Monday, September 30, 2019

QCF Level 2 Health and Social Care Diploma Group A: Mandatory Units Knowledge Workbook Essay

Identify the different reasons people communicate. People communicate to express needs,feelings,ideas,ask questions,share experiences Explain how effective communication affects all aspects of own work Effective communication helps to understand client’s needs Explain why it is important to observe an individual’s reactions when communicating with them see more:describe the components of a personal development plan Because I can know from the reactions how the person feels(happy,pain),if the person understand what I am trying to say,if the person is interested in conversation SHC022 Introduction to personal development in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings Understand what is required for competence in own work role (1.2,1.3) Identify standards that influence the way the role is carried out This standarts are including in health and safety act 1974,Moving and Hnadling Guidelines,Hasawa,Riddor,Coshh Describe ways to ensure that personal attitudes or beliefs do not obstruct the quality of work. Treat everyone equaly)no difference in sex,religion,race†¦) Be able to reflect on own work activities (2.1) Explain why reflecting on practice is an important way to develop knowledge, skills and practice. Reflecting on practise helps me to see what I am doing good,where(in which areas)I need advice or more training Be able to agree a personal development plan (3.1, 3.2) Identify sources of support for own learning and development. -Selfeducation (internet,books) -Meetings with supervisor and more training Describe the process for agreeing a personal development plan and who should be involved. In personal development plan should be involved suprvisor and I. For this plan I have to know what I want to learn,what my targets are and update with supervisor to see how big progress I’ve done and what needs to be changed Professional discussion with Assessor on SHC022 Candidate signature Assessor signature SHC023 Introduction to equality and inclusion in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings Understand the importance of equality and inclusion (1.1,1.2,1.3) Explain what is meant by: a) diversity =diference(that everyone is unique and different) b) equality =treat the people on same way(and treating people in way appropriate to their needs) c) inclusion =including(inclusion is about giving a fair chance to be included without discrimination) d) discrimination =wrong judgement based on sex,religion,rase,disability†¦ (leave someone out of the team because of judgement) Describe ways in which discrimination may deliberately or inadvertently occur in the work setting. For example: -bus driver won’t let wheelchair user and carer into the bus because he doesn’t want to make ready the ramp for wheelchair -carer and clien’t will be different religion and client will celebrate own festive days(of religion) but won’t allow carer do celebrate hers/his religion festive days Explain how practices that support equality and inclusion reduce the likelihood of discrimination. Be example-to show the public right attidude towards discrimination (for example support wheelchair user who’s discriminated by refusing enter into bus) Be able to work in an inclusive way (2.1, 2.3) Identify legislation, codes of practice and organisational polices and procedures (where these exist) relating to equality, diversity, discrimination and rights in own role. -Disability Discrimination Act -Human Rights Act 1998 -Employment equality regulations 2003 -Special education need and disability act 2000 -The sex discrimination Act 1975 Describe how to challenge discrimination in a way that promotes change. action=do something when I see discrimination and not to ignore it question it=ask why and discus it Be able to access information, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion (3.1) Describe situations in which additional information, advice and support about diversity, equality and inclusion may be needed. There’s different methods of obtaining information on diversity,equality and inclusion. -goverment web site (list of all current legislations to protect the rights of individuals -age UK group (can supply materials to hand out to client ) I may need this informations to help client who is seeking advise on particular subject or if I am trying to obtain information in order to support client SHC024 Introduction to duty of care in health, social care or children’s and young people’s settings. Understand the meaning of duty of care (1.1, 1.2) Define the term ‘duty of care’ Duty of care is responsibility towards the person I look after(in meaning to keep the person safe and away from harm) Describe how the duty of care affects own work. Duty of care means it is my part of my job to keep me and my client safe so I am following all security rules to keep everything safe and if there’s any new changes ,training or update I follow the new rules Understand support available for addressing dilemmas that may arise about duty of care (2.1, 2.2) Describe dilemmas that may arise between the duty of care and an individual’s rights. The client knows what she/he is doing.It’s client’s right to decide about own life even if I disagree with client’s choise and I have to respect that (for example what is healthy to eat,what activities client wants to do†¦) Explain where to get additional support and advice about how to resolve such dilemmas. I am seeking support and advice from my supervisor or from office. Way how to avoid conflicts because of this dilemmas is to make sure individual is aware of the consequences Know how to respond to complaints (3.1, 3.2) Describe how to respond to complaints -respond the complaining asap -acknowledge mistake -speak about different views on what happened -explaining situation for both sides and appology Identify the main points of agreed procedures for handling complaints -recorded and documented procedure -complaint is listened to and respected -procedure is clear -it may have formal and informal options HSC024 Principles of safeguarding and protection in health and social care Know how to recognise signs of abuse ( 1.1, 1.2, 1.3) Define the following types of abuse: a) Physical abuse -if someone physicaly harm other person b) Sexual abuse -forcing into unwanted sex contact c) Emotional/psychological abuse -†doing harm with words† -if someone behave on way that emotionally attack other person d) Financial abuse -using person’s money,property or other valuable things without this persnon’s knowing(unauthorised,illegal use) e) Institutional abuse -abuse happening in care homes,hospitals†¦can be any or combination of these:discriminatory abuse,financial,neglect,physical,emotional,sexual abuse f) Self neglect -when person neglect ownself(basic needs,personal hygiene) g) Neglect by others -passive for of abuse(for example carer should provide care for client but carer doesn’t give client an adequate care†¦do not change dirty linen,catheters) Identify the signs and /symptoms associated with each type of abuse. -physical:brurses,scratches,change behavior -sexual:brurses,scratches in genital area,change behaviour -emotinal:changing behaviour -financial:the affected person doesn’t know where are the money dissapearing -neglect:affected person will shown lacl of personal hygiene,health problems,dirthy cloths Describe factors that may contribute to an individual being more vulnerable to abuse. -if the individual has comunication difficulties,is socialy isolated,is depended on other person’s help Know how to respond to suspected or alleged abuse (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) Explain the actions to take if there are suspicions that an individual is being abused. I have professional duty to report any wetnessed or suspected abuse to my supervisor or to the office.this information is refered to social services and it musst be assessed Explain the actions to take if an individual alleges that they are being abused. -let the person speak -ask open questions(those where is no possible to answer yes or no) -don’t ask leading questions -take every allegattion seriously -contact and inform supervisor and office Identify ways to ensure that evidence of abuse is preserved. -make a written record of conversation(date,time on it) -ensure written records are kept in safe place(bills,letters,medication records,bank statements) -record any physical signs of abuse on body(bruising,cuts) -not tidy anything up(wait for police) Understand the national and local context of safeguarding and protection from abuse (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4,) Identify national polices and local systems that relate to safeguarding and protection from abuse. -human rights act 1998 -equality act 2000 -social services Explain the roles of different agencies in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse. -work together to prevent and protect adults from risk of abuse -support people to make their own choises -investigated actual or suspected abuse and neglect Identify reports into serious failures to protect individuals from abuse. For example: -if I am witness of abuse and I wont report it -if agency will get report of abuse from carer and won’t take an adequate acction -if I as a witness of active abuse call police and the police won’t show up Identify sources of information and advice about own role in safeguarding and protecting individuals from abuse. Supervisor-safe guarding courses local safe guarding team-social services independent safeguarding authority Understand ways to reduce the likelihood of abuse (4.1, 4.2) Explain how the likelihood of abuse may be reduced by: a) working with person centred values -encourage in contact with community,support to build up self confidence b) encouraging active participation -coopretaion with organization for disabled people(be part of disabled comunity) c) promoting choice and rights -by supporting with choises(places where to go for trips),accept the individual’s right for own decision but supporting to make sure client is safe Explain the importance of an accessible complaints procedure for reducing the likelihood of abuse. Know how to recognise and report unsafe practices ( 5.1, 5.2, 5.3) Describe unsafe practices that may affect the well-being of individuals -not safe practise during moving and handling -incorect use of equipment -not disposing of waste properly Explain the actions to take id unsure practices have been identified. -inform supervisor -write records of what is wrong + guidence Describe the action to take if suspected abuse or unsafe practices have been reported but nothing has been done in response. Keep reporting in case of abuse(report to supervisor,office again) call police(as nothing has been done foe change and the situaton may cause harm of client)

