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Essay on Preventing School Violence - 1446 Words

Preventing School Violence The number of extremely violent crimes occurring in schools has been increasing over the last three years. Incidents that deal with school violence occur 16,000 per school day, which is equivalent to once every six seconds (Kipnis 11). School violence has been around since the1950s, but back then it was more an issue of juvenile delinquency than violent behavior (Baker 3). Crime in and around schools is threatening the well being of students, as well as the staff and surrounding communities. When looking at the urgent problem of school violence one must take into account several factors including the characteristics of the offender, the causes for the violence occurring, and the solution techniques. To†¦show more content†¦Peers of violent offenders believe that the offenders take place in the violent incidents to fit into a crowd and do not think about the repercussions (Baker 33). Peer pressure is the fastest growing factor contributing to school violence (Gerson 46). Another factor that has been found to contributing to violence occurring in schools is drugs and alcohol. When investigated, prevention groups found no variation in the convenience for students to access drugs and alcohol (Kipnis 73). Students with different family incomes, location, and different ethnic backgrounds had the same access (Kipnis 74). In the last two years the consumption of alcohol during a school violence incident has increased thirty-nine percent (Futrell 6). Society believes that violence occurs only in bad neighborhoods; this is false (Gerson 39). School violence has been found in all neighborhoods. In rural neighborhoods, school violence occurs ten percent of the time, occurs thirty percent in suburban schools, and occurs sixty percent in urban schools (Kipnis 69). Violence is also occurring at all school levels. It has been found that thirty percent of the violence occurs in elementary schools and seventy percent of the time occurs in secondary schools (Kipnis 70). School violence has also been found to occur more in males than females. Males are the victims of school violence eighty-threeShow MoreRelatedPreventing School Violence608 Words   |  2 Pagesor experienced some form of school violence is growing at an alarming rate. School violence has been increasing rapidly but there are ways to prevent it. School violence is defined as anything that jeopardizes a schools educational mission. This includes bullying, fights, assault, harassment, and even shootings. Over the years, there has been an increase in cases. But, there are ways to slow the increase of school violence. School violence is posing harm to schools across the United States. PreventionRead More Increasing Student Achievement through Preventing School Violence3204 Words   |  13 PagesIncreasing Student Achievement through Preventing School Violence Introduction School violence is any type of violence, whether it is a simple threat on another student or a school shooting, that happens in the school environment. Student achievement is the efforts made by the student to work hard in the classroom. The purpose of this research paper is to examine how school violence impacts student achievement. It would seem that school violence would have a negative impact on studentRead MoreA Research Proposal On Preventing School Violence1089 Words   |  5 PagesTitle: Preventing School Violence Aim: The primary goal for this proposal is to provide the staff with recommendations to design a research proposal studying the violence in our public schools. Methods of prevention should be discussed on how to prevent reoccurring violence or how we can lessen the opportunities of school violence. These recommendations are ones that create a positive and safe environment for both students and staff. My recommendations will cover the following aspects: †¢ EducationRead MoreSchools Are Developing Prevention Strategies For Profiling, Screening, And Preventing Acts Of Violence1423 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscussed crises in schools. The rise of school violence has caused a great deal of public concern and has received widespread media coverage. Especially when its occurrence happens in communities where residents thought they were immune. The reality of the world is crisis can occur anywhere, even in schools. Schools are developing prevention strategies for profiling, screening, and preventing acts of violence both to oneself and to others. Contemporary crisis strategies in schools deal not only withRead MoreSchool Violence Essay1154 Words   |  5 PagesPreventing school violence has been an issue in our society for so long it has almost become commonplace. According to an article on www.infoplease.com, since the year 2000, there have been a recorded 64 shooting related incidents that involved publicly occupied areas. That is an occurrence of almost five per year. Of those 64, 94% of these incidents were school related shootings. The violence goes from elementary schools all the way up to college universities. The statistics are not pretty by anyRead MoreThe Violence Of Public Schools871 Words   |  4 PagesIn recent times, several mass shootings have occurred in several places. Sadly, public schools in America have been venues for these mass shootings. How do we reduce these shootings? How do we ensure that the lives of our kids are safe? These are the questions parents all over America are asking. A lot of suggestions have been made to the government concerning the issue of mass shootings. Some say government have to ban the purchase of guns, others say there should be background checks, while othersRead MoreMetal Detectors Should Not Be Scanned, Treated Like A Criminal?954 Words   |  4 Pages Would you like to come to school like a prisoner? To be scanned, treated like a criminal? Of course not. Adding metal detectors to schools would do just that. It would be unjust and downright disrespectful. The schools are saying they don t trust its own people. Speaker ________ said that using metal detectors reduces the risk of entering school with weapons. However, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, metal detectors are usually not effective when used on purses, backpacks, briefcasesRead MoreRampage Shootings : The Social Roots Of School Shootings1393 Words   |  6 PagesRampage-style school shootings are rare and tragic events. Although measures of prevention have become more advanced, school shootings have increased in frequency over the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Here in the United States, they have become especially prevalent, with 63 shootings just this year (Acevedo). The aftermath of rampage shootings leaves gaping holes and questions in communities. People try to heal and seek closure at their own pace, but the biggest question most are leftRead More We Must Work to Prevent Mass School Shootings Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pages There have been many horror stories in the news about mass shooting s at schools. The public, and even the president of the United States, is asking if anything can be done to prevent these tragedies. There are many theories on why students kill their peers at schools; these range from increased violence in video games and movies to bullying troubles at school. Almost always, the perpetrator suffers from some form of mental illness (Khadaroo). Because of this, motives for these crimes areRead More Violence in Our Schools Essay1257 Words   |  6 Pages Violence in our Schools Children today are growing up in an increasingly violent atmosphere, both in society in general and in their schools. While there is no easy answer as to how to end this violence once and for all, we can look at some of the causes and take steps to contain that which we can. The main contributing factor in all recent school shootings has been the shooters’ feelings that they were bullied by and alienated from the rest of the children and were made to feel that they were

