Oracle of Truth

Claim: While delivering the commencement speech at Yale University in 2000, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison said: â€Å"Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you to do something for me. Please, take a good look around you. Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the classmate on your right. Now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even 30 years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. And you, in the middle?What can you expect? Loser. Loserhood. Loser Cum Laude. † Status: False. Origins: In July 2000, an inventive story about Oracle CEO Larry Ellison bestowing an unusual commencement speech upon the graduating class of Yale University began popping up in various inboxes. Some were left wondering if this could be the real thing, given what is known of Ellison's famed ego, and because the wide circulation of the 199 7 Kurt Vonnegut commencement speech hoax had prepared the way for this piece to sound plausible. In truth, Ellison did not give a such a speech at Yale, nor anywhere else.The article was the fanciful creation of Andrew Marlatt, a writer for the satire website, SatireWire. It was reprinted (with SatireWire's express permission) on BBspot, another satirical web site. The full text of the piece: ELLISON TO GRADS: DIPLOMAS ARE FOR LOSERS Oracle CEO Urges Students to Drop out, Start up NEW HAVEN, CONN. (SatireWire. com) – In one of the more controversial commencement addresses in memory, Oracle CEO and college dropout Larry Ellison told Yale's Class of 2000 they were â€Å"losers† whose hard-won diplomas would never propel them into the ranks of the super rich.The evangelical Ellison, noting that college dropouts Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Michael Dell were, like himself, on Forbes' recent top 10 list of billionaires, urged freshmen and sophomores at the ceremony to  "drop out and start up,† and added that the undereducated Yale security guards who ushered him off stage probably had a better shot at uber-wealth than graduating seniors. What follows is a transcript of the speech delivered by Ellison at the Yale University last month: Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you to do something for me.Please, take a ood look around you. snopes. com: Larry Ellison ‘Loser' Commencement Speech http://www. snopes. com/quotes/ellison. asp? print=y ? 1 3? 2012/9/21 10:41 Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the classmate on your right. Now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even 30 years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. And you, in the middle? What can you expect? Loser. Loserhood. Loser Cum Laude. â€Å"In fact, as I look out before me today, I don't see a th ousand hopes for a bright tomorrow.I don't see a thousand future leaders in a thousand industries. I see a thousand losers. â€Å"You're upset. That's understandable. After all, how can I, Lawrence ‘Larry' Ellison, college dropout, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's most prestigious institutions? I'll tell you why. Because I, Lawrence â€Å"Larry† Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college dropout, and you are not. â€Å"Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet — for now, anyway — is a college dropout, and you are not. â€Å"Because Paul Allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not. And for good measure, because Michael Dell, No. 9 on the list and moving up fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not. â€Å"Hmm . . . you're very upset. That's understandable. So let me stroke your egos for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, tha t your diplomas were not attained in vain. Most of you, I imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways what you've learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. You've established good work habits. You've established a network of people that will help you down the road. And you've established what will be lifelong relationships with the word ‘therapy. All that of is good. For in truth, you will need that network. You will need those strong work habits. You will need that therapy. â€Å"You will need them because you didn't drop out, and so you will never be among the richest people in the world. Oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to No. 10 or No. 11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don't have to tell you who he really works for, do I? And for the record, he dropped out of grad school. Bit of a late bloomer. â€Å"Finally, I realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, are wondering, ‘Is there anything I can do?Is t here any hope for me at all? ‘ Actually, no. It's too late. You've absorbed too much, think you know too much. You're not 19 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I'm not referring to the mortar boards on your heads. â€Å"Hmm†¦ you're really very upset. That's understandable. So perhaps this would be a good time to bring up the silver lining. Not for you, Class of '00. You are a write-off, so I'll let you slink off to your pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your checks will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago. â€Å"Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmen here today.I say to you, and I can't stress this enough: leave. Pack your things and your ideas and don't come back. Drop out. Start up. â€Å"For I can tell you that a cap and gown will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me down . . . † The last line of the piece should have given away the joke, if nothing else did. Larry Ellison being dragged off a stage is a satisfying mental image to contemplate and provides snopes. com: Larry Ellison ‘Loser' Commencement Speech http://www. snopes. com/quotes/ellison. asp? print=y ? 2 ? 2012/9/21 10:41 a wonderful closing for a piece that would otherwise be difficult to orchestrate an ending for, but that's all it ever could be, even if Ellison had addressed the Yale Class of 2000 and had given that speech. (Which, by the way, he hadn't). Venerable institutions of higher learning have at times chosen keynote speakers they've later had cause to regret. The price of turning the podium over to another is having to listen politely to the entirety of his address, even if it is offensive. Audiences are still expected to clap at its culmination, and hoever introduced the speaker is still on the hook for thanking him for his insights. Such are the demands of a polite society, with security guards standing poised to remove invited guests who give voice to unpo pular sentiments not figuring anywhere into the equation. Should there still be any remnant of doubt about the veracity of the article in question, Yale didn't have a guest speaker at its 299th graduation ceremony, held in May 2000. Yale seniors received a more personal address on Class Day, another part of this two-day commencement ceremony.The keynote speaker for that event was Bob Woodward, who graduated from Yale in 1965. (His investigation of the Watergate break-in helped win a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post in 1973. ) Larry Ellison is a prime choice for such lampooning because this thrice-married, thricedivorced multimillionaire is known for living larger than life. A 1997 unofficial biography was titled The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison: God Doesn't Think He is Larry Ellison. Barbara â€Å"leisure unsuited larry† Mikkelson Additional Information: SatireWire BBSpot Last updated:

Indian Education

Felippe Wancelotti Mrs. Amelkin AP Lang 10/4/2012 â€Å"Indian Education† Subject: Sherman Alexie delivers an essay portraying his life from a yearly view-point encompassing the 1st to 12th grade. Occasion: Indian misconceptions, mistreatments, stereotypes, and discriminations all affected Alexie on his educational highway and served as a basis for the writing of â€Å"Indian Education†.Audience: Alexie’s audience is primarily those interested in the lifestyle of Native Americans. Purpose: Alexie highlights how he ultimately overcame the hardships suffered during his early years due to his Indian ethnicity and displays how Native Americans were, and continue, to suffer from discrimination. Tone: His tone is saddened and bitter, almost as if he feels sorry for those who couldn’t achieve success alongside him.Thesis In his essay, â€Å"Indian Education†, published in the story collections The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven in 1993, Sherman Alexie highlights how he ultimately overcame the hardships suffered during his early years due to his Indian ethnicity and displays how Native Americans were, and continue, to suffer from discrimination.With the use of clever identically constructed sentences to contrast his academic ascendency with the decline of those around him, powerful segment conclusions to create a spatial effect between different periods of his life in relation to environment and discrimination, and a thematic transition to display how discrimination became imprinted in his mind through consecutive years of mistreatment, Alexei portrays the bitterness associated with the loss of a society. Writing Strategy 1. Alexie sets the scenes up in separate sections with labeled headings to further differentiate each period of his yearly â€Å"life†.His narrative technique provides a spatial effect; each section feels like a new or different period in his life, something that cannot be easily achieved with conti nuous sentences. He does so to show how rapidly his environment could change, but how his treatment as an individual and the discrimination he received remained the same. 2. The brief conclusions all serve to indicate cold, harsh, and impactful conclusions to his yearly cycle which further emphasize the schism between school years. Some of the conclusions serve different functions, though.For example, when he ends his third grade segment with â€Å"I’m still waiting. † it is short and impactful; but, when he ends the fifth grade segment with a rhetorical question â€Å"Oh, do you remember those sweet, almost innocent choices that the Indian boys were forced to make? † the segment seems to linger on for a moment longer, portraying that the event had a stronger impression than the previous, shorter conclusion. 3. The thematic transition in the seventh grade segment occurs when he kisses the white girl, and almost as if he betrays his tribe, is sent away to a farm town.Through the seventh grade transition, the theme transcends from social outcast and discrimination to somewhat unconscious discrimination but social acceptance. Prior to the seventh grade segment, he is explicitly mistreated and bullied, alienated from society. After the seventh grade though, at the farm town, he doesn’t display any direct discrimination, everything he relates and portrays as discrimination is completely indirect and taken as such. 4.I think he ends with the Class Reunion section to display how the drastic change in his life during seventh grade affected his outcome. The effect this image shows is that the author had to alienate himself from his own society in order to succeed. Those he left behind stayed behind. Language 1. No capitalization serves the purpose of not identifying Indians as a racial ethnicity; the teacher views Native Americans as severely inferior to both herself and society. 2.Alexie uses the hyperbole to display how no one wanted to be seen around an Indian; they avoided him for â€Å"500 years† when they discovered he was Native American. The hyperbole exaggerates the factuality of the event, but it probably felt like 500 years to him. 3. The irony in paragraphs 67 and 68 is that the â€Å"Indians† (the school) lost a football game due to him, an Indian. Alexie cannot seem to eradicate these indirect discriminations, and associates them at an emotional level. 4.Alexie uses the similarly structured sentences to compare himself to those around him. He is different to his environment and its population in almost every way. In paragraphs 29 and 31, Alexie’s sentence regarding himself shows an interest in mathematics, whilst the sentence regarding his cousin, although related to sciences, has a derogatory connotation. In paragraphs 70 and 72 the same style of writing occurs. Alexie is looking â€Å"toward the future† whilst his classmates â€Å"look back toward tradition†. He is the only one moving forward.

