Effective Communication Essay Example for Free

Effective Communication Essay Effective communication is the process of transferring information or thoughts to someone or a group of people by way of speaking, writing or body language. According to â€Å"Livestron.com† (2014), â€Å"Effective communication extends the concept to require that transmitted content is received and understood by someone in the way it was intended. The goals of effective communication include creating a common perception, changing behaviors and acquiring information† (para. 1). It is important that the person receiving the information be able to clearly and concisely understand the information from the sender. The most effective and ineffective techniques for sharing information, techniques that can be applied or modified in a health care work environment and ways in which technology may affect these processes will be discussed in this paper. Effective Communication Techniques Effective communication begins with encoding, or being able to clearly and concisely relay the message so that the receiver will be able to decode the message. Another important part of effective communication is making sure the receiver properly understands the message that was being sent. When considering the context of the communication it improves the effectiveness. Context includes age, religion, sexual orientation and intellectual abilities of the receiver. Body language, or non-verbal communication includes eye contact, facial expressions, posture and position of the hands and arms. When body language is consistent with verbal content it improves understanding, and when body language is inconsistent with verbal content it creates confusion about the message. Emotions can interfere with effective communication. For example: messages maybe negatively affected if the sender is angry. While working in community mental health industry, an individual will be faced with constant changes in the way they communicate with each other, whether it be with the psychiatrist, counselor, patient, drug representative or another health care provider. I found the most used forms of communicating with other people were face-to-face communication, phone, e-mail and faxes. I feel the most effective way of communication is face-to-face because communication signals can provide insight to what is critical in gaining an understanding of other’s perspectives. Ineffective  Ways of Communication Ineffective communication can be any disruption or failure in the communication process. Language is an obvious communication barrier because if a person does not understand the language the communication fails. Another barrier is when a person has an idea but lacks the confidence to speak up the communication process fails. According to â€Å"Chron.com† (2014) â€Å"Removing barriers will increase your odds of communicating effectively. Both senders and receivers should pay attention to others in the process, making eye contact, listening intently and avoiding distractions. By being empathetic, you are imagining what it is like to be in the other person’s situation, which helps the communication process† (para. 5). How These Techniques Can Be Applied or Modified Communication is the key to succeeding and will allow coworkers in a health care environment to work well together. â€Å"A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work together to achieve a shared purpose and hold themselves mutually accountable for its accomplishment. Teamwork is the process of people working together to accomplish these goals† (Lombardi, Schermerhorn, Kramer, 2007, p. 91). Team members need to start out slowly in order to accomplish good communication skills. All team members should learn how to work with their team and be able to control any conflicts that might occur. How Technology Affects the Communication Process Technology has impacted the health care field in a positive and rewarding way. For instance, the electronic medical record allows the user to exchange health care information electronically and can help provide a higher quality and safer care for the patients while creating enhancements for the health care organization. The electronic medical record provides up-to-date, accurate information about patient at the point of care which allows quick access to patient records for a more coordination of care. There are so many things that technology has provided the health care industry: MRI’s, CAT Scans, ultrasounds and laparoscopic surgeries. Technology will always bring change and a positive outlook to the health care industry. In conclusion, effective communication helps to better understand a person or situation. It enables us to resolve differences and build trust and respect. This paper covered the most effective and ineffective ways for sharing information and ideas, techniques that can be applied or modified in a health care work environment and how technology impacts the communication process. References: Chron.com. (2014). Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/effective-ineffective-communication-56100.html Lombardi, D.J., Schermerhorn, J.R., Kramer, B. (2007). Managing Teams: Leading and Developing Work Teams that are Efficient, Focused, and Flexible. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons, Inc. Livestrong.com. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/69309-effective-communication/

Private schools vs public schools Essay Example for Free

Private schools vs public schools Essay Introduction: The controversy related to private schools vs public schools has developed over the years. Several arguments have been forwarded from the proponents of both view points and have eulogized the one stream of schools over the other. Private schools are generally regarded a better option for educating the children if one has the resources.   Private schools are able to execute more effective and efficient educational policies and programs and can take on better teachers owing to strong financial backup that itself is generated through heavy students tuitions. In contrast to private schools, public schools are funded by government treasury and have little sources to finance the more modern and effective education policies and methodologies. This paper will analyze the pros and cons of both streams of schools systems. Private Schools: Less-population-More Concentration: The most important aspects of private school as compared with public schools is the strength of the students at class and school level. Private schools have smaller number of students as mainstream students attend the local public schools. National Center for Education Statistics says in this regards; â€Å"As reported by teachers in 1999-2000, average class size for self-contained classes tended to be somewhat larger in traditional public and public charter elementary schools than in private elementary schools.