The HRM Function - Factors Supporting The Need For Bandag Auto

Question: Critically discuss and analyse a range of employee management skills for example performance appraisal, staff training and conflict management? Answer: Five factors that support the need for Bandag Auto to reorganize the HRM function: If we discuss history of the Bandag Automotive we will find that, while Jims father monitoring the company, they would never face the human resource related issues as the company is facing in past few year. Though it is true that the companys sales and profit is increased tremendously under Jims supervision but he fails in managing the human resource. Human resources are important assets of the company and if they are managed well company would face many legitimacy and crises in near future. Hence it is strongly needed to reorganize the human resource management function and the factors supports this needs are given below: 1. First factor which will support the need for reorganization of HRM function is Jims strategy. The strategy adopted by Jim to handle the employees in the company is quite unfair and it is creating unsatisfied and de-motivated environment in the firm, which was automatically affecting the employees performance. Jim mostly focuses on improving the financial performance of the company, which is good but for this he get strict towards his all decision included the human resource related decisions. He just focused and every decision followed by aiming to cutting down the cost and increasing profit. He usually offer less day off rather than more and he very particular about that, also give fewer benefits to their employees rather than more, shows less flexibility towards employees needs for example seeking few extra leaves because of illness of a child, or due to family emergencies and so on. This creates more frustration and irritation among employees. 2. Another factor is his decision related to Henry Jacques. He dismiss this employee by giving the reason that he is creating poisonous relationship and also just because his executive says that Henry does not argues with his co-worker and complaining about the workplace condition. To dismiss an employee the employer should have to adopt substantively and procedurally fair procedure, which Jim did not applied. Before taking the dismissal decision Jim did not cross check the facts, not ask Henry to give his explanation and neither given him one more chance due to good technical performance. Jim must have good reason behind the dismissal. In the performance appraisal it is stated that Henry is good in technical aspects of his job, and in this type of situation employer should talk first about what changes Henry would have to do in his behavior. Jim cannot fire Henry directly just because of arguing with the co-workers, and complaining nature. The dismissal carried out must have to adop t fair way and employer must have acted fairly and reasonably which Jim failed to do. The Employment Relations Act 2000 requires that employers have to act in good faith when undertaking a disciplinary action. 3. Due to Jims decisions related to terminate the employee create legitimacy for his company and it create more problematic situation for him and also for his companys reputation. Jim behavior is also not justifiable as he work with his experienced and old employee name Gavin. He is on sick leave, because going through a hip surgery and during that period Jim given his job post to another employee, it is quite unfair for Gavin and illegal too. Though Jim offered him another post with same salary and benefit but is not as prestigious as his previous post was and also according to his experience. There is possibility that company can include in some legal affairs because as they treat Gavin, he can file a case under Employment Relations Act 2000 which requires that the company bring employee back in the same or equivalent position and Jim had refused to do so. 4. Another factor which shows the requirement of reorganization of human resource management is the behavior shown towards the Miriam an employee working from 6 years for the company. She was went on 12 weeks parental leave and extended 3 weeks leave under sick leave program. But she got fired after 2 months of joining, which she feels illegal and she can file a case under Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987. Such litigations strongly affects companys image and create barrier to maintain employer f choice. To achieve the employees belief Bandag Company needs to make commitment to change. It is objective and vision of every business to make their workplace on top priority. Company has to take it seriously and genuinely try for improvement. 5.Most important factor is due to all the problems and things happened in the company employees working in the company faces frustration and also going through certain stress, because they do not feel secure about their job and they may feel that they may also get fired as other due to any reasons. Such a thinking of human resources in the company is really vulnerable for Bandag Automotive. Analysis of four opportunities for change or improvement in the companys current HR practices: In light of the issue I have seen in the Bandag Automotive Company, it is recognized that due to firing of old employees due to different reasons that are Gavin who had work for 10 years, Miriam who had been with the company for about 6 year is creating de-motivated environment in the company. Employees in Bandag Automotive may feel insecure about their job in such environment and it may lead towards employees less commitment towards the organization. This environment really needs to change and it is possible by improving companys current HR practices and the opportunities are given below: Flexible working option: Working condition issues are addresses in the esteemed Bandag Automotive and this is lead towards the problems such as working time, remuneration aspects and certain promotional and training schemes which are related to the employers and employees. Bandag Automotive is an esteemed company and having good sales and profits markedly and hence you have to review condition of employment in your company to make sure about competitiveness in targeted market and also to achieve competitive advantage over the competitors. The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 requires that employers should take step towards providing safe and healthier workplace for their employees and employees also have to maintain them. Due to excessive working hour and company offer fewer days off rather than more and to be less flexible when an employee needs this legislation is getting violated. One option is that, company can offer comprehensive benefits package in order to provide flexible working options which include range of rewards and then publish that on companys website. Due to more working hours stress has been increasing on employees and which would lead towards unbalancing the healthy work life of employees. In the longer working hour industry, employees have to work for excessive hours and directly impact on workers health. Employer of Choice targets: Due to the dismissal of experienced employees, restrictions on employees flexibilities and leave related objection it seems difficult to retain the employees. There is possibility that company can include in some legal affairs because as they treat Gavin, he can file a case under Employment Relations Act 2000 which requires that the company bring employee back in the same or equivalent position and Jim had refused to do so. Same in the case of Miriam she can file a case under Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987. Such litigations strongly affects companys image and create barrier to maintain employer f choice. To achieve the employees belief Bandag Company needs to make commitment to change. It is objective and vision of every business to make their workplace on top priority. Company has to take it seriously and genuinely try for improvement. To become employer of choice company have to create a culture which can engage employees in the industry and to achieve this Jim has to spend time to recognize the current and potential requirement or expectation of employees from their company. Jim can do this by encouraging work life balance can provide flexible working hours, special policy for women balancing home and work with small child, rewarding deserving staff and investing towards staffs training. Remuneration in the company: The company should follow the Equal Pay Act 1972 which requires that discrimination based on sex of employee should removed and prevented, in terms of remuneration paid to employees. Automotive industry has fairly negative observation in terms of remuneration and negative view held by numerous hospitality works. It is not always necessary that reward should get in terms of money but there is informal reward system which contains different aspect in terms of benefits that Bandag Automotive can use. The aspects are top management team can recognize excellent work of employee can address it into company meeting, so that employee feel privileged and get motivated for further works, can include employees in challenging task, guide them to boost their confidence and so on. Motivation, Satisfaction and productivity: This is the area on which Bandag Automotive should have to work on. While observing the current situation and inner environment of the company it is easily recognized that, the company is divided into the group first is group of motivators or satisfiers and another one is group of dissatisfies. Motivators or satisfiers group peoples continuously getting achievement in their work and because of it they get recognition from top board members, they get more responsibility to handle and due to this also get monetary benefits and rewards of their work. In contrast to this dissatisfies group are bounded by the companys policy, having complaint about supervision and working conditions, which is observed in the case of Henry Jacques, who is got fired due to making the place poisonous. It would affect the employees interpersonal relationships and could not gel themselves in working condition. Such mentality of employees is not good for companys performance and hence company HR department has to make sure that the employees in the company should be motivated and satisfied because only motivated and satisfied employees will stay committed towards the company and can contribute towards increasing productivity. The legitimate reasons due to which Henry Jacques can claims against the company are, to dismiss an employee the employer should have to adopt substantively and procedurally fair procedure, which Jim did not applied. Jim must have good reason behind the dismissal. In the performance appraisal it is stated that Henry is good in technical aspects of his job, and in this type of situation employer should talk first about what changes Henry would have to do in his behavior. Jim cannot fire Henry directly just because of arguing with the co-workers, and complaining nature. The dismissal carried out must have to adopt fair way and employer must have acted fairly and reasonably which Jim failed to do. The Employment Relations Act 2000 requires that employers have to act in good faith when undertaking a disciplinary action. Secondly, under Human Rights Act 1993 also prohibit any type of discrimination regarding to ethical, religious belief, sex, color, race and due to some disability. If Henry is suffering from some mental illness then he can also claim for violation of Human Right Act 1993 on the company. It is not right to take firing option for such sort of issues, good communication between employees and employers also will help to create a good employment relationship and it can also prevent from raising any serious issues. HR training areas that could have been useful for Jim to avoid occurrences of HR challenges: The decision conducted to dismiss an employee can be lead towards possible legal challenges. Employee can claim on the company for breach of contract or breach of the specific act. Statute and common law are the two sources from where New Zealands labor law derives. In current situation of Bandag Automotive Company, the terminated employee has legitimate claim against the company. Henry Jacques can claim under Employment Relations Act 2000 and Human Rights Act 1993 as a result of his termination. Similarly Miriam could claim the violation of Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 and under the employee Relations Act 2000 Company have to bring back the employee taken a sick leave in the same or equivalent position but Jim does not did this. Though under Jims ownership Bandag sales and profit increased markedly, but he has lack in handling HR issues which is most important factor and he needs training is certain areas and that are discussed below: Communication: It is vital skill for effective human resource management. In the context of HR management, sending clear message to the employees, listening their point of view which Jim refuses often and feedback taking is very essential. Building interpersonal relations, interviewing the candidate himself during recruitment, building good management team and employee rapport, conflict resolution skills, maintaining discipline is required in communication and essential skill Jim should have to avoid challenges related to HR. Before making decision to dismiss an employee throughout investigation of events is very important and also essential to listen employees explanation. Also Jim can take neutral third person advice on plausibility of employees explanation. Motivation: Employee motivation is challenging and Jim should adopt strategy to employ this, because employee motivation not only helps the company to accomplish their targeted objectives but also employees can achieve their career goals. No motivation strategy can hundred percent guarantees about the employee motivation but Jim have to develop a work environment whether employees are consistently motivated. Instead of just cutting their leaves, cutting their benefits, providing less flexibility and few extra days off due to childs illness; Jim should manage such a way that employee get satisfied the facilities provided to them and it also not lead loss for the company. This can be done by using combination of understanding and satisfying the needs of employee, give them fair compensation, ensure that employee accomplish their jobs with minimum frustration and give equal treatment to all employees. It is essential for Jim to attribute the ability to motivate people and he has to work very hard to develop this skills. Conflict Handling: It is inevitable to handle conflict it may be between employees and team management or among the management team. It is the duty of HR managers to deal with conflict rather than avoiding it. Before taking any termination decision Jim should consider that is that decision premature? And he should try to identify more appropriate options instead of termination if possible like giving warning or last chance to employee or placing them on performance improvement plan. It is important that Jim take training for conflict management strategies because it would provide positive steps for addressing the conflicts. It is essential to have effectiveness along with strategies. It is important to give feedback and training to employees in order to align their efforts along with the companies goal and they should meet companys expectation. Though thus is the work of human resource department but as employer it is Jims responsibility to pay attention towards this department personally, and ensure whether new employees getting intensive feedback about their daily or weekly performance or not. Formal and informal feedback should have been provided to the employees throughout the year Four reasons for usefulness of resource optimization plan for Bandag Automotive: By considering the current situation of the organization like the old employees is either dismissed from the job or they are dissatisfied by the treatment they are receiving, this is making the companys atmosphere more vulnerable. We also discussed previously that current situation in Bandag Automotive is making employees de-motivated and dissatisfied and such employees are less committed and productive for the company and hence if company want to improve their performance in future it have to adopt resource optimization plan. In order to assess the technological changes and new jobs and new skills impacts different procedures are needed. Here we explain four reasons for resource optimization plan and that are: 1. The optimization plan will encourage employer to develop clear link between the business plan of the company and their human resource plans and both the plan can be effectively handled. Such a planning is very important to handle everyday activities of Bandag Automotive effectively such as the full-time controller and manager can effectively manage the five store and all the employees issues and complaints has been managed at store level first and due to this Jim can handle marketing and sales department more appropriately. 2. Optimization plan can help Bandag Automotive to control their staff costs and also the employees numbers more efficiently. Planning is very essential to handle day to day activities and it is difficult in Bandag Automotive case, as company may face some legitimacys in near future and hence someone is needed to come out with the program that would make Jims work easy. 3. Due to the resource optimization plan employer can be able to build up a skill profile for all their employees and this will make Jims work of assigning task to the employees easier. It will also develop the strategies for matching the size and skills of organization because strategies are developed by the planning process which would match the size and skills of the needed workforce for the company. 4. From the few years there employment complaints had increased and hence to optimization planning can include collecting of information, making objectives and applying decisions over it in order to get the aligned objectives. The objectives and strategies of the company also identify how many human resources company need in future to accomplish the objectives. It means number and mix of human resources are reaction to the overall organizational strategy. It is also helpful in assisting organizations to recruit, retain and optimize the employees development to achieve the business goal and also response towards the external environment. If this resource optimization plan works effectively, it will create outcome such as employees full potential has been utilized which will benefit the Bandag Automotive, due to getting and doing challenging works employees get motivation and satisfaction by performing that work, reduce the need of overtime or excessive work. Other important facts are only the employees who are qualified for the job get that post.

