Social Aspects of Law (UK) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Aspects of Law (UK) - Essay Example tain, as well as deport. In all of these instances except for deportation, the UK Border Agency’s activities apply to both citizens and non-citizens of the UK. In this regard, there is reason for consideration of application of PACE-like standards to the UK Border Patrol in order to standardize its police powers and procedures. 18b. Suppose we had NO state-provided legal aid or advice systems whatsoever in place in this country. Make 5 suggestions for the introduction of an entirely new system of state provision in this area. (1.2) If the country were completely lacking in legal aid and advice systems, an opportunity would exist to suggest an arbitration system that would resolve problems through alternative dispute methods rather than through escalation into the legal justice system. Legal aid can be considered in regard to both civil and criminal matters, as well as in assistance to plaintiffs and defendants. In most instances, the aid is provided to criminal defendants, but there are instances of activist cases where plaintiffs form a claim for reparations or damages, as in a class action procedure. Thus, the recommendation would be do create two distinct assistance foundations for criminal and civil cases to be heard by experts in each field, and for sections to be dedicated to the defense and prosecution as required by the local caseload. Public funding for defenders should be used for paid staff on a permanent basis, and where demand for assistance exceeds the time of staff on-hand, provisions for budgetary supplement and additional hiring should be undertaken. Law students should be provided an opportunity to volunteer and assist with various clerk, paralegal, and advice counseling. Finally, defense assistance should work with and develop more functional ties with social services and volunteer groups helping people to recover from aspects of crime, addiction, abuse, trauma, etc. in society. 19a. Explain the context and meaning of Strict Liability and discuss whether or not it is fair to include it in certain laws. Do you think that the type or extent of punishment for someone found guilty of a strict liability crime should be different to the type and extent of punishment for someone found guilty of a crime where Mens Rea has to be provided? (2.1) Legal standards restrict the application of strict liability primarily to Tort Law as a consequence of business practices or corporate operations where the field of operation has an acknowledged consumer responsibility such as food products, pharmaceuticals, or transportation operations. In these instances, it is accepted as a course of operation that standards of safety must apply to all aspects of operation. In this context, strict liability may apply even when there is no â€Å"guilty mind† or Mens Rea and intention to cause damage on behalf of the business. Indeed, the company may sincerely regret the harm and damage done to

Psychologists & prejudice Essay Example for Free

Psychologists prejudice Essay According to Dollards et al (1939) frustration-aggression hypothesis aggression that cannot be expressed directly at the source of frustration can be displaced unto a ‘representation’ of the source (scapegoat), leading to bias and prejudice. Unlike the previous cases which have their origins in social learning or social identity this form of prejudice is borne out of the frictional component of social interaction. A ‘solution’ is therefore to reduce this friction as much as possible. The apartheid era in South Africa did recognise the problem of ‘cultural friction’ and sought to address it by separating black from white. However, the separation was not fair favouring white (supremacy) over black. This in effect only amounted to replacing one source of friction and frustration with another. Typically, social frustrations are linked to exogenous economic conditions where the contrast between the rich and poor is clearly sharpened. The challenge for any government to implement a solution to such frustrations may be simply be too difficult, or not at all practical. Germany in the late 1930’s and early forties provides a good example of national frustration followed by an explosion of national prejudice and aggression. The application of the ‘solution’ shaped the history of the 20th century. By understanding the origin and causes of prejudice, psychologists are able to propose methods and conditions that can lead to a reduction of prejudice. However, economic factors, social learning, and identity beliefs based on religion or culture may mean that any attempt to remove prejudice from ‘free’ society will be met with limited success.

Free Destiny vs. Controlled Fate in Antigone Essay -- Sophocles

Fate is an old debated concept. Do one's actions truly play a role in determining one's life? Is fate freedom to some or is it binding to others, in that no individual can make completely individual decisions, and therefore, no one is truly free. Nowadays, fate is a subject often rejected in society, as it is seen as too big, too idealistic, and too hard to wrap a persons head around. However, at the time of Antigone, the concept was a terrifying reality for most people. Fate is the will of the gods, and as is apparent in Antigone, the gods' will is not to be questioned. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were unrealistic. In Sophocles' Antigone, fate plays a crucial role the choices that the characters make. Most people believe that Creon and Antigone were under the influence of forces that they could not control, in the decisions they made and the actions that they took. Despite Antigone's morals and her practice of those morals, she cannot escape the family curse. She states, â€Å"You would think that we had already suffered enough for the curse on Oedipus† (prologue.2-3). Ironically Antigone will suffer the rest of her life because of what her father/brother did. Her life had been rocked so much by this family curse that only Ismene remains, and she lost the last thing that mattered to her--her sister Antigone, who surprisingly took her own life. Antigone’s strong beliefs in the god’s laws can really be heard when she said â€Å"†¦Your edict, King, was strong, but all your strength is weakness itself against the immortal unrecorded laws of god. They are not merely now: they ... ...n offering at the altar but the god of fire failed me so the flame never blazed† (5.10-22). The birds may symbolize the family, two brothers killing each other, Creon sentencing Antigone to die. Or Antigone opting to hang herself which leads Haimon to try and kill his father but getting killed himself instead, and as a result Creon's wife commits suicide. The gods don't show acceptance of this situation, because the family has been doomed into the fate of death. A lot can be learned about an author by just reading his or her works. For instance one can easily learn about Sophocles’ view on fate just by reading Antigone. Much of Sophocles' work focuses on the struggle between human law and what is believed to be the god’s law. Sophocles believed that Fate was an unstoppable force and it was assumed that any efforts to change one's future were completely unrealistic.

Contemporary Approaches Essay

Explain how the four contemporary approaches to management are different from one another. Define â€Å"open systems† and describe the internal, competitive, and macro environments of an organization. Lastly, indicate whether the four contemporary approaches to management are relevant in these three environments and why or why not. You may research external sources to support your answer. Cite any external sources used. Sociotechnical Theory suggests that organizations are effective when their employees have the right tools, training, and knowledge to make products and services that are valued by customers. Sociotechnical promotes the use of teamwork and semiautonomous work groups as important factors for creating efficient production systems. They believed that workers should be given the chance to correct problems at an early stage of production rather than wait until products were finished creating waste. Quantitative Management helps a manager make a decision by developing mathematical models of the problem. Computers facilitated the development of specific quantitative methods. It included techniques such as: statistical decision theory, linear programming, queuing theory, simulation, forecasting, inventory modeling, network modeling, and break even analysis. Despite having all these methods, many managers will use results that are consistent with their experience,  institution, and judgment. Many managers have not been trained to use these techniques. Organizational Behavior studies and identifies management activities that promote employee effectiveness through an understanding of the complex nature of individual, group, and organizational processes. Organizational behavior draws from a variety of disciplines, including psychology and sociology, to explain the behavior of people on the job. Systems Theory organizations are open systems, dependent on inputs from the outside world, such as raw materials, human resources, and capital. They transform these inputs into outputs that meet the market’s needs for goods and services. The environment reacts to the outputs through a feedback loop; this feedback provides input for the next cycle of the system. System Theory also emphasizes that an organization is one system in a series of subsystems. â€Å"Open Systems†/ organizations are open systems meaning they are affected by and in turn affect their external environments. They use inputs like goods and services from their environment to create goods and services that are outputs to their environment. Open System is a system that interacts with its environment by exchanging energy, materials, and information with an aim of system renewal and growth. A feature of an open system is negative entropy, where the open system continues to import energy, information and resources to function while becoming more heterogeneous and complex.- http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/open-system-in-management-definition-example-quiz.html#lesson. Internal Environment is the conditions, entities, events, and factors within an organization that influence its activities and choices, particularly the behavior of the employees. Factors that are frequently considered part of the internal environment include the organization’s mission statement, leadership styles, and its organizational culture.   Competitive Environment is the immediate environment surrounding a firm; includes suppliers, customers, rival and the like. This includes the consisting of rivalry among existing competitors and the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitute and complementary products, and the bargaining power of suppliers and buyers. Macro environment is the general environment that includes governments, economic conditions, and other

Last Chance in Texas

Hubner, John. (2005) Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth. New York, NY. Random House Inc. Last Chance in Texas is an eye opening look into the efforts of the juvenile justice system to rehabilitate youth offenders and integrate them back into society. The book chronicles the research of author John Hubner who heard about a facility in Texas that ran an aggressive and one of the most successful, treatment programs in America for violent young offenders. He was particularly curious how a state like Texas, known for its hardcore attitude toward crime, could be a leader in rehabilitating violent and troubled youths.Through a span of over nine months at The Giddings School in Texas, Hubner discovered that making offenders understand their past and how their actions affected others was key to successful rehabilitation. By observing school’s therapists and students, Hubner learned that the rehabilitation process was an intense self realization program that forced o ffenders to review and re-live their past experiences that led up to the crimes they committed. The staff at Giddings challenged offenders to step into their past and visualize their crimes before and after they were committed, as well as the impact of those around them.Different techniques were used help the students remember their pasts that most have tried to forget. Forcing them to recall specific details of their lives and the pain they suffered allowed them to address these experiences that ultimately led to them to violent crime. In most cases, the offenders were victims of violence well before they became violent offenders themselves. It was an emotionally painful and time consuming program designed to reprogram them and their behavior by understanding their own feelings and how their actions affected other people.In the program at The Gidding School there was a specific gang member named Ronnie who was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping of an elderly couple. Through intense therapy it was learned that he previously suffered from different forms of abuse throughout his life. Family fighting, drug use, poor parental guidance ultimately led to a life of anger and violence. As a child, his mother would often leave Ronnie and his brother Kenny alone while she went out to use drugs. On occasion, his aunt would look after the two boys while their mother was away.Not only did their aunt physically abuse them, but later on their mother’s boyfriend introduced them to using and selling drugs, stealing, and guns. Re-living these memories was as agonizing and traumatic as one could imagine but it was paramount in learning how and why he became the person he did. Many boys at Giddings were convinced that no one loved them, and Ronnie was no exception. Giddings therapists used these sessions to break through the wall he put up thinking that no one loved them or cared what happened to them. More often than not, they were successful reaching students thi s way.One unique approach to developing self worth for the students at Giddings was the organization of a football program where they actually played surrounding schools. Hubner saw that this not only was a great release of aggression but also created a sense of trust and camaraderie among students based on mutual respect. Ironically, it was on the football field where they learned that there are alternatives to the violence they usually used to resolve differences. Unlike many football teams with teenage boys, winning was not the ultimate goal for the players at Giddings. In fact, they lost their final game.However, they all felt a sense of pride and recognition for starting and finishing the football season as a team. The girls at Giddings, on the other hand, were treated somewhat different than their male counterparts. They had different ways of expressing their emotional pain that led to the crimes they committed. Surprisingly, one hundred percent of them had been sexually or ph ysically assaulted. With females, therapist had to dig even deeper than they normally would have with boys. This could be somewhat dangerous since the girls were much more emotional and measurably more violent during therapy sessions.Oddly enough, female fights were more unexpected, viscous, and ended more painfully than those of the boys. One interesting approach in therapy was when parents of murdered children visited the program and told their stories. The idea was to appeal to the inner hearts of the emotionally withdrawn young female offenders. It was thought that females would better identify with the stories of these families and be able to tell their own story. It proved effective as many made great emotional progress and were able to tell their own stories in therapy.One by one all the young women opened up, pouring out their feelings they had been holding inside for so long. It was an incredible experience to witness for everyone in attendance. Upon graduation from The Gid dings School, each student goes their separate way. For many, going back to institutions and detention centers was their next stop in their journey. Others went back to their respective homes with their families. Many of these students managed to change their lives for the better and become someone they never thought they could.They are the rehabilitation success stories for The Giddings School. Sadly however, there are many that are not rehabilitated and eventually return to correctional facilities. This book is an intense story about rehabilitation and hope within the juvenile justice system. The young men and young women at Giddings can go through years of intense therapy and counseling. Only after they learn how to deal with their past and the pain they have endured, can they begin to heal. Most kids enter Giddings with no feelings of love, self worth, respect for others, or hope.However, through very structured program administered by loving therapist and staff members, most st udents begin to realize that though they have made mistakes, they too are loved. This book would be an outstanding reference for anyone interested in learning about a more positive approach to rehabilitating violent youth offenders who seem to have no hope. The Giddings School consistently provides some of the best results in the county. At Giddings, kids with no hope they leave with feeling of self worth, love, and sometimes even a new family.