Sunday, September 29, 2019

The Sociopathic Religious Leader and Terrorism

The Sociopath Religious Leader and Terrorism Naturally, when one is given the task to explore terrorism, the first thing one would think to do is look up the definition to establish a deeper understanding. Merriam- Webster defines terrorism as: â€Å"the use of violent acts to frighten the people in an area as a way of trying to achieve a political goal†. This definition can lead one to believe that the word terrorism is nothing more than a subjective, blanketed term that is used loosely to label any act charged with hatred towards the government.This can also lead one to believe that â€Å"Terrorism† is not a word that can be easily fined but definitely has to deal with a basis for political hatred. Currently, scholars can not agree upon a more precise definition for the word. It's meaning varies from country to country, and even person to person. The media leads the general population to believe that terrorism is any violent act committed by a person with radical poli tical beliefs that is pointed towards high government officials but actually takes the lives of innocent civilians.Of course, the events that happened on September 1 lath, 2001 echo this sentiment and the media tells every American that this is the definition of terrorism. But does an act of terrorism always have to be committed by a radical thinker from the middle east with a deep-seeded hate for America? Does it always have to be politically charged? Absolutely not. Politically aimed terrorism is Just one end of the spectrum; however, both Merriam-Webster and the Mass Media would disagree. Both lead one to believe that all terrorism is politically driven. Many scholars also believe there is another fuel behind terrorist attacks.On the other end of the spectrum lies Religion. This world contains religious fanatics that are Just as passionate about their beliefs who are also capable of omitting the same heinous crimes against humanity. To take this one step further: imagine what cou ld happen when you have a passionate person that obsesses and idealizes their beliefs to the point of a mental disability. Many scholars agree upon the fact that there is a level of psychopaths and/or sociopath behavior that is present in the minds of most terrorists. So what happens when you mix a psychopathic brain with extreme religious views?As Americans, we tend to forget that prior to September 1 lath, 2001, the most devastating act of terrorism in the United States was the Oklahoma City Bombings. If one delves past the surface of Timothy McVeigh, they may be surprised at what they find. Timothy McVeigh was more than a man that was angry with the government. Studies done on Timothy McVeigh reveal inherit psychological problems. Studies â€Å"†¦ Suggest that there may be consistent neurological deficits of the prenatal lobes, anterior Cingular gurus and left temporal region behind murderously sociopath behavior. Timothy McVeigh was the textbook definition of a sociopath a nd while he may have denounced his religious views once he was caught, a closer view into his case study proves otherwise. Once you begin to look into his core beliefs you'll discover that he was heavily influenced and involved with the Christian Identity Movement. This â€Å"†¦ Theocratic form of faith that developed in the late sass and movement was a spread like wildfire through rural communities throughout the U. S. In the sass. † Their extreme views are what motivated Timothy McVeigh to put action behind his strong beliefs.The chief guidebook of the Christian Identity Movement was a piece of fiction entitled â€Å"The Turner Diaries† written by William Pierce. In this book, Pierce counts a certain faith-fueled appraisal that happened to be the exact framework for McVeigh bombing. It is as if Timothy McVeigh used this extreme piece of fiction as a step-by-step instructional on how to carry out the bombing. â€Å"In the book, the revolutionaries blow up a fede ral building as part of their intergovernmental war. In real life, the bombing of Oklahoma City's Alfred P.Murray Building was almost a carbon copy of the incident in Pierce's book. † McVeigh even had photocopies from pages on the book on him at the time of his arrest. This event was Just as much faith driven as it was politically charged. As tragic as the Oklahoma City Bombing was, Timothy McVeigh only had one other believer in his cause, his co-conspirator. Over the past couple of decades in America, there have been devout sociopaths that have convinced hundreds of believers to do some peculiar and gruesome things.During the bizarre Heaven's Gate tragedy in 1997, Marshall Applicable convinced 38 people to take their own lives in order to get to Heaven. He convinced them all to eat applesauce laced with a Phenobarbital that contained both arsenic and cyanide. How did he do this? With his smooth talk, convincing tone and personable demeanor. Even ore inexplicable is how anothe r Bible-toting holy-roller by the name of Jim Jones convinced more than 900 people to kill themselves by drinking Cool-Aid. Both Marshall Applicable and Jim Jones had a way with words that could convince people to do absolutely anything.Fortunately for the general public of America, these two monsters didn't have their followers take innocent lives before taking their own. Charles Manson on the other hand was an advocate of getting his followers to commit murder. Charles Manson and his story are both interesting because here is a man with an extremely devoted religious following. His followers committed several orders in cold blood to include shootings and gruesome, multiple stabbings in the name of their leader. Charles Manson proclaimed himself to be both God and the Son of Man and his followers hung onto his every word.It is important to note that Charles Manson committed no killings with his own hands. Everyone that died under his guidance was killed by one of his lowly but loya l followers. Imagine a religious leader as influential as Marshall Applicable, Jim Jones or Charles Manson with thousands of followers that felt the need to inflict harm upon the general public. Shook Sahara was an extreme religious fanatic in Japan that had a rather extensive following. He was the sole creator of the religious affiliation Mum Sonority.His beliefs were originally rooted in Christianity and the Bible but took a drastic turn for the worse once his sociopath mind started to further develop his own personal ideologies and started applying them to his made-up religion. Sahara believed that he was the Son of God and began to preach this to the masses. This man had a way with words and he was able to accumulate a cult-like following of nearly 10,000 people residing in Japan and 30,000 more in Russia. Sharma's cult was truly unique because of its followers: â€Å"†¦ At seems most remarkable about this apocalyptic cult is that its leading members include Japan's best a nd brightest: scientists, computer experts, lawyers and other highly trained professionals. But according to cult expert Margaret Singer of the University of California at Berkeley, these demographics are not unusual. â€Å"Cults actively weed out the stupid and the psychiatric cases and look for people who are lonely, sad, between Jobs or Jilted,† she says. † This is more than likely the main reason behind the widespread following and the high volume of people that read into all of Sharma's beliefs.Sharma's international claim to fame name in 1995 when he initiated a terrorist attack upon the general public that resided in Tokyo. Under Sharma's guidance, a Saris nerve gas was released into the enclosed and confined spaces of the Tokyo underground subway system. The effects of the gassing were catastrophic. There were 13 untimely deaths and more than 5,000 people were seriously injured. Using religion, Sahara convinced 27 co- conspirators to cause harm to thousands upon thousands of people in the name of God. Sahara is one of the ultimate examples of how a sociopath coupled with extreme religion can wreak havoc on society.What if there was a man with an extensive following like Shook Sahara and the motivation to carry out his own dirty work like Timothy McVeigh? Faith-driven terrorist acts committed in the name of God would cause mayhem in residential streets across America. All of these men mentioned, whether they committed acts of terrorism or not, have had many characteristics in common with most terrorists that have been psychoanalysis professionally through an institution. They all exhibit some of the same key certain traits. First, most terrorists are very convincing.Whether they use deceptive charm or descriptive stories to make their followers believe their truth, they can alter pinions and change views in order to make people see their altered view or reality. In the cases of both Timothy McVeigh and Shook Sahara, this rings true. Secondl y, terrorists and sociopaths alike are characteristically known to be highly intelligent. This is evident in the case of Sahara because in order to attract intellectual people, Sahara had to be intellectual himself. Sahara charmed his followers with intelligence and conversed with people on their high level.And lastly, Sociopaths are delusional to the point that they have convinced themselves that their babbling is the absolute truth. There is nothing more convincing that a man that has absolute, 100% confidence in the words that he is preaching. Whether it is a complete lie or not, an unwavering confidence in delivery combined with a zealous belief that it is the truth is enough to motivate thousands. One day in the United States of America, there will be a sociopath religious leader that has a strong cult-like following who is widely accepted and loved by the general public.Business men and politicians alike will endorse his personal views on religion and the major marketing giant s will have him on the covers of magazines and on the front page of newspapers . Rappers and singers will mention him in their songs, and he may even have a verse or two on a hit-song himself, making him a household name. He will make cameo appearances in hit box-office movies and win over audiences across America. Both he and his devoted underlings will have an extreme zeal and undying faith for what they believe.If this sociopath religious leader has a destructive vision that is characteristic of all terrorists, evil and destruction will be a result. His zeal coupled with mass appeal, along with the notion of â€Å"Our work is favorable in the eyes of God† ill result in catastrophic terrorist events nationwide and may even unfold to be the beginning of something much bigger, something that is already written. While the thought of a politically charged terrorist attack is awful, the endless possibilities of faith-driven acts of terrorism are absolutely mortifying.The politic ally driven terrorist has a rational consequence to deal with: backlash from the government and the citizens. On the other hand, the faith-driven terrorist has an irrational view of consequence or concern for his actions because the only audience he is worried with is God. The faith-driven terrorist is liable to do so much more harm to innocent lives because his psychopathic brain may see his work as acceptable according to his beliefs and favorable in the eyes of God.It is his disregard of the consequences that is unbearable and leaves the doors wide open for any and all kinds of terrorist attacks to ensue. The faith-driven terrorist is not bound by the constraints of this world and it is because of this, that the sociopath religious leader is the ultimate terrorist.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Zombieland

â€Å"Rule number one, zombies lead a very active life, so should you. † -Columbus. Zombieland is directed by Ruben Fleischer and is about a few people trying to get by after the zombie apocalypse. The main characters are named after the places they're ether from or going to. Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) is a sheltered, introverted geek with a fear of clowns. Each character has made it this far for certain reasons, he is paranoid of everyone, had no previous attachments and lives by a set of rules. Talahassee is a twinkey loving, nothing-to-lose, redneck who’s finally discovered what he's good at in life, Zombie killing. He's made it this far by simply put, kicking ass. Wichita and Little Rock (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin), are characters that Columbus and Talahassee meet later. They've have also found unique ways to survive the zombie mayhem. However part of their survival has included not trusting anyone, so things are sketchy between both pairs for quite a while. The movie was well written and turned out very well because of the fact it focused on the living instead of the undead. What the plot line was centralized upon was human interactions in a crazy and unique world. It also pokes fun at the standard zombie movie with well timed humor. In general what set it apart was the fact that it didn't take itself to seriously. The movie starts out with Columbus narating a scene that introduces his developing list of rules for surviving in a world overrun by zombies. Among them include rule number one, cardio. It goes back to the old joke about not having to outrun the bear, just your buddy. He notes that â€Å"fatties† were among the first to go after the zombies took over because they were easy to catch. Other rules include â€Å"beware of bathrooms† (you don’t want to get caught by a zombie while on the toilet) and â€Å"Always double-tap† (two gunshots, whacks with a blunt object or blade to be sure the zombie is dead for sure). There are a few additional rules sprinkled throughout (he has over 30) and they’re used to good effect. After meeting up with Talahasse, Columbus hitches a ride deciding it may be better to travel together. They meet Wichita and Little Rock when the two girls rob them of their vehicle and weapons. Later on they meet up and decide to travel together. Eventually they end up in Beverly Hills, where Talahasse wants to sleep in a a specific celebrity's house. Soon after the girls head to an amusement park in the LA area so that Little Rock can have at least a little childhood fun, but things take a sour turn, requiring a rescue from the boys. What was interesting in the movie was the interaction and relationships between the characters. The plot was centered around their interactions. Something that also added to the plot line was the narating of Columbus as the movie progressed. The movie poked fun at the traditional zombie horror flick by sprinkling in well timed humor in the face of pure zombie gore. The opening scene shows a poltician chasing a man. He ends up eating him, picking his teeth and belching. As the opening credits are running it goes through a few funny situations like a man running from a zombie stripper, a hobo with an end is near sign getting eaten, a fire fighter running from a zombie on fire and many more. They find comedy in making fun of the situation. Other times the movie makes comedy out of Columbus's fears. For instance when Columbus has 406, his neighbor and a girl he is attracted to, over he talks about his fears and even as distressed as she is, she can't help but to chuckle and say â€Å"really? † Throughout the movie when he goes into more detail about himself, it really makes a person chuckle. What makes this movie different from most zombie movies though, other then the comedy, is the fact its centered around people instead of the zombies themselves. When Columbus meets Talahasse, Talahasse doesn't think the relationship going to last, calling Columbus, â€Å"a bit of a bitch. But as the show goes on Talahasse and Columbus become close. Near the end when Columbus and Talahasse are going to part ways Talahasse realizes that Columbus still needs him and he decides to give him a ride in pursuing the girls and eventually saving them. When the guys first meet Wichita and Little Rock, the girls rob them. The sisters don't trust anyone but each other. They end up driving off twice with the vehicles that Talahasse some how enquires. The first time they leave immediately. The second time is after an extensive period of travel with the guys. They leave when they don't think they can or should trust the boys. When they begin traveling together things are particularly sketchy because nether of the two groups trust each other. The movie also highlights different ways of running from your problems. Columbus is scared and will physically stay away from things that scare him. Then there is Talahasse. He lost his son to the zombies and now is running from his problems by basically burying his head in the sand, showing a ruff exterior, killing zombies and chasing twinkies. Finally there is Wichita and Little Rock. They are scared of trusting others and getting to attached to the wrong people. This fear eventually pushes them away from the boys the second time. In the end what ties the movie together is the lesson that Columbus learns. That while they are all lone, wondering spirits they are the closest thing that he has had to a family. They look after and watch out for each other. Even as a kindred spirit, a person can still have a family and can still belong somewhere. It was a buddy, fitting in movie with a half eaten flesh covered exterior. The movie was great because of skillfully timed humor and great character interaction development.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Work, Labor, and Play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Work, Labor, and Play - Essay Example The essay focuses on global issues and talks about people’s attitude and behavior in their jobs. This discussion will investigate Auden’s definition of work and labor, differences between labor and work, the relationship that play has between labor and work, and the results of technology and current division of labor with respect to play, labor and work. Discussion Summary of the Article Arendt’s Classification of Labor and Work Auden investigates Arendt’s categorization of work, play and labor in his article. Arendt linked the labor concept to processes of biology, death and life and to surviving organisms following the lifecycle whereby the animal produces consumer products and non-durable products required to maintain human life. According to Arendt, laboring activities are continuous (without an end) as long as man is alive. Work, on the other hand, is what people do – what is produced by human hands and effort from their environment. It is the use of objects to produce durable goods (Arendt 51). Work, play and labor are vital activities of humanity, and play and work give human beings freedom for human necessities. Labor is a mere turmoil which primary purpose is immediate life need satisfaction. Differences between Work and Labor Auden discusses how work is exciting and amusing, and labor is unexciting. ... In other words, one is forced to perform the task because of the benefit necessary to earn a living and support his family (Auden and Kirsch 24). A person cannot attain self-worth, freedom and excitement as a laborer because a necessity force always compels him to perform a certain task which he does not take pleasure in doing. Similarly, Auden suggests that work is more pleasurable to a person who loves his tasks and assignment, and the society does not compel him to perform the task. It is a person who performs his task even if it is outside his specialization. According to Auden, to be categorized as workers or laborers depends on the preference of the person undertaking the task, not the task itself. The Relationship among Play, Work and Labor Play is crucial to the laborer’s challenges. In his article â€Å"Labor, Work and Play,† Auden argues that when people participate in a game (play), they enjoy what they are doing. Otherwise, people should not play, although i t is a personal matter whether people play or not. Leisure determines the character of a person. For instance, workers take some time off to refresh and increase efficiency and productivity. A laborer sees leisure and time off as an opportunity to free him from slavery. Similarly, a laborer attempts to take available time, where a worker thinks that time is a hassle. Additionally, workers take advantage of any little time off and leisure time. Results of Technology and Current Divisions of Labor Auden argues that technology can be extremely crucial and can be the most detrimental accomplishment to the soul of a man. This is because, in the end, technology and current division of labor will turn the future world into laborers (Auden and

