-8). Whilst a set number of sessions are not necessarily contracted at the outset of therapy, therapists will usually see clients an average of three times with the principle of minimal intervention reducing the need for extensive histories to be gained by the therapists or in depth explanations of the difficulties to be offered (O’Connell, 2005, p19). SFBT is a future-focused, goal-directed approach that uses questions designed to identify exceptions, or times when the problem doesn’t occur, solutions and scales to measure where the client currently is in relation to their goal and discover behaviours needed achieve further progress towards their goals (Corey, 2005, p394). Miracle questions are used to encourage clients to dream, as a way of finding out what they most want and providing a description of life without the problem (ibid). SFBT also uses homework, pre-therapy change exploration, compliments and bridging to elicit change (ibid). Narrative Therapy Michael White was an Australian Social Worker, author and Psychotherapist who developed Narrative Therapy with his colleague, New Zealand Social Worker and Psychotherapist David Epston (Piercy, Sprenkle Wetchler, 1996, p133). White and Epston believed that individuals form meanings of life through interpretive and often negative dominant stories that are treated as absolute truths and internalized. They referred to this as a problem saturation, which doesn’t allow people to see the times when they don’t have the problem or their dominant story (ibid). A Narrative approach will externalise the problem to allow a person to challenge its influence on their lives and re-write their story with a richer alternative narrative (ibid). Narrative therapists will adopt a collaborative approach to assist the client to form a name for the problem, explore how the problem has been impacting the client, discover times when the problem hasn’t been present or occurring and encourage the client to find alternative meanings and stories with new language and perspectives (Corey, 2005, p. 398-399). The narrative approach emphasises the importance of optimism, respect, curiosity, persistence and valuing the client’s knowledge (ibid). Techniques that are used by therapists include externalization, deconstruction, searching for unique outcomes, creating alternative stories and re-authoring, providing an audience to the changes the client is making through encouraging clients to share their successes with others, writing letters to the clients and jointly writing case notes with the clients to lesson the power differential between therapists and clients (Piercy et al, 1996 p. 33-134). Working with Stan from a Social Construction Perspective In working with Stan from a social construction approach, the therapist would assume that Stan is the expert on his life and that the therapist’s role is as a collaborative consultant (Corey, 2005, p. 504). Stan has already identified his goals to be having more people in his life, finding a career where he can make a difference to others, feel equal to others, and find more helpful ways of coping (Corey, 2005, p. 14). The therapist would assist Stan to further define these goals and explores skills that he already possesses to assist him to achieve these goals. Combining a narrative and solution focused approach, the therapist would empower Stan to draw on his internal resources to make the changes he desires and achieve the goals he has identified rather than seeking to understand the source or history of his problems (Corey, 2005, p. 504). The value of working this way is that alcohol and Stan’s fear of relationships are externalized and he is offered the opportunity to re-author the story of his life. Using a social constructionist approach, a therapist would focus on Stan’s strengths, explore the exceptions and encourage Stan to harness these skills so that he can experience more of the positive outcomes he has achieved at these times (Macdonald, 2007, p. 1). Stan’s identified determination, ‘guts to leave his shady past behind’ and acceptance into college would be hi-lighted and the times that he has successfully worked with young people at youth camps would be explored as an exception (Corey, 2005, pp. 12-13). Stan would be encouraged to utilise these solutions in other areas of his life where he feels defined by his problems. Stan has previously experienced the benefits of having his strengths witnessed by an audience and described his youth camp supervisor’s confidence in him as a â€Å"major turning point† (Corey, 2005, p. 13). To further this experience a therapist could encourage Stan to identify people such as family members, his peers or perhaps his supervisor to become ‘outsider witnesses’ and at an appropriate stage of therapy these witnesses would be invited in to hear Stan’s revised and re-authored life narrative (Payne, 2006, p. 16). In conclusion, by undertaking a review of a variety of both systemic and social construction therapies and then applying both ways of working to the case study of Stan provides clarity around the effectiveness of both approaches when working with either an individual or a family. It would seem that using an integrated methodology has much to offer both the client and the practitioner in meeting the particular needs of families and individuals presenting for therapy. REFERENCE LIST Adler, A. (1929) The Science of Living. George Allen Unwin: London Boeree, J. (2006) Personality Theories. Alfred Adler [Online], Available: http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/adler. html Accessed 16/08/2010 at 6. 