Boston Tea Party essays

Boston Tea Party essays When the Boston Tea Party occurred on the evening of December 16,1773, it was the culmination of many years of bad feeling between the British government and her American colonies. The controversy between the two always seemed to hinge on the taxes, which Great Britain required for the upkeep of the American colonies. Starting in 1765, the Stamp Act was intended by Parliament to provide the funds necessary to keep peace between the American settlers and the Native American population. The Stamp Act was loathed by the American colonists and later repealed by parliament. However, the British government quickly enacted other laws designed to solve monetary problems. Each act was met with resistance. The Boston Tea Party was the final act of focused rage against a Parliamentary law. In 1773 the Tea Act was passed. The Tea Act not only put a three penny per pound tax on tea, but it also gave the British East India Company a near monopoly because it allowed the company to sell dir ectly to the colonial agents avoiding any middlemen. In Boston the colonists held a town meeting to try to get their Tea Agents to resign. The Tea Agents would not resign and a few months later angered Bostonians dressed as Indians boarded three tea ships and dumped it all into Boston Harbor In Conclusion, the Americans were well organized to resist new financial demands placed upon them by the British Parliament. In 1765 the secret organizations known as the Sons and the Daughters of Liberty were created to boycott British products. By early 1773 the assemblies of Massachusetts and Virginia had created the Committees of Correspondence, which were designed to communicate within the colonies any threats to American liberties. In April 1773 the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East Indian Company to undersell colonial tea merchants in the American market. The stage was set for a confrontatio ...

Managerial Skills

Managerial Skills Introduction In a continuously changing organizational setting, it is no shock that the roles of top management have evolved. Per se this paper will cover three major elements. Firstly, the essay will determine the role played by the top manager as described by Katz and their importance and finally, whether an additional skill is appropriate to the role of the top executives. A manager is described as a person who coordinates and oversees the work of employees in order to accomplish company goals (Robbins et al., 2008, p. 9).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Basically, there are 3 lines of managers. First, there is the first-level manager who â€Å"supervises and coordinates the duties of working staff† (Peterson, 2004, p. 1299). The first-level manager’s duty comprises supervising daily activities, guaranteeing that production goal is performed proficie ntly and successfully since it directly impacts the organization’s profit margins. Second, we have the mid-level manager who is mainly concerned with executing the regulations and goals generated by top management and with supervising and coordinating the operations of bottom line manager. For example, a mid-level manager would monitor machine breakdowns, quality control, and coordinates the role played by a supervisor guaranteeing the company functions properly (Carmeli Tishler, 2006). Thirdly, we have top managers who â€Å"set institutional strategies, objectives and business practices† (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 13). For instance, the manager of Crazy John’s, John Ilhan, would have generated goals for the company in achieving a desired profit margin per annum and have put in place guidelines and/or rules that must be followed so as to attain company aims through cost-effective tactics. Robert Katz (1974) suggested that people in all management levels required 3 m ajor skills in order to ensure successful management. Such skills include the aspects of conceptual, technical and human attributes (Katz, 1974). Relevance to top management Top managers and Conceptual skill Top level management form the executive managerial employees in any company. Robbins et al. (2008) assert that top managers form the highest level in the hierarchy to which first line and mid-level management report to. Thus the completion of all decisions is based on the conceptual skills of the top managers. When, for instance, critical changes in marketing policies are undertaken, it is important to consider their impacts on output, quality, monetary, research, and the persons implementing the changes. And it appears important to all top managers who should integrate the fresh policies. If all executives recognize the general interactions and importance attached to the changes, they are nearly assured to be efficient to administer them. As a result the opportunity to succeed is highly enhanced.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conceptual skills, as described by Robert Katz, become gradually more crucial in highly demanding top levels where their impacts is optimized and most readily seen. Indeed, contemporary study findings result to the assumption that at the high position of coordination these conceptual skills become the most crucial skill for all (Katz, 1974, p. 96). Top managers and Technical skill Kraut et al. (2005) asserts that technical skills imply a comprehending of, and efficiency in, certain activities, especially one entailing techniques and protocols. Technical skills involve good understanding, analytical capability, and capacity to utilize devices and methods of a particular discipline. Basically, technical skills are probably the most popular since they are the most tangible, and since, in this period of specialization , they are the skills needed by many people. Many of the on- the-job tertiary and coaching projects are greatly linked to establishing these professional technical skills. Therefore, at top position, technical skills are comparatively less significant. Top managers and human skill As described by Katz (1974), interpersonal skill refers to the manager’s capability of working efficiently in a team and of building collective effort within the group he/she heads. Interpersonal skills are mainly linked to working with individuals. Human skills are illustrated in the manner the individuals perceive (and recognize the views of) their seniors and juniors, and in the manner they behave afterward (Katz, 1974, p. 91). The individuals bearing highly established interpersonal skills are aware of their personal attributes, presumptions, and perceptions regarding other persons and teams; they are capable of seeing the importance and restrictions of such attitudes. By accommodating the prese nce of perspectives, feelings, and attitudes which greatly vary from their own, they are skilled to understand what an individual truly means by his actions and activities. They are equally knowledgeable to communicate to an employee, in his personal situations, what they mean by their attitudes (Katz, 1974, p. 92). These persons work toward generating a setting of security and confirmation whereby a junior employee feels free in expressing himself with no dread of ridicule or condemnation, through promoting him in participating in the preparation and implementation of something that directly impacts him.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managerial Skills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They are efficiently concerned with the need and motivation of individuals in their company in order that they can identify the likely response to, and result of, different actions they may carry out. This sensitivity aids them to be capable and ready in acting in ways that would integrate external perceptions (Robbins et al., 2008). It would seem that, conceptual skills embody attribute of technical and interpersonal elements of the company. However, the idea of skills, as abilities in putting knowledge into practice, should empower people in distinguishing between the 3 basic skills to carry out the technical aspects (technical skills), encouraging and appreciating people and teams (interpersonal skills), and preparing and implementing entire operations and desires of the company toward achieving universal goals (conceptual skills) (Robbins et al., 2008). Conclusion From the discussion, it appears that technical skills become comparatively insignificant while the relevance of conceptual skills increase gradually. At the top position of any company, conceptual skills become the most significant skills for effective coordination. Senior executives may have limited interpersonal or technical abilities and still remain efficient if they have junior staff who possess strong interpersonal and technical skills. But if their conceptual skills are less strong, the organization’s success may be compromised. The comparative significance of technical, interpersonal and conceptual skills is based on the position of management duties. At top management positions, the manager’s efficacy relies greatly on conceptual and interpersonal skill. At the higher position, conceptual skills become the most critical for the 3 skills for flourishing management. This 3-skill concept stresses that an excellent top manager is unnecessarily born; he can be established. It emphasizes the need of identifying certain attributes in a quest for providing a more effective method to look into the management policy. By aiding in identifying the skill most required in the top administration, it may attest necessary in the choice, coaching, and enhancement of top managers. References Carmeli, A., Tishler, A. (20 06). The relative importance of the top management team’s managerial skills. International Journal of Manpower, 27(1), 9-36. Katz, R. (1974, September-October). Skills of an effective administrator: HBR Classic, pp. 90-102.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kraut, A., Patricia R., Douglas M., Marvin D. (2005). The role of the manager: What’s really important in different management jobs? Academy of Management Executive, 19(4), 122-129. Mintzberg, H. (1994). Rounding out the manager’s job. Sloan Management Review, 36(11), 11-26. Peterson, T. (2004). Ongoing legacy of R.L. Katz: an updated typology of management skills. Management Decision, 42(10), 1297-1308. Robbins, S., Bergman, R., Stagg, I., Coulter, M. (2008). Management (5th ed.). Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.