The effects of advertising Essay Example For Students

The effects of advertising Essay Every time we open a newspaper or we turn on the TV, we see sellers of almost identical products spending huge amounts of money in order to convince us to buy their brands. Every year, each typical American watches 1550 hours of TV, listens 1160 hours on radio, and spends 290 hours reading newspapers and magazines. So every day, each American watches 100 TV advertisements, 100 to 300 ads through other mass media, and in one single year receives 216 pieces of direct mail advertising, and almost 50 phone calls from telemarketers (Pratkanis and Aronson 2). All these, because sellers of everything, from computers to detergents, believe that advertising is essential to the product. Ed Ney, ex-chairman of the Young and Rubicam American agency, refers to the mid seventies when many firms still had as a debatable issue if they should advertise or not. Those days have passed. As Ney says, that has happened, because it has been proved that advertising is beneficial to the firms (Clark 16). The critics state that advertising is really beneficial to the consumers: They believe that advertising â€Å"creates† consumers that are better informed about the characteristics of the commodities, and that it does not alter the way in which the companies evaluate their products. Also, they believe that advertising creates price sensitivity for the consumers that buy the best products for their value. Finally, they think that with advertisement, entries for new brands are much easier because of the communication with the potential consumers that commercials offer (Haefner and Rotzoll 87). Advertising, collective term for public announcements designed to promote the sale of specific commodities or services. Advertising is a form of mass selling, employed when the use of direct, person-to-person selling is impractical, impossible, or simply inefficient. It is to be distinguished from other activities intended to persuade the public, such as propaganda, publicity, and public relations. Advertising techniques range in complexity from the publishing of simple, straightforward notices in the classified-advertising columns of newspapers to the concerted use of newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail, and other communications media in the course of a single advertising campaign. From its unsophisticated beginnings in ancient times, advertising has burgeoned into a worldwide industry. In the U.S. alone in the late 1980s, approximately $120 billion was spent in a single year on advertising to influence the purchase of commodities and services. Modern advertising is an integral segment of urban industrial civilization, mirroring contemporary life in its best and worst aspects. Having proven its force in the movement of economic goods and services, advertising since the early 1960s has been directed in increasing quantity toward matters of social concern. The continuing cancer and anti drug abuse campaigns are only two examples of the use of the advertising industry as a means to promote public welfare. Advertising falls into two main categories: consumer advertising, directed to the ultimate purchaser, and trade advertising, in which the appeal is made to dealers through trade journals and other media. Both consumer and trade advertising employ many specialized types of commercial persuasion. A relatively minor, but important, form of advertising is institutional advertising, which is designed solely to build prestige and public respect for particular business concerns as important American institutions. Each year millions of dollars are spent on institutional advertising, which usually mentions products or services for sale only incidentally. Another minor, but increasingly popular, form of advertising is cooperative advertising, in which the manufacturer shares the expense of local radio or newspaper advertising with the retailer who signs the advertisement. National advertisers occasionally share the same space in magazine advertising. For example, makers of pancake flour, of syrup, and of sausages sometimes jointly advertise this combination as an ideal cold-weather breakfast. Advertising may be local, national, or international in scope. The rates charged for the three different levels of advertising vary sharply, particularly in newspapers; varying rates are set also by newspapers for amusement, legal, political, financial, religious, and charitable advertisements. Advertising, collective term for public announcements designed to promote the sale of specific commodities or services. Advertising is a form of mass selling employed when the use of direct, person-to-person selling is impractical, impossible, or simply inefficient. It is to be distinguished from other activities intended to persuade the public, such as propaganda, publicity, and public relations. Advertising techniques range in complexity from the publishing of simple, straightforward notices in the classified-advertising columns of newspapers to the concerted use of newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail, and other communications media in the course of a single advertising campaign. From its unsophisticated beginnings in ancient times, advertising has burgeoned into a worldwide industry. In the U.S. alone in the late 1980s, approximately $120 billion was spent in a single year on advertising to influence the purchase of commodities and services. Rational models and self evaluation EssayAlso, the supporters of the idea of advertisement believe that the last benefits the firms too. First of all, as a result of the better informed consumers, firms lower the prices and improve the quality of their products and second because there is better communication between the consumers and the firms (Haefner and Rotzoll 87). It is suggested that advertising benefits the advertisers in an unethical way. First of all, companies are forced to advertise in order to frustrate the invasion of brand enemies without extensive changes in quality or price of the products. Thus, advertising is an added cost to the consumers, without benefit to the last or the competitiveness of the market (Leiss and Kline 16). If there is any real and useful information in the commercials, it could be better provided on the labels of the products or by the salesmen in the stores (Leiss and Kline 15). Moreover advertising creates brand loyal consumers that do not p ay much attention on the price of the products. Also, it affects the tastes and preferences of the consumers. All of the above give the ability to the firms to charge higher prices and to be uninterested in the quality of their products (Rotzoll and Haefner 87). In addition, the reasoning process taught by the commercials deserves attention, because of a faulty logic that fosters conclusion without all the information that could probably be associated with. Although this problem is not very important in deciding which breakfast cereal to buy, it is very dangerous and sneaky in presidential elections, where the consequences are more conspicuous (O’Barr 205). That is because each candidate has created propaganda that might distort the beliefs of the voters. That is why advertising is appealing to the government. Making an advertising campaign against heroin use as the best way of spending money is debatable, but it enables the administration to be seen caring (Clark 31). So, to sum up that advertisement exists only in order to return profits to the advertisers by many tricky ways. Some of these are the use of persuasion at the consumers, the faulty – logic messages, and the influence on children. All these acts, definitely, are not for the benefit of the consumers. Bibliography:

Once a Schizophrenic, Always a Schizophrenic free essay sample

There is an estimated 2. 5million Americans diagnosed with schizophrenia (McGuire, 2000). The disease takes many forms but general symptoms of schizophrenia are the hearing of voices, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and confused thinking. People with schizophrenia become disengaged from society. They are unable to function in the expected roles of student, worker, or spouse. The concept of the disease is generally agreed upon by experts, what differs, however, is the prognosis. Is it possible for those with schizophrenia to recover, can they return to society and live full productive, independent lives? There are two differing views on this subject presented in Patrick A. McGuire’s 2000 article â€Å"New Hope for People with Schizophrenia. According to McGuire there is a movement of psychologists who disagree with the traditional medical model and are now supporting a new recovery philosophy known as psychosocial rehabilitation. The old treatment models viewed patients with schizophrenia as hopeless cases who needed to be stabilized with hospitalization and maintained with medications. We will write a custom essay sample on Once a Schizophrenic, Always a Schizophrenic? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It was believed that these people would have schizophrenia for the rest of their lives with no chance of recovery. The traditional medical model defined a â€Å"good outcome† for people with schizophrenia as a total cessation of symptoms with no further hospitalization. This â€Å"good outcome† was obtained with the use of tranquilizers such as Thorazine, which made the management of patients easier, but only hid the disease. Within the older model very little attention was paid to the individual patient and their different needs. The old medical model’s â€Å"one-size-fits-all† approach was to medicate and if the patient did not get well immediately they were â€Å"deemed forever chronic† (McGuire, 2000, p211). The traditional treatment paradigm reports that only about 10 to 20 percent of those with schizophrenia might achieve recovery. In contrast to the medical model of treatment, there is now a new take on how to treat people with schizophrenia. The emphasis is put on the potential for growth in the individual rather than merely the pathological aspect of the disease. The potential is then developed by integrating medical, psychological, and social interventions. Those who embrace the new recovery model define recovery very differently than those who embrace the old medical model. For example, William A. Anthony, PhD, executive director of Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, views recovery as â€Å"the development of new meaning and purpose as one grows beyond the catastrophe of mental illness† (McGuire, 2000 p212). Psychologist Courtenay M. Harding, PhD, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado, defines recovery as â€Å"reconstituted social and work behaviors, no need for meds, no symptoms, no need for compensation† (McGuire, 2000 p212). To obtain these goals psychosocial rehabilitation programs provide patients with work and social skills training, education about their disease and why medications are important, symptom management and therapy for dealing with the trauma of having schizophrenia. Patients are taught how to access resources such as health services and housing, and to regain independent functioning. These programs have shown that as high as 68 percent of patients have recovered and shown significant improvement. Despite ongoing symptoms patients have been able to move on to live fulfilling lives. One such example is Ronald Bassman, PhD, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young man recovered, earned his doctorate and is now involved in patient empowerment programs in the New York State Office of Mental Health. Psychiatrist and researcher Nancy Andreasen cites that a â€Å"self-fulfilling prophecy† contributes to the lack of recovery of many patients. A self-fulfilling prophecy is the process by which one’s expectations about a person eventually lead that person to behave in ways that confirm those expectations. In other words by telling patients with schizophrenia that they have no chance of recovery the patient basically gives in to that idea and makes it true, they don’t recover. This may be one reason for the low percentage of patients who recover or significantly improve with the traditional treatment methods. In the new treatment methods however, patients are given support and confidence that they can overcome their disease and are far more likely to improve. All people deserve to have every opportunity possible to live full lives. Drug addicts, alcoholics, criminals, those with handicaps, and those with diseases or medical conditions are all capable, with the right support system and self motivation, to become independent, fulfilled and productive members of society. They just need to be given a chance and perhaps a helping hand.