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Pharmacology ( Paramedic ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pharmacology ( Paramedic ) - Essay Example the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of Ipilimumab as obtained from a similar research, the cost effectiveness of ipilimumab was found to be $78,218 per life year gained (Barzey et al. 2012, p. 73). This means that the ipilimumab is more cost effective. Adrenergic drugs are the pharmacological compounds that stimulate adrenergic nerves directly. They do this by mimicking the action of epinephrine or adrenaline in the body or stimulating their release. These drugs are used I treatment of life-threatening disorders including asthma, cardiovascular conditions such as cardiac arrest and in allergic reactions. Adrenergic receptors are widely distributed in the body and these drugs act on these receptors. However, their selectivity determines the receptors that the drug group will act on and hence the efficacy and side effects. There are two major groups of adrenergic receptors, which are alpha-receptors and beta-receptors. Those that act selectively on alpha-receptors are associated with constriction of blood vessels especially in the bronchial mucosa and relaxation of gastrointestinal smooth muscles. Those that are beta selective relax bronchial smooth muscles and dilation of bronchi. The beta-adrenoceptors also increase the heart rate and contractility of the heart. This means that using a drug such as salbutamol, which is a beta-adrenergic receptor agonist in asthma will be effective in causing dilation of the bronchi and hence relieve of symptoms. In addition, the drug will cause a considerable increase in heart rate and heart contractility as side effects due to its action on the heart muscles (Baker 2010, pp 1048-1061). The enzyme phosphodiesterase-5 is responsible for the degradation of cGMP in the smooth muscles of small blood vessels especially in the corpus cavernous of the penile shaft. The enzymes are also present in the arterial smooth muscles of the lungs. Inhibitors of this enzyme relieve erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Since

Hedging Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hedging - Essay Example There are various ways in hedge oneself from exchange rate risk by the use of financial derivative products, and a combination of strategies using these products. The three top runners for hedging purposes in exchange rates are Forward Contracts, Futures Contracts and Options. We’ll discuss the strategies which can be formed in each case, and then conclude which strategy would be most suitable for our current scenario. A forward contract or simply a forward is a non-standardized contract between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a specified future time at a price agreed today. The most advantageous feature of a forward contract is that it costs nothing to enter into such an agreement. The difference between the spot and the forward price is the forward premium or forward discount, depending on the swap points of the currency pair involved. Forward contracts are traded over the counter, and are more customized for individual customers. Another feature of a forward contract is that there is no specific margin call mechanism. Since there is no cost of entering into this agreement, margin calls are non-existent in this type of trade. Moreover, it is not regulated by an exchange or clearing house, thus it does not involve the hassles which occur in such cases. However, a forward contract obligates the customer to deliver or take delivery of the underlying asset at the time of maturity. Failure to do so would result in a breach of contractual obligations and can lead to litigation. But we have to keep in mind that there is no guarantee that a customer will honor the contract. In our case, the Virtual Books can enter in to a forward contract to fix a forward price for its imports as well as repatriated profits. In the case of its import, if the forward price is less than the prevalent spot rate on the day of taking up that contract, he will be losing money on the contract. If the spot rate is lower than the agreed forward rate, then it will be gaining on t he contract. In case it’s relatively the same, Virtual Books will no gain nor lose. The reverse case applies for its repatriated profits in which he is selling Euros and receiving GBP. The next alternative in line is Futures Contracts. A futures contract is a standardized contract between two parties to buy or sell a specified asset of standardized quantity and quality at a specified future date at a price agreed today known as the futures price. A futures contract operates in ways similar to a forward contract; however, there are a few differences which make the two distinguishable. First of all, a futures contract is traded on an exchange. They are highly standardized and are backed by a clearing house. Unlike forwards, an initial margin must be put up with the clearing house as a form of collateral. Fluctuations in the price of the underlying asset will reduce or increase the outstanding initial margin of the buyer/seller. Once a minimum threshold has been hit, margin call s are made so as to deposit funds to meet the minimum margin levels. Futures are backed by the clearing house, so in case any party defaults, the other party will still be able to deliver/take delivery of the underlying asset. In the case of Virtual Books, if they enter into a futures agreement, they will go long in Euro Futures which will obligate them to buy EUR against the GBP. In the case of their repatriated profit

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

E- Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E- Commerce - Essay Example Many people call this as the knowledge revolution, characterized by an international data highway that works 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It has been far too long since people have acknowledged that the wired or networked world is revolutionizing business. This phenomenon has paved the way for organizations to better communicate with their market and all the stakeholders involved in the production and selling of goods and services. In a nutshell, companies use technology and electronic mediation not just to reach out to its consumers and suppliers but also to automate back-office tasks and industrial operations while pushing ahead with research and development. eCommerce eCommerce or eBusiness is the most prominent consequence of electronic mediation in business. Here, individuals and organizations can sell and/or purchase goods and services through the Internet. The standard definition for eCommerce has been put forward by the US Census Bureau , which defined eCommerce as â₠¬Å"any transaction completed over a computer-mediated network that involves the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods or services.† (Storz 2007, p. 126) The Internet, however, is not the only channel by which eCommerce can operate. For instance, transactions can be made through different communication and technological channels such as the phone. Nonetheless, the Internet dominates the electronic commerce today. It was created thanks to the personal computer (PC), telecommunications, business software, as well as the advances in office technology industries. (Shi, p. 25) What ecommerce did for companies is to tear down the traditional bricks and mortar business models and imposing its own brand that features increased performance, speed and cost efficiency. In addition, according to Kellerman (2002), â€Å"globalization is quite unique to eCommerce, permitting the creation of global market areas for many products and services,† and that its â€Å"attribute is â €Å"intelligence, whereby eCommerce is aided by sophisticated information tool, such as databases, search engine and the like.† (p. 128) There are fundamentally two classifications by which eCommerce operates: B2B eCommerce and B2C eCommerce. The transactions that are electronically mediated between enterprises are called business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce, while electronically selling goods and services by a company to its consumers is called as business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce. Together they manifest the best possible benefits that a company could reap out of communication and technology. Business to Business With regards to the organization, electronic mediation poses several benefits and opportunities. The most important of these is cost efficiency, productivity and convenience. In the past, for instance, a company would follow the traditional method of procurement, which entails numerous work and human resource in order for products to be bought and sent to the buy er. The consumer would order through a thick and burdensome catalog and would be punished by having to browse each and every page that could rival the number of pages of the telephone directory. After, making the selection, he would then have to phone the selling party, be given several forms to fill, fax his information and proceed with the buy and sell process. This setup can be extremely be aggravated when products and serv

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Ending the Federal Reserve Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Ending the Federal Reserve - Essay Example The principal way that the Fed manages the economy and financial crises is to manipulate the money supply. The Fed does its work by adjusting three things: the reserve requirement, the discount/federal funds rates, and open market operations. There are a number of positive outcomes that can result if the Fed was abolished. One positive outcome is the end of the yo-yo monetary policies that leads the country to move from recessionary to inflationary periods. A second positive outcome is greater competition and safer investment among financial institutions. There are negative outcomes to ending the Federal Reserve. The principal negative outcome is that the business cycle will run unchecked. Financial crises will tear the nation apart even more than already do. The United States has wrestled with the idea of centralized banking since its birth. After suffering through serious financial crises in the 1880s and early 1900s, the United States settled on the Federal Reserve system. The country embraced central banks twice before creating the Fed. The country created the First Bank of the United States in 1791 and then let the charter lapse in 1811. Congress created the Second Bank of the United States in 1816 and then let that charter lapse in 1828 (The Federal Reserve, 2010). Both banks failed because they were seen as answering to big city money interests and not the ordinary agrarian citizen. (The Federal Reserve, 2010). Today the Fed is also associated by some with big financial conglomerates. The United States created the Fed after enduring a series of financial crises. Several banking panics rocked the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The United States took action after the panic of 1907. In that year, the nation faced a dire banking crisis caused by speculation. Private industry, led by J.P. Morgan, had to step in to save the economy. The government created an independent government body, the Fed, in