Is it best to work in a team

Team working is a false belief. What matters most is single public presentation. Discuss. Teams have been defined as â€Å"formal work groups, † [ 1 ] where a group consists of â€Å"two or more persons interacting.† [ 2 ] Structuring work through the usage of squads has been seen as advantageous to the administration because it is seen as efficient. Individuals’ failings are considered less debatable in a squad because other members will hold strengths covering these countries. From the thought of the squad, the construct of the independent workgroup has developed, dwelling of â€Å"team of people who are given a high degree of duty for their ain work.† [ 3 ] Such groups are seen to hold the possible to work fruitfully with comparatively small supervising, making efficiencies. Technological developments such as picture conferencing are enabling usage of squads across geographical divides, offering administrations new ways of organizing work. [ 4 ] Beyond functional abilities for undertaking completion, runing in squads may hold psychological benefits for the person. Marcouse et al suggest that teamwork helps employees experience involved with their administration, perchance bring forthing competitory advantage. [ 5 ] This can be related to Maslow’s hierarchy of demands, [ 6 ] where, one time basic and security demands can be satisfied, the single focal points on societal, position and self-actualisation demands. The intersubjective nature of the squad addresses societal demands, and may besides carry through position demands. Huczynski and Buchanan note that position within the squad may be given to persons who do non bask high position in the formal construction of the administration: within the squad, their societal place may be enhanced. [ 7 ] Self-actualisation may besides be achieved, [ 8 ] through the sense of satisfaction when a end is achieved by the squad. While the construct of the squad appears good theoretically, success can be limited if squads are non adequately managed. Team leaders must be sensitive non merely to the persons within the squad, but besides to the group dynamic. [ 9 ] The sensed personality of the leader can impact on the behavior of squad members: White and Lean found that the unity of a leader influenced the ethical behavior of squad members. [ 10 ] Individual personalities have been considered widely in the literature. Agreeableness has been found peculiarly of import in the conceptual phases of a undertaking, [ 11 ] perchance because it helps develop productive relationships for ulterior phases. Hersey et al identify helpful functions and impeding functions. [ 12 ] While the ideal squad would hold a choice of helpful persons with complementary accomplishments, this may non be realistic, and the leader is presented with the challenge of understating the consequence of hindering. If unsuccessful, it is possible that working separately would be more productive than making squads. Personalities within a group may non ever have the awaited consequence. Peeters et Al found, out of the blue, that different degrees of conscientiousness within a squad were advantageous: the research workers suggest that the more painstaking members keep the less painstaking members on path, and that the issues originating from the variableness concern behaviors at peculiar points in a undertaking procedure instead than overall squad public presentation. [ 13 ] While this is a positive result, it however underlines the capriciousness of the group dynamic. In many state of affairss, a squad may hold different leaders for different undertakings, and Miles and Kivlighan found that the consistence between different leaders’ perceptual experiences of the team’s construction can act upon the manner members perform and interact. [ 14 ] If perceptual experiences are consistent, so there is a positive influence. However, if the group is non perceived systematically, the deduction is that they may non work so efficaciously. The above illustrations would propose that, with careful direction, squads can still be effectual in the workplace. However, they are frequently non advantageous. Marcouse et al note that decision-making may be much slower with group engagement, and squads may bring forth struggle that hinders progress. [ 15 ] Research indicates that in some fortunes, squads can be extremely debatable. Janis made extended surveies of hapless determinations made by senior authorities groups. Where groups are peculiarly cohesive, he notes that a force per unit area to conform to group norms may deter persons from showing concern with determinations: he attributes a figure of historical catastrophes to this. [ 16 ] However, Chapman suggests that anxiousness is a cardinal factor in Janis’s groupthink, and that the determinations frequently concern major political issues. [ 17 ] She argues that the state of affairs in many administrations concerns daily determination doing with fewer force per unit areas and perchance less impetus to do a determination, although admiting that anxiousness may have in some organizational state of affairss. However, the deduction is that the group dynamic may overrule single capablenesss in certain fortunes. Promoting squads to vie can be peculiarly counterproductive. Billig and Tajfel found that, even where there was minimum footing for people to experience they belonged to one peculiar group ( in-group ) , they would be prejudiced against another group ( out-group ) , to the extent that they would set up the distribution of money to disfavor the out-group even if it gave no advantage to the in-group. [ 18 ] This is peculiarly of import to observe when structuring a gross revenues map into squads: it has been argued that â€Å"There is no such thing as friendly competition† [ 19 ] and Billig and Tajfel’s consequences support this. The tendency for squads may neglect to recognize that some persons much prefer to work on their ain. [ 20 ] Where a sense of control is peculiarly of import to the person, going portion of a squad may be perceived as losing that control. In such fortunes, Robbins and Finlay suggest implementing the thought of the â€Å"team of one.† [ 21 ] Although the definitions indicate that squads and groups are needfully more than one individual, the â€Å"team of one† construct recognises that a capable person may be able to finish undertakings every bit efficaciously as a multi-person squad and may prefer to work in that manner. It could besides be argued that the single public presentation within the squad should be the focal point for easing successful squads, but this has to be considered in concurrence with the group dynamic: the squad can non be seen merely as a aggregation of persons, as Billig and Tajfel’s work [ 22 ] and Janis’s surveies [ 23 ] make clear. While the research indicates that a well-managed squad with complementary accomplishments may be really productive, there is besides considerable grounds that teamwork can be unproductive, produce hapless determinations and, while carry throughing the societal demands of some people, may be a less favoured manner of working for others. It is noteworthy that literature on teamwork appears mostly concerned with maximizing the success of squad working instead than sing options such as a more individual-based construction as perchance more effectual. To disregard teamwork as a false belief on the footing of the grounds above would be utmost: however, the premise that a squad attack will ever be more efficient and productive than other options should be questioned. Mentions Billig M and Tajfel H ( 1973 ) ‘Social classification and similarity in intergroup behaviour’European Journal of Social PsychologyVol 3 ( 1 ) pp27-52 Chapman J ( 2006 ) ‘Anxiety and effectual determination devising: an amplification of the groupthink model’ inManagement DecisionVol 44 ( 10 ) pp1391-1404 Hersey P, Blanchard K and Johnson D ( 1996 )Management of Organizational Behavior: Utilizing Human Resources7ThursdayEdition ( New Jersey: Prentice Hall International ) Huczynski A and Buchanan D ( 1991 )Organizational Behaviour2neodymiumEdition ( Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall International ) Janis I ( 1971 ) ‘Groupthink Among Policy Makers’ infusion from Eds. Sanford N and Comstock C ( 1971 )Sanctions for Evil( San Francisco: Jossey-Bass ) available at www.middlesexcc.edu/faculty/Robert_Roth/GroupthinkamongPolicyMakers.htm accessed on 5/11/08 Marcouse I, Gillespie A, Martin B, Surridge M and Wall N ( 2003 )Business Surveies2neodymiumEdition ( Oxfordshire: Hodder Arnold ) Maslow A ( 1943 ) ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ inPsychological ReappraisalVol 50 pp370-96 Miles J and Kivlighan D ( 2008 ) ‘Team Cognition in Group Interventions: The Relation Between Co leaders Shared Mental Models and Group Climate’Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and PracticeVol 12 ( 3 ) pp191-209 Peeters M, Rutte C, Van Tuijl H and Reymen I ( 2008 ) ‘Designing in Teams: Does Personality Matter? ’ inSmall Group ResearchVol 39 pp438-467 Robbins H and Finley M ( 2000 )Why Teams Don’t Work( London, New York: Texere ) Rockart J and Short J ( 1996 ) ‘The networked organisation and the direction of interdependence’ in Eds. Paton R, Clark G, Jones G, Lewis J and Quintas P ( 1996 )The New Management Reader( London and New York: Routledge and the Open University ) pp255-276 White D and Lean E ( 2008 ) ‘The Impact of Perceived Leader Integrity on Subordinates in a Work Team Environment’ inJournal of Business Ethical motivesVol 81 pp765-778

Computer Science Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Computer Science - Coursework Example Morals talk about sujective own doctrines concerning wrong and right. This essay discusses morality and ethics and the social framework of ethics in the society. Morals have a bigger social component to principles and have a habit of having a very broad approval. Morals are broadly more about upright and wicked than other principles. We therefore critic other people more intensely based on morals than principles. An individual can be termed as wicked, however there is no word for them not succeeding principles. Values or routine with regard to good or bad conduct. While moralities also recommend dos and donts, principles is eventually a subjective scope of good and bad. Since we have faith in in something being good or bad. Typically stable, however can transform if a person’s faith change. Moral individual even if conceivably certain by a higher agreement, may opt to trail a code of conduct as it would relate to an ethic framework "Make it fit". Ethics rise above cultural customs (Velasquez et al., 2015). Some individuals reason that there are universal guidelines that apply to every person. This kind of reasoning is known as moral absolutism. Moral absolutism disputes that there are some ethical guidelines that are constantly correct and that these guidelines can be revealed and that these guidelines are applicable to all individuals. Immoral deeds are actions which go againist these ethical guidelines are regarded as wrong regardless of the conditions or the results of those deeds. Absolutism perceives a worldwide outlook of mortality. With absolutism there is one established rule for all individuals which facilitates the enlisting of universal guidelines such as the Assertion of Human Rights. Certainly more and more individuals reason that for several moral concers there isnt a single good response just a collection of

