Social Psychology Definition Paper

With only the unifying concept of social interaction, social psychology occupies a no-man’s land somewhere between psychology, sociology, physiology, and evolutionary theory in the uncultivated areas of the social sciences (Harold, 2000). Biology offers up the principles of natural selection and adaptation as causal explanations for everything from human mating practices to index finger length, and sociology offers explanations for social structure and organization; it is to social psychology that falls the task of explaining how people think about, affect, and interact with one another on a psychological, biological, and social level (Myers, 2008; Pinel, 2007). If genetic and biological predisposition is the violin and environmental factors the violinist, then the bow of social interaction is the instrument by which the two conjugate to create music for example cognition and behavior. Though, in light of an examination of the main ideas and research methods of social psychology—as well as a comparison between related fields—the particular function of social interaction, as it relates to biology and psychology, comes into focus. Main Ideas of Social Psychology. Social psychologists study a set of strategies for answering questions related to attitudes and beliefs, the way we construe our world, and conformity and independence; rather than simply an objective compilation of findings. Some of the main ideas that social psychology seeks to address are: 1) the construction of our social reality; 2) social intuition; 3) how social influences, personal attitudes, personality, and biology shape our behavior; and 4) how social psychology’s principles can be applied in everyday life (Myers, 2008). The construction of our social reality rests on the materialistic assumption that an objective world exists quite separate from our subjective interpretation of that world, but that we can only view reality through the lens of our beliefs and values. Moreover, it is clear that the mechanism of social intuition—automatic processing, heuristics, and implicit memory—can be very powerful when utilize for fast and frugal snap judgments but it could also be perilous when more reasoned thinking is required. Our behavior is shape by many influences that can be external and internal. We are a social animal, which means that our cultural predispositions define our circumstances. It is also apparent that our attitudes and personality play a significant role in shaping behavior as well. Sometimes offsetting and sometimes reinforcing social pressures. Above all else, the idea that we are bio-psycho-social organisms operating on several levels and at the bequest of many influences assists in explaining the multi-verse of human behavior. At last, the practical application of social psychology’s analytical tools and explanations to the subjective beliefs, attitudes, and relationships of everyday life can help people know themselves better, think smarter, and make better decisions. The specific means by which social psychologists ascertain the aforementioned analytical tools and explanations is encapsulate in the implementation of research Methodology Research Methods of Social Psychology. There is three main avenues through which social psychologists can elucidate the facts of individual social interaction: 1) correlation research; 2) experimental research; and 3) survey research. The very basis of the scientific method is the postulation that a theory can be explain or predicted by means of hypothesis testing, through the medium of observable events. Correlation research seeks to explain naturally occurring relationships among variables, but does not have the ability to differentiate causation between variables. For instance, Einwohner (1999) could show that personal identification as an activist and collective identification with a group are highly correlate with protest behavior, but that the formers do not necessarily cause latter. However, through the instrument of time-lagged correlations it could be determine. Variables came first in a sequence, but it cannot be determine which variable constitutes the cause and which variable constitutes the effect. On the other hand, experimental research is uniquely design to isolate and manipulate variables to the end of illuminating causation. Experimental research accomplishes this huge feet by the use of independent variables, the manipulated experimental factor; and dependent variables, the measured factor that changes as the independent variable is manipulate. By keeping the dependent variable constant and changing only the independent variable, social psychologists can isolate the exact effect that the first has on the second. Finally, survey research uses random sample, a method by which every member of a group has equal chance of inclusion, to extrapolate the results of a representative group onto a population. It is important to note that survey research is only meant to describe present variables and opinions, rather than predict the future likelihood of variables and opinions. Also the effect of question ordering and wording, response options, and unrepresented samples shows the possible pitfalls of bias that can affect survey results. Comparison between Related Fields The field of sociology overlaps with social psychology in some areas; but sociology is primarily concern with how groups and societies interact at the collectivist level, and social psychology is mainly involved with the individual psychology of social interaction. Also of consequence, is the general observation that sociology relies heavily on survey research and correlation research; whereas, social psychology takes into account a wealth of experimental methodology as well (Kearl, 2009). On the other end of the spectrum, clinical psychology overlaps with social psychology in that they both depend heavily on experimental research to verify their perspective hypotheses. The branch of general psychology usually referred to as personality psychology differs from social psychology by its emphasis on the difference between individuals rather than the effect that individuals have on each other. So to summarize, sociology overlaps with social psychology on the left because they both study social interaction, clinical psychology on the right because they both make heavy use of experimental research to validate their hypotheses, and personality psychology in the main because they both seek to understand the individual. Furthermore, sociology differs from social psychology because the former is more dependent on co relational and survey research, and social psychology differs from personality psychology in the emphasis of individual interaction over individual difference, respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, the conglomeration of research areas and methodologies that social psychology occupies is cosmopolitan and parsimonious in scope and applicability, meaning that even though social psychology be concern with several areas of research the field is still dedicate exclusively to understand how people think about, affect, and interact with one another on a psychology, biological, and social level. The practical working out of the field of social psychology in the area of research specifically encompasses the subjects of social intuition, the applicability of the field’s principles on everyday life, the construction of our social reality and what forces influence and shape our behavior. The field of social psychology takes advantage of experimental research, survey research, and company relational research to confirm hypotheses concerning the abovementioned subjects.

Poem Line Written in Early Spring Essay

William Wordsworth was born in 1770 in Wordsworth House in Cockermouth – part of the scenic region in northwest England, the Lake District. Wordsworth attended Hawkshead Grammar School where his passion for poetry was recognized. After leaving Hawkshead, Wordsworth studied in Cambridge and at the end of his education he commenced a walking Tour of France, an experience that without doubt influenced his poetry. In 1793 are published his first two collections with poetry An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches. Wordsworth greatest work is considered to be The Prelude, autobiographical poem, which he started writing at the age of 28 and continued to work on it through all of his life and it’s published after his death. Wordsworth is one of the first Romantic Era poets. He thought that the English poetry had to be based rather on feelings than intellect and style. Wordsworth was describes as a pantheist. According to the Oxford dictionary â€Å"pantheism† (origin: mid 18th century: from pan- ‘all’ + Greek theos – ‘god’ + -ism) is â€Å"a doctrine which identifies God with the universe, or regards the universe as a manifestation of God. † He believed that Nature represented the manifestation of God. In Wordsworth’s poems we can notice that there are strong relationships between man and nature. He’s inspired mainly by nature. His works are characterized by his credo of reflecting a great admiration towards Nature. His affection towards it is expressed without any limitations. Apparently Wordsworth used to pace up and down a long path whilst he thought up his poems – immersing himself in the beautiful tranquility that surrounded him. The poem â€Å"Lines Written in Early Spring† is part of the collection Lyrical ballads, published in 1798 and considered to have marked the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature. The poem is composed of six four-line stanzas, and is written in iambs with an abab rhyme scheme for each stanza. The title â€Å"Lines Written in Early Spring† itself is vague, but it gives the impression of renewed life and beauty. In the poem the poet compares the state of mankind with the state of nature. He suggests that mankind and nature are not as different as they are from the point of view of happiness, when he writes: â€Å"To her fair works did Nature link The human soul that through me ran; And much it grieved my heart to think What man has made of man. † (lines 4-8) Wordsworth writes â€Å"To her fair works did Nature link / The human soul that through me ran†. lines 5-6), that shows that according the author the human soul and the natural world are part of the same unity. One of the literary devices which Wordsworth uses is the personification: â€Å"And ’tis my faith that every flower / Enjoys the air it breathes† (11-12). The flower is given a human characteristic of â€Å"enjoying the air it breaths†. Another personification is in stanz a 5, where he gives to the budding twigs the ability to spread out their fan to catch the breezy air: â€Å"The budding twigs spread out their fan, / To catch the breezy air;†(17-18). Wordsworth also describes the Nature as a creature when he gives it the ability to plan: â€Å"If this belief from heaven be sent, / If such be Nature’s holy plan,† (21-22). Another interesting thing in the poem is the fact that the perfection of nature makes the speaker sad. Melancholy comes almost immediately because of the contrast between nature and humanity. The speaker seems to feel that it is his responsibility to think about the mistakes of humanity. This is especially evident in the question posed in the last stanza. In conclusion the poet gives two presumptions: that his belief of joy being present there is divine; and that the connection of man with nature is the plan of God (Nature). If these two are true then he definitely has a reason to lament over the man’s fate brought on him as a result of living with his fellow human beings away from nature: â€Å"Have I not reason to lament / What Man has made of Man? † (lines 23-24). In this poem the poet wants that there should be a perfect harmony between man and nature. And then the poet is disappointed over the fact that man has selfishly ruin his own peace of mind and joy of life. William Wordsworth loved the Nature. He looked upon it as a healing force. This poem is a good representation of its time period because it gives insight into how many people neglected nature, and the troubles and lifestyles of people during the Romantic period. William Wordsworth is a nature lover as he always loved the quiet and peaceful nature. ature was a healer a nurse a teacher and as a protector to him. he always loved the eye catching colors and wonders of nature hence he was a lot inspired by mother nature and its wonders. The pantheism is the philosophy of believing in nature as the divine reflection, each and every object of nature represents God. Wordswort was a mystic poet, who in his various works portrays nature as a guide, teacher, mother, and even an object to fear and learn the lesson of life.

