Psychology of Health in the Workplace Essay

This document will discuss the relationship between health and psychology in the workplace and how certain lifestyle choices affect these areas. This paper will also include examples of lifestyle choices that enhance personal health and reduce illnesses. Understanding how health and psychology relate to each other will allow an individual the ability to be successful in relationships in or out of the workplace. Health is commonly misunderstood as meaning not sick. Health is when a person sustains a good state of mental, social, and physical well-being. Psychology involves understanding the mind and how it relates to behaviors. When studying Psychology the goal is to understand individual and group behaviors by general principles and research. Health and Psychology work together to promote an individual with a sound state of mind and optimal physical health and then the social should fall into place. How an individual decides to live his or her daily life can determine health factors in the future. An example of this would be a person’s daily eating habits. If choosing healthy balanced meals daily including exercise are less likely to acquire diseases such as obesity, cancer, heart disease, or emphysema. These diseases are common with people who choose to consume unhealthy diets, refrain from any physical activity, and make choices like excessive alcoholic beverages or smoking. Maintaining healthy food choices along with some type of physical activity will balance the mind and promotes the ability to make good choices. Having high levels of anxiety can also increase an individual’s chance of developing other illnesses. A person with high anxiety cannot focus and maintain a normal behavior in the workplace. Stressful jobs can cause an individual to worry and become anxious about his or her work performance resulting in an anxiety disorder. This is the most common mental disorder and affects million of adults, young and old, in the United States. An individual can practice daily  activities such as yoga, exercise, or meditating to reduce the chance of experiencing anxiety. By making choices to reduce stress will enable a person to perform at a higher capacity in the workplace. Conclusion When an individual makes choices that affect his or her health this can affect how he or she performs in the workplace. An example would be an individual who choices to drink alcohol daily will start to show signs of having an unhealthy mind and poor physical health. By consuming alcohol daily reduces one’s ability to think straight and make clear choices. It also can become a health issue if continued over a period of time. This will make others in the workplace uncomfortable and not trust the choices the individual is making if he or she cannot work without drinking alcohol. Making good decisions about our daily choices made concerning our eating habits will determine our future health. By consuming a healthy diet will decrease a person’s chances of obtaining a chronic disease. Therefore, making good choices about our health will promote a healthy state of mind and help individuals to be successful in or out of the workplace. Finding ways to reduce stress and enhance our daily lifestyle can help an individual to live a balanced and happy life. References Taylor, S. E. (2011). Health Pschology (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. WebMd. (2012, March). Anxiety & Panic Disorders Health Center. Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/anxiety-panic/guide/anxiety-at-work

Psychology Journal Article Review Essay

Has the influence of others ever affected your decision making skills, or made you question yourself about the decision you made? In the aim to test whether or not pressure from a group of people affects a persons’ ability to conform. Psychologist Solomon E Asch decided to conduct an experiment to justify his theory. Asch gathered college students in groups of eight to ten where they were told that he was only studying visual perception. They were then given a simple line judgment task where the answer was made very obvious. The task was to decide which one of the lines on the right was identical to the line on the left. This was done over and over again for about eighteen times. However the trick in the experiment was that out of all the students in the group only one student was the one being tested. The rest of the students were instructed to provide incorrect answers to twelve out of the eighteen times they were asked about the lines. Purposely, Asch made sure that the person being experimented sat next-to-the-last person in each group to provide his answer so that he would hear most of the other incorrect answers before giving his own. They then would see if the individual would keep their choice or just conform to everybody else’s decision just because the majority of the group agreed to it. After the experiment Asch found out that thirty-seven out of fifty students that were being experimented on conformed to the majority’s decision at least once. However, fourteen of the fifty students conformed more than six times during the assessment. Asch being very bothered by these results stated â€Å"The tendency to conformity in our society is so strong that reasonably intelligent and well-meaning young people are willing to call white black. This is a matter of concern. It raises questions about our ways of education and about the values that guide our conduct. † ( McLeod, S. A. (2007) Simply Psychology [On-line] UK: Available: http://www. simplypsychology. pwp. blueyonder. co. uk/ Accessed: January 17, 2010). After the experiment when the subjects were being asked why they conformed to the answer some of them said that because they did really think that the other answers were correct. Another reason was that they just went along with everybody else’s same opinion because they did were basically afraid of being different of being thought of as dumb or unusual by the rest of his peers. Due to this Asch came to conclude that people conform for two main reasons one because the individual wants to be liked by the group or maybe because you believe that since you are doing the something different than the rest that they are better informed than you. Asch found out that the aspect that influences conformity is the size of the opposite people having the different opinion than you. He concluded that it is hard to sustain what you see versus something that nobody else sees. Pressure given by the expressed thoughts and opinions of other people can lead to change and alterations successfully making you see almost nothing. Alteration meaning changing your perception about the way the lines were being viewed in order to match with everybody else. In this assessment the independent variable were all the different students that were being tested with the same people in the room, these same students being there provided the same answers to the question sixteen out of eighteen times. The dependant variable was the test being taken and how many wrong answers were being provided for the subject of the experiment to see. In my opinion these results would have been different if we had paid more attention to the kind of people that were being analyzed. For example a person having a high self esteem versus someone having no self esteem at all which then would rapidly make them change their decision. This experiment could have been conducted better if they would have taken these factors in mind or if they would have just tested a similar group of people. Here you might have had people that will most likely listen to other people and then you have the people that are not afraid to be different . I think this experiment showed the correct by just a few people not conforming to everybody else’s choices because there are a very few people like that out in the world today . I think that these results will not really apply to other participants in other places at other experimental times because as stated before maybe not all the subject being tested might have the same mentality to change their answers that quick to be accepted by everyone else. This experiment however has a well contribution to the field of psychology explaining conformity and the different ways that pressure from people has an impact on you. In my cased I believe that everyone should read this experiment and that future edition of ext book should reference this experiment because it would be a great discussion topic and would bring up a good subject to talk about within our peers. This experiment has an impact in what our society is going thru today I believe we have a lot of individuals that are scared to be different I think this takes part greatly on the media and what he have seen growing up. Many people believe that always conforming to what everybody else is used to is always the right thing but what justifies this? Who has the right to say what is right is right and just because the majority of people believe this way it shouldn’t be the same you think. We shouldn’t have to format our minds to somebody else’s. That is the whole idea everyone is different in their own individual way which is what makes each and every one of us if not this world would be such a boring place. As reading about this experiment it’s silly but what came to mind was the show how wasn’t to be a millionaire. In that show which I believe you a bit reference on there is choices you have when you don’t know the answer to a question one of the choices is to ask the audience then the audience votes and obviously the contestant picks the answer they got the most votes. Then it is up to the individual to choose the answer that he thinks it is right nine out ten times the answer that the audience picks is correct which in this case this experiment would not justify the situation. Then we can ask is the individual doubting himself is he afraid to be different? Or in this matter is it not important whether or not they want to be different because there in money involved on the line. Different situations can alter your decision and decision making skills depending on the situation you are in and whether or not you choose to be different in that particular situation. Whether or not you choose to be different should be your decision and not a group of people. Knowing who you are plays big role in this case and if it is hard for you to find the right path then I think that it is better that you find it on your own first before asking someone else for advice and that is how you will find your true self which will then tell you apart from everybody else.

How you would apply a semiological and ideological analysis to a Essay

How you would apply a semiological and ideological analysis to a television advert for a consumer product - Essay Example According to Gillian Dyer advertising is the "official art" in which beliefs and values through the brand are reminded to the people (Reschke, 1998). To understand the real meaning of advertisement its analysis are done to learn the techniques that are employed in designing the content of an advertisement. Media analysts have used different parameters of analysis to gain understanding of concepts interrelated with advertisements. This paper aims to analyze an advertisement through the most commonly used analysis methods called semiotic and ideological analysis. The advertisement selected for this paper is projecting a perfume named 1 million which is the new male fragrance by the Spanish leading colognes and perfume company named Paco Rabbane. Perfumes are considered as both essential and luxurious part of everybody’s life. When worn in daily life they are a necessity, when worn for formal occasions they depict a luxurious life style, elegant personality for women and sheer masculinity for the men. Perfume advertisements are always based on a sophisticated and sensational theme which is directly relating to physiological aspects of humans. The advertisement of perfume 1 million Paco Rabbane had been analyzed during the broadcast of 24th July 2010 by American TV channel namely AsiaVision. I have analyzed it semiotically to understand the hidden meanings prevailing within the text. Semiotic are basically the symbols and signs used within the text to create meaning. The signifier in this particular advert is no doubt the perfume 1 million where it signifies a young sexy looking man that uses the perfume to achieve all his dreams. Several iconic signs the moving objects have been used in the ad to convey the message to the user. To give the add a realistic touch they have made the use of many conventional codes set by our society such as firstly the color of the