Internet Addiction and College students Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet Addiction and College students - Essay Example Tan (2001) said that the Internet use plays a major role in education for students as well as for the professionals to make things easier; it greatly enhances the learning and practices of individuals and that it is meant to cause students learning and their performance at their performance at the higher-level Mayer (2000). However, there are reports that reveal, there are negative effects brought by heavy Internet use on one's psychological wellbeing (Young, 2004). Anderson (2000) explained that, internet dependent students' average use reached about 29 minutes per day. These users utilize synchronous communication internet application nearly ten times more than the non-dependent students, who only spent an average of 3 minutes per day doing the same activities due to the fact that, users are able to get quality information from internet facilities (Asemi 2005). However, there are reports that reveal, there are negative effects brought by heavy Internet use on one's psychological wellbeing (Young, 2004), with 8% - 13% of undergraduates allegedly addicted to internet use. The said uses have resulted to impairment among individuals' psychological well-being, academic performance and peer and family interactions (Scherer, 1997 Young, 1998). Moreover, this phenomenon of extreme use has been known as "Internet addiction (Young, 2004) and "problematic Internet use" (Caplan, 2002 & Shapira, et. al. 2003).The American Psychologist Association has prescribed criteria as basis whether or not a person be diagnosed for internet addiction disorder, and these are as follows: (1) Tolerance, which refers to individual's need for increasing quantity of time consumed on the Internet for satisfaction purposes; (2) Two or more withdrawal symptoms that develop in days until one a month or even after; (3) Use of the Internet in order to alleviate or avoid withdr awal symptoms; (4) The Internet is repeatedly accessed more often; if not, for longer periods that the intended time; (5) The individual loss of an important relationship, or still at risk of losing; loss of job, educational or career opportunity due to the excessive use of the Internet, and several other reasons.Bratter and Forest (cited by Freeman, 1992) characterized addiction as "a behavior pattern of obsessive drug use due to overwhelming involvement. Psychologist Kimberly S. Young, investigation nearly 500 heavy Internet users by compared their behaviors. Using the clinical criteria formulated by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV and was also published by the American Psychiatric Association; results showed that, eighty percent (80%) of the participants were dependent Internet users. She further elaborated that, "internet use can disrupt an individual's social, academic, financial, and professional life just as the same with other well-documented add ictions" (Young, 1996). Psychodynamic and personality perspectives can be accounted for addiction during early childhood traumas, relationship with certain personality traits/disorders, as well as inherited psychological dispositions (Sue,

Hiring friends and relatives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Hiring friends and relatives - Assignment Example This may create an uncomfortable working environment for the other employees, and it becomes difficult to get the work done. On the other hand, problems may be brought home from the workplace. Such problems may even weaken the tight bond between the employer and his friends and family. Bringing changes in the workplace may be hectic especially when such change threatens to affect the friend or relative negatively (Tappero). Hiring close friends and relatives is not a good idea, because they may compromise the business’ improvement. It is very hard for the employer to balance between managing the business and entertaining friends and family members. At times, the friends and kinsmen may expect favor like receiving more money than the others. They may refuse to work overtime, and request off duties now and then. In the case of a beverage operation, the relatives working at the company may drink the beverages without paying for them. They may also ask to carry some to their wives and kids. Therefore, if anyone wants to succeed in his/her business, it would be good to avoid the trap of employing their friends and

No Topic Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

No Topic - Assignment Example So after some warm hugs and goodbyes I leave my city and shift abroad. Initially it is a bit difficult for me as it is a completely new surrounding, but gradually I start to get the taste of it. We are still in touch with each through phone calls and social media. Social media being so popular these days that it has almost created a virtual world for us where most of us like to live their lives. It does not make you feel that you are away from your near and dear ones. (Sherry Turkle, Alone Together) So it really helps me to be in touch my cousin and share my experience out here. Gradually my work pressure starts increasing and I get to spend lesser time online. As a result I don’t get enough time to sit and chat with my cousin online. He does expect it from me but does not complain. It has been around 3 months now that I have been situated here. Gradually our bonding is becoming distant. One Sunday I sit with my laptop and feel like having a chat with my cousin as it has been a long time. I check my inbox and find that my cousin has written me after a long time. I am all excited and happy. I start reading the mail only to get the shock of my life. He says that he missed me so much that he got a robot with my name and programmed it like me. In sense the robot likes what I like and has the same dissimilarities as mine. It is true that robotics is actually replacing humans in many ways like people use them to sweep the kitchen floor, take care of our aging parents, and provide us with reliable companionship. (Jonah Lehrer, â€Å"We, Robots†) But it is still hard to replace a complete human being. My cousin now spends most of the time with a robot that he calls by my name. Not that I am offended with this whole reaction of his. I am kind a shocked and deeply hurt inside. I always used to feel that I was that once special brother for my cousin and he used to love me that way but today it has completely changed for

With specific reference to post-1990s developments, critically Essay - 2

With specific reference to post-1990s developments, critically evaluate the scope of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention under Article 2 of the United Nations Chapter - Essay Example In addition, this paper analyses the structural reform proposals of the UN Charter and the challenges it is currently facing. The various current matters of Security Council reform financing and proposals of the UN Charter are also discussed (Latif 2000, p.25). The United Nations Charter was born forty four years ago and it was as a result of the sufferings caused by the Second World War. The main purpose of the above mentioned Charter was to secure the upcoming generation from the impacts of the war. Moreover, the United Nations Charter aimed at correcting the League of the Nations’ weaknesses. The leadership of the United Charter rests on the highest authorities. Nevertheless, the challenges as a result of the Cold War barred the UN Charter from carrying out its main goals of the maintance of peace and security. The cold war was accompanied by a hostile environment and the UN could not perform its key role to implement the provisions made in the Charter, which were related to international security and peace. Despite the hostile environment presented by the Cold war, the United Nations pursued its Charter purposes in various fields such as in the improvement of social standards for individuals, decolonization and in the protection of human rights ((Mendlovitz & Weston 1995, p.13). Moreover, there were some adjustments that were made to the UN Charter and this enabled it to cope with various threats imposed to the international security and peace. The establishment of the UN Charter led to various dramatic changes in the world structure of peace and security. The above organizations came up with various ways of solving the challenges they came across. For instance, in order to eliminate the powers used by high authorities during the Cold War, the UN Charter established various peacemaking (Mingst & Karens 1995, p.29) and it took the role of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and

Academic Sucess Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Academic Sucess - Essay Example Success in education is determined by the interplay of many factors that contribute to an individual’s success both in academics and life. To be successful, extreme effort needs to be applied to reach your goals. Purpose, responsibility, hard work all lead to success. Students who apply these principles have a greater chance of achieving success. Therefore, this paper focuses on discussing the necessary steps an individual has to take to ensure or increase the probability of success in academics. Purpose in life is the greatest motivator in life, a life without purpose is at most meaningless because it lacks direction and the passion necessary to live a fulfilling life. When this is applied to academics, it plays the same role of charting a path for the student and determining the kind of attitude that a student is going to have towards achieving their academic goals. For a student to be able to properly harness the true capacity that is induced by purpose, they should first evaluate what motivates they desire to excel in academics and apply these motivators on self (Moon, 2008). According to Moon, students should endeavor to understand that excellence can only be achieved through individual commitment and participation and that no external factor can influence their success without their direct involvement. Applying oneself to the objective of excelling requires an individual to have a healthy self-esteem by thinking highly of themselves and being worthy of the high aspirat ions that they desire (Moon, 2008). Lack of self-esteem in individual confines the limitless potential that can be realized by the belief in one self. A student should be capable of identifying the reasons behind their aspirations and justify them as being able to satisfy their desired objective. The need to lead a better life, through improved living standards, can be cited as the drive towards achieving academic excellence because

Teaching paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Teaching - Research Paper Example It uses discussion and case method to illustrate the effects and solution to stress management disorder in the young adults with more stress being on high school and college students. The major occurs of the research lies on its goals towards student health enhancement. In this case, the teaching plan helps students to understand the forms of stress, causes of stress in young adults, characteristics of despairing episodes used for the prognosis of dejection, gender analysis and contribution to the prognosis of stress management disorder, amount of anger that relates to the prognosis of depression as well as ways of countering stress problems among students in various institutions (Kottler & Chen, 2012). The goals of the teaching plan research aim at solving the growth of stress management disorder in schools which is highly related to drug addiction among young people, transition to self dependence, relationship issues as well as exam related stress. Young adults are prone to stress disorders due to the high level of adrenaline fluctuation as a result of the adolescent stage. The objective of the teaching plan is to provide assessment of stress management in youn g adults. This objective helps learners to understand the primary causes of stress management disorder and its impending effects to health thus achieving one of the learning goals of creating awareness. The teaching plan also aims at creating programs that help students deal with stress management issues as it targets an essential and vulnerable group in the human growth process. Due to this notion, the document helps to achieve the learning goal of problem solving through use of education. The teaching plan also achieves the objective of enhancing learning through the provision of knowledge. There are many theories regarding stress disorder that provide a deep understanding to the concept behind the relation of stress