Analog electronic Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analog electronic - Lab Report Example A D.C. voltage of +15 and -15 volts is required to bias the circuit where the application of input voltage is done and the output measured on the DSO. The experiments done were linear operations of the op-amp, where the output is a linear proportion of the voltage difference at the input, up to the saturation point. These were inverting operation, non-inverting operation, differentiation and integration. Before the development of digital electronics technology, computers employed voltages and currents representing numerical quantities to perform calculations electronically. A varying voltage can represent a physical system’s force or velocity. Success of the inverting and non-inverting experiments would determine whether these amplifier configurations could be used to simulate the physical processes by electronically performing mathematical operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division in electronics such as calculators and computers. Reactive properties of capacitors were studied in the integration and differentiation experiments to determine whether they can be used to simulate variables that are related by calculus functions. Flow of current through a capacitor is a function of the rate of change of voltage and such a function is designated as differentiation in calculus. This is important in analog computing where for example in simulating a mechanical system, the voltage across the capacitor would stand for an objects’ velocity, the capacitor’s current representing the force to accelerate or decelerate the object and the capacitance of the capacitor being the mass of the object (The "operational" amplifier. 2015). The experiments are also important for the op-amp applications in signal processing, instrumentation and solid-state analog control systems. The capacitor in the forward path and feedback path enables real time differentiation and integration of signals respectively in these systems. Successful

Life imitates art far more than art imitates life by Oscar Wilde Essay

Life imitates art far more than art imitates life by Oscar Wilde - Essay Example George Bernard Shaw is one of those who were quick to side with Wilde. When he wrote his opus, Three Plays for Puritans, he argued that "when a certain type of feature appears in painting and is admired as beautiful, it presently becomes common in nature; so that the Beatrices and Francescas in the picture galleries of one generation come to life as the parlor-maids and waitresses of the next" (xix). This is also not unlike when fads and trends emerge after it appears on films and videos especially today with the permeation of content-rich media. This phenomenon is not limited to the visual art because it is also true in cases of literature and other cultural artifacts. For instance, not a few real life stories have been patterned after Romeo and Juliet or Ophelia or Tristan and Isolde. Remarking about the penchant of people to pattern their experiences out of the characters of this literary masterpieces, Kirwan explained that stories are a way of taming the world wherein the unculti vated is systematized into stories that we can tell ourselves and feel good about (150). What this tells us is that art can dictate a particular way of life or an aspect of it because the way it represents substance, notoriety or sophistication, among other concepts attached to it, it appeals to people as they negotiate their relationships within a community. For some, there is a need to standout, for others, notoriety or substance. Every year, the Art Institute of Chicago holds a photo competition that works around the theme of life imitating art. Here participants shoot photographs of themselves or of others as they copy and imitate artworks in various states of fidelity, some with uncanny accuracy, while some are tinged with a sense of humor and creativity. An excellent example of an initiative in this kind of literal tradition was when several years ago, the town of

Annual Report Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Annual Report Review - Essay Example The above ratios depict the profitability position of Northern Foods plc for the last two years (2007-2006). K.S.Rao has pointed that â€Å"The profitability ratios measure the overall record of management in producing profits for long term survival or its survival will be threatened † (223). These ratios reveal the comparison of two years 2007 and 2006 and shows corresponding change over the years. Northern Foods Plc gross profit ratio had a decline by about 13% in the year 2007 as compared to that in 2006. The company’s operating profit ratio for the year 2007 i.e., 5.92% is much lower than that in the previous year, which shows a 1% decline in the company’s operating profit. It has slumped by about 1% in 2007 as compared to the year 2006. Though the Company’s sales have increased but the cost of sales comparatively to the year 2006 has increased resulting lower gross profit for the year 2007 as compare to 2006, meanwhile the operating expenses shows a d eclining trend. Northern Foods plc Net profit ratio for the year 2007 displays substantial increase in profitability as compared to 2007 which is 40.7% higher than to year 2006. The difference in operating and net profit margin is due to the lower finance expenses and higher finance income for the year 2007 as compare to previous year 2006. Northern Foods plc ROCE ratio in 2007 exhibits a drastic increase in the company’s profitability by about 47% as when compared to 2006 which was 0.08 %. The ROCE calculation takes into account PBIT and Total assets less current liabilities. In Northern Plc case, the PBIT shows slight increase but due to substantial decrease in current liabilities that resulted better ROCE as compare to previous year 2006. The return on equity shows the extent to which a company generates profit on the funds invested by its shareholders. The company’s ROE ratio suggests a slight

General Functions of Management As They Related To Project Management Essay - 9

General Functions of Management As They Related To Project Management - Essay Example The researcher states that the management is involved in the project planning which includes listing all the project activities and tasks including the time taken and the relationships between the tasks. Project management can be defined the discipline which is involved in planning, organizing, leading and controlling resources in the achievement of specific goals. Project management steps include planning, organizing, project initiation, project monitoring and control and the project closure. Project managers are concerned by the project constraints which include people, time and money resource constraints. The general functions of management are applied in the successful management of projects. The management should be involved in the planning phase by establishing project plans of action which are either short term, medium term or long term. Project management also involves organization of the project resources mainly the human resources. Project manager assigns the roles and resp onsibilities to different personnel involved in the project and also delegate the authority. Just like general management, project managers have a leading function whereby they are supposed to motivate, coordinate and communicate with the project employees to ensure the project goals are achieved effectively. Project managers also control the project progress by reviewing and monitoring the project progress against the project plans and taking the necessary corrective action where deviations exist. Some of the main concerns of management include identification of the stakeholder interests and expected outcomes since numerous users of the project have different needs. Another main concern of the management is the project constraints. The main constraints include time, finances and scope hence altering one constrain will impact on the rest. If the project manager reduces the completion time, additional resources will be required to meet the new project schedule.

Write an essay in which you identify a person who has been a positive

Write an in which you identify a person who has been a positive influence in your life - Essay Example my strengths and good habits, through that she cured me to be a nice person as I don’t have a big family. My family comprises just one brother and my dad. So there is no one who knows me in person as Kristen. I first met her in my school class in the higher school and since then we are truly good friends. She helped me in my studies and in my personal life. She helped and assisted me in taking most important decision in my life. Whenever I was in problem, she was the first person to stand with me. I trust her a lot. In most cases in life I was wrong; she helped me in getting out of it, by directing me towards right option. She have always been with me in every walk of life, therefore she has a great impact on my life. She has helped me in many things, which I would have not been able to do it alone. I have a very high temper because of which mostly I put myself in trouble. She was the one who guided me to be kind and generous and I should try to be calm and happy always. I am a very polite and kind person in nature, therefore, some people did endeavor to make wrong use of my kindness, and she taught me that I should not let other people make wrong use of my care and friendship. She made me believe on my dreams and compelled me to have faith in those and struggle for it. She always encouraged me to study more and to have a profession. A friend is a person with whom we can share anything and in case of girls: best friend is the second person after mother with whom we share our secrets and relish our life to the fullest. She is a kind of person to whom every girl want to do friendship with, but her friends circle is very limited, in which I have a top priority, because she considers me her best friend. She is a very kind and helpful person. She has a short height, fair and thin hair. She is little skinny, same as me. We both friends are quite alike, which is a plus point of our friendship. She wears normal traditional Pakistani dress, but she looks very

Does the internet degrades its users's cognitive quality Essay

Does the internet degrades its users's cognitive quality - Essay Example This paper is supposed to be a research opinion paper, so you are right to change this into a more argumentative one. Please strengthen this paper if possible by adding strong arguments, providing great coherence of logic flow, or including thought-provoking ideas. Does The Internet Degrade Its User’s Cognitive Quality? The internet is extremely prevalent these days; it has transformed human life from a normal life to a digital life. There are no life segments, in which the influence of internet is negligible. Business, education, communication, healthcare, culture and politics are some areas in which internet brought huge changes. The entire world is now divided into real world and virtual world. The activities going on the virtual world are almost equal in magnitude with the activities going on in the real world. In short, internet has made plenty of changes in the physical world. The influence of internet is not limited to the physical world alone; even mental activities un dergo rapid changes. One of affected mental activities is people’s cognitive skills; cognitive skills are brain-based skills that include set of abilities that are part of human actions. It involves logic, attention, memory, and perception. The efficiency and convenience that the internet provides is utilized by people in order to make their life much easier. Comparing internet research to hours of turning book pages to find relevant information and noting them down, the latter seems like a laborious and time-consuming task. After all, the internet provides relevant information from thousands of sources altogether in just a matter of seconds. But without being realized, it serves as a double-edged sword where it overindulges our brain and ruins our cognitive ability. The internet has made our lives much easier, but along with that it has degraded our cognitive quality. Being a student in this tech savvy generation, I am completely aware of the role the internet plays in our l ives. In fact today’s youth cannot even imagine getting through schools and colleges without the internet. The internet helps to complete academic tasks more easily because we have easy access to every piece of information one can ever imagine; it is all just a click away. The internet serves as huge library where one has access to information from all corners of the world. Even though lack of good editorial committees has flooded the internet with wrong information, the convenience of using the net to seek something, continues to be a preferred choice over browsing through books and journals. With the realization that using the internet to search for information is pretty convenient, people are becoming overly dependent on it, and slowly, their reasoning and problem solving skills are dropping. The internet provides readymade answers to all problems; therefore a student or researcher does not feel the need to think much about solving a problem. On the other hand, generations in the past were forced to think deeply to analyze different dimensions of a problem before identifying proper solution for that. The easiness in solving problem with the help of internet causes mental idleness. According to a study conducted by Karin Slegers, a Cognitive Psychologist, older adults who rely on the internet lose their cognitive functions much faster than their counterparts

