Reflective Account of Increasing a Persons Observations

Reflective Account of Increasing a Persons Observations on an Acute Mental Health WardThis essay will discus a decision that was made on a local male acute ward. Using this example, an analysis of the decision making process has been made and a reflective model has been used in order to generate personal knowledge that will inform further practice (Rolfe, 2011a). A pseudonym of Tim has been used for the discussed patient to maintain confidentiality in accordance with the NMC code of conduct (2010a). Observation is one way in which mental health nurses can protect acutely mentally ill inpatients from harm and is commonly implemented for patients who impose a risk of harming themselves, others and for those who are vulnerable (Bowers et al, 2006). Tim, who was on a local male acute ward, posed a risk of harming himself and became very vulnerable during his stay. On admission he was perceived to be at low risk of harming himself and vulnerability, therefore was observed on the minimum level of observation, general observation, which includes all patients and involves an hourly eyesight check on the patient (DH, 1999; NICE, 2005). The decision to increase his observation level was jointly taken by the mentor and the author by gathering information from bank support workers about Tim's current presentation. After a noted deterioration in Tim's mental health, it was decided to increase observations to within eyesight of staff. Justification for this was that he was becoming a serious risk of harming himself as he threatened to jump from the ward roof, as he was determined to leave. Tim was detained under section 2 or the mental health act (DH, 2007). He felt that he needed to leave in order to find his son who he had recently lost contact with. He had been stopped attempting to climb a drain pipe to leave via the ward roof and had been in a very distressed state. Eyesight level of observation is seen as the second highest of four levels and demands intense nursing, only within arms length is higher (DH, 1999; Jones & Eales, 2009; NICE, 2005). Close observation is an example of decision making which is exclusive to mental health nursing. The Chief Nursing Officer described observation as a key area where good practice is essential and that nurses should ‘demonstrate an understanding of the benefits and limitations of the use of levels of observation to maximise the therapeutic effect on inpatient units’ (DH, 2006). Additionally NICE (2005) recommends the use of observation in the short-term management of disturbed/violent patients. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC, 2010a) require nurses to be able to apply knowledge and an appropriate repertoire of skills that is indicative of safe and effective practice and based on the best available evidence. At the time of making the decision it seemed the right course of action. The mentor's final decision was taken for granted as he was an experienced nurse and a lack of personal experience meant that the author had limited personal experience to work with. Before undertaking this assignment it could not decided what could be done differently if faced with a similar situation on qualification. On qualification, such a decision will have to be well informed and made with confidence and one that has to be made in accordance with the NMC code of professional conduct (2010) which requires nurses to be accountable for their own actions and omissions in practice. By using the decision making tool below the advantage of hindsight can be used when analysing this decision to better inform future practice. Pritchard (2006) sees decision making as one of the most difficult processes that a nurse can undertake and one of the most important parts of nursing practice. Aitkin (2003) concludes that formal decision analysis can improve future decision making. The utilised decision making model, as described by Jasper (2003), asks the questions Who/What/When/Where/Why and How? These questions make a useful contribution to systematic, holistic, clinical judgement and enable evaluation and critical thinking about the made decision to take place Jasper, 2003; Standing, 2011). Tim has a long history of mental illness and was admitted to the ward following a deterioration in his mental illness after he lost contact with his son. His mood was elevated and he felt very restless and agitated. Prior to admission, he was found police in a very distressed state. Tim was placed on a section 2 of the mental health act (DH, 2007) and was originally observed generally where a member of staff would have to see him face to face on a hourly basis (NICE, 2005). Under section 2 of the mental health act Tim has lost the right to leave hospital at will and his responsible clinician has not granted him section 17 leave. A person can be detained for up to 28 days and treat against their will (DH, 2007). As Tim was detained it was important for staff to keep him on the ward. Increasing attempts by Tim to leave led to a change in observation level to within eyesight to make sure he did not leave the ward by any means. Staff levels were low, and for that reason it was felt that there was not enough staff to informally observe Tim. In addition there was a general feeling of fear that if Tim left the ward there would be inevitable consequences for the staff. The literature shows that the decision to increase a persons observations is common when faced with the above situation. Buchanan-Barker ; Barker (2005) are critical at the increase of observations on acute mental health wards following high profile tragedies placing practitioners in defensive mode to stop patient elopements and harm to patients. Organisations have responded to this risk by formalising observation policies to defend themselves against litigation. In addition, it is felt that observation policies dominate practice and reassure distant managers that ‘something is being done' (Horsfall ; Cleary, 2000). Equally, nurses use observation in ‘defensive mode' in order to prevent harm. Despite these measures, the effectiveness of observation to reducing patient risk and providing a therapeutic benefit is not at all clear (Mana, 2010). This indicates that observation is driven by risk culture and defensive practices concerned with physical integrity of the person and do little to address the origin of a person's distress (Cutcliffe & Stephenson, 2008; Buchanan-Barker & Barker, 2005). Tim was finding it hard to cope with the loss of his son and wants to leave the ward to find him. One study found that the most cited reason for ncreasing levels of close observations was the prevention of absconding from an acute ward which could lead to the patients self-harm, neglect vulnerability and violence (Dennis, 1997). During Tim's observation staff were tired and unwilling to engage with Tim. Staff were seen to be following Tim from one part of the unit to another which was aggravating him further. The observation was void of conversation which is in contrast to Peplau's (195 2) view that clinical observation should be carried out with the nurses attention to the interpersonal relationship with the patient. Likewise, Rooney (2009) reports that nurses acknowledged that observations were more about prevention than cure and keeping the patient safe was priority. On the other hand, Bowles et al (2002) found that distressed patients need both containment and engagement. In conclusion, there was a need to maintain a therapeutic relationship while considering the management of risk and the empowerment of the patient. The mental Health Act (DH, 2007) requires an appropriate package of treatment to be in place which includes one-toone time with staff which could have helped alleviate Tim's anxiety. Short staffing meant that Tim's one-to-one time had not taken place and from a personal view point a package that can only be theoretically provided is not be good enough. Bank support workers had been allocated to observe Tim as the qualified nurse had to complete paperwork. This is in agreement with the findings of Rooney (2009) who reported that observation was usually left to unqualified staff as nurses were often dealing with other matters. In contrast, NICE (2005) states that observation should be undertaken by registered nurses. Nurses may delegate to competent staff who have had the appropriate training. It is thought that the bank staff did not have the appropriate level of competence which created a poor skill mix on that shift which Aston et al (2010) see as a barrier to good decision making. In agreement Rooney (2009) found that staff acknowledged therapeutic work could take place during times of observation however, they felt that they lacked the relevant skills. Staff reported that no one had ever explained how to interact with the patient or had received any further guidance beyond the aspects of risk management and containment. Most nurses who took part in this study had no practical or theoretical preparation for observations. Tim attempts to leave by the door on the ward when it is opened for visitors and he will try several times a day to enter the court yard to leave by climbing onto the roof. The high level of staffing resources taken up by preventing Tim from leaving the ward prevented staff from engaging with other patients who felt that they were being ignored and neglected which in turn added further stress to staff. In agreement are a number of authors who have shown that formal observations consume nursing resources and that the patient being observed receive a disproportionate amount of nurses time (Mana, 2010; Bowles et al, 2002). Bowles et al (2002) argued that the time taken up by the demands of observation was to the detriment of of care of patients that were not seen as a high risk. To reflect on the above experience Rolfe's framework has been used which poses the questions what? , so what? , now what? (Rolfe, 2001; 2011a). This type of reflection which is done after and away from the actual event is referred to by Schon (1983) as reflection-on-action and the following discussion focusses on how the author and others did and what changes could be made. Despite this type of reflection being useful reflection-in-action is seen to have far more significance in professional practice. Reflection-in-action looks at the suitability of a particular intervention while it is been carried out. This is one of the distinguishing features as a nurse progresses from qualified status to an advanced practitioner (Schon, 1983; Rolfe, 2011b). In terms of clinical reasoning and decision making, reflection is seen as an invaluable resource for developing personal practice and learning from other people's perspectives (Aston et al, 2010). In addition to this, reflection can generate knowledge from practice rather than relying on external research findings (Rolfe, 2011a). Rolfe's (2001) framework allows the construction of personal theory and knowledge and how a similar situations outcome might be improved by future actions. The NMC makes it clear that nurses should take part in appropriate learning that helps develop competence and performance (NMC, 2010a). According to Benner's (2001) novice to expert the author recognises that as a management student working towards qualification he needs to be a proficient performer who looks at situations as a whole rather than their constituent parts. In strong agreement, Aston (2011), who uses a skills escalator approach, places a management student at level 4 which is a level where a student is expected to demonstrate they can draw on a wide range of resources using an evidence based rational for decisions. When the author collaborated with staff to assist in making a decision for Tim he felt equally involved in the decision making process however personal contribution was lacking due to limited knowledge at that time. The NMC (2010a) require that care is based on the best available evidence or best practice. The author's personal decision was not based on either. Furthermore, Aston (2010) recommends that confidence in making a decision is developed by a number of factors including relevant past experiences and practising using decision making skills. Pritchard (2006) argues that the process of decision making is learned gradually through practical experience of caring for patients and observing more experienced colleagues making decisions. Further inhibiting the authors ability to make a decision was a theory practice gap (Aston, 2010). This indicates that the author was practising at Benner's (2001) novice stage, in that he had entered a new clinical area and had a limited contextual understanding. The author was too inexperienced to made the above decision. Tim was placed on eyesight observations and the permanent presence of staff upset him. Tim was feeling distress and anger. There were no positive outcomes and the intervention was not effective meaning the wrong decision may have been made. Personal decisions and actions were not based on evidence or experience. One of the barriers to future decision making is making mistakes and reflection is one way of recognising what could have been done better. In addition, in the new clinical environment, the author should have been assisted to practice safely under constant supervision and possibly not able to make such a decision at this stage of nursing training (Aitkin, 2003). Despite this being the case a thorough theoretical knowledge before working on the ward would have better prepared the author for making the decision. In contrast to this is the notion that a nurse who is experienced in working with theoretical knowledge will find differences in practice that the formal theory fails to express (Benner, 2001). This indicates that a new understanding of the situation has been reached. Despite no real harm coming to Tim the author was not in a position to assist in making the decision. The author should have declined stating that he did not have the relevant knowledge. It is clear that the author had a low critical thinking capability at that time. It is argued that this is a problem faced by newly qualified nurses. Graduates do not meet expectations for entry level clinical judgement ability (Del Bueno, 2005). Similarly, Deuchester (2009) reports that newly qualified nurses go through a transition shock and have a poor ability to make decisions. Feelings of doubt, loss, confusion and disorientation for newly qualified nurses are reported along with a lack of knowledge that includes practical, theoretical and tacit. Despite this being the case the NMC (2010b) require students to demonstrate the ability to work as autonomous practitioners by the point of registration. Del Bueno (2005) concludes that newly qualified nurses should be expected to think critically and use clinical judgement in order to develop it. In conclusion the broader issues that have arose from this are that time needs to be taken to stop and think and consider whether whether the decision is meeting the patients needs. The main learning, for future practice, is to make sure that the author is exposed to as many situations as possible to gain practical knowledge. In addition, theoretical gaps in knowledge need to be eliminated in future practice. The best attempt to engage with the patient needs to be sought in the future. If observation levels needs to be increased the decision should be weighed up against the patient being allowed to move freely and not feel restricted and Mental Health Act (2007) requirements of offering one to one-to-one sessions.