Topic Services Marketing, Case Monster.com Essay

Topic Services Marketing, Case Monster.com - Essay Example In the mid 90s, during the post-recession period in the U.S, big companies started to work on the booming economy by expanding their businesses. Such a move, requisitioned more professionals to be recruited. There was pressure on the recruitment agencies to supply the necessary work force within a short period of time. The recruitment companies were forced to react quickly to cater this huge requirement and started to look at new strategies to sustain this critical stage. There were many types of media existing at that time like the newspapers, Radio, Television, and the Internet. Media, other than internet, had a good reach. Monster.com tried to access the new medium of Internet as an effective channel for recruitment services. The company had to address multitude of problems related to: Customers: On one hand Monster.com had to entice companies to provide them with job vacancies. The initial companies which had provided Monster.com with job postings were the companies for which Monster.com had developed the advertisement designs. However, for Monster.com to attract new clients meant that the company had to prove to its potential clients, the validity of internet as a medium for offering recruitment services. ... Monster.com had chosen Internet as medium owing to the strengths such as high volume of content deliverable, customization of content and reach. Such of the strengths were intended to offset the shortage of time within which the jobs had to be filled. However, with the basic weakness of Internet as a cluttered medium, Monster.com was unable to make the customers access the website amongst the clutter. Competition: Internet was totally a new avenue through which recruitment services were offered. Going by Ansoff's Product / Market Matrix, the mode of Internet was a new medium available in the existing market of recruitment services. The growth strategy called for product development. For making the product competitive, Monster.com made the product cost competitive, the inherent strength of distribution was highlight in the reach of internet, however, Monster.com was not able to penetrate the market share of the then existing products such as Newpaper and Radio. How could Monster.com promote Internet as an effective medium remained a question mark Did Monster.com leverage the existing products such as newspapers for which they were designing the advertisements to complement for the launched of the medium of internet as a value addition is also a question since, Monster.com had independently launched the web medium for recruitment services. Collaboration: Monster.com had support from companies for which they were designing the advertisements. However, there was no collaboration with the existing medium of communication such as newspapers and radio. Study of functioning of some of the major online service giants or recruitment service providers could have benefited Monster.com for standardization of the product. However, Monster.com did have a tie-up

Elements of the Communication Process Essay Example for Free

Elements of the Communication Process Essay Companies need to develop strategies to improve brand image and brand awareness. The important aspect of spreading brand awareness and brand image is through communication. Companies need to establish a communication channel to win the new customers and retain existing customer. This communication is not restricted just to customer but also stakeholders in the value network. Communication is achieved through advertisement, sales promotion, public relation exercise, direct marketing and interactive marketing. Elements of Communication Process Communication process should not be one way traffic. Companies should look forward to developing communication network in which companies can reach customer but customer also can effectively communicate with companies. Technology has opened up many avenues to carry out effective communication. Companies have traditional tools like newspaper, television, radio, telephone, billboards and modern tools like the internet, emails and wireless devices. Technology has made the communication process not only faster but also reduced over all communication cost. There are nine elements, which make the communication process. The two parties are sender-company and receiver-customer. The communication tools are message and media used to communicate the process. The four major communication functions are encoding, decoding, response and feedback. The last element is the noise which is anytime of interference disrupting clarity of the message. Senders must encode the message as per the target audience and use the right media. The receiver decodes the message, responds to the message and sends feedback to the company. Experience senders are able to garner a more effective response from the right message. Companies have to put effort in developing an effective communication program. The development of the communication program can be charted into eight steps. 1.The first step is identifying the target audience. The target audiences are the existing customer or the potential new customers. Target audience identification is essential for further development and overall success of the communication program. Once the audience is identified the next part is assessing the present company or brand perception within the target audience. Based on the results from the audience analysis the message should address the requirements. 2.The second step is to set specific objectives for the given communication message. This objective could be to enhance existing image, convey attribute, or encourage a consumer to act. The objective can have a cognitive, affective or behavioral response. 3.The third step is the design of the message. The designing of the message follows the objective of the message. The design of the message has to address the following four points, content of message, message structure, message format and message source. 4.The fourth step is the selection of the communication channel. The channel must be appropriate to carry the message to the target audience. For pharmaceutical companies, their sales people are the most effective channel in reaching the target doctor audience, instead of placing billboards. 5.The fifth step is related with the financial estimates of the whole expenditure. Companies need to decide budget of sales promotional and other activities. The common methods followed are an affordable method, percentage of sales method, competitive parity method, and objective-task methods. 6.The sixth step is the decision relate to the communication mix. Companies have limited budget, so they need balance expenditure among advertising, sales promotion, public relation, sales force and direct marketing. The relevant choice of the communication mix is highly dependable on the industry the company is operating. 7.The seventh step measuring results of the communication process. It is very important for companies to keenly follow the outcomes of the communication process. The results could be increased in sales, change in attitude or image of the brand. 8.The eight step is managing the integrated marketing process. Companies cannot afford to continue one medium approach to achieve desired communication effect. Companies must integrate all the available tools as to reach a wider audience and effectively communicate about brand and products.