What is Rolling Admission When Do You Apply

What is Rolling Admission When Do You Apply SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Who needs deadlines? Colleges with rolling admissions invite you to submit your application within a general time frame, usually ranging from the fall to the spring. While these schools don't have a set deadline, your timeline for applying still matters. This guide will explore the rolling admission policy and how it affects your college planning. First, what is this application option all about? What Is Rolling Admissions? Colleges with rolling admission review applications as they arrive on a rolling basis. Instead of collecting everyone's applications, reviewing them all, and sending out notifications en masse, admissions officers at rolling admission schools consider applications as they arrive. Does this sound advantageous to you? It is! It means that the sooner you apply, the sooner you'll hear back. Many schools let you know whether or not you got in just four to eight weeks after you apply. A few let you know only two weeks after. Schools with rolling admissions typically open up the submission period in the fall, often on September 1. This period continues through the spring, or sometimes later if spots are still available. If, worst case scenario, you miss deadlines or don't get accepted anywhere you want to go, you may still be able to apply to a school with rolling admissions in the spring of senior year. However, just because schools with rolling admissions don't have a set deadline doesn't mean you should put off your application. You should still apply as early as you would to meet an early or regular decision deadline. Some colleges with rolling admission also set a "priority deadline," stating that students who apply by that date will have better chances of getting in. For the more competitive colleges, like Rutgers, this priority deadline should essentially be considered as a fixed deadline. I'll go more into detail about what your timeline should look like to apply under rolling admissions below, but first- what are some popular colleges with this application policy? Popular Colleges with Rolling Admissions Some well known schools with rolling admissions are Indiana University Loyola Marymount Michigan State Pace University Penn State Quinnipiac Roger Williams Rutgers University of Alabama University of Maine University of Minnesota University of New Haven University of Pittsburgh University of Tulsa Some of these schools have priority deadlines. The Penn State deadline, for instance, is November 30. While it will still accept applications after this date, you should put in every effort to submit by then if you're serious about getting accepted. The more selective or competitive the school, the earlier you should strive to submit your application. Applying under rolling admission doesn't restrict you from applying anywhere else. Regardless of when you get your admissions decision, you still have until the national response date of May 1 to decide where to enroll. This means you can wait for all your notifications, as well as compare financial aid offers, before committing to a college. While rolling admissions can take some of the pressure off you and give you more flexibility in terms of when you apply, how does it benefit colleges? Why do some colleges opt for rolling admission over a regular decision deadline? Why Do Colleges Offer Rolling Admission? Just as rolling admission can take the pressure off of you as an applicant, it also eases the burden on admissions officers. Rather than reviewing thousands of applications at once, they can space out the process and evaluate candidates as they arrive. This policy can be especially helpful for schools with a smaller staff of admissions officers to read applications. According to Robin Mamlet and Christine VanDeVelde, authors of College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step, some schools with rolling admissions use less of a holistic process when considering candidates. Rather than trying to assess the entire candidate as a student and person, some of these colleges may rely more on objective criteria, like grades and test scores. While other selective schools may be comparing applicants to one another, rolling admission schools aren't necessarily doing that. They may accept one candidate months before others have even applied. This is not to say that there aren't competitive rolling admission schools. As mentioned above, most of these especially selective colleges set a priority deadline or invite students to apply as early in the fall as possible. Given this preference for early applications, when should you apply to your rolling admissions schools? And how can you plan out your application? When Should You Apply to a Rolling Admission School? Since applications are reviewed as they roll in, you should get your application in early. If your school has a priority deadline, then you definitely want to meet that. If not, it's a good idea to set a deadline for yourself in the fall or winter. You could apply in November, December, or, at the latest, January. Not only may applying earlier give you a competitive edge, but it also helps you keep track of your application requirements. Many pieces of your application take months, if not years, to prepare. By setting a deadline for yourself, you can plan out when to take the SAT or ACT, when to ask for recommendation letters, and when to start writing your college essay. Read on for some guidelines to follow when putting together your college application. Plan Your SAT or ACT Give yourself at least two opportunities to take the SAT or ACT, if possible. Many students take the tests three or more times to achieve their target scores. Not only does the experience of taking the test help you know what to expect for next time, but you can prep effectively in between administrations by understanding your mistakes. If your school has a November priority deadline, then you'd only have one senior year test date, in September or October. Ideally, you'd have all your testing done by the end of junior year. You could take it for the first time in the spring of 10th grade, twice in junior year, and leave the senior year date as a back up just in case you need to test again. If you're applying a month or two later, like in January, then you might be able to fit in another testing date senior year in November or December. With this timeline, you could take the SAT or ACT in the fall of 11th grade and again in the spring. Achieving your target SAT or ACT scores is a process that can takes months of planning and studying, Make sure to plan ahead, even if you're applying to a college with no set deadline. Similarly, setting a deadline for yourself will help you collect letters of recommendation. Ask for Recommendation Letters Early Just as students are busy applying in the first half of senior year, teachers and counselors are busy writing hundreds or thousands of recommendation letters. You should speak to your counselor about your plans and request letters from teachers at least a month before your deadlines. Many students also ask junior year teachers at the end of 11th grade. Besides giving your teachers time to craft a thoughtful letter, asking early ensures that they're more likely to say yes. Many teachers set a cap on how many rec letter requests they'll accept, so you could be out of luck if you wait too long. Meeting with your teachers, sharing your thoughts and goals, and making your recommendation requests are more reasons to set a specific application deadline for yourself. Finally, you should be working on your personal essay, and any other supplemental essays, a few months before you apply. Work On Your Personal Essay Months in Advance While your teachers and counselor spend time on their recommendation letters, you'll also need to spend time brainstorming, drafting, and revising your personal essay. It's a good idea to start working on it over the summer before senior year. You can read the essay prompts at the beginning of the summer and let ideas swirl in your head for a few weeks. The essay requires you to share a profound, meaningful experience that communicates something important about your identity. You're not going to think of the perfect topic right away, nor will you be able to scribble it off in a day. Part of your process should be mulling over ideas and allowing your creativity to percolate while you narrow down your thoughts. Some students even change their topics after writing one or more drafts. As anyone who's stared down a blank page knows, writing takes time, patience, and a lot of editing before you come around to exactly what you want to say. Give yourself a few months to think about and write your essay. Read samples of personal essays to learn what admissions officers look for. Ask for feedback from trusted peers and teachers, and take the time to edit your essay into its best form. Your SAT or ACT, recommendation letters, and personal essay are three aspects of your application that require special planning. You should also give yourself at least a month or two to fill out your application, request your transcript, and fulfill any other application requirements. If you start checking these requirements off your list early, then you'll be prepared to submit a strong application in the beginning of the rolling admissions time frame. To Sum Up... Don't be fooled by a lack of deadline with rolling admission schools. They may still have a priority deadline, and you should set one for yourself either way. That way you can stay on track gathering all your application materials. Remember, the sooner you apply to a school with rolling admissions, the sooner you'll hear back about whether or not you got accepted! What's Next? Now that you know all about rolling admissions, what about early admissions? Learn about schools with early action and their deadlines here.This guide goes over early decision, a binding application option, plus the full list of early decision deadlines here. Feeling confused about all the different options- regular decision, early admissions, and rolling admissions? This article goes in depth about the various ways to apply to college and how to keep track of all your deadlines. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Case Study of Robbery and Burglary Research Paper

Case Study of Robbery and Burglary - Research Paper Example On the other hand, Robert R. Simon was also serving his time in the prison on a death row for three murders. He also boasts of killing his prison inmate in the Pennsylvania State (Peters, 2007).   In September 1999, in the New State Jersey Prison, all the death row inmates had been moved to the recreational pen so that their cells could be fumigated. This was supposed to a brief and silent stay but it turned into one of the most brutal fights in the state history. It is during this short duration, the lives of Ambrose A, Harris and Robert R. Simon intertwined. Both believed to be violent and enemies started to fight. It ended with the death of the fellow inmate Robert R. Simon. Harris is believed to have no mercy. He stamped Simon’s face and then finally jumped off the table in the recreational pen to crush Simon’s skull. The officers in the recreational pen tried unsuccessfully to intervene and stop the fight. This was the first murder inside the prison in the state’s history (Peters, 2007).   A cell inmate, John Martini serving a death row for four murders, testifies that Simon started the fight. He stated that Simon entered the recreational pen after Harris and attacked him from behind (Peterson, 2001). He came in kind of -- not walking, almost running -- and he said, ‘Come on, let us get it on’.2 † The lawyer of the convict, Ambrose Harris, stated that the meeting of the two deadly prisoners was, in fact, a setup of the prison authorities. Harris had been declared dangerous after attacking the prison guard and was supposed to be kept in isolation at all times. The authorities also knew that the two of them were arch enemies and that there will be deadly consequences. He also stated that Robert Simon attacked first and that Harris was only defending himself (Peterson, 2001).   

Que Onda Urban Youth Culture and Border Identity. BOOK Essay

Que Onda Urban Youth Culture and Border Identity. BOOK - Essay Example This means that the concept of identity is the people’s way of life and its effects on the political choice and affiliation. The author went further to postulate that the person’s identity may post a great challenge in the way the community relates to power and politics (Bejarano, 2005). Indeed, the aspects are more evidenced in the struggles, which characterize the cultural practices and social institutions about their daily lifestyle. In essence, the politics of identity determines the political direction along the boarder region (Bejarano, 2005). However, the fact that the cultural institutions and conditions in the area were extremely oppressive; it hindered the free articulation of the political situation. Notably, the only sign of relief on the politics of identity in the region would be a critical engagement and insight of the beliefs and cultural practices, considered to have significant impacts on the political players and scenes (Bejarano, 2005). For the Latinas/os along the boarder region, some of the factors, which influence identity development, include historical, biographical, institutional, and socio-cultural contexts (Bejarano, 2005). Notably, all the factors have meaningful contribution to the believability, intelligibility and relevance to the social context in the boarder region. On the historical factors, the Latinas/os have unique cultural beliefs that are considered to be controversial to the political development and affiliations, and the identity of the occupants (Bejarano, 2005). Notably, the historical oppression of the Latina/os could be traced from the American relationship with the Europeans. Though there were elements of multiculturalism in the region, the different groups of people, they had to hold their traditional cultural heritage as a form of identity (Bejarano, 2005). In addition, they had to acknowledge the oppression

Computing Business e-Systems and Technology Essay

Computing Business e-Systems and Technology - Essay Example i. Keep all the divisions/ sites fully connected through LAN, WAN or MAN depending upon the distances between those sites. ii. Keep an updated record of the Human Resources of the company. iii. Makes available the daily/ weekly/ monthly reports of different sites. iv. Assimilate latest information about the company's competitors v. Help in preparing a roadmap for future expansion vi. Enhance research, development and innovation activities. vii. Ensure greater ICT focus viii. Help in long range and strategic planning. ix. Help in improving the production processes x. Help in identifying and strengthening the Critical Success Factors (CSF). 2. Such an investment can support a core competency. Great companies invariably have one or two core competencies, something they can do better than anyone else. An IT investment in a company's core competency can create a significant barrier to entry for other companies, defending the organization's primary turf and protecting its markets and profits. 3. An EIS can build supply chain networks. Firms that are a part of an integrated supply chain system have established relationships of trust with suppliers. This means faster delivery times, problem-free delivery. 4. An EIS can bring the company in league with E-commerce. Though a company dealing in defence matters may not that be open to e-commerce like a white goods company, but still the company web sites can be personalized to each customers interests, expectations, and commercial needs. They can also be used to create a sense of community. Both of these tend to increase customer loyalty. Scope and Method During the earlier attempt, the company used in-house talent for developing an EIS....Great companies invariably have one or two core competencies, something they can do better than anyone else. An IT investment in a company's core competency can create a significant barrier to entry for other companies, defending the organization's primary turf and protecting its markets and profits. 3. An EIS can build supply chain networks. Firms that are a part of an integrated supply chain system have established relationships of trust with suppliers. This means faster delivery times, problem-free delivery. 4. An EIS can bring the company in league with E-commerce. Though a company dealing in defence matters may not that be open to e-commerce like a white goods company, but still the company web sites can be personalized to each customers interests, expectations, and commercial needs. They can also be used to create a sense of community. Both of these tend to increase customer loyalty. During the earlier attempt, the company used in-house talent for developing an EIS. An in-house resource has the advantage that it knows more things about the functioning of the company. But it has a significant disadvantage that it doesn't know much about the competitor's strengths and the latest trend in the market place. Moreover Communication Company is not supposed to have the kind of expertise required for a detailed survey and subsequent data analysis. Since the company has al