Frostbite Chapter 13

Thirteen PEOPLE STOOD UP AND SHOUTED, everyone wanting their opinion to be heard. As it was, most of them held the same view: Tasha was wrong. They told her she was crazy. They told her that in sending out Moroi and dhampirs to fight the Strigoi, she'd be expediting the extinction of both races. They even had the nerve to suggest that that was Tasha's plan all along- that she was somehow collaborating with the Strigoi in all of this. Dimitri stood up, disgust all over his features as he surveyed the chaos. â€Å"You might as well leave. Nothing useful's going to happen now.† Mason and I rose, but he shook his head when I started to follow Dimitri out. â€Å"You go on,† said Mason. â€Å"I want to check something out.† I glanced at the standing, arguing people. I shrugged. â€Å"Good luck.† I couldn't believe it had only been a few days since I'd spoken to Dimitri. Stepping out into the hall with him, I felt like it'd been years. Being with Mason these last couple of days had been fantastic, but seeing Dimitri again, all of my old feelings for him came rushing back. Suddenly, Mason seemed like a child. My distress over the Tasha situation also came back, and stupid words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. â€Å"Shouldn't you be in there protecting Tasha?† I asked. â€Å"Before the mob gets her? She's going to get in big trouble for using magic like that.† He raised an eyebrow. â€Å"She can take care of herself.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, because she's a badass karate magic user. I get all that. I just figured since you're going to be her guardian and all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Where did you hear that?† â€Å"I have my sources.† Somehow, saying I'd heard it from my mom sounded less cool. â€Å"You've decided to, right? I mean, it sounds like a good deal, seeing as she's going to give you fringe benefits†¦.† He gave me a level look. â€Å"What happens between her and me is none of your business,† he replied crisply. The words between her and me stung. It sounded like he and Tasha were a done deal. And, as often happened when I was hurt, my temper and attitude took over. â€Å"Well, I'm sure you guys'll be happy together. She's just your type, too- I know how much you like women who aren't your own age. I mean, she's what, six years older than you? Seven? And I'm seven years younger than you.† â€Å"Yes,† he said after several moments of silence. â€Å"You are. And every second this conversation goes on, you only prove how young you really are.† Whoa. My jaw almost hit the floor. Not even my mother punching me had hurt as badly as that. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw regret in his eyes, like he too realized just how harsh his words had been. But the moment passed, and his expression was hard once more. â€Å"Little dhampir,† a voice suddenly said nearby. Slowly, still stunned, I turned toward Adrian Ivashkov. He grinned at me and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment to Dimitri. I suspected my face was bright red. How much had Adrian heard? He held up his hands in a casual gesture. â€Å"I don't want to interrupt or anything. Just wanted to talk to you when you have time.† I wanted to tell Adrian I didn't have time to play whatever game he was into now, but Dimitri's words still smarted. He was looking at Adrian now in a very disapproving way. I suspected he, like everyone else, had heard about Adrian's bad reputation. Good, I thought. I suddenly wanted him to be jealous. I wanted to hurt him as much as he'd hurt me lately. Swallowing my pain, I unearthed my man-eating smile, one I hadn't used to full effect in sometime. I walked over to Adrian and put a hand on his arm. â€Å"I've got time now.† I gave a nod of my own to Dimitri and steered Adrian away, walking close to him. â€Å"See you later, Guardian Belikov.† Dimitri's dark eyes followed us stonily. Then I turned away and didn't look back. â€Å"Not into older guys, huh?† asked Adrian once we were alone. â€Å"You're imagining things,† I said. â€Å"Clearly, my stunning beauty has clouded your mind.† He laughed that nice laugh of his. â€Å"That's entirely possible.† I started to step back, but he tossed an arm around me. â€Å"No, no, you wanted to play chummy with me- now you've got to see it through.† I rolled my eyes at him and let the arm stay. I could smell alcohol on him as well as the perpetual smell of cloves. I wondered if he was drunk now. I had the feeling that there was probably little difference between his attitudes drunk or sober. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked. He studied me for a moment. â€Å"I want you to grab Vasilisa and come with me. We're going to have some fun. You'll probably want a swimsuit too.† He seemed disappointed by the admission of this. â€Å"Unless you want to go naked.† â€Å"What? A bunch of Moroi and dhampirs just got slaughtered, and you want to go swimming and ‘have fun'?† â€Å"It's not just swimming,† he said patiently. â€Å"Besides, that slaughter is exactly why you should go do this.† Before I could argue that, I saw my friends round the corner: Lissa, Mason, and Christian. Eddie Castile was with the group, which shouldn't have surprised me, but Mia was as well- which certainly did surprise me. They were deep in conversation, though they all stopped talking when they saw me. â€Å"There you are,† said Lissa, a puzzled look on her face. I remembered Adrian's arm was still around me. I stepped out of it. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said. A moment of awkwardness hung around us, and I was pretty sure I heard a low chuckle from Adrian. I beamed at him and then my friends. â€Å"Adrian invited us to go swimming.† They stared at me in surprise, and I could almost see the wheels of speculation turning in their heads. Mason's face darkened a little, but like the others, he said nothing. I stifled a groan. Adrian took me inviting the others to his secret interlude pretty well. With his easygoing attitude, I hadn't really expected anything else. Once we had swimsuits, we followed his directions to a doorway in one of the far wings of the lodge. It held a staircase that led down- and down and down. I nearly got dizzy as we wound around and around. Electric lights hung in the walls, but as we went farther, the painted walls changed to carved stone. When we reached our destination, we discovered Adrian had been right- it wasn't just swimming. We were in a special spa area of the resort, one used only for the most elite Moroi. In this case, it was reserved for a bunch of royals I assumed were Adrian's friends. There were about thirty others, all his age or older, who bore the marks of wealth and elitism. The spa consisted of a series of hot mineral pools. Maybe once they'd been in a cave or something, but the lodge builders had long since gotten rid of any sort of rustic surroundings. The black stone walls and ceiling were as polished and beautiful as anything else in the resort. It was like being in a cave- a really nice, designer cave. Racks of towels lined the walls, as did tables full of exotic food. The baths matched the rest of the room's hewn-out d? ¦cor: stone-lined pools containing hot water that was heated from some underground source. Steam filled the room, and a faint, metallic smell hung in the air. Sounds of partygoers laughing and splashing echoed around us. â€Å"Why is Mia with you?† I asked Lissa softly. We were winding our way through the room, looking for a pool that wasn't occupied. â€Å"She was talking to Mason when we were getting ready to leave,† she returned. She kept her voice just as quiet. â€Å"It seemed mean to just†¦ I don't know †¦ leave her †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Even I agreed with that. Obvious signs of grief were written all over her face, but Mia seemed at least momentarily distracted by whatever Mason was telling her. â€Å"I thought you didn't know Adrian,† Lissa added. Disapproval hung in her voice and in the bond. We finally found a large pool, a little out of the way. A guy and a girl were on the opposite side, all over each other, but there was plenty of room for the rest of us. They were easy to ignore. I put a foot into the water and pulled it back immediately. â€Å"I don't,† I told her. Cautiously, I inched the foot back in, slowly followed by the rest of my body. When I got to my stomach, I grimaced. I had on a maroon bikini, and the scalding water caught my stomach by surprise. â€Å"You must know him a little. He invited you to a party.† â€Å"Yeah, but do you see him with us now?† She followed my gaze. Adrian stood on the far side of the room with a group of girls in bikinis much smaller than mine. One was a Betsey Johnson suit I'd seen in a magazine and coveted. I sighed and looked away. We'd all slipped into the water by then. It was so hot I felt like I was in a soup kettle. Now that Lissa seemed convinced of my innocence with Adrian, I tuned into the others' discussion. â€Å"What are you talking about?† I interrupted. It was easier than listening and figuring it out myself. â€Å"The meeting,† said Mason excitedly. Apparently, he'd gotten over seeing me and Adrian together. Christian had settled onto a small shelf in the pool. Lissa curled up beside him. Putting a proprietary arm around her, he tipped his back so it rested on the edge. â€Å"Your boyfriend wants to lead an army against the Strigoi,† he told me. I could tell he was saying it to provoke me. I looked at Mason questioningly. It wasn't worth the effort to challenge the â€Å"boyfriend† comment. â€Å"Hey, it was your aunt who suggested it,† Mason reminded Christian. â€Å"She only said we should find the Strigoi before they find us again,† countered Christian. â€Å"She wasn't pushing for novices fighting. That was Monica Szelsky.† A waitress came by then with a tray of pink drinks. These were in elegant, long-stemmed crystal glasses with sugared rims. I had a strong suspicion the drinks were alcoholic, but I doubted anyone who made it into this party was going to get carded. I had no idea what they were. Most of my experiences with alcohol had involved cheap beer. I took a glass and turned back to Mason. â€Å"You think that's a good idea?† I asked him. I sipped the drink, cautiously. As a guardian in training, I felt like I should always be on alert, but tonight I once again felt like being rebellious. The drink tasted like punch. Grapefruit juice. Something sweet, like strawberries. I was still pretty sure there was alcohol in it, but it didn't appear strong enough for me to lose sleep over. Another waitress soon appeared with a tray of food. I eyed it and recognized almost nothing. There was something that looked vaguely like mushrooms stuffed with cheese, as well as something else that looked little round patties of meat or sausage. As a good carnivore, I reached for one, thinking it couldn't be that bad. â€Å"It's foie gras,† said Christian. There was a smile on his face I didn't like. I eyed him warily. â€Å"What's that?† â€Å"You don't know?† His tone was cocky, and for once in his life, he sounded like a true royal touting his elite knowledge over us underlings. He shrugged. â€Å"Take a chance. Find out.† Lissa sighed in exasperation. â€Å"It's goose liver.† I jerked my hand back. The waitress moved on, and Christian laughed. I glared at him. Meanwhile, Mason was still hung up on my question about whether novices going to battle before graduation was a good idea. â€Å"What else are we doing?† he asked indignantly. â€Å"What are you doing? You run laps with Belikov every morning. What's that doing for you? For the Moroi?† What was that doing for me? Making my heart race and my mind have indecent thoughts. â€Å"We aren't ready,† I said instead. â€Å"We've only got six more months,† piped in Eddie. Mason nodded his agreement. â€Å"Yeah. How much more can we learn?† â€Å"Plenty,† I said, thinking of how much I'd picked up from my tutoring sessions with Dimitri. I finished my drink. â€Å"Besides, where does it stop? Let's say they end school six months early, then send us off. What next? They decide to push back further and cut our senior year? Our junior year?† He shrugged. â€Å"I'm not afraid to fight. I could have taken on Strigoi when I was a sophomore.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said dryly. â€Å"Just like you did skiing on that slope.† Mason's face, already flushed from the heat, turned redder still. I immediately regretted my words, particularly when Christian started laughing. â€Å"Never thought I'd live to see the day when I agreed with you, Rose. But sadly, I do.† The cocktail waitress came by again, and both Christian and I took new drinks. â€Å"The Moroi have got to start helping us defend themselves.† â€Å"With magic?† asked Mia suddenly. It was the first time she'd spoken since we'd got here. Silence met her. I think Mason and Eddie didn't respond because they knew nothing about fighting with magic. Lissa, Christian, and I did- and were trying very hard to act like we didn't. There was a funny sort of hope in Mia's eyes, though, and I could only imagine what she'd gone through today. She'd woken up to learn her mother was dead and then been subjected to hours and hours of political bantering and battle strategies. The fact that she was sitting here at all seeming semi-composed was a miracle. I assumed people who actually liked their mothers would barely be able to function in that situation. When no one else looked like they were going to answer her, I finally said, â€Å"I suppose. But†¦ I don't know much about that.† I finished the rest of my drink and averted my eyes, hoping someone else would take up the conversation. They didn't. Mia looked disappointed but said no more when Mason switched back to the Strigoi debate. I took a third drink and sank into the water as far as I reasonably could and still hold the glass. This drink was different. It looked chocolatey and had whipped cream on top. I took a taste and definitely detected the bite of alcohol. Still, I figured the chocolate probably diluted it. When I was ready for a fourth drink, the waitress was nowhere in sight. Mason seemed really, really cute to me all of a sudden. I would have liked a little romantic attention from him, but he was still going on about Strigoi and the logistics of leading a strike in the middle of the day. Mia and Eddie were nodding along with him eagerly, and I got the feeling that if he decided to hunt Strigoi right now, they'd follow. Christian was actually joining the talk, but it was more to play devil's advocate. Typical. He thought a sort of preemptive strike would require guardians and Moroi, much as Tasha had said. Mason, Mia, and Eddie argued that if the Moroi weren't up to it, the guardians should take matters into their own hands. I confess, their enthusiasm was kind of contagious. I rather liked the idea of getting the drop on Strigoi. But in the Badica and Drozdov attacks, all of the guardians had been killed. Admittedly the Strigoi had organized into huge groups and had help, but all that told me was that our side needed to be extra careful. His cuteness aside, I didn't want to listen to Mason talk about his battle skills anymore. I wanted another drink. I stood up and climbed over the edge of the pool. To my astonishment, the world started spinning. I'd had that happen before when I got out of baths or hot tubs too quickly, but when things didn't right themselves, I realized those drinks might have been stronger than I thought. I also decided a fourth wasn't such a good idea, but I didn't want to get back in and let everyone know I was drunk. I headed off toward a side room I'd seen the waitress disappear into. I hoped maybe there was a secret stash of desserts somewhere, chocolate mousse instead of goose liver. As I walked, I paid special attention to the slippery floor, thinking that falling into one of the pools and cracking my skull would definitely cost me coolness points. I was paying so much attention to my feet and trying not to stagger that I walked into someone. To my credit, it'd been his fault; he'd backed into me. â€Å"Hey, watch it,† I said, steadying myself. But he wasn't paying attention to me. His eyes were on another guy, a guy with a bloody nose. I'd walked right into the middle of a fight.

American Gods By Neil Gaiman Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

American Gods By Neil Gaiman - Essay Example A myth refers to a traditional story accepted as history: it is designed to explain how people observe the world .Mythology therefore refers to the study of these stories and myth which explains the beliefs and practices of a people. American gods by Neil Gaiman is classified as a novel based on myths which formulates a number of concerns of the modern day society in a place whereby the world opinion is that the connection with the gods has been lost and most of what used to be strong spiritual beliefs that guided the society to most individuals has lost their hold on people and meaning. Gaiman gives the readers a combination of present day mythologies whereby the technology, a major characteristic of the modern day society is an important element in the deduction and analysis between the ancient and the modern (Gaiman). STATEMENT OF THESIS The research paper looks at Neil Gaiman novel American Gods and analyses Gaiman’s purpose in American Gods. The main focus of the essay is for the interpretation of Neil Gaiman’s purpose in American gods.The essay invites readers into the center of the book inorder for them to experience it from an insider’s perspective.... The modern gods want to wipe out the ancient gods whom they are of the view that they have lost touch with what the modern society holds true.They do not relate with the modern day individuals and as such cannot help them since they do not have the understanding of what the modern day individuals faces and what he requires.In the novel Shadow is described as strong,large and well built.Shadow was released a few days before his actual release day after the death of his wife,Laura who dies in a car accident.At the funeral he finds that the car crashed because his wife Laura was involved with his friend Robbie who was on the wheel and at the moment of the incident was performing oral sex on him.He accepts the job given to him by Mr. Wednesday who have been offering him a job way before his wife died in an accident. Shadow after the funeral and the realization of his wife’s death circumstances is very frustrated and accepts Mr. Wednesday job offer. While travelling with Mr. Wednes day,Shadow was in his dreams seduced by the Egyptian goddess who is associated with fertility.At the beginning of the novel,Shadow is very much in love with his wife: Shadow kept he fits and learnt how to use tricks on coins and kept reminiscing of his love to his lovely wife Laura. (p.3). Another proof of the love hehad for his wife was the sacrifice to go to prison to protect Laura through this sacrifice as for now is not complete as it does not have his full passivity. Laura displays her husband as a man lacking life and characters,her reason for falling out of love with him; 'I love you,' she said without much passion. She also continues to say that when you are dead you see things in a wider perspective. Shesays that when you go home it’s like she is on her own