Monday, September 23, 2019

Executive summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Executive summary - Essay Example Wal-Mart is sociologist’s organization, this is because it employs three main theoretical perspectives which offer them sociologists paradigms of the way the organization influences people and how people influence organization. Each perspective exceptionally conceptualizes organization, human behavior and social forces. This includes the symbolic interactions perspective, the conflict perspective and functionalist perspective. The symbolic interactionist perspective also referred to has symbolic interactionism, directs Wal-Mart to consider the details of every days’ life and symbols, their meaning, and how people interacts with one another (Schein, 2004). The functionalist perspective also known as functions, each organizational aspect is interdependent and contributes to organization’s functioning as a whole. Functionalists believes that organization held together by cohesion, social consensus in which all members of the organization agree upon, and together work to achieve, the best for organization as a whole. Finally, the conflict perspective which prevents organization in a varied light than the symbolic interactions and fuctionist (Schein, 1990). Schein’s defines culture to be consisting of a range of levels from overt outside cultural manifestation to the deep underlying assumptions driving organization action. Wal-Mart in reference to Schein’s cultural model, artifacts are the visible processes and structures, espoused values and beliefs to the Wal-Mart goals, strategies and philosophies not forgetting underlying assumptions to the unconscious beliefs, thoughts, perceptions and individual feeling in the organization. This model helps in demonstrating the significance of culture to the organization since it unites or isolate people (Schein, 2004). Leadership styles are ways, approaches and the manner of implementing plans, providing direction and motivating individuals. The major leadership styles include authoritarian or autocratic,

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Theme Parks Essay Example for Free

Theme Parks Essay As I was young and growing up, traveling is something that I enjoy doing and still do today. I have traveled all around the country; however, the most exciting thing that I like to do is to go to an amusement park. Amusement parks are filled with rides, people, and excitement. The children are so excited and the adults feel as if they were young again. For example, Carowinds, Wet N’ Wild, and Disney World are all great amusement parks that I have been to. The number of people in amusement parks continues to grow as most amusement parks create new thrilling rides and activities to all people throughout the country. Carowinds is a very amusing place to go, which is located between Charlotte and Rock Hill. The amusement park is filled with people, food, rides, and excitement. Most people wait in long lines to get on a ride, while others walk around and get on another ride. Some of the rides that Carowinds have include: Wayne’s World, Vortex, and The Cyclone. These rides are breath taking, making people scream, and acquire a strong stomach to get on them. The amusement park has great food; however, the prices are a little eminent. They also have an all day buffet which is located in the middle of the park. Carowinds is a great amusement park to go as excitement continues to grow. The second amusement that has a lot of excitement is Wet N’ Wild. Wet N’ Wild is located in High Point, NC. Wet N’ Wild is an amusement park you just can not wait to get in. The park is filled with water rides and excitement. One of the rides I love to get on when I arrive is called The Twin Twisters. The Twin Twisters are two tunnels that loop you around four times at approximately 80 miles per hour. This ride is breath taking if you have not ever got on it before. The Twin Twisters is not recommending for children or people with high blood pressure. There are more water rides for people to choose from. The people that do not like water rides choose to go to the swimming pool which has approximately three hundred people. Most people that come to the park bring their own food because the prices are really high. Wet N’ Wild N’ Wild is the best water park in the state of North Carolina as more people continue to come. The last amusement park that has a lot of excitement is Disney World. Disney World brings excitement to all ages as it is like a dream come true to children. It is not normal to see Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny walking around in an amusement park. Once you enter the amusement park, you see children running around all over the place and playing with the people dressed in funny costumes. Most adults like watching plays with their children, take pictures, and collect souvenirs for memories. As many children are not able to see this exciting place, Disney World is a great place for children. Amusement parks are great to be as they are known to carry excitement. Children love to travel to amusement parks because they enjoy it. Most adults love to go to amusement parks because they relive stress and are very amusing. Amusement parks are very entertaining and amusing as more people continue to go to them all across the country.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Westernizations Impact On Indian Culture Sociology Essay

Westernizations Impact On Indian Culture Sociology Essay Indian culture has been changing over the past few years due to the threat of western culture. Westernization is effecting one of the oldest and richest cultures and taking away the traditions, customs, and family values that were once predominant in traditional Indian culture. Modernization involves a transformation in beliefs about the way the material world functions; westernization requires an alteration in cosmological viewpoints about how one should live their life. Developed by Muslim invasion and European colonization, Indias history begins with the Indus Valley Civilization. Their culture is formed by all different countries and backgrounds. Changes are being made in all areas including religion, dance, and music mostly found in the Bollywood films. Through movies watched in class and the books The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, I have found these represent most the disintegration of close familial bonds in Indian culture toda y. Traditional Indian culture can be expressed in five major categories. Starting with humanity, people of India are thought of for their humanness and calm sense of being without harshness in their ways of thinking. Tolerance also plays a big part in a traditional Indian. One understands the different races, beliefs, and practices brought into their country and doesnt step back and judge. Although there are caste systems in India, unity of citizens helps create a strong bond between all people of the country. Despite their religious backgrounds, India is a secular country meaning they are openly willing to share their thoughts and opinions about their religious beliefs. Finally all families are closely knit. Grandfathers, fathers, and their sons all are said to have the same spirit, tradition, and possessions. A strict social hierarchy system has been set in place for many years and is part of the traditional Indian culture. A joint family system is an important part of the way people live. Parents, children, their spouses, and other family members all live in the same house. This is said to help develop a close bond among all members of the family. The rules of the house are set up by the oldest adult male. The males bring in the food and money for the family in order to survive. The females or wives of these males do non educational work and are thought of as being housewives. Supposedly, Indian men and women are thought of as being equals. However, these laws are weakly enforced because women are not allowed to own their names let alone a piece of land. Leading into a more westernized setting within the city, women are allowed to be a prominent figure in society and hold jobs and the rights to their own name. In Ancient India, women had the same status as men. They had the same educational opportunities in the Vedic period and were married at a normal age to a husband of their choosing. Venturing into the medieval period, women were given fewer rights. They started performing child marriages and women whose husbands died were not allowed to remarry. Instead of living alone or with another husband, a widowed woman has to live in a house with other widows in poor conditions. They are allowed to leave during certain hours but do not have much freedom. In parts of India, women were taken advantage of. However, even under these conditions, women were extremely well in politics, literature, education, and religion. Even in parts of South India, women were said to be in charge of villages, towns, and institutions. Sati, jauhar, and devadasi have been banned from modern India. Sati is where the widow had to commit suicide by fire on the day of her husbands funeral. It was said to be a voluntary performance but sometimes it was forced upon the woman. The next tradition, jauhar, is when all the wives and daughters of defeated warriors committed suicide. Purdah is he practice of making women cover their skin so you cant see their body figure. It makes women not able to interact freely. Indian families have arranged marriages in which their parents and other members of the family pick the spouse with some input from the couple themselves. Compared to the United States, Indias divorce rate is very low and marriage is thought to be life. India currently has the lowest divorce rate at 1.1% compared to the top two countries Sweden and the United States in the 50% range. Most people here usually marry in their 20s or 30s, but in India more than half of the women marry before the age of 18. Arranged marriages play a big part in the roles of children in India. The parents and other family members get to decide who their child marries based on different traits. Divorce is not found often in India and is looked down upon by the Hindu religion. The caste system plays a big part in the pickings of a spouse. It is said that you are put into a caste system based on your previous life. You have the ability to move up in the social chair when you are reincarnated, only if you do above and beyond what was expected for you. An example of this would be a group called the untouchables, where they were looked down upon for doing petty work and earning little money. The caste system was important during the rule of the British Empire but is now abolished. The westernization of India has greatly affected the traditions, customs, and family values. Today, the respect for others has greatly decreased throwing away the traditional humanity Indian people. The idea of joint families is decreasing and families want to remain separate from each other. In a traditional Indian culture, one would care for the others around him and not only for himself. Also in todays situation, both husband and wife are working so there is no one at home to look after the children. Many of times a child is being watched by someone outside of the family and are not getting the rich, cultural childhood their parents have had. Slowly all customary Indian values are fading and everyone is moving onto a more western culture. It is acknowledged that modernity has various distinct aspects: the rise of a capitalist industrial economy, the growth of modern state institutions and resultant transformations in the nature of social power, the emergence of democracy, the decline of the community and the rise of strong individualistic social conduct, the decline of religion and the secularization of ethics (Kaviraj). This statement basically states that if India continues to modernize, individuals will change in their culture and beliefs in trade for a better technological economy. In trade for losing some of the past culture India is becoming a more economically stable country. However I do believe that the modernization of India is a good thing. Even though the Indian people have improved their way of life, their principles and beliefs have remained constant. A person can alter their clothing or the foods they eat, but their deep understanding and commitment to the culture will never be taken away. A traditional Indian family treats the guests of their home as gods and serves them even in tough times. A guest never leaves the house hungry. The respect towards the elderly is a major factor in the culture. The elderly drill ideas and pass on their stories as their grandchildren get older. The biggest age group moving towards the westernization is teenagers. Indian culture is disappearing in their lives and no longer is feeling proud to be Hindi. A Fine Balance portrays how strong family bonds were at one time. In the story, Dinas brother Nusswan controls her because he is the dominant male figure of the house. Their father passed away when they were young and Nusswan developed into a traditional Indian man who is the bread winner for the two of them. His rules were very strict even to the point where he would abuse Dina in order for her to learn the traditional Indian culture. What was so interesting about this story is that Dina had to move away from her brother and take on the challenges of working and living by herself. This would seem like a non-traditional way of living without a husband, but she made it work by hiring people to work for her and even taking in someone for extra money. Dina lives by herself and works as a tailor. She is looked down upon by the traditional Indian culture. However since she lives in the city, they accept her for being not married and a working woman. These examples show how the modernization in India is affecting the way women live their lives. A woman in a traditional Indian culture would not work for money and would do household work while taking care of her husband and children. Throughout the book Interpreter of Maladies, I noticed certain modern trends that were specifically placed in the stories to show how India is changing. The title of this book is meant to say how people interpret afflicting modern societies. The stories told in this book tell the lives of Indians separating from their traditional roots. The stories give multiple examples of people steering off course of the strict customs they have inherited through their ancestors. In The Interpreter of Maladies, Mrs. Das for example sits in the taxi with her sunglasses and offers no one else her snacks while her family is outside touring. India is known for the sharing of food and communication within groups of people. This example shows us how Indians are growing away from the original roots. In another short story within the book, Mrs. Sen shows us the power that material objects have over people. In Indian culture, these intangible objects shouldnt take over your life or have one obsessing over them. However, Mrs. Sen keeps talking about the things she once had and was accustomed to, even if it was her vegetable cutting blade. This story shows the power that material objects holds over people in the world today. In American culture, I think that people always want more of what they do not have. In a traditional Indian culture, a person deals with what they have and focuses more on family values and beliefs rather than objects. Sexy is the next short story telling the life of a young woman Miranda and her affair with a married man. Miranda knows little of this mans Indian culture. This type of affair is not looked on upon as being right within India. Another example of culture within the story is when Miranda attempts to buy an Indian food mix from the grocery store only to be told by the worker it will be too spicy for her. This highlights the fact that she feels uncomfortable around Dev, the Indian man she is seeing. In the final short story, The Third and Final Continent, a man is telling his life story starting in London right after he left India. The story leads on to discuss an arranged marriage by his Indian Family. The woman and him are wed and eventually end up in America not knowing anything about each other; they are complete strangers. An elderly woman brings them closer as they share their first laugh and have a real conversation as they get to know each other. This story was different than the rest for me because it told a story of a couple getting to know each other in a normal way. In a traditional Indian culture this is how a marriage would actually work. It is interesting to see that the couple eventually had a family because I would think it would be hard not knowing who your spouse is before you make a commitment. Even though most people may say Indian culture is slowly being ignored in the present day, I feel like everyone grows away from their traditional roots. However, I think that everyone still possesses traits of their ancestors and is interested in their culture. Just because a young person today isnt interested in the same type of things that their parents were, they will eventually want to learn things about the olden days. In a society where we live today, family is of much importance. They teach and shape us into the people we will become one day. An Indian traditionalist would argue and say India citizens should learn about their culture at a young age and experience different traditions such as living with your whole family. Indian culture is one of the oldest and richest cultures in the world today. Modernization and westernization are changing the way people look the traditions, customs, and family values that were once predominant in traditional Indian culture. However, the people of India I think are still holding true to their traditional side by blending in a new more modern era.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Global Industry Of Festivals And Events Tourism Essay