Human resourse management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human resourse management - Essay Example Under theories such as Maslows hierarchy of needs, attempts to generate increased employee motivation to work toward accomplishment of organisational goals is the basis behind pay-for-performance schemes. An organisation sets the firms objectives and similar targets for expected performance levels by employees by appealing to a primary desire: Increased wages. It is a logical assessment to offer that that most of todays employees choose to work for a company in the primary pursuit of generating a quality income. Under Maslows theory, the security offered by increased job-related compensation is a primary element behind employee motivation. In essence, without granting the employee additional incentive pay, while appealing to their motivational needs, generating any measurable increases in performance toward business-related targets is quite difficult. For instance, a company cannot motivate an employee by utilising rigid and controlling management policies, such as management by threat, therefore companies must establish a system by which employees can work toward targets and guarantee a reward for meeting these expectations. This is a significant reason why companies continue to maintain pay-for-performance schemes, as there are very few methods to appeal to the employees personal desires. It is basically implied that many employees cannot be sufficiently motivated without the use of monetary incentives, therefore simply offering additional performance-related compensation gives the employee a strong motivational objective to meet the companys long-term strategic goals. Additionally, to appease the external shareholders, many organisations continue to use pay-for-performance schemes despite their ineffectiveness. Shareholders maintain a significant influence in todays businesses as they are highly invested in, therefore interested in, ensuring that a firm meets its organisational objectives for growth and profitability. Companies issue their

GMO PROS AND CONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GMO PROS AND CONS - Essay Example Scientifically, the human body extracts chemicals from the foods; these chemicals are responsible for the immunity of the body. The fear demonstrated by scientists posits that GMO may alter chemical requirement of the body. I think the society should know when it is eating GMOs because there are alternatives foods, which people can use. In addition, pregnant women, cancer patients, and children should avoid the consumptions of GMO products. Ideally, the argument presented by the advertising companies to the society against consumption of GMO does not give detailed information about the effects that the society is likely to encounter. I think the government should devise legislations, which influence the consumption of GMO especially among child. I do not accept the notion that GMO rice can help boost vitamin A among children. The unpredictable effects of GMO subjects the society to rejects it consumption. In conclusion, GMO have unpredictable effects to innocent consumers. While present legislation do not provide restrict against the consumption of GMO, there is need for

The tastiest carrot cake Essay Example for Free

The tastiest carrot cake Essay Birthdays have been special over the years, what makes it special is not balloons or parties, but the desert! Every birthday that I can remember I have had a carrot flourless cake, double layer with rich chocolate icing on the top. Its home made by my mom, she is the the only person that can cook a cake like that, I’ve never tried something so good and tasty like this one. Since I was young, chocolate has been my favorite thing to eat, no matter what time of the day, I’ll eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and cannot resist it when I see it. Just the sight of a dark, scrumptious, chocolate makes my mouth water like a little kid at the zoo eyeing some cotton candy. I inherited my sweet tooth from my mom’s dad, grandpa Valdemar; he would cover loads of healthy food such as fruit and cereal with loads of sugar. The warm inside of the carrot cake when it first comes out of the oven makes my taste buds jump with joy. It looks soft as the sky clouds on sunny days and the frosting is as smooth as malaises, rich with 2 pound of chocolate on the top of it. During the singing of the birthday song, I can see the wax from the candles dripping off and just can’t wait to blow them out so I can jump into the cake and relish the taste. This kind of cake is famous as carnival in Brazil and I can’t even find this amazing food in a city like New York, so mixed and with a lot of cultures. I hope that one day Americans will try at least one time. I’m sure that who tried once will never stay without a piece two times a month in a normal afternoon.