A personal reflective account Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

A personal reflective account - Essay Example It is also essential to note that our team leader adopted a hands-on approach during the entire process and he did this through constantly checking on how the team members were doing as well as helping them where he felt that they were not undertaking their tasks as they were supposed to. Furthermore, the moral support that he gave to the team members played a key role in making the event a success because all of us were encouraged to give our best. Communication played a significant role in our success because the team kept in constant touch to ensure that all went well. This is especially the case where tasks were assigned to different individuals and it was essential to ensure that there was constant coordination of activities so that some members of the team would not be left behind (Paauwe and Boon 2009, p.38). I believe that communication also allowed for greater interaction within the team and it helped in the development of friendships, which helped in enhancing the working environment. The event was a success because the communication that existed within the team allowed its members to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses; allowing to a smooth transition into working together in such a way that they functioned as if they had known each other all their lives. Communication enhanced the manner through which the team was able to develop a plan for the event and execute it; removing all the potential fri ctions that would have otherwise led to the disruption of the team’s activities (Harrison and Lock 2004, p.34). As a result of the willingness of the team members to communicate with each other, we were able to make the event a success; increasing our potential to do better. During our work on planning and implementation of the event, I was able to recognise both our strengths and weaknesses and this, I believe, will be helpful in our

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco Essay

Different Phases of Talent Management in National Oilwell Varco - Essay Example Two senior executives were given the assignment to prepare for the changes, resulting in a plan labeled â€Å"Next Generation.† To generate a supply of potential leaders, technical professionals, and others, NOV had to broaden its recruiting process beyond the normal oil-based states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Miller also demanded that foreign candidates be considered, because of the expanding global oil market.   A specific focus of NOV recruiting efforts included foreign students at U.S. universities who had high English communication skills and other relevant capabilities. Up to 40 individuals at 10 universities were interviewed, and then the primary candidates went through two more interviews by NOV middle managers. Those candidates who â€Å"passed† this phase spent two days in Houston going through additional interviews and selection means. Finally, the individuals selected were offered jobs at NOV. This process has continued during the past several years.   Once the selected individuals go to work at NOV, they spend one year in job rotation, with four assignments of three months for each in different business areas. This rotation provides the individuals with a broader view of NOV and its operations. During the rotation, candidates participate in various efforts, including development programs and mentoring by various division managers.   A unique part of NOV’s talent management process is that after the individuals complete their one-year job rotation, they become â€Å"draft candidates.† Modeled after the NFL draft, each business unit identifies which individuals they want on their â€Å"team.† After completing the draft, individuals get jobs in the different business units.   NOV’s â€Å"Next Generation† program has been successful. The retention rate for the drafted candidates is over 90%, higher than normal in the industry.

Physiology and Function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Physiology and Function - Essay Example In this regard, the atria facilitate the circulation by fundamentally allowing continuous venous flow to the heart during pulsation (Anderson, 1993). The Endocardium is the innermost layer of tissues that line the heart’s atrial and ventricular chambers. Since it underlies the muscular tissues that control the contraction of the heart, the endocardium provides feedback control to the heart through its interaction with the coalescing blood (Brutsaert, 1989). The pulmonary artery, which is located directly beneath the aorta, carries blood to the lungs from the right ventricle. It is important to point out that, this is the only artery that carries deoxygenated blood. In this regard, the artery carries the blood to the lungs for oxygenation in order to support the cardiovascular system (Halpern, 2011). The heart is divided into four chambers with the two lower chambers being the right and left ventricles. On one hand, the right ventricle is responsible for receiving blood and pumping it into the pulmonary artery where blood that is poor in oxygen is oxygenated and returns to the heart via pulmonary veins. Conversely, the left ventricle pumps blood to the aorta after obtaining it from the left atrium, which distributes blood to the rest of the body (Anderson,

Material and Ideological Conditions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Material and Ideological Conditions - Essay Example In developing world, the GDP is low. This implies that the earnings of most people cannot sustain them. Low living standards leads to poor diet and impoverished health. Economic history focuses on survival issues and viable solutions to be implemented. Struggle for existence is common in the developing world while the developed world lives in comfort. Despite the comfort, there are issues that need to be addressed as far as survival is concerned. Some communities face poverty but are economically independent. A material life is experienced in other parts of the world like in New York. Life in such like areas is characterized by dependence on others. Most are untrained in rigorous activities of life like farming, repair of machines and hunting, among others. This is a paradox. The richer a nation the more it will be vulnerable. Rich nations will therefore need poor nations to survive. The solution to its problems results to division of labor (Freud et al 52). According to this scenari o, man is the source of all his economic problems. Kit 16: Resistance and Repression- Civilizations and its Discontents by Freud, Sigmund Civilization has improved in every century. Technological advances have created demand for wealth. This has developed other social issues that the society needs to address. Besides, experience has taught these psychoanalysts that various individuals opt to sit in strategic positions, in their endeavor to evade access to this form of treatment. This significantly assists in the patients’ understanding of their inner self, hence significantly aiding in rapid recovery. Above that, the psychologists claim that some patients possibly will break the cooperation rule, thereby leading them into becoming lonely, claiming that some challenges are their personal opinion, citing that these experiences are confidential, and as such, they need not to disclose them. Additionally, people may not be willing to air all their predicaments and keep some of the ir challenges to themselves. In such cases, the psychologists have no authority to intervene and may only encourage the patient into airing all his predicaments. Moreover, it is usually inadvisable to permit the patients to break the rules of such psychological sessions, since they only produce results that the psychoanalyst is unsatisfied with. Individuals with other varieties of neurosis, including obsession are known to disregard the rules of these sessions, based on their unaccounted doubts. However, sufferers of anxiety are renowned for the relentless adherence to the rules of such sessions. Besides, the psychologists ought to compel the patients to adhere to these rules, and with patience and perseverance, they manage to achieve this (Freud et al 331). This considerably aids in ascertaining the success of such sessions. Various Diseases resulting from warfronts lead to traumatic neuroses, as well as an accord the contiguous of neurotics. The distressing patients provide an app arent sign, showing that an obsession during the distressing disaster lies at their derivations. These patients habitually duplicate the distressing circumstances in their imaginings. The subsistence of comatose mental courses is revealed in the fixation actions of these patients. Discontentment in civilization has prompted several diseases to human kind, making life even more unbearable. Inequality causes many to develop illness. In search for a solution, religion is thought

Tort of law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort of law - Essay Example Section 1 of Compensation Act reaffirms the present common law, and it should be noted that it was not meant to transform the law but to only to transform the perception among the public mind. (Lunney & Oliphant2008:178). Under English common law, an action for infringement of statutory duty can be initiated if an individual has suffered damage due to a breach of a statute and can initiate an action in tort as regards to such damages. In such cases, the claimant has to establish that the defendant had failed to carry out his legal duty in this regard. Thus, there is no necessity to prove whether such breach of duty was either negligent or intentional. It is to be noted that in Couch v Steel1, it was held that whenever there is an infringement of a law provision which resulted in damage to an individual interest, a right of action can be initiated under tort. However in Groves v Lord Winborne 2 and in Atkinson v New Castle and Gateshead Waterworks Co 3 which were the leading nineteent h century cases which strikingly barred the ambit of the tort, and demanded that any individual claim for infringement of statutory obligation must first prove that the legislature had an intent that an infringement of such individual’s interest or right should be tortuous. Lord Denning MR in Ex p Island Records Ltd held that if a private right is being hindered with by a criminal act, thereby resulting in a special damage over and above the generality of the public, then, under such scenarios, such individual can approach the court as a private individual and prey that his private rights should be safeguarded. (Murphy & Street 2007: 492). In establishing the standard of care, the courts will also look into any pertinent social utility linked with the defendant’s conduct. This includes fortitude of the general public interest so that issues other than just in dispute between the defendant and the claimant may be taken into account in evaluating the standard of care nee d of the defendant. (Murphy & Street 2007: 101). However, now, the English courts are giving due importance to the social utility of would be respondent activities, which have been now given statutory force. The section 1 of the Compensation Act 2006 now provides that where a court is judging a claim of negligence, it will, in establishing the needed standard care, â€Å"have a conscience to whether there is a need to take those actions which are required to meet that standard might be a) bar a proposed activity from being perused at all, to a specific magnitude or in a specific way, or b) dissuade such individuals from perusing such activities in relation to such desirable activity.† (Murphy & Street 2007: 102). In Anns v. Merton London Borough Council4, the plaintiffs were the lessees of a group of flats owned by the defendant. The lessees subsequently discovered that the flats were constructed with inadequate foundations. In this case , the House of Lords confirmed the fin dings of the Court of Appeals that plaintiffs could initiate an action against the defendants for the cost of repairing the foundations.( Christie 2000:123). In Stovin v Wise5 , it was held that even where the administrators have entered into some type of action to prevent the third party, and if they carelessly skip some probable â€Å"