Little T.K. and Michele Confidential Informants Assignment

Little T.K. and Michele Confidential Informants - Assignment Example Michele on the other hand is a professional dealer as well, however she looks like a sophisticated white woman and she suits the part because no one would suspect her while she tries to siphon information. Both these selected informants have past experience in being street smart and are fully aware of the danger associated with the drug world. Also, they have had bad experiences and know how to get out of tough and sticky situations. They seem to be flexible with respect to their past and form no attachment with the people they work with. These are excellent qualities to possess as a confidential informant. They would not be suspected with ease by those that are a part of the operation and are a better option than Raul and Shasha because those two have a history of being violent in the past. They might just leash out onto the investigation and give the game away and thus Little T.K and Michele seem to be more responsible and calm with respect to handling such a tough drug operation. Both of them seem the kind that would help the police rather than make their lives more difficult with respect to gaining access to information. Since they have worked in the Hood, they are fully aware of the kind of people that they will be dealing with as well as how to lead those concerned with the operation to trust them with ease. They have dealt with drugs and have also dealt with removing themselves out of situations of trouble without having to pay for consequences. They will thus be an asset to the authorities by acting as confidential informants. The department should have a strict policy concerning these informants – they need to carefully choose people who have information regarding the investigation at hand or at least have had something to do with a similar crime in their past. They should not be people who fear their lives because of the operation that they are getting themselves into and should be strong and smart about it. The department should first sign a c ontract with them regarding the confidentiality and they should not hire someone who might give the entire game away. Also, the informants must not turn up with information that cannot be verified because the operations that need to be carried out are on a very high level dealing with high crimes and potential criminals, so it must be carried out smoothly, without anyone understanding the set up. The department needs to thus sign a contract swearing in their secrecy and also turning them in to the authorities in case they spill confidential information regarding the investigation into the wrong hands or engage in some illegal activities during the course of the operation under the name of the federal police. If the informant is paid then the police should be sure to get a receipt for the transaction for obvious reasons. The work of the informant as well as all of his details should be properly documented with the police. All the paper work should be kept in a proper place for any cr oss checking. A background check needs to be done to understand the past history of the informant and all the crimes he has ever committed, the felons that he has been charged for, as well as his nature in order to understand his behavior during the course of the operation. A written approval regarding the informant’s selection must be taken from a supervisor as he must be prodded for all the information he will provide; negotiations regarding payment as well as any other incentives such as lowering a previous charge on him for

PROJECT 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

PROJECT 2 - Essay Example By so doing, it gives the rationale for the alternative methodology in doing this kind of research (Donald, 2010).  The journal is supported by some others on the topic. This research is, therefore, one of the best materials available in action research. It is because it gives more information on action research and the steps that can be followed when carrying out a comprehensive research are also outlined. Kitchen, J., & Stevens, D. (2014). Action research in teacher education: two teacher-educators practice action research as they introduce action research to pre-service teachers. Action Research, 23(3): 7-28.    The article analyses some of the qualitative techniques that are dependent on different forms of discourse analysis. By analyzing the different methods which depend on analysis of the spoken or written language, the journal examines the relevance of discourse analysis, while looking at qualitative techniques (Kitchen & Stevens, 2014). It entails the examination and analysis of different methods and plays an important role in the discourse analysis, which is a significant in the process of action research. Sample methods used in the analysis of the spoken or written language are discussed in the paper. By reading this article, the reader gets more information on discourse analysis. As such, he or she will be in a position to carry out the process without difficulty. Some attributes of the traditional empirical-research have not been taken seriously by various scholars. This article recognizes the advantages and the disadvantages of traditional research (Peters, 2014). By looking at the disadvantages of this type of research, the article seeks to discover the contradictions which may exist in the research methods (Peters, 2014).It comes up with the conclusion that this type of research has its individual extortions to potency. The paper therefore gets rid of the contradictions that may

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different Assignment - 1

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different composition or two performances of the same composition - Assignment Example In this way, each epoch left its aims and values in music. This essay will focus on the art of Beethoven and Satie to show how different music can be in its aims and purposes. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is a legend in the world of classical music. It represents inner fight of as man who has to choose its further way in life. It is not surprising that the second title of the symphony is Fate. Beethoven’s fate is not the music for relaxation. It is dull of controversies and opposition which cannot leave anybody indifferent. The melody transforms from the nervous passages from the first movement to the calm and moderate moods in the second one. This music shows inner hesitation of people when they need to make their life choices. Gravy full chords in the beginning of the piece quickly transform into the light passages which remind thoughtfulness young people who cannot focus on the most important things in their lives. At the same time, the fate theme interrupts any light process in one’s thinking making everything more complicated. The second movement of the symphony is totally opposite to the first one. It reminds of a place when all people can feel calm. Harmony and calmness are two general values which are recognized by different world cultures and people. In this way, the symphony meets their standards and becomes universal in the context of global community. Overall, the music by Beethoven is never simple. It is full of controversy, hesitation and fear. At the same time, it represents great feeling of optimism, harmony and happiness. Perception of Beethoven depends on one’s mood to the great extent. All people are free to find reflections of their life problems in this complicated, controversial and beautiful music. Music by Erik Satie traces a totally different message for its listeners. For instance, Hypnomedie â„â€" 1 by Erik Satie is music of modernity. It is less certain than

Does the European Commission really have the power of policy Dissertation

Does the European Commission really have the power of policy initiation in the EU - Dissertation Example The paper describes the history of European Union and European Commission and its power. The European Union (EU) is an organizational body which is formed by the union of 27 member states and holds such power which might be even more than that held by some of the most eminent international organizations, namely the United Nations. It is an economic and political organization which is considered to be a lesser version of a federation and its member states are located within Europe. The operation of the EU is in the hands of a hybrid system which consists of the independent organizations, government organizations (namely European Council, European Parliament) as well as the member states. The EU is comprised of institutions which include the European Council, the Council of European Union, the European Commission, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Central Bank. The European Commission is an executive body of the European Union which is responsible for various functions, some of which include proposing of legislation, implementation of decisions, upholding the Union’s treaties, etc. It is also involved in the general day-to-day working of the Union. The European Commission works in the form of a cabinet government where in each member state has an appointed Commissioner to represent their home state.

Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing in Luxury Industry Essay

Digital Marketing and Social Media Marketing in Luxury Industry - Essay Example The emergence of digital and social media marketing have opened up new and exciting ways of branding. Specifically, luxury brands are the ones which have capitalized these relatively newer tools in a most decent and â€Å"luxurious† fashion to design their brand images. The affluent customers of these luxury brands have also joined in the social media sites and their dominating presence is effectively being utilized by the companies to attract the new customer and retain the loyal customers (Kerin, 2010). Reason of choosing the topic The reason of choosing this topic is basically divided into two broader areas such that one area pertains to a specific marketing strategy and the other area relates to the industry on which that marketing strategy is actually applied at. Digital and social media marketing is undoubtedly the most emerging and recent development in the overall marketing strategies whereas luxury industry is the one which faces the most crucial dilemma of getting al ong with this new area of marketing. Methodology This article is composed with a view to emphasize more on the development of digital and social media marketing specifically in the luxury industry. At the beginning, key definitions along with necessary explanations of the digital marketing, social media marketing and luxury industry are discussed. Second part of this paper highlights some brief statistics regarding the development of these marketing strategies in luxury industry.... Users hardly click on banner ads to browse the site of that brand or product, as he/she gets frustrated in getting along to all together to a new web page or new window (Bird, 2007). However, with the emergence of the concept of digital marketing, the orthodox online marketing tools are effectively put to wall as the new digital marketing strategies have replaced them in practical terms. With the invent of digital marketing, marketers especially are highly benefited such that they can track their marketing campaign rather on a wider scope such that they have the availability of real time tracking of marketing campaign (Ryan, 2012). They know that what is being viewed right now, how many times on average, a product is viewed in a day, the response rate of the customers etc. However, each marketing campaign is different from others and thus the feedback which the marketers obtain may remain quite different as compared to other marketing campaigns. 2. Social Media Marketing Social media marketing refers to those strategies in which the marketing campaigns of the companies are launched particularly on the social networking sites mainly including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc. The existing marketing companies on the social networking sites are gaining much momentum and success because these are the sites on which millions of users are present and it is more convenient for the marketers to catch their attention. Unlike the traditional marketing tools like TV, radio and other channels which are becoming less effective due to increase in number of channel, social media sites however are providing the largest avenue for the marketing companies to attract the

Pros and cons of marriage versus singlehood as contrasting lifestyles Assignment

Pros and cons of marriage versus singlehood as contrasting lifestyles - Assignment Example In addition, the single life allows for full planning on definite grounds where there are no dependents in the society to bring in discombobulating events (Jones 14). The married life on the other hand provides security of its own in relation to retirement, where social security in America plans for early retirement in considering early retirement. As such, it offers early retirement benefits for the aging or those close to retirement age because it allows one spouse to have the benefits while the other works. However, the cons of marriage are not as rosy as the benefits due to the lack of independence as seen in the criteria used by society to determine how the said social security benefits are received. This is because it is dependent on a third person such as the wife, or the state of being a dependent for a child under the age of 16 years (Rose 51). TV shows and different cultures/ ethnicities The first show â€Å"everybody hates Chris† portrays the a African American fami ly, that has both parents, which contradicts the text in that despite stating that many children are raised by single parent. However, Chris’ school friend is raised by a single parent who is his father, but the family of this friend is native white American. The work ethic of the black family, which belongs to Chris is portrayed strongly as his father works three jobs and two at the least. However, his mother fails this work ethic concept in that she only works when she desperately needs money, and then quits citing that her husband works three jobs to support her and her children. In spite of this, there is no mention of self-help groups, except a neighbourhood watch and no other although there is mention of kinship, where the black community is close knit. Another show portraying how Latino Americans is Weeds, where there is a close knit society of marijuana dealers who know one another and mostly engage in crime on a familial basis. The bilingual aspect is highlighted mul tiple instances, where they choose between English and Spanish to communicate based on the level of understanding required and secrecy intended. To back the text, the population in the crime families keeps rising with new arrivals to take over certain aspects of drug and security businesses run by their families. The third show is NCIS, which has a portrayal of middle eastern families, especially Israel and Iran, where gender roles are the way of life with females sticking to their expectations as seen with Ziva David. The contradiction in the gender roles is that Ziva is respected more than other male members of her family as she is obedient, and that her family only has herself and her father. Online dating Online dating websites require users to provide different forms of information, most of which is personal, and POF is no different as the information required starts from one’s name and gender, and ends with ethnicity and nationality (POF). The website guarantees that th e entire registration and use of their services is free, which means that there is no need to pay any money to use their service. The appeal of the website lies mainly in its ability to appeal to all that do not feel sufficiently endowed in finances. This way there is a larger variety of people and a diversity since one can even choose from different ethnicities and cultures. The reputation of websites for