† (NCES) According to a web site called Public School Review, Private schools average 13 students per teacher, compared with an average of 16 students per teacher in public schools (publicschoolreview). So public schools are more crowded as compared with private schools. This strength ratio clearly manifests that in private schools more attentions and concentration can be given to individual students. This one to one attention remains a hallmark of the private schools. Higher education Focused Courses and Programs: The second most important strength of the private schools is that it offers supplementary enhanced and higher education focused lessons and courses and their objective remains to polish their students to join an institute of higher education. NCES’ study shows in this regard; At least 40 percent of elementary schools in all sectors reported offering students extended, before-school, or after-school daycare programs. Private and public charter elementary schools were the most likely to offer such programs. An estimated 65.1 percent of private schools and 62.9 percent of public charter schools offered such programs, compared with 46.5 percent of traditional public elementary schools. (NCES) In comparison with private schools, public schools seem working on the conventional philosophy that each student is unique and college education does not suit everyone and hence no one should be forced to go ahead with higher education and they should be allowed and encouraged to choose and carve their own future paths.   Courses: Public schools offer general programs whereas private schools offer specialized programs for students that can enable them to take specialized courses at college and university level. In public schools the education of the students is pre-decided by the state what they have to learn and parents and/or students have no say in this regard. Private schools provides flexible programs and students and their parents can opt from variety of options. Great school staff website highlight and analyze the impotence of these flexible courses and says; Private schools have the flexibility to create a specialized program for students. For example, private schools may use art or science in all classes, or take children on extended outdoor trips that blend lessons across the curriculum. Private schools can create their own curriculum and assessment systems, although many also choose to use standardized tests. (Great School Staff, 2008). Less Bureaucracy: Another indirect advantage that contributes toward the overall efficiency of the private schools is the minimum role of state bureaucracy. Less time is spent on formalities including following unnecessary state policies and paperwork and thus more time is available to concentrate the quality of education, syllabus and methodologies. Teachers are more independent in their classrooms and they work out certain creative strategies to teach their students in an innovative way. The efficiency and usefulness of public schools is marred because they have to go after all national, state and local policies pertaining to education as well as finances. Higher Academic Excellence: Quality of education is the most important tool to measure the excellence of either a private school or a public school. The study â€Å"The 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)† conducted by National Center for Education Statistics reveals that private schools produce more excellence academically than public schools. This comparison in academic excellence was conducted at various levels and in various subjects. The results of a grade 4 â€Å"Reading† discloses that; â€Å"In the first set of analyses, all private schools were compared to all public schools. The average private school mean reading score was 14.7 points higher than the average public school mean reading score†¦.† (NCES) Same was the case with Grade 4Mathamirtics where private school’s students scored 7.8 higher than the public schools’ students. Same results were shown for Grade 8. This study is a clear manifestation of higher academic superiority and quality of education they offer. Safety at Campus: General school environment related to safety and conflict among students is another factor that parents keep in mind while opting for a schools. This is an important factor as Schools are not only a home to impart quality education but they are also concerned with the personal grooming of the children. Safe and sound environment reflects itself in the development of a good and healthy personality whereas conflict-ridden environment does not produce high-quality characters. Studies show that Private schools’ campuses are less prone to conflict as compared with Public schools. NCES reports manifests; Private school teachers were also less likely than teachers in other sectors to report physical conflicts among students as a serious problem in their school. Just 1.0 percent of private school teachers reported that physical conflicts among students were a serious problem in their school, compared with 4.8 percent of both traditional public school and public charter school teachers. (NCES) Public Schools Proponents of the public schools forward certain arguments and supported evidence in favor of academic excellence at public schools. They further quote various studies in favor of their prepositions. The most important arguments forwarded by advocates of Public schools are as under; Enhanced Extra and co-curricular activities: This does not suggest that public schools have no advantages over private schools. Public schools can offer more on co-curricular activities and can fund more activities in this realm than private schools. Maureen Boland says in this regard; Most public schools are simply bigger than private schools, and have enough students to pull off a science fair or power a chorus or computer club. Whats more, federal and state laws require public schools to provide diagnostic and disability services. Public schools are more likely to offer gifted and talented and remedial programs, too. (Boland) Higher Teacher Qualification: NCES study reveals that Public schools teacher are more qualified as compared with their private school counterparts. Furthermore, teachers form public schools attend the professional development courses more often. The study says; â€Å"Among full-time traditional public school teachers, 59.3 percent participated in such professional development activities, compared with 55.2 percent of full-time public charter school teachers and 43.1 percent of full-time private school teachers.† (NCES) Adherents of public schools are of the view that â€Å"Private school innovations do not in every case stimulate improved practices at the public schools with which they compete.