15pm Bowen, M (1978) Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. Aronson: New Jersey Bowen, M. (1994) Family Therapy in Clinical Practice. Aronson: New York Brown, J. (2007) Going Home Again: A family of origin approach to individual therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, Vol. 14:1, 12-18 Corey, G. (2005) Student Manual for Theory and Practice of Counselling and Psychotherapy 7th ed. Brooks/Cole Thompson: California Goldenberg, I Goldenberg, H. (2008) Family Therapy: An Overview. Thomson Brooks/Cole: California James, K MacKinnon, K. (1986) Theory and Practice of Structural Family Therapy: Illustration and Critique. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol. 7:4, 223-233 Jordan, K. (2008) The Quick Theory Reference Guide: A Resource of Expert and Novice Mental Health Professionals. Nova Science Publishers: New York Kerr, M Bowen M. (1988) Family Evaluation. Norton Co: New York O’Connell, B. (2005) Solution-Focused Therapy. Sage Publications: London Payne, M. (2006) Narrative Therapy: an introduction for counsellors. Sage Publications: London Piercy, F, Sprenkle, D Wetchler, J. (1996) Family Therapy Sourcebook. The Guildford Press: New York Sherman, R Dinkmeyer, D. (1987) Systems of Family Therapy: an Adlerian Integration. Brunner-Routledge: New York Sholevar, G Schwoeri, L. (2003) Textbook of family and couples therapy: clinical applications. American Psychiatric Publishing Inc: Virginia Simon, J. (2010) Solution Focused Practice in End-of-Life Counseling. Springer Publishing: New York Sweeny, T. (1989) Adlerian Counseling. A Practical Approach for a New Decade (3rd ed. ). Accelerated Development: Muncie, IN.

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Philosophical debates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Philosophical debates - Essay Example robably support American and government action against terrorists; Locke would probably be appalled by Guantanamo Bay and some of the extremes committed by the Bush Administration after 9/11 such as enhanced interrogation techniques. Both philosophers, however, were very clever men who would be able to cogently argue both positions of the argument. A good example of 18th century terrorism was the French Revolution, which had the aim of overthrowing the aristocracy and declaring the independence of the other classes. The event was historically very significant and caused huge political ripples at the time. This was one of the first times Republicanism had reared its head on the European continent. Burke strongly opposed the Revolution, believing that violent revolution was not acceptable and would in the end change nothing. It is important to note that these Revolutionaries did not attack London or Washington, and they weren’t interested in Spain. Their campaign was focused and motivated by achievable goals. The terrorism of today is different. The mujahideen in Afghanistan come from all over the Islamic world. Some want to take control of the elected Afghan government, but others want to set up bases in Afghanistan to wage a global jihad against the West under the tutelage of Al Qaeda. They tend to view all Westerners a s enemies. Terrorism is now a global phenomenon motivated by a distorted global ideology. Burke would hate terrorism in all its form and support countries that wished to do something about it. Any drastic change is bad, Burke wrote, especially changes that are achieved through violence and with the intention to create a utopia or an idealistic world. Locke would probably try to understand the terrorists and argue that colonial powers, such as the U.S., broke a social contract with the poorer people of the world, and that terrorism is a consequence. He would not be a believer in the notion of a clash of civilizations, believing at heart that most

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

How Internet Shapes Contemporary Social Environment Research Paper

How Internet Shapes Contemporary Social Environment - Research Paper Example A vastly different world exists today due to the spread of Internet use which relies to a great extent on the concept of redundant networks to assure continuous connections in whatever conditions. This paper examines how computers and the Internet have changed the world environment where people increasingly rely on these two products of modern technology to do anything they want. The Internet has altered the way people work, live, transact their business, how they can bank their money, communicate with each other, socialize, research for some information and in many ways previously inconceivable just a few decades ago. One can find knowledge with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, one thing the Internet has changed in a very profound way is how it made the world a much smaller place and various cultures now become homogeneous. Instant communications have allowed people to know more about each other and various cultures around the world. Information travels very fast at the speed of light (or the connections). Language barriers are being brought down because of the Internet; it has also allowed people to learn more about the culture of far-away countries in an instant. World culture is largely defined by the mass media (multi-media such as the television, newspapers, online libraries, the Internet and pop culture such as hip-hop music) and there is now an easier intermingling of various ideas. World culture is now largely defined as instant gratification, people are unwilling to wait longer than necessary when they want something or search for some answers to nagging questions. The Internet is all about building communities (albeit online groups such as Facebook and Twitter).