Social Worker Burnout Studied

Social Worker Burnout Studied Social Worker Burnout Studied(Fall 2003) AUTHOR-ABSTRACT:For the past 30 years, researchers and practitioners have been concerned about the impact of work stress experienced by social workers. Although research on burnout has been a useful field of exploration, a new concern has arisen about work stresses specifically associated with work with victims of trauma. The concept of vicarious trauma provides insights into the stresses of this particular kind of work. Like the burnout research, early research on vicarious trauma has identified both personal and organizational correlates. In this article, the authors review the growing literature on the organizational components of vicarious trauma and suggest changes in organizational culture, workload, group support, supervision, self-care, education, and work environment that may help prevent vicarious trauma in staff. BODY: WHETHER SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY or providing services to individuals, families, and communities, social workers are fully engaged with todays social problems. This difficult work can take an emotional and psychological toll on the worker (Davies, 1998; Gibson, McGrath, Reid, 1989). This stress comes not only from responding to people in pain and crisis; characteristics of the organization also contribute to the stress (Sze Ivker, 1986). This occupational stress has been examined primarily in terms of burnout (Maslach, 1993), but recent research in the field of trauma has identified stresses unique to that work. These stresses have been conceptualized as vicarious trauma (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b). To date, most research has focused on the individual characteristics thought to contribute to vicarious trauma. There has been less focus on the organizational structures that may contribute. In this article, we draw on the research on organizational correlates of burnout as a background for examining the research on vicarious trauma and then outline various organizational strategies suggested by practitioners working with trauma survivors to prevent vicarious trauma. This discussion is informed by a qualitative study of counselors working with victims of domestic violence (Bell, 1998, 1999) that suggested the importance of the work environment, among other issues, in the development of vicarious trauma. Quotations by counselors from that study will be used to illustrate the discussion. Organizational Correlates of Burnout Maslach (1993) described burnout as having three dimensions: (a) emotional exhaustion; (b) depersonalization, defined as a negative attitude towards clients, a personal detachment, or loss of ideals; and (c) reduced personal accomplishment and commitment to the profession. Burnout has been conceptualized as a process rather than a condition or state, and some have theorized that it progresses sequentially through each of these dimensions (Maslach, 1993). Maslach and others have examined the individual, interpersonal, and organizational characteristics that contribute to burnout. Of particular interest to this discussion is the finding that organizations can either promote job satisfaction or contribute to burnout (Soderfeldt, Soderfeldt, Warg, 1995). Unsupportive administration, lack of professional challenge, low salaries, and difficulties encountered in providing client services are predictive of higher burnout rates (Arches, 1991; Beck, 1987; Himle, Jayaratne, Thyness, 1986). In dividual staff members suffer, and the resulting loss of experienced staff can diminish the quality of client services (Arches, 1991). This research has helped identify organizational supports that could be effective in buffering or mediating burnout and point to workplace characteristics that may also prevent vicarious trauma. Vicarious Trauma Recently, the occupational stress of social workers working with trauma survivors has begun to receive attention (Cunningham, 1999; Dalton, 2001; Regehr Cadell, 1999). Some authors are beginning to suggest that trauma theory has important utility in understanding the burnout experience of social workers working in child protection and with HIV-infected populations (Horwitz, 1998; Wade, Beckerman, Stein, 1996). Many theorists have speculated that the emotional impact of this type of traumatic material is contagious and can be transmitted through the process of empathy (Figley, 1995; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a; Stamm, 1995), as in this example from an experienced social worker talking about counseling women in a family service agency: Some times after a session, I will be traumatized.I will feel over whelmed, and I can remember a particular situation with a sexually abused person where II just didnt want to hear any more of her stories about what actually happened.She seemed to want to continue to tell me those over and over and I remember just feeling almost contaminated,like,you know,like I was abused. You know? And so I set limits withher a fter some super vision about that but tracked her in a different way.It hink it has an impact. Im just not sure of what(a squoted in Bell,1998) In the past 10 years, the emotional impact of working with trauma survivors has been examined under several constructs: compassion fatigue (Figley, 1995), secondary traumatic stress (Figley, 1993; Stamm, 1995), and vicarious trauma (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b). These constructs have been compared and debated (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a; Stamm, 1995), and a full discussion of them is outside the scope o f this article. The majority of the empirical studies in this area have used the vicarious trauma construct. For this reason, the term vicarious trauma will generally be used throughout this article unless another term has been used specifically in the research cited. Vicarious trauma has been defined as the transformation that occurs in the inner experience of the therapist [or worker] that comes about as a result of empathic engagement with clients trauma material (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, p. 31). Vicarious trauma can result in physiological symptoms that resemble posttraumatic stress reactions, which may manifest themselves either in the form of intrusive symptoms, such as flashbacks, night-mares, and obsessive thoughts, or in the form of constrictive symptoms, such as numbing and disassociation (Beaton Murphy, 1995). It may also result in disruptions to important beliefs, called cognitive schemas, that individuals hold about themselves, other people, and the world (McCann Pearlman, 1990b; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a, 1995b), as in the following example from a young worker in a battered womens shelter: I think you see the worst of people, working herethe worst of what people do to each other. And I think when you do nt have proper resource stop rocess that,to work through it, to underst and it or put it in some kind of context, it just leaves you feeling a little baffle dabout whats going on out there, and the way things work in the world and your role in all of that.(asquotedin Bell,1999,p.175) Although some of the numbing symptoms of vicarious trauma bear some resemblance to burnout and may in fact result in burnout over time, research on therapists has also begun to establish vicarious trauma as a distinct concept from burnout (Figley, 1995; Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a). Unlike the construct of burnout, the construct of vicarious trauma was developed from and is clinically grounded in trauma theory, specifically constructivist self-development theory (McCann Pearlman, 1990b). In several studies, burnout and general stress levels were not related to exposure to traumatized client s, whereas measures of trauma exposure and vicarious trauma were related (Kassam-Adams, 1995; Schauben Frazier, 1995). Thus, burnout alone does not appear to capture the effects of trauma as an occupational stressor. Although vicarious trauma may present with elements of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment, it also has effects that are unique and specific to trauma work. Many professionals risk vicarious trauma through their contact with traumatized people or material that contains graphic images of trauma. Studies have indicated that approximately 38% of social workers experience moderate to high levels of secondary traumatic stress (Cornille Meyers, 1999; Dalton, 2001). In addition, emergency workers (Leseca, 1996; McCammon, Durham, Allison, Williamson, 1988; Wagner, Heinrichs, Ehlert, 1998), nurses (Joinson, 1992), police officers (Follette, Polusny, Milbeck, 1994), sexual assault counselors (Johnson Hunter, 1997; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Schauben Frazier, 1995), child protective service workers (Cornille Meyers, 1999), and trauma therapists (Chrestman, 1995; Follette et al., 1994; Kassam-Adams, 1995; Pearlman Mac Ian,1995) have all been documented as developing symptomology quite similar to acute and posttraumatic stress reactions as a result of their second-hand exposure to traumatic material. Recent studies of trauma therapists have begun to explore some of the factors involved in the development of vicarious trauma. Therapist exposure to traumatic client material has been found to be an important predictor for symptoms of traumatic stress and, in some cases, of disrupted beliefs about self and others. In a survey of 148 counselors, Schauben and Frazier (1995) found that those who worked with a higher percentage of sexual violence survivors reported more symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and greater disruptions in their beliefs about themselves and others than did counselors seeing fewer survivors. The researchers tied these symptoms of trauma counselors to a number of factors. Most commonly, counselors said that hearing the trauma story and experiencing the pain of survivors was emotionally draining. Second, many counselors felt that the counseling process was more difficult when working with trauma survivors, who tended to have more problems trusting and working in a therapeutic relationship than clients who were not traumatized. Finally, some counselors found the work more difficult because of the institutional barriers within the legal, and mental health systems that their clients were forced to navigate. Similar findings emerged when researchers compared the stress level of sexual assault counselors with that of counselors who worked with a more general client population (Johnson Hunter, 1997). Not only did sexual assault counselors show greater evidence of stress, but their work stress also contributed to personal relationship difficulties at home. The impact of the therapists own history of abuse on current report of vicarious trauma are unclear. Pearlman and MacIan (1995) reported significantly more vicarious trauma symptoms in 60% of the therapists they surveyed who reported a personal history of trauma. However, Schauben and Frazier (1995) found that counselors with a history of victimization were not more distressed by working with survivors than were counselors without such a history. Pearlman and Mac Ian found that therapists without a trauma history were more likely to report intrusive imagery than those with a history. Follette et al. (1994) found that mental health professionals with a significant history of childhood physical or sexual abuse did not experience significantly more negative responses to child sexual abuse survivor clients than those without such a history. They also reported significantly more positive coping strategies. However, the comparison group of law enforcement personnel with childhood abuse his tories who also worked with sexual abuse survivors showed significantly more distress than the mental health professionals. The researchers hypothesized that the use of personal therapy by 59.1% of the mental health professionals versus 15.6% of the law enforcement professionals may have accounted for the difference. Increased time spent with traumatized clients seems to increase the risk of stress reactions in mental health professionals (Chrestman, 1995; Pearlman Mac Ian, 1995). Furthermore, spending time in other work activities decreases the risk. Having a more diverse caseload with a greater variety of client problems and participating in research, education, and outreach also appear to mediate the effects of traumatic exposure. Age and experience are inversely correlated with the development of vicarious trauma. Younger and less experienced counselors exhibit the highest levels of distress (Arvay Uhlemann, 1996; Pearlman Mac Ian, 1995). They may have had less opportunity to integrate traumatic stories and experiences into their belief systems, as well as to develop effective coping strategies for dealing with the effects of vicarious trauma than have older and more experienced therapists (Neumann Gamble, 1995). Such was the case of this experienced counselor who worked with battered women in the court system: It hink for somebody who doesnt do this type of work it would be extreme lystressful, but after twelve years, Ive justIve handled so many cases and dealt with so many people, I know my limitation sand the courts limitations and I just dont get as worked up about each case as I used to.(as quoted in Bell, 1999,p.117) vicarious trauma can be considered a type of occupational hazard in settings where there are high levels of traumatized clients. As a result, organizations providing services to trauma victims have a practical and ethical responsibility to address this risk. Implications for Agency Administrative Response The primary focus of discussion about the prevention of vicarious trauma has been on the individual (for a good summary, see Yassen, 1995). However, as with burnout, the organizational context of trauma work has been discussed as a factor in the development of secondary trauma. Several authors have written about their own experiences in agencies that serve traumatized individuals. They have suggested both prevention and intervention strategies in the areas of organizational culture, workload, work environment, education, group support, supervision, and resources for self-care. Each of these will be discussed in turn below. Organizational Culture The values and culture of an organization set the expectations about the work. When the work includes contact with trauma, they also set the expectations about how workers will experience trauma and deal with it, both professionally and personally. Of primary concern is that organizations that serve trauma survivors, whether rape crisis centers, shelters for battered women, or programs that work with veterans, acknowledge the impact of trauma on the individual worker and the organization. As Rosenbloom, Pratt, and Pearlman (1995) wrote of their work at the Traumatic Stress Institute, We work together to develop an atmosphere in which it is considered inevitable to be affected by the work (p. 77). It is not uncommon for feelings and reactions generated by trauma to leave the social worker feeling ineffective, unskilled, and even powerless. An organizational culture that normalizes the effect of working with trauma survivors can provide a supportive environment for social workers to ad dress those effects in their own work and lives. It also gives permission for social workers to take care of themselves. Yassen (1995) provided an example of a potentially harmful norm that can frustrate workers attempts at self-care: In some settings, it may be assumed that if employees do not work overtime, they are not committed to their work, or that clinicians who do not take vacations are more committed to their work than are others (p. 201). A supportive organization is one that not only allows for vacations, but also creates opportunities for social workers to vary their caseload and work activities, take time off for illness, participate in continuing education, and make time for other self-care activities. Small