The Global Industry Of Festivals And Events Tourism Essay A global industry of festivals and events has grown and expanded since the 90s. Nowadays, festivals are recognized as one of the top growing types of leisure- and tourism related phenomena (Dimmock and Tiyce, 2001). As Mintel International Group (2006) suggests, festivals are forecasted to grow a total of 106% in the next five years period. South Australian Tourism Commission (1997, p. 2) suggests an easily understandable meaning of festival :Festivals are celebrations of something the local community wishes to share and which involves the public as participants in the experience. Festivals must have as a prime objective a maximum amount of people participation, which must be an experience that is different from, or broader than day to day living. Festivals, and more specifically, music Festival Organizations are increasing in number every year worldwide. According to Frey (1994), the provision of music festivals has developed based on a stable increase in disposable incomes, accomp anied by an increased amount of time offered for holidays. Furthermore, another feature that makes music Festivals so popular, is the fact that music Festivals form events which include a variety of activities associated with the music (Bowen and Daniels, 2005), unlike concerts which provide mainly live music performances, rather than various event attractions. One of the most popular music Festivals in Greece for the last six years is the Synch Festival. The Synch Festival was born in 2004 at Lavrio Technological Cultural Park, an ex industrial area of unique beauty, aimed at bringing the Greek and international audience, in touch with contemporary sounds and images. Music, arts and new technologies coexist in a two day festival. Keeping the pace with modernity Synch offers its audience the possibility to meet with some of the most interesting aspects of global culture. Synchs main course is music but despite its focus on the various aspects of the contemporary electronic scene Sy nch denies all kinds of borders and separations that lead to limiting or rigidifying musical expression. The musicians participating in the festival originate from different backgrounds and currents to share their ideas discouraging easy categorization creating musical hybrids that constantly evolve. An uncommonly open-minded curatorial sensibility, tapping everything from experiemental microsound to minimal house and banging techno to local outfits using rock, jazz, regional music and electronic elements. The Wire Its got the perfect balance of industrial setting, a diverse multimedia programm, cutting edge electronic acts and classic live acts. One to watch! Time Out London Falassi (1987) argues that the collective role of a festival is directly connected to values that a community looks upon as vital to its ideology, such as social identity, historical continuity, and physical survival. Additionally, according to Arcodia and Robb (2000), a festival develops around the marking of unique occasions and around the festivity of important events. Thus, according to Usyal, Gahan and Martin (1993) a festival may be considered as the cultural resources of an area that make realizable the successful hosting of festival attendees. The phenomenal growth, coupled with increased consumer awareness and choice, requires the industry to manage the sector effectively and efficiently to ensure sustained development and growth in the future (Yeoman, Robertson, Ali-knight , 2004, p. xix). Therefore, according to Arcodia and Whitford (2010) festivals are expanding worldwide as an increasing and lively sector of the tourism and leisure industry, which have major economic, so cio-cultural, and political impacts on the destination and on the host groups, if managed properly. All the way through history, festivals have taken the forms of cultural traditions or have marked religious or historical occasions linked to the community staging the festival (Arcodia Robb, 2000). According to Earls (1993) historically, the way festivals celebrated special occasions was through art, ritual, and festivity; they were seen as public meetings that make peoples joint wishes and dreams reality and offer a significant event for a unique experience in their lives. The basic origins of this type of communal celebration which has cultural importance to the host population (Pardy, 1991), can be traced back to the carnival of Europe. ( Arcodia, Whitford, 2010) The defining characteristic of a special event or festival is its transience (Gilbert and Lizotte , 1998, pp. 73). This suggests that it would be difficult to encourage and maintain the same sense of occasion and enthusiasm, if such an event was to be held more often. Goldblatt (1997) defines a festival as a special eve nt that recognizes a unique moment in time with ceremony and ritual to satisfy specific needs(Goldblatt, 1997, pp.33).According to Yeoman et al. (2004) the word festival derives from feast and means a time of celebration. Yeoman, et al. (2004) argue that the features of festivals and events are unique, thus no common model of management fits them all. These characteristics include intangibility , production, often taking place at the same time as consumption, and perishability (Yeoman et al., 2004, pp.xx). Festivals and events have diverse levels of operating costs and they fall into both the not- for -profit and profit- making categories. They can range from small-scale , locally based events, to large international festivals (Yeoman, et al, 2004). Previous studies on festival motivation(Uysal et al,1996, Nicholson and Pearce, 2001, Crompton and McKay, 1997) jointly demonstrate that the type of the festival is a significant predictor of motives. As a result, further exploration on various types of festivals should be conducted, in order to improve our understanding of the relationship between the kind of the festival and the visitor motives. A significant characteristic of a festival is the sense of community, belonging and celebration engendered by an event, which is a communal and free social meeting including a variety of media such as arts, performances and shows (Goldblatt, 1997). Cultural consumption is an intangible pleasure-seeking experience. The consumer experience in cultural products appears to have as its main elements the multisensorial, fantastic and emotional aspects of any consumer experience (Bourdeau, Paradis and Nyeck, 1997; Bourdeau, Decoster, Paradis; Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982). In other words, it can be perceived as a self-gratifying consumer experience with an experiential perspective (Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982). The intangible characteristics of attendance at a cultural festival make the event a consumer facility. According to Bourdeau et al.( ) more generally, it is a hedonistic experience in which consumers use their senses. It is only after this hedonistic experience, when they leave the festival site, that they develop feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction ( pp.1, in Bourdaeu, De coster Paradis,2001). Managers of a cultural scheme must supply an intangible, hedonistic experience but one that includes not only the basic service but peripheral services as well (Eiglier and Langeard, 1987). The basic service is the principal reason for attending. In the case of a music festival, it is the content of the event the live shows. Peripheral services are those surrounding the event such as festival information services. The intangible, hedonistic nature of a festival visit makes it difficult for managers to determine satisfaction levels among consumers. Swan and Combs (1976) have demonstrated empirically that when performance does not meet the consumers expectations, dissatisfaction results, and when performance does meet expectations, satisfaction results. Generally, the variance between expectations and performance correlates positively with feelings of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Howard (1977, p. 57) defines satisf action, from an expectancy theory perspective, as the consumers mental state of being adequately or inadequately rewarded for the sacrifice he or she has undergone. The degree of adequacy results from comparing actual past experience with the reward that was expected from the brand in terms of its potential to satisfy motives served by its product class.} (Bourdeau, De Coster, Paradis, 2001) terasties allages One of the original service quality theories is that customers are satisfied when their judgment of the service they have received (perception) equals or exceeds what they expected: Customer Satisfaction (CS)= Perceptions(P) =Expectations. This is known as the gap analysis theory (Zeithalm et al., 1990) or Olivers expectancy disconfirmation(Oliver, 1997). Zeithaml et al. considered that the factors that influence customers formulation of their expectations are word of mouth , personal needs, external communications, and past experience. Johnson and Mathews (1997) noted that the expectations of a frequent user of a facility would rely more on the influence of past experiences than other sources of information(eg. Advertisements). Researchers have no way of knowing what a first-time users expectations are based upon. Dale (1994a) suggests that world class experiences are used to formulate expectations. Parasuraman et al. (1988) tried to set customer expectations in context by suggesting that they are what an organization should offer. (Williams and Buswell, , pp.63-64) (table , pp. 67) MOTIVATIONS : The success of a festival is heavily dependent on the implementation of a strategic marketing plan; an understanding of the relationship between a destination event and its visitors and the identification of target markets are critical factors in the process (Thomson and Schoefield, 2009). Festival organizers are likely to contend that their primary goal is to provide high quality, satisfying experiences that visitors perceive to be good value in order to increase the probability that the visitors will return in the future and/or recommend the festival to others in their social circle (Lee, Petrick and Crompton, 2007). Since competition among festivals and destinations is increasing, the need for information on festivals, specifically analysis of motivations for attending festivals and events (Getz, 1993), has become crucial. Actual attendance itself may be attributed to multiple motives or just a single motive. In order for the event organizers to manage to deliver a great experience, the event product definition is a vital step. The event product is a unique blend of activities, which are the tools for achieving the overall event aims and satisfying customer needs. Event design should be customer orientated , and event organizers should create a mix that satisfies the largest number of potential customers na to allaksw ( Salem, Jones, Morgan, 2004, in Yeoman). Getz in 1997 pointed out the importance of the definition of the event product , by arguing that (oxi quote na to allaksw) many events suffer from a product orientation that is , they try to sell their event with little or no regard for what potential customers need , want, and will pay for. Hall in 1992 identifies three important objectives of event marketing: (oxi quotes, na to allaksw) read their customer needs and motivations , develop products that meet these needs, and build a communication program which express the events pur pose and objectives. Individuals, participating as audience at a festival or special event wish to satisfy their curiosity about place and people. Often they want to do what locals do and hope the festival experience will give them entrà ©e to the ways of life of a particular place(Yeoman, 2004,pp.38). Participants wish to emerge from the event with experiences and stories to talk about back home. These people want to avoid unsafe situations , discomfort, doubts, worries, embarrassment, making too many complex decisions , or being treated as computer number and being made to feel a nuisance. It is a marketing truism that people do not buy products or services , they buy the expectation of benefits that satisfy a need. (oli I paragrafos Yeoman, Robertson, Ali-Knight, 2004) giauto na to allaksw) No matter what the reason is for hosting a festival or event , there is a wide range of customers , each with different expectations , and this will impact on the management processes considered for each individual festival or event. (Yeoman, et al.,2004, pp. xx) According to Grainger-Jones (1999, p.53) leisure is defined as the application of disposable time to an activity which is perceived by the individual as either beneficial or enjoyable. Motivations are a hypothetical construct to define the driving forces of human behavior (Kroeber et al, 2003) and explain why people do what they do instead of choosing an alternative option. . The personal motivational drives of individuals are filtered and redirected by the social circles of workmates, family and friends (Burch, 1969). Therefore, the motives to attend a festival could vary from entertainment, socialization or excitement, to escape , or even relaxation . Needless to say, event organizers might have misconception of their customers motivation. Wicks and Fesenmaier (1993) examined the perceptual gap on customer expectations between visitor and vendors, identifying those areas of the event that need improvement. The same analogy also has applicability to the identification of the motivation gap that may exist between attendees and festival and event providers. {As Fodness (1994) points out, the motivation represents the major driving power in explaining human behavior, although it is not the exclusive factor.}(fODNESS, 1994)na to allaksw. Lee and Lee (2001) concluded that segmenting festival markets through motivations enables event managers to identify the strengths and opportunities of each market and helps guarantee their satisfaction. In most situations where festival visitors are heterogeneous, segmenting these visitor groups and understanding their characteristics based on festival motivations will be a powerful marketing tool, that enables event managers to enhance and promote event features preferred and valued by target segments (Formica Uysal, 1996, 1998). Crompton and McKay (1997) contend that event managers should strive to better understand the motives of festival attendance in order to design better products and services for them and because motives are a precursor of satisfaction and a factor in decision making, this in turn can lead to greater attendance. Crompton and McKay (1997) studied visitor motivation within the festival content for the following reasons: (1) it allows matching the festivals program to visitors needs; (2) it helps safeguard visitor satisfaction by increasing the chance of meeting the visitors diverse needs; and (3) it warrants repeat visitation, which is essential for the viability of the festival. Oakes( 2003) further contends that information regarding motivations can also be used to lure sponsors who are key to event funding. Schoefield and Thomson (2007) also agree It is critically important to identify festival visitor motivations and to measure the performance of festivals from the consumer perspective. They suggest that from a planning and management perspective it is vital to determine visitor satisfaction and behavioral intention with respect to repeat visits and to help identify the factors which affect visitor motivation and their experiential outcomes. (apo Gelder, Robinson, 2009,) Bowen and Daniels (2005) state that understanding why people go to music festivals can help planners align their marketing efforts to emphasize the attributes that best reflect the mission and goals of each event . Nicholson and Pearce (2001) believe that these factors will become increasingly important as the growing number and diversity of events, especial ly festivals, lead to heightened competition , in particular when events are initiated or expanded to encourage tourism and thus boost local economies (Daniels, 2004). Apo Glastonbury pdf Getz (1993) also emphasized the importance of analyzing visitors motives for attending festivals and events. Identifying such motivations is a prerequisite for planning event programs effectively and marketing them to visitors (Crompton McKay, 1997). Analysis of festival motivations also helps event managers to better position their festivals (Scott, 1996). PURPOSES OF THE STUDY By understanding what drives and motivates participation, the festival management could probably gain better insight into a strategy to maintain attendees and to drew new ones to the festival (Van Zyl, 2006). The primary aim of the present research is therefore to fill the gap in previous research by determining what motivational factors push and pull visitors to attend the Synch Festival, held in Athens, Greece, and participate in it, and what are their expectations. Comparisons will also be made with the point of view of the manager of the organizing company. By understanding attendees motivations you can give the opportunity to the event organizers to tailor promotions and develop desired services. The research objectives are : To explore and review the literature relevant to the motivation and expectations of people attending leisure events, with particular emphasis on music festivals. To investigate what motivates people to attend the Synch Festival and their expectations of the event. To explore and review the ways in which the Synch Festival is managed and organized, and in particular , the degree to which (if at all) customer expectation and motivation is considered. To report the findings of my research and, where appropriate, make recommendations and suggestions to the event organizers , as well as fill the literature gap as far as the exploration of festival motivations at a national level, is concerned. To achieve this, the article is structured as follows: the literature review is followed by a description of the method of research, then a discussion of the results, a discussion of the findings and their implications and, finally, concluding remarks.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Understanding and Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect Essay -- Preventi