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Peace in Eastern Religions Essay Example for Free

Peace in Eastern Religions Essay All Eastern religions have their own ideas about engendering peace within individuals and society. Jainism and Buddhism insist on the protection of all life. Confucianism permits war whenever reality would not allow for absolute peace within society. Daoism, on the contrary, rejects war by almost equating tranquility with the true nature of humanity. It is reasonable, therefore, to pose the following questions: Do all people love peace? If so, why do we have to discuss the subverting of hatred? As a matter of fact, all people cannot find peace until and unless they have come to believe in certain peace-inducing thoughts, such as ahimsa of the Buddhists. All religions propose peace with their particular sets of beliefs. Followers of the religions are required to know the thoughts of their peace-loving leaders, however, before they can find absolute peace within themselves. There is no religion without knowledge, which is why a Jain must know the basic beliefs of his or her community before peace could be practiced in the form of complete nonviolence. I believe that the â€Å"inner peace† proposed by Buddhism is the most important definition of peace. This is the kind of peace that is available to all, regardless of our levels of education. Even before an individual has realized the peace-inducing thoughts of the Buddha, or another religious leader, â€Å"inner peace† is essentially available. Moreover, nonviolence is best practiced with â€Å"inner peace. † If this kind of peace is not available to an individual, he or she may find it difficult also to understand the nonviolent practices of the religion. After all, an agitated and wrathful mind would not be able to practice nonviolence in the best possible way. Despite the fact that Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism, Smith-Christopher (1998), the editor of Subverting Hatred: The Challenge of Nonviolence in Religious Traditions, has positioned the chapter on Buddhism before the chapter on Hinduism. This allows the reader to understand the origins of Buddhism after reflecting on the religion. Most importantly, however, the placement of the chapter on Buddhism before the chapter on its origins allows the reader to be introduced to the concept of â€Å"inner peace† earlier on. This is an indispensable form of peace without which no concept of nonviolence is possible to be understood. Seeing that the subject of the book is the practice of peace, it would have been appropriate also to place the chapter on Buddhism as the first chapter in the book – simply for an understanding of â€Å"inner peace. †

Monday, January 20, 2020

Islam :: essays research papers fc

It may seem similar and it may not, but what we do know, is that they both believe that they are Muslims. The Islamic beliefs of the black American male and the males of the Middle East are the same. My argument lies in the question of whether or not Africans can call themselves true Muslims, believers and followers of the Islamic faith. To be considered a true Muslim you must follow the rules and regulations of the Islamic faith. What is Islam? Islam is defined as "the complete acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of Allah " (I. A. Ibrahim 45) As a Muslim you are to believe in Allah, who is incomparable. He has no son nor does he have a partner, he is unique and he is one. You shall not worship, magnify, or pay tribute to any other, for all others are false. Yet we see otherwise in Africans who call themselves Muslims. In John S. Mbiti's book, "Introduction to African Religion" he states traditional African beliefs mixes those of Islam to suit the require ments of the people concerned so they get the best out of both religions (188-189). How can one say such a thing? To believe in something is to fight for it, is to die for it. You can not get the best of a religion if you do not fully believe in it. You should not "adopt the way of dress and some other cultural forms" (Mbiti 189), just to suite a community. Religion is something that is held dear to the heart of many people and to mix and mingle them does not allow you to truly believe in one. When you convert to a religion it is not to convert halfway, it is not to convert three- fourths of the way, but to convert all the way. It is stated that even if Africans "convert to another religion, they do not completely abandon the traditional religions" (Mbiti 14) Here we see that the first real defiance has already occur. By mixing the two would not you be doing an injustice to the true believers of the Islamic faith and defying Allah the leader of the Islamic faith. in addition, are you not doing an injustice to the rites and rituals to the Gods, Spirits, and Divinities of the African religion? How can you please the leader/leaders of these separate religions if you are not even following them fully with your heart, mind, body and soul?

