Structural Family Therapy

Structural Family Therapy (SFT) has a few interventions within the theoretical model that I could see myself using with clients (families) from diverse backgrounds with diverse presenting problems. I am in agreement with the way this model looks at the different types of families and the types of issues they present with such as the patterns common to troubled families; some being â€Å"enmeshed,† chaotic and tightly interconnected, while others are â€Å"disengaged,† isolated and seemingly unrelated. This model also helped me understand that families are structured in â€Å"subsystems† with â€Å"boundaries,† their members not seeing these complexities and problems that are going on between them. Compared to the four family and couple therapy models in this paper, I think this model fits the most with Adlerian assumptions for the following reasons. This model understands and speaks to the complexities in the family system, the roles that each member takes on how they relate to each other, of power, and hierarchy, thus treating the family system holistically. This is also similar to the emphasis on democratic parenting skills that Adler focused on, with the aim to help families understand that relationships based on power and hierarchy are not effective in the long run. A few other similarities between SFT and Adlerian interventions are the use of reenactment, metaphors, and focusing on the family’s strengths to work toward a common goal of a changing the existing structure of the family to a healthier one. Role of the Therapist: When using this model, I would be comfortable as the therapist as my goal would be to join the system using myself to transform it. In that role, I would be active and directive, determining the structure of the therapy and facilitating the process. This model may work better with families from diverse background because from personal experience and understanding, it may be easier for Asians to let the therapist take on the facilitator role, structuring and directing because most Eastern cultures and families are run that way. I like the aspect of this model where the therapist seeks to change the maladaptive patterns by choreographing family interactions in session in order to create the opportunity for new, more functional interactions to emerge, using the major techniques of joining (engaging and entering the family system), diagnosing (identifying maladaptive interactions and family strengths), and restructuring (transforming maladaptive interactions). By learning how to use this model well, I could learn to assess and facilitate healthy family interactions based on cultural norms of the family being helped when using this theoretical model in practice. Interventions: Most of Minuchin’s interventions under this model resonated with me, however it seems as if this model (and Minuchin himself) tends to be quite directive, I will have to keep in mind that for some families this may not be the best approach to take because they may find it offensive and crossing their (the family’s) boundaries. I also think that with the use of common sense and after building an alliance with the family, the direct approach can be a healthy no-nonsense way of helping the clients see the problem, and facilitating change may not be a process that gets dragged on for months. I think practicing the intervention of joining could benefit me as a therapist because I as the therapist would support specific behaviors or verbalizations to increase the strength and independence of every member of the family, subsystems, and alliances. I could do this by adjusting to the communication style and perceptions of the family members to â€Å"join† the system, making the goal to establish an effective therapeutic relationship with the family. I can also resonate with using restructuring where I would be able to utilize therapeutic interventions that bring about change through modification in the family structure. Functional Family Therapy Theory: Functional Family Therapy (FFT) is a theoretical model that fits with me for the following reasons. FFT’s three intervention phases- engagement and motivation, behavior change, and generalization- are straight forward techniques for the therapist to follow and interventions that are interdependent. I like the systematic approach to understanding families in this model, and that it can be used as a prevention and intervention model when dealing with family systems. I think this model is quite similar ith Adlerian assumptions because the use of techniques such as engagement and motivation establishes a family-focused perception of the presenting problem that serves to increase the family members hope and expectation of change, decrease resistance, improve alliance with one another and create greater trust between family and therapist, reduce negativity within family, and assist in building respect for individual differences and values. Clinician s provide concrete behavioral intervention to guide and model specific behavior changes such as parenting, communication, and conflict management. Role of the Therapist: As a future therapist whose goal is to practice with diverse populations, I would be comfortable using functional therapy because of the flexible integration of clinical theory as part of the model’s design which offers an opportunity to meet families where they are most comfortable, understand and encourage their natural social networks and to provide culturally and linguistically responsive services as truly part of the treatment process. I think this model has flexibility and extends to all family members and thereby results in effective moment-by-moment decisions in the intervention setting, thus being systemic and individualized. In my personal opinion and experience, I find that the field of psychology is lacking in diverse cultural competencies as much as the society is diverse in its population. I believe that as with using any theoretical model, the therapists’ cultural knowledge needs to include understanding of the many cultural considerations influencing the effectiveness of treatment when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds. When servicing the individuals in the family, care and attention needs to be directed towards family and community norms and values around help seeking, secrecy and confidentiality, family roles, child rearing and spiritual practices. Interventions: One of the main interventions of Functional Family Therapy that resonates with me is that one of the prime goals of this model is to identify the primary focus of intervention (the family) and reflect an understanding that positive and negative behaviors both influence and are influenced by the relationships each family member has with one another. Therefore, making functional therapy a multi systemic program, meaning that it focuses on the multiple domains and systems within which families live and interact with one another. Within this context, FFT works first to develop family members’ inner strengths and sense of being able to improve their situations by using skill building techniques. These characteristics provide the family with a platform for change and future functioning that extends beyond the direct support of the therapist and other social systems. As hopeful as it may sound, when using this theoretical model, I as the therapist could lead the family to greater self sufficiency that work for them as a team, and not against each other. Solution-Focused Therapy Theory: The way the Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) theoretical model fits me is that it focuses on exceptions to the family’s problem, working towards a change in behavior which can naturally develop through this process. I think this model is similar to the Adlerian assumptions where it is future oriented and personally, I think it is quite an insight-oriented model, not getting too deep into one particular family member's â€Å"pathology,† but rather focusing on what the system can do to adapt to it, and allows the family decide if that â€Å"pathology† is a problem or not. Like the Adlerian model, SFT looks at the family system holistically, taking every member into account yet working as a whole towards a common goal of having a healthier relationship with one another. I think this is an essential aspect in family therapy because he therapist is not only dealing with one individual, but a few, with different personality types and world views. Role of the Therapist: The aspects of this theory that I like is that it differs from some traditional therapy models and does not focus on the cause of the family’s problems nor dictated the way the family is supposed to work, but focuses more on a better approach that moves the family focus off of what is wrong and onto what is right, stresses the resources and skills clients already have and bring into therapy, and helps the family members take on the role of the experts (which they hold anyway) and take responsibility for setting their own goals and reaching them. Putting this into practice, I would see the family not become stuck in a passive and helpless role as a family unit, locked into a problem narrative they rehearse over and over again, but more active participants in the therapeutic process. From the South-East Asian perspective, this model could be effective working with multi-cultural families because the therapists maintain a future more directed focus, with language like â€Å"as things get better†¦ † â€Å"lets work on positive reinforcement with the kids this week†¦ â€Å". From my personal experiences and observations, because the idea of therapy is still a very new, almost unpopular concept, it is difficult for South East Asians to do too much ‘processing’ of a negative situation, and would rather prefer to focus on the positive, which in turn may give them insight into the negative, leading to a positive change. Interventions: The intervention that resonated with me in this model is that solution building is the goal, and as the family changes the language that shapes how they think about the problem, they change the language that shapes how they think about the solution. This model does not put too much emphasis on what is missing and that which causes woe for the family, but what is positive and present and that which can lead to a healthier relationship amongst the family members. From my viewpoint, there are quite a few similarities between SFT and the interventions used in the Adlerian model that resonate with me personally and I will use as part of my interventions in the future. For example, asking each member the ‘miracle question’ such as â€Å"if one night you were sleeping and a miracle happened and fixed this (the presenting problem) problem, what would that look like? As it is the goal from the Adlerian perspective, the key with this question from the SFT perspective is not to immediately â€Å"find the cure†, but rather to refocus their attention on the elements they need to construct a new and positive story of how their life is going to be. I also like the intervention in this theory that rather than summing up wha t the therapist thinks the client is saying, the therapist asks questions to focus and direct the client's thinking and view; which in turn gives the other family members a chance to listen and understand where the family member is coming from as well. The solution may not even look like it will fit or resolve the problem, however a small enough change will nudge the system in a different direction and that may be all that is needed for the family to move towards a positive change. Integrative Behavioral Therapy Theory: Integrative Behavioral Therapy (IBT) is a newer model based on traditional models of behavioral couples therapy. In this particular model, one of the goals of therapy is to help the couple understand that some problems can be resolved by compromise, but realistically some likely can not. Also, the aim for this model is to help the couple see that it is not the incompatibilities, but the rigid, negative, and excessive emotional responses that can develop from these unresolved issues that creates the problems and misunderstandings between them. I do believe the models of this theory because it is helping the couple realize that talking about how they feel and think about problems sometimes is necessary before they go on to accept them. Also, I like the approach of the theory that most partners can learn ways to alter the negative emotional responses they have to problems, responses that make them, as well as their partners, unhappy. However, on the other hand, this theory tends to have an optimistic approach that most partners can learn new ways to resolve relational problems, but realistically human behavior is not as easy to change as this theory predicts it can. Role of the Therapist: I can see myself using parts of this theoretical model for the following reasons. I think this model has somewhat of a no-nonsense approach and suggests that simply talking about how one feels and thinks about a problem is not very helpful; rather, teaching the couple to do something about it is what can really help them. However, for the partners to learn ways to break bad patterns of behavior that cause problems in their relationship, as this model suggests, is easier said than done in some relationships. As this model suggests, most partners can learn new ways to compromise and resolve problems, making each other happier, it is a concept that may be quite challenging for couples to put into practice outside of the therapeutic setting, where they have the therapist to play the role of the coach in their relationship. Therefore, as much as I love the idea of a couple not only talking the talk, but walking the walk, this may be a struggle with most couples who are stagnant in their ways and thoughts, it would certainly take it’s time (as well as money) in putting this theory into practice. Interventions: While I could see the interventions in this model being a little easier to work with when working with an individual, it would be difficult with a couple because I would not only be dealing with one personality type, but two different one’s, sometimes very different. Further, at the end of therapy, it is hard to know if the couple will recover from their problems well enough to have a healthier relationship. Thus, not knowing that the initial improvements that the couple works on during therapy even appear to last as the couple goes onto being and making it on their own. The addition of a â€Å"communication skills† to this therapy may be able to help improve the lasting effect of treatment to some extent for the couple. Emotion-Focused Therapy Theory: The theoretical model of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) would be a good fit for me for the following reasons. The speaking and understanding of emotions is a huge part of any/every relationship, and this theory views both partners as lacking in some skills in misunderstanding such emotions; men need to expand their emotional repertoire and women need to feel powerful enough to express their needs. Also, validation of one’s feelings, i. . fear, sadness, hurt, anger, is an important part of growth, intimacy and understanding between a couple. It is when emotions are not heard or misunderstood that couple’s begin holding grudges and the relationship undoubtedly suffers. That is why this model of therapy is so important, is because it focuses on an individuals emotions, which is one of the most salient parts of change in human behavior, in turn validating the partners' emotions and attachment needs, responding genuinely to the partners individually, and try to stir the two partners' own ability to heal themselves and their relationship. In my opinion, EFT is humanistic based, and believes the couple can heal itself. This way, I as the therapist should not be doing more work than the couple, rather leading them in a direction that does not shows a patriarchal pathologization of connection and attachment (women's ways of relating), and idealization of separation and individuation (men's ways of relating). Role of the Therapist: I would be comfortable using this theoretical model in the future for the following reasons. I believe that in this model the therapy session is used as a healing time where a corrective emotional experience between partners happens, and it is that process that leads to the method of therapeutic change. EFT has the unique factors of seeing change in therapy where there is focus on the partners emotions, in turn leading the therapist to empower the clients. When used in a clinical setting, I believe I would benefit from using this model because I would be able to help my clients understand that when one partner expresses their underlying feelings, the other should change their perceptions in an understanding way after hearing their feelings. Also, with this model I would be able to teach my clients to learn to understand their underlying emotions and to productively express their emotional needs to their partner. Foremost, pointing out to my clients that they both need to take responsibility for their emotional needs and to be able to receive validation from the other partner for those needs. Being from a South-East Asian background, I have noticed that I am pulled towards therapy models that are culturally sensitive. EFT is culturally sensitive as universal emotions between the couple are examined, but placed in a personal cultural context. For example, shame is universal, but shame takes on an additional role in the Pakistani culture. Anger is universal, but often takes different forms when men and women express it. Responsibility is universal, but what's â€Å"a man's responsibility† and â€Å"a woman's responsibility† is determined but the culture's views of marriage. Interventions: One of the interventions in this model that resonated with me is that I, as the therapist, have to seek out vulnerable emotions in my clients, and very slowly build the awareness of them, an example can be of moving from â€Å"uncomfortable† to â€Å"upset† to â€Å"hurt† eventually. On the other hand, this may be difficult to do in some clients with a South-East Asian and/or Asian and/or Middle Eastern descent because most individuals from that region find it difficult to face their emotions or being vulnerable in front of a ‘stranger’ (the therapist) because of cultural upbringing. Hence, it may be a challenging concept to bring into practice when dealing with population from the East because most people from that part of the world are raised and taught to conceal their emotions and not expose them to show one’s vulnerability, which in turn means being a failure for individuals. This means, I as the therapist will probably need to take more time building a relationship alliance with my clients so we can make use of the valuable interventions that this model provides. Another salient part of this model I can see myself using in practice is when I am uncovering the â€Å"primary† or underlying emotions, I notice the language the partners use. For instance, the partner's may say things like â€Å"I feel like I'm drowning,† it may seem dramatic, but it captures an intense, painful, and powerful emotional experience of the individual. I can point out to my clients that the â€Å"secondary† emotions of anger and resentment are far easier to show and talk about which many couples end up doing.