Dissertation observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dissertation observation - Essay Example Committee members asked the most questions and few other questions came from the rest of the audience. The dissertator responded to the questions and in the end, she was sent outside for fifteen minutes to allow time for the committee members to discuss her performance. She was later called in and the chairperson announced that she had performed well, thanked the audience, and adjourned the session (Piantanida & Garman, 2009). The defense session took two hours. I found the dissertation defense process well set and suitable for its purpose. The arrangement to allow non-campus and non-faculty members to attend the session was impressive. The formality of this process including the starting time, time allocated questions and answers, and the closing time enhanced its effectiveness rather than stifling it (Roberts, 2004). Whereas at first the questions that were asked in the course of the presentation annoyed me because they interrupted my flow, I eventually liked them because they clarified some of the things that were unclear. The dissertator’s initiative to start with a brief background into her topic was beneficial to members of the audience like me who had not seen the verbatim dissertation. Initially, it was baffling to see the committee members taking on one another and I almost trivialized it. However, I realized their contention was academic and full of insight, which the dissertator was wise to note and I guessed she was going to consider them in her final revision (Murray, 2009). My first learning is that it is imperative for the dissertation defense candidate to prepare adequately. This draws from what I saw in the insightful, though challenging, exchange between the dissertator and her audience. The confidence with which the candidate tackled the questions demonstrated her meticulous preparation for the defense. My second

Applying Risk Management Essay Example for Free

Applying Risk Management Essay Risk management is an important element in managing information systems. Applying risk management principals to business procedures is essential because it helps organizations design and maintain a safe systems environment to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of company data. Kudler Fine Foods has expressed an interest in developing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. The primary objective is to improve business administration by integrating stores and business systems. Kudler Fine Foods has three stores in California and integrating business functions across all stores would be extremely beneficial. This paper will outline the major factors and benefits by applying risk management principles to ensure a secure and effective system. Risk Management Principles According to Whitman and Mattord (2010), risk management is a collaborative effort involving Information security, information technology, management, and users. It is important to involve all of these areas to devise a comprehensive and effective risk management strategy. The major principles include identifying risks, quantifying risks, plan for risks, and monitor and manage risks. The first stage is risk identification. This is when the organizations managers identifies all of its assets and classifies them into meaningful categories in addition to prioritizing them by importance. Assets include various components such as people, processes, data, and all elements of information technology. Gathering information on assets such as the people aspect processes, and data could be challenging because they are not always documented and readily available. The information gathered for people may include position titles, the title of his or her supervisor, security levels, and skills. Information collected  for processes may include procedure description, purpose, IT connections, document storage location for reference and updates. After listing out the assets, the next step is to classify them into categories such as people, data, software, and hardware and then classify each asset into sub-categories such as confidential, internal, and public. Applying value or impact to each asset is next by determining its criticality to the business. Questions that may help to assigning a value may include; Which assets generates the highest profitability?, or Which asset would impede business functions if it were compromised? Quantifying risks provides the framework for executives to make informed decisions in relation to cost and resources surrounding security. All of the steps outlined above is essential in the risk identification stage (Whitm an and Mattord, 2010). After completing the risk identification process where all assets are identified and classified, the next phase is to determine the potential threat source and potential vulnerability. Some common threat sources include natural threats, human threats, and environmental threats. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (2002), a threat is an exploitation of a vulnerability caused by a threat source. The NIST publication suggests the following: identifying a threat source, indicating the motivation of source, and outlining the threat actions. This practice will help determine the likelihood of a threat taking advantage of a system vulnerability. Next in the process is identifying vulnerabilities. Vulnerability is a weakness or flaw in procedures or controls applied to a system. Identifying potential vulnerabilities will help an organization put controls in place to mitigate risks associated with vulnerabilities. Risk mitigation involves a systematic approach in reducing the exposure to a risk and the likelihood of it occurring. Mitigating defined risks is the gateway for the development of processes and controls to reduce the likelihood of a threat. Having prevention mechanisms that include policies and controls is best practice in regard to securing assets therefore it is critical that Kudler Fine Foods determines the best risk management process that fits their business requirements and needs. Because technology is consistently growing and changing, preventative measures must include flexibility to allow for change and growth. Without these considerations, a business could jeopardize themselves by restricting the ability to expand or even update the systems  with necessary security patches. Preventative measures should include future growth. As technology grows, risks increase. Protection mechanisms will change as new threats are introduced to business as well as new legislations. Many security standards are based on data protection regulations and as laws change or new laws are introduced, information technology is the most costly element in ensuring compliance. There could be costly ramifications with poor planning. Risk avoidance can be costly and inconvenient but it would be more costly and inconvenient when a security issue occurs. A risk assessment would be the first step to take when determining whether to chance a certain risk or not. Determining what the assets are and understanding the impact on the business if a security incident occurs is important. It is also important for businesses to understand regulations and what is necessary to comply with certain laws and requirements. Kudler Fine Foods must conduct risk analysis and ask themselves â€Å"What is the risk of not applying preventative measures?† and â€Å"What would it cost to recover from a certain attack?† Legal ramifications could result if a security breach occurs. This could include steep financial penalties as well as jeopardizing company reputation. The table below outlines examples of risk, vulnerability, and mitigation strategy. Risk Vulnerability Mitigation Strategy Hardware failure Hardware could fail and impede business. Systems could be unavailable for an undetermined amount of time. Create security policy to ensure all hardware is kept up to date with current patches and upgrades. User training Insufficient training of end-users leads to improper use of application which could compromise data or systems. Create detailed training documentation and implement a user training program. Ensure all users participate in training. Deliberate network attacks Potential Malware and Denial of Service attacks. Could lead to exposure of sensitive information. Implement policy to ensure adequate firewall  protection, anti-malware software, and install Intrusion Detection System. Conclusion It is important for businesses such as Kudler Fine Foods to employ a risk management strategy to protect its assets and reputation. Without an effective risk management process the company will be vulnerable to various threats. It is Kudler Fine Foods responsibility to determine what mechanisms should be applied and how it will maintain a secure environment for its own business objectives as well as meeting required regulations. The risk management process is the primary method in facilitating security objectives. References Whitman,M.E., Mattord, H. J. (2010). Management of information security(3rded.). Boston, MA: Course Technology/Cengage Learning National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2002). Retrieved from http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-30/sp800-30.pd