â€Å"Childhood should be carefree, playing in the sun; not living a nightmare in the darkness of the soul.† -- Dave Pelzer, A Child Called "It"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Child abuse, the physical and/or emotional abuse of a child by a parent, guardian, or other person, is a major problem in the United States. Child abuse, including sexual abuse, beating, and murder have increased and it is believed that many cases go unreported. Another for of child abuse is child neglect, which includes malnutrition, desertion, and inadequate care for a child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Efforts have increased on the primary prevention of child abuse. This must be started on many different levels before it can be successful. Prevention plans on a social level include increasing the economic self-sufficiency of families, preventing the birth of unwanted children, making health care more accessible, expanding and improving coordination of social services, improving the identification and treatment of psychological problems, and alcohol and drug abuse, and providing more affordable child care. Prevention plans on the family level include helping parents meet their basic needs, identifying problems of substance abuse and spousal abuse, and educating parents about child behavior, discipline, safety, and development. Primary prevention is to prevent the disease before it happens and reduce the chances of child abuse or negligence from happening.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between 1995 and today child abuse cases have increased by more than fifty percent. More than thirty-five percent of which were confirmed. Each year one hundred and sixty thousand children are abused severely, even to life threatening extents. One thousand to two thousand children are killed resulting form child abuse. One of twenty murder victims is a child. Murder is the fourth leading cause of death in children from ages five to fourteen. The murder of a baby within the first twenty-four hours of life, Neonaticide, accounts for forty-five percent of children’s death.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most child abuse occurs in the home and is started by someone who is known and trusted by the child. Abuse in day care center and foster car settings are only a small part of confirmed cases, but are more widely publicized. In a household where spousal abuse takes place, child abuse is fifteen percent more likely to occur also. Children are three times more likely to be abused by father rather than mot... ...education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Number of children -Identify families with problems of:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Substance abuse   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Domestic Violence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mental health -Offer new parents   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Services of a social worker   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long-term home visitation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Parenting classes -Educate new parents regarding   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developmental tasks of children Age-appropriate anticipatory guidance Nutrition and feeding problems Safety Discipline -Discourage corporal punishment -Survey parents to identity health issues that are of interest to them -Support universal health care for children -Advocate for community respite care for parents -Advocate for community alcohol and drug treatment, mental health, and spouse and child abuse centers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Child abuse is a complex problem with many causes, it is important that people do not take a negative attitude toward its prevention. Although the absence of strong evidence to guide preventive efforts, society can do things to try to prevent abuse. Showing concern for the parents or care givers and increasing attempts to enhance their skills as parents or care givers may be able to help save our most vulnerable people, the children, from the nightmare of abuse and neglect.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Process Drama Essay -- Theatre

Drama according to the Wikipedia free encyclopedia is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance, which comes from a Greek word (drao) meaning action. A dramatic production depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes, it put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenomena. According to Learning Stream, â€Å"drama is a literary composition involving conflict, action crisis and atmosphere designed to be acted by characters on a stage before an audience.† Process drama according free Wikipedia encyclopedia is a method of teaching and learning, where both the students and teacher are working in and out of role. Cecily O'Neill, Brian Way (et al) (1995) further postulates that it is a teaching methodology used to explore a problem, situation, theme or series of related ideas. Process drama is unscripted; it eliminates some of the elements that other genres of drama consist such as a script and writing and memorizing of the script. It entails mostly the use o language skills, listening and speaking but not reading, writing or memorizing. Because of this, process drama is appropriate for students of all ages, as there are no steadfast rules of how to perform and no script is needed. It is an imaginary world created by students and teachers to solve conflicts that arise daily, placing themselves in another person’s position. Process drama is a self motivated tool that assists facilitators to reflect in action. To reflect in action f acilitators strategize and constantly add creative and distinctive changes to situations that need a novel approach. Process drama is used to promote literacy among students. Literacy is developed, while a vast am... ...drama is an interesting activity to foster and facilitate the role of the teacher and the student in the classroom setting. In facilitating and fostering process drama facilitators and student work collaboratively to create an intrinsic, imaginative world where through dramatic presentations problems are solved and harmonious solutions to aspects of real life experiences is conjured. The principles of process drama are a vehicle that is used to execute the role of the student and facilitator in adding to successive novelty approach to process drama in our classroom setting. Works Cited O'Neill, Cecily (1995) Drama Worlds: A Framework for Process Dram (The Dimensions of Drama). Heinemann Drama. Bowell, P., Heap, Brian S. Planning Process Drama, pp. 28, Osbourn,s.Learning Smart .lifestreamcenter. Vygotsky, L.,(1978). The child’s Mind and Society.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