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Frostbite Chapter 13

Thirteen PEOPLE STOOD UP AND SHOUTED, everyone wanting their opinion to be heard. As it was, most of them held the same view: Tasha was wrong. They told her she was crazy. They told her that in sending out Moroi and dhampirs to fight the Strigoi, she'd be expediting the extinction of both races. They even had the nerve to suggest that that was Tasha's plan all along- that she was somehow collaborating with the Strigoi in all of this. Dimitri stood up, disgust all over his features as he surveyed the chaos. â€Å"You might as well leave. Nothing useful's going to happen now.† Mason and I rose, but he shook his head when I started to follow Dimitri out. â€Å"You go on,† said Mason. â€Å"I want to check something out.† I glanced at the standing, arguing people. I shrugged. â€Å"Good luck.† I couldn't believe it had only been a few days since I'd spoken to Dimitri. Stepping out into the hall with him, I felt like it'd been years. Being with Mason these last couple of days had been fantastic, but seeing Dimitri again, all of my old feelings for him came rushing back. Suddenly, Mason seemed like a child. My distress over the Tasha situation also came back, and stupid words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. â€Å"Shouldn't you be in there protecting Tasha?† I asked. â€Å"Before the mob gets her? She's going to get in big trouble for using magic like that.† He raised an eyebrow. â€Å"She can take care of herself.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, because she's a badass karate magic user. I get all that. I just figured since you're going to be her guardian and all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Where did you hear that?† â€Å"I have my sources.† Somehow, saying I'd heard it from my mom sounded less cool. â€Å"You've decided to, right? I mean, it sounds like a good deal, seeing as she's going to give you fringe benefits†¦.† He gave me a level look. â€Å"What happens between her and me is none of your business,† he replied crisply. The words between her and me stung. It sounded like he and Tasha were a done deal. And, as often happened when I was hurt, my temper and attitude took over. â€Å"Well, I'm sure you guys'll be happy together. She's just your type, too- I know how much you like women who aren't your own age. I mean, she's what, six years older than you? Seven? And I'm seven years younger than you.† â€Å"Yes,† he said after several moments of silence. â€Å"You are. And every second this conversation goes on, you only prove how young you really are.† Whoa. My jaw almost hit the floor. Not even my mother punching me had hurt as badly as that. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw regret in his eyes, like he too realized just how harsh his words had been. But the moment passed, and his expression was hard once more. â€Å"Little dhampir,† a voice suddenly said nearby. Slowly, still stunned, I turned toward Adrian Ivashkov. He grinned at me and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment to Dimitri. I suspected my face was bright red. How much had Adrian heard? He held up his hands in a casual gesture. â€Å"I don't want to interrupt or anything. Just wanted to talk to you when you have time.† I wanted to tell Adrian I didn't have time to play whatever game he was into now, but Dimitri's words still smarted. He was looking at Adrian now in a very disapproving way. I suspected he, like everyone else, had heard about Adrian's bad reputation. Good, I thought. I suddenly wanted him to be jealous. I wanted to hurt him as much as he'd hurt me lately. Swallowing my pain, I unearthed my man-eating smile, one I hadn't used to full effect in sometime. I walked over to Adrian and put a hand on his arm. â€Å"I've got time now.† I gave a nod of my own to Dimitri and steered Adrian away, walking close to him. â€Å"See you later, Guardian Belikov.† Dimitri's dark eyes followed us stonily. Then I turned away and didn't look back. â€Å"Not into older guys, huh?† asked Adrian once we were alone. â€Å"You're imagining things,† I said. â€Å"Clearly, my stunning beauty has clouded your mind.† He laughed that nice laugh of his. â€Å"That's entirely possible.† I started to step back, but he tossed an arm around me. â€Å"No, no, you wanted to play chummy with me- now you've got to see it through.† I rolled my eyes at him and let the arm stay. I could smell alcohol on him as well as the perpetual smell of cloves. I wondered if he was drunk now. I had the feeling that there was probably little difference between his attitudes drunk or sober. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked. He studied me for a moment. â€Å"I want you to grab Vasilisa and come with me. We're going to have some fun. You'll probably want a swimsuit too.† He seemed disappointed by the admission of this. â€Å"Unless you want to go naked.† â€Å"What? A bunch of Moroi and dhampirs just got slaughtered, and you want to go swimming and ‘have fun'?† â€Å"It's not just swimming,† he said patiently. â€Å"Besides, that slaughter is exactly why you should go do this.† Before I could argue that, I saw my friends round the corner: Lissa, Mason, and Christian. Eddie Castile was with the group, which shouldn't have surprised me, but Mia was as well- which certainly did surprise me. They were deep in conversation, though they all stopped talking when they saw me. â€Å"There you are,† said Lissa, a puzzled look on her face. I remembered Adrian's arm was still around me. I stepped out of it. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said. A moment of awkwardness hung around us, and I was pretty sure I heard a low chuckle from Adrian. I beamed at him and then my friends. â€Å"Adrian invited us to go swimming.† They stared at me in surprise, and I could almost see the wheels of speculation turning in their heads. Mason's face darkened a little, but like the others, he said nothing. I stifled a groan. Adrian took me inviting the others to his secret interlude pretty well. With his easygoing attitude, I hadn't really expected anything else. Once we had swimsuits, we followed his directions to a doorway in one of the far wings of the lodge. It held a staircase that led down- and down and down. I nearly got dizzy as we wound around and around. Electric lights hung in the walls, but as we went farther, the painted walls changed to carved stone. When we reached our destination, we discovered Adrian had been right- it wasn't just swimming. We were in a special spa area of the resort, one used only for the most elite Moroi. In this case, it was reserved for a bunch of royals I assumed were Adrian's friends. There were about thirty others, all his age or older, who bore the marks of wealth and elitism. The spa consisted of a series of hot mineral pools. Maybe once they'd been in a cave or something, but the lodge builders had long since gotten rid of any sort of rustic surroundings. The black stone walls and ceiling were as polished and beautiful as anything else in the resort. It was like being in a cave- a really nice, designer cave. Racks of towels lined the walls, as did tables full of exotic food. The baths matched the rest of the room's hewn-out d? ¦cor: stone-lined pools containing hot water that was heated from some underground source. Steam filled the room, and a faint, metallic smell hung in the air. Sounds of partygoers laughing and splashing echoed around us. â€Å"Why is Mia with you?† I asked Lissa softly. We were winding our way through the room, looking for a pool that wasn't occupied. â€Å"She was talking to Mason when we were getting ready to leave,† she returned. She kept her voice just as quiet. â€Å"It seemed mean to just†¦ I don't know †¦ leave her †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even I agreed with that. Obvious signs of grief were written all over her face, but Mia seemed at least momentarily distracted by whatever Mason was telling her. â€Å"I thought you didn't know Adrian,† Lissa added. Disapproval hung in her voice and in the bond. We finally found a large pool, a little out of the way. A guy and a girl were on the opposite side, all over each other, but there was plenty of room for the rest of us. They were easy to ignore. I put a foot into the water and pulled it back immediately. â€Å"I don't,† I told her. Cautiously, I inched the foot back in, slowly followed by the rest of my body. When I got to my stomach, I grimaced. I had on a maroon bikini, and the scalding water caught my stomach by surprise. â€Å"You must know him a little. He invited you to a party.† â€Å"Yeah, but do you see him with us now?† She followed my gaze. Adrian stood on the far side of the room with a group of girls in bikinis much smaller than mine. One was a Betsey Johnson suit I'd seen in a magazine and coveted. I sighed and looked away. We'd all slipped into the water by then. It was so hot I felt like I was in a soup kettle. Now that Lissa seemed convinced of my innocence with Adrian, I tuned into the others' discussion. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I interrupted. It was easier than listening and figuring it out myself. â€Å"The meeting,† said Mason excitedly. Apparently, he'd gotten over seeing me and Adrian together. Christian had settled onto a small shelf in the pool. Lissa curled up beside him. Putting a proprietary arm around her, he tipped his back so it rested on the edge. â€Å"Your boyfriend wants to lead an army against the Strigoi,† he told me. I could tell he was saying it to provoke me. I looked at Mason questioningly. It wasn't worth the effort to challenge the â€Å"boyfriend† comment. â€Å"Hey, it was your aunt who suggested it,† Mason reminded Christian. â€Å"She only said we should find the Strigoi before they find us again,† countered Christian. â€Å"She wasn't pushing for novices fighting. That was Monica Szelsky.† A waitress came by then with a tray of pink drinks. These were in elegant, long-stemmed crystal glasses with sugared rims. I had a strong suspicion the drinks were alcoholic, but I doubted anyone who made it into this party was going to get carded. I had no idea what they were. Most of my experiences with alcohol had involved cheap beer. I took a glass and turned back to Mason. â€Å"You think that's a good idea?† I asked him. I sipped the drink, cautiously. As a guardian in training, I felt like I should always be on alert, but tonight I once again felt like being rebellious. The drink tasted like punch. Grapefruit juice. Something sweet, like strawberries. I was still pretty sure there was alcohol in it, but it didn't appear strong enough for me to lose sleep over. Another waitress soon appeared with a tray of food. I eyed it and recognized almost nothing. There was something that looked vaguely like mushrooms stuffed with cheese, as well as something else that looked little round patties of meat or sausage. As a good carnivore, I reached for one, thinking it couldn't be that bad. â€Å"It's foie gras,† said Christian. There was a smile on his face I didn't like. I eyed him warily. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"You don't know?† His tone was cocky, and for once in his life, he sounded like a true royal touting his elite knowledge over us underlings. He shrugged. â€Å"Take a chance. Find out.† Lissa sighed in exasperation. â€Å"It's goose liver.† I jerked my hand back. The waitress moved on, and Christian laughed. I glared at him. Meanwhile, Mason was still hung up on my question about whether novices going to battle before graduation was a good idea. â€Å"What else are we doing?† he asked indignantly. â€Å"What are you doing? You run laps with Belikov every morning. What's that doing for you? For the Moroi?† What was that doing for me? Making my heart race and my mind have indecent thoughts. â€Å"We aren't ready,† I said instead. â€Å"We've only got six more months,† piped in Eddie. Mason nodded his agreement. â€Å"Yeah. How much more can we learn?† â€Å"Plenty,† I said, thinking of how much I'd picked up from my tutoring sessions with Dimitri. I finished my drink. â€Å"Besides, where does it stop? Let's say they end school six months early, then send us off. What next? They decide to push back further and cut our senior year? Our junior year?† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm not afraid to fight. I could have taken on Strigoi when I was a sophomore.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said dryly. â€Å"Just like you did skiing on that slope.† Mason's face, already flushed from the heat, turned redder still. I immediately regretted my words, particularly when Christian started laughing. â€Å"Never thought I'd live to see the day when I agreed with you, Rose. But sadly, I do.† The cocktail waitress came by again, and both Christian and I took new drinks. â€Å"The Moroi have got to start helping us defend themselves.† â€Å"With magic?† asked Mia suddenly. It was the first time she'd spoken since we'd got here. Silence met her. I think Mason and Eddie didn't respond because they knew nothing about fighting with magic. Lissa, Christian, and I did- and were trying very hard to act like we didn't. There was a funny sort of hope in Mia's eyes, though, and I could only imagine what she'd gone through today. She'd woken up to learn her mother was dead and then been subjected to hours and hours of political bantering and battle strategies. The fact that she was sitting here at all seeming semi-composed was a miracle. I assumed people who actually liked their mothers would barely be able to function in that situation. When no one else looked like they were going to answer her, I finally said, â€Å"I suppose. But†¦ I don't know much about that.