† (Rothstein et al) They further illustrate that â€Å"Private elementary school personnel are not necessarily more accountable to parents than are public elementary school personnel.† (Rothstein et al) Conclusion: The above-mentioned arguments of the proponents of the public schools can easily be refuted as the primary objective of the schools remains imparting academic excellence and quality education whereas co-curricular activities and higher teacher professional development are secondary or subservient to the stated primary objective. Public schools are cost effective as compared with private school because they are hugely funded from the state treasury. But the abovementioned arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that this cost effective sacrifices the quality of education. Although private schools charge huge amounts as fees but there are two valid reasons for this. Firstly they are self-sponsored. Secondly they need huge amounts to spend on the quality of education they produce or wish to produce. On the whole, private schools are more focused and thoroughly committed to the development of education with excellence. They do not believe in the mere transfer of knowledge but take into account the aptitude and mental inclination of the children and believe in charging their creative batteries. The faculty member of the private schools earn more and thus are dedicated toward their work and hanker after more excellence. References Boland, Maureen. Public vs. private: Which is right for your child? Parent Center. Center on education Policy. Are private High Schools Better Academically Than Public High School? October 2007. Great Schools Staff. (2007). Private vs. Public: What’s the Difference?. National Center for Education Statistics. Schools and Staffing Survey, 1999-2000: Overview of the Data for Public, Private, Public Charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Elementary and Secondary Schools. Fast Facts. Public School Review. Public Versus Private Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Rothstein. Richard, Carnoy, Martin Benveniste, Luis. Can Public Schools Learn From Private Schools? Case Studies in the Public Private Nonprofit Sectors. Economic Policy Institute.    U.S. Department of Education. Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools. Retrieved March 23, 2008 at Web Site:nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006461.pdf

Counselling and Therapy for Different Personality Types

Counselling and Therapy for Different Personality Types Active Suggestive Therapy View of Human Nature In the world, everyone is unique. They usually differ on the basis of family in which they grew up and the values, culture, unique experiences and the perceptions they have about their circumstances. I agree with the view of Adler that a persons perception of the past and interpretation of early events influence their behaviours (Corey, 2005). According to Albert Ellis, the belief is that we contribute to our own problems and by this way; we interpret events and situations (Corey, 2005). The basic hypothesis of REBT is that our emotions stem mainly from our beliefs, evaluations, interpretations, and reaction to lifes situations (Corey, 2005, p. 272). Behaviour is learned. Cognitive behaviour therapy states that during childhood we learn our irrational beliefs form others (Corey, 2005). As it is learned, so I believe that we can learn new ways of thinking and behaving. All humans have free will. Adler also supports that the concept of a creative force enables people to make their own decisions and develop their own opinions (Oberst Stewart, 2003). Albert Ellis says that we can learn to control our emotions by avoiding irrational beliefs (Ellis MacLaren, 2005). I agree with Adler that the people are social, creative and can make their own decisions (Corey, 2005). I also believe that people also have certain limitations. I believe that biology and genetics play a role in our behaviour and that we are predisposed to some types of mental illnesses. I believe that some forms of depression like extreme anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can be the result of genetics or a chemical imbalance in the brain. Arnold Lazarus, the founder of multimodal therapy states that when any doubts arise about the probable involvement of biological factors, it is imperative to have them investigated (Lazarus, 1997, p. 28). I agree with William Glasser that we have basic needs. He stated that we have the need for survival, love and belonging, power and achievement, freedom or independence, and fun that drive our lives (Corey, 2005). These needs relate to some of the concepts of Adler. The need for love and belonging goes along with Adlers concept of social interest and community feeling. The need for power and achievement is similar to Adlers concept of striving for significance and superiority. Theoretical Orientation Multimodal therapy Multimodal therapy creates interests because of the concept of technical eclecticism†. It states that the therapist uses a collection of techniques from many approaches and from different theories of therapy (Corey, 2005). I like this approach because Arnold Lazaruss concept of the seven major areas of personality is made up of BASIC ID (Corey, 2005). These are behaviour, affect, sensation, imagery, cognition, interpersonal, and drugs/biology (Lazarus, 1997). It looks at behaviour and addressing self-defeating actions, emotions and reactions; sensory complaints, such as tension and pain; fantasies and images, flashbacks; the persons attitudes, values, beliefs, and opinions; aspects involving relationship with others; and the health of the individual including medical conditions, sleep, exercise, diet, use of drugs, etc. (Lazarus, 1997). The reason why it appeals to me is that it explores many different aspects of our well-being that can affect our mental health. This type of therapy appeals to me because it uses concrete tests to simplify the process of therapy and get to the problem in an efficient way. The problem identified in the Multimodal Life History Inventory encourages the therapist and client to focus on specific problems; it helps to set goals for treatment (Lazarus, 1997). The multimodal assessment coincides with my view of human nature, as it implies that we are social beings who move, feel, sense, imagine, and think, and that at base we are biochemical-neurophysiologic entities (Lazarus, 1997, p. 3). This theory is brief and effective, which is very important in todays society with insurance issues. Lazarus states that perhaps one would agree that effective therapy depends far less on the hours you put in than on what you put into those hours (Lazarus, 1997, p. 6). This theory puts the emphasis on breadth more than depth. This theory applies to the