Review of Carson’s Gagging of God

In The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism, author D. A. Carson describes three categories of pluralism: empirical, cherished, and philosophical or hermeneutical. [i] The first deals with diversity in America and the multiplicity of beliefs. The second, cherished pluralism, describes the approval of diversity as an unquestioned virtue. Finally, philosophical pluralism, under which religious pluralism falls, posits that no religion has the right to pronounce itself true and right. In other words, no religion can advance â€Å"truth claims† that are superior to any other.Carson states that postmodernism is the outlook that birthed philosophical pluralism. [ii] While I agree that pluralism is an important subject that benefits from the kind of attention given to it in the book, I believe the length of the book and the comprehensive nature of the material presented can make it difficult to follow at times. Furthermore, on several occasions the author seemed to move to the wider margins of the topic. However, as the implications of pluralism are pertinent and its integration with postmodernism significant, the information was extremely beneficial.The Christian must recognize empirical pluralism, tolerate cherished pluralism, but reject philosophical pluralism. We must recognize the diversity that exists in modern culture as Christians have throughout history. While pluralism poses new challenges in the current day, Christians have always had to stand up for the truth of Christian believe against other religions. Scripture was both inspired and written in a pluralistic context. However, even in the Old Testament God insisted that his people turn from the worship of other gods and other religions.For example, in Joshua 24:15, Joshua gave the children of Israel a choice to either serve God or Baal. The prophet Elijah would later give Israel the same choice in 1 Kings 18:21. Throughout history, God’s people have been reminded to be faithful to God as they were constantly surrounded by foreign gods and other religions. The same phenomenon applied during New Testament times. Christians resided in cities like Rome, Corinth and Antioch, Corinth, which were centers of diversity and multicultural exchange.They were surrounded by other world views, yet were constantly reminded that Jesus was the only way. This created a clash between Christians and other world views that would come to a head with the persecution of Christians. The Apostle Paul argued in the book of Acts that the true and living God superseded all other gods and preached Christianity against the backdrop of pluralism. There has been a need for Christians to do so ever since. Yet, while we reject philosophical and religious pluralism, in some cases, Christians are willing to cherish pluralism. In todays society, we cherish ethnic diversity.We welcome new members into our churches that come from various backgrounds even as God welcomes worshippers from every natio n, tribe, people and language. Carson states his purpose for writing, to equip Christians for fidelity to the gospel and encouraging unbelievers to find Jesus as Lord: â€Å"If anything in the following pages equips some Christians to intelligent, culturally sensitive, and passionate fidelity to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if it encourages some thoughtful unbelievers to examine the foundations again and so to find that Jesus is Lord, I shall be profoundly grateful. [iii] In the book, Carson gives a comprehensive examination of pluralism. He takes the time to communicate with great detail on his positions and provides details that demonstrate his understanding of the subject. Throughout, Carson intimates the tension between the opposing perspectives of the pluralist and the Christian. From the perspective of the pluralist, the Christian appears to be a religious bigot unless they are willing to redefine Christianity without connecting it with Scripture.Likewise, from the perspect ive of the Christian, The pluralist is a misguided idolater no matter how sincere they may be. [iv] The book is divided into four sections, which tackle the major issues affected by the three types of pluralism. In the first section, the author describes the influence of hermeneutics and how texts are invariably interpreted against the backdrop of the interpreter's social â€Å"home† and the historical conditioning of the language itself. During this process, the interpreter takes bits of the text and â€Å"deconstructs† it to fit them into their own framework, which generates fresh insight.While this section also critiques postmodernism, Carson warns against giving the impression that modernism was a correct way of analyzing either the text or the world we live in. The second section deals with the philosophies of Derrida and Foucault that form the basis for postmodern thought, which is at odds with the Christian faith. While Carson opposes the idea of postmodernism, and criticizes the work of Foucault and Derrida, theologians such as James K. A. Smith, say thatCarson has misinterpreted their ideas and posits that they actually have an affinity with the central claims of Christianity. [v] The late German theologian, Karl Rahner recommended in his writings that dialogue should be used as the method by means of which plural theologies should strive for an understanding of each other. [vi] However, Carson intimates that the Christian needs to affirm that all interpretations are not equally valid because: God has revealed Himself and spoken clearly; and God has unfolded His plan of salvation and recorded it in Scripture.The third section of the book attempts to assist Christians living in a pluralistic culture by giving an understanding of assumptions made in the public sphere and replacing those assumptions with biblical truth. As we live in a world where public morality has seemingly collapsed, religion seems to be based on feeling and not on trut h. Carson says that ethical divisions are made pragmatically, making proper Christian thought necessary in making sense of the pluralistic world that we live in. vii] The final section of the book says that the answer to philosophical tolerance is the reiteration of Christian doctrine concerning the Second Coming and the nature of heaven and hell. Christians must have confidence in spreading this message in a compassionate way. However, it must be done with a sense of urgency, as the evangelism of our communities is paramount. Christians must have a deep conviction of the infallibility of Scripture and hold that it is inerrant and sufficient in order to both live a victorious life in a pluralistic society and to increase confidence in Christian doctrine. ———————- [i] Carson, D. A. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002, 13 [ii] Ibid, 19 [iii] Ibid, 10 [iv] Ibid, 238 [v] Smith, James, K. A. Who's Afraid of Postmodernism? : Taking Derrida, L yotard, and Foucault to Church (The Church and Postmodern Culture). Grand Rapids, MI. Baker Academic. 2006, 28 [vi] Fay, William Vendley. Pluralism and the theological methods of Karl Rahner: A critical assessment. January 1, 1983. ETD Collection for Fordham University. Paper AAI8802369 [vii] Carson, D. A. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002, 404