† I finished the rest of my drink and averted my eyes, hoping someone else would take up the conversation. They didn't. Mia looked disappointed but said no more when Mason switched back to the Strigoi debate. I took a third drink and sank into the water as far as I reasonably could and still hold the glass. This drink was different. It looked chocolatey and had whipped cream on top. I took a taste and definitely detected the bite of alcohol. Still, I figured the chocolate probably diluted it. When I was ready for a fourth drink, the waitress was nowhere in sight. Mason seemed really, really cute to me all of a sudden. I would have liked a little romantic attention from him, but he was still going on about Strigoi and the logistics of leading a strike in the middle of the day. Mia and Eddie were nodding along with him eagerly, and I got the feeling that if he decided to hunt Strigoi right now, they'd follow. Christian was actually joining the talk, but it was more to play devil's advocate. Typical. He thought a sort of preemptive strike would require guardians and Moroi, much as Tasha had said. Mason, Mia, and Eddie argued that if the Moroi weren't up to it, the guardians should take matters into their own hands. I confess, their enthusiasm was kind of contagious. I rather liked the idea of getting the drop on Strigoi. But in the Badica and Drozdov attacks, all of the guardians had been killed. Admittedly the Strigoi had organized into huge groups and had help, but all that told me was that our side needed to be extra careful. His cuteness aside, I didn't want to listen to Mason talk about his battle skills anymore. I wanted another drink. I stood up and climbed over the edge of the pool. To my astonishment, the world started spinning. I'd had that happen before when I got out of baths or hot tubs too quickly, but when things didn't right themselves, I realized those drinks might have been stronger than I thought. I also decided a fourth wasn't such a good idea, but I didn't want to get back in and let everyone know I was drunk. I headed off toward a side room I'd seen the waitress disappear into. I hoped maybe there was a secret stash of desserts somewhere, chocolate mousse instead of goose liver. As I walked, I paid special attention to the slippery floor, thinking that falling into one of the pools and cracking my skull would definitely cost me coolness points. I was paying so much attention to my feet and trying not to stagger that I walked into someone. To my credit, it'd been his fault; he'd backed into me. â€Å"Hey, watch it,† I said, steadying myself. But he wasn't paying attention to me. His eyes were on another guy, a guy with a bloody nose. I'd walked right into the middle of a fight.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Different Forms Of Government Treat Their Citizens

The amount of power that a government should have within a country has been argued throughout history. A mutualistic relationship between a government and its people is clear in almost every society in the world, yet, the dominance one entity has over the other varies from case to case. The United States’ foundation is based upon the fact that the Government works for the people in which actual citizens take part in maintaining a fair, unified authority, but this modern democracy has many pros and cons and is still not agreeably the best form of government. People’s opinions differ on how much say any given person should have on the decisions his or her county makes and the relationship a government should have with its people is very†¦show more content†¦The most shocking part of the novel in which doublethink is implemented is when the Party suddenly announces that Oceania is at war with Eastasia and no longer Eurasia. The part that is shocking is that once t he announcement is made about the change of countries, the people unquestionably change their previous hate towards Eastasia and immediately despise their once allies Eurasia. The unconditioned trust in the government truly shows how brainwashed the population is, and because of this trust the society is able to function successfully. The true patriotism of the citizens facilitates a lack of anguish over the harsh injustices from the government; everyone in Oceania is content with a brutal lifestyle and none dare to revolt against The Party. Winston shares how society functions successfully behind such a corrupt government when he says, â€Å"In a way, the world−view of the Party imposed itself most successfully on people incapable of understanding it†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ â€Å"By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind† (Orwell). Since the decisions that are made i n society are done completely by the government, the citizens of Oceania have to absorb whatever the Party announces as fact. With no thoughts about how life could become better the people coexist in a habitat in which they truly believe could not be improved. All injustice and conflict is diminished once people