Understand the Role of the Social Care Worker free essay sample

Understand the role of the social care worker1.1 Explain how a working relationship is different from a personal relationship.When you’re at home with your partner or family, you will be very relaxed and have a different relationship with those around you. You can have physical contact, talk in slang. You would be close and intimate with the people around you. You would also spend a lot of time with your family and partner although when in a working relationship you will only have slots of time you can spend with them.In social care settings there are many different types of relationships you will have with different people. The relationships you have with your colleagues and the service users will be different to the relationships you encounter outside of the social care setting. It’s very important that the working relationships you have are professional and efficient. Working relationships are different to normal relationships as in a working relationship you need to create boundaries with your service users. We will write a custom essay sample on Understand the Role of the Social Care Worker or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is so that your service users know as you are still there to help them you are their social worker not their friend. Boundaries also ensure that you don’t have physical contact with the service users as to some this may be misconstrued for something it’s not. You need to ensure that you stick to the employer professional code of conduct. Such as; staff should not enter a sexual/romantic relationship with a service member.1.2 Describe different working relationships in a social care setting.There are 4 main working relationships you will have working in a health and social care setting such as;o Colleagueso Managerso Other professionals such as doctors and paramedicso Service users we care for and their family and friendsFor each one of these you will develop different types of working relationships. Some will be more professional than others. For example with managers you will act more professionally than when communicating with your colleagues.

Palette vs. Pallet vs. Palate

Palette vs. Pallet vs. Palate Palette vs. Pallet vs. Palate Palette vs. Pallet vs. Palate By Mark Nichol Palette, pallet, and palate are three similar words sharing (in most senses) a common etymology that can trip writers up. Here’s a guide to the distinctions in meaning, plus a look at other distantly related words: If you were to describe a traditional image of the artist at work, you and I would likely note the same tropes: the beret, the smock, the painter squinting one eye as he looks down his outstretched arm at his model or subject next to his upraised thumb or paint brush (a strategy that helps him determine proportions). And in his other hand would be a flat, oval board, held with a handy thumb hole, with small, variously colored glops of paint a palette. The name of this handy paint-mixing surface comes from French (certainement!) the original meaning was â€Å"blade† or â€Å"small shovel† and ultimately derives from the Latin term pala, meaning â€Å"shoulder blade† or â€Å"spade.† Palette, by association, later came to refer to the range of colors employed in a work of art or, later, available in analog and then digital graphic design. Several other, more obscure senses exist. A pallet, meanwhile, is a flat structure made of wooden slats (or, increasingly, other materials), used to support heavy items in storage and when hauling freight, or a wooden tool used in pottery or a flat component in an analog clock that sets it in motion. In heraldry, pallet denotes a vertical band of color. These meanings derive from the â€Å"blade† sense of palette. The same word used to refer to a crude bed or mattress, the latter generally stuffed with straw, is unrelated. The palate, the name of the roof of the mouth, is also of Latin origin: Palatum means just that. (Oddly, the palate, rather than the tongue, was long considered the medium by which taste is experienced, hence the use of the word to mean â€Å"sense of taste.†) The adjective palatable means â€Å"tasty.† Another adjective, palatine, used in anatomy to identify, for example, the palatine bone, is unrelated to the identical-looking word derived from palace. Plate and its many forms are only tangentially related to this trio. Taken as is from French, it originally meant â€Å"a flat piece of metal,† ultimately from the Greek word platys, meaning â€Å"flat,† which was borrowed by Latin as plattus. The sense of a shallow dish is from the fact that such utensils were originally made of precious metals; one meaning of plate, singular in construction but plural in meaning, to refer to valuable dishes retains this sense. Words with the same origin as plate include plateau, platelet (literally, â€Å"little plate†), platen, platform, platinum, platitude, platter, and platypus (literally, flat foot†). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Meaning of "To a T"Probable vs. Possible40 Idioms with First

Jibal (WNW Iran, ENE Iraq) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Jibal (WNW Iran, ENE Iraq) - Essay Example The same case occurs in the context of Iran, a nation known to defy global policies guiding the manufacture of nuclear weapons: It is a geographically ‘blessed’ country with unique mountainous regions, cultural and social diversity as well as infrastructural development existing in its major cities. This discussion will focus on the geographical, cultural and infrastructural development as well as historical and archeological aspects of the ENE Iraq and the WNW Iran, basically pointing out what makes them unique as compared to other features existing within the country. Northern Iraq geographically extends from Baghdad and borders Turkey, Iran and Syria. The ENE Iraq region is composed of seven provinces, which are: Ninawa, Dahuk, Kirkuk, Diyala, Salah ad-Din, Arbil as well as Sulaymaniyah. The major cities in the ENE Iraqi region are: Dahuk, it is surrounded by mountains and is located along the famous River Tigris; Arbil, which is located approximately 88km on the eastern part of Mosul; Kirkuk, located 236 km on the northern part of Baghdad; Sulaymaniyah, which is on the Southern Part of Kurdistan region; Ba’quba it is on the Northeast of Baghdad, Al Muqdadiya, which is located on the eastern border of Iraq and orders Iran; Al Kazimiyah, a town located on the Northern part of Iraq, five kilometers away from Baghdad; as well as Baghdad, which is located along River Tigris. In relation to the major roads, there are various highways, freeways as well as roads that have enhaced mobility not only in the northern region, but connecting the north ern region with the east, the west as well as the southern part. Specifically, in the ENE Iraqi region, there are the: The first highway connects Baghdad to Samarra, Mosul, Tirkit and Taji; this highway also connects these cities into Syria. Additionally, there is the highway that connects Baghdad to Irbil, Ba’quba and leads to Iran. The other major highway in the ENE Iraq region, is the highway