unique needs and problems of the client. Lazarus says, In my estimation, we need bespoke therapy – methods that are carefully tailored and custom-made (Lazarus, 1997, p. 16). The multimodal method uses several methods to find out what the problems are and the strategies to find out what treatments fit uniquely with each client. It is very flexible and open. Multimodal therapy has clear goals for therapy and focuses on current issues. It starts out with an initial interview, after this the client takes the Multi-Modal Life History Inventory and uses it to draw up a Modality Profile that lists the complaints and the areas of treatment that should be addressed (Lazarus, 1997). I like the systemic approach because there is a logical pattern to follow in order to find out the problem. Many therapies spend too much time just trying to figure out the problem, which can increase the number of sessions. Other Theories Some aspects of other theories that I would like to integrate when using multimodal and Adlerian therapy include some of the concepts from psychoanalytic therapy, such as ego defense mechanisms and Ericksons psychosocial stages of development. I can see the benefit of exploring defense mechanisms and seeing how they play a role in behaviour. Ericksons stages of development are a good framework for understanding development (Corey, 2005). REBT therapy is behaviour therapy, as is multimodal therapy. The A-B-C theory of personality is a concept that I would integrate with multimodal therapy. It is a common sense approach to show people how they can change their irrational beliefs into rational belief. It assists clients in recognizing their self-defeating thoughts, particularly the absolutist thoughts, such as the shoulds, musts, and oughts (Corey, 2005). With person-centered, I would like to draw on the empathetic relationship aspect of this type of therapy. The use of the concept of unconditional positive self-regard is essential. Adler describes social interest in terms of empathic understanding. Adler sums it by saying, To see with the eyes of another, to hear with the ears of another, to feel with the heart of another (Ansbacher Ansbacher, 1956, p. 135). Reality therapy is a lot like multimodal and Adlerian therapies in that it is directive, active and educational. The five basic needs of survival, i.e. love and belonging, power and achievement, freedom or independence, and fun is something that I would integrate into my own therapy (Corey, 2005). Some aspects of solution-focused therapy and narrative therapy appeal to me. Solution-focused therapy takes on a positive and optimistic view of the future and looks for what is working. I would use the three questions of solution-focused therapy; the exception question, the miracle question, and the scaling question (Corey, 2005). Narrative therapy is similar to Adlers concept of early recollections. This is a very interesting form of therapy and I would like to learn a lot more about it. I would like to take some of the aspects also of Asian therapy, such as aromatherapy and creating an atmosphere of relaxation. Multicultural Therapy It is extremely important to consider differences in culture when engaging in therapy with a client. Adler focuses on the person in their environment, allowing exploration of cultural issues. Behaviour therapys focus is on behaviour rather than feelings, which can be compatible with many cultures (Corey, 2005). Adlerian Therapy The concepts of Adlerian therapy state about social interest, birth orders and sibling relationships, fictions, and early recollections. Adlerian counselors educate clients in new ways of looking at their lives. The process of therapy used by me would be to foster social interest, which would help the clients to overcome the feelings of discouragement and inferiority, modify their lifestyle, assisting clients in feeling a sense of equality and help people to be contributing members of society (Corey, 2005). The four phases of the therapeutic process are a part of Adlerian therapy that I would integrate with other methods. These are establishing a proper therapeutic relationship, doing a Lifestyle Assessment, encouragement and insight into purpose, and reorientation and education (Corey, 2005). The Adlerian concept of the five basic mistakes people make developed by Mosak is of interest to me. These are overgeneralization, false and impossible goals, misperceptions of life and lifes demands, denial or minimization of ones worth, and faulty values (Corey, 2005). This is very similar to the core irrational belief concept used in REBT. The core irrational beliefs are awfulizing and I-cant-stand its over generalizing, jumping to conclusions, focusing on the negative, disqualifying the positive, minimizing good things, personalizing, phoneyism, and perfectionism (Lazarus, 1997). Therapist/Client Relationship The importance of the therapeutic relationship varies among different types of therapy. Some therapies focus on the personal relationship as crucial to therapy while other therapies do not give so much emphasis on the relationship. The importance of the therapist/client relationship in relation to my philosophy is that it is important, but is not the central focus. I agree with Adlers view on joint responsibility between the client and the therapist (Corey, 2005). My focus as a therapist is to engage the client in a learning process and to act as a teacher and consultant. I agree that there needs to be empathy and positive self-regard for the clients who want to change. The relationship needs to be a good working relationship. Encouragement from the therapist is essential. Two major theories that I am going to discuss in regards of the therapist/client relationship are cognitive behaviour therapy and person-centered therapy. With person-centered therapy, the main focus is on the relationship. It is the primary focus of therapy. Rogers emphasizes the attitudes and personal characteristics of the therapist and the quality of the client-therapist relationship as the prime determinants of the outcomes of therapy (Corey, 2005, p.85). With cognitive behaviour therapy, the therapist functions as a teacher and is highly directive. The relationship is important, but not as important as in the person-centered therapy. The success of cognitive behaviour therapy depends on certain characteristics of the therapist, such as warmth, accurate empathy, nonjudgmental acceptance, trust and rapport with the client (Corey, 2005). Both theories rely on the concept of unconditional positive self-regard and empathetic listening. The caring is unconditional; it is not contaminated by evaluation or judgment of the clients feelings, thoughts, and behaviour as good or bad (Corey, 2005, p. 172). Cognitive therapy describes it as unconditional acceptance. Ellis states that, In