My Philosophy change is a challenge Essay

I. Introduction Man needs philosophy in order to be able to think, act and live accordingly. It is a basic blueprint of a man’s actions from thinking, to interacting with others. The only thing that is constant is change. This saying is indeed true especially in the Philippine Education System. For every change implemented lies challengers on the part of the classroom teachers who portrays varied roles. The rapid changes in the world have made curriculum design even more difficult. to be globally competitive II. Aims of my Philosophy chosen There is a need to revise the curriculum from time to time for us to suit the needs of time. We should go on with the flow of life and we should revise it now because curriculum in the past is not anymore very effective or suited for today’s generation As pro active individual I consider Change as a challenge and not a threat. Meeting new challenges require the opportunity to take risks and try new ideas. As a learning individual change is inevitable to meet the needs of society. In a fast changing society education is one way to connect oneself to the past and to project into the future and therefore aims in Philosophy should be considered. III. Role of Philosophy chosen to Education Education and philosophy are closely tied together; both are associated with teaching, learning, and discovering. Philosophy is more of an all-encompassing part of life, though; education is a more specific form of it. Due to the contributions of philosophers over the centuries, education has developed into the powerful tool that it is today. Without philosophy, education would essentially not exist. That said importance of philosophy in education is in fact the foundation in which all academic teaching and intellectual learning is built off. IV. Role of Philosophy to the content development 1. It guides everyone to plan collaboratively for school change to meet the learner’s diverse needs 2. It serves as a vehicle to open new ideas for positive outcomes 3 It strengthens the goals on meeting challenges for a fully functional learner. Language is dynamic as well as the curriculum. We have different curriculum in the past and in the present. We are now in a globally competitive world. A world that also needs competitive teachers and students. So, how will you become competitive if your curriculum is traditional? And is not aware of the new trends of teaching today? Students now are fond of using computers. They will probably choose going to the computer shop than going to school. As a teacher, what will you do? Don’t be a boring teacher! An effective way of solving this kind of phenomena is that the teachers must use technology in teaching. Make it as your partner in delivering a lesson so that the students will not get bored. Make a teaching-learning process lively and meaningful. Teaching and learning give life and meaning to the curriculum because this is the process wherein the teacher and the students interact with each other interchangeably or vice versa. If there is an effective teaching-learning process, it’s really a big help to the curriculum. It’s a big honor because each complements and supplements each other. The value placed in teaching will reap the same value in learning. Thus, a good curriculum can be judged by the kind if teaching and the quality of learning derived from it. The most important thing to keep in mind about strategic content development is that it’s truly an improvisational process. The reason why you want to identify as many viable options for potentially remarkable content is simple: You’ll almost certainly need to make adjustments on the process, and it’s easier to do that when you’ve already identified alternatives. So, the final aspect of strategic content development is to constantly evaluate what happened along the way, and why. The most valuable lessons are often found in the things that didn’t work, so treat it all as a learning experience that keeps your content constantly fresh and worth talking about. V. Significant effect of this curriculum development to the current trends in attaining universal truth in Educational Process In 2012 Deped’s K 12 Program goes full blast. Brother Armin Luistro has described the implementation of the universal primary or pre-school education in the Philippines as the â€Å"defining moment† in the administration of President Aquino as it seeks to implement reforms with deep impact on the welfare of Filipino children and the youth. DepEd’s enhanced curriculum aims to meet the overall objective of preparing children for productive work, either as employees or entrepreneurs, while maintaining its current academic thrust It seems that the President is rushing this program before his term ends. If this program is not implemented well, we might not achieve our real objectives. And all we have done is to disrupt the whole system. Changing programs and implementing new ones is not cheap. Will the next President change the system again? In a survey conducted by SWS from Aug. 24 to 27 last year showed growing acceptability of the key features of the K-12 program compared to survey results in March 2012. About 72 percent of Filipino adults believe that K-12 will give students more sufficient knowledge and preparation for work and college compared to those who finished 10 years of basic education, garnering a net rating of +48, up from +35 last March. The percentage of Filipinos who believe that more students will be encouraged to finish the two-year SHS because it is equivalent to two years of college hit 69 percent, or a 10- point increase from 59 percent in March. The results showed that 68 percent of Filipinos with a net rating of +39 believe that more students will finish SHS even with the additional cost and number of years because K-12 graduate will be better prepared for work, higher education, and business. The results of the survey did’nt even reach 75% which means some are not amenable to the new program. Although the selling point of K to 12 is the assurance that graduates of Senior High School will be able to work immediately, even before or without seeking a college degree Under certain circumstances, it is possible to revise only the high school curriculum. Even in this case, we have to wait until those already in First Year have finished Fourth Year (under the present system). After drawing up a curriculum on paper (including such things as expected competencies, prerequisites, qualifications, learning areas, scope, coverage, and outcomes), curriculum designers have to think about the textbooks and other instructional materials that will have to be created for the new or revised subjects. Although teacher training is a separate process, curriculum designers also have to give pointers on how teachers should be trained to handle the subjects. There also has to be some way to determine if and when the curriculum needs to be revised; this is called program assessment or evaluation. Because of abrupt implementation teachers are really having a hard time coping with the changes not to mention the lack of classrooms, instructional materials and the real physical situation of the learners. If the government can financially sustain the program without adding too much burden on parents, it’s worth giving it a try. However, nowadays, most of the students are the happy-go-lucky types who do not regard education as their priority. They’d rather bum around in malls or stay glued to computers. As a result, most graduates are half-baked, who can’t even write or speak good English, unlike the students of yesteryears. Before, a Grade 6 pupils then could already teach. An additional two years to the basic education curriculum could spell two more years of burden to poor parents who could hardly send their children to school. Before full implementation, there usually is a year-long pilot to debug the curriculum, as well as a longer transition period within which some students will be following the old curriculum and some following the new. Curriculum should not only focus on the tools necessary to develop reasoned and logical construction of new knowledge in our various fields of study, but also should aggressively cultivate a culture that nurtures creativity in all of our learners. This point seems particularly important.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Clinical vs Counseling Psychology Essay

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the primary goals of a clinical psychologist and a counseling psychologist, explain perspectives on treatment similar and how are they different, and discuss the educational requirements for each. This paper will also discuss what type of setting are we likely to find each, identify which professional association each would be affiliated with as well as which Code of Ethics regulates each professional and explain the advantages and disadvantages to each of these professions. Primary Goals of Clinical Psychologist Assessment – This includes interviewing, observation and testing; all clinical psychologists need to be thoroughly trained in this area and should be able to choose the correct type of testing/method when conducting this with the client. They test such things as intellect, cognitive processes, and social functioning along with this, being able to interpret the test is also essential to clinical psychologist (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Diagnosis – As well as being able to conduct test, a major role also includes the ability to diagnosis using multiple models (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Intervention – Giving the client the inner strength to acclimatize themselves to change and gain a sense of power in everyday living (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Research – The ability to implement and conduct different programs both basic and applied. This is a fundamental function of clinical psychologist in both clinical and academic formats (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Consultation/Program Development – Working with peers who work with clients, interacting with peers, contributing their services for the bettering of the program, and obtaining supervision (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Clinical psychologists have a skill set which provides a much needed service to society. They use it by practicing, creating and evaluating applied and scientific skills (Vallis & Howes, 1996). Primary Goals of Counseling Psychologist Some goals include expounding on the overall mental aspect when working with families, communities, and individuals. Working with those individuals in distress and experiencing troubling times in areas such as family,  relationships, making decisions, life events and career moves just to name a few (Bedi et al, 2011). Their goal is to be well informed with how humans think, feel, their personal life, sexual relations, and even recreational activity to name a few. The counselor’s job is to expose the inadequacies and provide a remedy that will correct those issues (Watkins, 1983). Educational Requirement for Clinical Psychologist To be called a â€Å"clinical psychologist† one first would have to obtain a doctorate then become licensed in the state you want to practice in. The two types of degrees are PhD, which focuses more on research and PsyD which places emphasis on the applied facet of clinical psychology (Sternberg, 2007). Educational Requirement for Counseling Psychologist To obtain this â€Å"title† one must complete the required and accepted doctorial degree, complete a minimal of two years in what is called â€Å"supervised practice† and apply to be licensed in the state(s) you choose to practice in (Kuther & Morgan, 2009). Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages – The following advantages are from a psychology forum. (1) Being of help is self-fulfilling (2) You can set your own work schedule (3) You have the opportunity to make a lot of money (4) You can be self employed. (5) Psychologists have the opportunity to touch countless of lives (Cherry, n.d). Disadvantages –The following disadvantages are from a psychology forum. (1) Issues with insurance and billing (2) Difficulty setting up your independent business (3) Working with clients can be challenging. (4) Psychologists have rough and complex work hours. (5) You spend devoted time to recruiting new clients (Cherry, n.d). References Bedi, R. P., Haverkamp, B. E., Beatch, R., Cave, D. G., Domene, J. F., Harris, G. E., & Mikhail, A. (2011). Counselling psychology in a canadian context: Definition and description. Canadian Psychology, 52(2), 128-138. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/870506935?accountid=39364 Cherry, K. (n.d.). Advantages of Being a Psychologist. Psychology – Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts. Retrieved August 5, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/careersinpsychology/tp/psychologist-advantages.htm Cherry, K. (n.d.). Disadvantages of Being a Psychologist – What’s the Worst Part About Being a Psychologist. Psychology – Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators & Enthusiasts.Retrieved August 5, 2013, from http://psychology.about.com/od/careersinpsychology/tp/psychologist-disadvantages.htm Kuther, T. L., & Morgan, R. D. (2009). Careers in psychology, opportunities in a changing world. (3rd ed. ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Pub Co. Sternberg, R. J. (2007). Career paths in psychology. Washingtion, DC: American Psychological Association. Vallis, T. M., & Howes, J. L. (1996). The field of clinical psychology: Arriving at a definition. Canadian Psychology, 37(2), 120-127. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220807484?accountid=39364 Watkins, C. E. (1983). Counseling psychology versus clinical psychology: Further explorations on a theme or once more around the â€Å"identity† maypole with gusto . The Counseling Psychologist, 11(4), 76-92. d oi: 10.1177/0011000083114012

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Learning Styles Theory Essay