Linkage of current Job Performance to Organization's strategy and Essay

Linkage of current Job Performance to Organization's strategy and cuture - Essay Example The value of teamwork emanates from the belief that "best solutions come from working together with colleagues and clients" and this requires relationship, respect and sharing (PricewaterhouseCoopers). As a professional service company, PWC ensures excellence in all its transactions. Given also the nature of the business, PWC promises to take the lead with courage, vision and integrity (PricewaterhouseCoopers). Composed of professionals, PricewaterhouseCoopers personifies and edifies professionalism through adherence to the company policies and technical and professional standards, deliver their commitments, maintaining confidentiality and portraying honesty to their clients. The company also maintains ethical and legal practices in responding to competition. I work as a senior tax consultant so my primary responsibilities are orienting and assisting the clients regarding taxes both national and international through building an excellent relationship with them. I serve clients who want advice in their taxation concerns. The two main scope of my job are consultancy and compliance. Since PricewaterhouseCoopers is a professional service business and since the documents and properties that they handle on customers' behalf are of substantial importance, a good job performance has customer focus. "All Organizations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, should meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations" (1 Access). The corporate culture of the company includes professionalism and this means on time, appropriate and excellent service to customers. With my job as a tax consultant, adherence to the company culture necessitates that I make sure that 100% of my clients have sound and organized tax payment, without delay thus without additional costs. A good performance shall also mean zero complain from the customer. Since I am dealing with highly confidential documents, the company expects that "respect the confidentiality and privacy of our clients, our people and others with whom we do business" (PricewaterhouseCoopers). A goof performance specifically necessitates one to "comply with applicable laws, regulations and professional standards in order to maintain the appropriate degree of confidentiality and privacy" (PricewaterhouseCoopers). One of the values of the company is excellence. For the over-all organization, one of the quality management principles is "continual improvement". This includes performance improvement and flexibility to reach quickly to opportunities (1 Access). For an individual, performance rating should include steps taken by the individual to continuously improve, whether through development of an innovative processes and strategies or attendance of formal and informal trainings and schooling to continuously improve in the field. Similar to the performance appraisal in the academe, continuous schooling and training is also important in private professional service firm. To measure excellence it will also be helpful to record the frequency of mistakes and the time duration of work processes. These figures must constantly

Causes of Failures of Construction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Causes of Failures of Construction - Essay Example As the paper discusses  the difference between procedural failures and technical failures is that the former happen because of human errors while the latter occur because of physical proximate causes. In a vast majority of cases, technical failures are an outcome of the procedural failures. Procedural failures include but are not limited to the problems of communication between the parties involved in the project, and lack of resources. On the other hand, technical failures include such circumstances as settlement of the structure because of inadequate soil compaction.   This paper discusses the administrative causes of failure in the construction projects. Administrative causes of failure of a construction project are fundamentally controlled by the project management. Management’s ability to cope with both the internal and external factors of risk for a certain construction project plays a decisive role in determining the success of a project. Causes of failure of construction projects discussed in this paper include human and organizational aspects and change management with referral to certain case studies.  Canyon Views Project is a project of construction of villas in DHA Phase II Extension, Islamabad, Pakistan. Bridgestone Construction Company has served as the general contractor on this project.  One reason for the delay of accomplishment of milestones is the frequency of change of project managers of the general contractor.  ... Management’s ability to cope with both the internal and external factors of risk for a certain construction project plays a decisive role in determining the success of a project. Causes of failure of construction projects discussed in this paper include human and organizational aspects and change management with referral to certain case studies. Case Study: Canyon Views Project Canyon Views Project is a project of construction of villas in DHA Phase II Extension, Islamabad, Pakistan. Bridgestone Construction Company has served as the general contractor on this project. Although the project is in progress and cannot be considered as a failure altogether, yet the individual milestones in the way of execution of the project were not timely accomplished due to which the customers of villas had to wait for considerable time to enter their villas after making the payment. One reason for the delay of accomplishment of milestones is the frequency of change of project managers of the g eneral contractor. Bridgestone Construction Company saw many changes of project manager. Within just the first two years of the start of project’s execution, at least three project managers had been changed. Some left the company on their own after working in it for some while while the others were terminated b the general manager (GM). The reason project managers could not stay for long on the project was not quite hidden from the workforce. The GM had had so much influence and control on the project, that he would not let the project managers exercise their rights as a project manager on the construction site. Any decision taken by the project managers seeked approval of GM before

Personal journal entry 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Personal journal entry 4 - Essay Example However, the court identified that this kind of relationship can contain important traits of family that symbolizes the changing social situations. It is clear that the number of individuals that qualify to be a family under the law has expanded2. The case clearly demonstrated that due to the changing modern beliefs the two men living together were ‘family’. During the case, the court researched and confirmed a wide role meaning of ‘family’. The idea is a collection of combined attributes that can be looked at independently or as an entity. The meaning of family can be confirmed when one analysis the supposed roles discharged in the relationship3. The judges in this legal resolution held that a difference could not be seen by a same-sex couple staying together and the opposite sexes couple, in terms of affection and love4. In this case, Mr. Fitzpatrick succeeded on the basis of ‘assured’ tenant and not statutory tenant because he did not qualify as a spouse5. In addition, the ruling was made in consideration of the characteristics defined by the 1920 Act that were satisfied by Mr. Fitzpatrick and his partner that fell under the term

Toms Coffee Cup on the Verge of Imminent Collapse Essay

Toms Coffee Cup - on the Verge of Imminent Collapse - Essay Example It is upon the decisions and actions taken by business management that determines the success or failure of a business. This report will review Coffee Cup’s business strategy and the decisions that have led to its rapid deterioration as a result of the actions taken by its management. The report will provide recommendations at the end based on various principles of management such as planning, organizing and leading. This will in part borrow most of the information from the popular P-O-L-C framework of management. Through these recommendations, the management will certainly get back on course to revive this business. Coffee Cup is a sole proprietorship business owned by Tom. It started out as a coffee house although it has recently expanded its services to serving sandwiches and salads for lunch and smoothies for breakfast. Tom started the business after leaving his corporate job and has enjoyed fair success as a first-time entrepreneur. The business currently has 12 employees after Tom employed Willie Cheet to fill up the position of the manager. Willie is the only salaried employee in the business with the rest being paid on an hourly-rate basis. The business has seen numerous changes since Willie took up the management position and the business is facing a possible collapse due to his selfish management decisions aimed at increasing his earnings. As earlier mentioned, Coffee Cup is experiencing several challenges that are emanating from Willie’s high-handed style of leadership which has seen the business adopt various changes in products quality and quantity. Willie has also introduced strict and somehow irrational rules in the workplace that have affected the morale of the workers thereby leading to reduced productivity and loss of cooperation from a section of them. The effects of these management challenges have seen an increase in complaints from customers and consequently a drastic reduction in sales.  

Organizational Concept Worksheet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Concept Worksheet - Essay Example So it can be understood that when new operational processes are implemented in an organisation, it constitutes a process of change. Such changes could border on the purchase of new plant and machinery, training of new employees on how to carry out new tasks This confirms findings from previous research (Bolman and Deal,1999) that two thirds of organisational change efforts meet resistance that make them to bypass the intended goals. An even dismal figure is revealed by Carr et al (in Smith, 2003) that only 10 percent of orgainsations actually succeeded in institutionalising a new management style or corporate vision , with 90 percent facing vigorous challenges. Such trend has frequently prompted researchers to investigate the challenges to implementing change in an organisation. Resistance to change usually comes when employees in that organisation take a contrary stance to a new operating system that needs to be implemented. One of the greatest challenges (resistance) to implementing systemic change has been identified to be the difficulty to dismantle an existent corporate culture. This corporate culture, as seen by Mintzberg et al (1998) is a shared commitment to beliefs that encourages consistency in an organisation’s behaviour and way of doing things, thereby discouraging changes in strategy. The above view gives support to the work of Kotter and Heskett (see Smith, 2003) who note organisations that have been successful in the past may persist in their cultural values even though these values inhibit the organisation from adapting to a changing business environment. The persistence in cultural values, according to Lorsch (see Mintzberg, 1998) acts as a prism that blinds managers to opportunities resulting from changing external conditions. Corporate culture therefore implants a system whereby the organisation develops the tendency to adhere to beliefs that have worked in the past, though they may not be working at the time the change is