addition to modeling unconditional acceptance for your client, it is vital that you actively teach the theory and practice of unconditional self-acceptance (USA) and unconditional other acceptance (UOA) (Ellis MacLaren, 2005, p. 85). Therapeutic Techniques Specific techniques that I would use come from multimodal therapy, REBT, and Adlerian therapy. With multimodal therapy technique, I would use the Multimodal Life History Inventory. The Multimodal Life History Inventory is a 15-page questionnaire used for problem identification and patient history pertaining to the seven major areas of personality, or the BASIC ID, which I described earlier in the paper (Corey, 2005). I would also use bridging, which is used when clients do not want to talk about their feelings. The bridging technique consists of entering the clients preferred mode (cognitions) and then, asking about a different (presumably more neutral) modality (e.g., imagery, or sensations) (Lazarus, 1997, p. 48). The Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire would be a technique I would use when working with couples, which covers major areas of concern that most couples have. These concerns include communication, sex, money, togetherness, friendship, parenting, etc. (Lazarus, 1997). Some specific techniques that I would use from REBT are disputing of irrational beliefs which would include the REBT Self-Help Form, humor, rational-emotive imagery, role playing, homework and educational materials. (Corey, 2005). Adlerian techniques I would use are the Lifestyle Assessment, early recollections and The Question (Corey, 2005). I like the concept of The Question. It is a subjective question of, How would you like your life to be different, and what would you do differently, if you did not have this symptom or problem (Corey, 2005). This is very similar to the miracle question in solution-focused therapy. Early recollection techniques ask the client to talk about their earliest memories. Early recollections use an assessment tool to see how clients feel about themselves and others, in order to discover the clients strengths and assets (Corey, 2005). In contrast, cognitive behavioural techniques focus on tailoring the therapy to suit the individual and focus on changing the thinking patterns and behaviour of the client. There are several techniques available to use with this theory. With existential therapy and person-centered therapy, very few techniques are used. A history of the client, questioning and probing, and testing are not used in person-centered therapy or existential therapy, whereas in cognitive therapy it is the basis for the therapy. Existential therapy does not appeal to me because it is not technique oriented and there is a lack of direction from the counselor. As far as similarities between the person-centered technique and cognitive behaviour therapy are concerned, I really do not see any. They are completely different types of therapies. Self-Awareness As far as my strengths as a therapist are concerned, I am very insightful and in tune with how people are feeling. I am not afraid to be myself as a therapist. Realizing my imperfections, I do not feel that I need to be perfect in my style of counseling. Trustworthiness is essential to me regarding my role as a therapist. Listening is one of my strong points. Realizing my limitations and accepting the fact that I will not be able to help every client or get along with every client, it is important that I refer them to seek help from another counselor. Boundaries are crucial in the therapy setting. Taking on the responsibility of the clients obligation is something that I would be very aware of and try to avoid. Something that I would like to add to my role as a therapist and something that I feel very strongly about is the role of spirituality. Incorporating clients religious and spiritual beliefs in the counseling process is important, and I feel it needs to be addressed. Regarding my limitations as a therapist, I tend to give people advice and I need to be careful with this. It will be difficult for me to deal with certain types of clients. I would not be able to work with sex offenders, pedophiles, abusive men or severely mentally ill patients. Helping people who do not want to be helped is also a difficult issue for me. I would need to learn some techniques on how to deal with this problem. At times, I like to tell my own story and share my own experiences in an attempt to show others how my experiences have affected me. Getting off track in thinking that this would be helpful to the client is something I need to be aware of. I still question my ability as a counselor and feel I have not had enough classes to make this judgment yet. Conclusion In concluding the paper, I realize the importance of trying to find my own unique style. Finding what fits with my personality and what I feel comfortable with is a thing that will make me a competent therapist. Cognitive behavioural therapy (multimodal and REBT) and Adlerian therapy are concepts I want to work with, and I would like to do more reading and research into these theories in order to learn more about the processes and techniques used. Learning about the variety of theories, the techniques used, the goals of therapy and view of human nature has really opened my eyes to the vast amount of information about the theories of psychology. The reason I called my theory active suggestive therapy is that I want to take an active role as a therapist and make therapy a learning process. I would like to make suggestions to clients on how they can deal with their problems and offer concrete ways of learning that they can apply outside of therapy. Some would say that suggestions would be giving advice, but I feel that it would be beneficial to some clients. The suggestions are presented in a way as to make the client feel responsible and active in coming up with a plan on how to use the suggestions given. This class has given me a well-rounded view of the theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. References Ansbacher, H. L. Ansbacher, R. R. (1956). The Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. New York: Harper Perennial. Corey, G. (2005). Student Manual: Theory and Practice of Counseling Psychotherapy (7th Edition, p. 85). California: Brooks/Cole Corey, G. (2005). Theory and Practice of Counseling Psychotherapy (7th ed.). California: Brooks/Cole. Ellis, A. MacLaren, C. (2005). Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: A Therapists Guide (2nd Edition). California: Impact Publishers. Lazarus, A. A. (1997). Brief but Comprehensive Psychotherapy: The Multimodal Way. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Oberst, U. E. Stewart, A. E. (2003). Adlerian Psychology: An Advanced Approach Individual Psychology. New York: Routeledge.