Learning styles theory originated in the 1970’s and is based around the idea that people have preferences about how they like to learn. Theorists believe that each individual has a particular learning style that is best suited to them and allows them to collect and process information successfully in order to learn. The principle idea is that these learning style differ from one individual to the next and theorists argue that school teachers should incorporate these learning styles into their lessons so that student is catered for and everyone can learn effectively. Many educationalists believe that differences in learning styles are responsible for some student difficulties, for example, if a student is taught in a style they do not prefer they may not learn as successfully as those students being taught in their preferred style. David Kolb is one of the main researchers who studied learning strategies and processes and put forward his idea of experimental learning. Kolb stated that; â€Å"Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.† (David A Kolb, 1984) Kolb’s experimental learning model draws on the ‘Lewin Cycle of Adult learning’ and proposes that there are four stages which follow on from each other to complete the learning cycle. Kolb’s model suggests that in order for learning to be effective that an individual must include the four stages; Concrete Experience, Abstract Conceptualization, Reflective Observation and Active Experimentation, in their learning process. He believed that this would result in the individual finding that they had strengths and weaknesses in particular stages and their preferred learning style derived from this. Kolb stated that there are four instrumental learning styles which follow on from th e four previous stages, these are; the diverging learning style, the assimilating, the converging and the accommodating learning styles. Kolb’s theory was generally widely accepted however recent critics have found it unreliable. Two management development specialists named Peter Honey and Alan Mumford further developed Kolb’s theory and created a questionnaire designed to find out a person’s preferred learning style. The questionnaire asks a series of questions which help the individual to identify their preferred learning habits. The answers to these questions are scored and the person then falls into one of four categories which is the learning style best suited to them based on the answers they have given. Honey and Mumford put forward four main learning styles; Reflectors, theorists, pragmatists and activists, each with their own characteristics. Reflectors prefer to learn through activities which allow them to observe, think and review situations. They like to collect data and mind map. Theorists prefer to think problems through step by step using lectures, systems, case studies etc. Quite often they are perfectionists. Pragmatists enjoy applying new ideas and techniques to actual practise to test their use. They prefer learning through lab work, field work and observations rather than lectures or lengthy discussions. They are practical and like concepts which can be applied to their own jobs. Activists enjoy new things and like challenges. They prefer to learn through activities role-playing, problem sol ving and small group discussions. They are unlikely to prepare for their learning or to review it afterwards. This was Honey and Mumford’s interpretation of learning styles theory however other theorists have different opinions. Neil Fleming’s VAK model of learning styles is one of the most popular interpretations. Fleming developed an inventory designed to help students learn more about their individual learning preferences. Fleming’s VAK model identified three learning styles; Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic. According to this theory most people have a preferred learning style however some people may prefer to learn using a mixture of all three styles. As with the previous theories each style within the VAK model has individual characteristics based on their learning preferences. Visual learners learn best through seeing. They think in pictures and have intense mental images. They like to learn using maps, charts, pictures or videos. They tend to have visual skills in activities such as reading, writing, puzzle building, interpreting charts and graphs, and painting a nd have a good sense of direction. Auditory learners like to learn through listening. They tend to think in words rather than pictures and learn best through lectures, discussions, talking things through and hearing other people’s opinions. Auditory learners tend to have highly developed auditory skills and are generally good at speaking and presenting. They demonstrate these skills through speaking, listening, storytelling, explaining, understanding the syntax and meaning of words, remembering information and analysing language usage. Kinaesthetic learners learn best through moving, touching and doing. They find it hard to sit still for long periods of time although they have a good sense of balance and hand-eye co-ordination. They process and learn information through interacting with objects and materials. They demonstrate their kinaesthetic skills via physical co-ordination, athletic ability and hands on experimentation, body language, acting and building. A classroom is a good environment in which to put the learning styles theory into practise as there are a number of students in one place each with individual preferences on how they like to learn. There are various methods and activities for each learning style t hat can be used to help the student learn effectively in a way that is suited to their particular preference. For example, when tailoring a lesson to suit a visual learner graphics could be used to reinforce learning. Colour coding could be used to organise class note and highlight key points in the text. Encouraging the student to take notes would also help to embed the learning. Visual learners may also find it useful to illustrate ideas and use flow charts and diagrams when note taking. To cater for an auditory learner during a lesson it would be useful to put across ideas or points by reading them aloud to the class or by getting a student to read out passages etc. to the rest of the group. The teacher may also want to read out significant information which they want to be remembered. Verbal analogies and storytelling could also be used to further emphasize issues and points. The use of tunes and rhymes as mnemonic devices would also be helpful to auditory learners. For kinaesthetic learners to learn successfully they could be encouraged to make models or role-play in relation to the lesson in order to physically experience their learning. The student could translate the information they are being taught into diagrams, flow charts etc. in order to help them learn and remember the lesson more successfully or they could count out a list of items to be recalled on their fingers. Kinaesthetic learners should also be urged to skim through material for key points before reading it in detail. As kinaesthetic learners enjoy learning through movement they could be asked to memorize information whilst performing a physical task, for example, whilst running on the spot or hopping on one foot. All of these techniques could be used to help a student develop their visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learning strengths. The same principles could also be applied to the learning styles from the other models in the learning styles theory. To put this theory into practise I have chosen a subject and a topic from within that subject to teach to a group of my fellow students. I have chosen to look at social psychology and from that I am going to teach the topic of Conformity. I will deliver the lesson using various methods and techniques to cater for the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners in the group. The topic of conformity can be broken down and taught accordingly to each of the three styles. To deliver the lesson to the visual learners in the group I plan to teach key terms such as group norms, group pressure and majority influence by writing them and their meanings on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom where they can be clearly seen. I will then ask the student to take down what I have written. I want to teach the students about different research studies that have been conducted on conformity. I will use a projector screen to show a PowerPoint presentation with numerous pictures and graphics detailing the experiments carried out by Sherif (1935) and Asch (1951). To finish my lesson to the visual learners I will show them a documentary film on conformity called ‘The Power of the Situation’. These methods of delivery should help the visual learners of the group to learn to the best of their ability according to the VAK model. To teach conformity to the auditory learners I will again adopt methods which I believe are best suited to their learning preferences. This time instead of writing the key terms on the whiteboard I will state them verbally and then ask the students to have small group discussions on them where they can listen to each other’s opinions and views. After they have completed this I will ask each group to give me examples of majority influence, group pressure, conformity etc. aloud for all the class to hear. I then plan to move on to teach the research studies, I will give a talk on the studies conducted by Asch and Sherif and encourage the students to ask me questions throughout. To end the lesson I will talk about Kelman (1958) and his views on conformity. I am also going to give the class written notes on Kelman and ask the students to read out different sections of the text to the rest of the group. These techniques should ensure a successful learning experience to the auditory learners in the class. Again I will apply the principles of Fleming’s VAK model to teach the conformity lesson to the kinaesthet ic learners of the group. I will teach the key terms by talking about them and asking the students to take notes as I speak. I will then give the students a physical task to test their knowledge of the key terms by asking them to recall the terms and their meanings whilst jumping up and down. I believe this will be effective as kinaesthetic learners prefer to learn using movements. I may also ask them to do various role-plays depicting examples of situations where conformity has occurred. To teach the research studies to this group I will ask them to repeat the studies as closely as possible and record the results they find. To end the lesson to the kinaesthetic group I will ask them to go through their notes and highlight important points and facts. I believe teaching the topic this way will cover all three styles of the VAK model. Already we can see how the principles of the learning styles theory can be applied in the classroom but the question remains; do learning styles really exist and is it possible and realistic for teachers to teach students in this way? After some research I have found relatively little empirical evidence supporting the theory. On the other hand I have found many arguments which discredit the theory. I am now going to review some of the cases for and against the learning styles theory and try to draw a conclusion. According to the learning styles theory it has the ability to help learners identify their strengths and weaknesses and therefore enable them to develop a more efficient learning process. An extensive literally review of learning styles, cognitive styles, Howard Gardiners multiple intelligences and an information processing model from school psychology was undertaken by Dr Erica Warren and she put forward the idea that there are twelve different learning styles – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, tactile, sequential, simultaneous, reflective, interactive, direct experience, indirect experience and rhythmic melodic learning. Dr Warren claims that there is no right or wrong way to learn and that all learning styles can easily be accommodated in the classroom without having to teach in twelve different ways. She states that some teaching methods are multi-sensory and meet the preferences of all the different types of learners. Although Dr Warren’s argument seems plausible and is well researched again there is little statistical evidence to substantiate it. This is the same case for the rest of the learning styles theories such as Kolb’s and Fleming’s. This may be because results on testing these theories have been largely based upon answers to questionnaires which rely on the participant’s ability to be precise and objective often leading to doubts regarding validity. Although the reliability of learning styles theory has been discredited to an extent in recent years it is widely acknowledged that people do gather and process information in diverse ways and that a greater understanding of these styles and preferences will help teachers employ a wider range of teaching techniques providing an effective learning experience for most students. Granted this idea may have some logic it is quite unrealistic to teach in a way that caters to all learning styles fully due to time and financial restraints within schooling systems. According to cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham there is no scientific evidence whatsoever in support of learning style theory. He claims they do not exist. He argues several valid points about the theory claiming that something closely related to the theory is correct but not the actual theory itself. The theory asserts that students learn via methods such as visual, auditory or kinaesthetic etc. but Willingham points out th at this is incorrect. However memories are stored this way by the brain. Willingham also claims that it is not possible for an individual to learn exclusively by their preferred style. For example, a student may prefer to learn through auditory methods but if a teacher is trying to teach shapes it cannot be done via auditory methods as the shapes must be looked to gain a proper sense of them, therefore the student must be able to adopt a variety of different learning styles depending on what is being taught. This suggests that indeed it is not a good idea for teachers to teach relying solely on the learning styles theory. Willingham also talks about a useful experiment used to test out this theory carried out by many people. Two lists of words are given to one visual learner and one auditory learner. First the list is given to the learner via a visual slideshow presentation and then the list is played aloud through a speaker. If the learning styles theory were correct one would assume that the auditory learner would learn best from hearing the words and that the visual learner would learn best from the visual presentation however when put to the test this is not th e results that are found. This is because the learners only encode the visual and auditory characteristics to their visual or auditory memory stores without actually attaching meaning to it. Even though learning styles theory may seem logical and correct when studied in depth the fact is that there is very little empirical evidence to substantiate it. Overall it may be construed that although students may prefer to learn in a particular way they are fully capable of learning in other methods without their performance being adversely affected. 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(1997) How to manage your learning environment, Peter Honey Publications The Learning Styles Questionnaire: by Peter Honey and Alan Mumford, Maidenhead, 2001