agencies might signal their commitment to staff by making staff self-care a part of the mission statement, understanding that ultimately it does affect client care. Administrators might also monitor staff vacation time and encourage staff with too much accrued time to take time off. Self-care issues could be addressed in staff meetings, and opportunities for continuing education could be circulated to staff. In social work agencies, which typically operate with inadequate resources and relentless service demands, such commitments, regardless of how small, are not inconsequential. Workload Research has shown that having a more diverse caseload is associated with decreased vicarious trauma (Chrestman, 1995). Such diversity can help the social worker keep the traumatic material in perspective and prevent the formation of a traumatic worldview (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995a). Agencies could develop intake procedures that attempt to distribute clients among staff in a way that pays attention to the risk of vicarious trauma certain clients might present to workers. When possible, trauma cases should be distributed among a number of social workers who possess the necessary skills (Dutton Rubinstein, 1995; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Wade et al., 1996). In addition, social workers whose primary job is to provide direct services to traumatized people may benefit from opportunities to participate in social change activities (Regehr Cadell, 1999). Agencies that do not already provide such services might consider providing community education and outreach or working to influence policy. Such activities can provide a sense of hope and empowerment that can be energizing and can neutralize some of the negative effects of trauma work. Organizations can also maintain an attitude of respect (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b, p. 170) for both clients and workers by acknowledging that work with trauma survivors often involves multiple, long-term services. Organizations that are proactive in developing or linking clients with adjunct servicessuch as self-help groups, experienced medical professionals for medication, in- and out-patient hospitalization, and resources for paying for these serviceswill support not only clients, but also decrease the workload of their staff (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). Developing collaborations between agencies that work with traumatized clients can provide material support and prevent a sense of isolation and frustration at having to go it alone. Work Environment A safe, comfortable, and private work environment is crucial for those social workers in settings that may expose them to violence (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b; Yassen, 1995). Some work sites, such as shelters or agencies located in high-crime neighborhoods, are so dangerous that workers may actually experience primary trauma, rather than vicarious trauma. In a sample of 210 licensed social workers, Dalton (2001) found that 57.6% had been threatened by a client or member of a clients family, and 16.6% had been physically or sexually assaulted by a client or member of the clients family. Being threatened by a client or a member of a clients family was strongly correlated with compassion fatigue. Although it is more of a challenge in certain settings, protecting workers safety should be the primary concern of agency administration. Paying for security systems or security guards may be a necessary cost of doing business for some agencies that provide services to traumatized individuals. Failing that, agencies may consider developing a buddy system for coworkers so that if one worker is threatened by a client, another can summon the police. In addition to attention to basic safety, Pearlman and Saakvitne (1995b) have suggested that workers need to have personally meaningful items in their workplace. These can include pictures of their children or of places they have visited, scenes of nature or quotes that help them remember who they are and why they do this work. One hotline worker described her use of such an item: When itsare alintense call, I kind of hunch over the phone and kind of like focus here on my[computer screen]and I some times try to consciously tell my self to sit back and look at one of my pictures that I have up to remind me of happier times.(asquotedin Bell,1998) Agency administrators can encourage staff to make these small investments in their work environment. By placing inspiring posters or pictures of scenic environments (rather than agency rules and regulations) in the waiting rooms, staff meeting rooms, and break rooms, the organization can model the importance of the personal in the professional. In addition, workers also need places for rest at the job site, such as a break room that is separate from clients (Yassen, 1995). With a space such as this, the organization could address the self-care needs of staff by providing a coffee maker, soft music, and comfortable furniture. Education Trauma-specific education also diminishes the potential of vicarious trauma. Information can help individuals to name their experience and provide a framework for understanding and responding to it. Training settings, such as schools of social work, have a responsibility to provide this information to field interns entering placements where they will encounter trauma (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). Dalton (2001) found that social workers with masters degrees had lower levels of secondary traumatic stress compared with those with baccalaureate degrees. This difference suggests that the type of clinical training available in masters programs, such as information about client empowerment, self-care, and recognizing destructive behaviors, may be a missing but important part of training social workers in baccalaureate programs to prevent secondary stress and vicarious trauma. Efforts to educate staff about vicarious trauma can begin in the job interview (Urquiza, Wyatt, Goodlin-Jones, 1997). Agencies have a duty to warn applicants of the potential risks of trauma work and to assess new workers resilience (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b). New employees can be educated about the risks and effects associated with trauma, as new and inexperienced workers are likely to experience the most impact (Chrestman, 1995; Neumann Gamble, 1995). Ongoing education about trauma theory and the effects of vicarious trauma can be included in staff training (Regehr Cadell, 1999; Urquiza et al., 1997) and discussed on an ongoing basis as part of staff meetings. Agencies can take advantage of the flourishing number of workshops on vicarious trauma at professional conferences in social work and other disciplines by sending a staff member for training and asking that worker to share what he or she has learned with the rest of the staff. This information provides a useful context a nd helps social workers to feel more competent and have more realistic expectations about what they can accomplish in their professional role. Preparation for a stressful event, when possible, protects individuals from the effect of stress (Chemtob et al., 1990). Learning new ways to address clients trauma may also help prevent vicarious trauma. Theories, such as constructivist self-development theory (McCann Pearlman, 1990a) on which the theory of vicarious trauma is based, maintain a dual focus between past traumas and the clients current strengths and resources. Working from a theoretical framework that acknowledges and enhances client strengths and focuses on solutions in the present can feel empowering for client and worker and reduce the risk of vicarious trauma. Group Support Both the burnout literature and the writings about vicarious trauma emphasize the importance of social support within the organization (Catherall, 1995; Munroe et al., 1995; Rosenbloom et al., 1995). Staff opportunities to debrief informally and process traumatic material with supervisors and peers are helpful (Horwitz, 1998; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Urquiza et al., 1997). Critical incident stress debriefing (Mitchell, 1983, as cited in Wollman, 1993) is a more formalized method for processing specific traumatic events but may be less helpful in managing repetitive or chronic traumatic material (Horwitz, 1998). Support can also take the form of coworkers help with paperwork or emergency backup. Time for social interaction between coworkers, such as celebrating birthdays or other events as well as organized team-building activities and staff retreats, can increase workers feeling of group cohesion and mutual support. Peer support groups may help because peers can often clarify colleagues insights, listen for and correct cognitive distortions, offer perspective/reframing, and relate to the emotional state of the social worker (Catherall, 1995). Group support can take a variety of forms, such as consultation, treatment teams, case conferences, or clinical seminars, and can be either peer led or professionally led. For example, shelter workers interviewed by Bell (1999) started a reading group and together read and discussed Pearlman and Saakvitnes (1995a) book, Trauma and the Therapist: Countertransference and Vicarious Traumatization in Psychotherapy With Incest Survivors. The group met after work on a regular basis. Group members learned about vicarious trauma and ways to deal with it in their own work and lives. The group cost the agency nothing, did not interfere with work, and provided an opportunity for workers to give each other much-needed support. Regardless of the form group support takes , Munroe et al. (1995) warned that it should be considered an adjunct to, not a substitute for, self-care or clinical supervision. There are some potential pitfalls of group support. One is the tendency toward groupthink and conformity (Munroe et al., 1995). Another is that members hearing about a coworkers distress may use distancing and victim-blaming as a defense mechanism. Peer groups and treatment teams also offer the opportunity for traumatic reenactments, such as splitting the group members into the roles of exploiter and exploited, that are so common in working with trauma survivors (Munroe et al., 1995). When groups are held within agencies, there is also the potential problem generated by conflicting roles in the group, such as a supervisor who is both supporter and evaluator or a coworker/supervisor who is also a friend. Finally, group members may be more rather than less traumatized by the necessity of hearing each others worst horror stories. Guzzino and Taxis (1995) have suggested a number of ways for members of such groups to talk about their experiences without further traumatizing group members through the use of psychodrama and art therapy. To further minimize the potential for problems in support groups, Catherall (1995) has suggested that group members discuss such a possibility before it happens and normalize the experience of vicarious trauma and its impact on the individual and the group. Supervision Effective supervision is an essential component of the prevention and healing of vicarious trauma. Responsible supervision creates a relationship in which the social worker feels safe in expressing fears, concerns, and inadequacies (Welfel, 1998). Organizations with a weekly group supervision format establish a venue in which traumatic material and the subsequent personal effect may be processed and normalized as part of the work of the organization. As one hotline worker said of the value of supervisory support in response to a stressful call: Its kind of like you have this big sack of rocks and every time you kind of tell someone about it you can, you know, give them a couple of your rocks and your sack gets lighter (as quoted in Bell, 1998). In addition to providing emotional support, supervisors can also teach staff about vicarious trauma in a way that is supportive, respectful, and sensitive to its effects (Pearlman Saakvitne, 1995b; Regehr Cadell, 1999; Rosenbloom et al., 1995; Urquiza et al., 1997). If at all possible, supervision and evaluation should be separate functions in an organization because a concern about evaluation might make a worker reluctant to bring up issues in his or her work with clients that might be signals of vicarious trauma. Dalton (2001) found that 9% of the variance in her study of social workers and secondary traumatic stress was related to supervision. Her results indicated that the number of times a worker received nonevaluative supervision and the number of hours of nonevaluative supervision were positively related to low levels of secondary traumatic stress. In situations where supervisors cannot separate the supervisory and evaluative functions, agency administrators might consider c ontracting with an outside consultant for trauma-specific supervision on either an individual or group basis. The cost of such preventive consultation might be well worth the cost savings that would result from decreased employee turnover or ineffectiveness as a result of vicarious trauma. Resources for Self-Care Agencies can make counseling resources available for all staff that interact with traumatic material (Regehr Cadell, 1999; Wade et al., 1996). If there are many employees encountering the same type of trauma in the agency or within the larger community, agencies may consider the feasibility of forming a peer support group, as discussed earlier. Workers also need health insurance that provides mental health coverage (Rosenbloom et al., 1995). Following is a quote from one young shelter worker who was seeing a therapist to deal with some of the challenges of her work: Its nice to be able to talk to an other professional person, It hink, who underst and salot of the crazy things that can happen working in as helter. It hink when you try to talk with your friends about it or family, they are horrified at some of the stories that you comeup with, so it help stoget feed back from an other professional who says, Oh,I know what youretalking about. Ive been there, and yes, that is very horrible.And mainly just to vent, just to be able to speak about it. To get it out, so it doesnt disrupt my life in other ways;in my sleep patterns or things like that.(asquotedin Bell,1998) Wade et al. (1996) also recommended that in addition to providing resources for therapy, organizations should provide opportunities for structured stress management and physical activities. Organizations with limited resources might consider exchanging training on areas of expertise with other agencies that have experts in stress management. Again, sending one staff member to a confere nce or workshop to learn stress management techniques and then asking that person to present what he or she learned to coworkers is a cost-effective way to circulate this information throughout an organization. Organizing something as simple as a walking or meditation group during the lunch hour or after work might also contribute to staff wellness at no cost. In summary, the physical and cultural environment of work may prevent or predispose social workers to vicarious trauma. Additional research is needed to understand how and to what degree social workers may be affected by the trauma they come into contact with in the workplace and which workplace variables are most salient. Furthermore, how vicarious trauma impacts the social workers relationship with clients is another fruitful area for study. Research that helps to clarify the relationship between vicarious trauma and burnout would also be useful in providing a clearer theoretical framework from which to make agency decisions. Conclusion Working with clients who have experienced traumatic events challenges many of the beliefs held in the dominant culture about justice and human cruelty. Being personally exposed to these realities can take a toll on social workers emotional resources and may effect their perceptions and worldviews in fundamental ways. Personal knowledge of oppre