Psy 375 Senior Interview Essay Example for Free

Psy 375 Senior Interview Essay 1. What is the environment of your home like? Busy, before they got guardianship of their grandson, life was quiet and there was not very much that had to be done around the home. Once their grandson came to live with them at age 3, life became â€Å"a buzz† again. â€Å"Before our grandson came to us, we usually would get up in the morning, sit and relax as we drank our coffee and had a quiet breakfast together. Now, we (her and her spouse) are up early to get our grandson ready to go to school. † She also says â€Å"We had time for the things that we wanted to do in our later years of life, visiting family, traveling and such. Now our time is dedicated to raising our grandson who keeps us going and on our toes but we would not change the situations we are in now for the world. † 2. Has aging changed the home environment? Yes, when they were younger, they had the energy and health to do the things they wanted to. Sally says â€Å"With age came some small struggles to stay at the pace we had always had when we were younger. Things that were always easy slowly became more time consuming, housekeeping used to be something that I could complete pretty quickly; now, I am a little slower (with the help of my grandson). Otherwise, she says â€Å"life keeps us all busy. † 3. Do you rely on others for help with any activities in the home? Sally answers â€Å"No, we are still able and willing to do our chores and keep up with the necessary tasks that we have. Although, we do have â€Å"John† (grandson) visit family a few times a month so that we have time to recharge. † 4. Do you still drive? If so, how has aging changed how you drive? Sally answered, â€Å"Yes, we both (her and her husband Mike) still drive. Driving is something that you would think would stay the same as you grow old until you get old. When I am driving now, I feel like everyone is in a rush to get where they want to go and here I am taking my time, trying to be safe while all around me are probably cursing me and saying â€Å"Damn old lady is driving so slow. † (She laughed as she made the last remark. ) 5. What changes in your home do you face as you get older? Sally answers, â€Å"As my husband and I get older, we are starting to be slower at things that once took us very little time. I think as we continue to get older, we will continue to get slower. † She also says, â€Å"With having our grandson home with us, he is helping us when he sees us even struggle a little with even small things. I think as we get older, he will be the one to help us more than anyone else. Recreational Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do for recreation? What do you do now for enjoyment? Sally answers, â€Å"When we were younger and our children were at home with us, we would spend a lot of time outdoors. We loved to go camping, fishing and hunting as a family. As our children got older, they all had things that they were involved in that took that time away that we had for the fun things. † She then explained that as her and her husband grew older, that they became more focused on the things that they wanted to do like traveling and visiting family. Sally then explained â€Å"Now that we have our grandson, I go to the movies, library, and toy shopping an awful lot. † But then she explained that she takes pleasure in spending time with her grandson doing the things that he likes to do because she â€Å"loves to see the smile on his face. † Sally also explained that they are active members of a church that they go to twice a week (Wednesdays and Sundays) and they get great pleasure out of the service. 2. How often do you participate in these activities? Sally says â€Å"When â€Å"John† is a good boy at school and does what he is told here we usually take him out about once a week to do something special. † She then explains, â€Å"Church is a large part of our lives. We go to church not only to worship but also to have time with people that are around our age with and are like-minded. † 3. Have the things that do for recreation changed as you aged? As stated above, in their younger years, their recreation revolved around their family. As they got older, she says â€Å"The things we did slowed. We were not out all the time we possibly could have been. † Sally says, â€Å"We now spend time where we feel most comfortable, church and doing things with our grandson are what we do most now. † Social Support and Interactions: 1. Who do you interact with on a regular basis? Is this the same amount of contact you had in younger years of life? Sally says, â€Å"On a daily basis, my husband and grandson. I usually call my sister every couple days and see how she is doing and on a weekly basis the brothers and sisters I have at church. † She also says, â€Å"In the past, we had friends and neighbors that we were in contact with on a daily basis but as time went on, the friends we have kept are passing away or just losing contact with them all together. It is hard getting older and watching the friends you have start to pass away, it make me think that I will not always be here and then it makes me worry about who will keep our grandson when we are gone. † 2. Do you participate in any social clubs? Sally says, â€Å"The only real structured social club, if you can call it that, would be church activities. On Wednesdays, we go to church for bible study and social time where we talk with our friends there and on Sunday, we go to service that provides us with God’s word and time with our church brothers and sisters. † Meaningful Activities: 1. What gives your life meaning? Sally says, â€Å"My family is what gives my life meaning. I try to do as much as possible to stay in the loop of what is going on with my children and grandchildren. My children have always been the reason that we have worked so hard. We always wanted them to have the better things in life and we wanted them to be happy. † She also says â€Å"Now, my life revolves around taking care of â€Å"John† and making sure he feels that everything is okay and that he has a stable home to grow up in. † 2. Do you still engage in these activities as you did when you were younger? Sally says, â€Å"When we were younger, we had a lot more activities when our children were young. As they grew up, moved out on their own and had families of their own, our lives quieted down and the activities we were always doing changed into activities that â€Å"Mike† and I wanted to do until we got â€Å"John† and once we got â€Å"John† life became busy again with all of his activities. † Mental Stimulation: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, I had my work to keep my mind sharp. I was a secretary at the middle school in the town we live for almost 20 years and was always busy with the tasks that were I had to do. My children also kept my mind going and I loved helping them with their homework because this helped me keep my mind working and remembering how to do problems like math and science. † 2. What do you do now to keep your mind sharp? Sally says, â€Å"Now to keep my mind sharp I do a lot of word and number puzzles. I love to do Sudoku puzzles and word find puzzles. Sudoku puzzles really keep my mind working because sometimes I feel like my hair is on fire when I am done with them (she chuckles.) I also spend time with â€Å"John† to helping him with his homework and I think this helps to keep me learning still because I have noticed that the way children are taught now has really changed from when I had my children in school. † Physical Activities: 1. In the past, what did you do to keep physically fit? Sally says, â€Å"In the past, when my children lived at home, we were always on the go. We would go places where we would walk and hike through the woods like when we would go hunting or fishing. We lives close to the corner store so we would also just walk to the store when we needed a few things instead of get in the car and drive. † She also says â€Å"I never was a really big health nut who was always worried about exercise because my weight was never an issue. I felt that is my weight was good then I was getting plenty of exercise. † 2. What do you do to keep physically fit now? Sally says, â€Å"Nowadays we love to take â€Å"John† for walks at the local trails. It’s nice to be out in the fresh air and be able to not only spend time with â€Å"Mike† and â€Å"John† but to get a little exercise because I have noticed that the older I get the less muscle I seem to have. † â€Å"It seems like the little things are more of a challenge than they were in previous years. Even just opening a jar is sometimes a challenge. † 3. Are you able to keep up with the daily physical stresses that you are tasked with on a daily basis? Sally says, â€Å"Yes, it seems like I am still doing a pretty good job keeping up with everything I have to do on a daily basis (as she looks around her living room. ) She also says â€Å"Keeping a house clean is a chore in its own when you have a grandson to pick up after everywhere he goes. † She also says, â€Å"I get around to the things I need to do now when I get to them. I used to try to make sure the house was perfect when my children and â€Å"Mike† would come home each day and thought that having a clean house for them, food cooking and clothes laid out for them daily was what I was supposed to do. Now that I think about it, I would have much rather of been having fun with them instead of being worried about the house. † Ending the interview, her last statement is, â€Å"Life now is a little bit harder than it was when I was younger. It seems like the older I get, the slower I am. † She then tells me, â€Å"Make sure that you spend your time doing what makes you happy. †