Detailed specification and costs of a mobile computing device and a Essay

Detailed specification and costs of a mobile computing device and a desktop machine - Essay Example Computers do many different things by using the same hardware (all the solid stuff in and on the case) but using different software, programs which tell the computer what to do and how to do it. Computers come in three basic types: desktop, laptop and palmtop. The desktop which usually consists of a box, a screen, a mouse and a keyboard can usually do more than the others. The laptop, sometimes called a notebook or subnotebook PC. These machines are all-in-one packages with the computer, keyboard, mouse and display screen all together. They are generally not as powerful as a desktop and the desktop costs less for the same features, because the portability is expensive. Palmtops are really small subnotebooks, not much bigger than your hand. However, to qualify as a palmtop computer it has to have all the same attributes as the others: it must run different programs which you can buy and install, it must have an input device, a processing unit and the ability to output to a device. A PDA is a Personal Digital Assistant. It has many of the functions of the computers, but very limited capacity and power, partly due to its small size. The high end PDAs include word processing, email, calculating, databases and Internet access. Some come with simplified accounting software as many users need them to make entries into expense accounts. Mapping and GPS is a very popular function on these devices, and a few, called smart phones, have a cell phone, possibly a camera and Bluetooth and edge wireless technology built in. Most newly manufactured PDAs will accept external memory cards to expand their capacity. Most PDAs will connect to your computer in order to synchronize information, such as contact lists, to-do lists, and calendars. They can also move music, photo and video files back and forth between the machines. (Gookin, Dan, 31-44) So let’s look at the components of these devices and exactly what they do. Once thing they all share is

Process of getting a driver license (car) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Process of getting a driver license (car) - Essay Example It states the legal age for and documents required in the process. Secondly, the person should get tested by a physician for medical examination in order to complete the medical Qualification Certificate. For applicants above 18 years, the applicants signature should be on the application. A photo of the applicant is taken The applicant can then visit the Driver License Centre with the credible documents. If the application documents are valid, the payments are made for the production of a driving licence. This is done in money order and other systems but not cash. A knowledge and eye screening test is then given in order to determine whether the applicant has passed. If the applicant passes, a learner’s permit will be issued. This permit remains valid for one year for applicants above 18 years. Finally, a road test is scheduled by a call or online where the applicant has to take the test. On this day, the applicant should have a valid learner’s permit, a proof of vehicle insurance, proof of the vehicle registration and accompanying driver’s valid driver’s