The Background To Social Constructivism Theory Sociology Essay

The Background To Social Constructivism Theory Sociology Essay This essay will firstly describe the origins, background and history of the Social Constructionism theory and how it is linked to Social Constructivism. Secondly, the essay will show how this theory affects the way sexuality is viewed and explained. The essay will also show how other aspects such as religion and culture play a key role in sexuality and then examine some of the early sexual reform movements. Finally, it will focus on some modern developments and influences that continue to shape our sexuality in the modern contemporary. In sociological theory of knowledge there is also social constructivism. This term refers to general philosophy in constructing knowledge in social settings where groups collaborate and create small shared culture and shared meanings (Vygosky, 1978). Social constructivism is a theory that is closely linked to social constructionism in a way that in both theories people work together in constructing artifacts. Social constructionism refers to artefacts that are created depending on the social interaction of a group whilst social constructivism address the individual learning that takes place in interactions in a group. The word Social Construction was derived from social constructuctionism by (Berger and Luckmann, 1967) who were the first sociologists to use this word in 1966 when they wrote the book called The Social Construction of Reality. They argue that the word is made up of ordinary common sense. This was quickly followed by Foucault in the 1970s who describes Social Constructi onism as related to human sexuality. According to Berger and Luckmann (1967) social construction has the main features such as typification, institutions and significations. This notion is not only about worldly things but it profoundly affects the way we believe, think, our values attitudes and the way we behave. This means to say that our knowledge is socially constructed and is the centre which defines how the world is. Although sexuality has a diverse meanings Carroll (2007) describes it as mating rituals to create ideas, customs, laws, art and fantasies, around the sexual act. She suggests that generally, sexuality is also a term that determines the feelings and behaviour of human beings in relation to sex. Oakley (1985) describes sexuality as a reproductive aspect that focuses attention on shared functions on humanity by cultural tolerance. According to Oakley sexuality is recognized by power and vitality with some political advantages that accumulate to any man by desirable calibre of spreading his seed far afield and therefore creating many branches of his decent line through different sets of children. In other words, sexuality is learned from culture, family, romantic partners, friends and within the context of society as a whole as well as from other sources. On the hand biological theories of sexuality emphasizes that it is fixed by nature and a strong link between hormones to chromosomes, brain anatomy, genetic patterns due to inborn that differentiate women and men. Bristow (1997) argues that the concept of sexuality is deeply embedded by sexual functioning, ovulation, pregnancy, conception, hormonal release and birth that are controlled by physiological. However, (Butler, 2004) Sexuality refers to natural distinctions in a cultural meanings and social forms which both there is a function of norms. Ones sexuality how to become or know your sexuality it depends on the modes in which is dispossessed. Wittig cited in (Butler, 2004) argues that sexuality is categorized in different ways, some psychologists like Fred tries to attempt it as an issue of genital organized sexuality. This type of sexuality referred to Lesbian who do it as an economy of pleasures which will both challenge the construction of female subjectivity marked by women supposedly distinctive reproductive function. However, this was a construction of proliferation of pleasures through reproductive construction of genitality. Cameroon and Kulick (2003)define reproductive sexuality as a bridging nature and culture that clearly manifest gender between these two dichotomies. Witting cited in (Butler, 2004) describes the lesbian body as sexually constructed since this is subj ective to sex, desire and transforming of gender identity. Heterosexual was considered the only normal which Butler (2004) argues that model of normalization of heterosexual diffuse antigenital sexuality and ignores hegemonic structure of sexuality. In the 19th century during Victorian times sexual practices were kept secret, very confined only regarded in home environment. Sexuality was taken as custody and engaged on in the purpose of reproduction. For example during this modern era time the women status of sex was determined by the way of dressing (Butler, 2004). She points out that married women were only allowed to wear long skirts and there was no clothing worn during their childhood and even in their pre-adolescence. Butler (2004) argue that women sexuality was constructed through sexual status by demonstration of their previous clothing. For example short skirts resembled as a sign of previous sexual experience among women. Women were considered to be very royal and honest after marriage (Butler, 2004) Foucault (1990) argues that during this time everything beyond outside household was regarded as abnormal only gestures, open transgressions and shameless discourse where bodies were displaying themselves was allowed as a norm of the society. Oakley (1972) points out that subordination of women originated from the masculine conception regarding woman, and raised some ideals, norms that strongly influenced women behaviour in lacking power in challenging male view of women sex. Through patriarchy the suppression of women has continued and through social construction the role of women developed into that of the weaker sex who has suffered a lower status than men in society. The social theorists such as Wolkwtiz (2006) describes the construction of sexuality as shaped through bodies by individuals and their identities. In addition to this feminist point out that female body are taken as body of embodiment. Foucault (1978) argues that culture so dominating in influencing sexual desire rather than biological sex drive in human being. However, Feminists theorist believes that the choice on individual sexuality is most influenced on our ideas from the society. They believe that social construction of sexuality is based on power that man has authority for a number of centuries. Oakley (1997), argues that sex identity, gender identity and gender role only show conformity and two possibilities of the identity of masculinity as dominance over femininity. She went on to say that therefore no one was born being as homosexual. In addition, the feminist also outlined that sexual gender inequality is the major issue in subordination of women and being seen as sexual objects by men, which result in sexual aggression such as rape and sexual abstinent. According to Butler (2004) argues that sexuality is socially constructed by the way women are treated, societies have different view on women, their bodies are seen as objects that are suitable to abuse, pornography, sexual harassment and prostitution. The feminist movement has given rise to a large body of theory which attempts to explain sexuality inequalities and set forth agendas for overcoming those inequalities. The major strands of feminism in the west during the twentieth century were liberal, socialist or Marxist and radical feminism. These feminist theories in relation to sexuality contrast markedly with one another. They sought to explain sexuality inequalities through variety of social process, such as sexism, patriarchy and capitalism (Faulcout, 1978). The feminists argue that male sexuality constantly views sex like an act that only men perform on the body of a women involves that invo lves erection of penis and penetration into women vagina. This only supports dominance of men over womens body that resulted from the way society constructing sexuality on human beings. Sexuality as well underwent the same epistemological shift. Postmodernism, in fact, invites to consider sexuality not as a biologically constituted and naturally determined entity that confine the possibility of action and existence of human beings, nor as a place where the true self is kept, but as a plastic entity manufactured by and within the language: sexuality thus is socially and discursively constructed as well. However the Liberal and the Radical Feminists argues about heterosexuality regime in the society. They describe it as a socially compulsory regime that dissipated and masks the existence of women that result in undermining solidarity among women in facing subordination. Some Sociologists such as the Liberal and Radical feminists both argue that heterosexual is related to social constructionism and triggered for instance social violence upon women. They also argue that the distinctive categories of man and women form dangers to construction analysis (Johnson, 2005). The sociologists believe that society plays a vital role in influencing different sexual behaviors in societies. Carroll (2007) argues that family is one of the major factors which influence values for human sexuality. She believes that the construction of sexuality in contemporary societies is mainly emerged through male dominance. Culturally, in modern societies, male sexuality is being viewed as an act that involves mal e genital as having power over women genital and without these men genital do not have power. Sexuality is more shaped by human values and beliefs towards power through engagement of sex. Therefore, there are some negative and positive learned behaviors that women and men do to their sex roles in the society. Butler (2004) believes that construction of sexuality in society emerged through erection of male organ and denial of female orgasm. Our parents and family give strong influential messages about the norm of the societys view of sexuality. Family microsystem also influences how a society views sexuality (Beasley, 2005). In addition, Carroll (2007) argues that family views women as they are naturally born for reproduction and sex is not meant pleasurable for them. According to Butler (2004) criticize the concept of sexuality in a family because it considered all other sexual behaviors as being abnormal, immature and not suitable for human life. Butler (2004) mentions that in fami ly structure women are not allowed to seek any knowledge regarding sex. The ideology of private nuclear family such as the father, mother and children has also seen as social construction and male sexuality dominating. For example in Muslim Families, Women should be dressed in demeanor and long dresses. The feminist believes that social construction of sexuality is based on the power of mens Foucault (1979) identifies religion as a deconstructing theme which influences women