Lone Wolf Terrorism Definitions Essay

Lone Wolf Terrorism Definitions Essay Lone wolf terrorism and mass killings can be argued to be a global phenomenon today. The definitions incorporated in the literature concerning Lone wolf terrorism do not differ greatly. According to Spaaij (2010) in The Enigma of Lone wolf terrorism: An assessment the term lone wolf terrorism encompasses terrorist attacks which are carried out by one person, who does not belong to an organised terrorist group. According to Spaaij, attacks which are carried out by couples or small cells do not qualify as lone wolf terrorists. The clearest definition from STRATFOR (a provider of geopolitical analysis and global intelligence) by Stewart, Scott and Burton (2008) of lone wolf terrorism is similar to an extent to the relation of Spaaij. STRARFOR states that lone wolf terrorism is defined as a person who acts on his or her own without orders from or connections to an organisation. Over the past decade, an increased number of lone wolf terrorist incidents have occurred over the world. Additionally, there are a diverse number of mass killings that have occurred, including shooting sprees by motivated individuals. Janet Napolitano the US Secretary of Homeland Security recently stated that individual terrorism is a problem which is also increasing. Historical background Lone wolf terrorism is known not to be a new phenomenon in our society. Comparable examples of lone wolf terrorism are highly visible during nineteenth-century anarchism. Mikhail Bakunin a Russian anarchist is known for stating that violence occurs by individuals due to the desire to participate in an activity which is revolutionary (Bakker and de Graaf 2010). It was suggested by Bakunin that those involved in small associations along with individuals should assassinate those who symbolise an existing social order. Bakunins interpretation galvanised terrorist incursion in multiple fragments of Europe. History illustrates that individual anarchists were involved in a number of incidents in opposition to establishments which embodied the significance of bourgeoisie norms and values (Kushner, 2003). Novak (1954) states that in the twentieth-century anarchists strongly believed that individual terrorism was both an approach which was rewarding and significant. In the United States during the latter period of the twentieth-century lone wolf terrorism was related to anti-government extremists and white supremacists (Novak 1954). It is defined by Kaplan (1997) that leadership resistance is whereby an engagement of anti-state violence is practised by lone wolves and where lone wolf individuals are independent of association. A past representative of the Ku Klux Klan; Louis Beam (1992) also a known white supremacist, popularised the concept of leaderless resistance. Louis beam had a judgement that individuals should function independently of each other and should not seek direction. During the late 1990s, Alex Curtis and Tom Metzger white supremacists dominated the expression lone wolf. (Anti-Defamation League, 2002). It was established by Curtis and Metzger that it is difficult to distinguish lone wolf terrorism compared to usual forms of terrorism. My Interests/Why I have chosen this topic? A number of reasons triggered my interest in mass killing and lone wolf terrorism, therefore, encouraging me to pursue this topic. The attack which occurred in Oslo, Norway by Anders Breivik contributes as a catalyst of interest in lone wolf terrorism and lone mass killings. Anders Breivik killed seventy-seven people in two terrorist attacks. Additional interests of mass killing were attacks performed by mass killer Seung-Hui Cho who went on a shooting spree in his university in the United States. An additional incident of mass killing that further increased my interest was the Aurora cinema shooting that occurred in Colorado in summer 2012. What was interesting about these cases to me was the motivation to why these lone individuals resulted in such methods. I was also interested in exploring the psychology of these mass killers and lone wolf terrorists, the main question I wanted answering was; what did they all have in common? According to Hewitt (2005), academic literature illust rates that the confines of lone wolf terrorism are habitually vague. Such examples are of attacks transmitted on individual particular motivation, such as mass killers or political assassinations. Hoffman (1998) states that a violent act committed by a lone wolf terrorist and a mass killer are similar however their rationale and motivation are different. There is a lack of academic literature comparing the psychological state of lone wolf terrorists and mass killers. Therefore an increased interest of mine is to analyse the commonalities of mass killers and lone wolves and what psychological factors contribute to their motivations and state of mind. What questions have been prompted for my research project? The questions that have been prompted for my own research project is; what are the motivational reasons to why mass killers and lone wolf terrorists resort to such methods? Furthermore, whether there are any psychological issues which mass killers and lone wolf terrorists suffer from; at their current time or at any time in their life. According to What a killer thinks by Cullen (2012) it states that; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦most of these mass murders are committed by criminals who fall into three groups these three groups are the delusional, psychopaths and suicidal and depressed. The examples of case studies given in this article are of Seung-Hui Cho, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Furthermore, according to Hewitt (2003) in Understanding Terrorism in America he argues that the extent of psychological disturbance is significantly high among lone wolves. Motivational reasons in relation to academic literature that I have read there is a diverse range of motivational reasons and patterns. The Enigma of Lone Wolf Terrorism; an Assessment by Saiij (2010) states that the main ideological categories of lone wolf include ideologies such as White Supremacy , nationalism and Islamism. From literature I have learned that the main motivational factors for lone wolf terrorism are that of political ideologies or religious views. Stern (2003) argues in Terror in the Name of God that lone wolves come up with their own ideologies that combine personal vendettas with religious or political grievances. I will further analyze different profiles of lone wolf terrorists and lone mass killers which will further broaden the understanding of differing motivational factors of lone wolves and mass killers. A further interest of mine is what are the common weapons used in attacks? An additional question I ask is; what are the different methods of operation us ed by lone wolf terrorists and lone mass killer. What is already known? From enlarged study of academic literature and articles it is already known that both lone wolf terrorists and mass killers have suffered from psychological issues at one point in their lives. Martha Grenshaw (1992) states in How Terrorists think; that the strongest motivations of terrorism is vengeance. She states that individuals; particularly desire to avenge not oneself but others, especially people thought to be responsible for injustices. Grenshaw also states that attention is a reward this is also popular amongst those who have felt neglected by society or ignored. An example to support the claim that attention is a reward can be the profile of Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh was obsessed with his legacy whilst he was on death row. McVeigh desperately wished for his biography American Terrorist to be published before his death, he strongly believed that he would go down in history as a great American patriot similar to Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Paine (Springer 2009). Furthermore, psychologist Todd Walker (2007) answers the question; What drives a mass killer like Seung Hui Cho? Walker responds that when an individual feels wounded they feel they have the right to seek à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦revenge and restitution. This contributes one of many psychological reviews which relate to mass killers and the motivation behind their attacks. Analytical studies have illustrated that a high rate of lone wolf terrorism occurs in the United States compared to any other western country. This was established by Hewitt (2003), who analyses the increase in victimization by lone wolves from 1955 following up to the years in 1999. Hewitt states that lone wolf terrorism has become an ascending threat in North America, he also states that lone wolf terrorism; has greatly increased in recent decades. How others have approached similar research questions. Other literature authors have approached similar research questions in diverse ways. The main aim for many authors is to establish the definition of lone wolf terrorism. However the motivation for lone wolf terrorism is also a key approach to the understanding of why individuals become lone wolves. Patterns of radicalization are also a research approach to which authors have conducted. I shall be analyzing this form of approach in relation to my research question related to lone wolf terrorism and mass killers. Questions that havent been answered From diverse literature materials, I have noticed a trend which relates to questions about how to fight lone wolf terrorism. This can be viewed to be a weakness in prior research as there are a numerous range of unanswered questions. Preventing Lone Wolf Terrorism (Bakker and Graaf 2011) ask a question; How to deal with the threat of lone wolf terrorism and the challenge of identifying, targeting and arresting persons who act entirely on their own? They state that this question has not been appropriately answered therefore causing the issue of how to reconcile fundamental principles of open societies with guaranteeing security to citizens. Academic literature of conventional terrorism emphasises the influence of leaders and training. The inequity between the discerned intimidations of lone wolf terrorism and the focus on contemporary terrorism which incorporate group form manifests the requirement for a greater theoretical examination to facilitate a greater understanding of lone wolf terrorism. A weakness in academic literature is the issue that literature is vague about the degree to which contemporary accounts of terrorism can contribute to the development of performance of lone wolf terrorists. This therefore supports my consideration of a diverse range of question relating to the motivations, nature and the modus operandi of lone wolf terrorism. Debates on topic area There is a large debate on lone wolf terrorism and the issue of preventing it. Available literature explains that there is not a concrete answer to the questioning of whether lone wolf terrorism can be stopped and also how to deal with the threat of lone wolf terrorism. There are a small number of counter terrorist responses. According to Alex Shone (2010), the key factor of the UKs Counter Terrorism response regarding lone wolf terrorism occurrences is in knowing how attacks may occur however not whom would carry out the attacks. Shone believes that counter terrorism services need to adopt a method of using a sensitive detective system. An additional debate on how to deal with the threat of lone wolf terrorism relates to the factor that there are commonalities shared between lone wolves and therefore a way to deal with the this threat would be to scrutinize and work together with afflicted communities. Furthermore it is believed by counter terrorist responses that it would be; à ¢Ã ¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦rewarding to compare and study the nature of potential triggers or catalyst events in the radicalization process of lone wolves. (Bakker and de Graaf 2011) It is illustrated in literature that counter terrorism responses can only partially reduce the threat of lone wolf terrorism as the challenge to prevent it is viewed to be huge. There is increased analysis needed regarding the modus operandi of lone wolf terrorists and their radicalization process. According to Bakker and de Gaaf (2011) they state that is crucial that experiences, data and policy makers and researchers are present in order to develop various feasible responses to lone wolf terrorism. The platform my sources provide There are a number of platforms which sources provide for my dissertation. My sources illustrate clear definitions of lone wolf terrorism which give me a clear understanding of the concept. There are also a number of case studies and profiles of lone terrorists and mass killers who use methods of shooting sprees. This platform is significant to the extent that it enables me to compare and contrast the commonalities between lone wolves and mass killers. These sources have facilitated me to withdraw significant commonalties and also distinguish trends between lone wolves and mass killers. They have also enabled me to have a concise and clear understanding which has significantly contributed to my study.