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay

What Is Effective Business Communication Commerce Essay It is hard to imagine a world without communication. From humans to ants, communication is vital for functioning. Hence its importance in business cannot be undermined. According to Murphy et al it is the life blood of any business (Murphy et al, 2009). Without communication it is very difficult to get your point across or to make a difference. To some the skills of communication come naturally while to others it needs a lot of practice and learning. Luckily effective communication techniques can be mastered if one puts his mind to it. Communication has many realms to it. Though ancient communication gave more importance to written and oral, now days, along with that, non-verbal communication has also gained precedence. With the advent of new technologies frequently, the means to communicate is constantly evolving. This makes it essential to keep up with the pace of change. In todays volatile and highly dynamic work atmosphere to have good communication skill is important to survive and climb the ladder of success. It is essential to understand business communication and its practices thoroughly before venturing on to actual practice. Stages of Communication Effective communication can be divided into a few distinctive stages. These stages are not absolute and can change from one situation to another. Every communication starts with an idea that forms inside the sender. The sender then converts this into a communicable message. This can be either oral or written. This is encoding. The sender then picks a communication channel to deliver the message. The channel used depends on various factors like what is the location of the receiver, is there a requirement for a permanent record or is it casual, what is the size of the audience, how soon should the message reach the receiver, how complex is the message etc (Krizan et al, 2008). The receiver at the other end received the communication. This process can be referred to as decoding. Here listening skills and comprehension plays a very important role. If the communication is unclear it is the duty of the receiver to ask the necessary questions and clarify it. If a response is expected from the receiver by way of a reply or action, the receiver has to carry that out. The sender can explicitly ask for a response if necessary. The response is as important as the initial communication. The message send by the sender and the response of the receiver depends not only on the words and medium used but also on the non-verbal aspects of the process. Verbal Vs Non-Verbal Communication Business communication can be broadly divided in to two verbal and non-verbal. Both forms are highly important to make the communication effective. The way these two are handled could make or break relationships. Non-verbal communication generally refers to eye contact, facial expressions and elements, posture, gestures and tone of voice (Stuart et al, 2007). It can also be stretched to include etiquette. Though many times difficult to understand, non-verbal communication is considered to be of great importance in communication and most times it is given more credence than verbal communication. If the person is saying one thing and his expression and body language another, it is most likely that people will go with the non-verbal aspect of the conversation. This is a very common fact and need to be considered and understood while communicating. Again with non-verbal communication, culture plays an important role. What is considered a gesture of goodwill or an acceptable habit in one country may be considered offensive in another. For example chewing gum in public is considered to be rude by the Dutch while it is a common practice of the Americans. Similarly when Westerners consider staying silent during a meeting as rude and a sign of being ignorant, the Japanese consider it a sign of success and respect (Guffey et al, 2010). Indian and Middle Eastern cultures consider the left hand as unclean where as in Europe and USA this is not the case. The list of cultural differences in non-verbal communication is quite long. It is quite impossible to learn them all. What a successful businessman usually does is to read up and understand these differences before a meeting or a trip to a country outside his own. The importance given to non-verbal communication does not make verbal communication any less important. In a highly technologically savvy world a lot of the communication takes place just verbally through letters, faxes, emails and chats. Hence having a good vocabulary and the good sense to use it properly is very essential. Similarly, cultural differences creep in for verbal communication as well. For example, the Americans generally tend to keep their business letters short and to the point and do not favor the use of poetic language, where as the French use a certain extend of poetic language even in their formal letters (Chaney and Martin, 2007). These differences exist from country to country not only in the style of communication but also in formats of letters, emails and other forms of written communication. A clear understanding of these differences will make it easier to infer the written communication more clearly and accurately. In case of oral communication it is highly a ppreciated by people from other cultures if the person is able to at least greet in their local language. While dealing with other cultures it always helps to speak in short and clear phrases and check back with the person with regard to the level of understanding. But any sort of communications effectiveness also depends on the medium used. Communication Medium Just like words and gestures, the medium used for communication plays an important role in the whole process of making it effective. Before selecting a medium for communication it is essential to figure out the importance of the communication and the extent of its reach. A message that has to go to the whole organization cannot be communicated by a face to face discussion. It needs to be done either by means of a group email or memo or though public address. It is also essential to have a mental picture of the reaction of the receiver from the communication. Some things that are sensitive in nature may need to be communicated by a one on one meeting and not through an email. To communicate to the masses, companies generally rely on advertisements. The medium used can be the new papers, television and radio, door to door, billboards or even flyers. This has to be done after a lot of planning and study or else there is very chance the advertisement will not appeal to the public. It is essential to make sure that it does not contain any material that may be offensive to one class of people or which may be considered immoral in one country. The person carrying the message is also of key importance in mass communication. For example, Madonnas hit number Like a Prayer was used by Pepsi in its commercials which aired during family oriented programs. But when the real video, which was highly graphic came out, Pepsi was threatened with boycott and hence had to yank the commercial (Forbes, 2007). Communication Gone South When there is a discussion about effective communication it is also important to get an inkling about things that has not gone so well due to wrongful communication in the business world. When Nardelli took over as CEO of Home Depot, there was almost immediate demoralization of the employees and which in turn led to consumer dissatisfaction and complaints. This was all caused by his communication style which was commanding and which was not acceptable to the new breed of people. He also managed to infuriate the shareholders with his arrogance (Bloomberg Businessweek, 2007). This is a classic example of poor communication skills causing negativity in the business. An American ad company took down a large billboard which was found offensive by African-Americans due to the message in it (Bloomberg Buisinessweek, 2011). These are just two examples of the effect of bad communication. There are many more that have led to people losing jobs, companies losing market share, employee unrest an d even companies going out of business. It can thus be said that effective communication is the essence of every businesss success. There is a great need to have the skills to communicate successfully and if such a skill is not inherent, it is essential to acquire it. This can be done by having a clear understanding of the steps involved, the medium used and learning to used words and expressions in a very controlled and thoughtful manner. Conquering the business world is much easier with effective communication. Resources Chaney Lillian H and Martin Jeanette S. (2007), Intercultural Business Communication, Pearson Prentice Hall. Guffey Mary Ellen, Rogin Patricia and Rhodes Kathleen (2010), Business Communication Process and Product, Nelson Educations Ltd. Krizan A. C., Merrier Patricia, Logan Joyce P. and Williams Karen Schneiter (2008), Business Communication, Thomson South-Western. Murphy Herta A, Hildebrandt Herbert W and Thomas Jane P (2009), Effective Business Communication Seventh Edition, Tata Mcgraw-Hill. Nussbaum Bruce (2007), Lesson from Home Depots Bob Nardelli Why Command and Control is so Bad, Bloomberg Businessweek, 4th January 2007, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/01/lessons_from_home_depots_bob_nardelliwhy_command_and_control_is_so_bad.html Salazar Christian (2011), Ad Company Pulls NYC Anti-abortion Billboard, Bloomberg Buisnessweek, 25th February 2011, Available at http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9LJK5T01.htm Stuart Bonnye E, Sarow Marilyn S. and Stuart Lawrence (2007), Integrated Business Communication in a Global Market Place, John Wiley Sons Ltd. Trout Jack (2007), Celibrity Endoresements Gone Bad, Forbes, 13th September 2007, Available at http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/12/jack-trout-marketing-celebs-oped-cx_jt_0913trout_slide_19.html

Elements of Effective Teams Essay -- essays research papers fc

Elements of Effective Teams There are some positive benefits to teams but only if the teams are built with the correct qualifications: such as a person who will step up to the leadership position and help motivate the rest of the team members. In order to build a good team there needs to be other elements besides leadership in order to carry out their plans: such as tools and technology, diversity, and the proper personalities to keep the team intact. Everyone’s personality is different, and that in turn leads to the roles they play within the team. The diversity of the different personalities and the diversity of the departments they work in can lead to good and bad connotations. As a team everyone should have shared leadership. The tools are needed to help the team create, develop, and execute the plans they come up with. In order to create plans of action, the team needs a harmonious work environment and it should be in a place that no one has connections to, and that everyone feels comfortable in. They should be well stocked with all the office supplies all of them will need. Even though we think of office supplies as pens and pads of paper, office supplies does not mean that in every company. If they are working in a car company, one of the office supplies they will need is large amounts of clay in order to come up with new models for the upcoming year. If they are working for Blue Bell, they might need flavorings and candy. All of the supplies should be readily available because when they get on a roll, the last thing they want to do is stop and go searching for something they need. Computers are a very important part of a team. They can connect all of the team members who may not all be in the same off ices. An example of this would be video Team A 2 conferencing. An international company might create a team of individuals who live and work all over the world, so in order to get them all together they would have to video conference. Another helpful function of the computer is the internet. The internet supplies us with endless amounts of data, and is a useful tool to help with research on any subject. Another tool that is quite important and ties into computer and the internet is software. One of the new plans the team might come up with to execute to the whole company is a new software program. Or it might be that the team uses the software, like M... ...xican based supplier we were able to meet our customer demands while respecting the cultural tradition of our supply partner. As a result, this understanding acknowledgment and respect of differences bonded our partnership. When a variety of people come together to solve problems the forum becomes rich and robust. We must accept the sacrifice of a longer timeline to insure quality solutions. In conclusion, by having the proper and an adequate supply of resources and personalities that offer unique traits, and members that are diverse, teams are most effective in reaching their goals. By no means is teamwork easy, it requires its members to have and keep an open mind, to have tremendous patience, to take ownership and responsibility, to ask questions, to take criticism, and to consider ideas that are not your own, all the while keeping a clear definition of the goal. When minds come together and accept these requirements in a work team arena, the opportunities for progress is limitless. Team A 8 Works Cited Diversity in the Workplace: Work Teams and Diversity. Ed. Bernie Ghiselin.12 Nov. 1999. U of Maryland. 8 Dec. 2003 < http://www.inform.umd.edu/edres/topic>.