in participating sexual activities. He outlines that female sexuality has been internalized in the negative view of their life experiences and social cultural constructions. Foucault (1979) argues that the institutional and structural sources of female sexuality is derived from womens sexual meanings and this impact women lives. Religion was seen as major influential on the construction of female sexuality because it explores sexual attitudes behaviors in marriage relationships. Beasley (2005 ) argues that religion do not prevent premarital sexual behaviors among human but it only enables religious men and women to become inactive in practicing masturbation. He emphasizes that masturbation is a fulfillment of sexual desire by practicing intercourse through oral stimulation of genitals and this is mostly done by inactive religious people. Judaism Islamic heavily argues that Biblical any practice of ma sturbation is regarded as a sin which produce guilt and shame. Johnson, (2005) argues that Christian religions impose beliefs on women that their sexual roles in the society are only to fulfill family desires and needs. These feelings make women inferior and seen being trapped in patriarchal structure of society. Foucault, (1992) claims that such as the Jude- Christian tradition portrays women as objects for the perpetuating mens use. Carroll (2007) mentions that during Victorian era Christianity viewed sexuality only as reproductive activity that only done for pleasure. For example there are two ideologies driven from the Puritans Christianity culture that construct sexuality. One is the Machismo which resembles the superiority of men sexuality over women. Biblically, this means that women should be submissive to their husband and the husband is considered as the head of the family. The other one is the Marianismo that is based on the model that was played by Mary the mother of God . Carroll (2007) claims that women according to their sexuality should accept the superiority of husband as Gods will as it has been done by Mary. Beasley (2005) argues that church is an institute that constructed for female to perform their sexualities according to religious beliefs in patriarchal society. The economy also plays a pivot role in influencing the beliefs and values of societies view of sexuality (Bayer, 1997). He suggests that capitalism like the U.S economy is deeply concerned about the exchange of the services with money. This gives a potential rise in some related sex services such as pornography, sex shops and prostitution. Bayer (1997) outlined that pornography is one of the human activities in the construction of sexuality. Foucault (1978) also argues that the human activity such as sex workers is also dominating in the construction of the notion of sexuality and commodification that conceptualizes selling of sex as normal. Pornography is the stigma which has a social meaning in disciplining womens sexual behaviors in the western world Foucault (1984). Butler (2004) maintains that women sexuality in sex selling is exposed in terms of dressing sexy, nakedness and dancing and these social behaviors can make them attractive and identity is mostly created by sexual perf ormances. She claims that selling of sex signifies the objectivity women body in their sexuality. In addition Butler (2004) identifies that the decorative object materials such as fingernails polish, stripped toothpaste, earrings and necklaces are seen as decorative labour for women in construction of their identity and put a boundary between male and female sexuality. However, the Postmodernism, consider sexuality as naturally determined and constituted in the existence and action of human beings where there is no truth of self but confined in the entire plastic. Moore and Zuccarini (2009) suggest that pornography resulted due the economy of well-developed countries such as U.S.A, Britain where women from poor countries are trafficked for sex. This view is supported by Johnson (2005) who views the construction of sexuality through the means of graphic sexually exploitation and subornation of women thorough words and pictures in imitation of their bodies. Beasley ( 2005) argues that the sexuality of human sexuality such as women are more of dehumanization of their bodies, they are seen as sexual objects, presented in body parts such as buttocks, limited to vaginas, breasts, they present pleasure in rape. Media is a primary source which constitutes parts of international and national industries with related superficial reports on prostitution and trafficking women (Dorwkin, 1981). He went on to say that this result in the objectifying of femininity and sexuality images among women. Dorwkin (1981) argues that media portrays the femininity sexuality give a powerful perpetuation dominant power structures to masculinity. Bayer (1987) also argues media such as magazines, mahogany has some photographs that construct images of femininity and female sexuality which produce fantasizing desires and pleasures in a limited way. Carroll (2007) argues that media plays a vital role in shaping the public opinion, interests and directing hearts and mind of the public in sexual political realm. Bayer (1987) also argues that medias representation of characteriscs of homosexuality during their publication is not fully expressed and it does not show fully homosexual characters and it only expresses this i dea as normal to the public. Dorwkin (1981) also claims that media behaves in a way the society deems appropriate. For example the lesbians shown on national television media do not show there real characters. Dorwkin (1981) went on to say the absence of a performance of lesbianism is not simply the absence of lesbian sex, but the absence of any representation of lesbianism as a factor that it encourages the society to lesbian identity.  The invisibility of lesbianism character not only allows heartbeat to avoid any substantial portrayal of an experience outlawed by the dominant patriarchal discourse, but to obscure homophobia. Bristow (1997) suggest that the invisibility of lesbianism supports patriarchal values by removing the need to confront the homophobia and heterosexist/sexism that visible lesbianism signifies. He went on to claim that the sanitization for public consumption is always prevalent with the exception of when they do show gay characters, they are usually portray ed in a stereotypical, feminine fashion such as Nathan Lane in the movie. For example, the Birdcage or with the stigma of the gay man with AIDS, such as Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.   Johnson (2005) identifies that continuing prevalence of stigmatization and stereotyping of those considered deviant serves to maintain status and control of power the notion of heterosexuality as the norm of the society. However, Moore and Zuccarini (2009) argue that media contribute to the process of commodification of sexuality and promote cultural stereotypes around sex work even through their ostensibly disapproving reports on trafficking. They are different cultures which are also seen in the contributing to construction of human sexuality such as, transsexuals, cross-dressers, transvestites, intersex individuals those born with ambiguous genitals Carroll (2007). Some surgical techniques were performed in the construction of their gender and sexuality. Sex reassignment surgery was developed to help bring transsexuals biology into line with their inner lives. Carroll (2007) points out that construction of sexuality on transsexuals depends on the interests, values and the individuals beliefs on being recognised a as being male or female. Moore and Zuccarin (2009) draw attention to the distinctive categories of female and male genitals which are constructed and the use of silicone implants in creating breasts. They claim that the artificial constructions of the genital organs motivate the beliefs to those who recognise it as a fulfilment of their sexuality. Joseph (2009) also claims that some other cultures like the Pers ian Gulf country of Oman transsexual they undergo ritual castration where all their parts of genitals are removed and they believe this gives them special powers to bless male children. In addition to this Joseph ( 2008) also points out that in the contemporary culture, language such as the pornified messages are communicated through print and electronic media which a being seen as sexual liberating. Moore and Zuccarini (2009) argues that liberation of sexuality is only intimate part of humanity and its liberation expression can only be fulfilled and empowered and there is a major different experience in todays culture which result in capitalist commodification of sexuality in the whole society. Weeks (2000) also argues that the concept of bio power by Foucault which relate to power constructed by industrialisation in supporting cultural hegemony in capitalism. He emphasis that biopower is strongly linked to bio politics construction of sexuality and it regulates human sexuality int o categories. The medical community also influences how a society views sexuality. For example, many years ago physicians taught that masturbation was a disease that could lead to permanent mental illness. This attitude influenced societal opinions of masturbation. Other behaviors in which physicians urged people not to engage included anal intercourse, extramarital sex, homosexuality, and bisexuality. Societys values about these behaviors were guided by the medical communitys attitudes and beliefs. A fifth influence that regulates sexual behavior in the United States is the law (Carroll, 2007). The law establishes what sexual behaviors are officially right and wrong. For example, laws regulate the availability of certain contraceptive methods, abortion, and certain sexual behaviors. Laws help establish social norms and influence societal attitude. To conclude, many sociological issues contribute to the construction of categories of sexuality and gender identity in our society.   The primacy of masculinity versus femininity, the categorizing of deviants as abnormal or needing psychiatric treatment, and the role of power in American society all contribute to explaining and understanding the role of deviance in our society.   There are also several tools that serve to maintain, enforce, and reinforce these categories, but the strongest uniting factor is the imputation of negative status for that which is deviant.   Foucault (1984) argues that we should avoid applying terms of behaviour to individuals.   Rather than using terms such as heterosexual and homosexual to describe persons, we should use them in describing the nature of overt sexual relations. I think he posed this idea in light of conducting objective, unbiased research and the realization that the use of these terms was too restrictive and limiting to character ize a person based on their sexual behaviour.   From a deeper point of view there is lot of evidence that there are so many factors that contribute in the determination on how society feels about sexuality.  