The One and Future King :: Once and Future King Essays

The One and Future King In The One and Future King by T.H. White the main character, Arthur, learns many important lessons. He is taught many of these lessons by animals. For instance, he learns that "might is right" (White 47) from a fish (which turns out to be false), that ants live dictated lives devoted to war (121), that owls only kill another animal if they are starving (69), and a badger teaches him the story of man's creation (168). One of the most important lessons Arthur learns is from a goose, who tells him of a perfect society. When Merlyn turns Wart (Arthur's nickname) into a goose, another goose named Lyok Lyok teaches him about the lives of geese. Wart migrates with the geese and talks to them. He finds out that geese are very peaceful animals; they do not fight with each other, they share any food that they acquire, and each bird only has one nest (172). This greatly affects Wart because it is so different from humans. He still thinks that he likes war, but then begins to notice how many bad effects war has. Wart starts to question his initial gut-feeling that war is right and necessary. This also allows Arthur to have a more open mind towards other animals' lifestyles. This lesson is also important to me, the reader, because it makes me feel that war is not necessary. If other animals have the ability to live peacefully, so should humans. It enforces the idea that people should be kind to one another. It also opens the eyes of readers by letting them get to know the lifestyle habits of other animals and causing them to be accepting.

Diary Of A Survivor: Literary Analysis :: essays research papers

Title: Diary of A Survivor: Nineteen Years in a Cuban Women’s Prison Authors: Ana Rodriguez and Glenn Garvin Published: St. Martin’s Press Type of Book: Assisted auto-biography Plot Summary Diary of a Survivor follows nineteen years of Ana Rodriguez’s life, a Cuban woman arrested by Cuba’s ‘State Security’ in her late teens. As a teenager she had been an activist against the Batista dictatorship which governed Cuba, and at first welcomed Fidel Castro’s take-over of power. Gradually, however, she realises that Castro has no intention of leading Cuba democratically and joins the fight against him. She is betrayed to the authorities by an informant, is arrested, tried and convicted, and is sentenced to thirty years in prison. Diary of a Survivor tells of Ana Rodriguez’s continuous resistance against political intimidation that eventually ‘breaks’ her captors rather than them ‘breaking’ her. This strong will and courage earns her legendary among fellow political prisoners and civilians as a ‘plantada’; one who cannot be broken. Themes/ Thematic Statements The ill-effects of communism/ dictatorships on a society is explored through the entire book as it was a constant part of Ana’s life, in fact it is what caused her imprisonment. Human rights abuses in Cuba and in communist countries in general Cuba’s corrupt government hierarchy and legal system also feature throughout the books, like the continual rapes and beatings the prisoners face. People who betray one group of people will end up betraying anyone they come into contact with. This is shown in Isis Nimo, the spy who initially gets Ana sent to prison but eventually gets fired from all her government jobs because of her untrustworthiness. Racism can work in reverse but still produce adverse effects. There are two mentions of black political prisoners (most are white). They are considered unusual because Fidel Castro’s regime was meant to favourable to black people in general. Even people who are said to have firmly set ideas can have doubts, like the ‘hard-line communist soldiers’ who do not join in when the women are being attacked and the guards that in one particular incident slip the starved prisoners food. The pros and cons of the chivalrous Cuban idea that women are considered good and passive, and therefore only the most offensive women criminals are jailed in Cuba, and the disregard of it by some officials. This is touched on whenever there is contact with the common prisoners, and in an especially disturbing scene where a group of female common prisoners are let into a cell where a young girl is held as a ‘traitor’ to the Fidel Castro regime.

How to Run a Good Meeting :: essays research papers

How to Run a Good Meeting Most people don’t like meetings. They say they are boring, go on too long, and don’t get anything done. And often that’s the truth. So to have a good meeting, you need to make it interesting, keep it on track, and make sure something gets done. Here are eight steps toward making your next meeting a success. 1. Make sure you need to have a meeting. Meetings are needed when a group of people must be involved in an action or a decision. Don’t schedule a meeting just because it’s time to have one. 2. Set a goal for the meeting. Be very clear about why you’re having the meeting, and what needs to get done or be decided. Break that task into steps, or divide the discussion into sections—that’s the agenda for your meeting. At the start of the meeting say, this is our goal, and if we can get this done, the meeting will be a success. At the end of the meeting remind them that you achieved your goal. This lets everyone leave feeling successful, and they’ll be glad to come to your next meeting. 3. Put decisions to the group. The participants own the meeting. Let them set the agenda before the meeting, or at least add to it when you begin. If decisions need to be made about the process (whether to end a discussion that’s going too long, for example) then ask that question to the group. 4. Stay on schedule. Remember that every minute a person spends in your meeting, they could be doing other things. They’re with you because they’ve decided your meeting is important, so treat them like their time is important. Start on time and end on time! 5. Pay attention to what’s important. Set a certain amount of time for each item on the agenda, based on how important it is. If the group starts spending a lot of time on details, ask them â€Å"Is this what we want to spend our time talking about?† A lot of details can be worked out by individuals or committees—meetings are for the decisions that need to involve the whole group. 6. Keep the meeting on track. Your agenda is the tool you use to make sure you’re on time and on the right topic. When side issues come up, help the group get back on track. If the issue sounds important, check with the group.

Lee Valley Regional Park

Leisure is time off from the pressures of work to relax, enjoy life and go do things you normally cannot do at work. It seems that in today's society, it is hard for us to get away from the hectic schedules of work to enjoy life. We crave time for leisure, and value the time that we do get for leisure. Yet there are many different types of leisure such as Indoor- fitness activities, sports clubs, health farms, cinemas, pubs, and restaurants, as well as outdoor leisure such as sports, walking and enjoying the scenery, and parks. With the aid of different types of parks- national parks (located in remote areas), country parks (in urban areas, with havens of greenery), and regional parks (a mix of both national parks and country parks), the leisure moments are valued even more because it become more exiting and interesting. Regional and country parks allow people who live in the city to witness and enjoy leisure in the outdoor form. This is due to the countryside atmosphere, numbers of leisure centres, and the outdoors, natural environment. An example of a type of Regional Park is The Lee Valley Regional Park. The Lee Valley Regional Park is located on the lower Lee Valley River. The river creates a boarder between Essex and Hertfordshire. It also flows through several boroughs of London. The River Lee is a tributary of the River Thames During the Industrial Revolution, the River Lee was used as one of the many transport links. Consequently, the River Lee and its valley became polluted and then derelict. Then in 1963, ten authorities around the Valley discussed, in depth, the future of the Valley. The meeting was held because the pollution of the valley effected the neighbouring areas. The authorities discussed and agreed that the valley was a perfect area to develop into a recreational area. The parks governing body was set up in 1965, after a bill was promoted in parliament. On the first of January 1967, The Lee Valley Regional Park authority was established due to the Royal Assent. It is easy to access The Lee Valley Regional Park as the M25 cuts through the park. The park is ten thousand acres (approx.) in land. The regional park has various features such as holiday areas – caravan parks and camping sights, water activities- fishing, swimming, etc., and other sights such as picnic areas, large sums of greenery, and fields for sports as well as sport centres. Due to certain water activities, reservoirs were developed around the region, to insure the usage of water. The Lee Valley Regional Park ‘provides leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment.' The purpose of the enquiry is to collect information and evidence, from a field study, to see if the hypothesis is true. I must agree or disagree with the hypothesis. From the field study I will understand if the park meets all it requirements as well as if the park conserves and enhances the environment. To prove the hypothesis is correct or not I will need to study The Lee Valley Regional Park carefully. I will take a map of the Lee Valley Regional Park and plot data such as assessments, economic activity, signs, facilities, damage and neglect on the map in code. Then I will note the data and what it means on notebook paper. I will assess and evaluate both sides of the river. Then, using the map on the trip I will create two maps. One will be for assessments and the other of economic activities, signs, facilities, damages and neglects. I will produce lists. With this information I will create evidence towards my answer of the hypothesis by producing pie charts and divided bars. Using the maps, pie charts, and divided bars I will analyse and conclude whether or not the hypothesis is correct. Analysis of Results To help me reach a decision about whether the hypothesis is true or not, I constructed pie charts, dividing bars, lists, and maps on the data collected on the trip. From the map of assessments, I have analysed that on the near bank, there are more assessments ranging from 1-5 while on the far bank the assessments range only from 3 and 4, mostly consisting of 3. The near bank consisted of 4% of assessment 5. The far bank consisted of 8% of assessment 5. Similarly the near bank consisted of 8% assessment 1 and the far bank consisted of 0% of assessment 1. On the assessment map, it seems to have large sections of the same assessments. There are long strips of assessment 3 stating that the landscapes around the Lee Valley Regional Park are very similar. Yet a 3 in assessments counted as a nothing special in the landscape for the public to enjoy nor is it enhancing and conserving the environment. Overall I had a 50% of assessment 3 (69% on the far bank and 38% on the near bank) Towards the end of the route, there seemed to be longer strips of assessment 4 on the near bank. There were also many facilities and economic activities at this point. For example there were car parks, picnic areas, and restaurants. Similarly, during the beginning of the trip, there seems to be many facilities and economic activities compared to the middle of the trip. Facilities Data collected and transferred on map 2 (Signs, Economic Activities, Facilities, Damage, and Neglect) shows that there are many facilities for the public at the Lee Valley Regional Park, yet these facilities are close together at each end of the route. These facilities include car parks, picnic areas, pubs, and restaurants. However, there are facility locations in the middle of the route. Yet these facilities are little thing such as rubbish bins. There also seems to be more facilities on the near bank, than there is on the far bank. Economic Activities Facilities such as The Crown Pub, the boat hire, and the caravan site were also economic activities. Yet privately owned economic activities such as the factory (E6) seemed to make the Lee Valley Regional Park polluted with rubbish. The economic activities were distributed evenly on the near bank, however this was not the case on the far bank. Neglects and Damage In total, there were 6 numbers of neglects that I recognised on the route. However there seemed to be no neglects after the first lock. This shows that some care has been taken to maintain the park, but not as much to conserve the environment. There was only one neglect on the far bank, which was the resurfacing and painting of lines in the car park. However there were 5 on the near bank. There were a total of 7 damages that I recognised. Damages such as graffiti, litter, noise, and pollution coming from buildings. Using the neglect and damage dividing bar, there are more damages that neglect. Signs Overall there were a total of 42 signs. Most of these signs were on the near bank, probably because most of the public uses the near bank. The signs are fairly distributed. There were a handful of signs, which were neglected, yet it did not seem that those signs were any help to the public. Some of the signs were really helpful and informative. These signs included maps, and lots of colour, which attracted a lot of attention. However, all the results, which I collected, were based upon a small bit of the park. This is because we only followed the near bank. The far bank was seen from a distance, so maybe if I had taken the far bank route, I would have found more assessments, signs, facilities, etc. Conclusion From the data that I collected on the trip, and the graphs and maps which I have created using the data, I have come to the conclusion that the Lee Valley Regional Park IS NOT up to the standard of its main purpose which is ‘to provide leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment'. 50% of the assessments were 3. This means that there wasn't anything for the public in this area as well as that area wasn't conserving or enhancing the environment. If 50% of what I saw was assessed as a 3, than The Lee Valley Regional Park is failing its main purpose. ‘To provide leisure activities,' is one of its main purposes. However, from the evidence collected, this does not seem to be the case. There are only 16 facilities that I recognised. Out of those 16 there are only the caravan parks, children's play area, and the picnic areas are leisure facilities. With only 3 leisure facilities, the rest of the facilities are not leisure related. Also the Caravan Park is very dirty, with a lot of waste from people who stay there. The authorities do not seem to take care of the environment around the Caravan Park. It seems that unless the authorities stop neglecting the Caravan Park, there will be a decline in people staying at the Caravan Park. Since the Caravan Park is an economic activity, The Lee Valley Regional Park will start to loose some money. Most of the facilities are close to the ends of the route. It seems to be like this as the authorities know that people will not walk a long distance, and so the will only walk a little further from the car park, where most of the facilities are. Yet if they are to provide leisure activities, it should be throughout the route. ‘Conserving and enhancing the environment' is another purpose of The Lee Valley Regional Park. Yet with a lot of assessment 3, this purpose is not falling through. With private development such as Gravel Pits (E7) and Factories (E6), conserving and enhancing the environment is not possible. These types of developments cause pollution and destroy the environment. It is understandable that these are private developments. However, The Lee Valley Regional Park authority do have control and a say of whether or not they want these private companies developing on their land. With the air and land pollution comes sound pollution from these development areas. The noise disturbs the environment around it. For example, people will become irritated from the noise that a development area brings e.g. machine noises. Also the wildlife are effected, as they will move away from the noise. The Lee Valley Regional Park does need more land in order to create more facilities for leisure purposes. This is not possible if there are many private lands owned around the area of the park. For The Lee Valley Regional Park to meet its requirement, which is to provide leisure activities while conserving and enhancing the environment, it will have to invest money to buy private land, to increase facilities. They will also have to fix damages and neglect. They should also fix the route.