Phenemenology, Ethnography, and Grounded Theory

In the field of marketing, qualitative methods had to strive to gain a foothold against quantitative methods. Qualitative methods have had the disadvantage of being considered less objective and non-systematic. Such views urged researchers to establish methodologies apt to reflect the integrity of qualitative methods.This paper will discuss three methodologies utilized in the field of marketing: phenomenology, ethnography, and grounded theory. Each of these will be identified and later compared with each of the others. In doing so, a better understanding of the scope and application of these methodologies is hoped to be attained.Key Characteristics of the Three MethodsPhenomenologyPhenomenology is a critical reflection on immediate experience and attempts to uncover the features of such (Goulding 2005). It therefore discounts subconscious underpinnings of conscious experiences and attempts to deconstruct the meaning of such experiences at face value.The view is that what we take as l atent meanings are actually reflected in manifest experiences as our realities are in actuality constructed (Schipper 1999). What phenomenology attempts to grasp in its study is the deeper meaning of the lived experience in terms of the individual's relationship with time, space, and personal history (Goulding 2005).Phenomenology gains basis on several assumptions. First, is assumed that persons approach life with stored knowledge which engenders familiarity with given situations (Goulding 2005). However, this knowledge is always incomplete and thus constantly open-ended. Individuals have the capacity however to communicate their experiences with others.Here we come to the second assumption, that language, being the medium of communicating meaning, already establishes a relationship between the individual experience and the object of experience (Goulding 2005).As a result, the common meanings of words are taken as regards what are actually pertained to. Considering that experiences are always open-ended there is an infinite stream of words and concepts that may be used to define particular situations.This allows for the putting aside of the subconscious analysis of text. In the analysis of such data on face value another premise emerges as support, that of a level of commonality among persons thereby affirming the stability of language constructs as communicated to others (Goulding 2005).Should it be the case that present language no longer serves to reflect the lived out experience, individuals may always draw on novel words or metaphors (Schipper 1999).The process of sampling in phenomenology is purposive as data is deemed to be collected from only one source, individuals who have actually gone through the subject experience in the study. Upon collection of the data gathered, texts are read through as a whole or in full (Goulding 2005).After gaining a sense of the holistic portrayal of the text, patterns and differences are sought in the different accounts, a process called intertextuality.The strategy is utilized in order to broaden the analysis to include a wider range of considerations that aid the researcher to form a comprehensive interpretation.Generalizations at a theoretical level are not attempted by phenomenologists as they do not consider themselves theorists. However, recontextualisation is practiced through the sensitisation of previous works as a result of writing and rewriting thus providing the researcher with more universal insights as to established theories.EthnographyEthnography has its roots in cultural anthropology. It is the full or partial description of a group as a means of identifying commonalities (Goulding 2005). The driving philosophy behind ethnography is a concern for the nature, construction and maintenance of culture (Goulding 2005).The detached researcher is thus dispelled by such methodology as the researcher is forced to immerse himself in the field and is required to accommodate the native understa nding with his own scientific background (Stanton 2005).The aim of ethnographers is to surpass what people say and to look at the culture itself. The application necessarily entails prolonged interaction with member of the particular group being studied in order to find holistic explanations.The process of ethnography focuses on field work as it is necessary that group members be observed in their natural setting. Of importance is the attainment of the genuine narrative of natives to a particular culture. Such data is the ultimate objective of ethnography in a given locality.The reflexive nature of ethnography, while constraining it to adapt to the changes undergone in cultural settings, enables it to utilize different media of recording data. Yet ethnography holds no presumptions regarding the face value of data collected. All data need to be verified and tested for validity as they are taken as mere inferences from which patterns of hypotheses may be identified (Goulding 2005).The process is delineated from the starting point of content analysis. Content analysis is the process of scrutinizing a text and labeling parts of the same based on established concepts (Goulding 2005).There are two perspectives which may be applied in the analysis of data. The emic perspective is from the insider viewpoint and is considered the very heart of the culture while the etic perspective is the outsider view drawing from scientific perspectives (Goulding 2005).An ethnographer may be said to have comprehended the subject of the study when he is able to provide the emic perspective from the data gathered. It is assumed that the language of scientific researcher is not sufficient to communicate the experience of the subjects of study (Stanton 2005).After analysis, synthesis is then made through the pooling of the data and the integration of the constructed categories. Given that the established concepts thus far are largely context relative, recontextualisation is needed and is the last step of the process.This final step provides for the abstraction of conclusions to such a level that they are externally valid and generalizable thus producing new or expanded theories (Stanton 2005).