Debt crisis in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Debt crisis in Africa - Essay Example During the The First AU Conference of African Ministers of Economy and Finance (CAMEF) held on 7 May 2005 in Dakar, Senegal, one of the recommended issues was the Debt Cancellation. The ministers agreed that debt cancellations should be the ultimate goal for Africa. However, according to the author of the Conference report, they also require that Africa should link the debt cancellation with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the access of African products to foreign markets. Other recommendations during this Conference concerning debt cancellation were Africa’s domestic debt; debt cancellation should not result in reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa; establishment of an African Debt Management Fund to facilitate all debt or cancellation mechanisms and initiatives, which is yet to be established; African countries should come together and propose a common position on debt cancellation; African Countries should carry out an audit indicating the am ount of debt, its origins and terms; African countries are responsible to ensure that Africa’s debt remains indivisible so that any initiative associated with African debt should benefit all African countries; and African leaders should avoid being subjected to conditionalities related to debt cancellation. However, the conclusion of the recommendations was that it has to be approved by the World Bank and the IMF. Never once the World Bank or the IMF prescriptions of economic policies reform was successful but vice versa. Countries affected by economic crisis are required to undergo structural arrangement and conditional arrangements by the World Bank and the Fund, but their prescriptions have proven failure not only in Africa but also in other developing countries. According to Dembell, their structural adjustment program has led to economic stagnation, fewer investments, more external dependence, and has weakened the state’s role in developing social and economic wel fare.

New Balance Corporate Social Responsibility Case Study

New Balance Corporate Social Responsibility - Case Study Example According to the essay findings  manufacturing of all kinds of the footwear within the US is on decline – the main reason is the low-wage cost at some of the emerging economies such as China.   It is important to note that footwear manufacturing, in spite of significant technological advances, involves considerable amount of manual handling.   As a result of this, the footwear industry in the US in general and New Balance in particular faces huge environmental and social challenges. A strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy needs to be in place to not only enhance all stakeholders' trust and confidence in the company but also spearhead its growth by integrating the core business strategy with its CSR strategy.  Ã‚  This paper discusses that  New Balance's Mission statement explicitly takes into account the importance of CSR policy in its growth: "Demonstrating responsible leadership, we build global brands that athletes are proud to wear, associates are p roud to create and communities are proud to host".  Values, integrity and long history are the aspects that strengthen overall governance of the company. People feel proud while working at New Balance because management provides due importance and listen them carefully. People at senior management in the company believe to having a strong support for CSR.  The company's mission statement and values strongly support CSR functions. However, the difficult part is that very few of them really understand the current responsible leadership (RL) goals and priorities.

Debt crisis in Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Debt crisis in Africa - Essay Example During the The First AU Conference of African Ministers of Economy and Finance (CAMEF) held on 7 May 2005 in Dakar, Senegal, one of the recommended issues was the Debt Cancellation. The ministers agreed that debt cancellations should be the ultimate goal for Africa. However, according to the author of the Conference report, they also require that Africa should link the debt cancellation with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and the access of African products to foreign markets. Other recommendations during this Conference concerning debt cancellation were Africa’s domestic debt; debt cancellation should not result in reducing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa; establishment of an African Debt Management Fund to facilitate all debt or cancellation mechanisms and initiatives, which is yet to be established; African countries should come together and propose a common position on debt cancellation; African Countries should carry out an audit indicating the am ount of debt, its origins and terms; African countries are responsible to ensure that Africa’s debt remains indivisible so that any initiative associated with African debt should benefit all African countries; and African leaders should avoid being subjected to conditionalities related to debt cancellation. However, the conclusion of the recommendations was that it has to be approved by the World Bank and the IMF. Never once the World Bank or the IMF prescriptions of economic policies reform was successful but vice versa. Countries affected by economic crisis are required to undergo structural arrangement and conditional arrangements by the World Bank and the Fund, but their prescriptions have proven failure not only in Africa but also in other developing countries. According to Dembell, their structural adjustment program has led to economic stagnation, fewer investments, more external dependence, and has weakened the state’s role in developing social and economic wel fare.

The Nature of the Pharmaceutical Industry Assignment

The Nature of the Pharmaceutical Industry - Assignment Example I would ask them to give me the medications for now for the life of my loved one is in danger and will ask them to pay for it in installments. If they do not agree to this, I will have no other option besides breaking in and stealing the medicine, for the life of someone I love is in danger. At that particular time, I am not going to have any ethical consideration, because all that will be running in my mind would be saving the life of someone I love. I will be ready for the consequences of my actions because I am aware of the fact that what I would do is wrong and its result will not be in my favor but for the time being my initial goal will be nothing but saving someone’s life. I do not care if they will file a law suit against me for at that time my only priority will be saving the person I love. 2.  As the Chief Executive of a medicine supply business, it is my responsibility to ensure the safety of my consumer. If the product has caused any sort of harm in the lives of the people who are purchasing our products, so it the responsibility of our firm to pay the damaged caused. In this case, it will be better to first fix the problem that exists in the product before it causes anymore damage to the customers. However it is also very important to give compensation to the customers for the deaths of their relatives or families. It seems that this action taken by the company will ruin its reputation and name in the eyes of its customers, which is not true at all of our firm to .

Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King Jr’s â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail† Essay Martin Luther King Juniors â€Å"letter from Birmingham Jail† was the reflection upon protest against unjust laws was established against him and his fellow men. Throughout his letter he uses many great philosophers and historical events to justify his own protest to be necessary to do what’s right. King was the leader of civil-rights group that supported protest against traditional views of the society and unjust laws established in the era.† In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. † ( Taylor) In his letter from Birmingham Jail King states: â€Å"It was illegal to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler’s Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at that time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country’s anti-religious laws† (King, 6). Here in this excerpt shows that King encourages protest because in some extreme circumstances becomes necessary, be it in Hitler’s Germany, a Communist country, or any situation in which injustices are occurring. In the end of the sentence King openly admits that he would protest against established laws or traditions by all means necessary because they favor the unjust. The letter was written to his fellow clergymen to explain his prior actions and to attempt justified and appropriate for the situation. He expressed that he exhausted every other option to justify them. In the letter he tried to explain to the clergy that his actions although illegal were possible and direct action was the only available option left, which could make a difference. â€Å"One may well ask: â€Å"How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?† The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that â€Å"an unjust law is no law at all†. Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? (King, 5). Throughout history, there have been many unjust laws. Many people follow laws just because they are laws. Sometimes people don’t even agree with a law, but they go along because it’s in society acceptable or because it’s just the law. I think that by writing the letter, and putting forward the definition, King is challenging his readers to consider whether or not a law is just. If a law is unjust, it is the responsibility of the people to get it overturned. A society should not live with an unjust law. By choosing to go against law it shows that king primarily a teleological thinker. In conclusion, King wrote â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† for the purpose of making his audience realize that they are not carrying out our Constitution and the Declaration of Independence which is the United States was founded upon. King only wants what should be granted to all United States citizens, this being freedom, justice, and equality. He is saying he is in jail for only doing what is right, by trying to achieve what is right through non-violence and the fact that he is in jail is unjust, does not support equality, and freedom. Work Cited Taylor, Justin.† Between Two Worlds. Martin-luther-king-jr-letter-from-birmingham-jail† http://thegospelcoalition.org/. 23 Jan. 2013.