buy custom The Conflicts in Two Stories by Kate Chopin essay

buy custom The Conflicts in Two Stories by Kate Chopin essay This paper seeks to explore the conflicts in two stories by Kate Chopin. The two stories are The Storm and Desirees Baby. The Storm is a story about feminine sexuality and passionate love of Calixtia and her lover Alcee. The two exploded their overwhelming passion that had built up during the past years. The Storm has five characters Calixtia, her husband Bobinot, their son Bibi, Calixtias lover Alcee, and his wife Clarssee. Everything in the tale happens during and because of the Storm. The story's setting is in the late nineteenth century at Friedheimers shop in Louisiana and the neighboring house of Calixta and Bobinot. The tale is in five sections with the first handling the approaching of the storm, the second talking about Calixtas lover seeking shelter in her house and the third phase exploring the love that builds up between the two. The last two sections describe how the two lovers go back to their matrimonial responsibilities without any guilt of what transpired between the m during the storm. Desirees baby is a highly notion-provoking story that talks about love, racism, and prejudice. The setting of the story is in south of America when people of different races did not agree, and the inferior people were the blacks. Armand is a leading character in the story that is a slave owner in Louisiana and the author describes him as the one who had it all. Armand is a proud man who is capable of doing anything to keep the name of his family. This is evident when he disowns his wife and child because the woman is black, and this is an insult to the family. The child is a boy, and he later own pretends to love him, as he will be the one to carry on the name of the family. The author of the two stories brings out some conflicts, which we now focus on. In the tale, the Storm, there is the contention of weather being a justification for deceit. In the tale, everything takes place during the storm where we see two married people break into their physical desires. During the shower when her husband is off to stores with their son, Calixta invites Alcee to shelter in her house and then they end up cheating on their partners. The conflict is that during times of this book, women were to be faithful, and the author brings out the wickedness present in marriages. In the story Desirees baby, the conflict is in the love of Desiree and Armand. Desiree loves Armand genuinely while Armand is extremely proud to love a woman with mixed races. Comparing the conflicts in the two stories, we see that most people are not aware of what other people feel for them especially in marriages. In the Storm, Calixtas husband worries that the wife will be terrified by the storm and even buys her a can of shrimps to calm her down after the storm. On the other hand, Calixta is not guilty that she cheats on her husband with Alcee as she continues with her matrimonial duties as if nothing happened. In Desirees baby, Desiree loves the husband and will do anything to keep her marriage but later on in the tale, it is evident that Armand does not love Desiree. He lets his pride overcome the love they have by deserting his wife and child just because she is of mixed races and this could harm the image of the family. There is a conflict of the reasons the people in marriages use as a justification for their immorality. In marriages partners are supposed to be faithful and honest to each other especially about their feelings but in the two tales, this is not the case. Buy custom The Conflicts in Two Stories by Kate Chopin essay buy custom The Conflicts in Two Stories by Kate Chopin essay This paper seeks to explore the conflicts in two stories by Kate Chopin. The two stories are The Storm and Desirees Baby. The Storm is a story about feminine sexuality and passionate love of Calixtia and her lover Alcee. The two exploded their overwhelming passion that had built up during the past years. The Storm has five characters Calixtia, her husband Bobinot, their son Bibi, Calixtias lover Alcee, and his wife Clarssee. Everything in the tale happens during and because of the Storm. The story's setting is in the late nineteenth century at Friedheimers shop in Louisiana and the neighboring house of Calixta and Bobinot. The tale is in five sections with the first handling the approaching of the storm, the second talking about Calixtas lover seeking shelter in her house and the third phase exploring the love that builds up between the two. The last two sections describe how the two lovers go back to their matrimonial responsibilities without any guilt of what transpired between the m during the storm. Desirees baby is a highly notion-provoking story that talks about love, racism, and prejudice. The setting of the story is in south of America when people of different races did not agree, and the inferior people were the blacks. Armand is a leading character in the story that is a slave owner in Louisiana and the author describes him as the one who had it all. Armand is a proud man who is capable of doing anything to keep the name of his family. This is evident when he disowns his wife and child because the woman is black, and this is an insult to the family. The child is a boy, and he later own pretends to love him, as he will be the one to carry on the name of the family. The author of the two stories brings out some conflicts, which we now focus on. In the tale, the Storm, there is the contention of weather being a justification for deceit. In the tale, everything takes place during the storm where we see two married people break into their physical desires. During the shower when her husband is off to stores with their son, Calixta invites Alcee to shelter in her house and then they end up cheating on their partners. The conflict is that during times of this book, women were to be faithful, and the author brings out the wickedness present in marriages. In the story Desirees baby, the conflict is in the love of Desiree and Armand. Desiree loves Armand genuinely while Armand is extremely proud to love a woman with mixed races. Comparing the conflicts in the two stories, we see that most people are not aware of what other people feel for them especially in marriages. In the Storm, Calixtas husband worries that the wife will be terrified by the storm and even buys her a can of shrimps to calm her down after the storm. On the other hand, Calixta is not guilty that she cheats on her husband with Alcee as she continues with her matrimonial duties as if nothing happened. In Desirees baby, Desiree loves the husband and will do anything to keep her marriage but later on in the tale, it is evident that Armand does not love Desiree. He lets his pride overcome the love they have by deserting his wife and child just because she is of mixed races and this could harm the image of the family. There is a conflict of the reasons the people in marriages use as a justification for their immorality. In marriages partners are supposed to be faithful and honest to each other especially about their feelings but in the two tales, this is not the case. Buy custom The Conflicts in Two Stories by Kate Chopin essay

Personhood and Severely Invalid Persons Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personhood and Severely Invalid Persons - Essay Example These debates would be linked to the position of severely invalid persons like persons with Acute Dementia in the ward I did my practical work in. Questions to be addressed include, who are they? What is their position in the society? And what moral and ethical obligations do health professionals like nurses owe to such persons. In my study of philosophy, I had on question on my mind and this was from my practical work. The question was, what is the position of people with acute dementia. The are seriously invalid and have a tough existence. I therefore began to wonder how their rights to health care accrued and why the state decided to respect their rights as human beings. I began to find out why we are required, as health professionals to take good care of them. I found a lot of answers about the fundamental rights of seriously invalid persons in my study of philosophy and readings on the theories on personhood. From my readings, I identified that personhood has been debated thoroughly in history. The Founding Fathers of America decided to grant equal rights to all the colonialists to kind of liberate them from the harsh rules of the British colonialists. This became the fundamental principles of human rights which became part of the United Nations' conventions over 170 years after America gained independence in 1776. Merrill (1998) argues that in the world today, personhood is the basis of rights. She states that â€Å"the person is to ethics as the cell is to biology: the minimal basic unit† (Merrill, 1998). Personhood therefore forms the basis for the definition of moral theory. The society depends on the mutual recognition of personhood (Elridge, 1989). Thus, the fundamentally flawed societies failed to attribute respect to the personhood of certain people. Examples include Nazi Germany which killed six million Jews, Gypsies and homosexuals because in their view, these persons did not have rights that guaranteed them life and justice. Aside these people, Germans with acute mental issues like those with down syndrome and acute dementia like those I cared for during my practicals were a blotch to the pure Aryan race the Nazis sought to raise. They were separated and most of them were killed. This is because they were not viewed as humans or persons, under the Nazi philosophy. Also, there is evidence of several people in the Nazi concentration camps being used for experiments like twins, blue eyed person and midgets/dwarfs. This is because such persons were not considered to be 'persons'. Eventually, Nazi Germany was invaded by the Allies and this was seen as a triumph of good over evil. The United Nations was formed in 1945 to protect the rights of people in all parts of the world. In the long run, it is clear that the nations that led the United Nations and Allied course had studied important elements of 'personhood' and that forms the basis of moral ethics today which defines the fundamental rights of patients including people with severe dementia. Locke, who was one of the earliest philosophers whose concepts supported human rights argued that an individual defines himself in a given way. That is what sets the foundation of his identity. Once this is done, the individual is viewed as he defines himself or herself and define him or her as a 'person' (Locke, 2003) . Thus, it is more of self which evolves to the person. In Locke's second treatise, it was concluded that a society is a collection of persons (2003). Due to this, persons come together to collectively define the structures of a society. As such, they should have rights in order to live a meaningful life. Kant on the other hand, believed in the theory of individual