U.S. foreign policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 6000 words

U.S. foreign policy - Essay Example The United States foreign policies have always been considered controversial – whether they are viewed as an American or as a foreigner. These policies have primarily been based on American and democratic interests being pursued beyond American shores.This expansion was also meant to empower its competition with the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, countries which were, at that time, considered to be more influential and more financially stable nations than the US.These policies were first laid out in the post World War II period as the country was starting to expand and flex its powers beyond its shores. The Second World War actually served as an equalizer for the US because much of Europe was in ruins as a result of years of fighting Germany. The US was able to gain strength and power politically and economically after WWII and it was also starting to voice its opinions and positions on the different international issues impacting on the global community. To some extent, in the 1950s and 1960s, the US was able to gain much progress in this regard. However, its actions in Korea, Vietnam, and in the Middle East were soon viewed with much cynicism and contempt by the countries affected and by other international watchers and international groups. In short, its actions were viewed as imperialistic and enterprising. For which reason protests and expressions of contempt and dislike for American policies were seen in different countries around the globe. However, it was also viewed with favor by other countries for its commitment to democracy and to freedom. Nevertheless, a closer scrutiny of the US policies in relation to different countries and regions of the world have prompted the surfacing of issues which have impacted much on the economy and the politics of these countries. In the Middle East for example, US interests in its oil products are considered a major consideration for American presence in the region. In turn, their presence has created muc h conflict among the people who see the US as nothing more than an enterprising nation. They object to the presence of American troops in the region, ostensibly sent to maintain peace and order, but to the locals, form part of America’s engine and plan for control over trade and political mandates and activities. In Asia, its presence in the region has been met with mixed reactions. Some countries consider it a â€Å"savior† a â€Å"hero† who has rescued them from Japanese rule. However, in some isolated groups in these very same countries, they are also considered to be opportunists who are seeking to use their natural resources for their economic ends. They are seen as a country which seeks to lessen tariff rates for their personal benefit and for the detriment of these Asian economies. In effect, the US policies are not welcomed with open arms, nor are they completely shunned – for even with these negative mutterings, these countries still know that th e US is the most powerful country in the world. With these scenarios, it is easy to see that the US foreign policies are filled with various angles for discussion which make for enriching knowledge in the field of economy and politics. These policies express the dominance of America in almost all international endeavors, including such endeavors in ensuring worldwide peace and freedom for all. Even as other nations do not share in its goals, the US seems to persist in its goals through its troop presence in the Middle East and in other countries which manifest with civil and political unrest. This paper shall now seek to discuss the US foreign policies in relation to the major events in the past years including the September 11 attacks, the Gulf Wars, and its War against Terror. These are subject matters which have borne much impact to the current status of US politics. This study is being conducted in order to establish a more academic understanding of the issues in relation to the US foreign policies. The Attacks of 9/11 Background The September 11 at

Gay perspectives in Arab communities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gay perspectives in Arab communities - Essay Example Gay perspectives in Arab communities This type of belief could lead a man to be uncomfortable with other men, because he is sexually attracted to men, which it is weird in Arab communities. The narrator Rickel in the story â€Å"pass† didn’t show directly that he is gay. He is unwilling to express it openly. A person has to think deeply to understand that the narrator is gay. A person can realize that the narrator is gay through phallic symbols and the situation in which he is trying to pass. The text reveals how the narrator was structured as a gay from his childhood; however he wants the audience to experience the difficulties he was trying to pass through the town he lived in, people that was the main affects, and challenging of hiding his homosexuality. There is an Arabic saying that from the black duck comes a white duck. This means that whatever was the color or the culture that a man is from, he can be just the opposite. For example, the narrator lives in a town called Tempe; it is a small town and all the people know each other. There is only one barbershop and one drug store. From their description, it is likely that the people in the city are close-minded, and they have their own culture and traditions. They don’t have tourists. The small community is like the black duck the somehow produces the strange, white duck, the narrator, he lived in a community where it was believed that no man would think of being gay, however, he did.

Edward Mandell House Essay Example for Free

Edward Mandell House Essay Edward Mandell House (1858-1938) was a United States statesman and influential adviser of President Woodrow Wilson. House was born in Houston, Texas. His father was a banker. After attending Cornell University, he managed his inherited cotton plantations after his father has died and entered Texas politics due to his acquired wealth from his father. He was often called â€Å"Colonel House† because he held the rank of colonel on the staff of the governor of Texas. In 1912, Edward House played a major role in the nomination and election of Wilson to the presidency. As a personal representative of Wilson, Edward House tried to arrange peace negotiations in the early days of World War I. After the United States entered the war, he conferred with Allied statesmen on war aims and strategy. Edward House helped draw up Wilson’s Fourteen Points and the covenant of the League of Nations. He was a delegate to the Paris of Peace Conference in 1919. Edward House’s friendship with Wilson ended after he unsuccessfully urged the President to revise the Treaty of Versailles in order to secure its ratification by the United States Senate.

Reflecting On Swot Analysis Two Student Nurse Interviews Nursing Essay

Reflecting On Swot Analysis Two Student Nurse Interviews Nursing Essay you know you have got to lift the bar a little, because you are no longer a carer or a nursing assistant, your actual on your way up to being a nurse, obviously you have got to set an exampleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (from student F.) Incident: I was struck by Fs reflection on her own change in identity and awareness of internal drive to meet a standard. She was obviously struggling with this change process and aware of feeling vulnerable. I was surprised by her sharing this with me as she was a first year student nurse and this is a level of maturity in self awareness and reflection I might expect from a more senior student nurse or even from a newly qualified staff nurse. F. had spoken at the start of interview about trying to find her feet and perhaps feeling sensitive about things. I responded with active listening through the rest of the interview and with an effective summary question/ statement towards the end that allowed F. to talk about moving on to her next placement. F. was voicing the possibility of having a different outlook towards a new experience; almost as if she was recognising the beginnings of long process of change in becoming a professional nurse. Reflective observation: In my SWOT analysis of both interviews I conducted, I saw this as the obvious opportunity for a learning moment, both for F. herself and also for myself as an aspiring future mentor. My thought during the interview was that this was a precious moment for F in becoming a nurse; and did wonder how I should respond to her verbalisation of her thoughts and feelings. When I constructed the analysis this part stood out for me again as being a chance for myself to learn, perhaps how to become more effective as a mentor. My thoughts were how to cherish and help this kind of reflection in students in the future. I also wondered how rare these kind of conversations happened during nursing training. F. reflections that she shared with me, reminded me of my own training and how some staff nurses and charge nurses had stood out for me in the process of myself acquiring the identity as a nurse. There was a protective element here in that I wondered how F.s current reflective state could be nurtured and developed in her future placements. I wondered if she was aware herself of this change process and whether she would voice this in future with her mentors and tutors. It might be possible for F. and similar students to ignore and keep quiet about vulnerabilities and internalise this change process. If mentors were open to listening and gently questioning about becoming a nurse then this might facilitate growth and awareness of the nursing identity. I considered how it might be difficult to record this type of reflection in the CAP booklet, even though the booklet explicitly encourages the use of reflection. A mentor would have to develop excellent reflective skills in order to facilitate these skills in students, and perhaps become sensitive to these opportunities for reflection arising early in the programme of nursing education. A possibility for mentors would be to use the mid and end placement meetings with students. So that as well as assessing competencies and professional role development; there could be a place to gently discuss and reflect on identity as a nurse. As well as this it might be possible for students to keep a reflective diary during placement and regularly meet with the mentor to discuss issues as they arose. There might be some reluctance for both mentor and student to explore these areas as this is very much about personal identity and occurs during a period of learning and developing in many different aspects as a nurse. Reflection might well be different for a very experienced and skilled staff nurse who is confident in their own capabilities and skills. Related Theory: Some elements of theory relating to developing as a reflective practitioner within modern nursing will be analysed in the following section. The path to becoming a nurse, can involve sharing feelings and asking for support and finding ways to handle emotions (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). There can be an inherent vulnerability during the process of socialisation where the values and attitudes, that allow the nurse to function in his or her role within the health care system, are in a state of flux and change (Morton-Cooper and Palmer, 2000). The mentor ideally should create a warm, genuine supportive relationship based on trust and sound interpersonal skills (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). This must be fundamental to facilitating reflection upon personal and professional identity as a nurse. Gardiner (2003) introduces the idea of professional friendship to the role of being a mentor where listening, giving of recognition and challenging are added to the friend type relationship. Some barriers to facilitating reflection on attitudes and self awareness can lie in the multi faceted role of the mentor. The mentor role is flexible and may have to cover a number of parts and elements; some of which may be contradictory. Two possibly opposing roles are informal teacher and guide and also assessor of professional competence especially with a student that is struggling or failing. So it may be difficult to add to this list that of confidant and counsellor in the broadest sense (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). The traditional concept of being professional could hinder openness for student nurses. There is a traditional view of keeping a professional distance and restraint in health care which may not encourage the expression of feelings and vulnerabilities for student nurses. However, Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) argue there is some growing evidence of the importance of developing emotional work as a critical element to caring, where this is described as emotional literacy, or perhaps in plain English terms as being able to express feelings appropriately, safely and effectively. Jarvis and Gibson (2001) discuss the teacher- learner relationship as being hierarchical and the teacher having authority versus creating an inclusive, informal teaching relationship that encourages open reflection and critical thinking. There may be some difficulty for the student to reflect and be vulnerable and open about their changing identity where there is a strict authoritarian relationship (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). However, the nurse can develop authority based on professionalism and skills and knowledge that is legitimised by colleagues and students. This also relates to the element of mentorship in being a positive role model for student nurse (Jarvis and Gibson, 2001). Morton-Cooper and Palmer (2000) state the idea of the adult learner who directs their own learning and is in a process of becoming rather than being shaped into a role. There are some ways to facilitate reflective practice and awareness. Donovan (2007) suggests using a formal reflective tool and a diary can be useful. Reflective discussion with peers and mentors also can be helpful. Trust is an important element in making reflection effective in clinical placement. Levett-Jones (2007) suggests the idea of using narratives in self assessment. Case study or narratives may be more suitable to exploring practice, assessing competencies and skills. However, this could be a starting point in developing reflective skills and a language of emotional literacy. The value of narrative could lie in allowing direction by the mentor for the beginning nurse while being flexible during nursing education. There is also the value of providing a personal and persistent record for assessment and evaluation (Levett-Jones, 2007). Some of difficulties have been examined that there may arise in developing as a reflective practitioner and how a mentor may help. There has been a short consideration of some of the possible tools such as diaries and narratives which may help in the learning process. Future Action: To be a more effective mentor, I would consider using a formal reflective tool such as Marks-Maran and Rose (1997) while mentoring students. This will be familiar to student nurses as it is used in the University of Dundee and in NHS Fife. I would try and use it more explicitly during planned learning programmes. Further I would consider some strategies to encourage reflective discussion amongst students. Some ideas might be planned case studies involving one or more students. A structured and open discussion with a student about attitudes and professional roles may be useful at mid and end placement, although I would be tempted to arrange this after assessment and filling in competencies in the CAP booklet. I t would probably be ideal to have this at separate time as students appear to be anxious about completing their booklets. Lastly, I may trial the use of narrative and or diaries to help with assessment of learning to see if this can promote reflection by students I will be working with.