Research methodology: Experiences of social work managers

Research methodology: Experiences of social work managers Methodology This chapter will outline the manner in which the research was planned and completed, with reference to literature when necessary. Furthermore, it includes an important discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that had to be considered during the sampling and subsequent interview processes. Approach This piece of research aimed to explore the experiences of managers in social work, and set out to cast light in surprisingly under researched areas. One of the central aims of this piece of research was to obtain data that was readily analysable (Arksey and Knight 1999) and valid (Whittaker 2012). The nature of the research meant a qualitative approach was used to explore the various themes that emerged from the review of the literature. This was preferred over a quantitative method, particularly as the latter usually requires larger samples for generating statistics and quantifiable data. Qualitative methods focus on seeking out and interpreting the meanings that people ascribe to their own actions (McLaughlin 2007), and allows for exploration of opinion and experience (Shaw 2003). Interpretative topics were at the core of this research; core values, which despite being substantially constant across societies and throughout history, is inherently subjective. A qualitative approach enabled the collation of data that is rich in description, detail and character (Neuman 1997). Social work research is required to enhance and develop knowledge (McLaughlin 2007), and can help explore people and communities, paying particular focus to the wider social and structural issues that affect them (Cheetham 2000). The profession is embedded in practice; therefore research that informs behaviour and questions the known and unknown elements of practice is vital to encourage lateral thinking and dynamism amongst frontline workers, as well as going someway towards boosting the professional status of social work (Bledsoe et al. 2005). With this in mind, it was interesting to note some of the barriers to accessing informants, not from social workers themselves, but from organisations. Dealing with rejection from one local council was personally frustrating, but has wider consequences for the profession. â€Å"To understand social work†¦ we must understand how knowledge is validated within the profession† (Askeland and Payne 2001:14) Furthermore, â€Å"Social work research is about social workers, what they think, what they believe, what knowledge they claim and what they do with it.† (Butler 2002:241). With this in mind, the implications of a blasà © attitude to research, albeit a small project such as this one, are significant. One of the themes that arose from the interviews, as will be discussed in more detail later, was the increasingly diverse and heavy workload of managers. Lack of time is a commonly quoted barrier to research participation amongst practitioners (Sheldon and Chivers 2000), and this is one of the reasons research remains a low priority for workers in the field (McLaughlin 2007). Furthermore, as is commented on further at the end of this chapter, having to go through organisational protocol first has implications for anonymity, and arguably has consequences on worker willingness to take part (Lewis 2003). Literature review Research into the topic of core values started with certain core textbook readings, which expanded into their recommended reading lists and cited articles. A range of literature databases including Ingenta, Social Sciences Citation Index, Social Services Abstracts were searched using keywords such as â€Å"core values†, â€Å"social work manager†, â€Å"social work management†, â€Å"managerialism and social work†, and â€Å"performance indicators† in various different orders. The search extended to databases such as Oxford University Press Journals, SocINDEX, SwetsWise and Academic Search Elite. Furthermore, using university’s Searcher Electronic Database it was possible to search a plethora of databases at one time. This was further augmented with internet searches and the use of Google Scholar. Initially, there was not a lot of research regarding retention of core values among managers, indeed this was indicative of social work as an under researched area in general. Nevertheless, broadening my search using the above keywords and Boolean operators such as OR and AND proved to be more fruitful. Interview sampling The dearth of research available in this area, and regarding social work managers more generally, proved an impetus to focusing on a particular sample. Interviewees were approached a couple of months before the interviews took place, and had been chosen specifically due to their current management related roles. Having a purposive sample avoided the common issue of ending up with a large amount of irrelevant or disconnected data (Thurlow Brown 1988) as such a method usually means that the sample has a certain level of knowledge and experience in relation to the topic (Smith 2009). A total of six interviews took place over a four week period, with all working in hospital social work at management level. This represents a small sample, but it was within the limits of this piece of work, and since qualitative methods are not reliant on large samples for credibility unlike quantitative methods (Anastas 2004), coupled with the level of research undertaken, meant a greater understanding of the issues could be uncovered (Denscombe 2007). Working with a smaller sample allows for more depth and detail of meaning, and subsequently avoids a more general and abstracted level of explanation (McLaughlin 2007). Indeed, it allowed for a more sharpened focus of this study, particularly as all the informants were in very similar roles. During the interview process, informants offered recommendations of others to interview, otherwise known as snowball sampling (Knight 2002). Whilst this was appreciated, the recommendations involved other areas of social work. Although this would have generated further data, it was felt that having a random sample would obfuscate more pertinent findings from the core interviewees and affect the generalisability of the findings. The criticisms of using a convenience sample are well noted, particularly the impact this has on generalisability to the wider population (Bryman 2012). Using informants who are already known to the researcher may have its drawbacks, but it is argued that these are outweighed by merits of such projects being used to further larger studies (Herr and Anderson 2005). Interviews Interviews were arranged through email, at which point the respondents were told of the nature and purpose of the study and what was going to be covered in the interview. This involved a general overview of the main themes that were to be explored. It was not felt necessary to give the informants a copy of the interview schedule for fear that this would impact on the conversational flow that was being aimed for. Interviews followed a semi-structured model and enabled the investigative process to remain mostly conversational and informal; the inherent flexibility of this approach allowing for detailed probing when necessary (Becker and Bryman 2004). It is a simple method of data collection but allows for detailed excavation of people’s experiences. Open ended questions were consciously used to avoid bias and encourage a free flowing narrative that was in line with the interviewees’ views and opinions whilst also following the overarching themes that were being explored (Rubin and Babbie 2007). Whilst the interview schedule did not have to be strictly adhered to, it was designed in a way that started with descriptive, open questions such as â€Å"Can you give me a description of your current role?† and slowly moved to more direct questions that aimed to elicit thoughts and opinion, â€Å"How do you feel about the statement ‘If you can manage a factory, you can manag e a team of social workers?’† Having the interview designed in this meant that the range of questions were general enough to stimulate free flowing dialogue, but also specific enough to gather relevant data. All of the interviews were recorded, and subsequently transcribed as soon as possible for reasons of confidentiality; informants could be indirectly attributed through a collection of characteristics (McLaughlin 2007). This was particularly important as the sample represents the majority of two local authority management teams, in secondary settings, and therefore could be easily identified. For this reason, transcripts of interviews were not provided in an appendix and no contextual detail has been provided about any of the interviewees. Despite the onerous process of transcribing data (O’Leary 2004: 169), it was important because it meant that more attention could be spent actively listening and tuning in, as opposed to writing notes. The interview itself, as a communication interchange establishing a framework for future evaluation and enquiry, lies at the heart of social work practice (McLaughlin 2007), and drew on some of the skills that had been developed on placement, p articularly active listening, signposting and probing. Qualitative methodologies mirror the focus placed upon person-centredness in social work practice (Connelly and Harms 2012). This highlights the transferability of skills from practice into research and vice versa. With this in mind, it was important to use these skills to ensure interviews was being guided and not led. This meant avoiding leading questions and generally putting words in the mouth of the informant. For example, asking â€Å"What do you feel the main reasons for this are?†, as opposed to â€Å"Is this a direct consequence of the increased use of key performance indicators?† Key findings and discussion Thematic analysis is a commonly used method for analysing such data (Bryman 2008, Davies 2007), and was used to explore the transcripts and highlight recurrent themes as it has been defined as a method for identifying, analysing and recording themes within data (Braun and Clarke 2006). Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six stage thematic analysis model was used as a guide, and involved getting immersed in the data in the first instance followed by creating, searching, reviewing and defining/naming themes. Initial coding was done by highlighting particular extracts that were interesting (Boyatzis 1998), separated by different colours to represent the various different topics that emerged. This was a useful way of organising what was initially a large amount of data by marking recurrent topics and words (Ryan and Bernard 2003). This stage represented an organisation of data into individual building blocks of particular topics; the next stage aimed to bring together blocks into groups of similar colours. At this stage, it was possible to identify themes. Limitations of study It would be nave to think that such a study could be generalised to a wider population (Gomm 2008, Smith 2009). However, it has been argued that although such studies are not generalisable in the traditional sense, they have redeeming qualities which set them above that requirement (Myers 2000). Small scale research highlights the importance of viewing such studies as focusing on discovery, and not proof (Denscombe 1998). The development of managerialism is not unique to the UK (Politt and Bouckaert 1997, Hood et al. 1999, Brunsson and Sahlin- Andersson 2000), and highlights the relevance and necessity of shedding light on management experiences within a paradigm that triumphs managerial prerogative (Thomas and Davies 2005). The sample represent one of convenience, as all but one of the informants were known to the researcher in a professional capacity. Whilst this has been deemed the least credible of sampling techniques (Bryman 2008), it must also be stressed that it was also purposive as highlighted previously. With this in mind it is important to recognise how the researcher’s own views and values can create a bias, particularly as the constructivist framework of qualitative research states that individuals construct their own understanding through experience (Denscombe 2003, Kuper 2008). Rigorous testing of the interview schedule was done to avoid any bias by recognising and removing leading questions. Ethics It was necessary to follow well established protocol within the university school, as well as the local council to ensure that the study was carried out in a way that was ethically sound. This firstly involved completing an ethical level one self audit, as well as qualitative appraisal tool identified in literature (McLaughlin 2007). It was important to gain informed consent from the interviewees, and discuss the extent and manner in which absolute confidentiality was to be achieved. Contingent confidentiality (Dominelli 2005) is more commonly discussed in social work, as it is necessary to spell out the precise conditions this would need to be broken, such as a criminal offense being disclosed, however this was not the case in this study. The local council’s policy on research meant that the research design was scrutinised to glean what use this had. Indeed the request form specifically states answer â€Å"What benefit will the dissertation offer to the council, if any?†. The question better asked would be â€Å"What benefit will the dissertation offer social work?†, as the organisation would arguably benefit if their goals were parallel with social work. Social work as a profession risks having its own priorities sidelined for those of employing organisations, and although workers are accountable to their organisation, social work’s struggle with developing an evidence base (Marsh and Fisher 2005) highlights the need to build a solid research infrastructure that informs best practice (Davies et al. 2000, Trinder 2000). The council procedure involved providing information on was to be interviewed and the interview schedule itself. As was briefly discussed earlier, having to tell the council who was being interviewed and the impact this has on anonymity is questionable; indeed the impact of tighter ethical and regulatory frameworks for social work students and having a research capable workforce are well noted (Dominelli and Holloway 2008). Arguably, social work research should place ethics at the centre of what it aims to achieve, and this is well noted (Hugman and Smith 1995). This is particularly important as ethics are or at least should be at the centre of practice. What this raises are issues of accountability for the researcher that mirror those of workers and managers as is discussed in the following chapters. As a social work researcher, to whom am I accountable? The current research governance framework (Department of Health 2005) has been seen to focus more towards accountability to funder s and regulators as opposed to anybody else (Dominelli and Holloway 2008). How this affects larger research projects is unclear, but as an ethical researcher, since I was unable to guarantee the anonymity of further informants it was decided that a sample of six was enough. How this subsequently affects participation is interesting but unfortunately not within the scope of this particular piece of research. References Anastas 2004 Arksey, H., Knight, P. T. (1999) Interviewing for social scientists: An introductory resource with examples. Sage. Askeland, G. A. and Payne, M. (2001) â€Å"What is Valid Knowledge for Social Workers?† Social Work in Europe, 8 (3): pp. 13-23 Becker, S. Bryman, A. (2004) Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice: Themes, Methods and Approaches Bristol, The Policy Press Bledsoe, S., Bellamy, J., Mullen, E. Shlonsky, A. (2005) â€Å"From concept to implementation: Challenges facing evidence based social work† Evidence and Policy 1, pp. 143-151 Boyatsiz, RE. (1998) Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development Thousand Oaks, Sage Butler, I. (2002) â€Å"A code of ethics for social work and social care research† British Journal of Social Work 32 (2): pp. 239 -248 Braun, V. Clarke, V. (2006) â€Å"Using thematic analysis in psychology† Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, pp. 77 – 101 Bryman, A. (2008) Social research methods 3rd edition Oxford, Oxford University Press Bryman, A. (2012) Social Work Methods (4th Ed.) Oxford University Press Cheetham, J. (2000) â€Å"The importance of research in the education of care professionals† in Pierce, R. and Weinstein, J. (eds) Innovative Education and Training for Care Professionals. A Providers Guide London, Jessica Kingsley Connelly, M. and Harms, L. (2012) Social Work: From theory to practice Melbourne, Cambridge University Press Davies, MB. (2007) Doing a successful research project: Using qualitative or quantitative methods Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Davies, H.T.O., Nutley, S.M. and Smith, P.C. (eds) (2000) What works? Evidencebased policy and practice in public services Bristol, The Policy Press Denscombe, M. (1998) The Good Research Guide for Small Scale Social Research Projects Buckingham, Open University Press Department of Health (2005) The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care London, Department of Health Dominelli, L. (2005) â€Å"Social work research: Contested knowledge for practice† in Adams, R., Dominelli, L. and Payne, M. (eds) Social Work Futures, London, Palgrave/Macmillan Dominelli, L., Holloway, M. (2008). Ethics and governance in social work research in the UK. British Journal of Social Work, 38(5), 1009-1024. Gomm, R. (2008) Social Research Methodology: a critical introduction, 2nd Edition Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan Herr, K. and Anderson, G. (2005) The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty London, SAGE Publications Hugman, R. Smith, D. (1995) Ethical issues in social work: an overview London, Routledge Knight, P. (2002) Small Scale Research London, SAGE Publications Kuper, A. (2008) â€Å"Critically Appraising Qualitative Research† The British Medical Journal 337, pp.1035 – 1043 Lewis, J. (2003) â€Å"Design issues† in Ritchie, J., Lewis, J. (Eds.) Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage. Marsh, P. and Fisher, M. (2005) Developing the Evidence Base for Social Work and Social Care Practice London, Social Care Institute for Excellence. McLaughlin, H. (2007). Understanding social work research. Sage. Myers, M. (2000) â€Å"Qualitative research and the generalizability question: Standing firm with Proteus.† The qualitative report, 4(3/4): pp. 1-9. Neuman, W. (1997) Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches 3rd Ed. Boston, Allyn and Bacon O’Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research London, Sage Payne, G. Payne, J. (2004) Key Concepts in Social Research London, Sage Rubin, A. Babbie, E. (2007) Essential Methods for Social Work California, Thomson Higher Education Ryan, G. Bernard, H. (2003) â€Å"Techniques to Identify Themes† Field Methods 15, pp. 85-109 Shaw, I. (2003) â€Å"Cutting edge issues in social work research† British Journal of Social Work 33, pp. 1268-1282 Sheldon, B. Chivers, R. (2000) Evidence-based Social Care: A Study of Prospects and Problems Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing Smith, R. (2009) Doing Social Work Research Berkshire, Open University Press Thurlow Brown, N. (1988) The Curate’s Egg. Unpublished conference paper. North East Essay Mental Health Trust Trinder, L. (2000) ‘Evidence-based practice in social work and probation’, in L. Trinder and S. Reynolds (eds) Evidence-based Practice: A critical appraisal, Oxford: Blackwell Science, pp 138-162.