How Sexuality is Simultaneously a Personal, Social, Structural, Essay

How Sexuality is Simultaneously a Personal, Social, Structural, Historical and Culturally Specific - Essay Example â€Å"Children sent the wrong message about sex† by Ann Whittaker, dated 6 June 2006, published in Western Morning News (Plymouth), this paper seeks to examine how sexuality is simultaneously a personal social, structural, historical and culturally specific. The paper will discuss how society views these young people and attitudes towards their sexuality. The language used when discussing the context of their sexuality along with the role of sex education and the role of family and society will be discussed. Hormonal changes and social attitudes are key drivers of sexuality. For many young people, sex is something that excites them and an area they wish to explore. The sexual behavior of adults to influences children. Today’s teenagers and children are aware that many adults have sex outside marriage and are often not committed to a single partner. They take a cue from such behavior and believe that it is alright to lead a promiscuous life. (BBC) Driven by advertising images, social communication and other inputs on sexual behavior, young minds are keen to experiment with sex. All the articles accept that social values are fast changing. In the contemporary society, it is generally accepted that young people are likely to indulge in sexual activity before marriage and in sex without commitment. However, the writers of these articles seem to view children and teenagers as vulnerable and immature. While they understand that sexual behavior is an issue of personal choice, as a society they express their concern for these young people and the urgent need to take adequate steps to prevent them from indulging in immature and irresponsible sexual behavior that could leave them scarred for life.

Faculty Members' Styles Of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Faculty Members' Styles Of Leadership - Essay Example Scholars have identified various leadership styles and continue to refine concepts behind leadership to guide organisations in determining the appropriate leadership styles that will help organisations attain its goals. Huber states that school leaders are essential because they make a difference. Recognising the significance and crucial role of leadership in educational institution, this research will look into the various forms of leadership styles vis-a-vis its impact on the development of the faculty members. Specifically, this study intends to conduct a research on leadership styles and its impact on the development of faculty members at the College of Education at Ha'il University in Saudi Arabia to understand the connection between leadership styles and faculty development as the study centres on leadership and its impact on faculty development. The proposal will focus on the following areas. The introduction wherein research questions, the significance of the research and its aims are laid down. The literature review, which presents the discourses of scholars pertinent to the issue of educational leadership and faculty development. The research methodology that will be adopted in the conduct of the research. A qualitative case study will be used in this study as it attempts to answer the concerns of the research. In addition, the procedure for data collection, sampling of this research with great detail, validity and reliability, data analysis, ethical considerations, and conclusion will be discussed.... Huber (2004) states that school leaders are essential because they make a difference. Recognising the significance and crucial role of leadership in educational institution, this research will look into the various forms of leadership styles vis-a-vis its impact on the development of the faculty members. Specifically, this study intends to conduct a research on leadership styles and its impact on the development of faculty members at the College of Education at Ha'il University in Saudi Arabia to understand the connection between leadership styles and faculty development as the study centres on leadership and its impact on faculty development. The proposal will focus on the following areas. (1) The introduction wherein research questions, significance of the research and its aims are laid down. (2) The literature review, which presents the discourses of scholars pertinent to the issue of educational leadership and faculty development. (3) The research methodology that will be adopted in the conduct of the research. A qualitative case study will be used in this study as it attempts to answer the concerns of the research. In addition, the procedure for data collection, sampling of this research with great detail, validity and reliability, data analysis, ethical considerations and conclusion will be discussed. The Setting The research will be conducted on the College of Education at Ha’il University. The study will focus on the issue regarding the impact of styles of leadership in the College to the development of its faculty members. The research will involve the participation three (3) Department Heads of the College of Education at the Hail

Body Image, Self Esteem and Eating Relationship | Methods

Body Image, Self Esteem and Eating Relationship | Methods Methodology In this chapter, we are going to discuss the research design, respondents, instrument, procedure and data analysis that we use at doing the research study. For our research, we used Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-16B), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) at investigating the relevance of body image with both self-esteem and eating attitudes. Furthermore, participants were focused at female Foundation students of UTAR. Details were further discussed in our following subtopic. Research Design Research design is defined as a tool to gather relevant evidence that involve with a specification of the type of useful evidences needed for answering our research question, testing a theory and to describing some phenomenon shown (McGaghie, Bordage, Crandall, Pangaro, 2001). In other words, research design is to answer the primary question as suggested in our research clear enough from the uncertainty. In this study, a quantitative research with cross-sectional design was selected to use. A quantitative research refers to an empirical method used to explain phenomena by collecting numerical data. The term cross-sectional design implies that one or more samples are drawn from the population at one point of time (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, Zechmeister, 2010). In addition, a purposive sampling particularly the stratified purposeful sampling was utilized in this research. In a purposive sample, the sample is typically designed to pick a small number of cases that will yield the most information about a particular phenomenon. In other words, it involves selecting information-rich cases for in-depth study. Purposive sampling leads to greater depth of information from a smaller number of carefully selected cases (Teddlie Yu, 2007). On the other hand, a stratified purposeful sampling presenting and providing characteristics of particular subgroups of interest and facilitates comparison. It involves capture major variations rather than to identify a common core (Patton, 1990). Respondents The female Foundation students in UTAR (Perak Campus) have been targeted as the population of this research. There are 1427 female Foundation students and a sample consisted of 100 students (N=100) from both science and art streams participated in this study. In balancing the body size groups, 50 plump and 50 thin female participants between the ages of 18 to 23 years old (M= 20.16, SD= 1.45) were selected. This study focused on female Foundation students is that they are at a much higher rate to experience body image disturbance and disordered eating than males (Serdar, n.d.). In having adjustment to new lifestyle, females might have thought changing and more aware of themselves and how others perceive them as they meet more new people in the new environment. Whereas, the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and eating disorders has not significantly correlated with males (Furnham, Badmin, Sneade, 2002; Wimbish, 2009) and hence, the study did not include males to prevent the possibility of producing extreme scores. Instrument Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ-16B). The BSQ 16-item is a refined self-report questionnaire developed by Evans and Dolan (1993) to assess body dissatisfaction and concern over body shape. Participants rate the items based on a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 = never to 6 = always with higher scores indicate greater body shape dissatisfaction. Items are all presented as self-statement such as â€Å"Have you been afraid that you might become fat (or fatter)?† (item 2) and â€Å"Has seeing your reflection (e.g. in a mirror or shop window) made you feel bad about your shape?† (item 13). The BSQ-16B has been found to be a reliable and valid measure of body image satisfaction as it had been shown to have good test-retest reliability (.88) (Hudson, 2008) and excellent internal consistency (.95) (Pook, Tuschen-Caffier, Brahler, 2008). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). The RSE is a 10-item self-report questionnaire developed by Rosenberg (1965) to measure global self-esteem level of participants in this study. Participants rate the items based on a four-point Likert scale, ranging from 3 = strongly agree to 0 = strongly disagree with higher scores indicate higher level of self-esteem. Items are all presented as self-evaluation on positive self-esteem (item 1, 3, 4, 7, 10) and negative self-esteem (item 2, 5, 6, 8, 9). RSE has been found to have good test-retest correlations of .82 to .88 and internal consistency of .77 to .88 (Hudson, 2008), which indicate the test is having high reliability of measure self-esteem. Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26). The EAT 26-item is an abbreviated version developed by Garner, Olmstead, Bohr, and Garfinkel (1982) from the original scale which is EAT-40. EAT-26 is a most widely used standardized self-report questionnaire to measure the symptoms and concerns characteristics of eating disorders. Participants rate the items based on a six-point Likert scale (3 = always, 2 = usually, 1 = often, 0 = sometimes, 0 = rarely, 0 = never) with a cutoff scores of 20 had been suggested to identify persons with problematic attitudes and behaviors towards eating. Items are presented in three subscales: 1) Dieting (item 1, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24, 26), 2) Bulimia and food preoccupation (item 3, 4, 9, 18, 21, 25), and 3) Oral control (item 2, 5, 8, 13, 15, 19, 20). The EAT-26 has been shown to have a good intercorrelations with EAT-40 (r = .98) and good internal consistency (.90) in non-clinical populations (Garner et al., 1982). Reliability In this study, the reliability of variables has been analyzed. The results of Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test showed that all the scales are highly reliable of BSQ-16B (16 items; ÃŽ ± = .94), RSE (10 items; ÃŽ ± = .737), and EAT-26 (26 items; ÃŽ ± = .791) (Appendix ). Procedure Before the commencement of questionnaire distribution, proper liaison was made by sending a formal letter to gain the permission from Centre for Foundation Studies (Perak Campus) to retrieve data on the population number of female Foundation students. After the permission was granted, the survey was conducted at Block B, C, and D of UTAR Perak Campus which Foundation students are majority gathers. The questionnaires were distributed manually to the potential participants. A consent form was attached to the questionnaire and the nature of the study was explained clearly to participants. The participants will not able to take part in the survey if they did not give the consent to the student researchers. Furthermore, the total score of EAT-26 (Section D) had been counted on the spot once the participant completed the questionnaire. Participants with a score of 20 or more or answered affirmatively to any of the behavioral questions had been suggested to seek evaluation from mental health professional. The questionnaires were collected from the participants with 100% response rate. Each questionnaire was checked to ensure there were balanced numbers of participants from both groups. The completed questionnaires were then later analyzed. Data Analysis Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) Version 20.0 was used during the analysis of data. The demographic data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics to measure the mean, standard deviation, and frequency of age and body size group. The first research question was analyzed by mean and standard deviation on measuring the body image satisfaction level between thin and plump female Foundation students. Next, Independent Sample t-Test was used to test the second research question to determine the mean difference of body image satisfaction and eating attitudes between thin and plump female. Furthermore, the third and forth research question were tested by using Pearson’s Coefficient of Correlation on accessing the relationship between body image satisfaction with self-esteem and eating attitudes respectively to examine whether there is any positive or negative significant relationship between these variables. The level of significant difference (p-value) was adopte d at t-Test and References Shaughnessy, J. J., Zechmeister, E. B., Zechmeister, J. S. (2010). Research methods in psychology (9th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. McGaghie, W. C., Bordage, G., Crandall, S., Pangaro, L. (2001). Method: Research design. Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 76(9), 929-930. Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods [Adobe Digital Editions version]. Retrieved from http://legacy.oise.utoronto.ca/research/field-centres/ross/ctl1014/Patton1990.pdf Teddlie, C., Yu, F. (2007). Mixed method sampling: A typology with examples. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 1(1), 77-100. Doi: 10.1177/2345678906292430 Serdar, K. L. (n.d.). Female body image and the mass media: Perspectives on how women internalize the ideal body standard. Retrieved from http://www.westminstercollege.edu/myriad/index.cfm?parent=2514detail=4475content=4795 Furnham, A., Badmin, N., Sneade, I. (2002). Body image dissatisfaction: Gender differences in eating attitudes, self-esteem, and reasons for exercise. The Journal of Psychology, 136(6), 581-596. Wimbish, T. R. (2009). Eating disorders, body-image dissatisfaction, and drive for muscularity in African American gay and straight men (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3391518) Pook, M., Tuschen-Caffier, B., Brahler, E. (2008). Evaluation and comparison of different versions of the Body Shape Questionnaire. Psychiatry Research, 158, 67-73. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.08.002 Garner, D. M., Olmstead, M. P., Bohr, Y., Garfinkel, P. E. (1982). The Eating Attitudes Test: Psychometric features and clinical correlates. Psychological Medicine, 12, 871-878.