Horizontal Communication Advantages and Disadvantages

Horizontal Communication Advantages and Disadvantages A barrier to communication as defined by Waltman A communication barrier is anything that impedes the communication process. These barriers are inevitable. While they cannot be avoided, both the sender and receiver can work to minimize them. One of the main Barriers to effective communication is the channel, shown below is a diagram that shows how effective each channel is. A communication channel as defined by Waltman (2010) Communication channels-or the media through which messages are sent-can have an influence on the success of communication In this case the channel that was used by Leigh Randell was a memo so as on the media richness graph it is listed on the bottom half of the triangle which is lower media richness. Media Richness definition as stated in Mcshane and Glinow (2003) the data-carrying capacity of a communication medium including the volume and variety of information it can transmit. By choosing to write a memo Leigh Randell has used a channel that is not as effective as a Telephone call or a Face to face talk to communicate with Tom Ballard. Therefore the impact it would have on Tom Ballard was minor. For instances if she called and explained her idea to him, she could have got an instant reply from Tom Ballard and could have got his ideas also on the strategy she was developing. So this is one of the main Barriers to effective communication. Information Overload The Next Barrier is information overload as defined in Mcshane and Glinow (2003) A condition in which the volume of information received exceeds the persons capacity to process it. As stated in the case study Leigh Randell did not get any information from Tom Ballard. When questioned about the reason why he dint reply to the memo, he answered Too busy this could be a very realistic situation in which case he has so much of work that he cant even reply to memos. This could be a problem in the organization, which therefore have a major impact on the communication process. This problem can be solved to some extent by dividing the organization employees into teams there by dividing the work load. Authority, Gender and Attitude towards the sender In this case we could say that there is a problem of authority, this could be seen by the statement of Tom Ballard Besides, I dont report to her. This clearly shows that Tom Ballard is a person who does not consider ideas from people in the same level or lower levels on his job/field. Because Leigh Randell was in the same level in the organization hierarchy (shown below) Tom Ballard did not want to reply. Organization Layout Model Exhibit: Omega Airlines, Atlanta Organization Hierarchy Also we could see that gender also has an issue in this case. This is clearly seen in the statements by Tom Ballard To busy, Her question was out of sight. There was no time for me to answer this sort of request. Ive got a job to do. This shows that even though Leigh Randell was more senior in terms of experience than Tom Ballard he dint consider it and decided to ignore her memos. This also can be related to the attitude towards the sender which is another barrier that causes a lot of problems in effective communication. No, it dint look like that to me, I also had ideas on how to improve the system This shows that Tom Ballard (male) thinks his ideas are more superior to Leigh Randell (female). This is unfair to Leigh Randell who is going out of the way to help the organization. Horizontal Communication effectiveness Horizontal communication is basically when 2 employees in the same level of the organization hierarchy communicate. And in this case the effectiveness of the communication was very low. Leigh Randell used the communication method show in red three times and had no reply from Tom Ballard. Then she used the communication method (Bottom Up) which is displayed in Green and contacted Alan Brock, which was effective. We can come to an assumption that horizontal communication is not effective because the person is not compelled to reply, unlike top down communication. We can come to a clear conclusion that because of the week horizontal communication the company Organization Communication Model Exhibit: Omega Airlines, Atlanta Communication graph 2. Is anyone wrong in this situation? By what other means could Randell have requested the information from Tom Ballard? What do you think of Tom Ballards reaction? Why? a) After analyzing the case study the wrongs are as follows, Leigh Randell and Tom Ballard did wrong in various ways. First of all focusing on Leigh Randells wrong, she used a channel not suitable for inquires like that. She should have used a channel that has higher media richness such as a telephone call or a face to face discussion. Also she should have switched the communication channel after she sent the memo twice and had no reply she should have got some idea that the channel is defective. But she continued to send memos to Tom Ballard. This is wrong on her part for choosing a bad channel and kept on using the same channel after not getting any results. Next taking into consideration the wrong committed by Tom Ballard, he was wrong to read the memos and not reply to them. By not providing feedback to Leigh Randell, she was not able to continue her work, which could have beneficial to the organization. Also having own idea on the same topic does not mean others have no right to express their views. He was being very self-centred about his thinking method. This could be clearly seen from his comments at the meeting, To busy, Her question was out of sight. There was no time for me to answer this sort of request. Ive got a job to do. So finally we could say both parties committed wrong but more weighted on Tom Ballard for his ignorance and his attitudes, and for Leigh Randell she is been more traditional way of acquiring information. b) Leigh Randell had many other ways and means to contact Tom Ballard such as, Face to face meeting Video Conference Telephone call Using these modes of communication would have had a much more fruitful outcome, because media richness is high in these modes. In other words the variety and amount of information that could have been transmitted is higher. These are the recommended channels to achieve the best results. The more modern modes will be discussed in the 3rd question under recommendations but few of them are as follows. 3G Calls/ webcam Instant Messaging Google Wave Explanations will be in the recommendation part. C) Tom Ballards characters as depicted by his comments are very self cantered and arrogant in a way. This is in one way a disadvantage for him and his co-workers. This can be seen by his statements given below To busy, Her question was out of sight. There was no time for me to answer this sort of request. Ive got a job to do, Besides, I dont report to her NO, It dint look like that to me. You know i.ve also had ideas on how to improve the system for quite some time. Anyway she is going about it all wrong The behaviour shows us a basic masculine instinct of trying to show who has more power, in other words dominance. He felt threaten by her because she was trying to do his job. By Tom Ballards action it is possible to say that he is not a team player and like to work alone. This is totally unacceptable in an organization that needs allot of coordination. Also by his comment You know Ive also had ideas on how to improve the system for quite some time. This shows that he does not want express his ideas on how to improve the company but keeps them to himself. Also showing us, he does not feel part of the company. 3. a) While communicating vertically up or down the organization does not present a major problem, why is horizontal communication more difficult to attain? b) Give your recommendations to improve communication in this organization To explain this the following model is down below Organization communication model Horizontal Communication Exhibit: Omega Airlines, Atlanta Communication graph The arrow displayed in green represents horizontal communication, the green box displays the horizontal communication happening in the organization. The reason it is not effective can be that Problems In Horizontal Communication Solutions Both have equal authority/ same level of power Organization trips Mismatch of Ideas between peers in same level Get-togethers Competitiveness in the organization Organizational Parties Attitudes towards other peers Team building workshops These are problem most organizations faces and have taken steps to increase the effectiveness of horizontal communication. The importance of horizontal communication is explained by Juneja, H (2009) horizontal communication in an organization which is also very important. It is essential that people working at same level should have effective communication amongst them so that there is co-ordination between them. Workers are more likely to be more serious when it comes to communication with their superiors In this case Kent Davis summoned a hastily meeting to solve the issue that had happen in this horizontal communication, showing us that the organization is taking its communication issues seriously. Especially for an Airline which requires allot of co-ordination. For an Airlines or any organization to compete in this modern world they require the best state of the art technology in communication available. This is because communication is a key in achieving any objective. Omega Airlines needs to improve its communication technology to overcome future problems. A quote from an article by Baker, K.A. (2002) , new communication technologies can enable almost every aspect of organizational management and effectiveness, including change management, knowledge management, participative management, innovation, and organizational partnerships and alliances Server/ Database Creation My recommendation firstly to build a Server or Database where only organization employees can access and store all data that can be used by other employees. This will not only speed up the information distribution and communication process but also organize the data in one place so all records can be viewed 24/7 365 days. Source: Google images 2010 Video Conferencing/ webcam/ 3G calls This is a new way that modern companies contact employees, because the media richness is higher in a video call than a normal telephone call. And it is proven than visual communication has a bigger impact or stays in the brain/ memory much longer. Source: Cisco Official Website 2010 Instant Messaging These are Messaging programs that are very user friendly and do not take long to reply. For example when sending an email you have to get the address and then after sending you have to wait for a reply. But with instant messaging software its not necessary, once the person comes to the organization he can login and any message will be sent and replied to instantly. Also the best thing its all free. Source: Google images 2010 Google Wave Source: Google wave website 2010 Google wave is a new technology that is revolutionizing the organization communication process. The description as given in Google (2010) Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration, A wave can be both a conversation and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more. In other words this plays the roles of an instant messenger, video conference software also it has the features of an email message. This is the future. As a conclusion, by implementing these technologies all aspects of the organization will be improved drastically, especially in organization such as this where communication is KEY. Having technology is one thing but for people to adapt is the difficult part. But all the technology and software that was said here are very user friendly easy to use and easy to update. There by not only will make the organization a better more efficient organization but also an up to date one. And will give an assurance that incident like this between Leigh Randell and Tom Ballard not happen again.