Better Communication Essay

Effective communication is the key in the health care critical for health care professionals. The key foundation of any coworkers is being able to communicate clearly. With the help of effective communication people are able to define and understand goals and shear and receive the information better. When there is a lack of communication in the health care industry it can cause a poor medical care and mistakes in patent’s medical history. Therefor; clarity is a must in the health care industry. Active listening is also a part of better communication skills. The supportive and defensive communication is everywhere and lasting. In the health care environment supportive communication is appropriate then defensive communication. Supportive communication expresses encouragement and understanding when communicating with others while during defensive communication the individual feels defended, anxious or threatened. During communication as a individual becomes defensive they are les s able to recognize the values and senders emotions Interpersonal communication is the interaction between two or more people. Good interpersonal communication skills are essential in the creation and maintenance of relationships with others. Dwyer (2009, p.62) explains that ‘in any context, our relationships are built through our interpersonal communication.’ Self concept, emotional intelligence, assertive behaviour, empathy and the ability to actively listen and provide feedback are all desirable interpersonal communication tools considered necessary to maintain relationships and aid in conflict resolution. Dwyer (2009, p. 152) states that ‘Conflict arises when needs are not met. Those needs can be physical, financial, social, educational, intellectual, recreational or spiritual, tangible or intangible. However, even in a situation of conflict, it is possible, by finding areas of common ground, to remove some of the differences and to emphasise the similarities while tackling the conflict and working towards the solution’. Good interpersonal communication skills help to create an understanding between persons in conflict whereby they can make common ground and have a better understanding of whe re the other party is coming from. Dwyer (2009, p. 175) explains that ‘Conflict expressed and addressed in ways that respect relationships and consider as many needs as possible is positive and constructive’. In order to achieve common ground, emphasise similarities and work towards conflict solutions, the communication climate must be positive and both parties must be willing to resolve the issue. The role of Interpersonal Communication in Conflict Resolution In order to communicate effectively with others a sound understanding of your own self concept is required. Self concept can be described as your â€Å"self image†, it is the mental picture that you have of yourself. Yahaya, Azizi, Ramli and Jamaludin (2009) explain that ‘Self-concept refers to the totality of a complex, organized, and dynamic system of†¦ Interpersonal communication is defined by Brooks and Heath (1993) as â€Å"the process by which information, meanings and feelings are shared by persons through the exchange of v erbal and nonverbal messages (as cited in Dickson and Hargie, 2003, p.1). In order to demonstrate my understanding of effective and non-effective communication skills I have chosen to analyse a dialogue between a seasoned policeman and a hardened criminal taken from the movie Heat. It is deep and meaningful interaction between two adversaries. After much deliberation I have narrowed down my analysis to the use of rapport building, self-disclosure and empathy, verbally and non-verbally. I will also attempt to identify the barriers to communication in this dialogue and explore the reasons why these skills were used ineffectively, and suggest how they could have been improved upon. Rapport-building is defined by Robbins (1986, p. 207, as cited in Study Guide) as ‘the ability to enter someone else’s world, to make him feel that you understand him, that you have a strong common bond’ I think it is at the very core of effective interpersonal communication because it ‘is one of the most important features or characteristics of unconscious human interaction’ and without it the purpose of the interaction cannot be achieved. It is ‘commonality of perspective, being in â€Å"sync†, being on the same â€Å"wavelength† as the person with whom you are talking’ (http://www.inspirationalsolutions-lp.co.uk/theimportanceofrapport.pdf). Following that line of thinking it is essential to establish rapport as soon as possible in a didactic interpersonal conversation, whatever the purpose of the discussion is – to learn, to relate, to play or to help (De Vito, p.80). The very first sentence that Hanna says demonstrates an attempt to establish rapport â€Å"Howya doing?† (he does not wait for an answer and continues talking) â€Å"Whaddaya say I buy you a cup of coffee?†. He is wearing casual jeans and a white sweatshirt. First and foremost, congratulations of your engagement. I am very excited that you chose to reach out to me for advice in understanding interpersonal communication with each other before you get married. After taking classes for interpersonal communication Nicholas Epley explained the differences this way, â€Å"Our problem in communicating with friends and spouses is that we have an illusion of insight. Getting close to someone appears to create the illusion of understanding more than actual understanding† (2011 para. 8). There are a lot of books that one could read but in all actuality a successful relationship is based on the two people entering the communion and realizing that marriages take hard work and dedication, no matter how easy it looks. I will advise you on how to mold the following steps such as learning your role in the marriage, actively listening, opening up to your partner about your feelings, and choosing your words wisely into your everyday life which can produce a successful relationship; all this and effective communication is completely up to you. My first major topic for you to always remember is that you must listen to your partner. You probably find yourself asking over and over are you paying attention to me. Did you hear anything that I said? Do not fret over that because every person in a relationship has asked the same question. You may not like what he or she has to say but to have a positive relationship you must listen actively, critically, and empathically. Now please allow me to explain to you what I mean by those terms. Kathy Sole tells us that listening is important to the conversation because it creates meaning between both people (2011). When you want to have an in depth conversation with your spouse, you need to eliminate all noise, make eye contact, actively listen means to truly think about what you hear. Critically listening ties into actively listening because you understand what your spouse†¦ Assertiveness Assertiveness is a simple skill that requires a lot of practice to perfect. Basically, assertiveness requires us to speak our minds, to do so in such a way that the meaning of our communication is clear. Hopefully our expressed wish is acknowledged, but this is not necessary for us to be assertive. To achieve assertive communication, we have to state what is in our minds; that is, our thoughts and feelings. Advanced assertiveness is when we ask for what we want regardless of whether the â€Å"recipient† understands what we communicate, and regardless of whether or not we get what we want. Complete assertiveness requires both levels intellectual and emotional communication. The workplace presents both a challenge and potentially some relief when it comes to being assertive. On the one hand, we work with others, usually often, so there is some sense of familiarity. Yet, we do not live with them. There is a certain built-in interpersonal distance. With acquaintances at work, the challenge is to ask for what we want or at least state our opinion, more or less at intellectual, pragmatic levels. We tend to leave out the personal side, because our relationships are not that personal. From this standpoint, assertiveness is easier because there are less personal consequences. We can state our case and others likely will not take our message so personally. This is truer if the issue at hand is small. It is also more likely to be true of communications among co-workers of equal status. If there are other good elements; that is, more interpersonal warmth, bonding and empathy, talking to the boss can be assertively successful. But we need some slightly deeper personal connection to the boss to make this work, to grease the wheels of information exchange. The workpl ace presents a challenge to being more interpersonally intimate with co-workers who may not really be so friendly. The same is true with bosses that have different levels of power†¦. An Interpersonal relationship in the health care environment is based off the relationship between the people you work with, such as the staff, patients, and doctor. Your interpersonal relationship between you, the coworker, and patients is very important and crucial within the health care environment, you must be able to â€Å"treat your clients with respect†, â€Å"do not be rude or ever shout at them†, never disclose any type of information about a patient to a client†, and â€Å"have feelings for the patients† (2004)(1.3.8). In order for the patients to feel comfortable you must treat them with a certain level of respect and make them feel as comfortable as possible, such as have close relationship with all the patients and staff. For example ask how their day is going, or give them positive feedback about any questions they might have or need help with so he or she is always satisfied with the service. Your â€Å"perspective† in the health care industry is very important and crucial to your coworkers and clients, and you always want to provide them with the best â€Å"quality of care†. Next, a supportive relationship rather than a defensive relationship in the health care environment is more appropriate, and I say this because to be defensive with the coworkers, patients or staff will make that person feel â€Å"uncomfortable†, :†guilty†, or even hostile. On the other hand, a supportive relationship is something you want to have with the clients, staff, and patients because you always want to be able to support them with positive