Self-Concept :: Psychology, Gender Difference

Before stepping onto the topic of the way we see ourselves, we first have to try to fully understand the definition of self-concept. The classification of self-concept is defined in many different ways by various researchers and practitioners over years. According to Purkey and William (1988), the popularity and attention of self-concept has been raising since decades of ignorance. Self-concept is mainly regarded as the realisation of our own existence; who we are, what is our purpose and how we fit into the society. Self-concept can be defined in a very complex manner. For example, it can be explained as a cognitive representation of oneself that gives coherence and meaning to one’s experience, including one’s relations to other people. It organises past experiences and plays an important role in assisting us to recognise and interpret relevant stimuli in the social environment (Hewstone, Stroebe & Jonas, 2008). Nonetheless, self-concept can also be clarified as simple as a statement where Fromm (1956) describe as â€Å"life being aware of itself.† After understanding the notion self-concept, we then can proceed to use different approaches to search a suitable answer to the question of â€Å"Why do we ‘see’ ourselves in the way that we do?†. In an experiment done by Montemayor and Eisen (1977), children were studied and questioned for their existence. When the children in the experiment were asked â€Å"Who am I?†, the most common answer given are descriptive and are usually about their appearance. For example, â€Å"I have brown eyes, I have brown hair and et cetera†. Children tend to mainly focus on the description of physical features of their body, address, procession and play activities; kids’ self-concept is more concrete as well as less abstract. In comparison, teenagers were observed and were asked the same question. As teenagers with wider knowledge of their existence, they will probably come up with more profound words and not only focus on the physical parts of body but somehow personal beliefs, motivation and interpersonal characteristics. For example, â€Å"I am a human being. I am a moody person, etc†. Consequently, adolescence’s answers seem to be more abstract but less c oncrete. By asking this question to both childhood and adolescence, significant increase can be seen in self-conceptions and categorised in followings: occupational rule; existential, individuating; ideological and belief reference; the sense of self- determination; the sense of unity; interpersonal style; and physical style (Montemayor & Eisen, 1977). The experiment has proven that aging does massively affect the way of seeing ourselves in everyone.