The role of family power structure

The role of family power structure Family Power structure plays a critical role in family health functioning. Power has been defined as the ability to control, influence or change another persons behavior (Friedman, 1998). Power is related to resources. Control over resources (eg. money) infers power. In most families, parents control these resources. There are three types of family power namely chaotic power, symmetrical power and complementary power (Hanson, 2001). The power structure in my family is complementary power. It is defined as requiring dominion-submission dynamic within the family structure. In this family-power type, healthy families are characterized by parents having a clear family advantage that their children recognize and accept. Although my father brings home the bacon every month, power is mainly shared between my parents. The decision-making in my family is highly dependent on my parents. Although my sister and I are involved in the decision-making, my parents are mainly responsible for making all sorts of decisions in the family from purchasing household furniture to deciding on a holiday destination to the meals we have together. Family power structure is not fixed. As I turned 18 this year, my parents recognize me as an adult and would listen to more to what I have to say and how I feel. My parents are not as power-dominant as they were 10 years ago. 1.2 Subsystems All families develop networks of co-existing subsystems formed on the basis of gender, interest, generation or function that must be performed for the familys survival. Each member of a family may belong to several subsystems. Each subsystem can be thought of as a natural coalition between participating members. Subsystems in a family relate to one another according to rules and patterns. There are three types of subsystems in my family namely spousal, parental and sibling subsystems. For example, the spousal subsystem educates children about male-female intimacy and commitment by providing a model of marital interaction. Ways of accommodating one anothers needs, making decisions together and managing conflict etc. Another example, my parents define the boundary of a parental subsystem by telling me as the oldest child to not interfere when they are reprimanding my younger sister. Parental subsystem also includes child guidance, nurturing, limit-setting and discipline. 1.3 Boundaries Boundaries are invisible barriers that keep subsystems separate and distinct from other subsystems. They are maintained by rules that differentiate the particular subsystems tasks from those of other subsystems. Boundaries may either be rigid, diffuse or clear. Disengaged families have rigid boundaries which leads to low levels of effective communication and support among family members. Enmeshed families have diffuse boundaries which make it difficult for individuals to achieve individualization from family. Clear boundaries are more of a balance as they do not fall on either extreme ends of rigid or diffuse. Clear boundaries are firm yet flexible, permitting maximum adaptation to change. The boundary in my family is clear. For example, my parents temporarily redefine the boundaries of the parental subsystem when she tells me to be in-charge of the house when they are away from home. Many years ago, my parents would ask my aunt to come over to care for my sister and I while they are away. This shows that the parental subsystem is flexible enough to include other people temporarily. 1.4 Triangulation Triangulation is used to describe a situation in which one family member will not communicate with another family member unless a third family member is present, forcing the third family member to then be part of the triangle. In this triangulation, the third person will either be used as a messenger to carry the communication to the main party or as a substitute for the direct communication. Usually this communication is an expressed dissatisfaction with the main party. For instance, my family used to be very united until a year ago when my sister who was one of the top PSLE students in her primary school dropped out from secondary school at secondary two suddenly. She stopped attending lessons and was extremely rebellious towards my parents and me. My parents having high expectations from my sister were absolutely furious and upset when she decided to quit school. Numerous attempts to persuade her to attend school failed again and again until a point when my parents gave up convincing her. However, they still talk about my sister to me all the time, mentioning how stubborn/ignorant she is and that she would regret her decision later in life. 2. Communication patterns McLeod and Chaffee (1972) came out with a scheme to analyze family communication patterns (FCP) to examine the role of family communication. In this model, the family communication environment is characterized by the extent to which the family emphasizes on socio-orientation and concept-orientation. Socio-orientation stresses the importance of harmony in the family and avoidance of conflicts. Concept-orientation encourages children to think about and discuss political and social issues. In a highly socio-oriented family, children should not argue with parents and should not express opinions different from other family members so as to maintain social harmony. On the other hand, in a highly concept-oriented family, parents believe that children should look at both sides of issues and talk freely about these issues. Using these two dimensions, McLeod and Chaffee (1972) introduced a four-fold typology of family communication patterns as seen in Figure 1. Figure 1 High on both dimensions of socio-orientation and concept-orientation, the communication pattern in my family is consensual. Consensual families emphasize both relational harmony and free communication exchange. Every member in my family is able to express our ideas freely as long as internal harmony in the family is maintained. Since young, my parents have encouraged both my sister and I to voice out displeasures in the family openly but stresses the importance of logical reasoning behind it. Like most traditional Asian families, my family tends not to express affectionate behaviors in the form of hugging or kissing towards or saying mushy words to one another. Instead, my parents would constantly ask me questions regarding about my school life, the friends that I go out with, among many others that revolve around my daily life. I suppose these are ways of displaying affectionate behaviors in my family. There are few conflicts in my family. Nevertheless, whenever one arises, we tend to face each other openly and voice out our concerns. My father would always play the middle-man whenever I had an argument with my sister and he would always ensure both parties are treated fairly and just. 3. Family environment Based on Olson, Russell and Sprenkles (1979) Circumplex Model, the Circumplex Model assumes that the difference between functional and dysfunctional families is determined by two interrelated dimensions: cohesion and adaptability. Cohesion is defined as the degree of attachment and emotional bonding among family members. There are four various degrees to the cohesion dimension namely disengaged, separated, connected, and enmeshed. Families that are disengaged lack family bond and loyalty, and are characterized by high independence. On the other hand, families identified as enmeshed are characterized by high levels of closeness, loyalty, and/or dependency. Adaptability is the ability of the family to change power structure, roles, and relationships in order to adapt to various situational stressors. It too has four degrees namely rigid, structured, flexible, and chaotic. Families with low levels of adaptability are considered inflexible or rigid. Rigid family types are characterized by authoritarian leadership, infrequent role modification, strict negotiation, and lack of change. Families with high levels of adaptability are considered chaotic as it is changing too frequently. Chaotic family types result from a lack of leadership, dramatic role shifts, erratic negotiation, and are characterized by frequent change. Based on the Circumplex Model, my family environment is balanced. It has moderate level of both adaptability and cohesion. Power structure is not fixed and there are times when there is a temporary shift in power to adapt to various situations. For example, I am responsible for taking care of my sister when my parents are out. Another example is when an deciding on a holiday getaway, power is shared among each family members to be involved in decision making. 4. Family Rules Family rules help family members to get along better, and make family life more peaceful. Effective rules are positive statements about how family members want to look after and treat one another. I have become so accustomed with my own family rules that sometimes I do not even realize that some of my daily activities are actually in fact, family rules. Dos and donts rules regarding family members safety, manners and daily routines were set up in my family since I was young. Of course these rules are constantly changing as my sister and I grew older with more responsibility in our hands. Rules such as be home by 10pm and do not lock the doors at home are a thing of the past when I was much younger. Today, the rules are much more flexible. For instance, if I were to return home late or spend the night at a friends house, all I have to do is to call home to inform my parents. There are also fewer family rules as my sister and I are expected to be able to care for ourselves. Moreover, rules set when we were young are already deep-rooted in our daily life. 5. Family values and attitudes Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family (parents and children) to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. 5.1 Money From a very young age, my parents have taught me the importance of saving up money and spending them wisely. Every week, I was to slot in leftover coins in a piggy bank. Years passed by and today I still have the habit of keeping all my loose change in a piggy bank and when it became full, I would then deposit the money into the bank. My parents are prudent in spending money; they only buy what is deemed necessary and seldom splurge on luxury goods. However, there are times when my parents think that it is worthwhile to spend more money such as holding birthday celebrations or Chinese new year celebrations at home. 5.2 Religion My family is a little religious. My parents are Buddhists and they made an effort to pay their respects to the deities at temples annually. However, my sister and I do not have a religion but our parents do not force us to join a religion too. There are no altars at home and my parents do not carry religious charms either like a pendent or a talisman with them. 5.3 Education Like most parents in Singapore, my parents take education very seriously. My father stresses that education is the key to survival in Singapore and this is especially more true since Singapore has been ranked the most competitive country in the world in 2010 by Time. Although my parents view education as important, they also know that each individual has their own limitations towards studying. My parents want my sister and me to have a positive mindset towards studying but yet at the same time not to overwork ourselves. The ideal model is to strike a balance between work and recreation. 5.4 Success/failure My parents are rather reasonable and they know that success and failure are part and parcel of life. My parents view success as achieving ones goals. For instance, one of my goals in secondary school was to get into Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and I did well enough during my O levels to enroll in SP. My parents were very happy and proud of me. On the other hand, I did not get into the course of my choice so I felt disappointed because it felt like I had succeeded and failed at the same time. My parents told me that one couldnt always get what we have aimed for and as long as I have tried my best, thats all that counts. 6. What I have learnt from my parents relationship What I learnt about marriage from my parents relationship is to treat your partner as a friend. Marriage is a lifelong process full of ups and downs. My parents are both committed to overcome obstacles and being the best spouse and friend to each other. My parents are always joking around. My mother loves my fathers sense of humor and they always laugh at the silliest things. This taught me that being playful is a crucial part of marriage and nothing should be taken too seriously in a family. My parents also speak kindly of each other. My mother always told me that my father was a good father and a hardworking man. In addition, they also give each other nicknames as some term of endearment. I learnt the significance of having interests/hobbies different from your spouses too. My father and mother have different interests. My father enjoys watching detective crime television programs while my mother loves watching Korean Dramas serials. My mother would never last an episode of detective crime programs but that seems okay because they respect each others alone time as well. This also taught me that it is fine to have a degree of independence in a marriage too. 7. Attitude towards authority I have a positive attitude towards institutional authority (parents, teachers, police, and the law). I tend to respect the rules and abide by it. I held many student leader positions in schools too. Positions such as class monitor in primary school, student counselor and National Police Cadet Corp (NPCC) non-commissioned officer (NCO) in secondary school and class chairperson in my polytechnic life. This is mainly due to my strict upbringing from early childhood. My father was a very strict man. I still remember the times when my father would cane me whenever I got into trouble in primary school. Furthermore, I would have to write a reflection about my wrongful actions. I used to be very afraid of my father when I was very young. However looking back in time, I realized that my father just wanted me to grow up to be a good person and I am grateful for what my father had done to make me the person I am today. 8. Attitude towards sibling My relationship with my sister has definitely seen better days. We used to be very close and play with each other a lot. However in recent months, my sisters attitude has grown worst. She became very temperament and gets annoyed very easily. We had a lot of quarrels with each other and soon grew distant. Nowadays, we seldom speak to one another. 9. Level of differentiation from family Level of differentiation refers to the degree of ones ability to distinguish his own thoughts and emotions from that of his own family. Individuals with low level of differentiation are more probably to become reliant on others approval and acceptance. They either conform themselves to others in order to please them, or attempt to force others to conform to themselves. Thus, they are more vulnerable to stress and they struggle more to adapt to life changes. Individuals with high levels of differentiation recognize that they need others, but they rely less on others acceptance and approval. They do not only adopt the attitude of those around them but take into account their principles thoughtfully. These enable them decide significant family and social issues, and resist the feelings of the moment. Thus, despite conflict, criticism, and rejection they can stay calm and clear-headed to differentiate thinking rooted in a careful assessment of the facts from thinking clouded by emotion. Well differentiated individuals choose thoughtfully and act in the best interests of the group. I think my level of differentiation from my family is balanced. I have my own thinking and my own point of view. I am not afraid to have a different mindset from my family members. My parents also encouraged my sister and I to become more independent, to be ourselves and not conform for the sake of pleasing others. 10. Family strengths 10.1 Caring and Appreciation I think I am very fortunate to have a family who is caring and appreciative. Even if a family member makes mistakes, other members would to encourage and support one another. My parents notice and share positive qualities of each other. For example, they pay attention to another persons polite behavior or something nice he or she did or said. They notice the characteristics, skills, achievements and special qualities that make the other person unique. My father would write encouragement messages on his red packet during Chinese New Year. These messages are inspirational and reassured me that my family members do care about me. 10.2 Good Communication Furthermore, there is communication between me and my parents. We talk and share our feelings, hopes, dreams, joys, sorrows, and experiences. I would tell the daily happenings in school or with my friends just to update my parents about whats going on in my life. My parents take the time to listen and respond to what I have to say. 10.3 Openess to change There is a set of family rules in my family. These rules are ways to deal with daily life. Some of the more obvious rules consist of who does the cooking, who washes the dishes, who does the laundry or who clean the toilet. Other less obvious forms include: Who has the authority to make what decisions? How are differences of opinion handled? How are anger, affection, or other emotions expressed at home? 10.4 Working together Most of the time, my family make decisions, solve family problems, and do family work together. Everyone participates. Parents may be in charge of the decision-making at home but the childrens opinions and efforts are invited, encouraged, and appreciated. For example, whenever my parents decided to buy a new television set, they would always ask for opinions about which television is suitable for the family. It makes my sister and I involved in the shopping as well and let us know that what we say counts. I learnt that if parents allow their children to make real decisions, it enables children to grow up to be responsible adults. Children need opportunities to make decisions, to be involved in family decisions, and to observe the parents decision-making process and outcomes. Children are more motivated to carry out their responsibilities if they have some say as to what those responsibilities are and can see how these particular activities help the family. Teenagers are keener to go along on a family vacation if they help decide the destination and itinerary. 11. How has my family affected my personality? What are the weaknesses you want to improve and what are the strengths you want to maintain in yourself. Based on a study on more than 100 children conducted by psychologist Diana Baumrind, she identified four important dimensions of parenting which affects the childs personality. They are disciplinary strategies, warmth and nurturance, communication styles and expectations of maturity and control. Based on these dimensions, Baumrind suggested that the majority of parents display one of three different parenting styles. Further research by also suggested the addition of a fourth parenting style (Maccoby Martin, 1983). The four parenting styles include authoritarian parenting, authoritative parenting, permissive parenting and uninvolved parenting. My parents parenting style suit authoritarian the most. My parents establish house rules and guidelines and expect my sister and I to follow them. However, my sister and I were also involved in the rules setting so we were able to find them realistic. This parenting style is much democratic. When children fail to meet the expectations, authoritative parents are more nurturing and forgiving rather than punishing. Although my father punished me whenever I broke the house rules; he would always end it off with nurturing and kind words. My parents are assertive, but not intrusive and restrictive. Their disciplinary methods are supportive, rather than punitive. I think I grew up to be a socially responsible and cooperative person. I tend to avoid conflicts with people and adopt the make more friends than enemies mindset. I lean more towards the extrovert scale as I enjoy the company of my friends. My friends told me that I am a good-tempered person too. They dont see me get angry because I am not bothered by the slightest issues. Another strength that I have is being persistent and committed. Once I set my mind on a target or a goal. I would thrive to achieve it. My parents have been teaching me the importance of goal-setting since young. I also gain a huge sense of pride and satisfaction whenever I accomplished my goals. One weakness that I have is being perfectionist. I am very attentive to details and would not be satisfied unless I get the exact results that I wanted. Most of the time striving for perfection is tiring and time consuming. My project members would sometimes find me a pain in the neck when I was not satisfied with their research work. Another weakness I have is laziness. I think I have been too pampered from young. I seldom do household chores because my mother is a housewife and she does all the housework. Well, almost all, my father did his part too. As such I became reliant on my parents to do my own laundry, to wash my dishes etc. I have been trying to increase my contribution to my family by doing some household chores but its hard to do so especially since I have done almost no housework since young but Im not giving up easily. In summary, family relationships are one of the longest relationships we would ever have in our life. We should never take our family members for granted but should cherish them instead.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center Construction