feedback, such as are â€Å"supportive† when a patient asks for advice or a particular type of treatment show â€Å"recognition†, â€Å"acknowledgement†, and â€Å"endorsement†. Supportive is more of a positive feedback and defensive is negative feedback, and defensive or negative feedback is som ething you do not want to happen, you always want to remain supportive, positive, and assertive with people at all times. Assertive style and its appropriateness in health care†the preferred†¦ Course Hero has millions of student submitted documents similar to the one below including study guides, practice problems, reference materials, practice exams, textbook help and tutor support. communication1 Interpersonal Interpersonal Communication in your Relationship Christy Fobert COM 200 Instructor Youngs 6/22/11 Interpersonal communication2 Dear Jason and Amber, I am writing in response to your request asking for some advice on interpersonal communication in your relationship. As you know my husband and I have been attending classes that help with communication in relationships. We also believe we can give you some dire advice based on our own personal experience since we have six years behind us. Being a newly engaged couple and asking for advice before marriage lets us know you are both serious in committing to one another. This also makes it seem you are both committed to keeping your relationship alive and well. The best advice I can give you is to keep your communication alive and well. In this letter I will give you some advice on the concepts of good interpersonal communication. I will explain what we have been learning in our classes and also what I can explain to how we have experienced this in our relationship. The first basic but important skill to communication is listening. Listening to each other shows that you both respect one another and care about what the other is saying. There are three important types of listening and they are: active, critical, and empathetic. The first skill that we will discuss pertaining to the listening is actively listening. Active listening is assertive communication that develops a sense of trust. In my personal relationship letting your spouse know that you are listening lets them feel important and build trust within your relationship. Actively listening in your communication will allow you to build trust because of the openness that it builds. Openness within active listening makes your spouse feel a†¦ Effective communication in healthcare is essential to deliver good patient care. When delegating tasks to co-workers, one needs to be clear and precise. When people have a full understanding of what their job is, they will perform better and patients will get better outcomes. Without effective communication we are setting up our fellow co-workers for failure and our patients as well. Effective communication is necessary to convey the importance of instructions and task to co-workers so they can fully understand the importance of their task and the steps necessary to manage the task. Effective communication is also necessary to be able to understand what our patients are telling us, and how to better listen and relate to them. Rashad is attending the team meeting and is being assertive in trying to clarify his role as assistive personnel. He is showing that the nurses would be able to rely on him to help with their patients during the shift for hygienic care and toileting. He is using an assertive form of communication with speaking up during the meeting. This assertiveness is quickly shot down by the aggressive communication of RN, Robin. Her comments of calling Rashad only an aide is belittling and then stating that those cares are the role of a RN farther the belittling. Robin continues to say that Rashad is not expected to think but to do as told is not uplifting at all and developed into feelings of resentment. These feelings are expressed in Rashad’s new goal; of developing a plan to make Robin pay for her comments. Robin’s comments established a tone of superiority and dominance as she shows her expectations that only the nurses know how to think and that the aides should be more like robots to her commands. This aggressive style of communication hurts others and is used to set someone up to overpower†¦ Interpersonal communication is the type of communication that people use to communicate their ideas, thoughts, ideas and feelings to one another person. In Interpersonal Communication, you are dependent upon another person for the communication to be effective. With that being said I thought that I would have great interpersonal communication skills but sadly I do not. I thought I that I would have great interpersonal communication skills because most of the time I can tell how a person is feeling, try to understand how they feel, and what is driving them to feel that way. That is the reason why I wanted to become a social worker but I am glad that I am taking this class to understand my interpersonal communication skills better. I never really thought of interpersonal communication skills as being as important as they are. Whether we like it or not interpersonal communication a key skill for personal and professional relationships. What you say and what you don’t say both carry a lot of weight in communication. Having effective interpersonal communication means that you use both of these forms to your advantage and remain aware of your behavior throughout a conversation. With that being said there are three key points that I feel that I need to do a great deal of improvement on and they are overcoming my fear to speak, my eye contact, and being aware of my adaptors that I use and how I use them. The first thing I feel that would help my interpersonal communication skills is to overcome my fear to talk people that I do not know. I have to overcome this fear because if not I will never be able to become the great social worker that I can become. I feel that a great way for me to overcome this fear is by talking to strangers at work. By not saying anything or acknowledging my co-worker that I do not know is not sending a message good message to them. If I want to have effective interpersonal communication, I have to get†¦ Effective communication is important for psychological well-being for a number of reasons. Communication allows conveying our needs and feelings to others, as well as to respond to and respect the needs of others. Social supports are an important factor to decrease anxiety and depression. Communication helps to develop significant relationships with friends and family, as well as with romantic partners. Developing skills that allow communication between p eople that we trust allows for expression of emotions, as well as the ability to get feedback and support. Three very important skills are needed for communication. They are assertiveness, conversational or verbal communication skills and nonverbal communication skills. Two attitudes are important in developing communication skills that are effective. These skills are being proactive and thinking win/win. Proactive means taking responsibility for your life. A person can choose to be happy and successful. In the win/win situation, society has labeled life as either a clear winner or a loser. In business, the goal is to provide the best service or product to maximize profits and beat the competition. This plays a major role in why society thinks that in interpersonal interactions it too is a game in which there is a clear winner and loser. A mature and confident way to approach human reactions is thinking win/win. This approach allows for both parties to succeed and achieve goals. Being assertive is one of my greatest assets. I have learned that a closed mouth will never get fed. When being assertive it is not necessary to raise our voice or shout at other people. Being threatening is not assertive either. Many people confuse aggression with assertion. Being assertive allows speaking in normal tones, respecting personal distance and the ability to state opinions needs or wants.

Cubism -the Weeping Woman Essay

Cubism was an art movement which originated in France and Spain in 1906. Cubism influenced painting movement. Cubist artists include Pablo Picasso, George Braque and Juan Gris. Picasso had recently travelled to Africa and native America and was inspired by the tribal masks. Cubist Artists captured different view points at the same time. This showed collage and made the image look 3D. In the painting ‘The Weeping Woman’ she looks like she is at home. I get this idea from the border behind her in the middle of what looks like two walls. I also think it looks homely because it is painted yellow, a colour associated with warmth and comfort. It could also be a church, the brown strip could symbolise the wooden seats in a church. Another thing it could symbolise, is the attendance of a funeral because she is wearing black coloured clothing. In the middle of her face, which is the colour white/blue, it could mean a part of her being taken away, not only is her colour draining away, but so are her emotions. She seems to be hiding her sadness. You can tell she is sad and upset because her eyes look glazed over and there is a red/pink blush under her eyes and nose which could show that she has been crying and has wiped her tears away. The sharp jagged lines could represent how she is holding herself together, and maybe the other emotions she feels, like anger. You can see that she is in distress as she has creases on her forehead. The bits of green blended in with the yellow could represent jealousy, but could also symbolise being ill or sick. She is so upset that its actually making her feel weak and unwell. The white could also be seen as being some kind of ghostly figure, which links back to the thought of her attending a funeral, and why she is so upset. The green representing jealousy, could be envy for other people who’s loved ones are still with them. Her hands look like they are together, like she is trying to pray, for the protection of her loved one in the afterlife. She could also be holding something, like a tissue to wipe away her tears, a possession of the bereaved, a letter or a will. This painting was actually painted representing the weeping woman as a mother of a soldier who had died at war. This connects to the thing she could be holding, as when a soldier dies at war, they usually send a letter to inform the close family of this.