Children’s Language Development

Children’s language development and second language acquisition Sandra Morales Texas Woman’s University Children’s language development and second language acquisition The paper investigates how children develop their cognitive and language skills in a context that is influenced by social and biological factors. The literature review discusses the Cognitive and Social Constructivism theories and their influence on the education field. In addition the author presents how children develop their language at different stages and how those stages influence the growth and development of a second language.Language acquisition is one of the most important topics in cognitive development. In the study of language development it is necessary to consider all the factors that affect cognitive development and their influence on child development. Many theorists investigate how children acquire language skills and how heredity, environment, culture, and biological factors infl uence language development (Meadows, 2006). Rationale It has been said that language is a characteristic that establishes a difference between animals and humans.It is the ability to communicate with others, transmit and receive information gathered through symbols, gestures, facial expressions or other ways to express thoughts that others can understand what has been said (Jones, 1972). What is language? According to Bochner (1997) language is a form of communication. It involves a system of signs and symbols that are used by a group of people to communicate. The symbols include but are not limited to written symbols and sounds.The language may be diverse in different cultures in terms of how the symbols system is used, the formal properties of the language, and the way people use that language to communicate with others in the same culture. Every culture has its own language system. As a matter of fact all languages have four main components (Bochner, 1997): Pragmatics (use) †“ learn to use the sounds, gestures, words, and body language. Meaning (semantics) –understand the messages, represented in words, or written.Rules (syntax and morphology) – use the grammatical system of the language, combine words to convey a meaning. Sounds – Are the words intelligible enough that others can understand them. Throughout this paper the author will discuss various theoretical perspectives associated with the language development of children at different stages of their development. Some scholars such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner and Chomsky have revealed common ideas between the language acquisition and the cognitive development that are being discussed in this paper.The purpose of this paper is to present the process of how children develop their language through the lenses of those four theorists and their contributions in the early childhood field. In addition the reader will find information regarding how children learn and develop a second language and the implication during the development. The primary consideration about language development is immersed in a controversy concerning the roots of language acquisition, and how people communicate their thinking processes, feelings and ideas.According to Meadows (2006) language development involves different processes that include but are not limited to physical, emotional and cognitive development. Having an understanding of the differences between individuals, their experiences and their contact with other adults and significant ones, will help to understand how the language is developed. All this provides the opportunities for growth and development in different areas that complement the life of the person. In relation to the development the contact and relation with others start influencing the baby in his mother's womb.During the gestational time the fetus can hear the voice of their mother, and other sounds (music, etc), and after their birth they can recognize the voice of others. In other words the learning process starts at early stages in child development. Literature Review Piaget Cognitive Constructivism Piaget’s main focus of constructivism has to do with the person and how they construct their knowledge. Piaget believed individuals must adapt to their environment, and develops as parts of the adaptation process to the environment.According to Piaget, the individual needs to understand the information that they are receiving in order to be able to use it; they must construct their own knowledge (Powell, 2009). For Piaget, language development is internal mental processes controlled by developmental processes and is done individually, without the interventions of others (Agbenyega, 2009). As a result of mastering one stage, children will be ready to move, learn, and develop according to the expectations of the next stage. In regards to language development Piaget sees language as part of the cognitive development.How children thin k determines when and what the child can speak. In addition Piaget, states that children’s talking abilities emerge naturally without any formal teaching by adults, however more sophisticated vocabulary require formal education and experiences with the language. During early stages of the development according to Piaget, words are related to schemas of actions related to the child and those schemas will later be incorporated into exiting schemas that will support future learning experiences. Through the process of assimilation and accommodation, children go searching for what Piaget called balance or equilibration.Assimilation according to Piaget, is when the individual adds new information into their schemas. Accommodation is when individuals change their schemas to understand new information into their knowledge. Piaget states that children learn to construct meaning about the new information and through assimilating and accommodating that information into their schemas. Du ring the equilibration the individual looks for information received that makes sense with previous information. When the children find that balance, they move again to a more comfortable stage where the information received makes sense.According to Piaget, children pass through different stages in their development; going through these stages provides children with a constant acquisition of information that will increase and help to build new knowledge and understanding of previous information learned. The basic principle of assimilation refers to the ability of children to use what they already know to understand the world around them. In contrast accommodation refers to the process of changing mental structures to provide consistency with external reality. It occurs when existing schemas are modified for a ew experience. Both principles help children to develop and construct their thinking patterns and use it according with their needs (Agbenyega, 2009). He believed that the mind does not respond to stimulus and consequences, but grows and change over different periods of time. In other words the intelligence appears progressively through the repetitions of activities that vary in each stage of the development. Piaget’s four stages of development: Sensorimotor from 0 to two during this stage children discover the environment around them, using their senses and then acquiring the language.Preoperational from two to seven years old: At this stage children develop language skills, however, they understand what they are saying but do not grasp totally what others have said. Here they distinguish pictures and other objects. Concrete operations from seven to eleven years old: At this stage children use their logical reasoning about things. Formal operations from eleven to adulthood: During this stage individuals use higher order thinking skills and abstractions to solve problems. Piaget’s stages of development are all about how children learn at dif ferent ages through their development.Based on the individual, all go through the same stages during their development. Social Constructivism Vygostsky and Bruner Social constructivism is based on the social interaction between the children with significant others, such as parents, caregivers, peers, and teachers. Vygotsky framework involves the social interactions and culture as part of the language development. He discussed the zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD controls what the children learn, also what he can learn and do when he is helped by others. According to Vygotsky the learning process is easier when others are involved.Children may be asked to perform a task, students have some meaning of the task they need to complete, however, they may have difficult to do it. But with the adequate support to complete the task they will do it. Bruner's theory of constructivism discussed the idea of learning as an active process where the learners are able to form new ideas ba sed on their current and past knowledge. Jerome Bruner emphasized the importance of social interactions and explained that children develop language based on their contact with others as a result of educational processes (Bruner, 1960).He discussed scaffolding and how the construction of knowledge is based on their existing knowledge acquired during previous development. Scaffolding refers to the knowledge of previous skills that provide support for the acquisition of new learning experiences. Bruner and Vygostky believed that learning processes are tied to this concept, and facilitate a student’s ability to build on prior knowledge. For these theorists, the influence of experiences is a basic ingredient in the language development. Chomsky naturalistic approachChomsky argues that language is a unique human ability. He discussed the innate abilities of children to learn the language. As a result, all children go through the same process to learn a language (Stark, 2008). He d iscussed the language acquisition device (LAD) that allows children to produce in consistent ways the use of their first language. In this framework, all languages use nouns, pronouns, verbs, and other grammar rules. In addition, Chomsky established that children learn language through means other than imitation; they do not always imitate mistakes made by others.Chomsky maintains that it is necessary to have formal instruction in the proper use of language and grammar (Stark, 2008). Child language development When we speak about the communication process, we speak about the ability to receive and transfer information that other people can understand and mean something to others. Verbal and nonverbal forms are expressions that enhance the communication with others. The process of language development would be described as a continuous process that gradually changes during the individual development. As soon as after birth a process of communication begins.Infants try to communicate with adults using sounds, cooing. Those sounds are an important step on the road of language development, leading to a future stage where children are able to use the language to communicate in complex ways such as using words and sentences to express their thoughts. Language development includes understanding and communication skills based on words, spoken and written forms. According to Meadows (2006) different theoretical models such as Chomsky stated that language is innate and just with minimal exposure the child could develop their home language.The exposition to language pattern gives them the basic knowledge to learn the maternal tongue. The nature versus nurture perspective supports the point that when the child is exposed to a language, they will learn the patterns for that language naturally. In other words exposing a child to a language pattern will allow them to learn that language. However, the exposure to another language other than maternal tongue on a regular basis will provide with the pattern in that second language that the children will eventually learn, due to his exposition to the patterns and sound of that other language.Studies conducted by Macilla (2011) reveals that the frequency of the exposure to a second language and the consistency will influence how well the children will learn and perform using the second language. From birth the children are preparing for speech as a way to communicate with others. They are developing their physiological and cognitive structures to learn how to talk. Children pass through different stages to prepare the pharynx and larynx to produce those sounds, related to a pattern of their language.The native language of the child does not matter. They all move through the same stages using vowels and consonants to produce sounds that seem like words for the adults. The adults assign the meaning to the first sound that the babies produce. However, at the beginning there are just random patterns, babbling th at later during the development will continue into repeating the letter combination until the children learn a way to communicate using those patterns previously learned. All children are born with an innate ability to communicate (Chomsky 2006).As children grow language becomes an important tool to establish and maintain relationships with others. The nature of language includes the use of words, sentences and other grammar rules. It is important to understand the relationship between cognition and language development, in the context of prior knowledge and how experiences influence development (Wegerif, 2011). According to Bochner (1997) children move through these stages in learning to talk: Stage 1: Preliminary skills – Looking together, imitation, playing.Stage 2: Pre-verbal skills – Performatives (broom, quack) Stage 3: First words – â€Å"dog† â€Å"car† â€Å"mum† Stage 4: Early sentences – â€Å"daddy's car† â€Å"dog gone† Stage 5: Extending meaning – adding English morphemes, such as plurals Jones (1972) describes the stages in the development of speech as follows: Crying period – At birth, a newborns crying is the first vocal response to the environment around them. Vocal play period – Around the second month, infants begin to make different sounds. This production of sounds is an important step in the child’s language development.A variety of sounds may be heard in any language, but from the phonetic elements of babbling, the language that the child hears is the language that he or she eventually will use as their first language. Eventually, they will learn and master the grammar rules of that language. Sound imitation period – This period has two phases. The first phase begins around the six months and is initiated by the child’s awareness of sounds he produces. Because he likes what is being heard, he continues the repetition of those sounds. In the second phase, the child imitates sounds that he heard from others, â€Å"echolalia. This stage begins about the ninth month. The first sounds that the child imitates are those which are familiar, mostly coming from parents or caregivers. At this stage is when language development makes its formal appearance. The child comprehends simple words, specific vocalizations that have meaning for parents and caregivers. Language acquisition period – Begins about the last month of the first year. At this stage begins the conventional sound pattern or close to one. The child says the first words in their native language. The child understands and responds appropriately to others verbally.Between thirteen to eighteen months there is a slow growth of vocabulary. A language is based on grammatical structure, and that structure rests on rules that determine how to express thoughts. The three major components of language are: phonology (study of the smallest unit of speech called ph onemes), syntax (refers to the rules to form sentences), and semantic (the meaning of words and sentences). Every language has its own particularities; however, every language has the same components, in which people learn how to communicate based on the structure of their own language.To summarize how oral language is acquired, it is important to mention that the child moves through different stages during their development, in order to acquire the language and skills to be successful. Infants listen and very early begin to communicate their needs through the use of sounds and gestures. Toddlers use the language using simple sentences and asking questions. Young preschoolers used complete sentences to communicate. Theorists in language development discussed that a child produces sounds as a form to communicate with others.Those sounds come from his or her adaptation to the environment around them and as a consequence of the reinforcement by others during the learning and developmen tal processes. According to Beller (2008) the reinforcement occurs primarily when the child hears the sounds and considers those pleasant sounds. When those sounds are imitated by the child and he or she is rewarded in any way that produce satisfaction, the act of repetition begins, and eventually those sound combinations and repetitions open the door for a more sophisticated way of communication until the proper use of language appears.Learning a second language How children develop a second language has been a topic of interest since 1940 (Beller, 2008). Theorists discussed that learning a new language requires the use of existing structures that are supported by the first language. Language is a symbol for a social group. In many countries, people learn more than one language is associated with political issues. In many countries it is related to the level of education. To be considered educated in Europe, people have to know at least two languages. In the United States the secon d language is more related to immigrant issues.Many children who come from immigrant families learn their parent’s language and English as a second language. In future generations English will become their first language. During the early stages of the development of the mother tongue is necessary. It is considered part of the intellectual ability, is the individual’s first contact with language from birth, and supports emotional and cognitive development. Through the development the child learns the structure of his or her first language and that helps them to come up with his or her interpretations of the events around them.To master a second language according to Noormohamadi (2008) a child has to master his or her mother tongue. If the child does not master the first language, that will make the process of learning another language more difficult. When the first language is learned and the child has a total command of the language, the process of learning another l anguage will be supported by the first language, and all the concepts and learning can be transferred to the second language. The environment around the child has great influence on the child's vocabulary, skills, and general understanding of the language.According to Vygotsky, social interactions between children and adults influence the acquisition of any language. Another aspect to consider during the child's language development is the concept of nurturing. This concept is totally related to the social interactions. Nurturing bring up the issue of the relationship between the child and other adults. Children who are attached to their families are more likely to communicate for longer periods, and this helps their communication and language development.The amount of time children spend talking to others will improve their language skills. It is important to mention that each culture has standards of conversations between children and adults. Many cultures such as western cultures see children as conversational partners, promoting the verbal development of the child. Other cultures such as Hispanic culture do not discuss events or problems with their children. In these cultures children are not allowed to be active participants in adult conversations.Variations in social-cultural beliefs are aspects to consider in the development of a second language Oades-Sese (2011). The influence and relationship with others, within the same cultural values and language is significant and will add positive reinforcement to how the child learns and develops through his life. Based on Piaget's theory children learn and develop by organizing their experiences into schemas that helps them to understand the world around them. Those schemes are related to two important concepts in Piaget’s theory, adaptation and assimilation.During development children assimilate new information into the schemas that they already have, accommodating the new information into their mental structures. This process continues until the children learn the new information and come into a stage of equilibrium. For those children who are learning a second language the knowledge of their first language helps them in the acquisition of the second. All languages have their structure integrated by sounds, letters, grammar rules, and other factors that help the learner to acquire the language.The structure of each language contains variations such as alphabet, pronunciation, specific rules based on that language, but in general the similarities in structure facilitate the acquisition of the second language because using the knowledge in the first language helps make connections with the second language. Therefore the learning process is easier for the child. Conclusion The combination of the theories presented in this paper provides the author a new perspective regarding language acquisition and development in early childhood.Each theory supports Piaget, Vygotsky, and Chomsky fr ameworks based on observations and their studies on how children develop the language. However, each theory can blend to show how a child develops language and which methods can be used in order to reinforce the acquisition and retention of the first and second language. Each theory discussed helps to explain the process of language development, from Piaget’s cognitive constructivism which emphasizes a child’s ability to reason and construct his or her own knowledge, based on the individual experience, to Vygostky’s social influences and interactions to Chomsky’s nativism approach.All of these theories interpret language development differently. However, of all theories discussed throughout this paper it is the author’s belief that social interactions are the most helpful approach to understand how children develop language. Biological and environmental factors are necessary in order for a child to learn the language and develop the language. Moreo ver, the child’s interaction with others influences the acquisition of the language. It is important for the child to interact with others in order to learn the pattern of the language.Language development is a long process influenced by biological, family, and environmental factors that contribute the growth of the child in all aspects of their development including of course, the language acquisition. In order to learn another language, researchers such as Bruner, Vygotsky, Piaget, and Chomsky discussed the importance of learning and mastering the mother tongue. It is necessary to learn the grammar rules of the first language to use that knowledge to transfer the concepts learned into the second language. However, is a long learning process that starts after birth and continues through the child development.According to Mancilla-Martinez (2011) who stated that children need to continue having formal instruction in order to develops proficiency in the first language and have formal instruction in the second language. For some immigrants’ children born in a foreign country or even those who were born in the United States to immigrant parents, school is the first formal exposure to English language. This group will eventually come a large portion of the society needs the support of formal instruction to learn and develops the proficiency on the second language.To become proficient in the English language does not require parents use of English at home; however, to develop proficiency in the first language the instructional support and use of the language at home is necessary. It is necessary to be aware of the increments of this population and the particularities of each culture in order to support the language development (Mancilla Martinez, 2011). Many factors are associated with language development; most of them are associated when children begin attending primary grade levels, this is when the use of more sophisticated vocabulary is introduce d.The students need to learn the higher level of language in order to become proficient in the second language. Even learning the mother tongue, children need to learn more scholarly vocabulary and grammar rules appropriate for their age and to understand these when they encounter them in textbooks. When children come from homes in which a language other than English is used lead the proficiency in that language. Understanding the patterns of the first language is essential to developing effective programs to facilitate the study and acquisition of a second language.This fact is applicable for all levels of study of second languages. Therefore the educational systems should support the study and application of this in the teaching of second language. Mastery of the first language is a vital factor in the progress to study and acquire fluency in other languages. Its acquisition is a basis and support for all other languages studied throughout one's lifetime. References Agbenyega, J. (2009). The australian early development Index, who does it measure: Piaget or Vygotsky’s child? Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 34(2), 31-38.Beller, S. (2008). Fostering language acquisition in daycare settings. Early Childhood Development. 49, 1-52. Bloom, L. , Lahey, M. (1978). Language development and language disorders. US. Bochner, S. , Price, P ; Jones, J. (1997). Child language development. Lerning to talk. London: England. Chomsky, N. (2006). In Chomsky. Info. Retrieved February 9, 2011, Chomsky. Info Online: http://www. chomsky. info/ Chosmky, N. (2005). Three factors in language design. Linguistic Inquiry, 36(1), 1-22. Feldman, R. S. (2010). Essentials of Understanding Psychology. 9th edition Greene, M. 1960). Learning to talk. A parents’ guide to the first five years. US. NY. Jones, M. and Guidon, A. (1972). Language development. They key to learning. US. Mancilla-Martinez, J. and Lesaux, N. (2011). Early home language use and later vocabulary devel opment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(3), 535-546. Meadows, S. (2006). The Child as Thinker. The development and acquisition of cognition in childhood ( 2nd ed. ). NY: Routledge. Noormohamadi, R. (2008). Mother tongue, a necessary step to intellectual development. Journal Pan-Pacific Applied Linguistics, 12(2), 25-36.Oades-Sese, G. ; Li, Y. (2011). Attachment relationship as predictors of language skill for at-risk bilingual preschool children. Psychology in the Schools, 48(7), 707-722. doi: 10. 1002/pits. 20583. Piaget, J. (1928). The child’s conception of the world. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Powell, K. ,, and Kalina, C. (2009). Cognitive and social constructivism: Developing tools for an effective classroom. Education, 130(2), 241-250. Wegerif R. (2011). Towards a Dialogic Theory of How Children Learn to Think. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(3), 179–190.