Comparing Apocalypse Now by Franice Coppola and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad :: Literature Francis Coppola Joseph Conrad Essays

Comparing Apocalypse Now by Franice Coppola and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Francis Coppola’s Apocalypse Now was inspired by Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness that informs the film throughout. A comparison and contrast can be made between the two. Both have the same themes but entirely different settings. Heart of Darkness takes place on the Congo River in the Heart of Africa while Apocalypse Now is set in Vietnam. The stock characters in both have the same general personalities but have different names. Of course, Kurtz is Kurtz, Willard parallels Marlow, and the American photojournalist corresponds to the Russian Harlequin. Willard is a lieutenant for the US Army and Marlow is a captain of a steamboat of an ivory company. The first images of Willard and Marlow differ to some degree. The movie begins with Willard lying in an apartment room lost from reality with the song ‘The End’ playing by The Doors. He is haunted by his earlier deeds and he is getting very drunk. Willard smashes the mirror while fighting himself and cuts his hand. He collapses on the bed weeping. Marlow is portrayed as a wanderer of the sea. The narrator described him to somewhat of a hero. Their mission is to find Kurtz and take him down at all costs. In both stories Kurtz is a psychotic rebel, worshipped as a god, who threatens the stability of his original unit, but in one it is an ivory trading company and in the other it is the US Army. Kurtz, who had begun his assignment a man of great idealism and the highest morals, had become strangely savage. Tribes of natives worship the man who lives in a hut surrounded by fence posts topped with recently acquired human skulls. Kurtz has undergone a total breakdown of the physical, psychological, and spiritual. Along the trip into the wilderness, Willard and Marlow discover their true selves through contact with savage natives. As Marlow ventures further up the Congo, he feels like he is traveling back through time. He sees the unsettled wilderness and can feel the darkness of its solitu de. The movie ends quite differently than the novel. The movie ends with a spectacular scene. During a native tribe’s ritual sacrifice ceremony of a water buffalo, The Doors’ The End playing on the background, Willard finally kills Kurtz with a machete. Willard exits to find the natives begin to worship him.

A summary of Literature Review of the Health Effects of Obesity

Heslehurst et al (2008), in a study about complications of obesity, sought to determine the effect of maternal BMI status on outcomes of pregnancy with immediate short-term obstetric resource implications.The study was a meta-analysis study that aimed to investigate the relationships between maternal obesity and its impact on obstetric care. Literature concerning cohort studies of pregnant mothers was searched. The pregnant women under study were required to have their anthropometric measurements taken within sixteen weeks gestation, followed up during pregnancy with at least 1 obese and 1 group for comparison.The meta-analysis showed that maternal obesity was significantly related to increased odds of instrumental and caesarian deliveries, hemorrhages, infections, longer hospital stay and increased requirement for neonatal care. Maternal obesity had a significant contribution to poor prognosis for mother and baby when delivering and immediately during the post-partum period.The Nati onal clinical for managing obese pregnant women and public health should urgently therefore come up with interventions to address health of mothers and their babies.Study 2Sullivan et al (2008) sought to investigate the effect of obesity on diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipedemia. The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) for 2000 and 2002 was used to estimate the impact of health on people with hyperlipedemia, diabetes and hypertension.Multivariate regression methods for controlling variables such as age, race, sex, ethnicity, education, insurance, income, smoking status, proxy response and morbidity were used.   Instruments used in the study include SF-12 physical component scale (PCS-12), mental component scale (MCS-12), visual analogue scale (VAS) and EQ-5D index. The least absolute deviation that was censored was used to for the VAS and EQ-5D while the ordinary least squares (OLS) were employed for the PCS-12 and MCS-12.It was concluded that, obesity significantly aggrava tes the association between diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipedemia and health function, health perception in United States.Merten et al (2008) undertook a study to investigate racial and gender differences in adolescent and young adult psychosocial outcomes. Sample size used was 7,881 African American (915 males and 1,073 females) and white (2864 males and 3029 females) adolescents. The study was basically concerned with examinations of psychosocial consequences that are encountered by obese adolescents.Results of the study showed that obesity in females is associated with lower status when one attains young adulthood. The obese females also tend to be depressive than normal weight females. However, obesity status does not affect the psychosocial outcomes in young adult males. There was no evidence to indicate an interaction between obesity and race.ConclusionObesity in individuals leads to both psychological and physiological consequences. Obesity in pregnant women causes various c omplications which include hemorrhages, neonatal trauma, caesarian and instrumental deliveries among others. Obesity in teenagers leads to low self esteem especially in girls. At the same time obesity exacerbates hyperlipedemia, diabetes and hypertension in individuals suffering from these conditions.ReferencesWang, F and Veugelers, P.J (2008). Self-esteem and cognitive development in the era of the childhood obesity epidemic. Obesity Reviews. 9(6): 615-623Qi et al (2008). Gene-environment interaction and obesity. Nutrition Reviews. 66(12):684- 694.Heslehurst et al (2008). The impact of maternal BMI status on pregnancy outcomes with immediate short-term obstetric resource implications: a meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews. 9(6): 635-683.Sullivan et al (2008). The impact of obesity on diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension in the United States, Quality of Life Research 17(8):1063-1071Merten et al (2008). Adolescent Obesity and Young Adult Psychosocial Outcomes: Gender and Racial Diffe rences, Journal of Youth & Adolescence, 37(9):1111-1122. Other Sources for Literature Review of health effects of obesity

A Closer Look: Violent Rhetoric and Arizona Politics

A Closer Look: Violent Rhetoric and Arizona Politics In â€Å"Violent Rhetoric and Arizona Politics† by Nathan Thornburgh, the author tries to get the message across that rumors can lead to more violence, than what actually happens. In a time where there are rumors flying, and people getting killed and a congresswoman shot because of them, Thornburgh is out there to prove his point that perhaps rumors are leading to all of this violence in Arizona.However his argument would have been more effective had he shown less bias, been a bit less dismissive and had provided more evidence and statistics to back up his paper. While not all bias is bad, too much can lead to an argument being less effective. Thornburgh’s bias can be seen in many aspects of the paper. In Thornburgh’s paper bias can be seen in his use of tone and word choice. Thornburgh chooses, out of the many names to call the shooter, â€Å"Coward† (Gooch 325. ) While it definitely shows Thornburgh's anger, where does the bias come from? Simple. Thornburgh's praise and protection of the congresswoman.It his small things, like his commenting on â€Å"Gifford was one of few politicians offering concrete law enforcement steps† and the fact that he later states numerous other facts to paint her in a good light (325). At the very end he goes on to say â€Å"Gifford’s is a sensible politician who was likely shot because she dealt with Arizona's reality, not its rumors† (Gooch 325). It is Thornburgh's bias, as bias is simply whichever way you lean towards in an argument, of the congresswoman that leads to him calling the shooter a coward. In anger or not, bias still promoted this. While bias is not bad, too much of it clouds your argument.That is what bias did here, as the fact that Thornburgh supports the congresswoman pops out at you and is right in your face at some points. It does not help Thornburgh's argument either, as he becomes dismissive of certain things within his argument. Thornburgh can be seen as dismissive in some parts of his argument. He seems to not really expand on the topic and just lets it go with a simple statement. Earlier on in in his article, Thornburgh states that â€Å"There were plenty of deaths there, but they were meek tragedies† when talking about the beheading that had been rumored to be going on in the desert (Gooch 325).What Thornburgh is talking about is the fact that there are rumors going on about immigrants being beheaded in the desert, but in truth they are being abandoned by their guides. Thornburgh is attempting to say that the rumors of beheading are not true and that the rumors have led to more violence. However he comes off as dismissive towards the lives that were lost as unimportant, which would throw someone off reading his paper if they disagreed with that sentiment. Thornburgh is trying to dismiss the idea of rumors, and in the same sentence is also dismissing the event itself and writi ng it off as if it wasn’t that big of a deal.This contradicts himself seeing as his whole point within the argument seems to be about the fact that these rumors lead to the violence happening. The thing he is most dismissive about, however, is the need for statistics. One of the key points of an effective argument is to provide support, usually in the form of statistics, citations, and facts. While Thornburgh does give some citations from other sources, they are just quoting of events or what people had said about events. Some of Thornburgh’s facts do lend credence to his paper, such as when he quotes about the â€Å"‘Congress on Your Corner’ † (Gooch 325).Yet this isn’t quite what makes a good argument. He could perhaps make a good argument without statistics but it still stands that statistics do help provide support to your argument. For instance, one of the best places to insert statistics would have been when he was talking about the fac t that because the community had been â€Å"Living in such calm for so long† they were more riled up about these things happening and rumors began to start (Gooch 325). Such a statistic would be like something from Americanprogress. rg, in which they state that â€Å"Violent crimes in Arizona are down by 15 percent since 2006† (Garcia). This would back up his statement on the fact that crimes had been low for quite a while and that they continue to drop. This would lend much help to the effectiveness of his argument. The effectiveness of Thornburgh’s argument was not as strong as it could have been. If he had been less overt about his bias, and had been a bit more professional, that alone would have made it a more effective argument. The one point that would have made it even more effective was if he had provided tatistics that were from a credible and reliable source. This article seemed to be more of a personal rant meant to persuade you to Thornburgh’s thinking than an actual well thought out article. Thornburgh’s points are there, and they do have clarity, but the tone is just too informal or biased to provide for an effective argument. Works Cited Garcia, Ann. â€Å"Fact Sheet: Setting the Record Straight on Border Crime. † American Progress. N. P. , 14 June 2010. Web. Gooch, John, and Dorothy U. Seyler. Argument! 2nd Ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