Air Pollution and Climate Change in Tanzania Essay -- Africa Environme

Air Pollution and Climate Change in Tanzania In looking at how weather and climate effect Tanzanian society, it is important to emphasize how both increased air pollution and evidence of climate change are of growing concern to Tanzania’s future. A developing nation of roughly 38 million citizens invested in an economy primarily focused on agriculture, Tanzania is at this time unable to handle the growing issues it is facing as they relate to the livelihoods of the majority of its citizens. Prolonged drought has increased the importance of the country’s rainy season, and further amplified the threat of each year’s dry months, which last for the majority of the year. While many of Tanzania’s citizens worry about the lack of federal monitoring and legislation surrounding air pollution and climate change, they are often inadvertently contributing to their own demise as they struggle to survive with antiquated technology and lifestyles in general. As of September 2007, and as reported in September 2003, the Tanzanian government has no official policies or standards on air pollution that its industries and citizens must follow. Instead, due to a lack of financial and thus technical resources, little has been done to measure and assess the amount of harmful toxins in the air that the general population breathes daily, most especially in its densely populated cities. The Tanzanian government hasn’t sat completely idle however, and in general terms has addressed issues of air pollution in legislation dating back to the 1960s. However, the Merchant Shipping Act (1967), one of the first pieces of legislation mentioned the concept of air pollution, did not do so in a way that concentrated on the significant dangers raised pollution... ... aid Tanzania is likely to be destined to a fate it cannot and will not be able to control. References: APINA. â€Å"Tanzania—Country Fact Sheet.† Air Pollution Information Network – Africa. September 2003. . Kupaza, Ramdhani. â€Å"Tanzania: Expected Attitude Toward Air.† Arusha Times. 15 September 2007. . Loserian, David. â€Å"Climate Change and Poverty: Experiences in Eastern Tanzania, Morogoro Region.† Tanzania Forest Conservation Group. No Date. seors/file_storage/8mi6mz7utr9h9ce.pdf>. Paavola, Jouni. â€Å"Vulnerability to Climate Change in Tanzania: Sources, Substance and Solutions.† Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment. 19 June 2003. papers/paavola_tanzania.pdf>.

Free Awakening Essays: A Reader Response :: Chopin Awakening Essays

A Reader Response to The Awakening  Ã‚   I had not read The Awakening before, and these notes are on a real â€Å"first reading† , and as a result deal mostly with my emotional response and thoughts on the style and general content of the story, I enjoyed the language and the â€Å"texture† of the writing. The subtle characterizations were done well, although the introduction of the characters seemed a bit unclear at times. The languid pace of the novel seem to fit the story and location of the action on one level, but seemed at odds with the violent, brash , turbulent nature of the emotional heart of the novel, Edna’s trying to connect to her true self. I often found myself wanting things to move on. At times the writing reminded me of Hemingway(of all people) in its description of eating and drinking , small actions that tell a lot about a character, and frequent use of French or Spanish phrases within the text: â€Å"Robert rolled a cigarette. He smoked cigarettes because he could not afford cigars,...† (44) â€Å"She was hungry again, for the Highcamp dinner, though of excellent quality, had lacked abundance. She rummaged in the larder and brought forth a slice of â€Å"Gruyere† and some crackers. She opened a bottle of beer...† (116) â€Å"Well, good-by, a jeudi,†...(108) â€Å"The sun was low in the west and the breeze was soft and warm.†(53) But unlike Hemingway, I often got the feeling that Chopin did not trust either her writing and the images and metaphors she used, or the reader to understand her more subtle sections. She seemed to feel often that she had to go back and tell the reader what a certain image or action â€Å"really† meant , as if we wouldn’t understand. It was difficult, especially at first, to identify with Edna. I thought at first that this woman just had too much time to think and little else to do with her life,(Which ultimately might be Chopin’s point). A woman with so little to really â€Å"worry about†, in the context that most of us have daily problems, mostly of a material kind, to take up our thoughts. Also. her reaction to her children,(as well as her husbands), made me feel for them.(This was the first thought that came into my mind when Edna walked into the ocean. Is finding freedom for our soul synonymous with freedom from our responsibilities?

A Pragmatic Approach for Comparative Analysis of Linear and Rotary Generators :: Essays Papers

A Pragmatic Approach for Comparative Analysis of Linear and Rotary Generators ABSTRACT This paper identifies the need for consolidating analysis techniques for the purpose of designing linear electrical generation systems. Additionally, it identifies a need for concise system development tools that help designers make practical comparisons between linear and rotary machines. INTRODUCTION The basic principles for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy have been known for over a century. It would seem that after this much time, advancements in electrical generation should have reached their limits; however, up to the late 1980’s and early 90’s the use of linear generators for the generation of electricity has not been seriously considered [1] [4]. Linear generators and motors are classified as linear motion electromagnetic systems (LMESs) [1]. LMESs that are used as electric generators function by directly utilizing the translational (back and forth or up and down) thrust from mechanical systems to generate electricity as opposed to the more conventional generation approach of rotational mechanical energy conversion. For an engineer to determine the feasibility of using a linear electric generator in a system’s design many comparisons between rotary and linear machines must be made. Several points to consider when making this comparison include: practicality of using linear power generation for that particular system, cost to build and design, total system efficiency, role of modern day power electronics, type of driving force (linear or rotational) applied to the generator system, system power factor, force density and force ripple on the drive components, cost to maintain, and the system’s reliability. The relative weights of these considerations will vary from one system to the next. The motivation behind this question was the decision on whether to use a linear or rotary generator on a buoy driven, ocean wave electrical generator project [6]. During this decision process, many opinions and assumptions between these competing systems were made, but finding hard data that compa red the two methods was not readily available. Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate the electrical and mechanical technical aspects of this choice (rotary vs. linear) conflicted with the tight scheduling requirements of the project. This situation forced the team to make a best approximation based on limited experience instead of a deliberate and thoroughly evaluated approach. WHY LINEAR GENERATORS ARE USED Electrical energy generation is being expanded by creative innovation, and linear generators are a large part of this trend.