A New Intervention to Reduce Anhedonia in Schizophrenia

Meta-analyses of cognitive behavioral therapy for positive symptoms of schizophrenia have demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing hallucinations or delusions. In schizophrenia â€Å"negative symptoms’ refer to a reduction of normal functioning, and it encompasses apathy, anhedonia, flat effect, avolition, social withdrawal, and, sometimes, psychomotor retardation. The purpose of this study is the idea that Anhedonia is a challenging symptom of schizophrenia and remains largely recalcitrant to current pharmacological treatments. The goal of this exploratory pilot study was to assess if a cognitive-sensory intervention could improve anticipatory pleasure. Results show that the patients improved on the anticipatory scale of the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale. Daily activities of the patients were also increased. In nursing research, it has been shown that the sense of mastery is negatively correlated with negative symptoms or even with the fact of being left alone. Two research questions were addressed in a sample of five participants. Does cognitive-sensory training in anticipatory pleasure in persons with schizophrenia? Does cognitive-sensory training in anticipatory pleasure lead to an increase in the number and complexity of daily activities performed by persons with schizophrenia? They did not expect that anticipatory pleasure cognitive skills training would directly improve consummatory pleasure. If persons with schizophrenia show a deficit in their ability to anticipate pleasure rather than consummatory pleasure, then it becomes possible to consider cognitive training might help these individuals anticipate pleasure from foreseeable, future activities. I feel the author did a good job using literature to support their predictions and I was convinced by their argument. The author used well supporting concepts to prove their points as they discussed theories about Anticipatory Pleasure Skills Training: A New Intervention to Reduce Anhedonia in Schizophrenia. I particularly liked the idea that they did a two year comprehensive program including assertive community treatment, social skills training, and multifamily therapy groups that led to significantly less positive and negative symptoms, less comorbid substance buse, and significantly greater satisfaction with treatment. The author thought a more specific and symptom-centered approach because they felt it might lead to specific improvement in a shorter period of time. This symptom-specific strategy has been used in other studies for positive symptoms, allowing the development of successful specific therapeutic techniques. The case studies presented in this article highlight the use of this specific symptom approach for Anhedonia. Anhedonia has been defined as a reduction in the ability to experience pleasure. It has been regarded as a core clinical feature of schizophrenia. Research has produced a paradoxical set of findings, raising questions about its nature. Individuals with schizophrenia typically report experiencing lower levels of pleasure in their daily lives than non-patients on self-report measures of trait social and physical Anhedonia. Anticipatory pleasure is linked to motivational processes that promote goal-directed behaviors; consummatory pleasure is associated with satiety. The Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale is a trait measure of pleasure that distinguishes between â€Å"momentary pleasure† and â€Å"anticipation of future pleasure activities. The illumination of a new way of conceptualizing Anhedonia in schizophrenia permits redefinition and calibration of the symptom complex as a target for treatment. If persons with schizophrenia show a deficit in their ability to anticipate pleasure rather than consummatory pleasure, then it becomes possible to consider that cognitive training might help these individuals anticipate pl easure from foreseeable, future activities. Greater ability to anticipate pleasure would lead to a meaningful increase in spontaneous daily activities performed. Five participants were included in this pilot study. The participants were recruited from the regular clinical practices of the authors. The first and second authors were working in a mobile team of a community psychiatry outpatient service. The different members of this team worked as clinical case managers and were specialized in engaging difficult-to-reach patients in a comprehensive recovery program including therapeutic, occupational, and vocational services. The third author was working in a nursing home for psychiatric patients. The intervention was proposed to the patient when Anhedonia was reported as a challenging behavior impeding improvement in the care of the patient. To be included, participants had to be on a moderate dose of maintenance antipsychotic medication, with stable dosage for at least the past 3 months, and not be suffering from a major depression (score less than 12 on the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia [CDSS]). As the intervention was delivered in the routine care, signed informed consent to use the gathered data was obtained retrospectively for patients 1, 2, and 3. The internal review board of the nursing home approved the study, and patients 4 and 5 signed the informed consent form before their participation in the study. The participants were four men and one woman. All participants met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, Text Revision) criteria for schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Diagnosis was obtained at the referral time with discussion with the referring psychiatrist. Participant 1 left school by the age of 16 and had no further education or training. He had been housebound for 3 years except during acute somatic or psychiatric care. Participants 2 and 3 were working part time in competitive employment. Participants 1 and 2 lived at home with their parents; participant 3 lived alone in her own apartment. Participants 4 and 5 had been institutionalized in a nursing home for 14 years and 30 years, respectively, and did not work. Participants 1, 4, and 5 had a history of alcohol abuse. Participant 1 used cannabis when friends visited him at home. The intervention is a cognitive-sensory intervention that aims at increasing anticipatory pleasure. Participants are trained in state of relaxation to anticipate pleasure from potential enjoyable activities and to get the sensation of the pleasure in their bodies. The different steps of the program are described below. 1. Building the rationale for the intervention. The rationale is built by asking questions to participants in order to elicit the importance of being able to anticipate pleasure from future activities, and the links between desire and motivation. Examples of these questions are: How do you prompt yourself to engage in activities? What makes an activity more or less attractive? What are your criteria to assess if the effort to engage in an activity is worthwhile? 2. List of pleasant activities. The therapist and the patient will list past enjoyable activities that the person would like to resume, actual activities that the person would like to increase, and novel activities associated with new roles that the person would like to assume. For example, a participant who wants to be closer to his/her sister could engage in the activity of preparing a dinner for his/her sister and her boyfriend. . Classifying activities according to their difficulty. These listed activities are then classified according to the difficulty and complexity of the task. The classification is done from easy-to-do to difficult-to-do. Examples of simple activities are (a) going to the corner of the street and having a kebab, (b) taking a walk with a good friend, (c) taking a shower, etc. Complex activities related to social or professional roles are split in smaller reachable units before engaging in a more challenging activity. For example, going to the stadium to support one's favorite hockey team could be split in a more achievable goal such as inviting a friend to watch one's team on TV if going to a crowded sports arena is an obstacle to engaging in the activity. 4. Anticipating pleasure. During the first sessions, the therapist uses standardized material to teach the anticipatory skills. The material is composed of attractive picture-viewing activities such as biting an appetizing apple, drinking a frothy coffee presented in a lovely cup, or walking in a beautiful park. In subsequent sessions, the training focuses on the activities listed with the patient. At the beginning of each session, as patients may be â€Å"contaminated† by co-occurring unpleasant emotions (Horan, Green, Kring, & Nuechterlein, 2006), the therapist will start with a mindfulness or relaxation exercise to help the patient be in a comfortable, pleasant emotional state. Then, the patient is asked to imagine doing the chosen activity. The therapist guides the patient to imagine the sensations linked to the activity through the senses involved (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste). The patient is invited to remember past positive experiences of the activity (e. g. , Imagine that you are smelling the odor of the best kebab you have ever eaten . . . Feel the smell of the grilled meat in your nose . . . Concentrate on this odor . . . Try to feel it as vividly as possible). The patient is asked to anticipate pleasant emotions (e. g. , Feel the sensations associated with the joy of being with your friend . . . You told me that this friend is funny . . . Imagine the sensations that go with laughing. Scan your body and remember how it is to laugh . . . ). According to the anticipated activity, the patient may be guided to anticipate the feeling of accomplishment (e. g. , Feel the contentment of getting out of the shower. . . How is it to feel clean and fresh? Try to get this feeling fully . . . Anticipate the sensation of reward. . . How is it? ). If the patient shows difficulty in imagining sensations and feelings, pictures can be presented. Patients have to assess their desire to perform the activity on a 5-point scale before and after each exercise. 