Communication Skills

Communication is a valuable art and an individual's effectiveness as a leader, co-worker or friend will depend on their interpersonal and communication skills. Without a doubt, communication skills are not a simple formula; however, it is not impossible for people to communicate effectively and respectfully. A person can stand in a corner without saying one word; yet, with one simple kick or facial expression, they can communicate. A key to having an effective communication skill is by having good listening skills.The four stages of the listening process are simple to remember, (1) attending, (2) interpreting, (3) responding, and (4) remembering. (Dobbin and Pace, peg. 1 17) The listening process begins when e actively select, or attend to, stimuli in our environment. (Dobbin and pace, peg. 11 7) Many things can affect the way one can perceive his/her communication skills to others. A person must have a clear and pleasant tone in his/her voice in order to appeal to the listeners. Hav ing good listening skills makes the speaker feel admirable, appreciated and respected.When a person listens, they encourage the skill in others by acting as a model for positive and effective communication. In order to develop effective listening skills one should: 1. Minimize all external and internal distractions 2. Focus on what the speaker is saying . Keep an open mind in order not to make assumptions According to the Washington Times: â€Å"More often than one might think, listening has to happen before speaking can begin. This is especially true for babies. During their first few months, they hear the sounds around them.Over time, they learn to distinguish these sounds as part of figuring out who and what are worth dealing with in their immediate environment. A baby's effort to learn the difference between hearing and listening requires a rudimentary form of reasoning or thinking. Most babies discover they have to listen a lot before they can start talking. † (Washingto n's. Mom) Babies will then learn that by listening then responding, they will get a chance to speak. By developing good listening skills we learn to understand and obtain information.Some children are naturally attentive while others may need to focus on their skills. As a parent, we can help children to be better listeners by engaging into conversations with them or by playing games that my help them become better listeners. Effective listening skills are essential in many areas of life; such as, school, friendship and a career. It is vital to begin developing good listening skills during childhood so that a person can make a unconscious effort in engaging into a productive conversation. Listening effectively is an acquired skill. Communication Skills Communication Skills ï » ¿Communication Skills Aims This resource has been compiled to give a general introduction to effective communication for practice educators. The key components of the communication process will be discussed. The basic skills required for effective communication will be explored in the next few sections, and some specific contexts for communication, including giving presentations and feedback meetings, will be examined.Learning Objectives On completion of this resource, you should be able to: †¢ Identify the key components of the communication process. †¢ Identify some typical problems that can arise in the communication process and demonstrate knowledge of skills to overcome these. †¢ Demonstrate increased awareness of forms of communication and social behaviour. †¢ Identify and use strategies for managing specific contexts for communication, including giving presentations.Introduction As we progress through our careers in the health or social care environment, the sorts of skills that are critical to our success can change and evolve. Many of us are first responsible for performing specific practical tasks, linked to our developing knowledge base. Our effectiveness centres upon our actions and our growing expertise at performing these. Proficiency at such tasks is often the initial focus.However, as we continue to progress, it is likely that success will depend more and more upon our interpersonal skills and our ability to develop effective working relationships with key others. Jobs that include a managerial, supervisory or a mentoring role can involve complex relationships with people. Demands can be made that are sometimes conflicting and ambiguous. A practice educator’s job can involve reconciling and managing these demands. Not surprisingly, interpersonal and communication skills often rank among the most critical for work related success.In its most straightforward sense, effective communication may be  understood as occurring when the intended me aning of the sender and perceived meaning of the receiver are the same. Yet the level of skill required for effective communication to occur, belies the simplicity of this definition. After examining studies involving hundreds of large organisations, Goleman (1997) concluded that a high level of individual success at work was characterised by ‘emotional intelligence’, or skills of social awareness and communication. Typically, these included the ability to motivate and influence others, to give honest feedback sensitively, to empathise and develop relationships, to monitor ones own behaviour, to handle emotions both of self and others and to read interpersonal situations and organisational politics.However it is important to note that emotional intelligence, or the skills of social awareness and communication, can be developed and honed. This resource aims to give a basic introduction to the area of effective communication and will seek to increase your awareness of for ms of communication, communication skills and social or interpersonal behaviour therein. Communication (from Latin commÃ… «nicÄ re, meaning â€Å"to share†) is the activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, visuals, signals, writing, or behavior. It is the meaningful exchange of information between two or more living creatures.One definition of communication is â€Å"any act by which one person gives to or receives from person information about that person's needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.†Communication requires a sender, a message, and a recipient, although the receiver doesn't have to be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communi cation can occur across vast distances in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver understands the sender's message. Communicating with others involves three primary steps:Thought: First, information exists in the mind of the sender. This can be a concept, idea, information, or feelings. Encoding: Next, a message is sent to a receiver in words or other symbols. Decoding: Lastly, the receiver translates the words or symbols into a concept or information that a person can understand. There are a variety of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication. These include body language, eye contact, sign language, haptic communication,and chronemics. Other examples are media content such as pictures, graphics, sound, and writing.The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities also defines the communication to include the display of text, Braille, tactile communication, large print, accessible multimedia, as well as written and plain language, human-reader, augmentative and alternative modes, means and formats of communication, including accessible information and communication technology. Feedback is a critical component of effective communication.Communication Process The A first step in unravelling the complexity of interpersonal communication is to understand the basic process by which communication occurs. Only then can we identify where possible problems can arise and explore skills for enhancing communication and managing such breakdowns. Human beings are not passive, predictable objects who always interpret meanings and react as they are ‘supposed to’. Neither is communication a passive, predictable, one way event.Rather, communication can be viewed as an active process, influenced by all the complexities and ambiguities of human behaviour. It is also fraught with potential points of breakdown. As Clampitt notes, ‘We actively construct meanings within a unique vortex that includes the words used, the context of the utterances, and the people involved.’(2005, p.8)A more accurate way of looking at the process of communication is probably as a dynamic, circuitous process in which elements such as non-verbal behaviour and individual styles of interpreting and ascribing meaning to events have significant influence. Strategies such as constructing a clear, unambiguous message can encourage effective communication, but sotoo can seeking to understand meanings imposed by the listener via processes such as actively listening to feedback. 1. Sending The Message:Person 1 constructs and sends a message. Messages are the signals and symbols that we use to convey what we want to transmit. They can occur in various ways, including visual (non-verbal, written), auditory (verbal and sub-vocal speech), tactile (touch, bodily contact) and olfactory(perfumes, aftershaves) formats. In order to send the message, it must be encoded intowords, as well as tone, inflection, facial expression, and other non-verbal language.While skills such as clear thinking, concise expression of plain english, logical association of ideas and organised speech are important, especially to specific contexts such as giving presentations they do not ensure that effective communication will take place. The meaning of the message is not contained solely in the words, as factors such as non-verbal cues, the context and the people involved will heavily influence meaning. It is important to note that unintended as well as intended meanings may be communicated via non-verbal leakage.2.The Channel In Clampitt’s (2005) model, this refers to the means used to deliver messages and the related formats. Means used to communicate can include face to face, telephone, pager, written, radio and video communication. In face to face communication, which is most often preferred for communication of more importan t matters, communication occurs through visual, auditory and olfactory formats, while the tactile medium may or may not be used. Skilled communicators will choose the channel most appropriate to the specific goals sought at that time.3. Receiving the MessageFor effective communication to take place, the message must be accurately decoded and reconstructed by person2, from the signals received from person 1. However, even if the â€Å"encoding† is carried out very well; this in itself does not ensure that it will be â€Å"decoded† accurately. The meaning ascribed to the message may vary according to the person doing the interpreting, the context in which the message was given and the total information communicated.4. FeedbackPerson 2 responds to person 1, and this message is received by person 1 as feedback. Again, feedback comprises both the verbal and non-verbal messages  of others, and allows us to evaluate how the message has been understood and the response to it . Actively listening to feedback is a key skill in effective communication. We can also get feedback from our own responses through a process known as ‘self-monitoring’ (Hargie et al 2004).Self-monitoring involves staying aware of what we are saying and doing in social encounters and how this is impacting on others. This type of feedback can then be used to alter or adapt our behaviour in the light of the responses from others.People who are skilled communicators are high self-monitors, who continuously analyse and regulate their own behaviour according to the way in which the other person is responding. With feedback as with other forms of message, the information received must be interpreted by us. Therefore, the message is susceptible to the same possible misinterpretations and will be influenced by factors such as context and people involved.Meaning is not an inherent quality of the message, but is perceived or constructed in the mind of the recipient. In the above exercise, a message that would seem to have been intended by the practice educator as being genuinely positive was misinterpreted as negative by the student in the second situation. The important part of this communication at this point, is how the practice educator listens to this feedback, the meaning that s/he ascribes to it, and how it is subsequently responded to.5. ContextA significant point to note is that communication never occurs in a vacuum. Communication is inextricably linked to the particular context in which it occurs, which in turn has a major impact upon behaviour. 6. NoiseThe term ‘noise’ describes anything that can interfere with or distort the meaning of a message. Dickson (1999) has identified a number of such barriers or common sources of noise, which can affect communication accuracy and effectiveness. †¢ Psychological:These include the perceptual biases or stereotypes that can impact on how we interpret a particular person’s message. People respond to stimuli in the environment in very different ways. We each have shortcuts that we use to organize data. Invariably, these shortcuts introduce some biases into  communication. Stereotyping is an example of such a shortcut.†¢ Semantic:This is used to describe situations where language or cultural differences distort or interfere with the meaning of the message. Effective communication requires deciphering and understanding the basic values, motives, and assumptions of the other person. Given that dramatic differences exist across cultures in terms of approaches to time, space, and privacy; the opportunities for misinterpretation when we are in cross-cultural situations are plentiful.†¢ Environmental:This refers to a range of factors such as size of room, layout of furniture, intrusive noise, heating and lighting etc. Each of these can either encourage or inhibit interaction.†¢ Demographic: Factors such as gender and age can impact on the way in which a message is interpreted. For example, a male listener may nod his head to indicate to the speaker ‘I agree’, whereas a female listener may nod her head to communicate ‘I am listening’ (but not necessarily agreeing); so sending the same visible feedback but with different actual meanings.†¢ Disability: Physical or neurological impairment as well as psychiatric illness can call for alternative means to the usual patterns of communication to be adopted. Some examples include sight or hearing loss, and conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or severe depression.