The Concept of American Dream in the Revolutionary Road

Over the years, many heroes and heroines especially from the West fought so hard in order to give people unlimited opportunities, freedom, material prosperity and individual happiness. The concept â€Å"American dream† as a national ideal is associated with independence and freedom as one individual fulfill his dream through fulfilling his innate passion and desires. This concept gives American citizens the expectations that their government should create a society that will reward drive and innovation or a society that will generate growth.But at the same time, one should be responsible for himself to develop as a full man and woman without the barriers of the older civilizations since this had already been slowly erected by the political leaders in the past. Initially the concept of American Dream considering its historical basis is described as a; â€Å"dream in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability o r achievement.It is a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth and position† (Garfinkle 206). In past years, American Dream is perceive as a promise that each human being has the freedom to make his own life according to his will or choices. This promise made the Americans dreamers, hopeful and independent wanting to take advantage of a freedom of self expression that not every culture has.But this established social structure has a profound influence over individual inner experiences. Contrary to the common impression of upward social mobility due to the â€Å"American Dream,† this mobility can lead to an inner struggle between socially and personally held values of the individuals. It is also inevitable to anticipate that upwar d social mobility will increase the likelihood of the experience of depression and frustration due to the resultant feelings of ambivalence.Due to the promises of American Dream, it is inevitable that American citizens will create mental expectations that if it fails they will have a feeling of depression and hopelessness. These feelings of hopelessness and depression due to unfulfilled passion and expectations are illustrated in the main characters of the film Revolutionary Road. The movie is an indictment of American life that focuses on how the unfulfilled hopes and aspirations of April and Frank Wheeler, main protagonists and married couple, affected them emotionally and psychologically.The seemingly unrealistic and romantic expectations of April Wheeler illustrate tattered remains of American Dream that not achieving it will cause inner death. Though the couple experienced financial security in the middle class suburban America, does that guarantee a meaningful life? Even thoug h they are living comfortably, both believe that they are not truly free. They want a satisfying life free from suburban paralysis whose kind of lifestyle seems routinary. Fulfillment of passion, dreams and hopes with total freedom and independence is what American Dream is for April Wheeler.But financial security and practical opportunities paralyses and hinders her husband to leave America, and so the conflict begins. April wants to escape financial practicalities, routines and her simple role only confined in domesticity and motherhood. Determine to escape the mediocrity and suburbanites that surround them, the couple decides to move in Europe to develop and practice their artistic sensibilities, free from the consumerist demands of capitalist America.But their relationship is thrown into jeopardy because of their frequent squabbling, misunderstanding and unnecessary anxieties from their American Dream. The film is set in the 1950’s in the ordinary suburbs of Connecticut w here every family and employee seems to have the same routines everyday. Frank and April Wheeler, the main characters, are afraid to be like anyone else in their community who seems content and who are afraid to explore outside their comfort zone of financial security.So they believe that they are untypical middle class family living in the suburbs as they still attach in their youthful passion and still believes in life’s adventure. They have promised never to be dragged into the monotonous world of the people around them. But despite their wits, talents and good looks, the couple suddenly find themselves slowly becoming the individuals they swore never to be; a plain, unhappy housewife who longs for fulfillment; a man with a boring job and an existence as dreary as the rest of the neighborhood.April, a failed aspiring theatrical actress starts the novel in a local theatrical group. This experience of April in the initial part of the novel is embarrassing and is a disaster t hat sows the seeds of her discontent. She soon realizes how dull her life is, a life that is far from what she imagines her life will be with Frank Wheeler. Frank, a naturally dreamer, lost his direction and works at Knox Business Machines as an ordinary office employee, while April becomes a typical housewife looking after her two kids.The novel depicts April as a housewife frustrated and emotionally conflicted after being trapped in the suburban life. This given reality is such a discouragement for both especially for April and so she devises a plan to reverse their fortunes and present fate. April discusses plans to escape and leave everything behind in their suburban life to live in Paris where she will fulfill her artistic talents in performance and Frank will find out what he really wants to do with his life. Paris for her will give them opportunities to fulfill what they really wanted in life; total freedom, adventure and happiness.At first though hesitant, Frank agreed as he also wants to achieve the promises of venturing the unpredictability of life in Paris. When Frank gets promoted though, their much awaited departure is being stalled, and they find their marriage crumbling. Frank knows that his promotion is only a lifetime opportunity and somehow he doesn’t want to take it as a risk in a life (Paris) that is no guarantee yet. The perpetual squabbling of the couple is due to April’s strong desire to break out from the prison of bourgeois family life.Apparently Wheelers miss the culture and intellectual quiver of their youth. So when not arguing passionately, they drink a lot and often hang out with their friends and neighbors, the Campbells. But April strongly believes that as a bright, beautiful and gifted couple, their future has strong possibility of greatness if only they will take the risk. April’s depression and apparent desperation to escape her present life eventually made them betray each other and their very true self. April is being corrupted by her strong desire to depart herself to her monotonous life in Connecticut.As noted, April and Frank are not the usual suburban types, but people who consider themselves better than the people in their neighborhood; they mock people as they feel like their living their life half sleep. One of their frequent outside activities is to visit with another couple, spending few hours complaining about how unproductive everyone else is. Frank hates his white collar job and April just stays home with the kids but since they believe that they have potentials and resources, they know they can change their lives for the better.But what do individuals do when they are intelligent and high willed enough not to be satisfied with the conformity and blandness of their surroundings, but lack the drive to ever escape mediocrity, because they are, fundamentally, much more a part of their environment than they imagine? Frank, after hesitating whether going to Paris is a reaso nable and practical thing to do especially after he was being promoted made him somehow like everybody else who is afraid to let go of financial security and assurance. Perhaps Frank and April are not extraordinary and different as they would want to think.But nonetheless their character reflects American Dream—a life far from mediocrity and a life where one creates his own individuality and sense of identity. Moreover, their characters reminds the viewers to come face to face to their own mediocrity, challenges them to be honest with themselves and tries sincerely to know whether their aspirations fit their potentials and capabilities. Sometimes one’s ambitions and hopes are unrealistic. The promises of American Dream inspire the character to hope so much in the future and so that when those hopes are being unfulfilled, the character experiences great depression.â€Å"The problem with the society isn't necessarily that it's hypocritical or conformist or mediocre, but that it produces people with such a horrible gap between aspiration and capacity – it gives them the leisure and intelligence to want a fuller life while robbing them of the backbone to get it† (Yates xxi).But one can approach April’s character in this novel positively as she seems to know herself. She is taking concrete steps in order to accomplish her desires. She is a woman who wants to explore and find herself through her given talents and skills.She is confident that given a chance, she can prove herself in the world of arts. April definitely knows that this is the only way to find her self again and to eventually feel that her existence has a purpose after all—not just confined to being a mother and being a wife. While Frank though he realizes his vague ambition to be someone other than an office worker did not seek any alternative self. Instead after being identified and flattered in his mundane job, their plans to go Paris became unnecessary for h im. When April conceives their third child, their plan to leave America crumbles.When April discovers that she is pregnant, she is demotivated while Frank feels thrilled, not just for having the baby itself in the future but this will be his scapegoat to refuse Paris. April decided to abort the baby because she knows that this will greatly interfere her plans to go in Paris but Frank dissuade her and so they embark on a marital duel. April’s desperation becomes self destructive which is apparent when the latter has bled to death after attempting to induce a miscarriage. Frank on the other hand lacks will and boldness for change.His dream for financial security and the affirmation he acquired from his company because of his sudden promotion made him set aside his wife’s dream to escape the monotonous and boring lifestyle in America. Basically American Dream in this novel specifically in April’s character means fulfilling one’s passion and desires through s kills and talents. But for Frank American Dream is somehow based on practicalities, that is financial security and opportunities â€Å"all I want is to get enough dough coming in to keep us solvent for the next year or so, till I can figure things out; meanwhile, I want to retain my own identity†.But apparently he sometimes excites himself to try something new as he is a man who naturally loves adventure and in trying something not routinary, he might find his true self and his true identity. Frank’s acquisition of a higher position that assure his family’s financial security and his acquisition of affirmation from his company hindered April to fulfill her American dream for freedom of artistic self expression. At the end, it can be said that it is Frank who wins.But when April dies in her effort to fight the forces keeping her in her suburban housewife lifestyle, Frank due to pain becomes absorbed by the work he had once despised, and â€Å"dies† an inwa rd death. At the end both of them is being failed by their American Dream.Work Cited: Garfinkle, Norton. The American Dream Vs. the Gospel of Wealth: The Fight for a Productive Middle-Class Economy. Connecticut USA Yale University Press, 2007 Yates, Richard. Revolutionary Road. New York USA Vintage Contemporaries, 2000