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center Construction Timber: Cut it from the trees, very strong, cut it with long pieces and can reduce the length easily We can use for all building no specific place, we use timber because it is strength enough Clay: One of oldest building s materials, among other ancient, naturally occurring geologic material such as stone Almost clay is used as a roof. We use it because it saves energy and emissions Coconut palm Wood: we can bring it from natural, strong and flexible at the same timeUse it in the flooring, we use it because it is the cheapest type of wood Straw: It’s a product, can use for insulation and construction purposes Placed in bales and stacked into walls, we use straw because it is helping the environment tremendously and safe the budget Cork: Unique material, bring it from Portugal, natural resourceWe can use it as bricks if we mix it with water Adobe: Made of clay and dirt, mix it with water o form itUse for a full building not in specific place, we use it because it is easy to make and its almost natural friend material Hemp: It is plant. We get it from the natural, used for insulation Put it in the form of block to provide thermal insulation, we use it to protect the interior of a building from summers hot Bamboo: Natural friend material, less cost, long life. It is a perfect flooring material, we use it because it save our money and protect our planet from any pollution Recycled rubber: Renewable source, from rubber tree, not expensive, used for modern buildings Can used in flooring for building, we use it because its rubber in itself is a renewable resource which is sustainable â€Å"Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC)† In these days must be on the world development in the construction method so came science and the human mind in this way, a sustainable building, sustainable building is to build a way environmentally friendly is not contaminated in any way because of this construction is based on materials and natural elements that do not affect the environment in any way this is easy bit we produce here from recycled or renewable sources, and one of these sustainable building is Melbourne convention center which is in Australia and it is the first convention city in the world. â€Å"Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Center (MCEC)† it is two adjacent buildings next to †the Yara River in South Wharf, an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia†. â€Å"Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust† is the owner and manager. â€Å"The Melbourne Exhibition Center Trust† was made in â€Å"August 1994† with the obligation of supervising the development and improvement of â€Å"the Melbourne Exhibition Center†. On â€Å"5 February 1997 the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust† started, supplanting the past trust with the included extent of â€Å"the Melbourne Convention Center†, once called the World Congress â€Å"Center Melbourne. In August 1997 the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust† got to be manager and venue director of both the â€Å"Melbourne Exhibition Center and the Melbourne Convention Center†. (Eco-friendlyhouses.blogspot.com, 2015) It Is also responsible for managing, promoting, and the use of the Royal Exhibition building in the Carlton Gardens. As a government-owned trust, â€Å"The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition† Trust is responsible to the Minister for Tourism The building is essentially a since quite a while ago shed which has differentiated operable dividers â€Å"(every esteemed at $250,000)†. This permits the space to be part from a most extreme of â€Å"30,000 square meters of 360 meters in length by 84 meters wide into at least 3,000 square meter spaces†. The single volume with an extent of length to width of â€Å"more or less 2.5:1 was picked†. Other than the show space, the building additionally has a cellar that has the â€Å"capacity hold 1,000 vehicles† (Wikipedia, 2015). From the primary passageway, guests would have the capacity to see the â€Å"450 meters† southward vista of the concourse and the mezzanine overhangs. On the first carpet of the section structure and stretching out along the mezzanine stage, there are meeting and capacity rooms which differentiates the twofold tallness lobby and concourse. Some have extensive windows disregarding the presentation. â€Å"The Melbourne Exhibition Center was to be fabricated bigger than the Sydney Exhibition Building while as yet costing the same† (Wikipedia, 2015). The building has turned into a symbol in Melbourne because of the primary passageway which comprises of metal cutting edges tilted at an edge and bolstered by a couple of yellow poles which is difficult to miss even among its more conspicuous neighbors. The site for the Exhibition Center was beforehand the site for Daryl Jacksons Museum of Victoria. â€Å"The brief obliged DCM to work with the incompletely constructed solid structure† (Eco-friendlyhouses.blogspot.com, 2015). As indicated by Melbourne engineer and commentator Norman Day, â€Å"the section free space could be related to the Russian Constructivist of the 1920s, for example, the Vesnin brothers Kiev line station plot 1926†. An alternate connection to the Russian Constructivist is the cantilevered structure upheld by yellow steel props and in addition the extensive metal letters orchestrated over the highest point of the passage. The building consists of two different roof designs which are calculated at distinctive bearings. This was because of the aim to make two distinctive effective spaces which is the show space and the general population space (concourse of the building). By this technique, the engineers figure out how to make two separate situations, one which is an encased presentation space and an alternate is the concourse which is interested in people in general. Because of the brief that obliged the building to be developed in a short measure of time and spare cost, a dreary arrangement of indistinguishable trusses clad in aluminum sheet were utilized. On top of that, the trusses must be strong with a specific end goal to give sound separation starting with one corridor then onto the next. In the meantime, to lessen the compass, and to solidify them along the side, the designers decreased them in cross segment. The two lines of segments that are placed in the verandah (the buildings long facade confronting the waterway) are expected to give an unpretentious detachment of the inside and outside of the building. The sharpened pieces of steels which are placed along the concourse are hued in a progression of Francis-Bacon-motivated hues, with corridor numbers stenciled on. This fills as a twofold need of interspersing the direct volume and marking the corridors. The air motion facilitating treatment of the corridor overhang, which scatters wind, impacted an alternate Melbourne draftsman, Peter Elliott, in the outline of the Spencer Street Footbridge in1999. â€Å"The Melbourne Exhibition Center was recompensed the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for open construction modeling in 1996† (Eco-friendlyhouses.blogspot.com, 2015). â€Å"The old Convention Center on the inverse side of the Yarra River was opened in May 1990 and has facilitated a great many traditions and gatherings† (Peterbennetts.com, 2015). The building was initially expected to be utilized by the Melbourne Museum yet Jeff Kennett interceded amid development to have the building utilized as a tradition focus. â€Å"The new Convention Center, ashore neighboring the Exhibition Center, finished in 2009. At an expense of a$1 billion, the improvement comprises of a 5541 seat Plenary Hall that can be isolated into three different theaters, 32 meeting rooms of different sizes, a thousand dining rooms and also a Hilton inn, office, private and retail space. It was created by a consortium drove by Brookfield Multiplex and Plenary Group and outlined by Larry Oltmanns† (YouTube, 2015). The new focus utilizes a scope of highlights as a part of request to accomplish a 6 Star Green Star ecological rating and to turn into the first tradition focus on the planet with that rating. The planners for the improvement were NH Architecture and Woods Begot. â€Å"The new Melbourne Convention Center was honored the Australian Construction Achievement Award in 2010† (YouTube, 2015). The two lines of segments that are placed in the verandah (the developings long outside conflicting with the conductor) are obliged to give a legitimate partition of inside and outside of the building. The sharpened bits of steels which are situated along the concourse are shaded in a development of Francis-Bacon-impelled tints, with passage numbers stenciled on. This fills as a twofold need of sprinkling the direct volume and signifying the ways. The air development empowering treatment of the passage overhang, which disseminates wind, influenced an alternate Melbourne craftsman, Peter Elliott, in the system of the Spencer Street Footbridge in 1999. The honed bits of steels which are put along the concourse are shaded in a movement of Francis-Bacon-stirred shades, with anteroom numbers stenciled on. This fills as a twofold need of blending the direct volume and denoting the halls. The air development advanced treatment of the passage covering, which scrambles wind, influenced another Melbourne originator, Peter Elliott, in the setup of the Spencer Street Footbridge in 1999. To conclude we have to make this building as a target to make all the buildings all over the world as good as Melbourne convention and exhibition center because they use sustainable materials to build it, so it is a natural friend building they use many sustainable materials such as timber that we can get it from cutting the trees they use timber because it is very strong material. And they use straw that they place it in bales and stacked into walls to provide insulation for the building, and use adobe to that is made of clay and dirt and they mix it with water to form it. This way of build is helping us and help the nature from global warming; Because this phenomenon is a threat to our earth, because the ozone layer becomes weak day after day and the holes in the ozone layer becomes more which leads to the melting of icebergs in the Arctic and Antarctic, leading to rising water level in the sea, and this certainly will cause the sinking of some cities coastal. In near future most o f the buildings all over the world will be sustainable buildings because most of the used sustainable materials are coming from the nature and some of them is renewable and the great reason is these materials are nature friend and it doesn’t harm our mother earth. All in all technology for building improve every day and the technology will not reach to specific point, and these time the technology depends on the materials that they are coming from the nature and also looking for renewable sources to use it for ever and these two properties we can found it in the most sustainable materials.