Arguments for and Against Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

â€Å"A business’s obligation to follow goals that are good for both organization and society in the long-term, and are not required by law.† Corporate Social Responsibility The term â€Å"corporate social responsibility† came in to common use in the early 1970s. It means the duty of an organization towards society in order to prove itself responsible about its actions and their effects on environment, community and external stakeholders. It means that an organization is responsible for all its action towards the people who are affected by its actions and processes. Therefore, corporate social responsibility can be defined as: â€Å"Operating a business in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial and public expectations that society has of business.† The Socioeconomic View The Socioeconomic view stated that it is the responsibility of managers and all organization s to take care of public interests as well as their profits. Each organization should be responsible for all its actions which may harm or benefit community and should take actions to stop any malpractices in its operations, finance, marketing and human resource departments. Business organizations should not only act for their own profit but also for the welfare of community. They should take an active part in happenings in the society and should perform such actions which can improve the political, economical, social and environmental conditions of the society. In short, corporate social responsibility makes an organization to play its role in the improvement and welfare of society. Arguments For and Against Corporate Social Responsibility According to Classical view of social responsibility of an organization, the management and managers of an organization are responsible for maximizing organizational profits only. It is not their duty to take care of public interest. The only purpose of establishing a business is to generate profits and therefore, he only duty of managers is to maximize profits and reduce costs of doing business. Given are some of the arguments for and against corporate social responsibility: 1-Corporations as Moral Agents Business organizations are an important part of any society and play an important role in determining the economic and social condition of any society. As organizations are considered as one of the major factors affecting economy of a country, they should be responsible of what they are giving to the society. They generate profits by selling their products and services to customers and, therefore, should be responsible for any good or bad effects of their actions and products on consumers. On the other hand, the proponents of this view state that organizations should be responsible only for generating profits. As the owners or investors are also a part of community, the organization performs its duty by maximizing the wealth of their shareholders. The sole purpose of an organization is not to serve society by getting involved in welfare activities. The organization serves the community by making products and rendering services. Therefore, there is no other duty of an organization towards society. 2-Social Responsibility and Economic Performance The advocates of corporate social responsibility state that by getting involved in community services, an organization gets a chance to improve its revenues. The social welfare activities improve the good will of the organization and make its corporate image better than its competitors. Customers prefer to buy products and services from an organization which proves it to be socially responsible. Those who say that organization should not be socially responsible state that such activities increase the cost of doing business. As one of the major goals of a business is to reduce the costs, such practices are in opposition with benefit of business owners. For example, investing in a production plant which emits less carbon to the environment needs higher expenses as compared to the normal, cheap plant but is dangerous for environment is a question for managers. 3-Social Responsibility and Ethics Organizations should not be involved in any kind of practices which may give rise to the feeling of inequity and unfair actions in society. Discrimination based on gender, race and nationality is one major action which is considered as the social responsibility of organizations. When giving promotions to employees, every person should be given an equal chance to advance in the career and should be treated fairly. The proponents of corporate social responsibility also admit the fact that the organizational practices should be ethical in nature but to a limited extent. The practices should not harm anyone but should place organizational interest before the community interest. 4-Social Responsibility and Environment A corporation must produce goods and services that are beneficial to society while making sure that the processes of production also avoid damage, such as pollution. The initiatives such as green management and environment friendly products make it clear that customers want to purchase the products which are safe for them and do not damage environment. They also prefer those organizations which prove that they are not damaging the natural environment of earth in any case. On the other hand, the proponents of the view state that saving environment may increase the cost of their business and will make the organization less efficient in a number of its practices. They put the question of buying one kind of machinery over the other which is environment friendly but incurs huge costs. Conclusion  In order to get better financial performance and good will, it’s better for an organization to realize its corporate social responsibility and manage all its operations in an ethical way. Only an improved society can lead to an improved business which is in favor of both internal and external stakeholders of an organization. More and more organizations are taking serious steps to get involved in socially responsible actions and consider it profitable in the long as well as short run.

Does the Brutal Truth in Sonnet 130 Essay

Does the brutal truth in Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 130’ and Swift’s ‘A beautiful Young Nymph going to bed’, take away from the beauty of the two poems. Beauty and aesthetics can be defined as â€Å"Nothing more nor less, than sensitivity to the sublime and the beautiful and an aversion to the ordinary and ugly†, this means that beauty can be absolutely anything which is beautiful as long as it is not ugly or ordinary, this may seem harsh, much like the poems by William Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift. In both poems; ‘Sonnet 130’ by William Shakespeare and ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ by Jonathan Swift, aesthetic beauty is explored in a brutal and honest light. Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 130’ tells the story of a man describing his mistress intimately, yet distastefully; â€Å"†¦ why then her breasts are dun. † Whereas in ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’, Swift tells the story of a low class prostitute in London in the 18th century â€Å"Pride of Drury Lane†, and her undressing â€Å"Takes off her artificial hair†. When considering beauty and aesthetics within the poems; â€Å"Sonnet 130† and ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’, it may seem impossible to think of the poems as beautiful when they include such vulgarity and distaste towards the women within them; Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’ and Swift’s work of fiction ‘Corinna’. However, the poems are written and presented beautifully, and may be considered well deserved of their place within the canon of English Literature. The worth and value of texts within the canon of English literature â€Å"†¦ are generally characterised by complexity of plot, structure, language and ideas. † Despite the ugliness in the poems, the way the poems are written and the complexity of them, still leave the poems as classic texts to be enjoyed and appreciated. The use of metaphors, similes and the complexity of the story within both makes them eligible for the canon of English literature, showing that a poem can still be considered beautiful for the way it is written despite the contents. Sonnet 130’ may initially seem harsh; however it was not intended to disparage Shakespeare’s mistress’s looks as so many commentators have understood, what is meant is that she and her looks together do not require ridiculous comparisons to angels which are clearly unrealistic as her personality and the way she is, is attractive in itself. The term â€Å"†¦mistress†¦Ã¢â‚¬  has an ambiguous mea ning, it could refer to a husband’s wife, or as defined in the Oxford English Dictionary; â€Å"†¦ a woman loved and courted by a man; a female sweetheart† or â€Å"a woman other than his wife with whom a man has a long-lasting sexual relationship†. The poem suggests the latter meaning, supposing it to be, Shakespeare’s so-called Dark Lady. Shakespeare wrote about ‘the Dark Lady’ in many of his sonnets. Sonnets 127-152 were allegedly based on ‘the Dark Lady’ so called because the poems make it clear that she has black hair and dusky skin, â€Å"†¦breasts are dun. † Each of the poems deal with a highly personal theme, for example, in ‘Sonnet 130’ a relationship between a man and his mistress experiencing love and lust is discussed. The sonnets have an autobiographical feel, posing the question; who was Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’? Shakespeare scholar, Dr Duncan Salkeld from the University of Chichester found evidence suggesting that she was a madam called â€Å"Lucy Negro† or â€Å"Black Luce†, who ran a notorious brothel in Clerkenwell. He believes that she is â€Å"the foremost candidate for the dubious role of the â€Å"Dark Lady†. Wilson Knight said when considering the relationship between Shakespeare and the ‘Dark Lady’; that â€Å"†¦it appears to have been finer than lust and cruder than love†, here he demonstrates his doubts about them being in love. He admits that they may have had strong feelings for each other but questions whether they were in love, he does; however agree that their relationship went further than lust and the sexual side of the relationship. The fact that Shakespeare kept her identity hidden, does pose the question, did he really love her and in turn support Wilson’s quote about not being in love. It may seem romantic of Shakespeare to have kept his lover a secret, but we must remain aware that he did have a wife at home in Stratford upon Avon. The possible occupation of Shakespeare’s ‘Dark Lady’ gives a contextual link to Swift’s poem; ‘A Beautiful Young Nymph Going to Bed’, as the role of prostitution is explored in this poem and there are suggestions that this was the role of the Dark Lady. The purpose of satire is to show what is bad or weak about something or someone through humour and exaggeration. Jonathan Swift is known as ‘The Godfather of Satire’, Swift himself defined satire as; â€Å"satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s faces but their own’. Here, Swift explains how everyone who reads his satire will see how he is mocking everyone else, apart from themselves. The use of satire gives ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ complexity when looking at the meaning, similarly to Sonnet 130, making it eligible for the canon of English Literature, as one of the requirements to be eligible is that the work has â€Å"†¦complexity†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Swift published ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ in 1734, the poem is satirical, and it satirise women’s artificiality; â€Å"Takes off her artificial hair† and their use of the male gaze. He wrote the poem in the 18th century, when around 63,000 prostitutes were working in London, a terrible time, as prostitutes became more popular and more common, sexually transmitted diseases spread rapidly. Although in his poem, he looks down upon Corinna and effectively the women who were also in her position, he also intends to satirize the wealthy men who use prostitutes and in turn cause this problem. The male voice of narration in this poem is judgemental and snobbish. This voice effectively mocks the upper classes who most likely use prostitution as they could afford it. The voice insults those upper classes who use and abuse Corinna, demonstrating the gap between the classes in society at the time. Much like Swift, Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 has a separate motive, other than writing a love poem to his â€Å"†¦mistress†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . On another level, the poem might suggest that the metaphors and language that sonneteers traditionally use are often hyperbolic beyond reality. ‘Sonnet 130’ mocks the fanciful conventions of romantic poetry by subverting the conventions of Petrarchan sonnets, which wrote about idealised beauty. This poem is about Shakespeare’s relationship with the ‘dark lady’ and he speaks of her realistically but harshly posing the question; is it better to be attractive with no personality or plain with a good personality? Here Shakespeare chooses the latter and is brutally honest, rather than being complimentary. The vocabulary he uses is harsh and cold; â€Å"†¦reeks†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here Shakespeare comments on his mistress’s breath, he seems rude and offensive. The implication here is that when he goes to kiss her, he is not thinking of her, but of her bad breath and this is unkind. However, this may be merely a reflection of Elizabethan dental hygiene. Shakespeare writes that â€Å"Coral is far more red†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , which is a clever simile, comparing her lips to coral is slightly over the top, as for lips to be that bright, they would have had to have been painted on and this is the type of fakery that Shakespeare is mocking. Shakespeare focuses on all of the things that would make you look at a woman sensually, her eyes, lips, breasts, skin and hair. However, in this poem these features are not appealing which is different to a conventional sonnet. A sonnet would traditionally have 14 lines, 3 quatrains and a final rhyming couplet; â€Å"†¦love as rare† and â€Å"†¦false compare†, which follows an abab rhyme scheme, ‘Sonnet 130’ follows these conventions but, a sonnet is also conventionally romantic and flattering, and this sonnet does not follow this convention at all. Undeniably, the form of a sonnet is presented charmingly and despite the harsh content, still leaves the poem to be enjoyed. He comments that he thinks his â€Å"†¦love as rare†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , however, the fact that he kept this dark lady’s identity secret shows a lack of respect and a hint of embarrassment as he did not reveal the truth. This lack of respect correlates with Swift’s ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ as he is rude, sarcastic and brutal about the fictional Corinna; â€Å"Pride of Drury Lane†. Swift tells the reader that Corinna is unpopular, â€Å"Never did Covent Garden boast† and that no one is interested in her as she returns home at â€Å"†¦ the Midnight Hour. † At the time Covent Garden and Drury Lane would both have been heavily populated by prostitutes. Swift is disgusted by women like Corinna and is not shy about showing it in this poem. He describes Corinna as offensively and nastily as he can, telling the reader about her â€Å"†¦flabby dugs†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Swift links lines inside the poems to further insult Corinna; â€Å"†¦slips the Bolsters†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"Ruins†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . â€Å"Must ev’ry morn her limbs unite† she has to rebuild herself and reconstruct her beauty every morning. Ruins are what is left of an ancient building when the structure is lost, Corinna is compared to a building when Swift says â€Å"†¦and off she slips the Bolsters that supply her hips. implying that, like a building she has a structure and without it, she becomes the â€Å"Ruins of the Night†. Swift criticises artificial beauty and fakery, which has links to famous fairy tales, such as; Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. In these stories the women are beautiful for being natural; â€Å"†¦skin as white as snow†¦Ã¢â‚¬ unlike Corinna. This suggests that pale and natural skin is attr active, which links to the women of the 18th century, when the paler you were, the more beautiful you were. Corinna objectifies the opposite of 18th century beauty The brutal truth within ‘Sonnet 130’ does not take away the beauty from the poem. The beauty of Sonnet 130 is continued by the composite way it has been written and the ambiguous meanings and reasons for being written; these are what make the poem seem complex as it is filled with different ideas. The poem could be a confession of love as believed, a slightly sarcastic joke about his mistress or a complex exploration of the conventions of sonnets. The brutal truth within the poem hides Shakespeare’s true feelings for ‘the Dark Lady’. In Jonathan Swift’s ‘A beautiful young nymph going to bed’ the appeal of the poem is continued, despite the brutal truth of the contents, by the strong concept of satire within the poem. Swift has very cleverly turned what appears to be a misogynistic attack on women to become an attack on the people who have caused this for her. The brutal truth about Corinna hides the underlying meaning and it is this complexity within the meaning and plot, which keeps the reader interested and allows Swift to broadcast his message subtly but with clarity.