5. Prescribing homework exercises. As participants develop anticipatory pleasure skills, the therapist prescribes homework exercises. After participants accomplish single activities in daily living, more difficult activities are trained. Participant 1 received 10 hours of training at home, aimed at giving him the desire to go outside. Participants 2 and 3 received, respectively, 25 hours and 20 hours of training at the therapist's office. Participants 4 and 5 received 11 sessions of 1. 5 hours of training each in a weekly group session. Instruments: The therapists have administrated the instruments as clinical tools to assess anticipatory and consummatory pleasure, time budget, negative symptoms, and depression. The TEPS. The TEPS measures momentary pleasure and pleasure in anticipation of future activities. It is an 18-item self-report measure of trait, and anticipatory (10 items) and consummatory (8 items) pleasure (Gard et al. , 2006). The validation of the French version of the TEPS shows psychometric characteristics similar to the original version (Favrod et al. , 2009) with a satisfactory internal and external validity. The mean theoretical range of the two scales goes from 1 to 6; higher scores indicate more pleasure. The scale was administrated in pretests and posttests. The Time Budget Measure: The measure developed by Jolley et al. (2005, 2006) takes the form of a weekly diary completed retrospectively during a structured interview with the participant. In completing the measure, interviewers probe for activities, degree of independence in activities, and number and nature of social contacts. They also check that the week is a typical or average week, and, if not, complete the time budget on a different occasion to assess an average week. Each day is divided into four time blocks (morning, lunchtime, afternoon, evening). Each time period or block is then rated from 0 to 4 as below: 0 = nothing – lying, thinking, sleeping, sitting, etc. , 1 = predominantly passive activity (e. g. , watching TV, listening to the radio), 2 = an independent activity requiring some planning and motivation, but relatively simple or brief (e. g. , a walk to the local shops to get cigarettes, tidying room, washing up, preparing a simple meal for oneself), 3 = several two-rated activities completely filling a time period, sounding ‘busy', or a more complex and demanding, but unvaried or shorter activity (e. g. a visit involving public transport, prolonged social contact with others), and 4 = time period filled with a variety of demanding independent activities requiring significant motivation and planning, and with some variation in tasks (e. g. , work, a course of study, a trip out requiring organization). When more than one activity is present, the highest scoring activity is rated. There are 28 time blocks for the week, and the total possible score ranges from 0 to 112. The time budget was not used for the patients in the nursing home because the time-budget of these patients depended on the institutional routine. The week assessed should be a typical or average week, and if not, the time budget is completed in relation to a week chosen to be more representative. Time budget has a satisfactory criterion and construct validity, and shows good inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability (Jolley et al. , 2005, 2006). In the present study, the participants were interviewed on their time budget starting from the day before the assessment meeting until 7 days before this meeting. The time budget was assessed in pretests and posttests. The CDSS. The CDSS was used to assess depressive symptoms (Addington, Addington, Maticka-Tyndale, & Joyce, 1992). The CDSS is a largely validated interview-based measure that has been shown to assess depression rather than positive, negative, or extrapyramidal symptoms (Addington, Addington, & Maticka-Tyndale, 1993, 1994; Addington et al. , 1992). The scale is validated in French (Lan?on, Auquier, Reine, Bernard, & Toumi, 2000; Lan?on, Auquier, Reine, Toumi, & Addington, 1999). The CDSS was administrated in pretest only to assess the severity of depression. Depression defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, Text Revision) criteria for major depressive episode corresponds to a mean score of 11. 8 (standard deviation [SD] = 3. 8) on the CDSS (Kim et al. , 2006). The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms Anhedonia/ Asociality. The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) assesses five symptom complexes to obtain clinical ratings of negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. They are affective blunting, alogia (impoverished thinking), avolition/apathy, anhedonia /asociality, and disturbance of attention. The final symptom complexes seem to have less obvious relevance to negative symptoms compared with the other four complexes. Assessments are conducted on a 6-point scale (0 = not at all to 5 = severe; Andreasen, 1989). The SANS is a valid instrument (Peralta & Cuesta, 1995); however, interrater reliability is reduced when clinicians use it in comparison to highly trained research assistants (Norman, Malia, Cortese, & Diaz, 1996). In the present study, only the anhedonia /asociality scale of the SANS was administrated in the pretest to assess the severity of Anhedonia. I feel the researchers can test their predictions using these methods because of what lengths they went to in presenting their techniques. They incorporated a lot of various useful ideas when testing their participants. Many angles were used to go into full detail in what steps were taken to evaluate each participant in this study. The authors I feel gave a very detail analysis of each step that was taken as to not leave out any variables in each case scenario. A cognitive-sensory training package focusing on anticipating future pleasant feelings about performing activities appears to improve anticipatory pleasure as measured by the TEPS. The high RCI indicates that the posttest scores of the anticipatory pleasure scale are reflecting important change for the five participants. These results, although preliminary, are very interesting because Anhedonia remains a particularly challenging symptom. Our second question related to whether an increase in anticipatory pleasure would be accompanied by an increase in daily activities. Concurrently, change in anticipatory pleasure, as measured by the scale, was accompanied by an increase in activity for the three participants for whom it was possible to fulfill the time budget. Participant 4 had been ritually visiting his mother once a week for years before training. At the end of the training, the nursing home team observed that the patient had added in every week a new spontaneous activity such as going to town to do shopping, planning a little trip, or spontaneously organizing an appointment with the hairdresser outside of the nursing home. Participant 5 had been accomplishing five household chores a day for many years and did not change his program at the end of the training. The participant had been institutionalized for a great part of his life. In previous work, we found a significant negative correlation between anticipatory pleasure and the avolition/apathy of the SANS (Favrod et al. , 2009). This correlation was lower than the one with the Anhedonia/asociality scale of the SANS, indicating a weaker link between these two variables. Apathy and avolition are probably associated with anticipatory pleasure. However, several other variables may affect activity and willingness, such as planning skills, motor skills, reinforcements provided by the environment, etc. The results indicated that the training did not seem to improve consummatory pleasure as a consequence of an increase in anticipatory pleasure. The lack of follow-up assessment did not allow observation of an eventual delay for improvement in consummatory pleasure as a consequence of improvement of anticipatory pleasure and engagement in new activities. Another explanation could be that both kinds of pleasure have some independence between them. Anticipatory pleasure is linked to motivational processes and consummatory pleasure with satiety processes. I feel the researchers did a very good job in describing every detail of their research. My reaction to this article is that I think Pleasure Skills Training can really help people with schizophrenia if done properly over an extended period of time under the right conditions. I as well sense that the article does contribute something interesting and important to the field. Individuals with schizophrenia already have a hard enough time in life and to go on living without experiencing a sense of pleasure is disheartening. This study shows that people living with schizophrenia if trained with the right circumstances can eventually learn how to experience pleasure. I felt this article was presented well and easy to read with what was presented. Going through this article it was clear where each step was and what was going on. The authors used wording appropriate to this article without using too much technical jargon where it was not needed. The readability for me was quite familiar because I have had to do assignments like this before. I think when any author presents an empirical article to the world where others besides advanced Psychologists read it; they indeed try and make it easily readable so that their ideas presented get across in the best way possible.