The Great Gatsby Essay -- Literary Analysis, F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby as a Representative of the Jazz Age The notorious portrayal of the 1920s is often characterized as an era of abundant prosperity, lavish lifestyles, and â€Å"new aged† philosophies. This image, however, was only the surface of a skewed decade filled with deep cultural discord. Underneath all the glitz and glamour of the racy flappers and the fiery jazz bands was a dueling battle of old school Victorian ways versus new aged America (Mintz). This glorious â€Å"jazz age,† as Mr. Fitzgerald put it himself, was â€Å"an age of miracles, and age of art, an age of excess, and it was an age of satire† (Sickles). After WWI ended in 1918, The American society experienced an abrupt age of economic and cultural miracles (McDougal Littell Inc 425). What was once a country in great turmoil and despair had rapidly become a country rising into power, wealth, and prosperity. With this great change also came an enormous transformation of the American way of life (412). Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby captured this transformation exceptionally well with its representation of east egg and west egg, as symbols of societies ever-changing cultural views (Fitzgerald 101). Fitzgerald’s â€Å"eggs† were two land masses in New York’s Long Island Sound that were separated by a small bay of water. Although they were only a short distance away from each other, the two eggs served as social barriers which were not to be crossed (9). The east egg was reserved for New York’s aristocratic social class that had been brought up in the pre-war Victorian era. It represented the ma ny wealthy family chains who wanted to keep their elite social status and way of life the same, like how it was before WWI (10). The west egg, however, was home to a new breed of Ame... ...s. Tom and Daisy showed their true colors, by using their social status and the power of money to bail them out of the inevitable truth: their cowardice was to blame for Myrtle and Gatsby’s untimely deaths (Fitzgerald 187). Instead of showing Mr. Gatsby the decency of appearing at his funeral, they simply moved to another home to forget their shameful past (172). Every Saturday Jay Gatsby threw elaborate parties filled with crowds of people, yet at his funeral none of his â€Å"friends† were there (Richards). This coincided with the 1920s hedonistic way of life. None the less, â€Å"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us†¦ tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦. And one fine morning- So we beat on. Boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past† (Nick Carraway, qtd. in Fitzgerald 189).

Afterlife Essay -- essays research papers

The Afterlife   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Considering my thoughts on the afterlife is something I have done several times in my life. My views and beliefs have changed over the years regarding this subject. My Catholic upbringing was probably where my first views came from. They were the traditional heaven and hell beliefs and also of purgatory. Today my thoughts are not so black and white.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am not sure what lies beyond this life. I do believe that we just don’t disappear but that we change forms. I personally struggled with this subject because I have researched several different religions. I saw each had unique beliefs about the afterlife but all believed in one. For me I believe that we are reunited completely with our Creator. As a result all our fea...

Cinderella: The Grimm Brothers v. Disney Essay -- compare, contrast

The commonly used saying, â€Å"they lived happily ever after,† originates from early fairy tales. Fairy tales are stories that feature fanciful characters that convey a moral to teach children lessons and values that they will keep for the rest of their lives. The original story of â€Å"Cinderella† by the Grimm Brothers and the later Disney version Cinderella (1950) are both descriptions of a legendary fairy tale of a kind and gentle girl who overcomes the rancor of her stepmother and stepsisters and ultimately finds a happy ending. Although both stories have the same plot, the overall messages that they deliver are different. In â€Å"Cinderella† by the Grimm Brothers, the moral is that one should never lie or be wicked to others. In the story, Cinderella’s mother passed away and a year later her father gets remarried to an evil woman who has two daughters. The wife and daughters torment Cinderella, making her complete tedious chores. Eventually, Cinderella attends a ball for the Prince and they fall in love. However, she runs away every night and he cannot find her. The Prince finally takes one of her slippers and sets out to find the love of his life. He then goes to her household and asks all the sisters to try the slipper on. The stepsisters try to deceive the Prince but â€Å"the blood was streaming from† their feet and they are eventually caught. When Cinderella tries on the shoe it fits perfectly and the two get married. At the reception, two birds peck out the stepsisters’ eyes, punishing them â€Å"with blindness as long as they lived.† The archetypes in the story are Cinderella who is the damsel in distress, the Prince who saves her and the evil stepsisters and mother who are the villains. A convention is that true love always... ...gently every day and now has found the love of her life. Also, this version of Cinderella is more magical than the original which is more along the lines of today’s fairy tales. The movie Cinderella emphasizes that working hard and being well-behaved will result in an abundance of rewards. Even though the two versions are extremely similar, they contain slightly different morals. When the Grimm Brothers wrote their story, the world was a different place and children did not need to be babied. That is why they chose to write such a cruel ending to their version. In the modern-day Cinderella, there is a profusion of magic and there is no violence, which is a change from the original story. By changing this and the ending, children receive a different message from the story. However, both stories give kids hope that they will live happily ever after.