Zombie

The Cranberries provides the right qualities for the 60 minutes segment on investigation of the power of public protest. The combination of a strong message, powerful lyrics and visually dramatic video clip creates a public protest masterpiece. The AIR ceasefire of 1994 can be attributed to the success of public protest mounted by The Cranberries in their song Zombie'. Over thousands of years, music has been a part of human culture and been used to convey different messages.Music has the power to Inspire, unify and galvanism people into action. It can be used as a form of public protest to raise awareness of the issue to the general public and create a worldwide movement for a solution. This is demonstrated in the song Zombies' by the band The Cranberries, creating a public protest song about the reciprocal acts of violence between the AIR and the British Army. ‘Zombie' is centrally about Irish society normalizing war and young children losing their Innocence due to the Intense violence.In Ireland, violence was accepted as normal and a part of everyday life, this caused young children to become asininities about violence and its usage in ‘normal' life. Irish children lived a generational perpetuated war, for decades. The Irish Republican Army or AIR committed reciprocally motivated acts of terrorism directed against the British control of Northern Ireland. Zombie' makes the point that the boundaries between war and normal life are confused and ambiguous. This blurring created the atmosphere for accepting and excusing the war.The song ‘Zombies' uses very strong and powerful lyrics to describe the situation of violence in Ireland. With their tanks ND their bombs, and their bombs and their guns' refers to the environment which the Irish people lived in and the lead singer strongly stresses key words like tanks', ‘bombs' and ‘guns'. The message of ‘nothing has changed' is common throughout the song's lyrics, ‘It's the same old theme since 1916' which is a direct historical reference to the 1916 Easter Rising of the RIB (later known as the AIR) and explains the length of time the violence has been effecting Irish society.The lyrics show how the Irish people distance themselves from the violence by saying ‘but you see, it's not me, it's tot my family, they are implicitly denying the conflict and violence. The Juxtaposition and cross cutting between black and white shots of children playing and soldiers creates ambiguity between play and war. The strength of the message to the audience is enhanced by the pace at which the shots are screened in synchronization with the tempo of the music and lyrics. The gold symbolism Is visually dramatic which creates a paradox by contrast to the other bleak Images.Dramatic images are created with Dolores Ordinary against the cross, which is a preference to the 1 916 Easter Rising of the RIB. The singer is completely encrusted in gold and surrounded by golden nymph like figures which invites multiple references to Greek Mythology. The gold represents Justice, power, strength, purity and value. These visual messages add complexity and remove the viewer from the immediate clip and instant recognition by the public, therefore it would be an excellent choice for the 60 minutes special on the power of public protest. The Cranberries hit song ‘Zombies' has become an anthem for the worldwide peace movement.