Is American Patriotism Also Blind Patriotism? Essay examples -- Americ

It seems that patriotism is one of the most common terms used during times of war. Governments often use propaganda about nationalism to advocate their political views of the hostilities. Sometimes they even force patriotism on their constituents with fear-mongering techniques, which can have dangerous implications. That’s not to say that patriotism is inherently bad—many wars have been won for just causes because of it. However, it is a mistake to only think of war at a national level. There are devastating effects on the soldiers, families, and victims of war hostilities. The stories read this week discuss the struggle between concern for macro-society (patriotism) and micro-society (family/personal interests) during war. While no narrative completely rejects the idea of macro-society, they clearly emphasize the greater importance of micro-society and the consequences of patriotism. â€Å"Loyalties† is the first story which discusses the concept of macro and micro-society. It centers on a family living in an African village during the Nigerian civil war. The father and schoolmaster seem to be the most loyal characters from the beginning, as they are large supporters of the new Biafra. However, by the end of the tale they have switched their allegiances back to Nigeria. Their perspectives clearly reflect the bigger concept of the macro-society. There is an element of humor in the way they switch so drastically from one side to the next. The mother, on the other hand, represents concern for the micro-society, because she only cares about the tasks of everyday life. The tone of the story clearly favors the mother’s perspective. After all, she is the only character whose loyalties remain true throughout the entire story, and the author pokes fun at the politics of the men. Even the mother sees the humor in it all, telling her son, â€Å"Go and collect the goat†¦after all he is now a Biafran goat so we must take better care of it† (144). At the conclusion of this story it is apparent that the concept of macro-society during war has certain limitations and weaknesses, which can greatly impact the individuals and families involved. Just as â€Å"Loyalties† discusses the flaws of patriotism, â€Å"Peace and War† explains the failings of micro-society. It depicts two men who go to war every day and treat it as business. They are casual about their job because the war is at a ... ...e and honor when they are far from the field of battle, as this girl is. Yet when there are personal ties, it is much harder to accept the concept, just as Biyumi struggles with his sense of nationalism. Although many of these stories have specific settings and historical significance, they also speak to today’s world. We have seen a great shift toward patriotism in the years following the attacks of September 11, 2001. It would be wrong not to respect the soldiers who have fought bravely for the United States since that time, just as it was wrong for the wife in â€Å"Peace and War† to underestimate the dangers around her. However, we must also honor the micro-society, both here and in other parts of the world. Will our actions as a nation lead our soldiers into traumatic situations like the soldier in â€Å"An Easy Death†? Or will we consider the families and communities involved, saving ourselves from micro-societal damage? I only hope that we can learn from stories such as these and not take our â€Å"blind† patriotism too far. Works Cited Global Cultures. A Transnational Short Fiction Reader, ed. by Elisabeth Young-Bruehl (University Press of New England, Hanover and London, 1994)

Euthanasia Essay -- Euthanasia Essays

Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Individual cases presented to justify legalizing physician assisted suicide fail to deal with underlying medical failures to control pain, creating an illusion of control over death, and not acknowledging the thousands of patients murdered inappropriately. This is an interesting and a very controversial issue in today’s society. Euthanasia has negative sides, it can hurt society, and everyone needs to learn more bout it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The word Euthanasia is Greek in origin. It arrived from the prefix â€Å"eu†, meaning fear, easy, and fortunate and from the word â€Å"thanatos† meaning death. The main idea of Euthanasia is that someone has a conscientious death or a fortunate one. In other words, we attempt to ease one’s pain by murdering another human being to give him/her a so-called â€Å"easy death† which is illegal and morally wrong. The key element of one human being taking the life of another human being is not present. It is exactly this element that causes euthanasia to be morally wrong (Gay-Williams,288)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are different cases that might be hard to distinguish whether it is, or isn’t Euthanasia. There are murders in â€Å"just†, war, when trying to protect oneself, and in federal executions. It can be said that one of those is amiss; it would be arduous to prove that they are always amiss. When someone looks at those examples above and euthanasia, he/she can tell their inequality. The person who is murdered above is considered by the murderer as an adversary, an assaulter, or criminally culpable. But the individual in Euthanasia is neither of the three we mentioned (Gay-Williams, 288). As I defined earlier, euthanasia is taking someone’s life, either his/her own or of another person to add to that, the human being whose life is confiscated must be a person that is assumed to be experiencing a disease or injury from which regaining life cannot reasonably be anticipated. Ultimately, the attempt must be deliberate and intentional. Thus, euthan asia is purposely confiscating the life of a believed hopeless person, whether it is the person’s own or of a relative or friend, it is still euthanasia. It is critical to be apparent about the deliberate and intentional appearance of the death. If a desperate person is injected with the incorrect drug unintenti... ...Cited Darr, Kurt. â€Å"Physician-Assisted Suicide and the Supreme Court: Implications for Health Services   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Delivery.