Jay Gatsby Shattered Dreams

Jay Gatsby Shattered Dreams Jay Gatsby: Shattered Dreams F. Scott Fitzgerald?s The Great Gatsby is a tragic tale of love distorted by obsession. Finding himself in the city of New York, Jay Gatsby is a loyal and devoted man who is willing to cross oceans and build mansions for his one true love. His belief in realistic ideals and his perseverance greatly influence all the decisions he makes and ultimately direct the course of his life. Gatsby has made a total commitment to a dream, and he does not realize that his dream is hollow. Although his intentions are true, he sometimes has a crude way of getting his point across. When he makes his ideals heard, his actions are wasted on a thoughtless and shallow society. Jay Gatsby effectively embodies a romantic idealism that is sustained and destroyed by the intensity of his own dream. It is also Gatsby?s ideals that blind him to reality.The Great GatsbyWhen he first meets Daisy Buchanan, Gatsby has ?committed himself to the following of a grail? (156). With extreme d edication, he stops at nothing to win her love back, after years of separation. Gatsby?s idealized conception of Daisy is the motivating force that underlies his compulsion to become successful. Everything he has done, up to this point, has been directed toward winning Daisy?s favor and having her back in his life. The greatest example of this dedication is the mansion he has constructed, ?a colossal affair by any standard...with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool, and more than forty acres of lawn and garden? (9). Once a ?penniless young man without a past? (156), he transforms himself into a self-made millionaire and builds an extravagant mansion, all for the love of Daisy Buchanan. He also strategically places the mansion across the lake from Daisy?s house. From his window, Gatsby can see the blue colored lights of her house. Gatsby seems to be caught in a conflict between materialism and idealism that created and still def ines the American character.Starting from the first day that he meets her, Gatsby does everything within his power to please Daisy. Nothing has changed for him as far as his feelings for Daisy are concerned, even though it has been five years since their first meeting, and despite the fact that she has married Tom Buchanan. He ?revalue[s] everything in his house according to the amount of response it [draws] from her well loved eyes? (96). Inevitably, the two of them draw closer, but this in no way deters Gatsby from trying to make Daisy happy. He even terminates the employment of most of his servants because Daisy is afraid that they will begin gossiping about the afternoons she shares with Gatsby. ?The whole caravansary [falls] in like a card house at the disapproval in her eyes.? (120) Gatsby lives a selfless life in order to attain his dream. His loyalty to his dream is Gatsby?s most noble characteristic. Although it seems to be too idealistic, Gatsby ?[throws] himself into it w ith a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that [drifts] his way.? (101) His entire existence revolves around his dream; recapturing Daisy?s heart, taking her away from Tom and living happily ever after in his mansion he built with her approval in mind.Sadly enough for Gatsby, devotion is not the driving force that propels life in New York. Society is based on money and power, not faith and love. Daisy and Tom ?[smash] up things and creatures and then [retreat] back into their money or their vast carelessness.? (187) Even Gatsby finds himself forced to earn his money through illegal activities and gambling. He sees nothing wrong with these activities because they are part of his dream to have the resources to maintain his lifestyle the way he has become accustomed. Gatsby is more or less enthralled by the glamour and excitement of New York, seeing the huge city from an idealized perspective. Tom overlooks Daisy?s time with Gatsby as a ?presumptuous little flirtation,? (142), not the true love Gatsby hoped it would be. One could wonder if Daisy is worth the adoration Gatsby bestows on her. He truly loves her, but her shallow, materialistic nature must have ?tumbled short of his dreams? (101) at some point. Upon Gatsby?s death, after the loss of his dream, the reader is left guessing whether or not Gatsby held on to any fragment of his dreams about Daisy.Gatsby is totally in the dark to the reality of society, placing more importance on his dreams than on grasped experiences. He has built up his own dream world so perfectly that he can never accept the fact that Daisy is never going to leave Tom for him. This blindness leads to his ironic death. While he is trying to protect Daisy, Gatsby is killed by Wilson, who is avenging the death of his wife Myrtle. Wilson does this in a fit of rage, after he discovers, mistakenly, that Gatsby was the one to run his wife over in the street and leave her for dead. This assumpt ion, of course, is far from the truth. Gatsby dies from a gunshot and floats face down in the middle of his marble pool until his butler discovers his body. For almost five years, his idealism and his perseverance kept him, and his dream, alive. But sadly enough, he had no way of knowing that these very traits would also kill him. ?His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it. He did not know that it was already behind him.? (189) Like many Americans still believe today, Gatsby believed that material things alone constitutes the American Dream. The story itself, and the main figure, are tragic, and it is precisely the fantastic vulgarity of the scene which adds to the excellence of Gatsby?s soul its finest qualities, and to his tragic fate its sharpest edge. Gatsby is betrayed to the reader gradually, and with such tenderness, which in the end makes his tragedy a deeply moving one. Finally, before his death, Gatsby becomes disillusioned. His inner life o f dreams loses its power and he finds himself alone in the emptiness of a purely material universe. Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Ed. Matthew J. Bruccoli, New York: Charles Scribner?s Sons, 1925