Brain Drain In The Philippine Education

Developing nations are grappling with a phenomenon that started taking shape in the 1960s and in the 70s. A look at most countries in Asia indicates increased levels of influx towards the developed western nations. According to a report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Asia is losing billions of dollars in terms of brain drain as its highly skilled workforce and professionals are leaving their countries in droves towards the developed countries for a more rewarding pay. India has lost IT professionals renowned for their computing intelligence.China too has lost people of expertise with almost two thirds of students studying abroad failing to return to their motherland. The list of countries suffering from brain drain runs long, the causes are deep-seated and the implications are inadvertently detrimental to the nation’s economies. Of special concern in this paper is the case of Philippines whose education sector has had adverse effects due to the in creased rate of brain drain amongst teachers. A look at the pattern of labor movement from Philippines to other nations reveals that it has undergone interesting metamorphosis with progressive adverse effects on the economy.Brain drain is a phenomenon that started in the early seventies though not in large droves experienced today. Before then however as Florian and Danilo (2003) note, ‘the movement of highly skilled Filipino professionals though significant was principally a private initiative among workers and their placement abroad. † In the early seventies and the 80s, majority of the Philippines were heading to the Middle East at a mere number of 36, 035 in 1975. This figure however would rise significantly to 214,590 in 1980 and to over 791 000 contract workers in 1998 (Florian & Danilo, 2003).The influx of teachers abroad is as a resultant effect of the push and pull factors between the immigration and the emigration countries. These push factors may range from la ck of employment opportunities as well as the pursuit of a better life and career progression. The unemployment rate in the recent years has ranged between 7 and 11 % and has been the force behind the massive brain drain. Philippines economy is based on a rocky foundation fuelled by agriculture, remittances from abroad and industries that are still in their formative stage. Unemployment is rife and the influx experienced is in the bid to escape this.Philippines economy possesses a limited capacity to absorb less than a million people in terms of employment. This is a small number compared to the high number of graduates and semi skilled personnel it is producing annually. The prospects of employment in foreign lands are a comforting respite to many. A look at the recent educational trends reveals that the country pool of trained professionals and graduates has been on the rise. The country produced over three million graduates in the 90s ranging from different professions although t he bulk of this was in the business related courses.A significant proportion of this comprised of teachers which has been of the most affected profession in terms of brain drain. According to the officials in the education sector, education in Philippines is undergoing a crisis as a direct consequence of brain drain. This is not a problem that affect schools at the formative level but according to J. Florendo B. , even the universities where â€Å"compensation packages and school environment are considered competitive enough by Philippines standards are not exempt from the lure of overseas employment.† (2008) A look at the influx of teachers from Philippines reveals a worrisome trend. It is a clear indication of the situation on the ground. According to the figures released by the Philippine Overseas Employment Statistics, there were as few as 112 teachers that emigrated in search for greener pastures in 1992. This figure was however to increase rapidly in the coming ten year s. J. Florendo B. L. notes that between 1992 and 2002 â€Å"2289 teachers were deployed abroad. † A significant portion of this went to the United States at 45. 2 %.These figures however refer to contract workers and fail to capture the total number of teachers that emigrated. According to the commission on Filipino overseas, there was â€Å"a total of 9,608 emigrant teachers from 1988 to 2001. † (J. Florendo, 2008. ) Over 75% of these teachers moved to the United States. 20 % of all emigrants are trained teachers which leaves Philippines with no sources of teachers to replace those that are moving. Unemployment rates apart, the meager wage awarded to many even in lucrative professions is a lead cause to the emigration.In private schools, teachers earn less than 400 us dollars while their counterparts in the public schools at an entry level take home close to 230 US dollars a month. This is a meager amount compared to over four thousand dollars a month in the United St ates (J. Florendo B. , 2008). The working conditions of the public schools have also exacerbated the need to search for greener pastures. Public schools in Philippine are in a sorry state, largely overcrowded and the inherent corruption across the bureaucracy hinders the emergence of any chance for career progression.The inability of the Philippine’s economy to absorb trained graduate teachers in the public school has not helped either. Philippine produces over 30 thousand teachers at the elementary and secondary level but only a quarter of this number is a absorbed into the public schools. With the huge percentage increase in graduates, the government has only been able to increase its rate by a mere 1. 7 percent creating an oversupply in eligible teachers and hence the emigration Remuneration prospects apart, the proficiency of most Filipinos in English makes them attractive in overseas markets.According to Robert et al â€Å"English continues to dominate the Philippines e ducational system. † He also notes that English â€Å"language has been seriously cultivated for non literary academic purposes since the bilingual education policy of 1974. † The fluency in English hence places Philippines professions at a higher competitive level compared to their counterparts across Asia. (1999) Brain drain across all the professions though it has had some positive contributions, is has adversely affected Philippines economy. The most affected is the education sector. Brain drain in the long run is detrimental to the economy in general.As Michel et al (2001) notes, â€Å"migration of people endowed with a high level of human capital-the so called â€Å"brain drain† is detrimental for the country of emigration. † This has been the case of Philippines especially in some of the selected sectors. Ronald Meinarchs points out clearly that â€Å"the more and better educated a people the greater the chances of economic development. † Whe reas Philippines may be producing professionals through its elaborate system of training and education, the bulk of this population is not directly beneficial to its economy as it immediately emigrates in search of jobs and greener pastures(2003).As a fore mentioned, Philippines is grappling with an acute shortage of qualified and effective teachers. The best teachers in the sector have all fled the country towards the developed nations. This has led to a decline in the quality of education. It is to be noted that most of the teachers that emigrate to north America are the best in the market considering that recruitment standards in the United States are elaborate and require high credentials. High schools are the most affected as the teachers there have a mastery of what they teach.It becomes hard for the department of education in Philippines to fill such posts with suitable replacements in a country where almost all professionals are on the run. It is important to note that there is an undeniable fact on the positive attributes of brain drain in Philippines especially the remittances that have contributed immensely to the economy. These remittances from abroad amount to over us $ 8. 5 billion annually which is almost 10 % of the whole Philippines GDP.It is not however clear how much of this amount is from teachers that work in North America but it is apparent that their remittances are not channeled towards improving the quality of education at home. There are a number of steps that should be taken to address the detrimental impact of brain drain in the educational sector. While it is not possible to restrict the emigration of labor in this age of globalization, the government should lump teachers together with pilots terming them as possessing ‘critical skills. † This will hence require them to work in the country for a certain period of time before they emigrate.This will give the government ample time to train replacements. It is a major conc ern to note that Philippine, though brain drain subsidizes the developed countries’ cost of educating and training professionals. Philippine spends colossal amount of resources to nurture personnel only for them to emigrate at the nick of time. To improve education, the government should spend a considerable amount of the remittances to improve the education system as well as providing tax incentives to encourage remittances.ReferencesRobert B. Kaplan, Richard B. Baldauf, 1999. Language Planning in Malawi, Mozambique and the Philippines. Multilingual Matters Jo. Florendo B. Lontoc, A May-June 2008. Situation on Philippine Education University of the Philippines. Volume 9 Number 3. http://www. up. edu. ph/upforum. php? i=94 Ronald Meinardus, June 30, 2003. The Crisis of Public Education in the Philippines Business World Internet Edition: http://www. fnf. org. ph/liberalopinion/crisis-public-education-philippines. htm Cecil Morella, April 23, 2005. Medical brain drain threat to Philippines The Standard. http://www. thestandard. com. hk/stdn/std/World/GD23Wd04. htmlMigration and the Labour Market in Asia: Recent Trends and Policies Organisation for Nihon Rodo Kyokai, 2003. Economic Co-Operation and Development, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD Publishing. Florian A. Albura, Danilo I Abella, 2003. Developing countries: study on Philippines. International Programme. International Labor Office Geneva. Michel Beine, Frederic Docquier and Hilel Rapport, 2001. Brain drain and economic growth: Theory and evidence. Journal of development Economics. Vol 64 (275-289) Andrew Mountford, 1997. Can a brain drain be good for growth in the source economy? Journal o

Energy Consumption & Modernization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Consumption & Modernization - Essay Example From this paper it is clear that  peak load is the highest amount of power or electric value recorded at a particular period. Peak load values will be obtained when there is more demand on the electricity due to use of appliances. In this case peak load values in the student halls will be recorded during the early morning when the students will be preparing to go to class or any other activities they are involved in. The use of the instant heating showers, blow dryers, iron box coupled with the demand to ensure that the room is warm enough due to the morning cold, the amount of electricity in use instantaneously shoots up. Peak load can also be noticed in the evenings just when the students are coming back from their classes and other activities they have been engaging in during the day.  This research declares that  base load is the lowest average in energy consumption at a particular period when the consumption is steady.  Base load values will be obtained when there is les s demand on the electricity. In the students halls Base load values will be recorded during the day while most of the students will be away, because this brings down the overall consumption of energy although the values during the day might not be very reliab lebecause of the students left in the halls since the will still be consuming the electricity this may take out the steady aspect in the calculation of base load values.

Recommendation Report on the MDCM Board for Optimum IT Projects Essay

Recommendation Report on the MDCM Board for Optimum IT Projects Selection - Essay Example The team discussed the strategic goals of the company as part of the exercise and derived the strategic IT objectives from the same. Strategic IT objectives as derived from the Strategic goals of MDCM: 1. To create an integrated MDCM IT based network to achieve cost effectiveness and process efficiency. (SO1) 2. To increase use of the internet as a means of networking and communications for customers and suppliers.(SO2) 3. To focus upon IT consolidation by creating a single, centralized view of MDCM’s overall IT assets and capabilities and to develop a sophisticated IT capability which would speed up the information flow. (SO3) Methodology of the study: The team discussed the strategic goals of MDCM and arrived upon the strategic IT objectives. Further, the team studied the IT objectives and with due diligence exercises, arrived at the proposed IT projects to fulfill the strategic IT objectives. The projects have been coded for study and presentation purposes as P1 through P12 . However, the MDCM board being the final decision making body, the team arrived at scorecards and a proposed portfolio for the board to consider for deciding the optimum portfolio. Also, the team has discussed the dependencies among the various projects for effective implementation of the same. Criteria for making scorecard weightages: Based on due diligence and feedback from the corporate functional heads, the criteria for assigning weightages to the Likelihood of success or risk Vs the Value to the Business were determined as follows: Likelihood of success (L) criteria, coded as L1 through L6: L1: Technical standards: 10% L2: Skills, capability and training: 10% L3: Scope and complexity: 25% L4: Business alignment : 22% L5: Risk : 21% L6: Management capability: 12% Value to the business (V) criteria coded as V1 through V6: V1 : Financial return: 30% V2: Customer and consumer focus: 20% V3: Supply chain business benefits: 15% V4: Technology efficiency: 15% V5: Knowledge advantage: 10% V6: Work/life balance: 10% The Corporate heads and the ITPM team were asked to rate the each of the projects on a scale of 1 to 10 as to the Likelihood of success of each project and its value to the organization based on the strategic IT objectives as discussed above. For example, the ‘L’ scores for project P1 on X axis that is Likelihood of success factors are tabulated as follows: P1 Criteria 'L' Score weight Max Score relative value absolute value L1 6 10% 10 60.00% 6.00% L2 4 10% 10 40.00% 4.00% L3 5 25% 10 50.00% 12.50% L4 7 22% 10 70.00% 15.40% L5 8 21% 10 80.00% 16.80% L6 7 12% 10 70.00% 8.40% Â   Â   Â   Â   Total Value 63.10% Where, ‘L’ represents: The Likelihood of success of the given project ‘Score’ is the mean rating given by the ITPM team for the given IT project on the respective ‘L’ factor. ‘Weight’ is the weightage assigned to the respective ‘L’ factor ‘Max Score’ is the Maximum rating that can be given to a project for the respective ‘L’ factor. ‘Relative value’ is the relative rating of the project on the given ‘L’ factor. ‘Absolute Value’ is the weighted rating of the project on the given ‘L’ factor. Total Value is the total weighted rating of the project on all the ‘L’ factors. Similarly, the ‘V’ scores for project P1 were as follows: P1 Criteria 'V' Score weight Max Score relative value absolute value V1 7 30% 10 70.00% 21.00% V2 8 20% 10 80.00% 16.00% V3 6 15% 10 60.00% 9.00% V4 6 15% 10 60.00% 9