Green Architecture Essay -- Environmental Ecology Essays

Green Architecture Green Architecture began with the first Earth Day in 1970, and has grown in popularity as awareness of the earth’s many ecological problems become more wide spread. Professor Rocky Brittain states "I’ve been teaching this subject for twenty years and have watched interest grow. Now I could say there is some element of sustainability taught in just about every architecture school in the country."(Talarico, 1998) Economic factors have also helped the green movement by causing changes in building materials, and technology. This is most notable in changes to heating and cooling systems, and improvements in insulation and window construction which decrease heat loss and therefore decrease heating and cooling costs. Also, "Alternatives including engineered lumber, made from wood chips or strands laminated together have become commonplace†¦[this is a consequence]†¦the rise in wood prices and decline in wood quality due to the lack of properly managed forests." (http: //www.reddown.com/featartll.html.) Not only are these materials more cost efficient, they also often outperform solid wood. Affordability is of vital importance if green architecture is going to become wide spread in a capitalistic economy. Gail Lindsey, chairman of the AIA Committee on the Environment states: "Until recently, being green was something of a luxury, reserved for homeowners who had enough money to buy triple-pane argon-filled glass windows or wool wall-to-wall carpeting. But with the growing availability of less expensive green materials, this is no longer true. Sustainable design is a balancing act, a matter of concentrating the architect’s time and the client’s resources on choices that will do the most good. We’ve learned that a house... ...bie, 1995) In conclusion, the last twenty years have seen quite an improvement in the popularity and use of green architecture. Green architecture continues to grow as society begins to understand the importance of preserving the environment. Technology is improving, lowering the cost and increasing the quality of green building products. Professionals are working to set and implement standards for the quality of green products and buildings. All these factors seem to point to a promising future for green architecture. Works Cited Crosbie, Michael J. "A Maturing Green Architecture". Progressive Architecture.January 95 Talarico, Wendy. "The Nature of Green Architecture". Architectural Record. April 98. Volume 186 Issue 4. Green Architecture In the 21st Century. Residential Environmental Design Featured Article. http://www.reddawnb.com/featart11.html

Beyond Dim Sum :: Personal Narrative Essays

Beyond Dim Sum There is truth to the platitude that it isn't the destination that is important, but the route that one takes to get there. To say my goals for studying abroad were purely academic would be skewing the truth; studying Chinese took me to China. But just as from studying Chinese language, I have gained new insights into China's cultural and historical legacy, so too, in going to China have I gleaned more than just the ability to speak a foreign language. I remember arriving in Beijing. I was awestruck. Tiananmen Square on my left, the Forbidden City on my right, a giant-sized portrait of a deified Mao Zedong looking down on me from above. It seemed unreal. So many times had these images been a part of montages in books and on television, I had become accustomed to representations of this amazing place, but had never taken in "the real thing." It was all so surreal, so wondrous, these impressions were unforgettable. A week into my trip abroad, here is what I wrote as my first journal entry: "I am for the first time in my life truly alone. Alone not just in the sense that I don't have anybody to rely and depend on, but in that I am in a country where I can barely communicate with anyone, and beyond that, I don't have a cultural clue how to follow that old traveler's phrase: 'When in Rome, do what the Romans do.' I am a stranger here. I wear the marks in every sense of the word. It is in the way that I look, it is in my inability to communicate with people, it is in the way I carry myself. Sure, I am nervous, and rather timid. But, the fact is, I am excited. I am finding in China a new kind of engagement; it permeates every minute of my time. All these activities in my life that I have taken for granted, those that even no longer warrant the classification of 'activity,' those things like buying a soda or taking a bus, the r egimens of everyday life, have now become the instruments of my engagement. Ironically, my vehicle is Chinese; until this point, my studies have been so figurative. It is so strange to actually hear people use this language that I have been studying for so long in American classrooms as their everyday mode of communication, as I use English.

Death Of A Salesman: Societys Alienation Of Willy Loman :: essays research papers

Death of a Salesman: Society's Alienation of Willy Loman It is often stated that society is very judgmental. It can be seen in movies, literary works, or just an everyday walk of life. Arthur Miller chooses to portray society's prejudice against the protagonist, Willy Loman, in his play, Death of a Salesman. Society, in this case, rejects Willy Loman because he isn't upper class, and because he is getting up in age. Many occurrances highlight society's judging of Willy, including him being fired, the "spite" that he recieves from his sons, and the way he alienates himself. All of these eventually lead to the downfall of a strong, determined, but confused character. Perhaps the most defeating action that happened to Willy was the loss of his job. All he had ever been in life was a salesman, therefore it was the only trade that he was any good at. When he had the conference with Howard, he had his hopes up. Willy had regained his confidence in himself and was ready to take control of his life at a very crucial time. However, Howard crushed all of that by firing Willy, simply because he thought Willy, "needed some rest." Actually, Howard never intended to give Willy his job back. He was merely trying to take Willy's position because he didn't believe Willy could hack it anymore. This is a reflection of society's present day treatment of the elderly. Younger generations now, move older people into rest homes and try to keep them out of public view, for risk of embarassment. This is reflected by Howard's statement, "I don't want you to represent us anymore." Society's assumption of Willy's capabilities, in this case, cost him his job. A second occurrance that displayed Willy's alienation happened in his own family. Biff doesn't believe whatsoever in his father and has no hope for him at all. Biff even says in act one that his father has no character. Biff is a perfect symbol for society in the play. Biff knows his father has problems, but even as a son, "can't get near him." Even though he accepts his father as a fake later in life, Biff tries over and over again to reach his father and to help him, but an unseen barrier prevents Biff from doing so. Happy is the type that knows what's going on with his father, but won't try to help him. Although it is never actually said verbatum, it is obvious that Willy has some kind of mental problem that needs some attention. Yet even in his own home, he can't get

The politics of Latino faith: Religion, identity, and urban community Essay

Historical site Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Historic sites are places well known for materials that are rich in political, cultural, military or social life history. These materials have been conserved due to their cultural heritage relevance. I have always had a sentimental longing of visiting historical sites since my childhood and out of this affection, I resolved to pay a visit to the Empire State Building.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Out of my enthusiasm, I couldn’t wait to travel all the way to the Midtown of Manhattan in the New York City where the Empire State Building, the skyscraper, is situated in. The empire state building, first established in 18th century in a farm that was owned by John Thompson stands at the height of approximately 1254 ft together with its antennae spire at its top. .I was so delighted, a building that is designed in a unique Deco style that resembles the architecture of the pre-world second war. I must confidently say that the Empire state building actually defines the personality of the city in the current epoch that we are living in. There is a culture that there is an ape that climbs to the spire under the fear of being confined by other animals but falls after being hit by planes. These distinctive features have drawn the attention of many people in many nations rendering it an historical site.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The empire state building is owned by Empire State Realty Trust with Antony Malkin being the Chief Executive Officer. . There are several TV broadcasters and FM radio stations as well. Movie actors are also popular in the Empire State Building. Overwhelming features such as the colorful antennae have led to several films being shoot in this building. King Kong is a well known movie that features the Empire State Building.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some events have occurred at the site. There was a plane crash that occurred back in 1945 whereby a pilot crashed into the Empire building after getting disoriented by fog on his way causing an explosion that led to the death of a few people as a result of the fumes that were hurtled into the building. The site is important to the politics of America in that it was established during the reign of President Herbert Hoover. Political campaigns are held in this building. Prominent political leaders regularly hold meetings in the Empire State Building. Some elections are held in the Empire State Building. Elections that led to the victory of the Republican Party candidate were held in the Empire State Building. The well known UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon made remarks at the empire state building in a campaign that aimed at putting to an end violence against women. Currently, conditions have changed; There has been invention of colorful flo odlights in l964 which has led to the lighting of the antennae spire of the Empire State Building creating room for special events. The colors brighten some seasonal events like sports (Wilson, 2008). The empire building is currently neighboring the Penn station, Madison garden square and Macy’s Herald square. However, some crises have occurred at this building. Incidences of suicides have been witnessed whereby some people throw themselves from the observatories. Some land alive others dead. Cases of shooting by gangsters were witnessed near this historical site but I can confidently affirm that these cases have been addressed and the site is peaceful.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   More developments have taken place to help improve the situation of the empire state building. Improved LED lighting system has been installed into this building by a technical team lead by Malkin. This LED lighting system has led to reduction in energy consumption. The LED lighting system has led to improved economic growth in the sense that it has led to the expansion of the video and filming industries due to its overwhelming LED lighting system. Consequently, this has created job opportunities in New York improving the living standards of her people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   More so, observation decks have been developed on some floors of the Empire State Building. Tourists who pay homage to this historical site also find the interest to visit these observation decks. Tourists are guaranteed the access to these decks after buying tickets. The rooms are also rented for office as well. All this has led to improved economic growth in America.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The attractive features that have drawn the attention of many people has consequently lead to the springing up of restaurants around the Empire State Building that provides food and accommodation services to the people who come to pay homage to the site This has increased job opportunities to the citizens leading to improved standards of living. Some of the restaurants that I got the privilege of having dinner in were the Monkey Bar, Salvation Taco and The Peacock. It is all joy, all fun, and quite amazing to be at the Empire State Building. References Wilson, C. E. (2008). The politics of Latino faith: Religion, identity, and urban community. New York: New York University Press. Skowronek, Stephen, & Glassman, Matthew. (2008). Formative Acts: American Politics in the Making. Univ of Pennsylvania Pr.Brewer, M. D. (2003). Relevant no more?: The Catholic/Protestant divide in American electoral politics. Lanham, Md: Lexington Books. Source document