Strategic leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic leadership - Essay Example Essentially the level to which an organization can develop effective consensus, manage the transformations and sustain commitment will count a lot on the success or failure of any enterprise (Hiatt & Creasey, 2003). According to Balogun (2008) the formulation of all changes in the organization is critical components of any program to support the employees of that particular organization and the organization itself. Balogun reviews the three main elements of any organizational change. Namely: the reason behind the change, what exactly should be included in the change and the process of change (2008). The reasons behind change include those that are social, economical, cultural, political, capabilities, structural and competitive environment in which the organization operates. He says the organization has an inner context and an outer one and all of them affect the organizations operations. The culture, structure and the capabilities comprise of the inner context that affects the organ ization directly. The external is the market under which it operates: the competitiveness and the country’s political strategies (Combat Poverty Agency, 1993). This affects the organization indirectly, and many a times they got lots of weight. When Mike took over from Lee, he needed change nothing structurally from the company. He actually moved in to the same old office and retained the furniture and carpet. He explains that the organization is flexible to the changing world in terms of its employee’s capabilities and in terms of its economy (Walton, 2009). Some of the factors that ensure the company runs consistently and efficiently, include its workers who are keen on ensuring that they work towards a goal, the goal being attaining its returns upon investment. The company can motivate its workers by giving them incentives or by creating an opportunity for them to be out in the fields to create bigger sales. Either way, it can ensure that they interact with customers on a personal level to ensure they give more information to them concerning their products. How the company relates to a customer, should be based on whether a customer is regular or irregular. How they are treated, gives them the need to be back again and again. The company’s capital also drives the process of expansion efficiently. The company stepped up to buy technology during Mike’s leadership to assist in leadership (Walton, 2009). Advanced technology boosts the company’s sales. It’s through this that customers will get to know more about the company. The advertisement the company makes to sell its range of products and services

Poverty in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Poverty in the United States - Research Paper Example This points us to one reality that no matter how rich and powerful a country is, its people would still experience inequality. In light of these facts, this essay will unravel the reasons of American poverty. At the end, it shall be providing a conclusion as to the state of poverty in the United States. Poverty in America In America, poverty status is ascertained by comparing the family’s yearly income â€Å"to a set of dollar values† commonly referred to as thresholds which may differ as to the size of the family, number of siblings and age of the householder (Bishaw and Macartney 1). According to a latest survey produced by the US Census Bureau, about fourteen percent (14%) of the people in the United States had incomes which fall below their respective poverty threshold (Bishaw and Macartney 1). This is to say that of the three hundred (300) million plus American people, nearly forty three (43) million are considered poor (Bishaw and Macartney 1). Although this numbe r is quite small compared to other nations, it is relevant to know the reason of this turn out as it poses a great challenge to the American government. Actually, it has been noted that America’s poverty rate has increased substantially from the year 2008 to 2009. The increase is considered to be the highest since 1994 (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor, and Smith 14). Out of the fifty (50) states making up the United States of America, thirty-one (31) states have observed a constant rise of their poverty rate (Bishaw and Macartney 1). This finding is somehow alarming knowing that the American government has been active in fighting poverty in almost all of its sectors. Also, America has been known for its welfare system. Under this particular system, assistance in the form of money or free service is given to the poor and needy within the American society (â€Å"US Welfare†). Relevantly, most of the poor people in US are Hispanics or Latinos (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor, and Smith 14). To note, the Latinos in the country are actually immigrants. These immigrants are known to be having a hard time finding an employment. As a result, many of them do not have enough resource to support their existence. If this situation will persist, it could be stated then, that the American government has failed to address the social problem and that its program aimed to alleviate poverty has not been effective. Causes of American Poverty In 2001, a poll was conducted to know the sentiments of the American people with regard to the existence of poverty in their country (Iceland 70). In this survey, the respondents were asked of their opinion with regard to the bigger cause of poverty in America today. They were to choose any of the two options: (1) â€Å"that people are not doing enough to help themselves out of poverty or† (2) â€Å"that circumstances beyond their control cause them to be poor† (Iceland 70). The first option of course puts the blame to the person him self or herself. This is to say that it is his or her personal decisions or choices in life which made him or her poor. The second option on the other hand implies that there are external factors which cause the person to be poor. It could be due to the policies of the government or cultural issues. Significantly, the responses of the respondents were closely evenly split. Forty-eight (48) percent have chosen the first cause while forty-five (45)