The Costs of Racism Essay -- Essays Papers

The Costs of Racism The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines racism as â€Å"a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.† Racism is one of the deepest stains on the pages of American history. What began as feelings among whites of being superior to blacks turned into possibly the worst phenomenon the United States ever dealt with. Even 100 years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, many white people were still treating blacks atrociously. It took many decades before blacks were granted truly equal rights that white Americans were given. In Anne Moody’s autobiography, Coming of Age in Mississippi, she discusses growing up in Mississippi. She writes about her memories of childhood, high school, college, and finally her courageous work in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Moody offers readers a startling and remarkable story of he r life. She also gives great insight into the effects of racism on the victims of it, on those who practice it, and the effects on American society. The effects of racism on the victims differed depending on age and whether or not a person would withstand the abuse. Moody makes these connections in her book by realizing that when the civil rights movement picked up in the 1960s, older blacks usually remained dormant and never stood up for themselves by speaking out against the abuse they received. In contrast, younger black Americans, notably teenagers, were more likely to be fearless and take part in the Movement. This theme can be seen throughout the whole book, from when Anne was a young girl and never understood why her mother co... ...any whites could have believed so strongly that blacks were inferior to them, so mediocre that they would treat them like animals and murder them in cold blood. But this is a problem that still occurs today, though in a lesser form, and it is important to study our past in effort to keep from repeating the mistakes of our ancestors. By reading things such as Anne Moody’s autobiography, we can get an inside view into what really took place in the South, and we can be inspired by people like Moody who stood up to it. The negativities of racism against blacks taught us important lessons about ethics and how humans should treat each other because we can see the effects it had on people less than 50 years ago. And if we learn from the mistakes of our ancestors and move away from their supremacist ideals, then as the freedom song in Coming of Age goes, â€Å"we shall overcome.†

Terry Tempest Williams Refuge Essay -- Terry Williams Refuge Essays

Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge If we bemoan the loss of light as the day changes to night we miss the sunset. In her memoirs Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams relates the circumstances surrounding the 1982 rise in the Great Salt Lake as well as her mother’s death from cancer. Throughout the book Williams gets so caught up in preventing her mother’s death that she risks missing the sunset of her mother’s life. However the Sevier-Fremont’s adaptability to changes in nature inspires Terry Tempest Williams to re-evaluate her response to changes in her life. The story of the Sevier-Fremont people’s evolution and existence in the Great Basin parallels Williams’ life in Utah during the 1980s. They Sevier-Fremont evolved from the Anasazi people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Great Basin. The Anasazi had remained in the Great Basin despite the rise in the lake and later evolved into a new people. Following the recession of the lake’s waters, its boundaries flourished, as did the Sevier-Fremont because they relied heavily on the vegetation and animals of the Great Salt Lake. The Sevier-Fremont were a semi-nomadic people who occupied the basin from 650 AD to 1250 AD when they were forced out. The sudden replacement of their artifacts suggests that the Sevier-Fremont were not integrated into but forced out of the basin by Numic-speaking groups. (Masden) Williams also has to survive a rise in the lake as the 1982 rise in the lake is the beginning of a period of change for her—the rise in the lake threatens to destroy the bird refuge and her mother’s cancer returns. Diane Tempest, Williams’ mother, is the personification of her childhood and the Great Basin is the setting upon which her fondest childhood memories were enacted. ... ... adapting. (267)† Williams had been fighting the uncontrollable Her mother’s death is no longer about her is no longer about preventing her mother’s passing or the loss of her childhood but the process of letting go. What does Terry Tempest Williams’ inability to embrace the process rather than the product of her mother’s cancer say about our society today? Are we constantly fighting losing battles? We read our history of our lives as a tally of wins and losses, and not as the story of our process to weather change. Williams realizes the value of the process rather than the product. When the bird hits the window one day while she is taking care of her mother although â€Å"[she wants] to hold the bird, to bring it inside and save it. [She doesn’t] Instead, [she]†¦return[s] to [her] Mother.(210)† Refuge is the story of Terry Tempest Williams’ process to weather change. Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge Essay -- Terry Williams Refuge Essays Terry Tempest Williams' Refuge If we bemoan the loss of light as the day changes to night we miss the sunset. In her memoirs Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams relates the circumstances surrounding the 1982 rise in the Great Salt Lake as well as her mother’s death from cancer. Throughout the book Williams gets so caught up in preventing her mother’s death that she risks missing the sunset of her mother’s life. However the Sevier-Fremont’s adaptability to changes in nature inspires Terry Tempest Williams to re-evaluate her response to changes in her life. The story of the Sevier-Fremont people’s evolution and existence in the Great Basin parallels Williams’ life in Utah during the 1980s. They Sevier-Fremont evolved from the Anasazi people, a Native American tribe indigenous to the Great Basin. The Anasazi had remained in the Great Basin despite the rise in the lake and later evolved into a new people. Following the recession of the lake’s waters, its boundaries flourished, as did the Sevier-Fremont because they relied heavily on the vegetation and animals of the Great Salt Lake. The Sevier-Fremont were a semi-nomadic people who occupied the basin from 650 AD to 1250 AD when they were forced out. The sudden replacement of their artifacts suggests that the Sevier-Fremont were not integrated into but forced out of the basin by Numic-speaking groups. (Masden) Williams also has to survive a rise in the lake as the 1982 rise in the lake is the beginning of a period of change for her—the rise in the lake threatens to destroy the bird refuge and her mother’s cancer returns. Diane Tempest, Williams’ mother, is the personification of her childhood and the Great Basin is the setting upon which her fondest childhood memories were enacted. ... ... adapting. (267)† Williams had been fighting the uncontrollable Her mother’s death is no longer about her is no longer about preventing her mother’s passing or the loss of her childhood but the process of letting go. What does Terry Tempest Williams’ inability to embrace the process rather than the product of her mother’s cancer say about our society today? Are we constantly fighting losing battles? We read our history of our lives as a tally of wins and losses, and not as the story of our process to weather change. Williams realizes the value of the process rather than the product. When the bird hits the window one day while she is taking care of her mother although â€Å"[she wants] to hold the bird, to bring it inside and save it. [She doesn’t] Instead, [she]†¦return[s] to [her] Mother.(210)† Refuge is the story of Terry Tempest Williams’ process to weather change.

scarlet letter :: essays research papers

Summer Reading: The Scarlet Letter In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne symbolism is prevalent, understanding symbolism is necessary for understanding Hawthorne’s novels. The rosebush is a symbol in the novel. It is rendered through the characters of Hester and Pearl in how they are perceived by the people. Hester Prynne has been convicted of being an adulteress. She is put on a scaffold as a form of public humiliation and told to wear a Scarlet A on her breast to identify herself with shame. Hester stands on the scaffold for three hours. As she stands, she looks around at the crowd of people. Inside she is shameful but to the onlookers she appears proud. The rosebush also from a distance looks majestic and alive but as one gets closer, its thorns are revealed. Hester, like the rosebush, is very pretty and majestic but as one gets closer the Scarlet A of an adulteress is revealed. In the wild, rosebushes use their thorns to keep predators away. Hester and Pearl are like rosebushes because they try to keep people at a distance from them. As Pearl grows up she becomes a very pretty, young girl as her mother is. She is also faced with the reality that she was born out of wedlock. Pearl develops a rude, annoying personality because she has never had anyone that has wanted to be close to her because of her predestined status in the community. Before she has even grown up she is known as an inferior member of society. Her personality is her protection, just as thorns on a rosebush protect the flowers. Hester uses her Scarlet A to keep Hester from having anyone close to her. Her past has kept her from wanting anyone to try and pry into her business. She would rather people stay away from her and her family to prevent any more gossip or talk about her. However, by the novel's end, Hester has become a proto-feminist mother figure to the women of the community. The sham e attached to her scarlet letter is long gone. Women recognize that her punishment stemmed in part from the town fathers' sexism, and they come to Hester seeking shelter from the sexist forces under which they themselves suffer. Throughout The Scarlet Letter Hester is portrayed as an intelligent, capable, but not necessarily extraordinary, woman. A rosebush too, is portrayed as being strong yet beautiful plant.

Education Essay

Curriculum is defined as â€Å"a program of courses to be taken in pursuit of a degree or other objective† (Harvey, 2004). Meanwhile, the tests may impact the local curriculum in such a way that it becomes â€Å"strengthened and enriched† (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). Let us take for instance, the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning†, which is actually a series of tests that assists ensure that student will grasp the â€Å"foundational skills and knowledge that educator, parents, nd community leaders say are important to their success in life† (Bergeson, n. d. ). Since the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning† helps determine the performance of each student, as well as, the school, this is then utilized to â€Å"improve teaching and to do a better job of meeting every student’s academic needs† (Bergeson, n. d. ). Another proof that tests impact on curriculum is the fact that the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning† is established â€Å"to create a set of common learning standards† (Bergeson, n. . ). This means that the test indeed helpful in the curriculum, for without the existence of common learning standards, nothing will be improved on the part of curriculum (Bergeson, n. d. ). Last but not least, if a certain student fails in the â€Å"Washington Assessment of Student Learning†, the performance of the student will be tackled with the teacher along with an authorized employee from the â€Å"Advanced Learning Office† (Bergeson, n. d. ). They will then try to come up with â€Å"an individualized action plan† which â€Å"outlines what interventions will be put into place and what types of assessments will be administered to monitor student academic growth† (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). This now serves as the individual curriculum of the student which may turn into the school’s curriculum if the students have the same case as the aforementioned (Seattle Public Schools, 2007). On a final note, as backed up in the aforementioned, tests then greatly impact local curriculum.