The development of self-awareness and shifts of Locus of self Knowledge

This study examines the theoretical framework of developmental sequences and self descriptions and its proposed idea that children’s sense of self change as they become older and more able to take into account the information about themselves available from other sources such as their social environment. A small-scale investigation into the ways children give self-descriptions and how the characteristics of these change with age was conducted by comparison of short interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years following a similar methodology to Rosenberg’s (1979) study of self description. Analysis of the material show that indeed there is evidence that older children tend to give accounts of themselves by using more inner characteristics and emotional traits then younger children providing support to existing research in the subject. Introduction The subject of development of identity has been a topic of intense debate amongst scholars in the field of child development. The multidimensionality of identity imposes that many external aspects are involved in its development like religious, cultural, social ethnic, therefore in order to develop and identity children must be able to take into account such aspects. Maccoby (as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 p. 131) proposes that for that reason, as sense of self happens by degrees. William James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) introduced the idea that a sense of self is divided in two stages: the self as a subject of experience and the self as an object of knowledge (Miel and Ding, 2005 pg. 131). This means that as children get older, they become more competent at self-awareness and more realistically involved in perception and responses of others in their lives. According to James, this development occurs during childhood by means of interactions between cognitive aspects and Social experiences where children actively use their incoming knowledge about themselves to make a difference in their environment. Subsequently, as children gain increasing levels of self awareness, a second stage emerges defined as the self as an object or categorical self (James 1961 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg. 133) where children begin to be categorized by others and themselves in defining roles in society. Cooley and Mead (1935) further underpinned the importance of social influences upon the development of an identity by coining the term â€Å"looking glass self† and the development of the theory of â€Å"symbolic interactionism† where they stress that a sense of identity emerges from reactions of others in the environment to us and the impressions we make internalize of these judgments (Mead 1934, as cited in: Miell and Ding, 2005, pp. 134-136. More recently, developmental Psychologists such as Harter (1983) and Rosenberg (1979) have used methods of semi-structured interviews and self report measures to investigate children’s developmental sequences in the formation of the self. In Her analysis of interviews with children of various ages, Harter (1983, as cited in Miell and Ding, 2005, pp.128-129) framed a developmental sequence where younger children show tendency to describe behavior and objective facts gradually shifting from traits of physical aspects and ultimately to interpersonal traits. Rosenberg’s findings suggest that younger children tend to rely on physical aspects and character traits observable by others to describe their sense of self whereas older children make more use of inner qualities and emotions only known to them. Rosenberg was interested beyond simple aspects of self description and added to his questions, topics that explored the children’s categorical self and what he defines as Locus of self knowledge. This study aims to investigate children’s accounts in their self concept by using pre recorded semi-structured interviews with two participants aged 8 and 16 years and applying Rosenberg’s categories of self description, self evaluation, self and others, Ideal self and Locus of self knowledge in slightly altered forms. With view on the relevant theories to the context of this study, the research question in focus is â€Å"Do children acquire a progressive sense of self as they grow older and interact with their social environment?† Method Design The design of this study consists in a comparison of the self-descriptions given by two young people, during semi-structured interviews. Participants The participants that took place in this study were selected from two schools (one primary and one secondary) in the surrounding areas of Milton Keynes. Anne aged 8 yeas and Adam ages 16 years were randomly selected and given informed consent as well as their parents to participate in this research. Materias and procedure The material for this study was collected by the course team of ED209 Child Development at Open University and every step has been taken to ensure its compliance with the British Psychological Society’s ethical guidelines for research with human participants. In order to record the interviews, a microphone was strategically placed in a non intrusive location near the participant. An A4 sheet of paper was used for the participants to complete their self description (â€Å"I statements†) and a recorder was used to record the interviews. The interviews took place during the day in May 2005. The locations of the interviews were in places familiar to the children. The younger participant (Annie) was interviewed by a member of the module team Kieron Sheehy and Peter Barnes conducted the interview with the older participant (Adam). Both children were informed prior to the start of their right to withdraw from the interview at any time as well as to have any data deleted should they feel something was said that they do not want in recording. None of them did so. Care was taken to ensure the best possible quality to the recordings which required such to be stopped at times when background noise was too inconvenient. Near the beginning of the interview the participants were asked to write down a description of themselves on a sheet of A4 paper. At the top were the words ‘Who am I’ and below that were ten numbered lines, each beginning ‘I†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ The recording was paused while the children completed these descriptions. Subsequently, the participants were asked questions based on Rosenberg’s questions of self evaluation, self and others and ideal self as well as on the concept of Locus of self knowledge. Results Self descriptions The research question proposed by this study is that younger children rely on physical and character traits when giving accounts of themselves and this should progressively shift with age as they make more use of inner traits for self description. The categories proposed by Rosenberg and used in this study and the results in percentage of the accounts of the two participants are as seen in table 1 bellow. Percentages were rounded to the nearest null The results above clearly show that the younger participant (Annie) relies solely on physical and character traits to describe herself whereas the older participant (Adam) makes much more use of inner characteristics and relationship connections supporting the hypothesis proposed by this study. Locus of Self Knowledge Annie shows internal and external locus when she suggests that both her and her mother would know better about her Maths, acknowledging that her mother might not know that she is â€Å"getting better every day†. Nevertheless in the question of behavior she placed the locus externally saying that her mom would be correct. Adam, the older participant was clear saying that his mother would be correct if asked what subjects he is better at school and about his behavior at home. Self evaluation When describing her weak and strong points Annie pointed out solely to physical traits of herself â€Å"my ears and legs (11:06)† and observable characteristics â€Å"I’ve got lots of friends (9:13)†. Adam equally relied heavily on character traits to describe his strong and weak points, however with a difference that his accounts were mostly related to internal (not necessarily observable) traits â€Å"I think im approachable b anyone†¦I suppose that my personality like just being a relaxed person (20:02)† Ideal self The older participant (Annie) relied on external factors to describe her ideal self like jobs â€Å"for my job I would like to be an actress (13:42)† making no account of any inner characteristic. Adam (16 years) on the other hand showed a capability to project his future in terms of interpersonal traits â€Å"I’d be like a leader, like a leader or something with power, because I like to think that I’d been really strong as a leader† Self and others Annie made comparisons of herself to others in terms of similar or different she is regarding her physical characteristics â€Å"I’m the same as Naomi as we both like Maths†¦(11:24)†. Nevertheless, she shows an ability to reflect on internal aspects of herself and the importance of her uniqueness as a person â€Å"Because if all the people are the same as me then I wouldn’t feel special (13:23).† Most of Adam’s comparisons to others were described in terms of the quality of inner similarities that enables relationships to form and be maintained â€Å"we’ve more or less got the same viewpoints (23:21)† and his inner drives that differentiates him from others â€Å"I like to think that I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working in a shop like some of my friends (25:00)† Discussion The purpose of this study was to investigate by means of comparison of interviews with two young participants (Annie aged 8 and Adam aged 16), the idea outlined in current research that development of identity occurs progressively from an existential self to a categorical self and children’s self descriptions shift gradually from predominantly physical traits in younger children to more interpersonal characteristics in older ones. Equally it aimed to analyze Rosenberg’s suggestion that a transfer in the locus of self knowledge from external to internal occurs as age progresses. In the self description task, Annie made use exclusively of physical and character traits to provide a description of herself where Adam showed a fluent ability to understand himself as an abstract being and use interpersonal and emotional traits when talking about himself. This is consistent with the idea of James (1892 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pp 131) that a sense of self emerges gradually. In detailed analysis of the questions related to the locus of self knowledge, Both Annie and Adam place emphasis on the other rather than the self contradicting Rosenberg’s findings that a shift occurs to the self as children grow older (Rosenberg 1979 as cited in the Open University 2012 assessment guide). However this could be so for reasons related to the methodology of research itself. For instance both participants did not seem to grasp the meaning of the questions initially, or perhaps confounding variables like power imbalance between researcher and participant could have played a role. On this topic it is therefore impossible to draw a positive or negative conclusion based only on this sample size. Cooley (1902 as cited in Miel and Ding 2005 pg 134) suggests the idea of the self as a looking glass where the person develops a sense of self by gradually undertaking other’s views and reactions of them. This theory can be supported by the findings of this study regarding the locus of self-knowledge where both children seem to see their own selves through the â€Å"looking glass† of others. The responses given in the other themes (ideal self, self and others and self evaluation) provide a strong support to Harter (1983 as cited in Open University 2012 assessment guide) and Rosenberg’s theory of a reliance on physical activities and aspects by younger children and a shift to more inner traits and relation to others in older participants. It is important to note that this study relies on a sample size too small to allow its results to be universalized. Also the context of the interviews and the participants were selected in a Western society where emphasis is strong on individuality and independence (Tobin et al 1989 as cited in Miell and Ding 2005 pp130). Therefore this study should only be interpreted within the limits of its settings; however it gives interest to the possibility of further research with a broader cross-cultural selection of participants. Briefly, some methodological issues came up in the formulation of questions that could perhaps have had an impact however small on the results of this study; At times, both participants showed confusion regarding the questions asked. Perhaps a different wording would have been more appropriate. Conclusion This study supports ongoing theories of a gradual development of self awareness proving the initial research question suggested and the idea that identity is shaped by an interaction of cognitive factors with various external aspects like social, peer, religion etc†¦ Due to methodological issues and small sample size it is impossible to offer conclusive support to the theory of Locus-of-self –knowledge. In future, the field of developmental psychology could benefit from further research involving larger sample sizes of varied cultures as this study can only account for children based in the scope of western society