†¢ OrganisationalBarriers to effective communication can be located within the organisation or agency itself. Difficulties with established lines and means of communication, different relative physical location of staff, lack ok of team or supervision meetings organisation or agency itself.Characteristics of Effective Communication Even in today’s electronic age, effective inter personal communication skills are a key factor in your professional and personal success. 1.A Clear,Concise MessageNo one likes a rambler, so have your primary purpose in mind when you begin your communication. Simplify your thoughts, so you can present your point in a precise manner. Once you have made your first important point, move on to  the next.2.Understanding of the RecipientEffective communicators know who they are talking to, and they understand the style of communication will vary based on the recipient. For example, you probably talk to your co-workers very differently than you talk to your boss.3.Empathy for the RecipientEmpathy involves putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. Effective communicators always see the situation from the perspective of the other person, including the emotions that might be involved with the message.4.Effective ListeningCommunication isn’t all about talking to someone. Effective listening means really hearing what the o ther person is saying as well. Paraphrasing the message and repeating it back to the individual will let you know you understood their point accurately. It also shows that you care enough about their message to get it right the first time. 5.Asking for Clarification, when NecessaryEffective communicators aren’t afraid to ask for clarification if they don’t understand the message they are receiving. When you ask for clearer understanding, it shows that you really care what the person is talking about and ensures the conversation proceeds appropriately. Clarification can come from paraphrasing what you heard the other person say or simply asking him to relay his message in a different way that is easier for you to understand.6.Adherence to the FactsEffective communicators are much more interested in passing of facts than assumptions or gossip. Avoid the rumor mill at all costs, and unless you can verify your information through the original source, do not pass it on to o thers. If you are conveying a message from another person, it is also important to get that person’s permission to do so before passing the information onto others.7.Awareness of Body LanguageBody language makes up a large percentage of our messages, so effective communicators learn how to tune into the nonverbal message they are sending. Make eye contact with the person you are talking to as much as possible, particularly when that person is speaking to you. Avoid potentially offensive body language like fidgeting, biting your lip or rolling your eyes that might convey boredom, cynicism or lack of honesty.8.Provision of Proper FeedbackWhen you offer feedback to another person, make sure it is constructive. Feedback is important to maintain a positive conversation and ensure you are both on the same page. Feedback might involve requests for clarifications, questions to expand a particular message, or constructive criticism about another’s performance. Pepper potential criticism with plenty of positive feedback so the recipient is more likely to hear your message and take it to heart.9.Inclusion of Praise, when AppropriateEffective communicators know how and when to offer praise. Positive feedback is always welcome, as long as the recipient knows it is authentic. When you praise another person, be specific in your compliment by linking it directly to a specific activity or attribute. Praise someone publically whenever you can, and make sure the praise coming out of your mouth is genuine. When you must convey negative information or criticism, try starting out with praise and ending with a positive statement. This â€Å"hamburger† approach usually helps others take criticism in stride.10. Positive AttitudeNo one likes to listen to a complainer, so effective communicators work hard to keep their messages positive. Instead of using phrases like, â€Å"I can’t† or â€Å"We won’t† in your conversations, focus on what you can do for others. Even if you cannot grant a request the way someone hopes, keeping your message positive will allow the other person to accept your â€Å"no† with grace. Effective communicators are typically the successful people in life that others admire. If you would like to join this elite group, practice these tips to improve your own communication skills. The improvement in your professional and personal relationships will make the work on your communication worth the effort.The Types of Communication Skills1. Verbal Communication Verbal communication skills are very important and must be honed, particularly in a job in which employees deal with the public. Clear communication requires straightforward language that is neither too flowery or too simple. It is essential to be able to use the spoken word to get your point across simply. Higher levels of communication competencies deal with persuasive speaking and these skills are necessary for management level employ ees and those in marketing positions within a company. All employees can benefit from public speaking courses, which help develop these key communication skills.2. Non verbal CommunicationNonverbal communication is much more difficult for many people. It consists of body language and the cues that are given off while listening to someone else speak. Those in customer service positions need to have a highly developed competency level in listening. Nodding of the head, inclining towards the speaker and showing an open body (shoulders back, arms uncrossed) let a speaker know that you are listening and hearing what they have to say.3. Oral communicationOral communication, while primarily referring to spoken verbal communication, can also employ visual aids and non-verbal elements to support the conveyance of meaning. Oral communication includes speeches, presentations, discussions, and aspects of interpersonal communication. As a type of face-to-face communication, body language and cho ice tonality play a significant role, and may have a greater impact upon the listener than informational content. This type of communication also garners immediate feedback.4. Written CommunicationOne often overlooked area of communication is the written word. Even the most basic position in a company requires employees to have good written communication skills. Proper spelling, grammar usage and a professional way of imparting information are important competencies that must be mastered. Written communication that is poorly worded, misspelled or full of errors detracts from the overall message that is being imparted. This is even more  vital when dealing with the public through written communication. People judge others by the way they write and it is important to make sure that written communication is professional.5. Business communicationA business can flourish only when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the peo ple of the organization must be able to convey their message properlyBarriers to Communication1.Language Barriers Clearly, language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication. However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used. Regional colloquialisms and expressions may be misinterpreted or even considered offensive. See our page: Effective Speaking for more information.2.Psychological BarriersThe psychological state of the receiver will influence how the message is received. For example, if someone has personal worries and is stressed, they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive to the message as if they were not stressed. Stress management is an important personal skill t hat affects our interpersonal relationships. See our pages Stress: Symptoms and Triggers and Avoiding Stress for more information.Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication, when we are angry it is easy to say things that we may later regret and also to misinterpret what others are saying. See our pages: What is Anger?, Anger Management and Anger Management Therapy for more information. More generally people with low self-esteem may be less assertive and therefore may not feel comfortable communicating – they may feel shy about saying how they really feel or read negative sub-texts into messages they hear. Visit our pages on Improving Self-Esteem and Assertiveness for more information.3.Physiological BarriersPhysiological barriers may result from the receiver’s physical state: for example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not grasp to entirety of a spoken conversation especially if there is significant background noise.4.Physical BarriersAn example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and receiver(s). Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more communication channels are available and less technology is required. Although modern technology often serves to reduce the impact of physical barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each communication channel should be understood so that an appropriate channel can be used to overcome the physical barriers.5.Systematic BarriersSystematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organisations where there are inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication. In such organisations, individuals may be unclear of their role in the communication process and therefore not know what is expected of them.6.Attitudinal BarriersAttitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prev ent people from communicating effectively. Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management, resistance to change or a lack of motivation. Effective receivers of messages should attempt to overcome their own attitudinal barriers to facilitate effective communication. Common Barriers to Effective Communication1.The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms. 2.Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some topics may be completely ‘off-limits' or taboo. 3.Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. Barriers to 4.Differences in perception and viewpoint.  5.Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. 6.Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.7.Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents. 8.Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect conclusions. 9.Cultural differences The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings.The Main Skills for Effective CommunicationFollowing are the main skills one should have to master to become an effective communicator. Although acquiring all these skills and mastering them to the same level seems to be challenging, knowing all these skills and slowly working on them will take you to the level you want to be in communication.1.Staying FocusedWhen you deal with a current crisis or an argument, relating something from the past is quite natural. When this happens, most of the times, the disc ussion goes out of topic and the situation can become quite complicated. Staying focused is one of the best skills not only for communicating under pressure, but for all types of communications ranging from lunch chitchats to board discussions. If you go out of focus, there is a high chance that the end result of the communication may not be effective.2.Listening CarefullyAlthough people think that they are listing when another person talks, actually they are spending time planning what to say next. This is what we actually do! Therefore, you need to make an extra effort in order to listen to what the other person says and then come up with what you want to say. If you are not sure what you've heard, repeat it and ask for their confirmation.3.Understanding Others' Point of ViewsIn most of the communications, we want ourselves heard and understood. We talk a lot on our point of view and try to get the buying of who are listening. Remember, others also do the same! If you want them to hear you, you need to hear them and understand their point of view too. If you can really see through their point of view, you can actually explain yours in a clear and applicable way.4.Empathy When CriticizingSometimes, we become really defensive when someone criticizes us. Since criticism has close ties with emotions, we can be easily erupted. But, in communication, it is really important to listen to the other person's pain and difficulties and respond with empathy. At the same time, try to extract the facts and the truth in what they say, it can be useful for you.5.Taking OwnershipTaking personal responsibility is strength. When it comes to effective communication, admitting what you did wrong is respected and required. Most of the times, there are many people, who share responsibility in a conflict. In such cases, admit what is yours. This behaviour shows maturity and sets an example. Your behaviour most probably will inspire others to take responsibility for their share.6.Com promise if NecessaryWe love to win arguments all the time, but how often have you felt empty inside after winning an argument? Sometimes, winning an argument does not make sense. You may win the argument but might lose the corporation of other people. Communication is not about winning, it's about getting things done. For the objective of getting things done, you may have to compromise in the process. If it is necessary, please do!7.Take a Time-Out if NecessarySometimes, you need to take a break in the middle of the discussion. If the communication is intensive, there can be ineffective communication pattern surfaced. Once you notice such patterns, you need to take a break and then continue. When you continue after the break, all the parties involved in the discussion will be able to constructively contribute for the discussion.8.Compete for Your ObjectiveAlthough there can be a lot of obstacles on your way, do not give up what you are fighting for. Surely you may have to compromise , but clearly stand for what you believe in. When it comes to communication, all the parties involved should satisfy with the outcome of it. Ask for Help Sometimes, you might have difficulties to communicate certain things to certain parties. This could be due to an issue related to respect or something else. In such cases, seek help from others. Your manager will be one of the best persons to help you with.ConclusionThus, effective communication helps us better understand a person or situation and enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect, and create environments where creative ideas, problem solving, affection, and caring can flourish. As simple as communication seems, much of what we try to communicate to others—and what others try to communicate to us—gets misunderstood, which can cause conflict and frustration in personal and professional relationships. By learning these effective communication skills, you can better connect with your spouse, kids , friends, and coworkers.