The Relationship Between Language and Content in Poetry Essay Example

The Relationship Between Language and Content in Poetry Essay Example The Relationship Between Language and Content in Poetry Essay The Relationship Between Language and Content in Poetry Essay Essay Topic: Poetry Many tallented poets describe words as tools of verbal language used to build an image in peoples mind and to move an emotion or win a certain cause. David Waggoners Their Bodies, Langston Hughes Share-Croppers, and Ruth Collins The Song of the Factory Worker is three particular poems that were analyzed in comparison styles and the deliverance of words. The three poems have certain features in common. The features between the three poems relates to ethnicity, gender, age, labor and the relationship between lifes trials. The author Ruth Collins analyzes the obstacles women faced working in a factory. The Red brick building with many windows is an analogy to jail or prison walls. For example, prison walls or jail walls are built with bricks. Youre like a vampire, for wherever I go, you know Im coming back to you is an analogy of every route prisoners take in the prison system reverts back to bricks with no chance to escape. This particular poem describes the tremendous sounds that exist in the factory. Some sounds were The whir, whir of the machinery and The click of the tacker. However, the most interested line in the poem that stuck in the mind of the reader was the tired-eyed ones. This particular line is an example of every person having a long, tiresome, and busy day on the job. For example, if Bradley Jordan has a great deal of work orders to complete at work, the characteristics of his physical appearance at the end of the day is slow walking and tired-eyes. The reader most memorable line was the red-haired girl, when the sun sets her head aflame. This line describes the characteristics of a particular woman, working in a factory, maintaining her beauty. The female factory worker will sew until she becomes a tired eyed one. In Langston Hughess poem, he delivers a much more angry approach. In the beginning of the poem, he states Just a herd of Negroes Driven to the field. This particular line describes Negroes as silent farm animals, like oxens or donkeys. They were required to go and work in the cotton field without any recognition of intelligence or individual worth. Langston Hughes openly expresses his opinion in this poem. The reason behind the abuse was the skin color. Hughes is clearly angry and upset because of the slavery with African American workers. The abuse had no clear beginning and the end will not be merciful. David Wagoners poem, Their Bodies, is a great and bittersweet piece of work. Wagoner use of metaphors dissected subjects and expressed dignity for the individual. He also made mention to the reader that each procedure was innocent or once a parent. David explains that bodies should be handled truly and politely. The three poems reminded the readers through metaphors that an individuals value is particularly not determined by age, sex, or race. Why the individuals in these particular poems fight back against the agony, pain, and suffocation? In the poem The Song of the Factory Worker, Collins described the red brick building as a bad drug habit. The individuals want to leave, but they are brought back because of their happy bondage, the happy laughter and the songs they sing. This description is just like drug addict wanting to quit drugs. Individuals using drugs want to quit, but the bondage of a feel good high keeps them coming back. Langston Hughes expresses a great deal of anger toward repression and racism. He is an African American writer, who is angry with himself and his brothers. Hughes does not describe attractive elements of a woman or beautiful colors in a butterfly. Year by year goes by and we are nothing more, the reader could visualize the Negroes pains and understand why they thought there was not any hope. The sweet and settle poem was the Their Bodies. This particular poem rebels against individuals that acquire knowledge from experience. The body is a dynamic vessel that has a name, past, and family. The old man is described as scars of steel-mill on the backs of his hands, on the nape of his neck, on his arms and sinewy legs. Assuming that this is not a spiritual work of Jesus, the dead body is a miracle. The readers are reminded to their best to learn truly and politely. The three poems are written with fantastic, superb, and great metaphoric language. Although the positions are different, the plot of each poem relates working. Whether white or black, old or young, female or male, the poems display dignity for individuals.