Memories of a Childhood’s Slavery Day Essay

In Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days, Annie Burton was born into slavery in 1858 on a plantation outside of Clayton, Alabama and raised by her mistress after her mother ran away. She grew up during the Civil War and remembers her early days on the plantation. After being set free, Burton’s mother returned for her children. Annie was hired as a nanny by Mrs. E. M. Williams, who taught her how to read and write. After her mother died, Annie took responsibility for her three younger siblings and moved to Boston in 1879. She later moved to Georgia and then Jacksonville, Florida, where she worked in a restaurant before returning to Boston. In 1888, she married, and ran a boarding house with her husband. She began taking evening classes at the Franklin Evening School, and the headmaster, Frank Guild, suggested that each of the students write their life story. It was this suggestion that gave Burton the push to write her autobiography. Burton’s Memories of Childhood’s Slavery Days (1909) is divided into four parts. In the first section, called â€Å"Recollections of a Happy Life,† Burton talks about her childhood on the plantation in Alabama and her marriage to Samuel H. Burton. In the second section, â€Å"Reminiscences,† Burton reflects on being set free and the way it changed her life. The third section, â€Å"Vision† gives a detailed account of Burton’s religious change. Burton also includes an essays and poems she wrote. â€Å"The memory of my happy, care-free childhood days on the plantation, with my little white and black companions, is often with me. Neither master nor mistress nor neighbors had time to bestow a thought upon us, for the great Civil War was raging. That great event in American history was a matter wholly outside the realm of our childish interests. Of course we heard our elders discuss the various events of the great struggle, but it meant nothing to us. Burton talks about knowing that the Civil War was going on but not being old enough to know or care about it. She also calls it a â€Å"great† event in American history. Though it may not have been to white Southerners, it was day slaves were waiting for. She also states that : â€Å"There are hidden wrongs perpetrated by the whites against the negro race that will never be brought to light until the race owns and controls its own daily newspapers which alone have the power to discover and enthrone truth, thus becoming a safe guide to all honest seekers of facts respecting the race whether from a moral, educational, political or religious field. To carry out the plans suggested, whether viewed from an intellectual, industrial, commercial, or editorial standpoint, the world must acknowledge that to-day the negro race has the men and women, who are true to their race and all that stands for negro progress. †

Sygate Technologies Inc.

Sygate2. Headquarters overhead cost allocation at Korea auto insurance Tasks: a) What would be the net income of the Taejon branch as of 2007 and 2008 if the headquarters' overhead costs were allocated by the current method? Calculate the amounts of revenue, and direct and indirect costs of the Taejon branch for these two years. b) The current overhead cost driver, branch revenues, is criticized because it lacks any logical relationship to the overhead costs allocated by headquarters. Choose more appropriate cost drivers for the 17 overhead costs listed in the case Exhibit 3.You may refer to descriptions of the 17 overhead costs incurred by the five teams at the headquarters. c) Using your cost drivers from (2) above, compute the net income of the Taejon branch as of 2007 and 2008. Compare your answer to the amount from (1). Do you agree that Kim's performance in 2008 would now be evaluated more properly? Why or why not? d) Which cost drivers make the biggest differences between the net incomes of? Do these cost drivers have anything to do with Kim's effort in 2008? e) The ABC method matches specific reasonable cost drivers with corresponding overhead costs.Discuss why the ABC method would reward a manager with higher motivation in a competitive market. Also, discuss the shortcomings of the ABC method at the level of the entire organization. 3. Dakota Office products Tasks: a) Why was Dakota's existing pricing system inadequate for its current operating environment? b) Develop an activity-based cost system for Dakota based on year 2000 data. Calculate the activity cost-driver rate for each activity in 2000. c) Using your answers in b), calculate the profitability of Customer A and Customer B. d) What explains any difference in profitability between the two customers? ) What are the limitations, if any, to the estimates of the profitability of the two customers? f) Is there any additional information you would like to explain the relative profitability of the tw o customers? g) Assume that Dakota applies the analysis done in question c) to its entire customer base. How could such information help the Dakota managers increase company profits? h) Suppose that a major customer switched from placing all its orders manually to placing all its orders over the internet site. How should this affect the activity cost driver rates calculated in question b)? How would the switch affect Dakota's profitability?

Texas A&M bonfire disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Texas A&M bonfire disaster - Essay Example This critical essay presents a brief look at what can be learnt from the previously mentioned incident and the essay illustrates how communications play an important role in disaster mitigation and emergency response. On November 18, 1999 preparations for the annual Texas A & M University bonfire which used to be an annual event on the eve of the football game between Texas A & M University and its archrival the University of Texas at Austin went horribly wrong when the forty foot stack which was being constructed for the bonfire collapsed. The collapse occurred during the early morning hours on the previously mentioned date. The stack that was being constructed consisted of approximately 5000 logs which were being stacked for a bonfire and as a result of the collapse twelve people died and another twenty - eight had to be hospitalized with serious injuries. 1 The incident was particularly sad because most of those that suffered were young people who were preparing for what was supposed to be an event that had been a part of the university tradition for a long time. The previously mentioned incident was an emergency response incident and although emergency medical personnel from the University Emergency Medical Service were on the scene at the time of the collapse, a 911 call was considered as being appropriate considering the magnitude of the disaster. The first 911 call was received at the City of College Station’s Emergency Communications Center at 02:43 hours and this means that a delay had possibly occurred before it was decided that a call had to be made for further assistance. The caller had reported that the bonfire stack had collapsed at the university campus and that as many as thirty people were suspected to be trapped under logs. Emergency response was swift and the first ambulance and fire teams arrived on the

CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1 question Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

CRIMINAL JUSTICE 1 question - Coursework Example Why is this problematic? The first issue is environmental. According to Lyman (2011, page 428), â€Å"as a result, Colombian peasants who are dependent on the coca crop as their only source of income have moved into the Amazon rainforests. The movement of coca growers to rainforest has resulted in the clearing of at least 1.75 acres of rainforest.† It is clear that one cannot solve a problem by causing another one. In this case, in an attempt to stop the drug trade at its source, policy makers and state agents are destroying important natural resources that are vital to the ecosystem and indeed to the planet. Secondly, the use of forced eradication of crops (through aerial spraying) creates wide and alarming social problems that will only have more disastrous consequences. According to one study (Vargas, 2004 page 5), a political movement born out of disgruntled coca farmers has almost topped the Bolivian presidency and has created insurgency, showing that the cost of conflict far outweighs short-gain gains to be derived from aerial-spraying a community without working out long-term social issues, such as relocation and alternative farming and livelihood opportunities. Thirdly, unbeknownst to the American people, the aerial spraying operations also target legal crops and other things that should not be targeted. According to Transnational Institute (2001, internet), â€Å"many cases involving the destruction of legal crops and alternative development projects can be documented. Aerial fumigation has targeted home patches, ponds and water sources that should never have been the object of this policy.† This is truly problematic and unjust because we are compromising the livelihood and growth opportunities of the poor farmers of Latin America who are growing legal crops and who have a right to clean sources of water. It is deplorable that in order to protect its people, the American government deems it appropriate to make the