Nature-Nurture Debate Essay

Introduction In this report I will examine and explain effective communication by looking at the role of effective communication and interpersonal interaction in health and social care context, theories of communication, methods of communication (verbal, non-verbal and written communication), communication cycle, what is effective communication, formal and informal communication, differences between language and culture. Communication between people enables us to exchange ideas and information, but it involves much more than simply passing on information to others. Communication helps people to feel safe, to form relationships and develop self-esteem. Poor communication can make an individual feel vulnerable, inferior and emotionally threatened. Effective communication helps us understand a person or situation, enables us to resolve differences, build trust and respect and create an warm environment. The effective communication helps us improving communication skills in everyday live, business, relationships, but also in health and social care context. Learning and understanding the effective communication skills the people can better connect with the family members, friends, co-workers (by improving teamwork), people looked after in care homes. What is effective communication Effective communication combines a set of skills including verbal and non-verbal communication, attentive listening, the ability to manage stress, the capacity to recognize and understand your own emotions and those of the person you are communicating with . Effective communication is about more than exchanging information. It requires also understanding the emotion behind the information. It enables us to communicate even negative or difficult messages without creating conflict or destroying trust. Effective communication-Methods of communication Verbal communication The basis of communication is the interaction between people. Verbal communication is the main way for people to communicate face to face. The components of the verbal communication are: sounds, words, speaking and language. Only people can put meaning into words; words alone have no meaning. As meaning is an assigned to words, language develops, which leads to the development of speaking. Over 3000 languages and major dialects are spoken in the world. The huge variety of languages creates difficulties between different languages, but even in one language there can be many problems in understanding. Speaking can be looked in two major areas: interpersonal and public speaking. To communicate effectively we must not simply clean up our language, but learn to relate to people. To be an effective communicator, one must speak in a manner that is not offending to the receiver. Listening Successful listening means not just understanding the words or the information being communicated, but also understanding how the speaker feels about what they are communicating. Effective listening can: -create an environment where everyone feels safe; -save time; -relieve negative emotions; -focus fully on the speaker, make the speaker feel heard and understood; -avoid interrupting; -show you interest. The communication cycle According to Michael Argyle(1972) skilled interpersonal interaction (social skills) involves a cycle in which you have to translate or â€Å"decode† what other people are communicating and constantly adapt you own behaviour in order to communicate effectively. Good communication involves the process of checking understanding, using reflective or active listening. The communication cycle supposes: -an idea occurs: you have an idea that you want to communicate; -message coded: you think through how you are going to say what you are thinking and you put your thoughts in to language or sign language; -message sent: you speak, or sign, or write, or send your message in some other way; -message received: the other person has to sense your message; -message decoded: the other person has to interpret or â€Å"decode† your message; -message understood: your ideas will be understood if all goes well. Non-verbal communication Non-verbal means â€Å"without words†, so non-verbal communication refers to the messages that we send without using words. We send these messages using our eyes, the tone of our voice, our facial expression, our hands and arms, the way we sit or stand. We can enhance effective communication by using open body language (arms uncrossed, standing with an open stance, maintaining eye contact with the person you are talking to). When we speak about non-verbal communication we actually mean: -posture; -the way we move; -facing other people; -gestures; -facial expression; -touch; -silence; -voice tone; -proximity; -reflective listening. As well as remembering what a person says, good listeners will make sure that their non-verbal behaviour shows interest. Skilled listening involves: -looking interested and communicating that you are ready to listen; -hearing what it is said to you; -remembering what was said to you, together with non-verbal messages; -checking your understanding with the person who was speaking to you. Written communication When people remember conversations they have had, they will probably miss out or change some details. Written statements are much more permanent and if they are accurate when they are written, they may be useful later on. Written records are essential for communicating formal information that needs to be reviewed at a future date. For the people who cannot see written scripts or who have limited vision there is a communication system known as Braille which uses raised marks that can be felt with the fingers and it’s based on the sense of touch. This system is now widely used for reading and writing by the people who cannot see written script. Theories of communication The verbal and non-verbal communication is not always straightforward. Effective communication involves a two-way process in which each person tries to understand the view point of the other person. According to Michael Argyle (1972) interpersonal communication is a skill that could be learned and developed. Skilled interpersonal communication, interaction(social skills) involve a cycle in which you have to translate or â€Å"decode† what people are communicating and constantly adapt your own behaviour in order to communicate effectively. The communication cycle involves a kind of code that has to be translated. The stages of communication cycle might be: 1. An idea occurs. 2. Message coded. 3. Message sent. 4. Message received. 5. Message decoded. 6. Message understood. Tuckman ‘s stages of group interaction Bruce Wayne Tuckman(1965) argued that communication in groups can be influenced by the degree to which people feel they belong together. Tuckman suggested that most groups go through a process involving four stages: 1. Forming refers to people meeting for the first time and sharing information. 2. Storming involves tension, struggle and arguments about the way the group may function. 3. Norming sees the group coming together and agreeing on their group values. 4. Performing means that the group will be an effectively performing group, once they have established common expectations and values. Formal and informal communication in health and social care Health and social care work often involves formal communication, which is understood by a wide range of people and shows respect for others. Usually care workers will adjust the way they speak, in order to communicate respect for different communities they address to, as the service users, visitors, colleagues. Formal communication is used in local authority social services and supposes proper English. It also shows respect for others (e.g.: if one went to a local authority social services reception desk, that person will expect to be greeted in a formal way like â€Å"Hello! How can I help you?†, and not informally, like â€Å"Hi! How’s it going?† In many situations such informal language could make people feel not being respected; so it is often risky to use informal language unless you are sure that people expect you to do so. The formal communication is also used in social care services with the manager and even between colleagues if they don’t know very well each other. Otherwise, when they know each other better, they will use informal language. Communication with people at work (between colleagues) is different, because care workers must communicate respect for each other. Colleagues, who do not show respect for each other, may fail to show respect for people who use care services. Colleagues have to develop trust in each other. It is important to demonstrate respect for confidentiality of conversation with colleagues. Care settings may have their own social expectations about the correct way to communicate thoughts and feelings. Communication between professional people and people using services involves the professionals being well aware of the need to translate technical language in to everyday language, when they work with people from other professions or people who use services. Professional people such as doctors or nurses often use their own specialised language, called jargon. It is important that people check that they are being understood correctly. Differences between language and culture Language There are many minority languages in the world. Some people grow up in multilingual communities, where they learn several languages from birth. Many people have grown up using only one language to think and communicate. People who learn a second language later in life find more difficult to express their thoughts and feelings in that language, and prefer to use their first language. Working with later languages can be difficult, as mental translation may be required. Different localities, ethnic groups, professions and work cultures have their own special words or phrases known as speech communities. Some people might feel threatened or excluded by that kind of language they encounter in these speech communities. The technical terminology used by care workers (called jargon) can also create barriers for people who are not a part of that speech community. When people who use services communicate with professionals there is always a risk of misunderstanding between people from different language communities, therefore the health and social care staff needs to check their understanding with the people communicating with them. Culture means the history, customs and ways of behaving that people learn as they grow up. People from different regions use different expressions. Also non-verbal signs may vary from culture to culture. In Europe and North America people often expect other people to look them in the eyes when talking. If a person looks down or away they think it is a sign of dishonesty, sadness or depression. On the other hand, in some other cultures (some black communities or Muslim communities) looking down or away when talking is a sign of respect. (E.g.: in social care settings a Hindu or Muslim person will not accept to be looked after by a person of the opposite sex). People from different geographical areas who use different words and pronounce words differently, they are often using a different dialect. Some social groups use slang (non standard words that are understood by other members of a social group or community, but which cannot be usually found in a dictionary). BTEC Level 3-Health and Social Care-Book 1-Beryl Stretch/Mary Whitehouse www.helpguide.org/effectivecommunication http://louisville.edu

Interrelationships with Culture and Visual Entertainmen Essay

Culture and visual entertainment media have an interrelationship with each other such as film and television. As the years go by and more and more television shows and movies have been created they have in my opinion become of a reflection of our cultural times. Society is watching the films and television and seeing that they can relate to what they are watching which then they are able to take away a message. People can see visual instead of having to read to learn which can give them a different perspective that they may not have thought of on their own. As people view the visual entertainment they and see what is being influenced from the way people act, dress, talk, and so forth since it is what is shaping our culture. The Brady Bunch is an example of how families were starting to see that families can merge together and become one family, the outfits and hairstyles were being mimicked by people in everyday life. I remember watching this show thinking how â€Å"cool† is it to have two families merge together. This showed that the social influences of visual entertainment media can be positive. People can still watch visual media that is been out dated but still learn about American culture with such shows. Another example is â€Å"The Breakfast Club† this movie is a classic and still very relevant to how our American culture is shaped. In this movie they look at individuals and show that even though we are from all walks of life such as a jock, nerd, snob, shy, and criminal that we all have similarities in the end if we stop and take a moment to see. I Love Lucy† was a huge influence on visual entertainment people wanted to have the grace, the silliness, and could also see that they lived modestly which made it relate to society. Visual media can be negative as well a positive influence on social behavior. When we view visual entertainment I would say majority want to emulate the celebrities that they are viewing which can be negative or positive depending on that moment. People want to fit in society and with visual entertainment that can shape them in to something different. I remember during the eighty’s all of the shows and movies I watch were all the underdog wins in the end and I felt that this is what I want I want to be the underdog the stand along and befriends with everyone. Guess what I was that person I still am that person as well as I take up for the underdog and befriend everyone as well as treat everyone with respect no matter what. I can thank â€Å"Sixteen Candles, Full House, The Breakfast Club, The Outsiders, and I Love Lucy† were all visual entertainment that made me who I am as well as a lot of others.