† 22 Jun. 1997. On-line. Netscape. 1 Oct. 2002. Dekker, Diana. â€Å"Life or Death.† The Evening Post. 23 Jun. 2001. On-line. Netscape. 1 Oct.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2002. Gay-Williams,J. â€Å"The Wrongfulness of Euthanasia† Taking Sides: Clashing views on Controversial Moral Issues. Ed. Stephen Satris. 5th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw Hill, 1997. 288-289, 290-293. Hending, Herbert.†Selling Death and Dignity: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Bioethical Issues. Ed. Stephen Carol Levine. 7th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/Mcdraw-Hill, 1997 80-81, 87-94, 95. Hupfer, Sherrrie. â€Å"Ethical deisions at the Darkest Hour.† Radiologic Technology. 11 Jan. 1996.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On-line. Netscape. 1 Oct. 2002 Komp, Diane. Assisted Suicide. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Pres. 1998 Shapiro, Joseph P. â€Å"Expanding a Right to Die.† U.S. News and World Report. 15 Apr. 1996: 63. Vallis, Mary. â€Å" Study Pinpoints Fear that pushes some to Euthanasia: A Means of Limiting a loss of Self.† National Post 3Aug. 2001. On-line. Netscape. 5 Oct. 2002

Th Future of Hip Hop Essay -- Hip Hop Music, Total Chaos

From its conception in the 1970's and throughout the 1980's, hip hop was a self-contained entity within the community that created it. This means that all the parameters set for the expression came from within the community and that it was meant for consumption by the community. Today, the audience is from outside of the community and doesn’t share the same experiences that drive the music. An artists’ success hinges on pleasing consumers, not the community. In today's world, it isn’t about music that rings true for those who share the artists' experiences, but instead, music that provides a dramatic illusion for those who will never share the experiences conveyed. This has radically changed the creative process of artists and the diversity of available music. Most notably, it has called in to question the future of hip hop. In Total Chaos, Jeff Chang references Harry Allen, a hip hop critic and self-proclaimed hip hop activist. Harry Allen compares the hip hop movement to the Big Bang and poses this complex question: â€Å"whether hip-hop is, in fact a closed universe-bound to recollapse, ultimately, in a fireball akin to its birth-or an open one, destined to expand forever, until it is cold, dark, and dead† (9). An often heard phase, â€Å"hip hop is dead,† refers to the high occurrence of gangster rap in mainstream hip hop. Today’s hip hop regularly features black youths posturing as rich thugs and indulging in expensive merchandise. The â€Å"hip hop is dead† perspective is based on the belief that hip hop was destined to become the model of youth resistance and social change. However, its political ambitions have yet to emerge, thus giving rise to hip hops’ criticisms. This essay will examine the past and present of hip hop in o... ... in which the expansion never ends, but all vitality is lost. The past shows us that hip hop has transformed and evolved; it doesn’t have to end and it doesn’t have to lose its momentum. Works Cited Chang, Jeff. Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-hop. New York: BasicCivitas, 2006. Print. Farley, Christopher J. "Rapper Nas Says Maybe Hip Hop Isn't Dead After All." Wall Street Journal, 20 May 2010. Web. Merwin, Scott. "From Kool Herc to 50 Cent, the Story of Rap -- so Far." Pittsburgh Post- Gazette, 15 Feb. 2004. Web. Nas. 2006. â€Å"Hip Hop is Dead.† Hip Hop is Dead. Def Jam Recordings. Nas. 2006. â€Å"Hope.† Hip Hop is Dead. Def Jam Recordings. Rose, Tricia. The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk about When We Talk about Hip Hop - and Why It Matters. New York: BasicCivitas, 2008. Print. Williams, Saul. 2004. â€Å"Telegram.† Saul Williams. Fader Record Label.

Term Paper on Social Judgement Theory

TRAITS OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOR| A Term Paper on the traits of Consumer Behavior| BY SUSHIL TAMANG | Submitted to: Mr. Rupesh K. Shrestha Facilitator, Consumer Behavior Submitted to: Mr. Rupesh K. Shrestha Facilitator, Consumer Behavior Social judgment theory (SJT) is a persuasion theory proposed by  Muzafer Sherif  and  Carl Hoyland (hoyland & Sherif, 1980). According to Sherif, Social Judgment Theory is the perception and evaluation of an idea by comparing it with current attitudes.We do this by weighing every new idea by comparing it with our present point of view (hoyland & Sherif, 1980). SJT is a theory that focuses on the internal processes of an individual's judgment with relation to a communicated message. SJT was intended to be an explanatory method designed to detail when  persuasive messages  are most likely to succeed. Attitude change  is the fundamental objective of persuasive communication. SJT seeks to specify the conditions under which this change takes place and predict the direction and extent of the attitude change.SJT attempts to explain how likely a person might be to change their opinion, the probable direction of that change, their tolerance toward the opinion of others, and their level of commitment to their position (Mallard, 2010). Social judgment  is how we perceive people, how we form impressions about them and how we think about social things. Social psychology is concerned with how we make these judgments, how accurate they are, and what are the consequences of these judgments. How we form first impressions and respond to people depends on how we judge them.Sometimes we judge people incorrectly. Misjudgments are the basis of prejudice and discrimination. In light if these, information we will try to find out the effects of social judgment on different professionals and their decision style. We try to find out where the social judgment really brings change in the deciders mind. We will see then effects of social judgment o n the mind of the these professional whose decision create a lots of impact on other people. Now before we see how the SJT effects decision of the professional, we must first know what the decision is making process.Judgment is concerned with the discrimination and categorization of stimuli, it attempts to explain how attitudes are expressed, judged, and modified. (Darity, 2008) A judgment occurs when a person compares at least two  stimuli  and makes a choice about them. With regard to social stimuli specifically, judgment processes incorporate both past experiences and present circumstances. (Sherif C. , 1963). As a judgment process, categorization and attitude formation is a product of recurring instances so that past experiences influence decisions regarding aspects of the current situation.Therefore, attitudes are acquired. (Sherif, Sherif, ; Nebergaill, 1965). As we see that our judgment is based on the attitude that we have towards a certain object. And we chose our decis ion on basis of our judgment. But knowing this much only isn’t enough we must also know what are the types of decision we make on basis of our judgment, do we accept object on basis of our judgment or we reject it or we don’t take our bias judgment under consideration. SJT illustrates how people compare their personal positions on issues to other people’s positions.Individuals hold both a personal position on an issue and latitudes of what they think is acceptable or unacceptable in general for other people. (Sherif, Sherif, ; Nebergaill, 1965)  Social attitudes are not cumulative, especially regarding issues where the attitude is extreme. (Mallard, 2010) This means a person may not agree with less extreme stands relative to his/her position, even though they may be in the same direction. Plus people with same attitude may have different opinion on the same matter this is due to their past experience and knowledge.On basis of our judgment we have 3 range of la titude where we accept, reject or non-commit to the object. There is the latitude of acceptance which is the range of ideas that a person sees as a reasonable or worthy of consideration, the latitude of rejection, which is the range of ideas that a person sees as unreasonable or objectionable, and finally the Latitude of non-commitment which is the range of ideas that a person sees as neither acceptable nor questionable. Griffin, 2011) Now, with this information imprinted in our minds, we will try analyze the effect of SJT on the professional whose decision affects other person. We will discuss on two researches that were don’t on professionals with regards to social judgment theory. The first study tries to identify the informational cues that driver-assessor-trained occupational therapist (DATOTs) consider when making driver licensing recommendations for older and functionally impaired clients. (Unsworth, 2007).The research focuses on the cues that clinicians believe that a re most important when making licensing decision. It was found that there were 8 major cues out of which 4 most important were driving instructors intervention, drivers behavior, cognitive and perceptual skill, vehicle handling and 4 lesser cues were road law knowledge, physical skill, sensory function and medical prognosis. (Unsworth, 2007) Although the ranks were seen that way the variation for the lesser important cues were very low meaning they were main consideration by clinicians.So, then putting that prospect and adding it to the older and functionally impaired client, it is clear to say that they will be in disadvantage. The social judgment of clinician will focus more on the lesser cues while judging these clients. The second research focus on the positive aspect of the social judgment. Judgment analysis, the methodology of social judgment theory, has significant potential for overcoming the limitations of a pure information-processing approach. It has been successfully use d in a wide variety of fields, Such as medicine, finance and weather forecasting.It has also been successfully used to analyze the relationship between individuals' decision making in multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams that included occupational therapists. (Harries & Harries, 2001) This research studied prioritization policies in community mental health work; it aimed to find out how SJT helps to make proper, accurate and right decision of mental health referrals. In this research the participants social judgment influenced their decision making even though the protocol said otherwise.This was very important because sometime the client who doesn’t match the basis criteria may need mental care the most. That can only be seen by the insight of participants. There biasness may save a person life. So, we see that two researches above proved one point first, that social judgment theory does effect the decision of professional that's what the term paper aimed to do. We clearly see that attitude, perception, past experience of these professionals effect the decision they make which might not be by the books.The term paper fulfilled its primary purpose but in the process it also shows that having social judgment is negative, it has it pros and cons. Sometimes having social judgment saves peoples live and sometimes it deprive people of their right. SJT helps it make better decision where the protocols aren’t very specific and are sketchy, in those scenarios our insight helps us a lot to differentiate what's right and what's wrong. In conclusion, we can say that whether the SJT has positive or negative impact, its existence is undeniable.Bibliography Darity, W. (2008). Social Judgment Theory: Detroit. Detroit: Macmillian Reference USA. Griffin, E. (2011). A first look at communication Theory. New York: McGraw Hill. Harries, P. A. , ; Harries, C. (2001). Studying clinical reasoning, Part 2: Applying social judgement Theory. British Journal of occupatio nal therapist, 64-69. hoyland, c. I. , ; Sherif, M. (1980). Social Judgment:Assimilation and contrast effect in communication and attitude change. Greenwood. Mallard, J. (2010). Communication Teacher.Sherif, C. (1963). Social categorization as a function of latitude of acceptance and series range. Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 148-156. Sherif, C. , Sherif, M. , ; Nebergaill, R. (1965). Attitude and attitude change. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company. Unsworth, C. A. (2007). Using Social Judgment Theory to study occupational therapists' use information when making driver licensing recomendation for older and funcitionally impaired adults. The American journal of occupatonal Therapy, 493-502.